INTERVIEW

The Future of AV

In this issue we interview

Peter Hunt, Group CEO of Hewshott International

about the future of AV. With AI, Cloud Technology and IoT in the IT realm, how does the AV industry ensure it stays relevant and offers unique propositions?

How does the AV industry prepare for this pivot?

The first thing we all have to accept is that the future of AV is in the IT domain. Once we get ‘over’ the hurdle and accept this is the future, the path to successful adoption becomes a case of when, not if. Apart from some specialist areas around MICE, theatre and other similar spaces, the vast majority of future AV rollouts will be dependent on a quality converged IT network and that includes a robust internet service where increasingly cloud based solutions will be either managed from or even reside in full. Of course there is a degree of nervousness about this adoption, so the AV industry needs to emulate how IT is delivered. That won’t be music to every reseller’s ears but it’s a stark reality, and those who adopt early will be able to set the trend.

Manufacturers similarly have a role to play by ensuring their products and solutions go through a rigorous QA process that includes extensive network testing. Many barriers to entry for AV over IP revolve around being accepted on a client’s network so anything that can be done to overcome this will definitely break down the objections we are frequently faced with.

Why are these changes happening?

The changes are happening because technology is developing AND appetite to risk has changed. How does this impact the integration market? Massively. There is too much going on to go into detail here, but with convergence comes consolidation and manufacturers are addressing this by ensuring their products are fit for purpose. The proliferation of ‘all in one’ camera soundbars, for example, is a very good illustration of how the plug and play world of IT is impacting AV. But, this is not the panacea. With convenience and relatively low cost comes consequences. Pitching products at a price point and delivering enough quality to past the litmus test is a great achievement, but knowing the limits and when to do it differently (perhaps one would say traditionally) is when an AV professional should be consulted. The challenge is that tipping point is different for each person and organisation, and certainly the period since Q1 2020 has taught us that convenience and an ability to get on with the job is a higher priority than a ‘perfect’ AV solution.

Who will the industry be answering to in the near future?

AV is well and truly away from facilities now, and AV ‘systems’ internally is almost exclusively the domain of the IT department within an organisation, not facilities. As the IT powerhouse in a corporation becomes bigger, the user experience is as important. This is moving away from the traditional IT model of networks, helpdesk and systems admin which is music to the ears of AV people because we are about the user experience. We just need to work out which group is most closely aligned with our service offering.

What type of expertise does the AV industry need to brush up on?

All types, but mainly we need AV qualifications to be aligned with the IT market. Whether we like it or not, the IT market does regard AV as a minnow and to raise our profile, we need to match them in terms of skills and perception of those skills. We’ve had IT since 2012, and I’ve witnessed AV integrators bringing in IT professionals to their businesses which is an essential move. This should not be the exception, it should be the norm. However, we must never, ever lose sight of those core skills that makes AV work – remember we are in the business of sound and pictures, and in many cases creating atmospheres and emotions, and that is an area that IT really doesn’t understand how to achieve. Our future is safe, just different to what it’s been for the last 30 years. Hewshott International