AV Technology EUROPE January 2018 by Future PLC

AV Technology Europe

January 2018

avtechnologyeurope.com

INTERVIEW: OWEN ELLIS REVEALS HIS AMBITIONS FOR THE AV USER GROUP A NEW ERA OF COLLABORATION FOR PWC DIGITAL SIGNAGE SPECIAL THE LATEST TECH

NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM January 2018

HOW AV HELPED BRING THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM'S LATEST ATTRACTION 'HOPE' TO LIFE

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A LOOK AHEAD TO ISE

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS WITH LEADING MANUFACTURERS, END USERS AND ORGANISERS

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CMY

LS830

• Laser Phosphor Technology • 20,000 Hours Lifespan • 0.23 Ultra-Short Throw • Full HD 1080p www.viewsonic.com Untitled-4 1 06 AVTE01_final.indd 1

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WELCOME

Michael Garwood, Editor

GOING DUTCH

ello, and welcome to the latest issue And if your diary isn’t already full, we’ve added a of AVTE – our biggest yet! few suggestions. There’s even a map. With Christmas now a distant memory and all New Years All work and no play... resolutions likely now broken, all Another big part of ISE (beyond announcemets, eyes for the AV industry are now firmly on the education and waffles) is huge opportunity to biggest and (arguably) most socialise (shameless plug alert). So important trade show of the year, with that in mind, you won’t want Integrated Systems Europe (ISE). to miss our first ever end user “All roads (and For one week (February 6-9), dedicated AV Technology Europe flight paths) lead all roads (and flight paths) lead to Awards (February 7) – a night Amsterdam, with over 1,200 that puts you, your friends and to Amsterdam, exhibitors and 73,000 visitors colleagues in the spotlight, with over 1,200 hitting the Dutch capital – a third celebrating your achievements. exhibitors and of which will be like-minded Tickets are on sale now (see page professional end users like 38 for more details). 73,000 visitors yourselves. But why is it so hitting the Dutch popular? After all, publications Beyond the halls like ours (we’ll be there!) can save ISE aside, we’ve plenty of capital” you the hassle of expensing interesting and insightful features flights, hotels, food and drink by to entertain (and educate) you feeding you all the latest news and announcements during your downtime. Highlights include our (which we will – www.avtehcnologyeurope.com). digital signage special, looking at the past, present But ISE, is more than that. As part of our and future of the ever growing and increasingly pre-show planning, I spoke to some of the world’s affordable market – with some great insight and leading AV brands (Crestron, Panasonic, NEC, advice from the industry. You’ll find it hard to miss Sharp et al) to discuss their reasons for attending, our cover feature about how the Natural History the value and opportunities its brings – plus a taste Museum used AV to bring its 25-metre blue whale on what to expect (Crestron has up to 30 to life (incredible images). Plus how PwC’s use of announcements!) Likewise, I also spoke to some end collaborative technology helped assist it in winning users who have become regulars at the show, plus €10m in new business in just 12 months. some of the show’s organisers. If you’re on the fence All this and much more... Genieten! (Enjoy!) about attending, it gives a compelling argument. mgarwood@nbmedia.com

January 2018

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CONTENTS

January 2018

INVENTORY Editor: Michael Garwood michaelg@nbmedia.com +44 (0)20 7354 6022 Content director: James McKeown jmckeown@nbmedia.com Sales manager: Gurpreet Purewal gpurewal@nbmedia.com +44 (0)20 7354 6029 Account manager: Mark Walsh mwalsh@nbmedia.com +44 (0)20 3871 7377

Features

Digital Signage The third installment of our In Focus series explores the evolution, growth and opportunities available with digital signage + some expert advice

Production manager: Jason Dowie jdowie@nbmedia.com +44 (0)20 3829 2617

Contributors: Margot Douaihy, Ian McMurray, Mike Blackman, Dan Goldstein, Tony White, Shaun Oxenham

ISE 2018 Preview Exclusive interviews with some of the world’s leading brands, end users and event organisers discussing their experiences of ISE, why they keep coming back and what visitors can expect

NewBay Subscriptions: The Emerson Building 4-8 Emerson Street London - SE1 9DU e: subs@avtechnologyeurope.com www.avtechnologyeurope.com NewBay Media Europe Ltd is a member of the Periodical Publishers Association AVTE is published 6 times a year by NewBay Media Europe Ltd, The Emerson Building, 4th Floor, 4-8 Emerson Street, London SE1 9DU

The Emerson Building, 4th Floor 4-8 Emerson Street. London, SE1 9DU All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system without the express prior written consent of the publisher. The contents of [brand] are subject to reproduction in information storage and retrieval systems. Printed by Pensord Press Ltd, NP12 2YA

Print ISSN: 2050-6104 Online ISSN: 2052-2401 January 2018

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NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM AVTE finds out how the Natural History Museum in London used AV to bring its 25.2 metre blue whale skeleton ‘HOPE’ to life

AV TECHNOLOGY EUROPE AWARDS There’s still time to book your tickets for our inagural Award’s event celebrating the achievements of end users in the AV community

Regulars

9 Industry Insights

AV USER GROUP In an exclusive interview, AVUG chairman Owen Ellis discusses his ambitious growth plans, as his tenure as its first full-time employee begins

€10M REASONS TO COLLABORATE

AVTE talks to PwC about how by investing in Oblong’s futurastic Mezzanine technology it revolutionised meetings and won new business

44 Eye on Recruitment 63 The Tech Guide

69 Meet your Integrator 74 Brief Encounter 5

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ADVERTORIAL

HARNESSING THE POWER OF VIDEO IN THE CORPORATE WORLD 5 Ways Video is Transforming Corporate Communications

configured and controlled, ensuring the correct content is delivered to each recipient.

2 Sharing information, motivating staff and providing ongoing training are all key to the success of corporate enterprises. With today’s employees deluged by meetings and email, video is becoming an increasingly efficient way to communicate more effectively with staff, wherever they are located. Here we explore five key communication challenges facing enterprises today, and how IP video and digital signage solutions can help address them, increase employee engagement and improve overall business operations.

Aid critical decision-making High-pressure industries often need to react quickly to changing circumstances, and businesses of all sizes are realising that having constant access to live news is critical to their success. More companies are choosing to stream live TV and video around their premises – not just to displays, but also straight to desktops and mobiles – to keep staff continually informed and aid critical decision-making. IP video (aka IPTV) is modern, scalable and future-proof, enabling an organisation to distribute terrestrial and satellite television and radio, Video on Demand, digital signage and web content to any screen throughout an office. Channels can be centrally managed,

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Increase visitor and employee engagement with digital signage Integrated IP video and digital signage is a powerful communications vehicle for sharing up-to-the-minute corporate information, video and messaging with employees and visitors in an impactful way. Strategic placement of signage screens throughout the busiest parts of the office, such as in the canteen, main office areas, reception and hallways can help ensure communications have the broadest reach.

Improve collaboration with flexible and mobile working The very nature of the workplace is changing at a tremendous pace. With challenges like finding specialised talent, catering to an on-demand workforce and accommodating more flexible work environments, organisations are having to rethink how they recruit, retain, train and grow their workforce to achieve future success. Keeping staff up-to-date in a globallydispersed organisation is a case in point. Town hall meetings, for example, are critical to communicating a company’s direction; when every employee can participate in the live event, they’re more likely to feel involved, engaged and an integral part of an organisation. Remote workers and a growing Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) culture also means enterprises need to deliver a seamless experience on a variety of mobile devices to improve the reach of internal communications. With an IP video system, organisations can deliver high-quality video content optimised for a range of mobile devices and distributed beyond the constraints of the corporate wired network via a WAN, Wi-Fi and the Internet.

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ADVERTORIAL

Enhance staff training with ondemand video Employees feel engaged and motivated when their employers invest in developing their skills. When large numbers of employees need to undertake regular training, trying to coordinate in person is not always possible, so making use of video is a natural alternative. IP video can provide a cost-effective and flexible solution by archiving learning materials and corporate updates for on-demand playback. Live training events can also be broadcast to multiple locations, saving the need for employees to travel to a specific venue.

Protect premium video with end-toend content protection In an era with vast amounts of digital content passing across multiple networks, video piracy and new video consumption habits combine to pose new security risks. The onus is on the end user to protect premium content when distributed over IP, or face potentially costly consequences. Companies need to ensure they adhere to the latest content protection requirements to ensure that content is accessed and distributed legally across different types of networks. It’s vital that corporations select video solutions that ensure compliance with broadcaster requirements for premium content delivery. Protect video end-to-end from illicit access and distribution – and bring peace of mind to your organisation.

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INSIGHT

POWER UP: LEARNING WITH TECHNOLOGY

Improving the educational experience for students

oday, children are more likely to resources into their lesson plans more easily. This bring a tablet to class than a pencil content can be shared from a portable device and case. Recent research by the British edited remotely, meaning teachers no longer have Educational Suppliers Association to stand and deliver an entire lesson at the front of (BESA) has shown that the use of the class. They can move around the room and tablets in both primary and secondary schools has interact more freely with pupils. increased sharply – with some even implementing These types of technologies have provided their own BYOD schemes. students with an engaged multimedia learning The global e-learning market has grown experience and enabled teachers to diversify significantly in recent years – with forecasts teaching methods and enhance learning outcomes. estimating it will surpass 243 billion US dollars Video is now one of the core components of worldwide by 2022. Tools like educational content. Whilst websites, apps, e-learning games, teachers have been using it to e-books and virtual tutoring have support effective learning for all been successfully implemented decades, the use of laptops, tablets “In the last two in schools across the UK. AV and interactive whiteboards in the years there has hardware – such as interactive modern classroom has resulted in been a definitive whiteboards and projectors – act video playing an even greater role as a central hub for the classroom in student development. product shift environment and are being used away from to power these software tools. As Education 2.0 a result, the positive impact of It is essential that the display of projector based technology has been felt digital content is effectively solutions” throughout the education system. supported by modern AV solutions capable of meeting the Tech-powered learning needs of both schools and The education AV market is long students. In recent years, the established; many schools have been using ‘flipped’ education model is becoming much more touch-based panels for the last ten years. In the last prevalent – especially in secondary education and two years there has been a definitive product shift distance learning schools. IFP displays in particular away from projector-based solutions to more have created fluidity in the way people learn, with collaborative Interactive Flat Panel (IFP) systems. more emphasis being put on sharing and accessing IFP displays – embedded with tools such as content offline and outside of the traditional wireless mirroring and content sharing software classroom environment. – enable teachers to plan for different types of With the software in place to be able to record learners (visual, auditory, read-write and lessons, share lesson plans, and access content kinaesthetic) by integrating web, video and photo remotely, the way both students and teachers

Tony White, AV product specialist at ViewSonic Europe https://www.viewsonic.com/uk/

January 2018

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INSIGHT

engage with the curriculum is changing for the better. Now absent students can reap the benefits of the technology and not miss out on important aspects of their education. An AV future The recent evolution of academies and trusts have seen the education system in the UK become more competitive – with both private and state schools using AV technology to enhance the learning experience and attract the brightest students. There is already a demand amongst schools for larger displays with higher resolution: 4K IFP displays are steadily being rolled out by manufacturers. However, switching to 4K in education meets some

resistance on pricing and concern over the transition of content. The implementation of 4K technologies in education a real opportunity. The bottom line is that students can and do benefit from technology. Incorporating new innovations has proven to increase student engagement; whilst personalised lesson plans can now be tailored to an individual’s needs – right through from pre-school to university. Students at all levels can use assistive technologies to extract the most from their education, ensuring every student can achieve their full potential. Over time, AV solutions will continue to help diversify teaching methods, transforming how students learn and engage with the curriculum. Propelled by the increased availability and affordability of these technologies, faster internet connectivity in schools and an uptake in digital learning, the use of digital content in classrooms will continue to rise. By optimising the use of modern AV products, schools and teachers can improve the educational experience and actively encourage learning – both inside and outside the traditional classroom environment.

“Private and state schools are using AV to enhance the learning experience and attract the brightest students”

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INSIGHT

IPTV: A TECH FOR TOMORROW, TODAY

The rewards for investing in IPTV and digital signage now clear

rganisations are being presented order to guard against interruptions and picture with unprecedented access to breakup. IPTV networks place a constant high sophisticated high-quality video load on the infrastructure so network switches communications. This opens up a must meet specific minimum criteria. world of opportunity for the kind Component technology, including displays, of personalised consumer experiences that media players and content management systems, businesses want to deliver and when it comes to are at the core of most IPTV and digital signage IPTV and digital signage they don’t have to wait deployments. With displays, it’s best to err on the – these solutions are available today. side of reliable industry IPTV technologies with Where once both IPTV and signage were siloed rs232 controls, rather than domestic technology applications, the underlying technology has now with an OS that can be updated by manufacturers converged and presented companies with the with little notice. Display performance also needs ability to distribute web and TV content alongside to be constantly monitored and software should a full array of media sources. We include encryption. see these in our daily lives on When it comes to media players, screens in airport, travel, if a company is spending money “The investment hospitality lounges, corporate on an IPTV digital signage system, will deliver limited it’s advisable to seek one that can reception areas and even in doctors surgeries. select, play and control multiple returns if There’s no doubt that investing different media. Watch out for attention is not in IPTV and digital signage can combinations of third party TVs reap enormous rewards in and media players with no paid to selecting corporate communication and unifying client. Finally, the CMS fit-for-purpose brand messaging. The investment, will bring all elements, from HLS however, will deliver limited live streams through to VoD technology” returns if attention is not paid to content, together and will act as selecting fit-for-purpose the management hub. It can technology and installed by a partner with assign content to playlists, create and publish web intimate knowledge of its implementation. pages and configure graphical elements, and reputable CMS systems will be remotely accessible Key considerations providing greater flexibility. What should organisations be prioritising when embarking on IPTV and digital signage deployment?

Perhaps the first question should be ‘is the network multicast-enabled?’. It must be capable of sustaining bandwidth-intense, high availability transport streams across multiple subnets, vLANs and WANS. The infrastructure must ensure media multicast packets are not dropped or duplicated in

Choosing a partner One option is to select a reseller, systems integrator or consultant to integrate all the hardware and software elements of an IPTV system from multiple sources for an overall lower cost solution. Alternatively, a partner can be selected to provide the entire solution from head end devices

Shaun Oxenham is CEO of Cabletime

January 2018

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INSIGHT

to media players and all the software and controls in between. A partner promoting a vendor that designs, manufactures and supports its own solutions that are dedicated to IPTV and digital signage can provide one port of call for training, network queries and ongoing service requirements. Meeting standards All the technology in the world is only as good as the quality of the experience it delivers. Companies have every right to expect point-to-point video links that they can depend on, but the reality is that many still have to deal with the negative impact of packet loss, bandwidth limitations and segment-based protocols on the Internet. Which is why a commitment by equipment vendors to initiatives like the SRT Alliance, which promotes a de facto standard for low latency Internet streaming, is vital and should be sought out by both customers and integrators during specification. Equally, integrators and the vendors they are working with should be observing the requirements of HDCP 2.2 content protection.

This standard allows for content and materials to be distributed across multiple displays on enterprise networks, however it does require the active involvement of both manufacturers and integrators. Looking out for these standards, and other credentials such as HDMI.org, H265 HEVC and Dolby Digital is important. There is a great deal to consider before embarking on an IPTV digital signage project, and both technology and standards are constantly being updated. This is not a light undertaking, but with careful consideration a solution can be reached that has the potential to reinforce brand values, deliver an exceptional performance and meet company objectives.

“All the technology in the world is only as good as the quality of the experience it delivers”

Shaun Oxenham is CEO of Cabletime

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FEATURE

A NEW HOPE

> Hope, the spectacular 25.2- metre blue whale hangs over VIP guests at the Natural History Museum

Night at the museum: White Light helps bring the Natural History Museum’s latest inhabitant to life, with an impressive audio and visual experience during its VIP launch event

he Natural History Museum (NHM) in London – dubbed by some as the cathedral of nature – is one of the most iconic venues in London, thanks to its Romanesque architecture, wide spaces and high gallery ceilings. Today, more than 20,000 people pass through its doors a day, viewing the estimated 80 million artifacts – with the star attraction housed in its most central location, Hintze Hall – which also doubles as a corporate event hire venue by night.

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Since the 1970s, Hintze Hall had been home to a Diplodocus skeleton (Dippy, to his friends), but in July – following a six month revamp, the room reopened, not with Dippy, but a 25.2-metre blue whale skeleton (called Hope) suspended from the ceiling. To mark the completion of its latest inhabitant, the NHM wanted to celebrate the occasion with a grand “once in a lifetime” event. With more than a thousand VIP guests – including Patron HRH The Duchess of Cambridge and Sir David Attenborough – the NHM wanted to create a truly

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FEATURE immersive experience for its guests. One which would emotionally remove them from the (tomb like) room and visually submerge them into a more aquatic themed environment more akin to that of its star attraction. The NHM entrusted AV specialist White Light to achieve its ambitions, which took more than four months of preparation to perfect. “The Museum approached us to provide the complete technical support across the evening”, explained White Light’s business development director, Richard Wilson to AVTE. “This included lighting, rigging and audio. There were both audio and visual elements throughout the evening. Speeches happened from one of the three stages alternately throughout the evening being supported by content across the windows of the venue. The initial creative ideas started around four months prior to the event. This was then followed by projection tests in the venue and digitally mapping the whole space.” Bringing the dead to life White Light used an array of audio (including a 14 piece orchestra and whale recordings), lighting, projection and even a fog screen to help transform the mood and feel of the room during the various stages of the evening. With the theme of the event being ‘Under the Sea’, AV was used predominantly to create an underwater sensational environment – whilst the finale transported the room into space, with Stephen Fry discussing the universe. The focal point however was of course on the star attraction, Hope – so, standing out was crucial. “The whale was obviously the main focus, so we worked hard in putting together a lighting package that would bring it to life,” Wilson explained. “How we did this changed at different times across the evening. When guests arrived, it was about enhancing the existing light within that space for a dramatic effect. As the evening progressed, the museum hired an orchestral piece, for which we supplied the audio support and played it in different areas to ensure all guests felt part of the evening. Our role was to then theme our lighting with the music to provide a once-in-a-lifetime experience for those in attendance as well as continue to enhance the whale and other exhibits on display.” Challenges Planning for the event was not without challenges. With Hintze Hall featuring large windows arching into the ceiling, and the event taking place at 7pm in July, the room would be flooded with natural light at the beginning of the event, slowly fading as January 2018

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“We worked hard in putting together a lighting package that would bring it to life” the evening went on, changing the conditions. However, rather than see this as a problem, Wilson explained they used this as an opportunity, by combining natural and artificial lighting to help provide a more visually illuminating effect on the whale’s skeleton. “The biggest challenge on this event was working with external light,” explained Wilson. “Due to the event starting early evening, this meant there was still a lot of daylight visible when guests walked in. Yet rather than try and ignore this, we actually embraced it and chose to work alongside it. Therefore, we’ve allowed the external light to live within the space by seeping through the windows and shining directly onto the whale. Supplemented with our own lighting fixtures, this created quite a dramatic effect” He continued: “At the start of the evening we wanted to heighten the natural sunlight through one side of the hall and really strengthen the feeling of sunlight bursting into the space. This with some haze in the air really created a striking effect.” Wilson also revealed part of his inspiration came from a black and white photo of the Hall taken in more than 100 years ago, in 1910 “It was a great feeling to re-create this feel for the guests in the refurbished hall.” As for the final result… He concluded: “This exhibition is unlike anything we’ve seen before,” concluded Wilson. “It gives people the opportunity to see a stunning creature up close along with a whole host of other specimens, which include a 4.5 million-year-old meteorite, a Mantellisaurus skeleton, giraffes and a blue marlin. We were delighted to have played a part in the grand opening.”

> Lighting, audio and projection was used to create an underwater themed environment inside Hintze Hall

DID YOU KNOW? n The Museum first

opened its doors on the 18th April 1881, but its origins stretch back to 1753

n Hintze Hall can hold

up to 600 people for a dinner or 1,200 for a drinks reception

THE TECH n Wireless Core

ColourPoints

n Mac Viper Performances n Mac Aura XBs n SGM LED Floods n SVOBODA Lighting

Batten

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INTERVIEW

AV USER GROUP: AT A GLANCE

The AV User Group is a forum for those responsible for their organisation’s AV communications, including AV in meeting rooms, video, audio, data conferencing, video streaming, broadcasts, signage, presentations and the use of collaborative technologies. The AVUG promotes the effective use of AV communication technology within user organisations, and to help managers maintain the skills and knowledge they need to implement AV projects and manage service provision. It also provides a hub for AV/ technology managers and their support teams through the provision of multiple interfacing platforms between the end user community and their suppliers.

“I’m passionate about AV. The AVUG was the only thing I was going to leave Morgan Stanley for, but I had to wait for the platform to be there for it to happen. I’m confident we now have it” 16

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INTERVIEW

FOCUSED, AMBITIOUS ....GOWEN FOR IT Going pro: Owen Ellis discusses his ambitious plans for the AV User Group as his tenure as its first ever full-time paid employee gets underway

“T

he hard work starts now.” This was the defiant message from a buoyant Owen Ellis as we sat down for our meeting at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre (QEII) in Westminster before Christmas – the shadow of Big Ben almost starving the room of any natural light. The day of our meeting – November 29 – was a significant one. Not only for Owen himself, but in the history and future of the AV User Group (AVUG) – the not for profit organisation he’s headed up as chairman since 2010 (box out, left). A new era begins A lot had changed in the past 24 hours. The day before our meeting, the AVUG was – as it had remained since its formation in the late 1990s – an entirely voluntary lead company. But times have changed. Under Owen’s leadership – now in his eighth year – the AVUG has evolved from being little more than a (with respect) social club for the AV community, to a now professionally managed, structured and highly respected international organisation. Growth has been exponential during his tenure. Membership numbers have risen significantly, up from 70 in 2010 to more than 700 today. Notably, 300 of those members are based overseas, having expanded the AVUG into New York (2012) and Hong Kong (2016) – two projects spearheaded almost entirely by Owen (which we discuss shortly). “The opportunities and potential for the AVUG are enormous,” exclaimed Owen proudly. When two become one However, fulfilling its potential was no longer a part-time after work occupation – albeit an extremely consuming one. Something had to give –

January 2018

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and it did. After eight years of graft and 14-months of planning, Owen woke up on the day of our meeting, no longer an employee of Morgan Stanley – a firm he’d worked at for 17 years – but a full-time, paid employee of the AV User Group – the first in its history. His excitement was evident. “I really loved my job at Morgan Stanley and all the people I worked with,” he explained, reflecting on his past, present and future. “I’d been a member [of the AVUG] since 2002 and very passionate about AV. The AVUG was the only thing I was going to leave Morgan Stanley for, but I had to wait for the platform to be there for it to happen. I’m confident we now have it. He reflected: “I’d only planned on doing the role for two or three years and then pass it on to someone else,” he said smiling. “I actually tried to leave, but I didn’t feel those that volunteered to replace me were quite right. I remember going home that night and telling my wife that I felt there were some big opportunities to be had and I wanted to do something more with it. Really grow it and open it up internationally and maybe in five or ten years make a career out of it. I didn’t know how long it would take and whether it would work, but I had to try. He added:“It was a surprise to the others [committee members – see page 18]. I’d be lying if I said there weren’t a few bumps along the way with the structure and what we needed to do. Even though most of this is my work, it’s not my company. It belongs to our members and I run it on their behalf, so we looked at all options and ideas.”

Testimonial I’ve been a member of the AV User group for over five years. I regularly attend the quarterly meetings and I find this an extremely worthwhile use of my time. I get to network with 20-30 other AV/ IT professionals that hold similar roles in different organisations both in the private and the public sector. Steve French VP Solution architect lead, Deutsche Bank

A risk worth taking Going full-time with the AVUG is however not without its risks, with his position as a paid employee dependent on continued financial success. For Owen, there’s no time to sit back and admire 17

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INTERVIEW Testimonial Harper Adams University joined the group back in 2012. Since that point, we have attended most of the quarterly meetings hosted in a wide range of extremely interesting and varied locations. Being able to be informed about, investigate and scrutinise systems and ideas in an unpressurised environment has proved invaluable to us. Duncan Gunn-Russell Systems delivery AV co-ordinator, Harper Adams University

his previous work, with the pressures to succeed now comparable to being self-employed. Owen explained the green-light to go (and continue) to be full-time, hinges on the success of this year’s planned launch in San Jose, California, with the first of two meetings scheduled for April. Failure, he explains, is not an option. “There’s no question that I have taken a bit of a risk in jumping when I jumped,” he said, his tone now more serious.“It’s dependent on getting San Jose off the ground and it being successful. I’m confident it will be and that we’ll generate the additional income that makes my transition safe.”

> Deborah Jones AV/IT sales manager at The Queen Elizabeth II Centre

> Kevin McLoughlin AV manager at the Royal Society of Medicine, 1 Wimpole Street and Chandos House

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If you build it, they will come Owen also revealed the decision for the AVUG to expand to international shores in the first place was one born out of demand rather than ambition. Having taken over as chairman, Owen acted quickly to create a more professional organisation, by registering it with Companies House. He also gave the AVUG some structure, creating a consistent model, from which there would be four quarterly meetings per year, as opposed to the previous ad-hoc structure deployed before him. Each meeting would (and does) include sponsorship opportunities for AV manufacturers – with each paying for a 40-minute slot to stand up and speak/present to members. Typically, meetings include three sessions, with two or three presentations in each. The structure and the transparency of the

“I’d only planned on doing the role for two or three years and then pass it on to someone else” company resonated well with members and manufacturers alike, with sponsors suddenly “coming out of the woodwork” and showing an eagerness to become aligned and involved. “I wanted to be able to say to the AV world that we are straight down the line,” said Owen tapping the table. “Trustworthy and completely open about how we fund ourselves, how we generate funding and what we spend it on. Anyone can go and have a look at our accounts at the end of the year.” As a result, the positive reputation of the AVUG went global. Members exiled through relocations work were literally demanding Owen bring it to them and manufacturers who’d seen the value it provided in London, wanted to support it. Start spreading the news In 2012, using funds from its London events, Owen hired out The Ballroom at the Affinia Hotel in New York – just a few blocks from the Empire State Building – as part of a pilot launch. Three manufacturers presented to a room of invited end users – a mix of existing members and those Owen had encountered through his work. By the end of the event, it was clear that New York was enthusiastically on-board.

www.avtechnologyeurope.com

23/01/2018 18:17

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23/01/2018 17:47:33

INTERVIEW

“IT WAS MAKE OR BREAK FOR ME”

“I personally want to use the AVUG to to help educate and benefit our industry”

Testimonial I’ve been attending AV User Group meetings for several years now and I’ve found the group to be an inspiration to me in my professional life. It’s great to meet my peers and share our challenges, discover road maps from manufacturers and get in on industry secrets. Matt Thompson AV technical manager, Royal College of Surgeons

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“I’d been asked by a number of people about doing one [an AVUG meeting] in New York,” he said. “My job took me there a couple of times a year so I had some good knowledge of the industry. I wanted to give end users a feel of the value they can get from the AVUG. It was a really good quality agenda and when I stepped off the podium at the end and immediately had a line of about 20 people wanting to talk to me. It was hard work, but they got it.” Eastern promise The model was soon extended to Hong Kong in 2016, with a gradual rollout of meetings, starting with two in 2016, three in 2017 and four planned for this year. A similar approach will be managed with San Jose – with tentative host venues from eBay and Google and a large number of existing manufacturer sponsors keen to support. But Owen isn’t about to stop there. At the time of writing, preliminary discussions had already begun around expanding to further countries – again fuelled by demand from the industry and areas where the group believes it can provide value. But growing locations isn’t the only focus. Providing more value to members is key. Internationally, Owen is keen to provide the same benefits it offers in the UK – benefits such as hosted trips to events like ISE in Amsterdam. “It’s high on my list of priorities to try and get the revenue to a point where we can offer those benefits in the other locations we operate,” he said. Best practice Owen is also keen on providing valuable published insight, research and information on best practice across different areas of AV to its members and the

As much as Owen enjoyed the responsibilities associated with his chairman role, the impact on his life, which saw him essentially juggling two jobs, was taking its toll on Owen and his personal life. Long hours after work, weekends taken up with organising meetings, finalising agendas and the seemingly endless paperwork were common place and he admits, had the opportunity to go full-time not been achieved, it’s likely he’d have resigned. “I couldn’t carry on doing both jobs,” said Owen. “It had become a huge pressure between my wife and I. Something had to give fairly soon. I was getting promoted and being made more senior at Morgan Stanley during this period and I was taking on more and more with the AVUG. I would never let it impact my performance at work. “I inherited London and that’s where the old management committee members made their main contribution, but launching in New York and Hong Kong was all my work and that was because I wanted to build a platform to explore if there was the potential at some point in the future to convert to a full-time role. It’s been tough.”

end user community as a whole. Early discussions have already begun with several unnamed industry personnel around producing content, which would be vetted, approved and given the stamp of approval by AVUG members. The financial model and finer details are yet to be realised – but Owen is confident of getting something off the ground this year. “I personally want to use the group to help educate and benefit our industry,” he explained. “I believe if we issued something around best practice, it would be something that’s taken very seriously and respected.” I want... Wrapping up, Owen concluded:“My ambition is to carry on growing the AVUG as far as we possibly can. I want the membership to be 500 in London in three years time, not 350. I want it to represent more end users in the marketplace, I want to represent more vertical markets, I want to be able to charge our sponsors twice what we charge them today by putting them in front of 80 people rather than 35 and I want to provide more value at our AVUG meetings. “As I said, the hard work starts now.”

www.avtechnologyeurope.com

23/01/2018 18:15

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IN FOCUS: DIGITAL SIGNAGE

DIGITAL SIGNAGE: ENGAGING AT WARP SPEED With the digital signage industry continuing to grow at a rapid rate, predicting its trajectory is far from straightforward. Ian McMurray enlists the help of the industry in trying to determine where it’s heading

ave you heard of “Just Walk Out” technology? Maybe not – but you’ve almost certainly heard of Amazon Go, the internet behemoth’s concept bricks and mortar store – now approaching prime (sic) time. Just Walk Out technology includes cameras, sensor fusion, AI and deep learning to make possible a shopping experience where you never have to queue. It’s no exaggeration to say that, if successful, the idea could revolutionise the retail industry. Here’s the thing. Today, there are digital signage deployments out there that leverage those exact same technologies to create experiences that are

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personal, that are targeted at the individual. Digital signage could, in the years to come, be at the heart of that revolution. But perhaps we’re getting ahead of ourselves. What will 2018 bring? Florian Rotberg, managing director of digital signage research company invidis consulting, provides an overview. “We don’t expect any super-duper new technology revolutionising the market,” he says, “but digital signage will continue to become smarter, more connected and an integral part of the customer journey.” How will that play out? It perhaps makes sense to start with screens.

www.avtechnologyeurope.com

23/01/2018 19:01

IN FOCUS: DIGITAL SIGNAGE pixel pitch LED video walls will become increasingly popular for retail advertising, passenger information, out of home infotainment, large venue/ arena signage and many more scenarios – especially where viewers might be at a greater distance,” he believes. “LED modules offer excellent benefits for seamless integration. “As LED becomes more widespread, prices will reduce and current fine pixel pitches will become even narrower to achieve higher resolutions and more detail at shorter viewing distances – the viewing experience will be exceptional,” he goes on. “We don’t expect that OLED will play a major role. Leading industry experts still don’t see any development in overcoming the reliability issues inherent in OLED. Although image quality is good, image retention continues to be an issue which reduces its usage in digital signage where content elements aren’t changing every few seconds as they might on TV.”

UltraHD goes mainstream “For large format displays, the most popular medium for digital signage, we expect to see UltraHD/4K resolution becoming mainstream for screen sizes above 55 inches,” notes Thomas Walter, section manager, strategic product marketing at NEC Display Solutions Europe. “Interactive displays will become more prevalent as brands seek more proactive customer engagement. Higher resolutions will facilitate this increased interaction, giving users a pixel-free viewing experience even at close proximity.” Will those screens be based on the LCD technology that has been the mainstay not only of digital signage, but of the entire displays industry? Walter sees a popular growing alternative. “Digital signage operators will seek ever larger and brighter ways to attract attention and narrow

January 2018

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Jury out Rotberg agrees – somewhat. “OLED and QLED will gain traction,” he asserts. “Neither technology is brand new, but it’s taken a while to get them ready for professional displays. The jury is still out,” he adds, on how OLED/ QLED will perform in daily commercial operations. “Fine pitch LED will increasingly replace videowall display installations,” he adds, going on to note that, in the mid-term, higher resolutions – 8K – will begin to appear. “The vast majority of digital signage doesn’t even need 4k currently,” Rotberg says, “but screen resolution is factory driven and smart phones and consumer TV market are continuously pushing the envelope to even higher resolutions.” It’s not all about flat panel displays, however. Walter notes that projection offers an excellent alternative solution for digital signage now that large venue laser projection can deliver not only high and consistent brightness, but also maintenance-free and low cost of ownership. “It’s a compelling solution for special and unique signage applications on 3D surfaces and other dynamic scenarios where video walls are unsuitable,” he believes. Stephanie Gutnik, vice president, business development at Broadsign, also sees the importance of what’s on the screen. “Dynamic content continues to catch on as a way of ensuring messaging is fresh and relevant to the viewer,” she notes. “Beyond that, security - in terms of who can access the network and modify content - will also turn into a necessary component of any

KEY LEARNING POINTS n Small pitch LED screens may oust LCD displays, and 4K will dominate – but the jury is still out on OLED/QLED. n “Context aware signage” is the phrase on many lips. n The growing scale and sophistication of digital signage networks will see inevitable consolidation in the industry. n The integration of sensors within digital signage systems, backed by the power of AI, is transforming what’s possible in delivering truly engaging experiences.

23/01/2018 19:01

IN FOCUS: DIGITAL SIGNAGE < Right: New York’s Time Square has become an iconic location and example of modern technology, through its use of digital signage

> Florian Rotberg, MD, invidis consulting

requirements, such as sales,” believes Gutnik. “This type of platform enables efficiencies that reduce operating expenses and, when advertising is involved, ensure the sales pipeline is set for success.” Rotberg envisions a future that sees the CMS Intelligent tools market fracturing into two. Walter picks up on Rotberg’s point about signage “The basic digital poster projects – nonbecoming increasingly smarter. interactive – which probably make up 80 per cent “We’re seeing the advent of intelligent signage of all screens currently, will commoditise,” he says. tools which provide context-aware signage and “License fees will drop dramatically. analytics,” he says. “Instead of This digital poster market will be simply delivering standard content, it is tailor-made and “We’re seeing the dominated by players like Google, Adobe, or software add-ons from the directly addresses the needs of the advent of display manufacturers.” audience. Through interaction, intelligent signage the engagement of the audience Bells and whistles increases, viewing times are tools which “At the top end - which comprises extended, buying rates see provide contenxt around 20 per cent of all projects – significant uplift and the very sophisticated, omni-channel and investment into the displays aware signage IoT/retail experience solutions will be quickly pays off.” and analytics” the Champions League of digital He goes on to explain that signage,” he continues. “These NEC leafengine is a middleware solutions will manage hundreds of that integrates more than 30 APIs, communicate with complex media asset different sensors to provide context-aware signage management systems and provide users with all the experiences for customers, while NEC Field Analyst bells and whistles imaginable in digital signage.” enables these engagements to be measured and “We believe these market trends will be very analysed to increase the potency of marketing. challenging for most existing digital signage To achieve this, content management systems will software suppliers,” he adds. “The pressure is huge need to evolve to deliver sophisticated functionality. to join forces or to consolidate in order to offer a “Content management systems will become large installed base of users.” complete tech stacks that not only manage a Discussion of content management systems network’s back-end operations but front-facing RFP. Finally, ad-based digital signage networks will be focused on yield optimisation via automated workflows and data-driven decisioning.”

> Stephanie Gutnik, VP, business development, Broadsign

> Thomas Walter, section manager, strategic product marketing, NEC Display Solutions

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www.avtechnologyeurope.com

23/01/2018 19:01

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IN FOCUS: DIGITAL SIGNAGE

< Piccadilly Lights: new display has the ability to identify its audience, helping brands provide more targetting marketing

“We don’t expect any super-duper new technology revolutionising the market”

phrase to describe it. He does, however, sound a note of caution. “We have indeed just scratched the surface,” he says, “but the challenge of customer engagement is mostly not about technology, but about cultural acceptance. Even today, it would be easy to put hundreds of sensors into a store - but consumers are very reluctant to identify themselves and their purchase history to retailers.” “The concepts and business cases are still missing key benefits for consumers, and the IT infrastructure is often still very silo-ed,” he continues. “Once these issues have been resolved, seamless omni-channel customer engagements should gain traction fast.” Walter thinks the burgeoning Internet of Things is key – a position with which Rotberg agrees. “We’re making excellent progress, and the IoT is supporting the industry on that journey,” Walter believes. “But we’re at the very beginning of the IoT age, and there is still a lot to come. It’s important to be involved now, as it’s still relatively easy to create inevitably leads to discussion of the media players competitive advantage out of required to bring content to life context-aware signage applications.” – the subject of article elsewhere Digital signage is leveraging the in this issue of AV Technology “The challenge of same technologies that Facebook, Europe. Suffice it to say: one of customer Google and Amazon have turned to the article’s conclusions is that engagement is such advantage. Those businesses rely upgradability and scalability of collecting as much personal data players is an essential mostly not about on - so-called ‘big data’ - about you as consideration in making a choice, technology but possible so that it can target you with given the increasing sophistication messages it not only believes, but not only of content management about cultural knows, are relevant to you. Rotberg is systems, but also the integration acceptance” surely correct – that some consumer of increasing levels of intelligence resistance is inevitable – but expect to within the screen. hear much more about the role of Whether it’s screens, players or artificial intelligence in digital signage in making content management systems, the future of digital sense of that data, as well as in delivering even more signage will, first and foremost, be about creating individually customised experiences. engagement. Already, we’re light years ahead of It’s ironic, surely, that the same technologies that where we were only a year or two ago. The many believe have made a substantial contribution question is: have we gone as far as we can go? to the ascent of online shopping and the decline in “We’re just scratching the surface,” exclaims bricks and mortar retailing show the greatest Gutnik. “As we continue to experiment with promise for reviving it – and that the company who dynamic content and mobile interaction, we will pretty much invented click-to-buy is at the have a better understanding of the means by which forefront of that revival. viewers wish to engage with content conveyed through digital signage. “The easier and more enticing we make it for consumers to follow through with a call to action, www.broadsign.com the better we will be at planning, delivering and www.invidis.de measuring campaign success.” www.nec-display-solutions.com

Cultural acceptance Rotberg sees the same situation – and uses the same

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www.avtechnologyeurope.com

23/01/2018 19:03

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The Visionaries Choice 08/01/2018 09:09:24 08/01/2018 08:31

IN FOCUS: DIGITAL SIGNAGE - TOP TIPS

LED-ING QUESTIONS 10 things you need to ask when investing in a video wall display

>Above: the Westgate Sports Superbook in Las Vegas, features a 4,400 square foot video wall boasting over 65 million pixels and comprising 1,640 2.5mm Christie Velvet LED display panels

“The best suppliers will work with you to create a solution that turns your vision into a reality”

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A VIDEO WALL is only as good as the sum of its parts. Just one component can impact overall visual performance and with changing standards and wide range of product quality, questioning the available solutions will ensure you make the best choice. Christie director David Griffiths gives AVTE readers his top tips on things to be aware of.

Do all pixels come from the same ‘bin’? Because the creation process is so complex, it’s impossible to make identical pixels. The best manufacturers sort pixels by brightness and colour. This process is called binning. Using pixels within a tightly controlled bin range, we can ensure a better quality display. Since all pixels are unique, it’s impossible to match them exactly – but choosing from a narrow range of colour and brightness allows manufacturers to achieve a more uniform picture throughout the screen while maximizing power efficiency.

What is the fill factor of your screens? How much of the screen is covered by light-emitting pixels? That’s your fill factor. It’s impossible to achieve a fill factor of 100 per cent, but this number should be high (at least 40 per cent) to achieve the crispest and most vibrant picture. Most LED is measured by Pixel Pitch – that is the spacing of the centre of one LED to the centre of the next, the secondary point is to consider the actual size of the LED itself – the larger the LED, the higher the fill factor.

Do you use black surface-mounteddevice (SMD) LED packages? Throughout an LED display, each pixel is held in place by an SMD package. For the deepest levels of black and highest contrast, these packages should be constructed with a dark encapsulation material, typically an epoxy resin. Be sure to ask for black SMD LEDs.

www.avtechnologyeurope.com

23/01/2018 19:14

IN FOCUS: DIGITAL SIGNAGE - TOP TIPS

> Left: A standalone Christie Velvet APEX LED

Who manufactures your driver and switch integrated circuits (ICs)? ICs are integral to the performance of your display. Without quality driver and switch ICs, the pixels in your display may not receive the best control. This will affect brightness and colour uniformity. Over time, you can easily see the impact of low-quality ICs: the screen could show ghosting, dim lines, and colour shifts.

How does the display stay cool? Quality LED cabinets allow heat to escape the display, so that it can cool passively (instead of using an active fan). This decreases the overall size of the display, and opens more possibilities for your design and installation. It also provides noise-free operation, which is critical in many applications – especially if the viewing distance is close.

Where are the serviceability points? The best designs allow for full access from the front, so tiles can be replaced and electronics can be repaired without deconstructing your installation. Most products will also require rear access for certain components. It’s important that you understand which components can be accessed, and from which side of the tile. The best products allow individual tiles to be replaced from the front of the LED video wall, without having to remove the entire cabinet, dramatically reducing space requirements, mounting complexity, service time and operational costs.

Can we see your product in action? Attending industry trade shows or requesting a live demonstration with multiple vendors will help you ensure top visual quality. Keep in mind, many vendors will offer their own content to maximize impact and minimize deficiencies.

What should you look for when viewing images? If possible, use a consistent package of visual images (and, preferably, video) to compare

January 2018

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the vendors. Make sure to choose content that is representative of your specific application. The first thing is to look for a uniform image across all modules. Also, check for ghosting, ripping, or other anomalies that might appear. And finally, if you can, use a light meter to test brightness.

Is your display certified at the systemlevel? When LED components are used together, their interactions can cause additional concerns, such as EMC emission levels that may not meet standards. Completing a system-level certification ensures that the entire system is safe and provides you with a peace of mind. If an LED product is purchased and installed without a systemlevel certification, a site certification may be required to complete your installation. Ask each potential vendor if site certifications are required, as these will increase installation costs and cause project delays.

Does your supplier offer a complete end-to-end solution? The best suppliers will work with you to create a solution that turns your vision into a reality. Ask if they offer additional products, like structures, processing and content management. The right mix of technologies and services will help create an entire experience for your audience. Make sure that your manufacturer will stand behind their product and make the installation right, should any problems arise.

> David Griffiths, director for system solutions EMEA at Christie

“Attending industry trade shows or requesting a demonstration with multiple vendors will help ensure top visual quality”

23/01/2018 19:14

IN FOCUS: DIGITAL SIGNAGE

DIGITAL SIGNAGE BEST PRACTICES: CONTENT The difference between achieving effective or unsavoury digital signage can be less than you think CHOOSING THE RIGHT PROVIDER will set you off on the right foot but there are faux pas anyone can make, and when you work in the industry, it’s hard not to notice the good and not so good. Drawing on his insight, digital signage expert Lee Gannon of cloud based digital signage firm TrouDigital, offers his advice on how to create the right content for your digital display(s) and how to avoid irritating problems down the line.

Make the most of templates When you start designing, it’s easy to be intimidated by the possibilities of a blank canvas. Before adding elements at random, it’s a great habit to design or borrow a template

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first. This can be a simple background that divides your screen into sections. With pre-allocated spaces for a heading, images and text, you can easily delegate the task of content creation, without needing a graphic designer. Sticking to a handful of templates offers enough variation to make your screens interesting, while maintaining consistency to make your transitions seamless.

Stay on brand! Think colours, font, logo It is crucial you stay on brand. Treat your screen designs like you would pages on your website. Don’t try and match colours by eye – make sure you use the exact HTML colour codes. The same goes for font. When you’re

www.avtechnologyeurope.com

23/01/2018 19:17

IN FOCUS: DIGITAL SIGNAGE

exploring options like integrating social media, it’s easy to forget the basics like adding your logo but small touches make a big difference.

Don’t try to do too much… You invested in a signage solution because you were impressed by all the features. It’s easy to get carried away but it’s important to not try too much at once. Think about the main function of a piece of content. If you’ve invested time or money creating a great video, why not show it off? Just because you can compartmentalise a screen doesn’t mean you always should. Showcase your best content full-screen.

Plan out and tweak your playlists To keep an audience engaged, you need a variety of content, rotated frequently. It’s good practice to plan your playlists in advance. Consider where a screen will be located and how long audiences stick around. In spaces like waiting rooms, content can be displayed for longer. In busy locations such as shopping centres, it’s best to use shorter, attention-grabbing media. Experiment with the timing and order of your playlists. You should strive to identify optimum durations depending on your audience’s attention span. If you’re starting with 30 seconds per creative, why not try 25 or 35? The most innovative displays are now able to record engagement through features like retina tracking but you can still be old fashioned and ask your audience for feedback.

Advanced scheduling – set and forget Scheduling content makes life easier. You can often schedule for certain times of the day, week, month or year. Get as granular as you want but a little effort goes a long way. Setting aside time to plan a month or months’ worth of content is a good habit. You can always make changes later but automation gives you some much needed peace of mind. Advanced scheduling can encourage creativity too. If a holiday or event is coming up, craft content around this. Seasonal content is simple but great for keeping your signage fresh and relevant.

Optimise your network connection On the rare occasion our support line rings, nine times out of ten the problem is related to network connection. Where possible, I encourage users to use a wired connection. That said, most deployers rely on WiFi and that’s perfectly fine. Just make sure when you are setting up that you try to avoid connecting to a guest WiFi that changes its password regularly. Pre-emptively ask your IT team about any firewalls that could interfere with the system. Sometimes it’s simply a case of granting permissions to media players, a quick job for a technician.

Compress your media files Finally, it’s important to compress your media files – especially rich media like large images and videos. There are countless free file compression tools on the internet. Get into the routine of running, at the very least, your video files through one of them before uploading. This will improve the caching speed of your players; minimise the impact of a slow internet connection, and free up space on your CMS – potentially saving you money on additional storage.

< Above: Examples of templates and TrouDigital marketing manager and ‘digital signage expert’, Lee Gannon

“You invested in a signage solution because you were impressed by all the features. It’s easy to get carried away but it’s important to not try too much at once”

Whatever solution you are using, I hope these tips and tricks will help you get the most out of your digital signage network. Lee Gannon

January 2018

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24/01/2018 12:39

IN FOCUS

DIGITAL SIGNAGE PLAYERS: DECISIONS, DECISIONS… For many organisations, digital signage is becoming mission critical – meaning that poor performance or failure cannot be tolerated. At the heart of the system is the media player and here, Ian McMurray asks the industry for tips on choosing the right one

hether digital signage is deployed to enhance brand awareness or to provide useful knowledge – any failure is at best embarrassing and at worst, damaging. An in-store screen that’s either blank or with broken video reflects poorly on the brand. It’s perhaps a harsh judgement, but in many of those cases, better decisions at the outset would likely have helped avoid them. There are many choices to be made in designing and deploying digital signage, but few are more important than the choice of player. That choice isn’t just about brand name. It’s about size, performance, operating system, functionality, upgradability and reliability to

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name but a few considerations. Choices there will determine the type of player – local, server-based or cloud-based; purpose-designed or generic; freestanding or built-in; Window, Android, Linux or embedded. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. As with any AV system, question one is to define the objective – and here, as elsewhere in the industry, content is king. “Before considering which media player to purchase, you need to understand the type of content that will be displayed across the network,” believes Jeff Hastings, CEO of BrightSign. “Those requirements will largely dictate the sort of player required for that particular installation.” “The primary consideration has to be the content

www.avtechnologyeurope.com

23/01/2018 19:33

IN FOCUS purpose of the solution to determine the right system in terms of CPU, power and graphics performance,” agrees Minouche van den Berg, who is marketing manager, Europe for AOPEN. There’s more, however, to the content decision. At the heart of every digital signage system is a content management system (CMS), each with its own unique functionalities. Having identified the nature of the content, the next task is to identify a CMS that will meet the need. Some content management systems support only one or more specific players or operating systems, while some are available for a broad range of others. In other cases, the CMS and player are sold as an integrated bundle. However, the choice of CMS may depend on, for example, the operating system needed to host it. Windows, for instance, offers enormous flexibility and versatility, and a single PC might host applications beyond the CMS – making it highly cost-effective for a small business. But: the blue screen of death is a potential downside. “Most users have seen a blank screen or an error message at some point and want to avoid this,” says Jenny Hicks, group head of technology at distributor Midwich. “I find there is still a lot of distrust for players using Windows for this reason. Linux has a good reputation for reliability, and Android is now gaining trust too.”

being displayed,” agrees Andi Allan, senior design engineer at integrator Reflex. “The platform choice needs to be driven by that. Is it pure media playback, media playback combined with additional operations such as analytics or even interactive touch applications which demand the highest level of performance?” asks Ulf Greiner, senior product manager, solutions at NEC Display Solutions Europe. “Different applications have different requirements; some applications focus on sharing information, some offer a bidirectional communication through touch screens or sensor integration. Demand varies widely.” Computing power Answering these questions, he says, makes it possible to define the level of computing and graphics power that will be required. “It’s important to understand the needs and the

January 2018

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Resilience Hastings believes that resilience in the player operating system is all-important. “Once the scope of content is well understood, it’s important to seek out media players that are specifically designed to drive digital signage,” he believes. “The player’s operating system should also be considered. Choose one running a dedicated operating system, made for commercial-grade operation – not a consumer operating system like Android or Windows which are susceptible to hacking and error screens.” No less important, according to many, is to invest not only for today, but for tomorrow. “I would always recommend thinking of the future,” continues Hastings. “For example, it makes total sense to specify 4K because even if you don’t need it immediately, you undoubtedly will in the near future.” “Support of UHD content is now a must have,” agrees Hicks, “with most retailers creating content at higher resolutions for higher impact.” It’s not just about resolution. Something else that those deploying networks will be very aware of is how digital signage is developing. At the outset, it was all about attracting attention and grabbing

< 50m-wide, curved OLED videowall made up of 820 LG displays greets visitors to Dubai’s Aquarium and Underwater Zoo

KEY CONSIDERATIONS n Content n Installed environment n Availability/reliability n Upgradability n Cost of ownership n Support for advanced functionalities n Aesthetics experiences

“Before considering which media player to purchase, you need to understand the type of content that will be displayed across the network” 33

23/01/2018 19:33

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20/12/2017 14:27:33

x x

IN FOCUS <This BrightSign Enterprise Media Player supports 4k-UltraHD resolution

> Ulf Greiner: senior product manager, solutions at NEC Display Solutions Europe

<To maximise reliability, the AOPEN DE7200 Digital Engine features an integrated dust filter

eyeballs: now, the Holy Grail in many digital signage environments is to engage consumers. That leads to considerations of how the content should encourage and allow interaction – whether via touch, Bluetooth communication with mobile devices or, increasingly, AI-driven cameras that can help the signage deliver content relevant to each specific viewer. Many content management systems provide support for these advanced functionalities – but the underlying hardware needs to as well. “Interactive features are a close second to support for UHD,” continues Hicks. “We’re seeing examples of impressive voice and mobile appcontrolled signage installations requiring only a network port but, for the nearer future and the less IT literate user, USB, GPIO and RS232 remain key for the imminent boom of interactive content.” Greiner warms to the theme. “Modularity is a key feature, allowing performance levels to be upgraded as future, more power-hungry applications demand,” he says. “Performance levels are increasing fast and the availability of new technology creates new opportunities. The introduction of a display concept allowing users to modularly integrate Raspberry Pi compute modules into displays allows applications with super-low power consumption at a comparatively low price point. “The modularity allows the upgrade of the performance level in a few years’ time whilst keeping the monitor operational.”

January 2018

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Environment For van den Berg, it’s important to remember that a digital signage player is not just any computer, or a DVD player sitting under your TV in a very benign environment. “The environment in which the player will be installed is a key consideration,” she believes. “Is it an industrial situation? Or a clothing store which can be dusty? Then you need a solution that is specifically designed for challenging environments. And, with interactive touchscreens, you will need a screen that is capable of resisting customers using it. Furthermore, there’s a difference in players for

“I would always recommend thinking of the future. It makes total sense to specify 4K because even if you don’t need it immediately, you undoubtedly will in the near future”

> Below: BrightSign’s HD1023 player was chosen by Barcelona Airport for its high reliability and ease of use in a vortual assistant application

23/01/2018 20:09

IN FOCUS

< Above: NEC’s digital signage offering includes the ability to integrate a Raspberry Pi module within the screen

“It’s important to understand the needs and the purpose of the solution to determine the right system in terms of CPU, power and graphics performance”

indoor and outdoor usage, standalone or built in to a kiosk and so on.” “Commercial grade devices for commercial environments are the best fit,” she concludes. “Our devices, for example, are designed for 24/7 operation even in the toughest locations.” Van den Berg also notes the importance of features such as tamper proof functionality and remote management. Design for high availability goes hand-in-hand with design for high reliability – a subject close to Hastings’ heart. “I would strongly advise on picking a player without a fan,” he recommends. “A fan is a moving part and therefore has the potential to fail. When it does, you probably won’t realise until the entire device overheats and breaks down. The fan itself requires power, which generates additional heat – and, in fact, they are not an essential part of electronics if the device is designed properly.” Hastings is also an advocate of SD cards for local storage for the buffering necessary to protect against potential vagaries in the delivery of content via the network. Aesthetics A well-cooled device can be installed in almost any environment. But there are other installation considerations that are perhaps as much to do with the aesthetics of an installation as its practicalities. “Another consideration is how the player will be powered – and I’d highly recommend using an efficient player that offers power over Ethernet (PoE),” Hastings explains. “The convenience of PoE is quite significant; the ability to run a single cable that not only powers a device but also sends content

INBUILT PLAYERS Integrating the digital signage player with the screen is becoming an increasingly attractive option, saving on both cost and space. Many such players are based on Intel’s Open Pluggable Specification (OPS) standard for interfacing a modular PC with a display device. The display device has a physical slot with an OPS connector inside, allowing a module to be inserted into the display and dispensing with external video or power cables. Manufacturers like NEC, with its Open Modular Intelligence platform based on the Raspberry Pi 3, and the Samsung Smart Signage Platform (SSSP) offer similar inbuilt solutions.

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< Above: A NEC digital signage solution interacts with customers in the Clas Ohlson flagship store located in the Mall of Scandinavia in Stockholm

is a great advantage. Not only does the lack of power outlet reduce the overall installation cost, but the raw cost of Ethernet cabling is less than the cost of traditional AC wire.” That’s not the only approach to minimising cable clutter, however, as Greiner points out. “A player that is embedded into the display means external power sources, cabling and additional mounting systems are obsolete, resulting in a neat and efficient signage solution,” he says. “That can be an important consideration for modern interiors needing a minimalist appearance.” Power consumption is a recurring theme when talking to the industry. For one or two players, it’s perhaps not so much of an issue – but for substantial networks, even small reductions in player energy usage can add up to substantially superior cost of ownership. When it comes to choosing a digital signage player, prospective buyers are faced with a plethora of sometimes bewildering choices. Making the right choices – or, at least, making well-informed choices – at the outset will go a long way towards minimising heartache at a later stage. www.aopen.com www.brightsign.biz www.midwich.com www.nec-display-solutions.com www.reflex.co.uk

www.avtechnologyeurope.com

23/01/2018 19:27

The IP KVM People

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Taking place during ISE the AV Technology Europe Awards provides the perfect opportunity to relax, network and celebrate the industry after a busy day at the exhibition.

VENUE DETAILS The event will take place on

7th FEB

2018 at Café-restaurant Dauphine: Prins Bernhardplein 175 1097 BL Amsterdam

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TICKETS COST JUST €99

Book today: www.avtechnologyeuropeawards.com

or contact us at:

eventsteamuk@nbmedia.com @AVTechEurope #AVTEAwards

18/01/2018 16:28

SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED! AV Team of the Year: • Bloomberg Global AV Team • National Gallery • QEII Centre • Royal Society of Medicine • Royal College of Physicians

Best use of Audio Solutions • Dinosaurs in the Wild • The Pink Floyd Exhibition • London Coliseum Best use of Signal Distribution Solutions • Norwegian University of Science and Technology • London Metropolitan University • University of Lancaster

Best Large-Scale AV Project or Event: • Bloomberg Global AV Team • Bayer • University of Hertfordshire • University of Huddersfield • The Pink Floyd Exhibition Best Small to Mid-Scale AV Project or Event: • Birmingham Museums Trust • CityVerve Manchester Immersive Lab • Newbury and Crookham Golf Club • Metamorphosis Show • Cambridge University Best use of Projection/Display Solutions • Leo Baeck Institute • The Dubai Mall, Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo • Lava Centre, Iceland Best use of Presentation/Collaboration • Inmarsat iMPACT! Room • Ghent University and Prysm • Medidata and Vega Europe • University College London

Emerging AV Professional of the Year • Justin Dawson, University College Dublin • Darren Waszkinel, Bloomberg • Charles Chester, Royal College of Physicians • Csaba Kondor, AV Team UK • Ayhan Behic, Deliveroo AV IT Manager of the Year • Robert Jeffrey Fairbanks III, Bloomberg • Simon Lang, PWC • Adam Harvey, University of Hertfordshire Video Production of the Year • University of the Arts London • Derby County Football Club • Nationwide Building Society

FOR FULL SHORTLIST DETAILS, INCLUDING PROJECT AND EVENT NAMES PLEASE VISIT: WWW.AVTECHNOLOGYEUROPEAWARDS.COM

Headline sponsor

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Category sponsor

Supported by:

18/01/2018 16:28

IN FOCUS: DIGITAL SIGNAGE - RETAIL

HOW DIGITAL SIGNAGE CAN MAXIMISE YOUR RETURN ON INVESTMENT Installing digital signage will require significant investment – so it’s therefore crucial you’ve thought things through properly, giving you the best possible chance of success Bryan Crotaz, CEO of digital signage consultant Silver Curve offers his fail-safe advice

< Above: Digital signage can be placed in almost any environment – but strategic planning is essential to ensure its deployment goes without a hitch

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FOR 20 YEARS digital signage has been portrayed and sold as a complex expensive technology. It offers many valuable features including high quality video with data integration, audience interactivity, touch, gender detection and personalisation, but using too many can over complicate the solution and devalue your investment. In reality, the vast majority of its value comes from simple, clear communication. Digital signage is an investment, not a luxury. It earns its value by

engaging your target audience. Let’s look at the two main forms of interaction in communication: ■ Pull content is viewed by an active audience that is specifically looking for something. Examples might be using Google to find a website, an internal intranet, a video conference, a newspaper, or using an interactive kiosk. The audience is choosing to consume the content. www.avtechnologyeurope.com

23/01/2018 19:45

IN FOCUS: DIGITAL SIGNAGE - RETAIL service if they don’t know about it. For example, someone visiting a financial adviser for advice on their will might also be looking to move house, and advertising the mortgage broking service in the reception area will prompt the customer to ask about it, turning a possible sales opportunity into an enthused buyer. The power of “did you know?” messaging via a well-placed digital signage screen is that it turns a service provider selling its services into a customer looking to buy them.

■ Push content is viewed by a passive audience who aren’t looking for it but are given it along the way. Examples might be digital signage screens in an office corridor, or in a shop window, a banner ad on a web page, or an advert in a newspaper. Digital signage’s strength is push content and the return on investment can be excellent, but think of your screen as a limited resource. You are paying for every pixel every second – you must make them work for you. Arming the sales team Retailers use digital signage to influence customers buying in store, however that screen takes up valuable merchandise shelf space. Retailers are facing an on-going battle with ‘showrooming’ – where customers compare prices on their phone. So, consider using screens in a different way. Enhance your in-store experience by pushing vital brand messaging and sales promotions to the shop floor by installing ‘back stage’ screens in staff-only areas. Use them to arm the sales team with key talking points to enable them to confidently sell products and talk about your superior after sales service. Well-placed signage Service providers need to ensure customers are aware of all the elements they offer. When a customer comes through the door, they may be looking for just one aspect of a service and may not be aware of all the full range available Installing a digital signage screen in the reception area with continuous messages about the services on offer can be a valuable tool. Why not convert already available information from your pull website into push content to sell those additional services through various screens? No one will ask you for a January 2018

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“Digital signage is an investment, not a luxury. It earns its value by engaging your target audience”

Office gossip One of the most overlooked markets for digital signage is the everyday office environment. Many companies struggle to regularly communicate internal news. The weekly update emails get deleted, the expensive intranet is ignored, and the in-house magazine only gets read by visitors. But this is where passive push signage comes into play. Companies should always use a ‘push’ method as a way of internally communicating to employees. It can increase morale, deliver messages praising great performance, shout about successful projects and share how important staff are. One great example of this that I worked on was a UK bank that installed 30 screens into its HQ to overcome serious staffing issues. Employees were leaving to gain promotion elsewhere, but were unaware of the internal vacancies available. Content from the HR department was displayed to advertise internal vacancies and opportunities. By recruiting internally via the screens, the bank was able to retain highly skilled staff and reduce expensive recruitment fees to find the right staff. The screens rapidly paid for themselves. What’s happening today? Most management software solutions have a dashboard or RSS feed that can be incorporated into a digital signage loop. Current progress on projects, last month’s sales numbers against target, naming the best performing teams, or what everyone is working on in a software team can be easily displayed and visible to all. Success by empathy To make Digital signage a success, you must look at your audience and ask yourself both what they would find useful in their day-to-day work and lives, and what you would like them to know. By making sure the content is relevant and informative you will help increase the importance of your signage and improve its return on investment. Silver Curve www.silvercurve.co.uk 41

23/01/2018 19:45

IN FOCUS : DIGITAL SIGNAGE - TOP TIPS

HOW TO IMPRESS ANY AUDIENCE? Some top tips from Crestron technology director Stijn Ooms, on the key things to consider to ensure you get the best results when deploying your digital signage strategy

Attract attention, set the mood Create an incomparable in-store experience that excites all the senses and makes an indelible connection between your brand and your customers. With integrated technology solutions you can create a dazzling multimedia experience that will intrigue passers-by, inform the curious and convince the uncertain to shop. There are limitless ways to combine multimedia, lighting, and environmental controls to set the ambiance.

Engage your customers Automation can bring a new dimension to the traditional dining and shopping experience with multimedia installations, interactive components, and more. Even something as subtle as lighting is easily controlled to define different zones or highlight featured products. The possibilities are virtually endless.

Automate the repetitive, one-touch presets When it comes to running a retail business, there are myriad of items for your

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are limitless ways to combine multimedia, lighting, and environmental controls to set the ambienceâ&#x20AC;? employees to manage: Adjust the lights. Turn off the music. Restart the computers. Activate the security system. This can take up valuable time. However, by having an automated system it could take just the press of a single button. Customisable presets allow you to automate these tasks and ensure that every item is checked off every time. One-touch presets can also be used throughout the day to set up quickly for events, change product displays, and other occasions.

www.avtechnologyeurope.com

23/01/2018 19:51

IN FOCUS: DIGITAL SIGNAGE - TOP TIPS

Monitor and control remotely Whether you’re managing a single store or an entire national chain, an automation system can give you the ability to monitor and control systems from anywhere at any time. At Crestron we have a platform called Crestron Fusion enterprise management which can remotely monitor the system highlighting any issues that arise remotely. Software like this can coordinate audio and video to be synchronised across several stores, or even use remote viewing capabilities to check on security footage. Consolidating controls through a single platform can save time and money.

Improving efficiency and sustainability Running a sustainable operation isn’t just good for the environment – it’s good for your bottom line. An all-in-one solution offers the ability to manage everything, including

January 2018

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lights, shading and AV equipment, in one integrated system. You can develop custom automations triggered by time of day, light sensors, or motion sensors to help manage your stores intelligently, maximising efficiency and minimising headaches.

Keep It fresh In the competitive world of retail, nothing is as important as continual reinvention. New products, new promotions, and new experiences are what keep customers coming back. It is important to build a flexible multimedia system with content that can be distributed in brilliant digital quality. It is important to choose a solution that offers both hardware and software that is engineered to integrate various technologies, is easy to upgrade and makes it easy to expand your system to meet your changing needs. https://www.crestron.com

“New products, new promotions, and new experiences are what keep customers coming back”

23/01/2018 19:51

HUMAN RESOURCES

In association with

EYE ON RECRUITMENT A selection of the latest movers and shakers from across the AV industry, plus some top tips from leading AV recruitment firm, Jacobs Massey

Jo Saull Science Museum Head of Gallery Services Hi Jo. Congratulations on your new role! What attracted you to the Science Museum? The Science Museum inspires visitors with incredible objects and stories of scientific achievement. For someone like myself who loves technology and engineering it’s THE museum to be part of. What will your main responsibilities be in your new position? I’ll be working with a brilliant team of technicians who keep all the exhibits running smoothly and support the creation of new galleries. There’s an ambitious programme of activities coming up and the team have a crucial role to play. I’m really excited to be joining them. What trends and changes have you seen in the AV industry over the past five-years? In the exhibition AV industry I have always found designers to be much more engaged with technology, resulting in beautifully integrated solutions which maintain an element of magic for our visitors. Cultural organisations can sometimes be slow to respond to change but the convergence of IT/AV is impacting roles and there is plenty of work to be done to successfully merge teams from quite different disciplines. Finally, what’s the best part of being part of the AV industry? Being part of networks like the AV Cultural Forum and AV User Group where end users can share knowledge and feed in to future product development. The AV industry is full of amazing people who will always find a way to achieve the impossible.

“I’ll be working with a brilliant team of technicians. I’m really excited”

AVIXA has appointed experienced account manager John van Hoop for Northern Europe. John brings to the association more than 20 years of sales and account management across a range of industry sectors, including IT and technology. He is based in the Netherlands, and will work closely with AVIXA members in the Benelux, Scandinavian and Nordic regions to help grow business and promote AV technology and experiences into new areas and new markets.

Insight: Graeme Massey, MD/ founder of Jacobs Massey As we wave goodbye to 2017, we foresee a buoyant AV labour market for 2018. The trends are clear. The demand for permanent AV staff remains stronger than ever. Equally freelancing continues to grow throughout the industry as a career of choice and now we see the emergence of fixed term contracting. All in all a busy market. With so much opportunity comes the need to attract talent to your organisation more so than ever. So keep engaged, tell your story and build your candidate pipeline!

Share your recruitment movers and shakers with AV Technology Europe If you have recently made a new appointment and would like he or she to be featured in our ‘Eye on Recruitment’ page, please email our editor Michael Garwood: mgarwood@nbmedia.com 44

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www.avtechnologyeurope.com

23/01/2018 19:52

ISE 2018

PREVIEW

6-9 February 2018 RAI, Amsterdam

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ISE PREVIEW

> With more than 1,200 exhibitors and 73,000 visitors ISE is the biggest trade event in the Netherlands

$178 BILLION REASONS WHY IT REALLY PAYS TO ATTEND ISE AV Technology’s Margot Douaihy discusses the value ISE provides to the AV industry and why it’s anything but just another ordinary AV trade show

ow do you map the best route to your destination when the road takes unexpected turns every day? Therein lies the challenge for technology associations and representative bodies such as the Audiovisual Integrated Experience Association (AVIXA) and Integrated Systems Europe (ISE). Now in its fourteenth year, ISE was designed to help navigate the rapidly evolving AV landscape and this year promises to be the most dynamic show yet. ISE’s 2017 benchmarks were impressive – 73,000

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visitors, 1,200 exhibitors, 14 halls, and countless stroopwafels (seriously, you must try them) – and 2018 is poised for an equal or greater showing, with records set to once again be broken – if not smashed. Opportunities While these numbers are significant, there’s an even bigger figure: $178 billion. That’s the valuation of global professional AV spending, according to AVIXA. With its international aperture, ISE offers global stakeholders

www.avtechnologyeurope.com

23/01/2018 19:56

ISE PREVIEW

provided by Holovis and highlight B2B immersive technologies. Attendees and exhibitors are invited to try emerging technologies in real time and discuss potential business opportunities enabled by XR. Exemplified by XR, AV/IT convergence, and data visualization, the industry ISE represents is protean by nature.

opportunities to connect, share best practices, and cultivate relationships to elevate AV’s value. But ISE is much more than a trade show. The confluence of live AV demonstrations, training courses, market intelligence, educational tracks, networking, keynotes, and community celebrations makes ISE a destination for AV professionals around the world. To comprehensively cover the latest tech developments and AV trends big and small, ISE designs its exhibition space as curated zones. The RAI – which isn’t the easiest venue to navigate around, it must be said – will be sectioned into seven areas across 15 halls: The Audio & Live Event Technology Zone, Digital Signage & DooH Zone, Education Technology Zone, Residential Solutions Zone, Smart Building Zone, Unified Communications Zone, and XR Technology Zone. Emerging technologies New in 2018, the XR Technology Zone was created to address the growing importance of augmented, virtual, and mixed realities in AV. Located in the Park Foyer, at the rear of Hall 8, the XR Technology Zone’s centrepiece will be

January 2018

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“A conference with the depth and diversity of ISE is a draw for residential and commercial system integrators – and now end users are attending the show in greater numbers”

Hi TIDE Before the exhibition halls begin their hands-on AV demonstrations, TIDE (Technology. Innovation. Design. Experience.) Conference creators hope to inspire higher-level thinking about AV. On February 5th, the day before the ISE expo floor opens, TIDE – making its debut at ISE following a successful launch at InfoComm – will convene at the Hotel Okura Amsterdam for a one-day conference to explore “the creative forces shaping the AV industry and how AV businesses can benefit from these concepts,” according to AVIXA.” TIDE’s moderator for the day will be Kevin Jackson, an influential marketer who has worked with some of the world’s leading live-event agencies. Jan-Erik Baars, head of the design management program at the University of Applied Science in Lucerne, Switzerland, will join the event to share his expertise on design thinking and lead a workshop on how his principles can be applied. Other speakers include Pedro Gadanho, director of MAAT, the new Museum of Art, Architecture, and Technology in Lisbon, and Julien Le Bas, senior vice president and executive creative director for Jack Morton Worldwide. Additional tickets are required! Value for end users A conference with the depth and diversity of ISE is a draw for residential and commercial systems integrators, and now end users are attending the show in greater numbers. According to ISE staff, exhibitors at the 2017 show “were seen increasingly to present their products and solutions in ‘real world’ scenarios, designed to meet the needs of the increasing numbers of end users visiting the show.” That’s great news for you and – by extension – your business. See you there!

23/01/2018 19:56

ISE PREVIEW

ISE: BUILDING THE END USER EXPERIENCE A personal message from ISE MD, Mike Blackman

he success of ISE has been, in part, will have a diverse set of technologies being due to its ability to service the needs showcased; from digital signage to unified of two distinct, professional, AV communications or from live events to residential sectors: the ‘channel’ and the ‘end and education. ISE represents a great ‘bringing user’ communities. They enjoy a together’ of people, products and solutions. It’s mutually dependent and dynamic relationship and one of a kind. one that continues to evolve. There has also been the gradual shift from In recent times ISE has seen a marked increase in companies selling ‘boxes’ to companies selling the numbers of end users attending the show. Some ‘technologies and solutions’. Broadly, this has of the core markets being represented include happened as follows…end users have expressed a professionals working in a desire to see ‘real world’ range of diverse areas such as applications of technology often corporate, healthcare, retail, presented in a collaborative manner “There are over entertainment, education, a number of different 1,200 of the world’s involving construction, agriculture and providers. ‘Manufacturers’ have leading technology become sought to become the the military. This is obviously something that we are pleased of the end user and in companies situated ‘Partners’ about. It’s also something that doing so provide a higher level of in one location, in a service. ISE has provided the venue we have worked closely with our exhibitors, associations and marketplace to enable this great city” and partners on engendering. evolution. In doing so exhibitors, and ISE, are attracting more end So why are more end users coming to ISE? user attendees as they know that their presence It’s a simple answer to say that it’s because there will be appreciated. are over 1,200 of the world’s leading technology Another major factor in the increase of end users at the exhibition has been our investment and companies situated in one location, in a great city. commitment to deliver a wide range of content, Certainly, this remains a big attraction for anyone thus providing valuable business insight and looking to discover the latest AV products and services. End users will know that at ISE they will market intelligence. see more new products and senior technical, End users who come to ISE 2018 will have the management and marketing personnel than at opportunity to experience a range of conferences and events that seek to provide a business most events they visit. They also know that they

SHOW STOPPING STATS 48

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73,000+ 1,200 attendees

exhibitors

30pc

end users www.avtechnologyeurope.com

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ISE PREVIEW

roadmap for all attendees. Areas being covered include; smart building and cities, sports venues, pro audio networking and digital signage/retail strategies. ISE co-owners CEDIA and AVIXA have also put together their largest ISE educational programmes so far, much of it targeted directly towards end users. Some of the earliest adopters for new virtual, augmented and mixed reality solutions have been end users. In response to this we are proud to be launching The XR Summit ISE. This is a one-day B2B conference focused on the Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality industry. It will explore the latest in VR, AR and mixed reality business strategies and solutions and how they can be relevant for your company and market

Halls January 2018

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100pc B2B

sector. There is also the launch of a new XR Technology area. This is a special feature based to showcase the latest AR, VR and mixed reality technology and B2B solutions. On the last day of the show there’s the premier of blooloopLIVE@ISE. This half-day conference will explore how visitor attractions across the world, from theme parks to museums, zoos and heritage sites are increasingly creating nighttime spectaculars using the latest AV technology to draw in the crowds. There’s a lot more on offer too so please visit the ISE website for full details. On behalf of everyone here, we look forward to welcoming you to ISE 2018.

55,000

“End users will know that at ISE they will see more new products and senior technical, management and marketing personnel than at most events they visit”

square metres 49

23/01/2018 20:22

ISE PREVIEW: A VIEW FROM THE MANUFACTURERS

WHAT ISE MEANS TO US With just a few weeks to go until the world’s biggest AV trade show opens its doors, AVTE gathered together some of the leading manufactures to discuss what it is about the show that keeps bringing them back for more – as well as getting a few hints as to what the 73,000 plus attendees can expect from them at this year’s show

“If you want your brand to be recognised and your products and innovations to be seen, ISE is the best global forum” Mark Stanborough, Cabletime

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Name: Rashid Scaf Company: BIAMP Title: CEO and co-chairman

i everyone. To kick things off, how many times have you attended ISE and why is it important for you and your company to be present?

Rashid Scaf: Biamp has participated almost since the beginning. ISE is an important event for both the education and the exhibits. It gives us the opportunity to connect with integrators, system designers, end users and colleagues from around the world. It’s also the perfect opportunity to participate in presentations and introduce new technologies or solutions while seeing what others are doing in our industry. Mark Stanborough: Cabletime has been exhibiting since the beginning in 2004. ISE is now the largest AV show in the world and if you want your brand to be recognised and your products and innovations to be seen, ISE is the best global forum. It’s a great opportunity to meet potential new and existing customers and provide them with an update on the latest product releases we have. Robin van Meeuwen: We have attended all the shows from the beginning and it has evolved in to a phenomenal show. It is a big event for us and a very big drain on our resource, but we always come away very satisfied. Our number one goal is to have presence, share our vision and share our technology.

Name: Mary Ann de Lares Norris Company: Oblong Industries Title: VP, EMEA

Simon Jackson: ISE is a fantastic platform to showcase our technology. The show is attracting end-customers from our key vertical markets so our investment is well placed and the networking opportunities are invaluable. Mary Ann de Lares Norris: This will be Oblong’s fifth time at ISE. It’s a key fixture in our calendar of industry events and a proven opportunity for us to showcase our latest innovations, network with our partners and meet new contacts. Lucy Meredith: Panasonic has been attending ISE events since 2005. We have seen its progression from originally having only 120 exhibitors, to a record breaking 1,200 this past year, so it is clear just how

www.avtechnologyeurope.com

23/01/2018 20:12

ISE PREVIEW

Name: Mark Stanborough Company: Cabletime Title: Sales manager EMEA and APAC

Name: Robin van Meeuwen Company: Crestron Title: CEO, EMEA

Name: Simon Jackson Company: NEC Title: VP, display solutions

Name: Lucy Meredith Company: Panasonic Title: product marketing specialist

Name: Birgit Jackson Company: Sharp Title: Commercial director, Sharp Visual Solutions Europe.

Name: Kevin Cheng Company: ViewSonic Title: European marketing and communications manager

important the show has become. Exhibiting means your company is centre stage at the world’s largest AV systems integration show.

event has become a great platform to network with new customers and potential partners, as well as showcase our new products to a wider audience.

Birgit Jackson: Sharp has been showing at ISE since before it was even at the RAI. The show really represents a fantastic opportunity for us to meet end users as well as our partners. It has been particularly important for us over the last couple of years because Sharp has really evolved. We are growing, we are innovating and ISE lets us tell this story.

How does ISE compare to other shows around the world that you exhibit at? RS: ISE is a great counterpart to InfoComm held in the US. I’ve found ISE to be the premier event to reach customers from Europe and the Middle East.

Kevin Cheng: This will be the seventh consecutive year for ViewSonic. Exhibitors now come from all over the world, which highlights the significance of the event. As the show’s popularity has grown, the

January 2018

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SJ: It’s so much more than just size. ISE maintains a niche focus yet attracts and maintains high quality visitors, even as it grows.

“In the European market, ISE is the most important trade show for us“ Mary Ann de Lares Oblong Industries

MdN: In the European market, ISE is the most important trade show for us and is the main

23/01/2018 20:12

ISE PREVIEW ISE PREVIEW: A VIEW FROM THE MANUFACTURERS destination for the channel. We know that visitors come to see all the latest innovations from the market and we want to remain a key part of that. LM: ISE is certainly the biggest AV trade show we attend. The variety of clients who attend this event are from all over the world – much greater than in the past. This makes it particularly attractive for a global organisation like ours. BJ: It’s the one show for AV that we have to do in Europe. Most of the other events we do are on a national level, or are aimed at particular audiences, like retail or education. ISE is the only show where we can see all our European customers and partners in a single place. KC: It’s the most popular event in Europe for our partners, customers and competitors to attend – so we want to be there and make our mark. Who are you looking to appeal towards? RS: We look to ISE to connect with integrators, consultants, and end users in many of our verticals – houses of worship, education, transportation and healthcare – while also exploring other possible business opportunities. MS: For us, it’s about seeing end users, distributors, integrators and consultants. Our core markets are still the financial, corporate, and government sectors, however we are winning more jobs in retail, stadiums, and education, so we will be looking to appeal to more of those also.

< Above: standing room only as crowds pack out the RAI

RvM: We want to spend time with all our customers. We want to speak to the decision makers, whether that’s end-users, highly skilled professionals or of course, IT professionals. SJ: We are looking to engage with decision-makers and influencers within businesses seeking professional display applications. Our focus verticals include corporate, retail, higher education, leisure and hospitality and rental and staging. MdN: We’re looking to appeal to a range of attendees; from CIOs of large scale organisations who want to find out about innovative collaboration solutions, to integrator partners looking for dynamic brands to partner with. LM: Our channel and distribution partners are always keen to come and see the latest technology in action. Equally, we also look to appeal to end-users and for

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the last few years have taken a more verticalised approach so that end users from some key industry segments are able to see how AV technology can be deployed be implemented. BJ: We want to appeal to people who are updating their meeting rooms, looking for flexible and easy-to-use signage solutions, and looking for really high-precision imaging.

“We’re looking to engage directly with channel partners, resellers and of course, end users “ Kevin Cheng ViewSonic

KC: At ISE 2018 we are looking to engage directly with channel partners, resellers and of course, end users – especially those based in the corporate and education sectors. How important is it to speak to end-users? RS: End users are becoming increasingly important. By building relationships directly with end users it’s easier to better understand their communication challenges and talk to them about how products can be used to solve them. SJ: By talking directly with the end user we take a consultative stance. By understanding their needs we’re able to recommend the perfect fit technology

www.avtechnologyeurope.com

23/01/2018 20:12

ISE PREVIEW: A VIEW FROM THE MANUFACTURERS solution in order to ensure a successful outcome for all parties. That’s very valuable.

about our brand, whilst they can provide practical insight into how they feel about our products. It is only by having these conversations that we can understand their wants and needs.

LM: It is incredibly important for us to be able to make contact with the end user as this gives us the opportunity to identify what we need to improve on and what is going well for us. BJ: Understanding the needs of those who use our products is vital. Expectations are changing. If a product takes too long to understand or is too complicated, they won’t use it. Being able to talk to end users and see how they interact with our products is really important to us as a business. KC: End user experience and feedback is essential to improving our products and services. That is why we try and accommodate as many live demo products on the stand as possible, so visitors can get hands-on experience with our latest releases and provide immediate feedback. Likewise, how important is it for end users to be able to speak directly to you? RS: The most successful endeavours are ones with open and clear communication. When we can learn directly from end users about what they need and want, as well as what frustrates them, we can get ahead of the curve and deliver solutions more quickly.

“We’ve got some topsecret things. We normally launch between ten and twenty new products at ISE “ Robin van Meeuwen, Crestron Meeuwen

MdN: It’s hugely important for end-users to speak directly to us, so they can ask questions specific to their own business needs.

BJ: We always appreciate the chance to meet with end users, hear about their experiences and earn the opportunity to help solve their challenges. Some people associate us with consumer TVs and microwaves, so it’s great to be able to introduce them to this part of our business and surprise them. KC: Speaking to end users directly opens the channel of communication. We can share more information

January 2018

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RvM: We’ve got many top-secret things. We normally launch between twenty products at the show. We’re splitting our stand in two. We have our dedicated focus on our traditional market – the corporate market, also known as our meeting room environments, from training rooms, huddle rooms, auditoriums and boardrooms – the other side is dedicated to the residential sector. SJ: 2018 will see a special focus on solutions for retail signage, large venues and corporate conferencing. Product highlights will include our Direct View LED displays for both indoor and outdoor applications. We will also showcase our large format displays up to 98 inches. MdN: Oblong will be showcasing the full Mezzanine Series of solutions, demonstrating that we have an innovative collaboration solution for every meeting, every team, every space. We want visitors to have a demo and experience that ‘wow factor’ first hand.

MS: It’s extremely important, as often end users provide feedback about the products and additional feature requests, which we can then build into the roadmap for them.

LM: When end users have the opportunity to speak directly to us as a technology provider, it means we are able to better advise them on what technologies suit their needs. At a trade show, the advantage is that we are also able to show them what they can do with our products.

What can visitors expect to see at your stand? RS: They’ll see what we believe are the industry’s best audio and video solutions for professional AV buyers. I don’t want to leak the details but I can assure you we will be exhibiting some exciting new products at the show.

“End users provide feedback about the products that we can build into the roadmap” Mark Stanborough Cabletime

LM: Panasonic’s ‘showstopper’ has become a must-see at ISE over the years, from live fashion catwalks to projection mapped sports cars, 4K robotic screens and magic shows featuring moving projection. This year, Panasonic will again create a must-see at the show, which will combine visual art performers, laser projection technology and 3D mapping. BJ: We will be making an announcement about the evolution of our digital signage range and we’re proud to be showing our largest ever range of signage options. We will also have Sharp’s new 8K professional camcorder and display on our stand. KC: We’ll be launching our very first affordable 4K projector – costing less than $1,500 and a bespoke 400-inch 8K projection screen to showcase it in all its glory. We’ll also be showcasing our latest laser projectors and range of IFP displays. Like ISE, there’s something for everyone... Visit AVtechnologyEurope.com for all ISE news and interviews

23/01/2018 20:12

ISE PREVIEW: DAN GOLDSTEIN

ISE 2018

THE GROWING APPEAL FOR END USERS Dan Goldstein, senior VP marketing and communications, AVIXA on the evolution of ISE

ne morning during ISE 2017, I took pity on a complete stranger and allowed him to share my cab to the RAI. He was clearly in a hurry and, as is so often the case, there were no other cabs visible from the entrance to our hotel. He turned out to be a senior executive from Panasonic. Based in the US, he travels the world to visit corporate end-users of the company’s technology, to see how they’re using the systems and how their business needs are evolving. His job is not, as some in the integration community fear, to allow Panasonic to sell direct to these customers. Rather, the feedback he receives is channeled directly back to Panasonic’s engineering R&D in Japan, ensuring tomorrow’s products are not just leading-edge but pertinent to the modern challenges of doing business. As we continued our stop-start journey through the Amsterdam traffic, my mind wandered back a dozen years, to the first time ISE was held in the Dutch city. At that show, I was Editor of

“You no longer need a college degree in electronics or computer programming to derive real business value, not to mention enjoyment, from a trip to ISE” 54

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Installation Europe magazine and Panasonic was exhibiting for the first time, occupying the stand next-door to ours. I fell into conversation with the company’s senior staff member present, who told me how tough it had been to get budget to exhibit at the show. His issue, he explained, was that so few people within the company saw AV as its own market, distinct from consumer electronics, broadcast, IT or construction. Panasonic has been with ISE ever since, and my guess is that the show now drives a huge amount of the company’s B2B technology market growth. Much of the reason for that is that the event now appeals not just to the AV channel, which has itself grown significantly since those pioneering days in the mid-2000s, but to the end users my 2017 ride-sharer counts as some of the company’s most cherished long-term customers. ISE is still predominantly a channel show. It probably always will be, but visitors who are new to the show are more likely to be end users than previous attendees, and that trend looks set to continue this year. Doing a circuit of the (now much larger) show floor last year, it was not hard to see why. The show’s exhibitors now go to huge lengths to make their stands more immediately appealing to the end-user community. Flat-panel displays are shown in mocked-up retail environments. Collaboration systems are demonstrated in fully functioning

www.avtechnologyeurope.com

23/01/2018 20:17

ISE PREVIEW: DAN GOLDSTEIN

huddle spaces. Background music can be enjoyed from real restaurant tables. Attendees can see how automated lighting can alter the mood in almost any space imaginable, both interior and exterior. You no longer need a college degree in electronics or computer programming to derive real business value, not to mention enjoyment, from a trip to ISE. The show floor is as inspirational as it is educational. And the same is true away from the show floor, where the event’s conference programme is also moving solidly in the direction of solutions that deliver the desired business outcomes for end users. This year, as in 2017, AVIXA will be hosting half-day conferences for the corporate and higher-education communities during the show days, while on the eve of ISE 2018, our TIDE Conference will make its European debut. Standing for Technology, Innovation, Design and

January 2018

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Experience, TIDE is the first event of its kind to tackle the topic of AV systems design from the perspective of the customer experience. It is an unashamedly high-level event, featuring globally recognised speakers who describe themselves variously as artists, innovators, design thinkers and video architects. None of them has spoken at ISE before, and that’s really the whole point. As the voice of the end user becomes ever more influential in commercial AV, so the conversation around the industry’s largest trade show will evolve in new and creative ways. I hope you’ll join me and the rest of the AVIXA team in Amsterdam. Because, as my 2017 ride-sharer would point out, the more heightened our awareness of end-user needs becomes, the better off the whole of the AV industry will be.

> Above: Golden opportinity for end users, says Goldstein

“The show’s exhibitors now go to huge lengths to make their stands more immediately appealing to the end-user community” 55

23/01/2018 20:17

ISE PREVIEW: A VIEW FROM END USERS

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Name: Adam Harvey Company: University of Hertfordshire Title: Solution Architect – AV and digital media

Name: Ben Pain Company: Royal College of Physicians Title: technical and AV manager

WHAT ISE MEANS TO US We ask end users about the value they get from attending ISE each year

ten ystem ing

“ISE is unique, not only in size, but in scope on what it covers. That’s growing every year” Kevin McLoughlin

or end users working in AV, justifying a visit to ISE can be a major hurdle. Held in Amsterdam, 80 per cent of all ISE attendees are required to travel internationally to be a part of it. As a result, the trip can be both expensive and time consuming – with days out the office, travel expenses, accommodation, show tickets, food and drink all things to consider first. Such expense – like with any business – needs to have a return on investment, with evidence that attending – over simply reading the endless articles and press releases during and after the show – is of benefit to the company. Statistics paint a pretty picture. 30 per cent of attendees at the show are now end users, many of which are regulars – some have attended them all since its inception back in 2004 (Geneva). To find out more about its appeal, AVTE spoke to four end users about their experiences of attending ISE and the value it provides.

Hi guys. Thanks for your time. How many years have you now been attending ISE? Adam Harvey: I have been attending ISE for over ten years now. I’ve been so many times I’ve started to lose count.

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Ben Pain: I attended ISE for the first time in 2013 and I’ve been every year since. Kevin McLoughlin: I’ve been attending since 2011. I had heard so much about the value of ISE from other tech managers, from learning about the latest AV technology, brokering deals that could save your employer money and the education available that it seemed valuable enough to convince my boss to agree to fund the flights and expenses. Rob Hyde: This year is my tenth appearance in the last twelve years. How does ISE compare to other AV trade shows? AH: Scale. ISE is huge! You can pretty much see anything you will ever need to see and meet up with every industry colleague you can think of. You have to manage your time carefully and make sure your appointments are made well in advance. To see everyone and everything you need in four days can be very challenging. BP: In terms of the other exhibitions focusing on event technology, filming and media, IT or audiovisual – ISE is still the largest and the best. It really

www.avtechnologyeurope.com

23/01/2018 20:30

ISE PREVIEW: A VIEW FROM END USERS

Name: Rob Hyde Kevin Company: University of Bath Title: AV manager

does have everything. It’s not a show you can do in a day. The first year I wandered around in some kind of an AV daze, the proverbial kid in the candy shop. KM: All other trade shows can only try to compare to ISE. It is unique, not only in size but also in scope in what it covers. That’s growing every year, so it trumps all other shows for overall value. RH: It’s the most important one to attend. It’s not because of its size, it’s more that you can compare, contrast and visualise a product in its own setting. What is it that keeps you coming back? AH: I keep returning to ISE for a number of reasons. To see the latest products when they launch is a huge benefit to keeping ahead of the game as we’re generally planning 18 months ahead, or as much as we can. The ability to catch up with key suppliers and manufacturers all in one place is extremely useful and I generally find I can get a lot of summer work forecasting finalised based on these meetings. The networking is also a massive benefit.

Name: McLoughlin Company: Royal Society of Medicine, 1 Wimpole Street and Chandos House Title: AV manager

RH: If anything, it’s not necessarily the larger companies that are so important as we get to see them regularly. It’s the smaller companies who tend to do things a little differently. The other important factor is the ability to ask questions not of the sales staff – but of the other support staff too. Anything specifically you’re looking forward to? AH: I already have a full diary of meetings and stand tours booked in for ISE based on projects I am due to deliver in 2018. I have also signed up for a few seminars on various subjects of interest. BP: The AVIXA, AV User Group and SCHOMS seminars are always great and full of useful ideas and best practice. It’s nice to catch up with industry friends and colleagues. Great, knowledgeable people, the best in technology and a great social experience – what’s not to like?

BP: The key reasons to attend are to learn about the new products and to meet up with service providers.

KM: Again, there’s plenty. The AV User Group runs a sponsored trip each year, which includes a speed pitch session on the Monday before the show, where 20-plus manufacturers have eight minutes each to give end users/buyers a reason to spend time at their stand during the show. There’s so much.

KM: The ability to research specific products and services related to upcoming projects with both the equipment and experts on hand all at one venue is invaluable, as are the growing educational resources. The manufacturer seminars, the conferences and the keynote presentations are all very important.

RH: I’m actually looking forward to finding a technology, a product, or a process, that will be very useful to educating the students. Really, it’s looking for a thing that we haven’t seen before that we might be able to use. I’ll of course be visiting the manufacturers that we’ve used in the past too.

January 2018

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“It’s the most important event to attend. You can compare, constrast and visualise a product in its own setting” Rob Hyde

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THE EUROPEAN DESTINATION FOR THE GLOBAL AV INDUSTRY

Discover the latest products and solutions at ISE 2018 Connecting markets and people

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ing meet gue

ISE PREVIEW: A VIEW FROM END USERS Has attending ISE ever impacted your decisions for products and services used/deployed in your work place? AH: Often, but I suppose the biggest real world example of this would be our Science Building and the use of AV over IP technology and the WyreStorm NetworkHD product. I saw this at ISE in 2014 and the idea for the Science Building AV solution, in essence, all stemmed from there. BP: Massively. In 2017 it was all about UC technology, as the RCP is half way through an in-flight project to roll out Skype for Business across the organisation. In 2016 it was collaborative learning tools for the upgrade of our training spaces and in 2015 it was audio for live event spaces. This year I’ll be trying to meet suppliers of control systems as we begin to make plans for a new building project in Liverpool. KM: Every single year, ISE has influenced my purchasing decisions on products and services including arranging many on-site demos, loans and assistance with projects directly with the manufacturers that under normal circumstances takes much more time and logistics.

you won’t have an integrator between you and them. Manufacturers love to hear from enthusiastic end users to learn how they improve what they make. You should always give yourself half a day just to wander around – that’s when you find the unexpected.

“You can see anything you will ever need and meet up with every industry colleague you can think of” Adam Harvey

RH: It certainly has. We made the decision to go to laser projection six-years ago. It was fairly uncommon then. We’ve changed the way we’ve done source switching twice in the last five years too; given the way we handle sources for the teaching staff to show. For our big lecture theatres, we changed the way we processed the signals entirely, so we now handle the video and audio separately from each other. We’ve recently moved our audio to fully digital, and especially for the big rooms to network standards based. How beneficial is it to be able to get a broad view of the industry for yourself, rather than relying on others (integrators, media) for information? AH: It’s a massive benefit and one I am a big advocate for. We have direct relationships with all the manufacturers that we use and others we don’t. Having the broad view and as many contacts as possible is key to being able to deliver the best technology and solutions for your specific environments and users. BP: The secret of ISE is always, that you only get out of it what you put into planning your. Prioritise your time, arrange to meet people and keep your appointments. Building relationships with manufacturers at ISE is amazing as it’s the only time

January 2018

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KM: I can ask specific questions that relate to my own place of work without the middleman (integrator), which cuts to the chase and gives me the information I need to make better decisions without delay. In the ISE environment it is more efficient for making comparisons, for getting past the sales team and pushing for information on roadmaps, R&D and solutions to specific problems. I can hop from one manufacturer to the next armed with new information that often leads to more questions and research resulting in solutions I hadn’t even thought of before arriving at ISE. RH: It’s important to get your eyes, ears and hands on particular bits of kit. That can be done with the manufacturers or with the integrators, however, we’re aware that many integrators have a preferred manufacturer (or maybe several). The media take on it can be very good – but it’s usually from the functionality of the device, or how well it works. We’re more interested in how good a job it will do relative to what we designed. I’m charged with having a good understanding of the industry and to predict and build-in technology that will facilitate what the academic staff need to do their jobs. What’s the best thing about ISE? AH: I really enjoy my time at ISE every year and it’s always very productive on the days I am in Amsterdam – and then the whole year following. For me it is the key event in the calendar. BP: It’s a really simple answer from me. Having so much expertise in a single place.

“Always give yourself half a day to wander around – that’s when you find the unexpected “ Ben Pain

KM: It’s a fantastic industry to be part of and it attracts good, passionate, intelligent, friendly people who are fun to be with. Like most in the industry I found my way into AV by accident – but I am so glad I am part of it and attending ISE and meeting friends new and old is an annual highlight. RH: ISE for me is the best way to see lots of solutions to potential problems in a very short period of time. If I wanted to see all the companies that provide display sharing and they all came in for an hourly appointment it would take more than a week. By going to ISE I can get it in a couple of hours. It saves us a huge amount of time.”

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Amtrium Entrance L

TAXI

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ple

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There’s so much to do and so much to see at ISE – but if you’re still looking for inspiration, take a look at these...

9-D128

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7-T190

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3-C140

Restaurants / Food Court

8-M120

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7-R185

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3-B145

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3-A125

8-M130

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Audio Demo Rooms

RECOMMENDS

9-A130

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Wielingenstraat

8-G140

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Smart Building

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Business Lounge 7-A180

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Audio & Live Events Technology

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Park Foyer

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Digital Signage & DOOH

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Discovery Zone designed by 3d-berlin

50m

February 5th (PRE-SHOW)

February 6th

SMART BUILDING CONFERENCE TIME: 08:30 - tbc LOCATION: Forum & E102 Taking place on the day before Integrated Systems Europe 2018 opens its doors, the conference is a one-day, twin track event that explores the latest technologies, business strategies, market research and workflow case studies through presentations from the world’s leading smart building experts and thought leaders. AUDIO FORUM AT ISE TIME: 10:00 -tbc LOCATION: L103/104 The annual Audio Forum at ISE will explore one of the professional audio industry’s most compelling topic areas – digital protocols and audio over IP. Sessions will explore the history and evolution of digital networking; use of digital audio protocols in live events; case studies of AoIP systems and more. TIDE TIME: 11:00 – 17:30 LOCATION: Hotel Okura Amsterdam The conference will explore the importance of design and creativity in the AV industry. Attendees will discover new ideas for driving business and creative growth before later walking out onto the ISE trade show floor and be able to network with other like-minded professionals.

XR SUMMIT TIME: Daily from 10:00 - tbc LOCATION: E102 Become immersed in a range of cross reality (XR) technologies at three different locations, each showcasing the latest in augmented, virtual and mixed reality products and solutions for those working in the AV ‘channel’ and end user customers.

January 2018

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Name: SMART BUILDING GUIDED TOURS Location: Check ISE website TIME: Tuesday 6 Feb, 14.00-16.00 / Friday 9 Feb, 10.00-12.00 Take the opportunity to participate in a walking tour across ISE 2018 to view the latest developments in smart home, smart office and smart building technologies showcased by leading manufacturers in the field. UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS THEATRE TIME: 10-30-18:00 (DAILY) A day consisting of 14 presentations, each designed to help educate end users on the benefits AV technologies can provide their business. Subjects over the week include: adding Skype for Business to your meeting room, improving productivity and making UC solutions work for you.

February 8th SPORTS VENUE AND ENGAGEMENT SUMMIT TIME: 9:30 LOCATION: E102 Now in its fifth year, this full day event (which includes multiple networking opportunities throughout) will explore trends, technologies and techniques that define sports stadiums of today and for tomorrow. The day includes expert panels and presentations from leading broadcasters, service providers, vendors, architects, designers and consultants.

24/01/2018 09:51

FULLY MANAGED

ITIL ALIGNED MANAGED SERVICES CDEC presents a range of co-managed and fully managed services designed to support your Audio Visual installation, Digital Signage, Video Conferencing or Events

PROACTIVE & PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT CORPORATE, EDUCATION, RETAIL & GOVERNMENT

Complementing CDEC’s award winning systems design and installation, our support teams maximise return on investment and ensure business benefits are realised.

CDEC offers a comprehensive range of managed services designed to help you get the most out of your technology and ensure it is operating efficiently. The CDEC team is experienced in managing complete AV environments both on site and remotely, providing real-time support for end users. This can include troubleshooting, meeting support and managing room setup. Proactive AV maintenance also enables us to deal with potential issues before they arise. We are proud to deliver flexible, agile services that fit your business needs whether in the classroom, boardroom or storefront.

Managed

Service Desk Our AV specialist desk is always at the end of a phone. All of our Service Desk processes are aligned with our ITILv3 operating model, and team members possess a variety of specialisms from control systems, projection and sound reinforcement through to Mac/PC presentation troubleshooting and Wi-Fi configuration. The team will also maintain a complete asset and configuration management database, integrating with incident management and change control.

REMOTE

Monitoring Powered by our ‘Single Pane of Glass’ software to provide full coverage of your networked AV equipment, the Remote Monitoring team oversees the availability and performance of each installation. Correlating any failures, the team will work proactively with on-site teams to resolve issues before they impact customers.

Address: Unit 1 & 2 Faraday Way, Orpington, Kent, BR5 3QW

ON-SITE

Field Engineers Working alone or alongside your own technicians, our Field Engineers have substantial experience across the corporate and education sectors and provide friendly, confident and rapid technical support in the classroom or boardroom. Field Engineers are able to work on scheduled maintenance contracts, proactive repairs or upgrades and incident quick response: We work to your SLAs that can include evening and weekend on-site cover.

Capture & Record

CDEC offers a range of services targeted at major events (corporate keynotes, interviews, graduations, inaugural lectures and conferences) requiring live streaming, recording, editing and production. Our inhouse team are equipped for multi-camera shoots with vision mixing and high-quality online streaming.

info@cdec.co.uk

The only Audio Visual Partner you will ever need.

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www.cdec.co.uk

01689 885 380

23/01/2018 15:40:34 05/09/2017 11:52

SPOTLIGHT

THE TECH GUIDE

A SELECTION OF THE LATEST AV PRODUCTS AND SERVICES NOW AVAILABLE Datapath Ltd

iolite 12i Product type: Display wall controller Target market: Boardrooms and commercial office space

Crestron

DMPS3-4K-350-C Product type: 4K60 DigitalMedia presentation Target market: Enterprise and education What’s New: This all-in-one presentation system has been upgraded to add wireless presentation capability, content LAN, higher-powered amplifier and onscreen display. Details: With these new 3-Series 4K60 DigitalMedia presentation systems you get a built-in Crestron AirMedia wireless presentation gateway which also plays encrypted video. A third ethernet port enables wireless presentation or H.264 streaming video in addition to the Control Subnet which establishes a VLAN for the Crestron devices separate from the LAN, for faster DM system updates and troubleshooting. A higher performance 50-watt integrated amplifier means they can directly drive a pair of stereo speakers or a groups of distributed ceiling speakers whilst on-screen display capability makes it possible to create custom branded welcome screens.

What’s new? Brand new product Details: Running virtually silently and with a small footprint and rack-mounting capabilities, the iolite 12i can drive up to 12 HDMI screens, in its stock configuration at HD 1080p. This gives the flexibility to offer a wide range of Wall Control display options. The iolite 12i is happy running two 3X2 video walls for the boardroom, a welcome screen and TV wall for reception or 12 menu boards for a restaurant. It runs virtually silently within its small footprint. This makes it ideal for a boardroom installation and offers a rack mounting kit to enable the 2U chassis to fit in a control room environment for ease of connectivity to source devices. The iolite 12i controller is supplied with 240GB SSD drives to run local content, providing a much quicker, quieter performance over traditional hard-disk drives. It’s powered by Intel Core i5 processors with 8GB DDR3 RAM for high power applications. The iolite 12i range is available now as a five slot, rack mountable or free-standing system in HDMI or Display Port configurations, with a rack mounting kit included in the box. Available: Now Where can I buy? www.datapath.co.uk Price: POA

Available: Now Where can I buy? Crestron Approved Dealers. Price: Starting from £7188 msrp.

January 2018

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SPOTLIGHT

PureLink

Media Axis Product type: Cross-platform matrix switcher Target market: Corporate, government, staging, medical and military What’s new? Media Axis is PureLink’s next generation AV distribution system, offering an innovative blend of both baseband and IP video switching technologies. It is the industry’s first HDMI 2.0, 12G-SDI, UHD/4K60 4:4:4, large scale, cross-platform switcher. Christie D Series

Christie D Series Product type: Projector Target market (s): higher education, business, museums, houses of worship, government facilities, and selected rental and staging venues What’s New: The D Series line-up has been expanded with three new value-priced single-lamp models – LWU720i-D, LWU620i-D and LHD720i-D – broadening its range of resolution and brightness options. The new series of projectors are available with up to 8100 ISO lumens and both WUXGA and HD resolutions. Details: Christie’s D Series is targeted at the budget-minded user, providing a viable alternative to more expensive laser phosphor models. Aiming to deliver performance, value and reliability, it balances a combination of brightness, image quality, lens and resolution choice in a compact form factor. With the new models, customers can continue to use their full D Series lens suite – including the Ultra Short Throw (UST) lens – for greater installation flexibility. New, more efficient 3LCD panels now provide better colour and brightness than before, and feature a 65,000:1 contrast ratio for more impactful imaging.

Details: Media Axis is a fully UHD/4k capable, multi-format system that features a detachable tablet control interface and is offered in a variety of input/output configurations, ranging from 20x to 216x for maximum scalability. It also features standard redundant “Hot Swappable” I/O, MCU, fan, and power modules for secure, failsafe, 24/7 operation. Other features include HDCP 2.2 compliance, Dolby Vision and High Dynamic Range (10 bit) support, as well as cross-platform processing technologies (12G-SDI, SD, HDBaseT, Fiber, HD, UHD and more). Media Axis also allows for bi-directional endpoint control, with three convenient control methods (RS232, LAN and SNMP), as well as three extender options for every installation environment. Utilising PureLink’s proprietary “Don’t Blink” fast switching and Motore 2.0 up and down scaling technologies, Media Axis is the new AV distribution standard, offering the best of both worlds in baseband and IP video switching. Available: February 2018 Where can I buy? See our Dealer Locator Price: Contact reseller

Available: now Where can I buy? https://www.christiedigital.com/ emea/business/how-to-buy Price: POA

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23/01/2018 20:44

E U R O P E The worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest database of AV product information Research | Plan | Connect

For more information, visit

www.av-iq.eu

PCR_FP_210x265.indd 1 AViQ17_Europe_Full.indd 1

31/10/2017 11:37:34 10/20/17 11:05 AM

SPOTLIGHT ViewSonic Europe

IFP6560 Product type: Interactive Flat Panel (IFP) display Target market: Education and corporate

Sharp

PN-V701 Product type: 70” LCD video wall display Target market: High-end retail and hospitality What’s new? The PN-V701 is the largest display of this type on the market. The bigger size reduces the number of displays required for a large wall, and therefore the number of bezels that interrupt a picture. The PN-V701 is also the first of Sharp’s new generation video wall displays to feature a built-in Mini OPS extension slot for easier integration into a wider range of user applications. The optional HDBaseT module provides a simple solution to long distance signal cabling between the display and HDMI devices, eliminating the worry of trailing cables or unsightly power supply units. Details: The PN-V701 is the latest addition to Sharp’s PN-V range, which is popular for projects for high-end retailers and transport hubs due to its high brightness and reliability during 24/7 continuous operation. Suitable for either portrait or landscape orientation, the full-HD PN-V701 offers outstanding image quality and colour accuracy thanks to Sharp’s UV2A technology and Advanced UCCT (Uniform Colour Calibration Technology). The calibration technology, unique to Sharp, combats several problems that affect standard video walls, by eliminating colour and brightness variations in each pixel to ensure perfectly consistent images across the whole display.

What’s new? The ViewSonic IFP6560 comes with embedded InGlass screen technology to provide a naturally smooth writing experience with no script-lag or response delays. Other new features include a biometric fingerprint reader that enables secure sign-in and data sharing, as well as Cast software that allows content to be shared to the display wirelessly from smart mobile devices, iPads and Chromebooks. Details: Designed to be the connected hub of any modern classroom or boardroom, the 65-inch 4K interactive panel features a 20-point touch screen and ViewBoard Annotation software to allow multiple users to write, draw and engage with content simultaneously. Powered by an upgradable Android™-based PC that emulates a stimulating, tablet-like experience, the ViewSonic IFP6560 also includes a customisable start-up page launcher so users can tailor the display to their needs. This ensures that the technology is used to maximise collaboration and engagement – in both education and business environments. Available February 2018 Where can I buy? Available in the UK from TechData and Ingram Micro Price: £2,490

Available: Now Where can I buy? www.sharp.co.uk Price: POA 66

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23/01/2018 20:47

SPOTLIGHT

Panasonic Business

PT-RZ21K Product type: Laser projector Target market: The PT-RZ21K is specifically designed for the rental, live entertainment, staging and any permanent fixed large venue.

Blackmagic Design

ATEM Television Studio HD Product type: Switcher Target market: Live streaming and live events What’s New: The latest addition to Blackmagic Design’s ATEM production switcher range Details: Featuring an extremely portable design, the ATEM Television Studio HD Pro is the worlds smallest all in one broadcast switcher. Packed with high-end features, the switcher makes it possible to create an entire program mix, complete with effects and transitions, right from the front panel. The ATEM Television Studio HD is perfect for AV professionals, live events teams and the next generation of web broadcasters, and can be used on a variety of productions; from studio shows and live sports, to video blogs, gaming videos, internet talk shows, weddings, seminars and more.

What’s new: The PT-RZ21K is the world’s first filter-free, ultra-high brightness projector, and has the smallest footprint of any 20,000 lumen model on the market. With this projector, Panasonic has presented a laser alternative to the PT-DZ21K, one of Europe’s best selling high brightness projector in the rental and staging market. Details: Offering 20,000 hours of maintenance free operation, the RZ21K features a dual-laser, 3-Chip DLP light source. This built-in redundancy ensures uninterrupted projection to ensure the show goes on should a laser diode fail – making it perfect for high profile, mission-critical application. With a clear interest from the industry to switch from lamp to laser, Panasonic has ensured the RZ21K is lighter and smaller than any other projector in its class to enable easier handling, without the use of forklifts. Alongside its ability to withstand continuous 24/7 operation, very low maintenance costs mean a reduction in the total cost of ownership for the projector. Available: Now Where can I buy? http://business.panasonic.co.uk/ visual-system/where-to-buy Price: POA

Available: Now Where to buy: from Blackmagic Design resellers Price: £755

January 2018

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SPOTLIGHT Peerless-AV

KIPICT555 Product type: Digital Signage Kiosk Target market: Hotels, restaurants, airports, stadiums, retail, museums Biamp Systems

Tesira AVB Beamtracking Ceiling Microphones Product type: Microphone Target market: Integrators, distributors, consultants, and IT decision-makers looking for microphones that cover a wide area with little to no setup required. What’s new? Biamp has developed the industry’s first beamtracking microphone that guarantees audio accuracy and clarity at all points in the room. This is because its microphone tracks talkers not only as they move around, but even when they change elevation by sitting or standing. Details: Requiring little to no setup or tuning, Biamp’s beamtracking microphones intelligently mix conversations from around the table, allowing far-end conference participants to experience a more natural-sounding conversation. Comprising a pendant microphone and plenum box, each microphone is designed with three 120-degree zones – providing full 360-degree coverage of the meeting space. Three variations of the AVB Beamtracking Ceiling Microphone are available: TCM-1, which includes its own DSP for beamforming and signal tracking TCM-1A, which includes all of the features of the TCM-1 and adds a 2-channel PoE+ amplifier in the plenum box TCM-1EX, which is used exclusively for daisychaining

What’s new? The KIPICT555 is an all-in-One LCD digital touch kiosk, powered by BrightSign. It comes fullyassembled for quick plug and play installation. Details: Incorporating a 55” commercial grade LCD display with six simultaneous points of IR touch interaction, 9ms response time and 5000:1 contrast ratio, the kiosk is ideal for audience engagement. Set up is simple via microSD card, USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or cable. Using the embedded BrightSign HS123 media player and BrightAuthor software, users can design and publish interactive content. They can also update messaging and interact with the kiosk remotely via Ethernet, Wi-Fi or the BrightSign App. Access to the kiosk for servicing and maintenance is via the rear. Two integrated 6W speakers and a 3.5mm stereo jack allow for multiple audio options. Further features include Full HD 1080p60 single video decoding, HTML support, networked content playback, as well as an abundant set of features, including interactivity via the GPIO port, remote snapshot, live text, media feeds and multi-zone layout. Available: Now Where can I buy? From PeerlessAV’s distribution and reseller network Price: POA

Available: Now, with the first customer shipment scheduled for Q2 2018. Where can I buy? www.biamp.com Price: Please contact your Biamp representative pricing 68

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23/01/2018 20:47

MEET YOUR INTEGRATOR

MEET YOUR INTEGRATOR:

PURE AUDIO VISUAL LTD Pure AV managing director and co founder Peter Sutton discusses how his business and – by extension – the AV market has changed and evolved over the past 14 years. He also provides his views on what’s hot right in AV now and why end users should view their integrator as a life long partner, rather than a one off encounter Hi Peter. Tell me about Pure AV. The business started 14 years ago supplying audio visual integration services to the HE market. Over the years we have grown our operations and now employ 50 staff who work together providing design, integration and support services to a range of different verticals including heritage, healthcare, enterprise, sports stadia, leisure and hotels across the UK and into Europe. As an AV integrator, I believe it’s our role to understand the technology choices available, establish the desired objectives of the client and find innovative, cost effective ways to bring those elements together in a solution that will be well adopted and secure the client a positive return. What’s your geographic reach? Our head office is based in Preston, Lancashire and we have a regional office close to Halifax in

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Yorkshire. We support a customer base across the UK and into Europe, although we have also delivered solutions to Australia and Dubai recently. What trends are you seeing in the current business market? Flexible collaboration is becoming more prevalent in the corporate sector. Gone are the days of long drawn out meetings with people unnecessarily travelling to be presented to. Communication over IP is now becoming the norm, and we see increasing numbers of our business customers looking to equip their built environment with high-quality areas to facilitate this. These could be small huddle rooms with wireless connectivity and web conferencing to cater for ad-hoc, impromptu discussions or more formal meeting rooms but equipped with VC codecs, Skype infrastructure or all in one devices such as Microsoft Surface Hubs. An organisation

Founded: 2003

Head office: Preston, Lancs

Staff: 50

Target market: HE, corporate, blue light, hotel and leisure, sports stadia, healthcare and heritage markets Market reach: UK and Europe

23/01/2018 20:53

MEET YOUR INTEGRATOR

< Pure AV managing director and co-founder Peter Sutton

“Expectations around AV performance amongst staff and clients have been raised by the quality of the equipment we carry in our pockets and have at home”

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that can facilitate these meetings and bring remote staff in over IP can maximise the effectiveness of their team’s output and speed up decision making while reducing wasted time and travel costs. Are you seeing any changes in attitudes by businesses towards having good quality AV? The need for good communication between businesses and their internal and external audiences continues to be a driver for investment in AV equipment. I think organisations are now beginning to acknowledge the potential impact that good quality image and sound can have on the way in which their communications are received. Expectations around audio and visual performance amongst staff and clients have been raised by the quality of the equipment that we carry in our pockets and have within our homes. And we see this reflected in the systems that we are being asked to deploy. The ability to accommodate BYOD and wireless connectivity also now has a greater importance the design of the AV systems that businesses deploy. And as costs of professional LFD have come down, we are being asked to install high-quality display devices in more areas than previously seen. Furthermore, I think businesses increasingly recognise the importance of choosing the right integrator to not only deliver their systems but one

who can support its operation over its usable life. What’s hot right now? Interactive LFD’s and Microsoft Surface Hub are currently extremely popular right now. This is due to their simplicity and usability. Additionally, video chat or SKYPE enabled meeting spaces are now inexpensive to deploy and provide tangible reductions in operating costs. What’s your personal favourite? I’m very keen on the Crestron Mercury at the moment as it offers a solution that is easy to deploy, easy to use and easy to manage. The ability for room users to present wirelessly from their own devices or pair mobile phones for enhanced audio and interact and share content with remote participants using Skype for Business is appealing to customers looking for a simple huddle room solution. Balance that with its relatively low cost and ease of installation, I can see this or similar products being deployed by organisations as part of their everyday built environment. What are the biggest obstacles/frustration you’re seeing in the industry? Price and competition are always going to affect the way we do business, and sometimes this can lead an organisation to make the wrong investment choice particularly when making the purchase based on

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23/01/2018 20:53

MEET YOUR INTEGRATOR < Signed, sealed and delivered: Examples of digital signage installed by Pure AV in higher education

price alone. We believe that end user companies should recognise the benefit in services and capability provided by an integrator, not only at the start of a project, but throughout the life of the systems they deploy. Unfortunately, this is not always the case, and all too often a solution is chosen based on the initial price alone. We know through experience that when those complex systems fall over, the initial company chosen will not have the skills or resources to provide reliable and timely responses to resolve issues. Education in our market is limited, and often experience is only gained by working within the industry. The education system is too heavily fixed on skills gained in the IT sector (for obvious reasons) but there should be some scope for broadening those IT skills into the AV arena for those still learning â&#x20AC;&#x201C; after all this is a connected world and Sound and Vision is just as key as the methods required to deliver data over networks. Why should end users go through an integrator and not attempt to do things alone? An integrator is a specialist and employs people who understand how to navigate the complex world of AV. They will bring with them experience of not just the individual piece of equipment but crucially how to bring those pieces of technology together in the most effective way. At Pure AV we invest a lot of time in looking at and investigating the latest technology, testing not just performance of the output but also the ability to control it and how it integrates with other equipment. It would be difficult and costly for most end users to carry out this level of investigation. The experience of the integrator could also reveal a more effective way to achieve the desired outcome, helping the end user to avoid unnecessary expenditure. An integrator is a partner who will listen to what the client needs and design a solution to best meet the needs of the client. A trusted integrator will also not over-engineer the same solution in search of increased revenues but will meet the brief with products that are designed to achieve the end goal. What are some of the biggest mistakes made by end users when it comes to AV? Over-complexity in systems is a regular failing within business. Clients often spend significant amounts of money on cutting-edge systems that offer unlimited options for the end user; however, a review of those systems 12 months down the line will frequently demonstrate that people have only used 10 per cent of its operational capability. Clear needs analysis is critical to delivering a system that

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truly delivers a tangible return on investment to the client, and that is where a partnership with a good quality professional AV Integrator comes into its own. Finally, how important is having good quality AV for a business? Good quality AV can have a positive impact on the way that an organisation is perceived by its customer and on the morale of the workforce. A customer entering an office space will make judgements about that organisation based on the office environment. Striking signage displaying examples of current activity or information about the business will create a good first impression and set positive expectations about the quality of the company. An employee who constantly battles with failing or over complex meeting room technology will not only waste a lot of time but will also feel very different to an employee who is about to enter a meeting room confident that the AV equipment will work and know that they can get in and just get on with their job. Professional AV should be there to support the needs of the client. It should be easy to use by all, reliable and provide a meaningful ROI. Simplicity is the key, and that is where an organisation like Pure AV can add real value.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Good quality AV can have a positive impact on the way that an organisation is perceived by its customer and on the morale of the workforceâ&#x20AC;?

< You can learn more about Pure AV by visiting its website: www.pureav.co.uk

23/01/2018 20:53

FEATURE

€10m REASONS COLLABORATIVE TECH WORKED FOR PWC Editor Michael Garwood discovers how Oblong’s Mezzanine solution has helped revolutionise PwC’s meeting room environment – boosting business

t was American director and actor Will Rogers who once famously said: “you only get one chance to make a first impression.” In business, first impressions can sometimes be the difference between success and failure, or in financial terms, profit or loss. Just over 12 months ago, PWC – a globally recognised powerhouse in providing professional services to some of the worlds leading organisations (including 422 of the Fortune 500) – wanted to create a “wow factor” for its clients and prospective clients visiting its Paris office - an enviornment few would have experienced before or experienced outside of a science fiction movie. But this wasn’t just a vanity project. Far from it. As a company that prides itself on having its finger on the pulse for breakthrough technologies and

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trends, it wanted a meeting room fit for the future. A room where people could collaborate in a more productive and efficienct manner by removing the traditional “static” environment, many businesses are accustomed to using and experiencing. “The brief was simple,” PWC director of emerging workplace technologies and environments Mandeep Jawa, told AVTE. “We had the investment and the appetite to build a room that was different to any of our competitors - and that’s what we did.” The Delta Room The result saw PWC create what it calls ‘The Delta Room’ (pictured) – hailed as an executive meeting room meets a huddle room. “You have a workshop element and also a very polished high-end environment for senior board

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23/01/2018 21:04

FEATURE

MEZZANINE AT A GLANCE: n Interconnected screens easily manipulated with gestural control via Mezzanine’s wireless wand user interface   n Content displays wirelessly from multiple devices on demand without video cables   n Additional tactile screens and interactive boards to live annotate digital content   n Wireless audio systems integrated into the floors and ceilings for 3D sound and  free participant movement   n HD videoconferencing capable of managing multiple digital devices

members to feel comfortable in,” he explained. The Delta Room opened in 2016, but has already had a major impact on the company, both from a productivity perspective and a financial one. The firm estimates that the look, feel and technology deployed in the Delta Room has played a direct role in securing deals valued in excess of €10 million in its first 12 months. “In terms of value, we can’t just say we won a deal because of the Delta Room,” said Mandeep. “It was a case of factoring in how many proposals we won where we felt intuitively the Delta Room was an influencer of that win. We estimated €10m in the first year. We all know and understand that it’s a major influencer.” Mezzanine One of the key drivers into achieving this financial success and the “wow factor” it craved, was through the deployment of Mezzanine, a visual collaboration system, built by Oblong Industries. PWC deployed the Mezzanine 600, which allows for up to six displays in the room – described by Oblong as ‘multi screen workspaces’. This included three Sony 65in 4K displays to form the main presentation area and three SMART touchscreens, two of which are Kapp iQ 4K models on the adjacent wall - dubbed digital ‘corkboards’, At its most basic, Mezzanine provides PWC with an advanced multi-screen video conferencing service. Participants can be those based in other Mezzanine installed rooms or “remoters’, who can join the conversation and view the display, anywhere via a connected PC, tablet or smartphone. But key to PWC’s decision to select Mezzanine, was down to collaboration, with the technology

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“Traditional meetings were a bit too static. The Delta Room creates an environment that allows for the spontaneous addition of a piece of media” Mandeep Jawa, PwC allowing people to share content, which can instantly become part of the discussion. This is something Oblong call Infopresense. “Traditional meetings were a bit too static,” said Mandeep. “The Delta Room creates an environment, that allows for the spontaneous addition of a piece of media. Think about all those meetings you’ve been in where someone says they have seen a clip on YouTube that’s releavant to the conversation, or a webpage youi should view or share an email they’ve just received. That sort of unanticipated addition is something that usually requires a bit of gymnastics and will disrupt the meeting. With Mezzanine, these things can be performed with the same fluidity and spontaneity you would have in the physical world. You don’t have to pause the conversation.” RoI According to Mandeep, the Delta Room room is now occupied 91 per cent of the available time (the remaining nine per cent is handover time). Such is its success, a second has since been built with a third and fourth in the works across other sites. Whilst neither Mandeep nor Oblong felt comfortable disucssing specifica costs, an economic report from Forrester, states Mezzanine users (typically Fortune 500 , Global 2000 firms) experience an RoI of 246 per cent in three years – paying for itself in just eight months. “It speaks volumes to say that we built the first one, assess its performance and then built a second one,” said Mandeep. But the success of the Delta Room isn’t down excluisvely to the technology alone. “Mezzanine is just one of the ingredients,” explained Mandeep. “The architecture, the look and theme of the room all play a major part. If we had designed a standard room and fitted it with the Oblong tech, I don’t think it would have been nearly as successful. “The environment really makes people feel like today is different. Before they understand how powerful the technology is, in that first half a second they think this is a room like no other.”

<The PwC Delta Room, Neuilly-Sur-Seine offices located in Paris

<Above: Wand used to resize and move content between multiple screens

23/01/2018 21:04

Q&A

BRIEF ENCOUNTER (WITH A TWIST)

60 SECONDS WITH: Posen Wang, business director at ViewSonic Europe

Hi Posen. When did you first become involved with ViewSonic? Having grown up in Taiwan, I’ve been familiar with the ViewSonic brand for most of my life. After spending more than a decade working in the industry with BenQ, I was looking for a fresh challenge. It was in January 2016 that I made the move to London and took up my new position as business director at ViewSonic Europe. How has the company evolved during this time? Building on our success in the US and Asia, we have expanded operations to new countries and markets – including here in Europe. As our product lines have grown, we have invested heavily in recruiting new talent into our team. For us, our people are just as important as the products we offer.

What advice would you give to business investing in AV? Make sure you choose a solution that works best for your individual needs. Once you know what those requirements are, investing in the “Too often AV technology becomes a whole lot systems are easier. Secondly, look for companies that have fantastic difficult for the post-sales service.

end-user to set up and understand”

How has your portfolio evolved? Traditionally our product core was focused around LCD displays. We’ve extended our offering to include new AV product lines targeted at new sectors – such as education. We offer dedicated hardware and software solutions for a range of markets and have recently secured partnerships with the likes of Intel. What products are proving the most popular at ViewSonic today? Our line of Interactive Flat Panels (IFPs) are proving extremely popular with schools and universities looking to aid student development by improving interactivity and collaboration in the classroom.

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Why do you think that is? Too often, AV systems are difficult for the end user to set up and understand. Our displays provide an easy-to-use interface and embedded software that educators can use to enhance the learning experience.

Outside of work, how do you like to spend your spare time? As a husband and a father, I spend a lot of my spare time with the family. Due to the amount of travelling required in my job, I try and dedicate time to explore new places and cultures, having visited more than 20 countries in recent years. On the rare occasion I am alone, I love to relax and play video games. FIFA18 and Civilization are my favourites. Finally, tell us something about yourself, which might surprise people? After graduating from university, I spent two years completing compulsory military service in the Taiwanese armed forces. I climbed the military ladder and become a vice-captain, responsible for the lives of 150 soldiers. My time in the military helped develop the leadership skills I now use on an everyday basis and got me to where I am today.

www.avtechnologyeurope.com

23/01/2018 21:18

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23/01/2018 15:42:11 26/10/17 23:21