Installation October 2018 Digital Edition

Issue 215 /October 2018

AV INTEGRATION IN A NETWORKED WORLD

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Beware the AVoIP hype

Without due thought, AV over IP solutions can falter

Right place, right time

Holovis is well placed for the experience-creation era

Common thread

Broadcast and AV - is convergence on the horizon?

BANG FOR YOUR BUCK

Concert venue operators look to get more for less

WELCOME 03

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A tale of two shows

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Acting Editor: Duncan Proctor duncan.proctor@futurenet.com Group Editor: Michael Garwood michael.garwood@futurenet.com Designer: Tom Carpenter tom.carpenter@futurenet.com Ad Production Coordinator: Hollie Osmond hollie.osmond@futurenet.com

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I

n the last month both IBC and PLASA shows have come and gone, and while it’s not particularly useful to directly compare what are two very different shows, it’s interesting to contrast the different approaches each organisation has taken to its showpiece event.

With IBC, organisers have gone about broadening the show’s remit, while also looking to emerging and largely unproven technologies that are some way removed from the heartland of the broadcast industry. Like the technologies, it may be a few years before we see the fruits of this labour, however this year’s show did record a slight drop in attendance. IBC2018 provided a number of positives elsewhere, such as a more gender-balanced speaker line-up and generally more diverse content.

Duncan Proctor, Acting Editor As luck would have it, one of the main features in this issue duncan.proctor@futurenet.com considers whether broadcast and AV technologies are converging @install8ion (page 24). In general terms, as convergence becomes more prevalent throughout technology, it’s to be expected that each industry’s big events will become more of an opportunity to showcase the bold new directions they are heading and emphasise points of difference with adjacent industries.

Over at PLASA, the job has been less about expansion and broadening the scope of the organisation’s offering and more about improving its London show and regaining the pro audio exhibitors that fell out of love with the show for one reason or another. Since Peter Heath came onboard as MD this has been a marked success with an impressive resurgence of pro audio interest in the show following a pretty turbulent period for the organisation and particularly the London show.

‘The approach taken by PLASA has certainly paid off as the number of audio exhibitors has once again gone up’

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The approach taken by PLASA has certainly paid off as the number of audio exhibitors has once again gone up (17% this year, after 23% in 2017) as well as a 4% increase in visitor numbers, with Monday a particularly busy day at the show.

Having made up the ground lost over the last few years, it will be interesting to see where PLASA goes next with its London show. What will have a big impact is the revised version of the EU’s Ecodesign Regulations for lighting, which will be available next month. After a period of consultation between the EU and the Professional Entertainment Lighting Products Ecodesign task group, the revised version is said to be “far more positive.” This will certainly be of great relief to the live events industry as when the first draft of the guidelines were published everyone connected with live events said how devastating the plans were, if implemented. However, after much petitioning of the regulations, it appears there will be a list of exempted lamp base types that will include many of the specialised tungsten and discharge lamps used in the industry.

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04 CONTENTS

October 2018

12 Special Report: Concert venues 14 Boom and bust?

Budget concerns and space limitations mean that small to medium-sized concert halls and theatres have increasingly exacting expectations of PA and console systems, we look at the implications for a once thriving sector and its pro audio providers

20 The X Files

We search for the immersive audio truth, outlining the different approaches to the technology and plotting its trajectory in concert venues

Contributors: David Davies, Aurangzeb Khan, Rob Lane, Ian McMurray, Shaun Oxenham, Paul Scholey, Phil Ward Special thanks: Emily Burrows, Julie Kirby, Brenda Manea, James Paull-Wills Cover Image: Massey Hall, credit: Neal Burstyn

14

24

28

Viewpoints

Solutions

Rob Lane charts the evolution of interactive displays Shaun Oxenham cautions against getting carried away with the AVoIP hype Aurangzeb Khan looks at the benefits of intelligent AV solutions in the workplace and beyond 12 Interview Holovis CEO Stuart Hetherington discusses the company’s development of cutting edge technologies and how this feeds into the era of experience creation 46 Last Word After the upheaval many endured on the UK’s rail network last year, Paul Scholey believes advances in meeting tech and flexible working could hold the answer

A brand new exhibition takes visitors on a journey through an array of remarkable interactive digital installations that explore the notion of ‘Massless’ 30 Energus Cyber Lab, Cumbria This futuristic cyber security facility includes a fully collaborative AV set-up, creating a visually dynamic environment to train the next generation of experts 34 Better Collective, Copenhagen A redeveloped videoconferencing offering is helping this iGaming developer improve both internal and external video meetings and calls 36 Solutions in Brief Including a Korean mall’s free-standing LED centrepiece; a luxury Vietnam hotel sound upgrade; and an ‘Interconnected’ display project at an airport concourse

Feature

Technology

Including Christie, tvONE, Community and Attero Tech

Education technology

06 Opinion

24 Broadcast tech in AV With commonalities between the two industries growing, we look at the overlapping technologies and ask whether convergence is actually a possibility

28 Amos Rex museum, Helsinki

39 New Products 44 Showcase

06 OPINION: ON THE AGENDA

October 2018

Rob Lane Staying in touch How interactive displays took hold

I

t may be as ubiquitous today as lanyards at ISE, but for what is a relatively new innovation, interactive display technology actually took over 50 years to become fully established. And, interestingly enough, although capacitance was first out of the blocks, optical camera systems soon followed.

In articles published in 1965 (Touch display – a novel input/output device for computers) and 1967, Eric Johnson of Britain’s Royal Radar Establishment, described his work on capacitive touchscreens.

In the early 1970s, Frank Beck and Bent Stumpe, engineers from CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, developed a transparent touchscreen (the first capacitance display), said to be based on Stumpe’s work at a television factory in the early 1960s. Around the same time (1972), a group at the University of Illinois filed for a patent for a single-touch optical touchscreen – a standard part of the Magnavox Plato IV Student Terminal. Frank Beck further developed his ’72 work for the control room of CERN’s accelerator SPS (Super Proton Synchrotron) Particle Accelerator in 1977.

In 1982, the University of Toronto’s Input Research Group developed the first human-input multi-touch system, using a frosted-glass panel with a camera placed behind the glass. Then, in ‘85, the same group developed a multi-touch tablet using capacitance rather than the (at the time) bulky camera-based optical sensing systems.

Jump forward six years to 1991, and Pierre Wellner at the University of Cambridge wrote about his multi-touch Digital Desk supporting multi-finger and pinching motions in a published white paper.

Sound familiar? Apple certainly liked the sound of it!

In 2001 Microsoft got involved, continuing

the development of surface capacitance, and the company eventually created what was to be initially called its SUR 40 Surface table-top platform, subsequently renamed PixelSense in 2012 and more recently Surface Hub. Just like other types of touch technology, capacitive uses a form of disruption to create a change of state when a display is touched. The control system acknowledges the touch, identifies its exact location and then translates it into a precise instruction to the computer software.

‘The burgeoning adoption of touchscreens across a variety of sectors is set to push the global display market past $20 billion by 2024’

Latest advancement But regular capacitance was soon superseded by projected capacitance, and this itself has now been taken further with its latest advancement, true-bonded capacitive touch. Used both by Microsoft for Surface Hub and on CleverTouch’s large format displays, true-bonded capacitive touch virtually eliminates the air gap between screen layers. This allows large format screens to become exceptionally responsive to touch, in line with what people are accustomed to on their smartphones and tablets.

But despite this advancement, 3M (among others) continues to favour projected capacitance for now, and there are other non-capacitance technologies

that remain popular – including optical systems.

Flatfrog’s InGlass Touch system injects light into any transparent medium, extracting it at the opposite side. An object touching the surface causes a disturbance and is detected at the receiver end. Another optical positioning system is Baanto’s ShadowSense. It uses high performance sensors to provide increased stability and accuracy.

Other less popular touch display technologies include resistive, acoustic pulse recognition, surface acoustic wave, force sensing, embedded touch, dispersive signal technology and infrared grid.

The burgeoning adoption of touchscreens across a variety of sectors is set to push the global display market past $20 billion by 2024, according to Global Market Insights Inc. And it’s perhaps no great surprise that much of this growth is in the retail sector where high street retailers are using touchscreens to enhance customer interaction.

From touch-enabled kiosks to interactive windows and walls, bricks and mortar retailers are relying on touch displays to encourage consumers in, even making purchases on in-store displays where appropriate.

The fast-moving pace of retail dictates that interactive tech won’t stand still. Today’s consumers expect fast response times and glitch-free touch. Their smartphones and tablets initially set the bar, and anyone who has experienced today’s multi-touch marvels in action at museums and product launches won’t be undersold on the high street when it comes to interactive touch!

Bigger Boat PR owner/director Rob Lane has been writing about AV technology since 1995

08 OPINION: ON THE AGENDA

October 2018

Shaun Oxenham Beware the AVoIP hype

Caution is advised when deploying an AV over IP solution

L

ast autumn the industry stood to attention when research into AV over IP (AVoIP) indicated that sales of encoder/decoder ports had increased by 130% year on year.

There is no doubt that advances in this technology have brought about a sea change in how companies deliver broadcast-quality content. Sales have risen exponentially as the benefits of AVoIP – including interoperability with other devices and the use of high bandwidth to ensure low latency – have grown, but this is a long-term, not a short-term trend.

Manufacturers who have been instrumental in the conception, design, build and installation of content distribution systems that can maximise the benefits of IP networks have been honing these skills for over 10 years.

Amid the inevitable hype about how AVoIP is the next big thing for the industry, we should be cautious. AVoIP is complex, and without proper consideration for the requirements that are needed when considering a content delivery implementation, mistakes can be made at the very earliest stage, which will not easily be put right later on.

Bandwidth concerns AVoIP solutions are often very bandwidth hungry. Without compression, they can use the vast majority of the available bandwidth on the network. If content is only being streamed to a theatre, for example, or to one presentation screen in a meeting room or a reception area, this will not be a problem. But if a customer has thousands of displays and needs multiple, simultaneous streams, the only way that the content will be successfully delivered is if it is compressed. The question, therefore, is whether the AVoIP solution that has been specified can support that?

We live in data-rich times and companies want to make the most of the information at their fingertips.

They want to add news tickers, build in a schedule, run a window with web content, or decrypt and manage their content. This is a challenge without taking up even more bandwidth, and that’s before the AVoIP system even starts to interact with other bandwidth-hungry devices.

‘AVoIP is complex, and without proper consideration, mistakes can be made at the very earliest stage’

This type of AVoIP is point to point, not point to multipoint, and this is where the differences lie.

Point to multipoint solutions use multicast as their underlying enabling technology. Multicast allows data to be sent to large numbers of users over an IP network as a single transmission. It is bandwidthconserving, rather than bandwidth-hungry, and it can save customers a huge amount of money. Capital costs are reduced because fewer servers are needed and operating expenditure is lowered because there is less burden on the network.

No compromise Some of the world’s biggest companies have been using AVoIP for many years, and because of multicast, they have not had to compromise on network availability, redundancy or encryption because all of those concerns have been taken care of by the sophistication and engineering within the content distribution system.

Installing a broadcast-style content delivery service or effective digital signage is a major undertaking and most deployments are not simple or easy to set up. Of course, point to point AVoIP solutions provide a start, particularly for smaller installations, but regardless of size, the first question must always be: can the IP network cope with what the customer wants to do?

AVoIP is a journey and it has to keep up with how companies develop. This might mean expanding the number of servers and displays on their networks, migrating their solution into new locations, even overseas, or integrating it with new software. If the AVoIP system can scale, it will grow with them.

The way that AVoIP has evolved means moving from the transport layer and building deeper into the application layer. What specifiers, and customers need to understand, is that not every purported AVoIP solution can actually move beyond the transport layer.

The message, particularly with HDCP now becoming more enforced by broadcasters and content delivery networks, is to select an AVoIP system with one eye on the future. Consultants and integrators must ensure that their customers’ networks can sustain bandwidth-intense, high availability transport streams carried in MPEG2 across multiple subnets, vLANs and WANS. If the networks can’t do this, questions will be asked from the start.

AVoIP is a serious, long-term consideration for companies, so pick the solution wisely.

Shaun Oxenham is CEO at Cabletime

www.cabletime.com

10 OPINION: ON THE AGENDA

October 2018

Aurangzeb Khan

Efficiency upgrades through intelligent AV How are AV and IT technologies being fused together with better data usage to enhance the workplace and beyond?

T

echnology is entering the workplace at the speed of light, whether it is a new AI-powered video camera to collaborate with colleagues around the world or the latest messaging platform helping to foster a stronger company culture. Audiovisual tech, specifically, is being used more prominently to ensure any workplace runs its daily operations smoothly, keeps employees engaged, secures an office space and beyond.

Companies are prioritising data and metrics to help with business goals ranging from employee engagement to office space allocation. Data can tell an organisation not only what happened, but why it happened, or what will happen next. This information can then be leveraged to increase ROI in valuable and strategic ways.

Beyond the workplace The need to utilise AV technology to obtain valuable data is pervasive across industries beyond the workplace, including manufacturing, streaming media, education and advertising.

Within the education space, AV solutions can be used to connect those who are learning from a distance with students who are physically present in the classroom, then take a look at the rate of engagement to assess pivots that need to be made. Projections show the e-learning market will surpass a whopping $243 billion by 2022.

In advertising, a camera can be placed on a digital sign that can detect the amount of people walking by, along with various demographics, to help provide powerful statistics to the companies paying for the advertisements. This data can be used to impact ad placement and ROI.

Aiding collaboration Companies are developing better technology to aid collaboration and support employees in working more efficiently from a distance. Research suggests that even the perception of collaboration causes employee performance to skyrocket. As companies invest in collaboration, they also look for precise data and information on how office spaces are being utilised, how to automate workflows, how to improve the experience for all parties involved in a video call and how to plan ahead for future collaboration needs.

Simple data such as assessing how many people are present at any given time, delivered accurately, can provide information that can then be used to automate room reservations, room cancellations and beyond. Data pools are being collected to find patterns of use, which are then used to make smarter business decisions.

‘Data pools are being collected to find patterns of use, which are then used to make smarter business decisions’

What this means The data and information delivered through advanced audio/video devices, which can also work as AI data sensors, helps companies efficiently collect information that aids them in learning how to optimise the workplace, employee experience, relationships with customers and more. This information drives organisations to assess what they need in order to grow and change, fostering faster evolution.

AV integrators can grow their business rapidly by leading the transition with solutions that combine the data sensor capabilities delivered by advanced cameras with cloud collaboration services and room reservation hardware providers, for example. This technology can automate resource management and improve participants’ experiences by eliminating mundane tasks, such as checking into a conference room.

It is now also possible to create Big Data lakes of information and provide analysis reports that highlight patterns of use. These new opportunities require the AV integrators to think about IT use of their products, in addition to traditional AV capabilities. This shift creates opportunities for hardware manufacturers to collaborate with software service providers and managed service providers in enabling IT-powered solutions.

AI-powered sensors tie in with Internet of Things requirements for the office and beyond, including smart home and buildings in which data drives how building resources are optimised with areas such as heating and cooling, lighting, powering off television screens and more.

This is saving people time in their work life by eliminating mundane tasks. As intelligent AV becomes a more prominent technology, it will simplify how we interact with autonomous systems through natural interactions – via words, gestures and images – and work around us to fulfill our everyday needs.

Aurangzeb Khan is co-founder and CEO of Altia Systems

www.panacast.com

12

INTERVIEW: STUART HETHERINGTON, HOLOVIS

October 2018

“We’re now in the experience revolution” CAVEs, reality centres, large screen virtual reality and grew the business around our Enterprise division. At this point we didn’t have anything in Entertainment or Simulation. The enterprise offering was the start of Holovis. And it was traditional systems integrator work for clients in the oil and gas industry and eventually into automotive with companies like Jaguar Land Rover, who became one of our biggest customers and still are to this day.

As projects came in, we started delivering more solution-oriented work and service-related work, and started looking at the innovation side of that industry and how we could solve problems. We realised, as we grew Holovis, we wanted to own more of the value chain, rather than putting big displays together and tracking systems, we wanted to get into the development side – software and data. And that gave a springboard to the almost exponential growth that we’ve had over the last 10 years, year on year.

With its cutting edge use of simulation and immersive technologies, Holovis is well placed to make the most of the experience-creation era.

Duncan Proctor discusses this and more with CEO Stuart Hetherington Tell me about your background before Holovis.

I came from an automotive research background.

I was an engineer working in vehicle development and testing at MIRA (Motor Industry Research Association) up here in Warwickshire.

As a young engineer I was involved in lots of physical testing crashing lovely, fast cars. One of the things I ended up spearheading was to do less physical tests and more simulation. I got funding around a concept that I developed for analysing the motion of the crash test dummy in the virtual world linked with the physical world. I developed what was called data suit technology. We worked with various government bodies where we were exposed to these emerging technologies around

large scale immersive and virtual systems.

I got further funding to develop what would have been Europe’s first VR CAVE (cave automatic virtual environment) system. Myself and my then boss Joe Jurado, who I was working for at MIRA, ended up building the business case to put in the first ever system over here as a service for the automotive industry. But it didn’t go ahead, predominantly because we were about 10, 12 years ahead of ourselves.

When you started Holovis, what was the focus in the beginning?

Joe and I started the focus of the business around high-end immersive, virtual systems,

Now with Enterprise and Entertainment divisions – is it an even split between the two or does one arm generate significantly more business than the other?

From a turnover point of view it is a 60/40 or 70/30 split in favour of Entertainment because in entertainment there are larger value projects, but less of them.

They use the same core technologies and skills, we’re not having to divisionalise our workforce, which is one of the core benefits we have. We have one generic team – be it our designers, our install engineers, our creative team, we don’t divide them into Enterprise, Entertainment and our third division – Simulation.

The benefit of that is we can have a team working on something for Enterprise for a specific client and the development from that might suddenly be applicable to a new experience or attraction in the entertainment space.

That financial split is still there because of the massive projects going on in the entertainment space, but because we are evolving more as a company into software and data, the

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opportunity is more in the enterprise space.

We’re starting to see the balance moving back to a more even percentage because of that.

You also have a presence in the US, Dubai and China, why those markets in particular?

Opportunities came to us. Initially around core projects, then more people seeing the work in that region and wanting it and we ended up needing a footprint down there. If you take the Middle East for example, we’ve been very successful in the Middle East around the entertainment growth out there. We grew off the back of clients understanding that what we could bring was quite unique. We’ve seen the opportunity and gone for it in those locations.

The US has been prominently around entertainment work to start with. We are a partner with Universal Studios, we develop technology with them. All that innovation work is done back here in the UK, but the project delivery side has a big US element. Orlando became the US office where we’ve got 20 people now. We’re about to open an LA office as well to support some of the more traditional cinema recording markets. But the US is strategically a growth area beyond entertainment, it will be a continuation around our other markets as well.

To finish the picture, China and Hong Kong naturally became a focus for us four or five years ago, and again it was a circumstance that allowed us to go into that space and see the opportunity there. We believe we navigated those waters very successfully to the point where we brought on a minority shareholder from Hong Kong at the beginning of this year, which is the first external investment we’ve brought into Holovis. We were at a point where we needed to grow even faster, so we sold a minority share of the business and brought on a company from Hong Kong called Road King. We’re looking at major offices there, we’ll have around 150-200 people out there in-situ probably by this time next year.

Experience-creation is thought of as being primarily in entertainment sectors, but how do you see that crossing over into enterprise?

It’s a really key thing because as much as we can all probably understand it from an entertainment point of view, there’s a real need for that experience-driven approach in enterprise. We’ve had the industrial revolution, we’re now in the experience revolution and the experience-led economy is the future driving force. We can be sat with a client that might be corporatefocussed, but you will still have a conversation around ‘what’s the experience?’ and ‘how do we deliver that experience?’. The use of storytelling and narrative is something people understand so much more now.

INTERVIEW: STUART HETHERINGTON, HOLOVIS With trends like immersive experiences and interactivity and then technology shifting towards IP and more creative uses of data – while you’ve already had strong growth, you must believe you can take it to another level now.

Exactly that. And the investment is really what has allowed us to do that because in this industry it’s about pace and making sure we keep up. We feel very privileged that we have a unique offering under one roof and have a significant amount of the value chain that our clients look for.

Big Data and AI are buzzwords everyone uses when in reality they are useless unless you actually have the right scalable data. You can’t learn from datasets unless they are significant and you understand what you can achieve with them. Probably our single biggest investment going forward now is in our software team and in our data and data analytics and machine learning division.

‘We’re not having to divisionalise our workforce, which is one of the core benefits we have in our business’

In the theme park space, later this year, we’re going to be launching a very specific range of products that are experiences driven with data and analytics that we are collecting for mass venue environments. Tracking people in theme parks and gaining insight from the public data that’s out there as well as the data that they give us as they go through that venue. That’s some of the proprietary, patented work that we’ll be working on. And it’s exponential where that will go because people want to have choices and have experiences that are unique to them to create emotion, create memories or solve problems. But we want to do that in as frictionless a way as possible. A lot of our work is around how we collect that data compliantly, how we manage it from a security point of view, but then how we do that in a way that doesn’t affect the guest in a negative way.

Working with these cutting edge technologies, do you find there are misconceptions with the customers you deal with in terms of what their expectations are?

Expectation management changes from client to client. If you take a client that has an enterprise-based challenge their misconceptions may be around VR. At the moment people think VR headsets are going to solve all our problems.

Then you get into the nuts and bolts of it – have you got the right data in the headset? Are you

13

really able to collaborate in those environments?

A lot of the time clients think the latest tech is going to solve everything straight off the bat and usually it’s an educational process because there may be far more flexible technology and systems that have been around a lot longer but would actually give a greater impact. Or there are times when clients are applying technology for the sake of it. You see that especially in the entertainment space. The thing at the moment is every theme park has got to have a VR offering, but in reality it’s not delivering.

VR/AR/MR - what sectors do you think these technologies offer value and how far away are we from wider adoption?

If you look at it how we do, we don’t focus on the hardware – we are hardware-agnostic. We start by trying to understand the problem and the experience we are trying to create. Then when we look at the specifics of what does virtual/ augmented/mixed reality deliver. Mixed reality and augmented reality is the space that we focus on more than anything because we see the opportunity around the augmentation of virtual information and data and experiences.

As well as being the most exciting, we’re massively constrained by the hardware, but we’ll be in a different place in five years. Where we want to be as Holovis is in the back end of that – the software and data layer – knowing that eventually they’ll be a nice pair of spectacles you can put on that are completely wireless and seamless and will deliver. We will get there eventually, but it’s a lot longer journey than most people think.

How do you see Holovis’ business developing and what emerging technologies are you looking to get involved with?

We are continuing our innovation work across the three divisions to bring next-gen products into those spaces. In Simulation we’re working on some very unique display technology linked with the software elements that will directly go into specific programmes for military simulation and training. The entertainment space will continue to grow heavily on the creative side of it, working with clients around the design of experiences right the way through to delivery because we have that complete turnkey ability.

All of it is really underpinned by the core area, which is in software. If we look ahead a year from now, with our 150 people here [in the UK], 20 in Orlando and the growth in China. I wouldn’t be surprised if in a year’s time those numbers go up 25/30%. But those people will be on the creative, data and software side. Less so on the physical hardware installation and integration side.

www.holovis.com

14 SPECIAL REPORT: CONCERT VENUES

October 2018

A Meyer Sound LEOPARD linear sound reinforcement system was used to upgrade the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles Picture: Craig T. Mathew/Mathew Imaging

Boom and bust?

Factors including space and budget concerns mean that small to medium-sized concert halls and theatres have increasingly exacting expectations of PA and console systems. David Davies examines the challenges facing smaller venues and the implications these have for pro audio manufacturers and distributors.

T

he narrative about the resurgence of live music and the ‘communal’ experience that it bequeaths to music fans has been so strong over the last decade that it has occasionally masked developments that were rather less positive. But with increasing signs over the last 18 months that the live boom is now beginning to lose at least a little of its lustre, some of these other trends are becoming more apparent.

Most obviously, the number of festivals being cancelled, ending permanently or (like Festival No 6) being put on hold confirms suspicions that the extremely high number of spring and summer events was not going to be sustainable on an indefinite basis. All of this has implications, of course, for manufacturers and audio service providers, with the latter owing part of their good fortune in recent years to new or expanded festivals.

But away from the festival-dominated music press headlines, another story has been unfolding – the loss of many smaller music venues. This trend is particularly apparent in the UK, where the Music Venue Trust recently reported that a third of smaller gig spaces have closed in the past decade. Gentrification, property development, planning and noise issues have all played their part alongside often dramatic increases in rent that have simply

priced many venues out of business.

For those that do remain, those rental increases and hikes in utility bills and other basic operating costs mean that the bottom line has to be scrutinised more closely than ever before. One manager of a small London venue, who wishes to remain anonymous, remarked to Installation that “increasingly the viability of smaller venues hangs in the balance. On one hand, the number of acts touring – and touring regularly – is substantial, and in general attendance levels are healthy. But the basic operational costs are growing slowly but steadily all the time, and rents – and I know lots of my peers would say the same – seem to be rising more rapidly than at any time I can remember.

“There is a lot of concern – and rightly so – about where the next generation of artists will come from if the network of grassroots venues continues to contract. Something needs to be done to both keep a cap on these growing expenses and encourage councils and other stakeholders to see the bigger picture – that music and other arts contribute massively to the prosperity of the country, in all kinds of ways.

There is a lot of talk about valuing the arts, and wanting to help them, but not nearly enough action in my view.”

It’s an opinion that would be shared by many.

Of course, when it comes to venues aimed

Key Points n It has recently been reported that a third of smaller gig spaces in the UK have closed in the past decade n Flexibility in an audio system is a priority as venues must minimise the number of ‘dark days’ n As venues have to balance different financial concerns, price is often still the dominant factor when selecting an audio system n Due to the uncertain outlook of many venues, cycles of investment are likely to become longer

more squarely at theatre, this is nothing new.

In the UK, deepening cuts to government and local authority subsidies – as well as many of the same issues affecting music venues – have been making conditions increasingly challenging for provincial theatres and arts centres for some time now. Underlining the situation, a recent report by The Theatres Trust listed 35 theatres across England, Scotland and Wales that it believes could soon disappear without assistance.

16 SPECIAL REPORT: CONCERT VENUES Every investment counts With sponsorship also harder to come by, the reality is that for the venues that do remain there is an evermore acute need to make every penny, every investment count – and one area in which this is particularly evident is in their choice of audio systems. Arguably top of the list of requirements is flexibility; with the need to minimise ‘days in the dark’, many smaller venues are booking a more diverse range of attractions, from music to theatre to stand-up. Therefore, the ability to accommodate the requirements of these performance types – and the preferences of touring engineers – is absolutely pivotal.

Increasingly, venue technical managers regard IP audio as a conduit to flexibility, and so support for IP-based workflows is often de rigueur for new system purchases. So too is the ability to integrate any bits of gear visiting engineers may particularly wish to use, such as portable recorders or preferred processors.

Sensing the change in the wind, so to speak, vendors have been increasingly expert in satisfying these demands, offering increasingly versatile solutions at highly competitive price points. This increased dynamism in the market has been good for creativity, spurring R&D teams to new heights. Although most apparent when it comes to consoles – where highly specified desks with smaller footprints that enable more space to be retained for seats and other venue functions – the trend is also evident with regard to loudspeakers and amplifiers.

‘It is hard to get people to spend money, but I think it has ever been thus’ Andy Simmons, Orbital Sound

“For sure, we expect more bang for our buck when it comes time to invest in new equipment,” says the anonymous venue manager. “In a typical month we can be putting on solo artists, fivepiece bands, stand-ups, small theatre ensembles – you name it – and we need to be able to have them all sound equally compelling, and often on very short turnarounds. Visiting engineers need to be able to come in and feel comfortable with our systems as quickly as possible, which means they need to be familiar brands; it’s no good having a system that might be fantastic but which no regular engineer has had the chance to use before! You want tried and trusted gear.

“We have worked with the same audio installer and distributor for many years now, which has been hugely advantageous. They are

October 2018

Case Study

Bringing spatial audio to smaller theatres Underlining the interest of some smaller venues in the possibilities of immersive, spatial and other next generation audio technologies, Meyer Sound points to a recent installation at the American Repertory Theater in Massachusetts. Here, the intimate The cast of Bedlam’s Sense & Sensibility 550-seat Loeb Drama Center at the American Repertory Theater Picture: Ashley Garrett has been equipped with a sevenmodule, networked D-Mitri digital audio platform, along with an 88-loudspeaker system that includes multi-level surround.

“When coupled with SpaceMap software, the system can provide dynamic 3D panning of discrete sounds anywhere in the auditorium. It’s the future of sound for small theatres, and it’s advancing rapidly,” says Meyer Sound’s John Monitto.

For the venue operators, the installation resonates with a stated commitment “to expand the boundaries of theatre by programming events that immerse audiences in transformative theatrical experiences.”

According to theatre sound manager Sam Lerner: “thanks to this new set of tools we can do just this with every production. With such an adaptive setup, our sound team can fulfil the imaginations of our creative teams and respond to whatever need may arise.”

The equipment’s full potential is likely to be utilised with the forthcoming world premiere of Jagged Little Pill, which incorporates the music of Alanis Morissette’s hit album into a new story.

Sound design is by Jonathan Deans, an acknowledged pioneer of immersive audio for his work on productions including The Beatles’ LOVE by Cirque du Soleil. always drawing our attention to new systems and new bits of kit that feed into our thinking when it comes time to renew or upgrade our infrastructure. And it’s true what you say – you can get smaller, cheaper systems that are more capable than their equivalents would have been four or five years ago. But then they might not have the IP audio capability, or support for immersive audio, that we might require over the next few years. So it’s a constant balancing act.”

Something to which the leading pro audio manufacturers would doubtless attest as they have sought to keep pace with this rapidly evolving market area.

‘Price is still the dominant factor’ Sound reinforcement manufacturer Nexo has long enjoyed a strong presence in the concert hall and theatre market. In the UK its primary distributor is Orbital Sound, whose director of sales, Andy Simmons, confirms that price is still the dominant consideration for smaller venues when it comes time to invest. And unfortunately, it can often be the case that audio loses out to lighting and other systems.

“There are heavy demands being placed on the infrastructure budgets of these venues, and sound always tends to be the poor relation,” explains Simmons. “I’ve just been speaking with

a customer who is happy to spend £64,000 on moving lights, but unhappy to pay £4,000 for a sound system! It is hard to get people to spend money, but I think it has ever been thus. What is distorting the picture is the willingness of suppliers to cut their margins, and for certain manufacturers to supply direct.”

Delivering price-conscious systems that can handle multiple applications inside a venue has helped to ensure Nexo’s continued success in these markets, indicates Simmons. “Nexo has been targeting the theatre market specifically in recent years, and they’ve always been a strong brand for the live music venue and concert hall sector,” he says. “With products like the GEO M6 and M10 line arrays and the super-compact ID Series, we’re able to design price-competitive systems that can handle the main PA and underbalcony requirements with coherently voiced product families. When those products come as part of an Orbital Sound package, the added value is in system design, racks and wiring – all the infrastructure that you get from a good distributor, which would not be included in the low-priced offers that are out there.”

Flexibility and directivity Other vendors interviewed for this piece echoed the need to remain conscious of price

18 SPECIAL REPORT: CONCERT VENUES

The Opera Confluence in Avignon set up for ‘Kreatur’ contemporary dance with Nexo GEO M10 arrays

issues while also drawing attention to specific technical expectations. Hence Jim Newhouse, EAW’s North American director of sales, observes that “we always have to be [conscious] of budgets as they relate to ticket prices. Some venues will have much smaller budgets and that is why we filter down some of the amazing technology in our ADAPTive series [of sound reinforcement products] into more budgetconscious lines like Radius. Simplifying system configuration with things like IR sensors, Opti Logic and Dante [networking] we are making great sound available to venues with smaller budgets and limited full-time staff.”

‘Some venues will have much smaller budgets and that is why we filter down some of the amazing technology’ Jim Newhouse, EAW

Scalability is an important consideration here, with Newhouse highlighting the EAW ADAPTive series’ ability to “utilise fewer boxes and grow with the venue’s budget. Or we can look at one of our lower-cost line arrays – both self-powered and externally powered systems.”

Newhouse believes that the ADAPTive system approach chimes with venues who have increasingly specific sonic requirements of their permanent PAs. “When line arrays first came onto the scene venues liked the ability to produce more even vertical coverage,” he recalls. “We have taken that to the next level with ADAPTive, where we now have the benefits of the line array but we can create zonal EQs. We are no longer working box to box causing

harmful interactions between boxes. We can tune and EQ a system as one large source and choose seating areas. Self-healing loudspeakers are also changing how we react to a driver incident during an event.”

Looking ahead, Newhouse echoes the sentiments of many observers when he highlights the burgeoning demand for “IP-based audio products. We are audio geeks like most in the industry, and new technologies are exciting.

[Hence] we are constantly evaluating the needs and wants of the customer.”

Audience expectations John Monitto, director of business development at Meyer Sound, starts by focusing on the expectations that audiences have as they come into smaller and medium-sized venues. Their audio needs, he believes, “are driving a number of changes. For one thing, they expect audio systems to sound more transparent, and less like a typical PA system. Also, more venues are starting to make systems more immersive, using spatial sound platforms for a more exciting and involving experience. There are also greater expectations for sound localisation in plays and musicals. Other venues or music require high-impact systems, and the demand now is to deliver that sound with very low distortion and high dynamic range for music.”

For Meyer Sound this multitude of requirements translates to an ongoing policy of both introducing new products and updating existing ones. Monitto notes: “For power and transparency, we have the LEO Family of line arrays, which we recently expanded with the smallest member, LINA, and its companion 750-LFC low frequency control element. For immersive and spatial sound, [there is] the D-Mitri digital audio platform, which is a modular and expandable system that affords maximum

October 2018

flexibility in system configuration to allow for unlimited creativity in sound design. And D-Mitri is also at the heart of Constellation (the Meyer Sound acoustic system), with our patented VRAS processing algorithm.

“One good example of where this all comes together is at the new Cartuja Center in Seville, Spain, where a Constellation system can instantly tailor the acoustics for anything from drama to symphony orchestra, with a LEOPARD line array system to handle anything up to hard rock concerts.”

Monitto says that its customers “aren’t simply looking for the lowest cost per speaker box. They want a cost-effective, long-term solution, and that’s what we can offer. Our Constellation system is a good example. On the surface it may seem expensive, but for many multi-purpose halls it’s by far the lowest cost solution. It’s less expensive than variable physical acoustics – motorised panels, clouds, drapes and chamber doors – [and] with greater flexibility. It can mean building a hall with less interior volume, which saves on both construction and energy costs. It can even mean building only one hall rather than two.

“A good example of this is the new kING Culture and Congress Hall in Germany, where one facility can host a range of meetings and conferences in the daytime, and then in the evenings instantly become a first class concert hall.”

Uncertain times Alas, the incorporation of sophisticated acoustic systems and suchlike will not be within the reach of all smaller venues, where more basic concerns of survival may have to dominate thinking as the live sector contemplates more uncertain times.

One result of this unpredictable outlook is that cycles of investment are likely to become longer and venues will – reasonably enough – look to squeeze more life out of their consoles and PAs before looking to renew.

“I would say the cycle of renewal has slowed down a bit for smaller venues,” confirms the anonymous small venue manager. “Ideally we would look to replace our FOH console this year, and also review our on-stage monitors and some of the side-fills. But the reality is that rents have increased and we can’t afford it right now.

However, 2019 is looking to be fairly busy, and it shouldn’t be too long before we can start investing in some new equipment.”

As this article demonstrates, there will be plenty of vendors waiting to satisfy their needs when funds allow – the choice of systems available to smaller venues being greater now than ever before.

www.eaw.com www.meyersound.com www.nexo-sa.com www.orbitalsound.com

20 SPECIAL REPORT: CONCERT VENUES

October 2018

Earlier this year Manchester’s Royal Exchange theatre upgraded its TiMax SoundHub system

The X Files Phil Ward looks for the immersive audio truth, outlining the different approaches to the technology and plotting its trajectory in concert venues

W

e all know what sound ‘reproduction’ is: put on a CD, or stream some music, and the system reproduces what was captured in the first place. So why – and we do it all the time – use the word ‘reproduction’ for live sound?

Surely, it’s already there?

This is the conundrum facing concert venues.

PA systems have always attempted to reproduce the sound on stage and deliver it throughout the venue to every member of the audience, at least in theory. The system installed is meant to be the optimum way of doing that for each particular space, and we’ve got quite good at it. However, the apostles of immersive audio are saying, in 2018, that we can do it even better.

Hang on: audiences are already immersed; why immerse them a bit more? The main rationale is that conventional stereo (left-right speaker hangs or stacks) is already a compromise; a reduction of the acoustic experience made necessary by the bottleneck of mixed channels, loudspeaker drivers and their sculpted exits. If these systems can be liberated from their narrow confines, live sound can be reproduced far more accurately – for every single seat in the house.

Convincing soundscape

for various DSP algorithms that release every sound from its given channel and renders it into an adjustable spot source – a benign free radical of the sonic metabolism. When decoded in a compatible audio system the objects describe a convincing 3D soundscape, and the only real challenge to concert venue practice is the resulting need for more loudspeakers in the budget.

The protagonists are up and running. Dutch start-up Astro Spatial Audio (ASA) has a digital signal processor it calls a ‘rendering engine’ – SARA II. It employs ASA’s Spatial Sound Wave (SSW) algorithm and a software suite to build sound reinforcement systems extending from up to 64 MADI channels or 128 Dante network streams, with up to 32 inputs: the objects spread out from this framework.

Not surprisingly, given that extra speakers are required, three of the leading speaker manufacturers have joined the cause: Meyer Sound markets Constellation, a means of redrawing acoustic boundaries with some impact on an audience’s sense of immersion; and the Space map multichannel surround panning software. L-Acoustics has the all-embracing L-ISA format with specific live sound inventory; and d&b audiotechnik has launched its own hardware

platform, a digital upgrade to the 40-year old experiment Ambisonics and already well known in museums and other installations, and sometimes they will deploy more compact monitoring options such as those supplied by Genelec, among others. Genelec, by the way, has just published a handy guide to immersive audio principles, formats and solutions, so there really is no excuse. Indeed, all of the DSPs are compatible with any networkable speaker, but you can guess which ones are optimised along branded lines.

All of them promise more granular reproduction, with scalability a crucial consideration. From their speaker systems,

The dominant technique now proposed by a handful of industry leaders has come to be known as object-based audio, a vague term

and software solution called Soundscape.

Elsewhere there may be smaller-scale concert hall applications for Sennheiser’s AMBEO

concert venues require the opposite principle to children: they must be heard and not seen. And, in some cases, not really ‘heard’ at all: the subtle

Key Points n Object-based audio has become the dominant technique for creating immersive audio n The larger the venue, the greater the challenge of blending sound reinforcement into the background n In many important concert venues sound is still lower on the list of priorities, often after video, lighting and scenery

www.installation-international.com

accentuation of artificial sound with no apparent means of support is a Wagner junkie’s wet dream. So: the larger the venue, the greater the challenge of melting your sound reinforcement into the background.

This is where the new generation of immersive audio systems should win friends. Because each individual speaker element – array or point source – plays a smaller part, relatively, it needs lower SPLs, less grunt and even less physical size: surely even the most sensitive artistic director must wiggle his tailcoat in glee at the thought. Furthermore, the first wave of immersive sound systems to have any real impact on concert venues will be 180° in orientation – not 360° at all.

Degree ceremony A 180° immersive sound system is confined to the horizontal plane more or less described by the proscenium arch concept of stage presentation. It spreads the stereo image across this plane in a way that FOH engineer Ben Findlay has described as the ‘Mona Lisa’ effect: the stereo sweet spot seems to follow you around the room like the enigmatic Renaissance icon’s famous eyes. For conventional music

SPECIAL REPORT: CONCERT VENUES performance, this is enough to elevate the audience experience without getting tangled in the web of side-fills, in-fills, rear speakers and further intrusions upon fine civic architecture.

The vertical plane is far more complex, so concert venues will naturally resist the extent to which 360° configurations are adopted until realistic benefits can be perceived.

It’s not clear what it will take for immersive audio to become a mainstream consideration

‘You can still use your existing speaker and console inventory to implement a quite revolutionary change’ Guillaume Le Nost, L-ISA

in concert venues. There is much debate in and around London’s Royal Albert Hall at the moment, where new plans are underway for upgrades but where no consensus seems to be emerging with regard to precise configuration – despite the fact that, at the behest of the BBC,

21

a L-ISA system was in place for the entire of the Henry Wood Promenade season, under the auspices of Delta Live.

Many observers point to improvements in video and lighting design and the need for audio to bridge a potentially damaging gap between what the audience sees and what it hears. They also point to the relative ease with which immersive sound can slot into production workflow. “It’s really achievable right now,” claims Guillaume Le Nost, head of R&D at L-ISA. “You can still use your existing speaker and console inventory to implement a quite revolutionary change. You only need to add the processor, which is just another box in the audio chain.”

It’s a sentiment echoed by Scott Willsallen, Emmy Award-winning sound designer and director of Australian consultancy Auditoria Ltd as well as co-director of UK-based Remarkable Projects. “The L-ISA Processor does all the hard work under the hood,” he says, “and all the console is doing is providing touchscreen control via the network – they have to be on the same Ethernet network. As far as workflow is concerned you don’t have to think about a delay matrix, just physically where should any specific sound come from. The difference is that the

22 SPECIAL REPORT: CONCERT VENUES placement is much more precise, because it’s emerging from a single array rather than having to consider amplitude and time difference, plus you get the added three-dimensional elements of height and depth.”

For integrators, the challenges are the same as most conventional PAs apart from the issue of being able to size the system for the venue: it’s a quart-and-a-half going into the pint pot rather than the usual quart. ASA is now distributed in the UK by 2B Heard; alongside Italian speaker brand K-Array and the SSL Live console range. “Scalability is everything,” points out 2B Heard co-founder Sam Nankivell. “We can create an immersive audio space from a room 3m by 3m all the way up to arenas. Yes, it’s a part of the industry at the very beginning of its development, but we want to be at the forefront. We’re having conversations everyday that challenge preconceptions and explore ways of changing the paradigms.”

Scene and heard Assuming fixed seating in a venue, the localisation techniques of immersive audio can ‘equalise’ the vagaries of the room and compensate for the time differentials of different sound sources, possibly for each member of the audience and certainly for each section.

“It’s really important that each speaker covers as wide a footprint as possible,” says Christian Heil, founder of L-Acoustics, “which is

‘It’s really important that each speaker covers as wide a footprint as possible’ Christian Heil, L-Acoustics

why we use the installed system that opens at 140°: a vocal, for instance, must be intelligible at every point. What’s really interesting is that it proves what I’ve always said about how to avoid cancellation in adjacent drivers: never put exactly the same signal through each one. We have to do that in line array, which is why the waveguide is so crucial, but here we don’t: even if you feed the same sound object through more than one speaker, we have developed ‘smart’ tools to de-correlate the signal from its neighbour.

“There are many important concert halls where, in truth, the sound is far less engaging than the visual stimulus – the performers, the gestures, the ambience,” Heil adds. “This is our challenge: to find a new way of reinforcing the sound of a performance. It’s frustrating that

October 2018

d&b audiotechnik’s Backnang HQ includes a test chamber for Soundscape

sound is so low in the list of priorities – perhaps fourth after video, lighting and scenery. It has been progressively relegated, and the irony is that you’re paying to witness a musical artist, after all.”

A new pattern of integrators is emerging with the necessary skills to deploy immersive audio solutions, helped by a new breed of distributor with the vision to supply them responsibly – witness 2B Heard, the only speaker-agnostic solutions partner for ASA in the UK. Martin Audio can sell Astro in the UK, but only as part of a complete system; and the same applies to Alcons Audio in Holland.

Soundscape’s system design took several years of network programming development and testing in a range of frequently arduous venues. Ralf Zuleeg, d&b’s head of sales services & application engineering, has every faith in the supply chain. “Current Soundscape installation projects are being done by consultants and integrators who liaise with us on the design as required, so we aren’t seeing too much change in the overall approach once the integrator understands the design principles,” he says.

“With d&b and other professional products there’s always an element of education required for people to use them in the best way.

Soundscape is no exception; in fact it requires a new way of thinking and allows for some things that were previously just not possible.

“Different people approach technology differently, Soundscape is a new way of thinking so it’s inevitable that that is also the case here.

Some people, even people that have never worked with immersive technology before, have picked it up and run and we’re excited to see projects that we weren’t even aware of! Other people have been quite intimidated. The first hurdle can be huge, but once people get their hands on the toolkit and start to play the reaction has almost invariably been real excitement.”

Out there Not all immersive audio is automated by an algorithm. UK pioneer Out Board prides itself on going the extra mile in calculations, but recognises the learning curve of a geometrically unique venue. “Among the challenges facing venue integrators is to identify which of the interesting and worthy immersive audio products now emerging best match the expectations and applications of a given venue, and then which platform offers the relevant techniques and tools to achieve them,” observes Out Board’s Dave Haydon. “Equally important is for the integrator to identify and acquire the skills to implement and optimise the chosen technologies effectively.

“Most systems come with software tools to help things along, but certainly we’ve found from our own TiMax experience that it’s necessary to impart to designers and integrators the things we’ve discovered by experience over years. For example, system time-alignment is traditionally done to a single time-zone, whereas for multi-zone panoramic localisation there will be multiples of these, usually rendered as spatial objects. This applies also to immersive surround reverb, which while being enveloping and engaging needs to be focused and diffused appropriately so as not to be distracting.”

In an ideal world, the loudspeaker topology would exactly match the contours of the concert venue – then we’d have true reproduction. But the trade-off between reproduction and reduction is inescapable, and that hasn’t changed at all. Like the truth, immersive audio is out there – but it’s not alien. Just beware of unidentified flying objects.

www.2b-heard.com www.auditoria.systems www.dbaudio.com www.l-acoustics.com www.outboard.co.uk www.remarkableprojects.co.uk

24 TECHNOLOGY FEATURE: BROADCAST TECH IN AV

October 2018

IP technology is becoming increasingly pervasive across both broadcast and AV, utilised here in the news room of Argentinian broadcaster Artear

Common thread Broadcast and AV are widely believed to be converging. Ian McMurray looks at the similarities and differences across the overlapping technologies

I

f you were at IBC this year, you may have had pause for thought. Had someone swapped IBC with ISE without telling anyone, and you were actually in Amsterdam a few months too early? That doubt may have crossed your mind because, in many ways, it’s getting increasingly difficult to tell the two shows apart, such is the apparent growing convergence between the broadcast and audiovisual industries.

Take the IP Showcase, which has been running now for a couple of years, and is designed to show that IP is real, here and now. It wouldn’t have looked out of place at ISE. Over on the Bridge Technologies stand, the company was demonstrating its IP probes – designed to enable those not yet entirely familiar with IP networks to better understand packet behaviour.

Guntermann and Drunk were showing off their IP-over-KVM solutions – perhaps destined soon

for a control room near you. The focus on the Imagine Communications stand (although ‘stand’ hardly does justice to the company occupying all of Hall 4) was IP migration strategies. And: everywhere, exhibitors and visitors were talking about the cloud, about how best to protect valuable content, about scalability.

The common thread in all this is, of course, IP.

Limited reach and scale “Until relatively recently, the AV market distributed uncompressed video over a wired infrastructure such as HDMI or HDBaseT,” notes Mike Allan, CTO at Exterity. “However, these technologies had limited reach and scale.

Reaching beyond these limits was solved by the use of compression technologies such as H.264 and more recently HEVC, carried over the more flexible IP infrastructure, and therefore capable of reaching every corner of an organisation and

Key Points n IP is enabling growing commonality of infrastructure architectures n The pace of technology convergence has accelerated over the past year n Future generations of products will be designed to support both AV and broadcast n There are challenges for integrators – but also significant opportunities n The wide divergence in use cases will ensure that the two industries remain different onto just about any platform.”

“Recently,” he continues, “HDMI matrix switching and dedicated HDBaseT networks have been increasingly replaced by lightly compressed

FEATURE: BROADCAST TECH IN AV 25

www.installation-international.com

video streams delivered over IP. Some of the technologies used to enable these lightly compressed video streams – for example, NDI – are also being adopted in certain places within the broadcast environment. At the same time, broadcasters have also been moving away from their own distance-limited, switched or routed SDI environment to one of delivery of uncompressed or lightly compressed video over IP.”

‘The standards within broadcast are much stricter and regulations much tighter’ Jamie Adkin, Adder Technology

“Clearly there is overlap here,” Allan adds.

“However, in many cases the standards being used are quite different. So: on the face of it there is convergence, but the detail still mainly keeps these two worlds quite far apart. The question is whether this will remain.”

Bryce Button, director of product marketing at AJA Video Systems also sees similarities – and differences.

“The most important similarity is that there is now a drive to have the same high quality imagery, raster sizes, colour depth and toolsets for the AV market as there has traditionally been in broadcast,” he says. “The remaining difference is that broadcast will always require the least latency possible for as close to real time as possible; AV, to a large degree, can live with a bit more tolerance in terms of latency.”

Jamie Adkin, vice president, sales EMEA at KVM company Adder Technology, develops the theme further.

Creation vs. distribution “The first similarity is that the production quality of content continues to increase – and this quality is now paramount in both environments,” he believes. “The big difference in the two areas is that, while broadcast is more concerned with creating content, the AV market is much more about distributing and interacting with content.”

“Also,” he adds, “the standards within broadcast are much stricter and regulations much tighter. In AV, if a video can be sent from A to B, it doesn’t really matter how this happens.

There are standards to ensure compatibility, but these aren’t mandatory.”

For anyone who believes that the two markets are becoming increasingly amorphous, Andy Fliss, who is VP sales and marketing at tvONE, is quick to point out that it’s the differences between the two that are key.

“Yes, the similarities between broadcast and AV are fundamental,” he thinks. “Both mediums share the goal of delivering audio and video to specific audiences at a quality level that meets or exceeds their expectations.”

“The differences, though, are much more striking,” he goes on, echoing Button’s point.

“Latency is the most challenging difference.

In most commercial AV applications there’s a tolerance for some latency, while broadcast cannot accept latency. In AV, resolution is paramount. The desire to show and read fine text and detail is critical, while broadcast deliberately avoids such applications and so doesn’t push hard for signals beyond 1080i/p.

Broadcast’s use of Serial Digital Interface is also a departure. AV primarily uses TMDS signal type, which is far less stable than SDI. It is used widely in AV, because consumer markets have lowered the cost of the hardware.”

Increasing commonality Given a convergence between the two industries that has only accelerated over the past 12-18 months, the question has to be asked whether we’ll see increasing commonality of products, with manufacturers finding that they can readily address what were once disparate opportunities?

“It’s much more common now for a product to be multi-use,” claims Jason Pruett, product marketing manager at NewTek. “Broadcasters and AV professionals are much more flexible in terms of what they are comfortable working with, but, more importantly, the delivery models and mechanisms are much more flexible. We no longer live in an era where professional video production is the domain of multimedia conglomerates and corporations.

If your production model is designed for streaming or social media, for example, you have a wealth of options from using consumergrade devices to using professional video systems, to using both at the same time. It all depends on the user and what the application for a product actually is.”

“It’s absolutely possible to develop products for both markets,” says Fliss. “tvONE has been producing high-end format conversion devices for more than 30 years.

The cross conversion between SDI and TMDS has been available for a long time. Now, we’re adding the cross conversion and encoding for streaming to the mix.”

Juggling both worlds “For anyone working in IP video, being able to juggle both worlds is fundamental,” says Allan.

“Ultimately, the challenge is to support the right standards, whether for live distribution or content protection. This is why, for example,

Exterity’s product portfolio includes IP-to-SDI, SDI-to-IP and uncompressed IP-to-IP encoders that enable content transfer between streaming and broadcast environments.”

The broadcast industry has always been proud of its overriding commitment to ultimate image quality and the optimum consumer experience – and Button believes that this can benefit the AV world.

“AJA will always start with the broadcaster as the base since their demands are nonnegotiable and require low-latency, reliability and robustness that is second to none,” he explains.

“Developing to these demands makes it easier for us to supply crossover technologies to the AV business, and the AV business becomes the benefactor of that initial drive.”

Atkins is somewhat more cautious, however.

“Yes, in some areas, the needs of AV and broadcast have much in common,” he considers.

“However, it’s important that products are fit for purpose – and there’s little point in trying to suit everyone and, in the process, suiting no-one.”

‘Even with growing broadcast and AV technology convergence, the role of the integrator is still critical’ Mike Allan, Exterity

Opportunities – and challenges So: what does all this mean for the integrator?

Inevitably, there are both opportunities – and challenges to consider.

“Even with growing broadcast and AV technology convergence, the role of the integrator is still critical,” says Exterity’s Allan.

“Selection of the right product for the right application is key. Despite convergence, many broadcast tools are still beyond the pocket or skills of many other organisations. The integrator has to choose the right technology and right tools for the problem to be solved; uncompressed video distribution for those high quality low latency needs to be run on separate high performance networks or H.264-encoded distribution over typical lower cost, lower performance multi-application corporate networks in order to reach the majority in the organisation.”

“Integrators should strive to work with vendors that are embracing open standards while making it easy to integrate with third party applications to deliver flexible solutions,” he goes on. “This ability to adapt is vital, as newer requirements such as 4K, AR, VR and

26 FEATURE: BROADCAST TECH IN AV

October 2018

IBC sees drop in visitor numbers IBC2018 saw 55,884 attendees walk through the doors of the RAI in Amsterdam, a 3% drop from 2017.

However, the show’s exhibit floor grew by 667sqm and conference delegates were up by 14% from 2017. IBC noted that diversity of its content had improved with the number of women speakers at the conference up from 14% in 2017 to 37% this year.

The IBC App logged more than 91,000 interactions and IBC itself trended number one on Twitter in the Netherlands on several days of the convention, with 185 million potential impressions and over 250,000 video views, according to show organisers.

Apart from attendance, IBC CEO Michael Crimp noted that the show stats “are up in almost all areas and re-bookings are ahead of last year. IBC is much more than a trade show, we have developed a basket of data-driven statistics including sales leads generated on stands and conference attendance.”

interactivity are starting to move from drawing board to commercialised products.”

Adder’s Adkin sees things similarly. “In recent times, we’ve seen integrators excelling when they have capability on both the broadcast and AV side, and then getting more involved in both mainstream and niche environments that demand capabilities in both,” he recalls. “This means that, in the future, it’s going to be critical that both integrators and distributors develop a much broader knowledge of the technologies.

This will mean acquiring a wider understanding of the whole market, rather than just the products they represent.”

Spoiled for choice AJA’s Button perceives mostly opportunities.

“Increasingly, integrators are being spoiled for choice, with a wider array of high quality products designed for the rough and ready nature of live broadcast, and emerging technologies like IP for video with a range of different approaches to accommodate both AV and pro broadcast workflows,” he believes. “There’s an ever-expanding supply of methodologies available on the broadcast side; organisations like AIMS and SMPTE; approaches like NDI; and other approaches to

IP that are ever evolving and provide choices for AV implementations.”

NewTek’s Pruett has some words of advice.

“Buyers are becoming increasingly more knowledgeable, increasingly more discerning,” he says, “and as they continue to explore new possibilities in terms of technologies on their own, AV suppliers and integrators need to be prepared to match wits once those buyers engage them in conversation. Technology is advancing so fast and becoming so convergent, AV suppliers and integrators must continue to further their education in their markets of expertise – and that includes learning about, and getting accustomed to, working with technologies they would have once considered exclusive to broadcast.”

It turns out, then, that, as things stand, the AV and broadcast industries are not only converging – they have been converging with increased rapidity over the past year or so.

But: differences between the two still exist, even as they become more similar. There has, for example, been a far more concerted effort in the broadcast industry to develop rigorous standards for IP transport – standards that may migrate to the AV industry, although that’s far from clear.

Enormous momentum Adkin has it about right when he points out that it’s not so much a question of broadcast and AV converging: it’s more a question of both converging with the world of IT. That process is inexorable, with enormous momentum continuing to carry it forward.

Will IBC and ISE continue to be viable as separate shows? ISE attendance continues to grow apace and IBC, although it had a slight drop this year, has had steady growth in recent years (at a time when visitor numbers for the world’s largest IT show, CeBIT, are in decline). And there, perhaps, lies the answer. For all that the underlying technologies may be converging (and IP is bringing a world of new opportunities to both broadcast and AV, and increasing numbers of products are becoming viable for both environments) what’s always been important, and will continue to be important, is the application – the use case. From that point of view, the two industries, far from converging, will remain completely distinct.

www.adder.com www.aja.com www.exterity.com www.newtek.com www.tvone.com

28 SOLUTIONS: AMOS REX MUSEUM, HELSINKI

October 2018

FINLAND

‘Crows are Chased and the Chasing Crows are Destined to be Chased as well, Transcending Space’ exhibit Picture: teamLab

PROJECT OF THE MONTH

Massless exploration Kicking off just over a month ago, the ‘Massless’ exhibition at the Amos Rex private art museum uses a combination of technologies to bring to life an impressive array of interactive digital installations.

Edward Burgess reports

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tarting on 30 August 2018 and running to 6 January 2019, the newly opened art museum Amos Rex in central Helsinki will host its inaugural exhibition ‘Massless’.

The exhibition presents the work of teamLab – an art collective and interdisciplinary group of ‘ultratechnologists’, which includes artists, programmers, engineers, CG animators, mathematicians and architects. The 500-strong Tokyo-based group aims to ‘reconfigure reality’ through collective initiatives. The team has a global presence with a number of exhibitions in its native Japan as well as in the UK, France and the US, among many others.

‘Massless’ brings new works to an immense underground exhibit space in the Amos Rex museum and aims to dissolve the boundary between the art and visitors by exploring the notion of massless. It also examines the idea of liberating human expression from the physical

to the digital. The exhibition description details: “Expression no longer requires an irreversible bond to the material in order to exist, thus dissolving the notion of mass.” The idea of freeing expression from physical constraints enables visitors to experience the artworks in a completely new way.

Pro AV Saarikko worked with teamLab to install the AV technology for the project and owner Jorma Saarikko told Installation that there was not a specific brief as such, but he had a number of lengthy discussions with the director of the museum, which began two years ago. The installation itself took seven weeks in total. The idea was to use the latest technology available and ensure it was installed as discreetly as possible. The trickiest element was getting the immersive feeling, while keeping the technology invisible to the public. This led Saarikko to specify 133 Epson projectors enhanced using Dynamic Projection Mirror Head technology, which enables

Installed Audio (All Genelec) n 8350 SAM active speakers n 8340 SAM active speakers n 8320 SAM active speakers n 8330 SAM active speakers n 7050B active subwoofers n 7060B active subwoofers

Video n Dynamic Projection MH11-EBL1L Mirror Head n Epson EB-L1105U WUXGA laser projectors n Epson EB-G7905U WUXGA 3LCD projectors n Epson EB-700U UST laser projectors n Epson ELPLW05 wide-throw zoom projector lenses n Epson ELPLU04 short-throw zoom projector lenses n Epson ELPLU03 short-throw zoom projector lenses n Epson ELPLX01 ELPLX01 UST projector lenses n Hokuyo UST-10LX and UST20LX laser range sensor n Hitachi LG TOF sensor

Connectivity n Behringer ADA8200, ADAT n GeoBox VNS G-406 4K distributors n IDK HDMI HDBaseT transmitters n RME Fireface UCX Audio interface n RME Fireface 802 Audio interface

SOLUTIONS: AMOS REX MUSEUM, HELSINKI 29

About the installer n Pro AV Saarikko is based in Espoo, Finland and provides system design, installation and training services n The company also has a subsidiary called Pro AV Art specialising in sales and rental for museums, galleries and media artists images to be projected onto any surface. For the audio element, Genelec active speaker systems were chosen along with a range of audio interface and connectivity solutions as well as smart furniture mounting options.

Featured works There are five featured works housed in the exhibition, each with unique elements for the visitor. The first is ‘Vortex of Light Particles’, which is a digital installation on a continuous loop. The large exhibit space at Amos Rex is characterised by its distinctly curved ceiling, which becomes a part of the plaza landscape above ground. The large skylight at the top of the space connects the exhibit underground with the plaza. From the underground exhibit space, water pours up to the ceiling, towards the skylight and the outside world. The water is represented by a continuum of numerous water particles, and the interaction between the particles is calculated. Lines are drawn in relation to the behaviour of the water particles. The lines are then ‘flattened’ using what teamLab considers to be ultra-subjective space. The movement of water is determined by the shape of the museum and the force that pulls the water up to the skylight and the plaza above. It is this movement of water that creates the installation.

‘Graffiti Nature: Lost, Immersed and Reborn’ exhibit Picture: teamLab

walk around freely in a space that completely surrounds them with projections on all sides.

Crows are rendered in light as they fly around the space, leaving trails of light behind them and creating Spatial Calligraphy. The crows chase one another and when the crows crash into each other, they scatter, turning into flowers. The crows attempt to fly around people in the space, but when they ‘collide’ with a visitor, they scatter, turning into flowers in the same way.

When you stand near a designated space within the artwork the boundary between the wall and the floor disappears, the space dissolves and the viewer becomes immersed in the artwork and the lines drawn by the trails of the crows appear to be drawn in three dimensions in the space. The installation is rendered in real time by a computer program with none of the animations pre-recorded. It is constantly changing with each sequence new rather than repeated or on a loop.

Single ecosystem The second exhibit is an interactive installation called ‘Graffiti Nature: Lost, Immersed and Reborn’ (pictured above). This is depicted as a single ecosystem where the various creatures people have drawn reside in the space. The creatures are animated and interact with each other, eating and being eaten, creating the single ecosystem concept. There is an additional layer of interactivity as when an animal eats another it will multiply, likewise when an animal cannot eat for a while or is eaten by others, they will die and disappear. Flowers will bloom if the visitor stands still, but will disperse when they walk around. Butterflies increase in places where there are flowers, and crocodiles die if they are stepped on too much.

Elsewhere there is a interactive digital install lasting just under four and a half minutes entitled ‘Crows are Chased and the Chasing Crows are Destined to be Chased as well, Transcending Space’ (pictured left). Visitors can

‘Ultra-subjective space’ In contrast the ‘Black Waves’ installation is on a continuous loop. The movement of waves in water is simulated in a computer-generated 3D space. The water is expressed as a continuous body after calculating the interactions of hundreds of thousands of particles. To visualise the waves, the behaviour of the particles of the water was then extracted and lines were drawn in relation to the movement of the particles. The wave created in a 3D space is then turned into an artwork in accordance with what teamLab refers to as ‘ultra-subjective space’.

‘Black Waves’ is based on pre-modern Japanese painting where oceans, rivers, and other bodies of water were expressed as a series of lines. These lines give the impression of life, as though water was a living entity. This installation is designed to fuse together today’s objective world with the subjective world of our ancestors who sensed life in rivers and oceans

and had a much closer relationship with nature.

When viewing this artwork, it has been designed to allow people to feel that the barrier between themselves and the waves has disappeared. It also aims to take people back to the state of mind of our ancestors – feeling part of nature rather than observing it from a distance.

The longest looped digital work at the exhibition is ‘Enso’, which is the Zen practice of drawing a circle with a single brush stroke.

This artwork depicts an Enso drawn as Spatial Calligraphy. The brush stroke is suspended in space but the viewpoint changes to reveal the circle Enso. teamLab has been working on Spatial Calligraphy since the collective formed in 2001. A new interpretation of traditional calligraphy, Spatial Calligraphy reconstructs calligraphy in 3D space and expresses the depth, speed and power of the brush stroke.

In Zen, Enso is a circle that has been written with canes or sticks in mid air since ancient times. It is said to represent enlightenment, truth, the entirety of the universe, and equality.

The circle also reflects the hearts and minds of those who view it, with its interpretation left to the individual.

Summing up his thoughts on the finished project, Saarikko says: “I am proud and happy, everything is running fine, there are no technical problems at all and everyone at the museum is more than happy.” In the first three weeks of the exhibition approximately 60,000 visitors were recorded.

www.amosrex.fi www.dynamicprojection.com www.genelec.com www.epson.eu www.hitachi.com www.hokuyo-aut.jp www.idk.co.jp www.musictribe.com www.proav.fi www.rme-audio.de www.vnstw.com

30 SOLUTIONS: ENERGUS CYBER LAB, CUMBRIA

October 2018

UNITED KINGDOM

This forward-thinking training environment has been designed to narrow the cyber security skills gap and mould the next generation into cybercrime experts

Cybercrime fighters All aspects of the AV technology specified are set up to be fully collaborative and create a visually dynamic environment to train the next generation of experts within this futuristic facility. Tom Bradbury reports

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yber security is a hot topic with companies being targeted daily and data security breaches regularly making headlines. Organisations rely heavily on technology to store large amounts of sensitive data and support daily working practices, so it’s imperative that systems are in place to protect IT networks from hackers.

A new training facility, at the Energus building in Cumbria, has been funded by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) to tackle the cyber security skills gap and lead the fight against cybercrime.

The new Cyber Lab is the result of a collaboration between the NDA and Energus.

Funded by the NDA through its Cyber Security and Resilience Project, the initiative provides an immersive learning space where apprentices can experience simulated cyber attacks in an authentic, controlled environment. Security was a key objective for the Cyber Lab due to the sensitive nature of the training facility, which is why integrators Pure AV chose to work with Crestron control technology.

The Cyber Lab, the first of its kind in the North West of England, is an important part of the strategy to build resilience against cybercrime.

Complete with an immersive environment capable of simulating the experience of an

attack, the lab is used to deliver apprenticeship frameworks, STEM programmes and commercial training to equip the NDA Group, Nuclear Supply chain and local businesses with the skills to defend critical infrastructure and business services against cyber attacks.

Disparate technologies Energus set out to create an immersive experience with impact within a space that would not look anything like a standard classroom. They needed a system fully isolated away from the Energus production network, to allow the simulation of virus attacks without risk to the Energus network.

Third-party AV equipment doesn’t always have high levels of security, providing a potential weak spot that cyber attackers take advantage of. To overcome this risk, Pure AV installed a Crestron CP3N 3-Series control system processor to integrate disparate technologies onto one easy-to-manage and secure control platform. The CP3N 3-Series provides a separate isolated subnet for sensitive applications, which enabled Pure AV to protect controlled ecosystems – such as lighting and AV equipment – via a separate LAN control subnet port.

“This approach enabled us to protect all the control equipment on a completely isolated

Installed Control n Crestron CP3N control processor n Crestron GLS-REMOTE-ODT/OIR occupancy/ lighting sensor n Crestron GLA-DMX512 lighting controller n Crestron TSW-1060 10in touchscreen n CyberPower Power Distribution Unit n Extron CrossPoint 108 4K SA matrix switcher n Extron DTP T DP 4K 230 transmitter n Extron DTP HDMI 4K 230 receivers n Extron DTP T DWP 4K 232 wall plate transmitters n Extron USB Extender Plus transmitters n Extron USB Extender Plus receivers n Extron USB Plus matrix controller

Video n Kramer VIA Collage wireless collaboration system n Kramer VIA Pads n Kramer VIA Pockets n NEC MultiSync V554 displays n NEC MultiSync X551UHD IGT touch tables n NEC MultiSync X841UHD-2 SST touchscreen n WolfVision VZ-8 Neo visualiser

Audio n Martin Audio CDD5 loudspeakers

32 SOLUTIONS: ENERGUS CYBER LAB, CUMBRIA

October 2018

The central touch table is used for group collaboration and problem solving sessions

VLAN, out of reach of the cyber security students while still maintaining a secure connection to the core network for remote diagnostics,” explains Colin Hasted, system specialist at Pure AV. “We wanted an immersive learning environment, fully isolated from our production network so that anything that happens within this environment, stays in here,” adds Bradley Cleaver, business service manager at Energus.

Pure AV worked closely with brand design agency FPP to develop the visual concept for the space and the end result combines dynamic lighting and striking room graphics to create an instant impact on learners.

Active engagement The audiovisual system designed by Pure AV enables the flexible delivery of teaching content and active engagement between apprentice and course leader as they learn how to tackle viruses and experience simulated cyber attacks.

The technology in the room has been selected and integrated by Pure AV to enable the easy sharing of content between the various display devices and make the control of the environment straightforward.

The CP3N 3-Series supports the AV and lighting control within the workspace, including five wall-mounted display devices and a touch table situated in the centre of the room that students can gather around for collaborative problem solving.

The user interface based around a Crestron TSW-1060 10in touchscreen is custom designed to make it easy for users to select which source

should go to each display. It also offers full control of the colour changing DMX lighting system, which is fully integrated within the main AV control system. The tutor has the ability to change the look, feel and atmosphere of the room in response to the activity taking place.

The space can turn red during a cyber-attack and then gradually change from red to green as the attack is defended, all controlled from the main user interface.

“The lighting and graphics immerse the apprentices in the learning space,” says Cleaver.

“We can simulate lock down and change the lighting to red to simulate a cyber attack and then split the room to defend and attack, using the lighting to intensify the in-room experience.”

As for the impact the facility has had on the first group of apprentices, Katherine Hughes, cyber security apprentice, comments: “The audio and visuals helped me feel as though the training was real, even though it was all simulated. The use of multiple platforms, such as large touchscreen tablets and displays through to projecting images onto walls, was extremely helpful.”

Scott Campbell, a Level 4 cyber security apprentice, says: “The classroom is way beyond my expectations and I feel privileged to be one of the first apprentices to use the facility.”

The NDA’s Cyber Lab programme is part of a long-term commitment to fighting cybercrime, with the NDA looking to invest £80 million over the next five years. There are currently nine apprentices training at the Cyber Lab, with a second cohort due to join the scheme later this year.

About the installer n Pure AV started 14 years ago supplying AV integration services to the HE sector n The company’s head office is in Preston, Lancashire and it also has a regional office near Halifax, Yorkshire n Pure AV provides consultancy, design, product supply, installation, programming and support and maintenance n It operates in education, corporate, museums and heritage, hospitality and leisure and healthcare

“The capabilities of the room have exceeded expectations and the next step is engaging with other organisations within the nuclear supply chain,” explains Adrienne Easterbrook, general manager, Energus. “Currently, we are working in the nuclear industry, but we want to work with local government, local education and the wider business community. Everybody needs some sort of cyber training and it can all be delivered from this lab.”

“We have created a facility which addresses a national demand for cyber security capability, to deliver the best quality young people to work in the industry,” concludes Colin Reed, director of Energus and chairman of the National College for Nuclear.

www.cyberpowersystems.com www.crestron.eu www.extron.com www.kramerav.com www.martin-audio.com www.nec-display-solutions.com www.pureav.co.uk www.wolfvision.com

34 SOLUTIONS: BETTER COLLECTIVE, COPENHAGEN

October 2018

DENMARK

Safe bet

The new AV technology specified needed to provide a comprehensive solution, while also working with the existing aesthetics of the space

This iGaming developer sought a solution that would enhance its videoconferencing offering to streamline both internal and external video meetings and calls, writes Duncan Proctor

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etter Collective is a developer of digital platforms for betting tips, bookmaker information and iGaming communities. From its Copenhagen headquarters, Better Collective’s portfolio includes more than 2,000 websites and products and five international offices with more than 225 employees.

The company sought videoconferencing and communication systems to build relationships and a stronger corporate culture across its offices and to communicate with external organisations and enable more reliable meetings.

This started with two meeting rooms at the Copenhagen office. The company is in a period of strong growth, making real-time communication increasingly important as a way of keeping employees and external stakeholders connected across its five global offices.

Headquartered in Copenhagen, Better Collective recently acquired another company based in Vienna and wanted to create a unified, inclusive culture across offices. This extended to external stakeholders located in different countries including investors and bankers. Therefore, the brief was for a solution that would work for both internal and external communications.

Mixed videoconferencing Better Collective’s internal design team worked closely with Ricoh Denmark and selected the Ricoh UCS Advanced platform for its ease of use and interoperability with its other collaboration technologies for day-to-day communications

including G Suite. “With our mixed videoconferencing environment, we needed a simple way to tie it all together. Ricoh UCS Advanced serves as that bridge,” says Martin Andersen, IT manager at Better Collective.

The initial roll out of the system was at Better Collective’s Copenhagen HQ, which currently includes 130 employees and has two meeting rooms including its flagship Copenhagen Meeting Room. The office in central Copenhagen is in an historic building, originally located on one floor, but has now been expanded over 10 floors and is designed as an open space environment.

As part of the project, it was important to blend the new technology with the historic aesthetics of the space.

After reviewing a couple of options, the company selected Ricoh UCS Advanced in combination with Polycom. Better Collective has equipped its main office in Copenhagen with several Polycom Group 310 devices registered to the Ricoh UCS Advanced cloud, and teams now have the ability to join meetings hosted on other services like Skype for Business straight from the conference room.

Room configurations The main goal for the two rooms was to provide a meeting environment that would be highly collaborative with wireless video and audio file sharing. Following the upgrade, the flagship meeting space, Meeting Room Copenhagen, which is for approximately 12 people, includes a Philips Q-Line 84in full HD LED display at the

Installed Meeting Room Copenhagen: Audio n Cornered Audio Ci4 and Ci4-V speakers n Polycom Ceiling Microphone Arrays

Video n Philips BDL 84750QU 84in LED display n Polycom RealPresence Group 310 videoconferencing system n Ricoh UCS Advanced Virtual Meeting Room

Control n Barco Clickshare CS-100 wireless presentation system n Neets Echo control panel

Second meeting room: Audio n Apart Audio SDQ5P-W two-way speakers n Polycom Ceiling Microphone Arrays

Video n Panasonic PT-VW350 LCD WXGA projectors n Polycom RealPresence Group 310 videoconferencing system n Ricoh UCS Advanced Virtual Meeting Room

Control n Barco Clickshare CS-100 wireless presentation system

www.installation-international.com

SOLUTIONS: BETTER COLLECTIVE, COPENHAGEN 35

front of the room, working with the Polycom 310 videoconferencing system. Completing the Polycom solutions is the microphone array hanging from the ceiling and delivering optimal audio during meetings. The Neets Echo control panel is located at the side of the room, which is an eight-button control system with built-in controller, and the Corner Audio speakers are mounted horizontally by the wooden ceiling beams. Barco ClickShare CS-100 enables wireless content sharing between users. The Ricoh UCS Advanced Virtual Meeting Room platform provides virtual meeting rooms for employees around the world to connect to the virtual space via browser, Skype or smartphone.

There is a similar set up in the second meeting room, on a smaller scale. However, instead of a central LED display there are two Panasonic LCD WXGA projectors mounted on top of the ceiling beams. The other difference is Apart Audio speakers are mounted by the side of the wooden ceiling beams and there is no Neets Echo control panel.

A big reason why the Ricoh UCS Advanced solution met the brief was around its ease of use for staff. “Now, our employees can join meetings from their desktop, web browser, mobile phone,

or the conference room,” comments Andersen.

“Ricoh UCS Advanced calls are easy to join, regardless of how you access the service or where you are.”

Feedback from employees has all been positive, centred on the usability, accessibility and higher quality than the previous videoconferencing service. Ricoh UCS Advanced runs on a dedicated global network built for video, which means media traffic doesn’t compete with other traffic and bandwidth is never capped, so the video and audio feeds are in sync and reliable.

The company has said its employees around the world now feel more connected than and the scheduled video meetings have built a stronger sense of inclusion and camaraderie among offices. A big part of the success in driving user adoption has been the IT team’s efforts to train and educate employees on the service. The team sends emails, posts information in conference rooms, and helps ensure that users are selfsufficient on the service. Now that the first phase of the Better Collective deployment is completed, the team looks forward to expanding the service to other offices around the world.

“I would recommend Ricoh UCS Advanced

In addition to the Ricoh UCS Advanced platform, ClickShare and RealPresence systems create the ideal collaboration environment

to anyone looking for an easy-to-use videoconferencing service that integrates with other solutions like Polycom, Microsoft, and Google,” concludes Andersen. “In fact, I’ve already recommended Ricoh UCS Advanced to my former boss and told him he needs to start using it.”

www.apart-audio.com www.barco.com www.cornered.dk www.neets.dk www.philips.com www.polycom.com www.ricoh-europe.com www.videxio.com

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To learn more, connect with us on

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36 SOLUTIONS IN BRIEF

October 2018

SOUTH KOREA

Mall fits free-standing LED centrepiece Starfield Goyang is the third Starfield mall to open on the outskirts of the South Korean capital and covers over 135,000sqm, with 560 global and domestic brands and a hundred restaurants and eateries.

To provide an unforgettable shopping experience, the Starfield mall has been fitted with a 15m-tall, curved-edged Absen LED display tower acting as the centrepiece of the new shopping centre.

It features content courtesy of content creation experts Moment Factory, and the install was carried out by Absen’s Korean retail marketing value added partner Asone. Content to the display is managed and driven by NOVASTAR video servers and MCTR660 controllers.

Absen and Asone had to come up with a purposebuilt solution that delivers maximum fluidity for the content to move across and around the LED display, which features 60° angled edges, rather

www.absen-europe.com

than standard 90° curves. While most of the design was configured using standard panels from Absen’s H3 range of LED displays, the curved sides were customised by Absen’s engineers who tailor made specific LED edges to create this centrepiece.

The Absen H3 500mm x 500mm LED panels were deconstructed into four pieces, each measuring 62.5mm x 500mm, in order for them to be then reconfigured into the perfect angled curve.

LATVIA

Airport welcomes visitors with ‘magnetic’ centre

www.avstumpfl.com

Picture: Courtesy of LIAA

VIETNAM

Pristine sound elevates luxury hotel A full-scale Harman solution has been deployed at FLC Samson, a luxury hotel and resort on the coast of the East Vietnam Sea. FLC Samson is known for staging performances from globally renowned artists in its 1,200-seat Plenary Ball Room. FLC Group recently hired Ba Sao Investment to design a Harman solution to elevate the sound quality of in the ballroom and throughout the resort.

The solution utilises self-powered JBL SRX835P and SRX812P speakers, as well as JBL

SRX818SP subs for pristine sound in the Plenary Ball Room. JBL AWC82 and Control 25T speakers are mounted on the walls with JBL Control 24CT, 16C/T and 14C/T speakers in the ceilings – all powered by Crown CTs1200 amplifiers.

Soundcraft Si Expression 1 and SIGNATURE 12 consoles offer improved flexibility, allowing staff to quickly deploy them almost anywhere.

www.harman.com

The ‘Magnetic Latvia’ Business Information Centre at Riga International Airport has been equipped with a sophisticated AV setup driven by AV Stumpfl’s Wings Engine Stage media server.

SOLAVI won the tender for the media installation, and completed the work in just three months.

The 347sqm centre acts as a first touchpoint with Latvia for foreign and local visitors. Two separate rooms are fully equipped for meetings and presentations, but with the flexibility to arrange them as one: a space that can be used interchangeably as an open office or a meeting place before or after flights.

The Wings Stage Engine media server solution is capable of controlling all the tech elements in the space – including video, audio, lighting and network.

SOLUTIONS IN BRIEF

www.installation-international.com

USA

37

Picture: Rich Taylor Photography

Concourse gets ‘Interconnected’ install Charlotte Douglas International Airport has recently completed a $200m renovation and expansion of its Concourse A, which includes ENGAGE Series and Performance Series LED displays from NanoLumens.

Also featuring on the concourse is digital artist Refik Anadol’s ‘data sculptures’ that turn the airport’s invisible patterns of data into ever-changing content featured on the three NanoLumens displays. The install, dubbed ‘Interconnected’, would require one NanoLumens 2.5mm ENGAGE Series LED display and two 4.7mm Performance Series displays.

The airport was originally considering projection technology for this project, but integrators Cenero opted for NanoLumens to handle what is being described as one

www.nanolumens.com

of the largest data sculpture visualisations in the world. The centrepiece display for ‘Interconnected’ is a 2.5mm NanoLumens

ENGAGE Series LED display that sits inside the airport’s Concourse A and stretches 140ft-wide by 10ft-high.

AUSTRALIA

Audio upgrade promotes ‘Learning in the Round’ The Clayton campus at Monash Univeristy in Melbourne has undergone a major transformation of its Learning and Teaching building – with 65 formal and 60 informal newly equipped learning spaces spread over almost 30,000sqm.

Rutledge AV installed 37 Ottocanali and Quattrocanali Powersoft amps throughout Clayton’s Learning and Teaching Building. EAW KF394 speakers were chosen to help extend pattern control down into the mid-range where the power frequencies of speech are.

The centrepiece is of the building is ‘Learning in the Round’. The AV actively encourages the educator to step out of their comfort zone, and the students to participate, share and collaborate.

www.powersoft-audio.com

AUSTRIA

Mountain railway deploys weatherproof displays KapschBusinessCom AG has equipped the Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis mountain railway in Tirol, Austria, with nine fully-sealed 49in Xtreme Outdoor Displays from Peerless-AV. The displays update passengers with information about the cable car and ski lift operation, as well as current events, weather conditions and special offers from local businesses.

Xtreme Outdoor Displays are claimed to have the widest operating temperature range in the industry, and features such as impact-resistant

safety glass improve longevity, while optical bonding increases the contrast ratio and reduces glare, even in direct sunlight. The fully-sealed design eliminates the need for vents, filters or exhaust fans and a Ventless Dynamic Thermal Transfer ventilation system keeps internal components safely warmed in extreme cold and properly cooled in extreme heat.

www.peerless-av.com

TECHNOLOGY

Kit you need to know about

PRODUCT OF Sharp THE MONTH PN-80TH5

It’s… an 80in interactive display from Sharp’s flagship 4K BIG PAD range.

What’s new? The range has been expanded upwards with this large scale option to offer a greater choice of sizes.

Details: The PN-80TH5 makes it easy to view large amounts of detailed information, such as technical drawings, maps or spreadsheets, thanks to a number of features, included as standard, that support working with content at UHD. It is suitable for a range of applications with portrait, landscape and face-up installation options.

Sharp’s UV2A LCD technology enables the PN-80TH5 to offer 4K reading, bright whites and dark blacks, for high contrast and image clarity.

Also Sharp’s Pen Software offers 4K writing optimised for 4K UHD resolution and accurate 30-point P-CAP capacitive touch. For additional precision, palm rejection ensures no unintended

marks are made on the screen when writing, and the four-button active pen with 2mm stylus tip provides seamless annotation.

As with other BIG PAD displays, the PN-80TH5 offers a Pen-on-Paper experience, which describes how writing on a BIG PAD with your finger or pen feels close to using a real pen on writing paper.

For advanced solution requirements, the PN-80TH5 has an integrated Mini OPS extension slot to add extra functions, such as inserting an HDBaseT module to provide a solution to long distance cable data distribution, or a Wireless Board for BYOD screen sharing without the need for any cables.

“Our BIG PAD interactive displays are known for their best in class touch performance and unparalleled reliability,” said Christopher Parker, senior product manager at Sharp. “The range includes something for every type of usage, and now with the addition of the 80in 4K BIG PAD we

can offer a solution for specialised applications who work with technical content on a large scale, where precise writing and exceptional ease-of-use is critical.”

Architectural and design firm Zaha Hadid Architects chose to invest in Sharp’s 4K BIG PAD interactive display for its ultra-high resolution.

Paulo Flores, associate director, explained: “Sharpness is something very important to us, because that is how we define the crispness of geometry, how the images are perceived in meetings.” The BIG PAD has also improved how quickly the team can work. Flores added: “it increases communication, people can come together around the screen at once. Sketches can become part of the discussion immediately.”

Available: Now www.sharp.eu

40 TECHNOLOGY: NEW PRODUCTS n Extron TLP Pro 525M This 5in wall mount TouchLink Pro touchpanel is available immediately and includes a new, highperformance quad-core processor. It also has eight times more memory, and an 800x480 capacitive touchscreen built with scratch and smudge-resistant edge-to-edge Corning Gorilla Glass.

The TLP Pro 525M also features PoE, which allows it to receive power and communication over a single Ethernet cable. It is ideal in any environment requiring a wall-mountable touchpanel with a fully-customisable control interface. www.extron.com n GLP E350 LED The impression E350 LED moving head features an advanced light engine packaged in a compact design, launched last month at PLASA Show 2018. With the LED engine offering leading output in its class, the fixture is suited to any type of showcase event or installation with articulated lighting as the centrepiece. The high colour temperature of 7500K provides a hard-edge mid-air effect beam, with bright gobo projections, while it is also notable for an extremely tight iris and GLP’s motorised 7:1 zoom range (7°- 48°). www.glp.de

October 2018

Audio-Technica ES954

It’s… a hanging microphone array What’s new? When controlled by the Audio-Technica ATDM-0604 Digital SmartMixer, the four-capsule microphone array provides 360° coverage through virtual hypercardioid or cardioid outputs, which can be steered horizontally and tilted vertically.

Details: This cost-effective solution is designed for huddle rooms, conference rooms and other meeting spaces.

Intended primarily for videoconferencing applications, the ES954 may be used singly or in multiples to capture every person speaking in a room, with the total number of channels restricted only by the capacity of the mixer or DSP device controlling the system. When using the ATDM-0604 Digital SmartMixer, the intuitive graphic interface enables control of the width and orientation of each virtual polar pattern, which may be steered in 30° increments, with

a tilt function accommodating different ceiling heights or users that are sitting/standing.

The ES954 features a permanently attached 1.2m cable with locking grommet enabling easy microphone height adjustment.

Audio-Technica’s UniGuard RFI-shielding technology ensures there is no radio frequency interference. An integral, logic-controlled 360° red/green LED ring provides clear indication of the array’s mute status.

A simple setup might include a single ES954 over the centre of a conference table configured from the mixer to provide coverage via four identical quadrants. Used in conjunction with a gate on each microphone channel, the system could be configured to automatically follow anyone talking while moving around the space.

Available: Autumn 2018 www.audio-technica.com

n Electro-Voice ZLX-12BT and ZLX-15BT Electro-Voice has added Bluetooth audio streaming models to its ZLX speaker series. The ZLX-12BT is a 12in two-way speaker, while the ZLX-15BT is the 15in twoway option. Both speakers offer the same features as the standard ZLX models including QuickSmart DSP processing and the Signal Synchronised Transducers (SST) waveguide design provides precise and consistent coverage, minimal distortion, and maximised acoustical loading. www.electrovoice.com n Alcorn McBride AR captioning This solution uses a combination of iBeacon technology, the InThrall app, and smart glass devices such as the Epson Moverio or the Vusix Blade to deliver captions to guests with special needs who are attending parades or experiencing dark ride attractions. The system streams captions distributed from a WiFi network to RidePlayer, Alcorn McBride’s on-board synchronous audio player and show controller. Smart glasses worn by guests sense the nearest parade float or attraction zone and overlay text without obscuring guests’ views. The solution requires no configuration by the operations staff. www.alcorn.com

Christie UHD861-LT

It’s… a new multi-touch 86in UHD LCD display What’s new? It’s the latest addition to the Christie Access Series, debuting last month at IBC2018. Other models in the range include 55, 65 and 75in options.

Details: The Christie UHD861-LT is said to offer an optimal balance between performance and price. It is Crestron Connected and features integrated touch and is designed for 16/7 operation. This makes it ideal for installation in meeting and lecture rooms, huddle rooms and reception areas, and it’s also an option for

applications including menu boards and kiosks.

The UHD861-LT features USB playback and an OPS slot for integration with a distributed display solution and ships with one set of interactive presentation and collaboration software. Designed to work with interactive LCD panels, this software gives users the ability to annotate over numerous running applications or web browsers.

Available: Late 2018 www.christiedigital.com

42 TECHNOLOGY: NEW PRODUCTS n tvONE 1T-SX-654

Optoma

This ultra-thin 4x1 HDMI 2.0 switcher supports video resolution up to 4Kx2K@60Hz 4:4:4: HDR and provides 18Gbps of high bandwidth. In addition, audio functionality includes multi-channel support, de-embedded digital stereo audio to provide an analogue output, or an audio return channel (ARC) for transmitting audio back to the HDMI input from the connected display. The switcher includes an autoswitch control mode, which automatically switches to an HDMI input as soon as a new source is connected. Additional control options include control via the front panel source button, RS-232 or IR (remote control included). www.tvone.com

ZU750

n MuxLab HDMI/RS232 extender

What’s new? The ZU750 is the latest addition to the DuraCore laser range, combining a long-lifetime light source and an independent IP-rated dust certification.

This new extender supports 4K/60 with audio return channel (ARC) for enhanced audio and offers straightforward delivery of 4K video in the HDMI 2.0 format from source to display. ARC allows audio to be routed back to a receiver at the source side, which can connect directly to speakers. For intimate spaces and residential applications, it enables more immersive 4K viewing.

MuxLab’s HDMI/RS232 Extender Kit with ARC, HDBT, UHD-4K will begin shipping in Q4 2018. www.muxlab.com n Attero Tech Zip4 This is a four-button IP audio paging interface that addresses the needs of large sporting venues, airport terminals, train stations, convention centres and corporate facilities. Paging audio and bi-directional status data can be routed over a Dante or AES67 network to a DSP or other Paging Management System controller to distribute paging audio to up to four zones or zone groups. The Zip4 integrates directly with QSC’s Q-SYS PA router functionality running on a QSC Core series DSP, using the Zip4’s Q-SYS Designer control plug-in. www.atterotech.com n Sommer Cable SC-Micro Duo Aramid

For hanging stereo microphones, this shielded twin pair cable consists of synthetic polymers, related to nylon, that yield fibres of exceptional strength and thermal stability. Sommer’s SC-Micro is the ideal solution for surround and multi-channel recordings, especially if the microphone is hanging from the ceiling or the cable is exposed to strong tensile forces. To absorb the weight of the microphones, fillers made of braided aramid fibres have been incorporated to act as an additional strain relief. www.sommercable.com

October 2018

It’s… an 8,000-lumen laser projector

Details: Designed for simulation, live events, museums, visitor centres and other complex installations, the new model offers continuous 24/7 operation and supports 360° and portrait orientations and offers seven interchangeable lens options for flexibility.

The WUXGA resolution projector includes built-in edge blending and warping and also has full 3D – including 3D sync port capability. An HDBaseT input is also included to simplify cabling

requirements and reduce installation complexity, saving time and reducing costs.

James Fursse, technical product manager at Optoma Europe, commented: “The ZU750 joins our ProScene range of DuraCore laser projectors delivering a minimum of 20,000 hours in full brightness mode. Aside from the excellent reliability and performance, DuraCore technology means virtually maintenance-free operation. The ZU750 is suitable for all types of installations with multiple lens options including an ultra short throw lens and single-projector dome lens.”

Available: Now www.optoma.com

Community R.35-3896-EN

It’s… a compact loudspeaker from Community’s EN54-24 certified R SERIES.

What’s new? This new speaker has been released in response to the growing demand for certified models across stadiums and other large scale all-weather applications.

Details: The R.35-3896-EN meets the need for a high performance compact loudspeaker for fill and supplementary areas in larger venues and for smaller venues wanting to conform to EN54 standards. It is said to be equally suitable for indoor and outdoor use in a wide variety of applications, including background and foreground music and announcement systems in corporate AV, leisure centres, theatres, stadiums, and more.

It is a fully horn-loaded triaxial three-way,

full-range loudspeaker system, designed to provide high quality voice and music reproduction normally only associated with indoor loudspeakers. Featuring Community’s MultiSource Waveguide horn design, the output from the dual mid-range compression drivers and 1in exit HF driver are combined into a single time-coherent source for intelligibility and dispersion consistency.

The high output, 3in voice coil, 8in carbon ring cone LF driver features a flange-less frame design that permits a cone area nearly equivalent to a typical 10in driver, resulting in high sensitivity and increased LF extension.

Available: Now www.communitypro.com

44 TECHNOLOGY: SHOWCASE

October 2018

Education technology A wide range of solutions are providing innovative ways of enhancing the physical learning experience, while also extending it beyond the confines of the classroom

Cisco optimises campus learning Digital Network Architecture (DNA) is designed to introduce a new era of networking for today’s hyper-connected students. Cisco DNA changes how campus networks are designed, built and managed providing more streamlined processes and innovation.

DNA digital learning components include Cisco Intelligent WAN (IWAN), Cisco and Apple Fast Lane and Cisco High Density Experience (HDX), so students can learn anywhere, anytime, with a robust campus network that supports a number of users, applications and data types in highdensity environments.

Cisco VPN solutions support digital learning experiences such as flipped classrooms and online classes by protecting data while giving

mobile students access to the campus network. Cisco VPN solutions offer secure access that connects students and faculty to peers around the world, expanding the user’s learning and research opportunities.

Cisco Stealthwatch, Umbrella and Identity Services Engine (ISE), can protect students, staff and faculty across both the physical and virtual campus. With Cisco Connected Mobile Experiences (CMX), WiFi and location analytics technology can be used to enable context aware experiences, services and content while optimising campus facilities.

www.cisco.com

Sonic Foundry enhances academic solutions Prowise promotes

classroom collaboration

Sonic Foundry has added Mediasite Catch to its academic video solutions portfolio. It’s a software capture solution for learning and training spaces with limited technology.

It enables day-to-day video and content recording from classroom PCs and supports automated, scheduled and ad-hoc capture.

Catch works in the background with the existing classroom hardware and technology.

For anytime recording, Record Now is an interface that works with Mediasite Catch and any hardware recorder. Record Now detects

what hardware and capture devices are installed, as well as room configurations. In the interface users can assign a presentation name, set the duration and select from pre-configured room recording options. The interface can be customised for common room control system touch panels – such as Crestron, Extron or AMX – or can be directly launched from any desktop, laptop or mobile device.

ProConnect is a component of Prowise Presenter software, which creates interactions between devices and enables a greater level of collaboration in a classroom environment. The interface provides ease of use on touchscreen, tablet, laptop, PC or smartphone.

Images and assignments can be sent via PC or touchscreen to the students’ devices and they can then send their solutions back for review before the results are displayed on the teacher’s touchscreen.

ProConnect also allows the teacher to watch the students’ progress live on a tablet to offer personalised guidance. Plus the voting feature helps ascertain if everyone has fully understood the subject matter.

www.sonicfoundry.com www.prowise.com

TECHNOLOGY: SHOWCASE 45

www.installation-international.com

Wireless screen sharing from Qomo QConnect 1700 from Qomo enables screen sharing in a BYOD environment with up 64 users able to connect at a time. Unlike other wireless presentation devices, it allows for a completely wireless connection between devices.

The QConnect can be connected to virtually any digital or analogue monitor or projector via its HDMI and VGA video outputs for a reliable presentation. Other connection options include the IP interface or USB, there is also the option to embed audio into device.

The user’s computer screen can be shared wirelessly to smartphones, tablets and interactive displays with presentation participants able to make their own annotations and save notes over the same wireless connection. QConnect is compatible with both Windows and Mac. Other features include four-way split screen

display, where multiple presenters can project four devices on one screen at a time to share and collaborate. Mirror projection allows a computer or mobile device to be used as a presentation remote control to project the user’s screen to a larger monitor or panel.

www.qomo.com

Student-led learning from SMART

SMART amp cloud software uses Google Apps for Education to promote student-led learning and connect students, teachers and devices. Students and teachers – inside and outside of school – can collaborate at the same time across any laptop or tablet in its workspace. It forms part of the SMART Learning Suite, which also includes SMART Notebook software and SMART Lesson Activity Builder.

The software gets the class, or any group within the class, creating and collaboration on one digital canvas and connects students to lessons anywhere, on any device. In addition, teachers get real time insight as they can watch collaboration as it unfolds to better understand, assess and guide students, without having to interrupt

learning. Student contributions are labelled allowing teachers to gauge individuals progress during group work.

A simple interface means students interact with lessons, content and projects in natural, authentic ways – inside and outside the classroom. Students get the same user experience across tablets, laptops and interactive displays.

The follow-me feature allows the teachers to take over the workspace at any time, to demonstrate and describe work to students. And teachers can assign students to individual, small-group or whole-class workspaces.

Sennheiser provides accessible hearing Sennheiser MobileConnect streams audio content via WiFi live and in high quality directly to any smartphone. It is optimised for universities where it delivers personalised accessibility for students.

To access a live stream, students simply need to download and install the free MobileConnect app and connect to their university’s WiFi network with their own device. The MobileConnect app allows the user to adjust the sound characteristics intuitively and route the audio signal to your headphone, hearing aid or Cochlea implant.

The real time audio streaming server enables extreme low-latency transmission of audio content to mobile devices. Students use their own smartphones, so no additional hardware is necessary. MobileConnect requires neither maintenance nor operational costs, which means a lower total cost of ownership and faster ROI. MobileConnect integrates into any existing audio infrastructure and can be installed within a day by linking the ConnectStation to your existing audio system, connecting to the WiFi and starting the app. The system is easy to maintain and fast to configure via Admin Web Interface.

www.smarttech.com www.sennheiser.com

46 LAST WORD: PAUL SCHOLEY, BLUEJEANS

October 2018

Flexible working Advances in audio and video meeting technology means employees no longer have to rely on an increasingly unreliable and expensive rail network, says Paul Scholey, VP of international sales at BlueJeans

I

t’s perhaps of little surprise that nearly 40% of trains in the UK last year failed to run on time. For the nation’s longsuffering commuters, it often feels like the rail network is getting worse not better.

With the cost of nationwide rail travel having inflated by 40% since 2008, and the price of rail tickets expected to increase a further 3.5% next January, commuting to work has simply become less viable for thousands of employees. Widespread travel delays are adding to the frustration and now is the time for all businesses to support their workforce and invest in flexible working alternatives to ensure employees do not have to rely on public transport to get work done.

‘Video and audio meetings enable employees to work flexible hours in any time zone and still feel like they’re a valued part of the team’

In the past, businesses have worried that flexible working could lead to disengaged employees and reduced productivity. But thanks to meeting platforms integrating with the likes of Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Facebook for Workplace, working remotely is now just as effective as working in the office. Live video and audio meetings have the power to bring the human factor to collaboration between colleagues, customers and prospects so that employees can continue to build strong relationships regardless of whether they’re in the office, at a coffee shop, or at home.

Moreover, the fact they can access all of their everyday communication tools seamlessly through one device allows for greater efficiency.

Relationship building Video and audio meetings enable employees to work flexible hours in any time zone and still feel like they’re a valued part of the team, engaging

with the culture that has been built, all while creating the types of relationships you would normally see daily in a physical office. As an employee who is working offsite, team members will begin to trust and rely on you because the regular conversations will help to build that personal connection.

The ability to connect face-to-face, or simply have animated conversations over audio, is instrumental to a successful flexible working programme, building relationships and enabling effective collaboration. It’s why businesses spend tens of thousands on travel each year.

Now, with flexible working being supported by video meetings, they can reduce that spend but still foster productive relationships.

Collaborative culture With the right technologies – and a change in mindset – organisations can develop an external focus and create a truly collaborative culture.

Customers and partners will have a greater voice and influence more customer-centric products and services. Untold revenue opportunities exist for those who get it right.

The key to a successful flexible working policy is using the chosen technology solutions to help maintain productivity and communicate effectively when out of the office. This can be done by using collaboration technologies such as digital assistants, interactive whiteboards, and instant messaging to ensure that meetings are productive and meaningful, wherever the attendees might be in the world. The narrative that employees need to be in the office to do their job is outdated given the technology that is now at their disposal. The reality is, with the live meeting technologies that are now available, staff can be empowered to deliver high-quality work any time, any place.

And when you consider how much time is lost owing to delayed public transport, it’s illogical not to encourage flexible working. As long as companies have the requisite technology that allows employees to do their job, they are at no disadvantage working from home.

Paul Scholey is vice president of international sales at BlueJeans

www.bluejeans.com

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