Systems Integration Asia October & November 2011

Vol. 11 Issue 1 ~ OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2011

AUDIO • VISUAL • LIGHT • CONTROL SYSTEMS MICA (P) 014/04/2011 PPS 1669/08/2012 (022815)

Indian AVSI going places Convergence, the next level?

Redefining Visualization at the world’s largest refining hub Integrate 2011 Review

w w w . s y s t e m s i n t e g r a t i o n a s i a . c o m

CONTENTS 70

Vol. 11 Issue 1 ~ October/November 2011

36 04 FIRST WORDS 06 NEWS

77 INDIA INTERVIEW 62 Interview with Shylakumar Balu – Founder-MD of Genesis IT Innovations Ltd

26 SOLUTIONS UPDATE

EXHIBITION REVIEW 36 Integrate 2011

EXHIBITION PREVIEW 49 INSTALL Vietnam 50 INDIA NEWS

COVER FEATURE 56 Indian AVSI Going Places Convergence, the Next Level?

INDIA INSTALLATION 66 AV Solutions optimised for learning at the DePuy Institute 68 Healthcare Exhibited Audio-Visually at the Jindal Naturecure Museum 70 Re(de)fining visualization at World’s largest refining hub INSTALLATIONS 70 The University of Hong Kong enhances its facilities 73 Barix IP Audio Solution at Maldives Islands Resort 74 Symetrix Jupiter at Beijing’s Visitor Centre 75 Living in style and security at the Regattas Apartments and Hotel

76 Sandvik display data with ONELAN 76 ONELAN at the Shanghai Bund Sightseeing Tunnel 77 dnp Supernova Core at Singapore’s prime home entertainment market

VOICE BOX 79 Life is a Presentation – an interview with Dr Dinesh of WOW VISION 80 The Convergence of AV and IT is shaping the world of communications by Kaushik Mukhopadhyay of Integrated Audio Visual (India) Pvt Ltd 81 Tricks of the trade by John Ungerer of Kramer Australia

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Systems Integration Asia October - November 2011

Endorsed by:

OUR TEAM

Three Aces

“The AVSI Industry is in for a cusp of sustained growth over the next few years,” so goes the observation of an industry leader from the Indian audio-visual and systems integration sector. At a juncture where convergence of IT and Telecom with AV – or vice-versa – is high on everyone’s mind in the domains, the observation is taken to symbolize a generic euphoria across the spectra. More, that it’s the age of wonder gadgetry like iPads and web-enabled hand-held devices, Internet, voice and video are said to be emerging as the ultimate trifecta for cutting-edge systems/solutions on hand- collaboration, communication and control tools!

PUBLISHER / EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Thomas Richard Prakasam thomas@spinworkz.com INDIA AND MIDDLE EAST EDITOR Ram Bhavanashi ram@spinworkz.com

Summing up, it’s like Three Aces.

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR James Bose james@spinworkz.com

Yes, with the Indian industry fast catching up with the global dynamism, Systems Integration Asia (SIA) joins, and shares the same with equal enthusiasm- which, we believe, is aptly, nay, amply, reflected in our rejuvenated presentation through an exclusive India section.

EDITORIAL INTERN Josephine Price josephine@spinworkz.com

The vibrancy and activism displayed by Indian industry is unparalleled anywhere in the world, they say. This may be for the simple fact that the parameters that make them up are inimitably Indian, even if it means undoing the doing- which is probably why one generally finds the ordinary juxtaposed, literally, to the extraordinary.

DESIGN AND PRODUCTION Jimmy Chin jimmy@spinworkz.com

SIA, always as close to the ground as possible, therefore presents this juxtaposition through its cover feature Indian AVSI Going Places…Convergence, the Next Level in the most clinically objective fashion possible, giving due respect to every constituent factor.

ADMIN & CIRCULATION Julie Tan admin@spinworkz.com

Admittedly, this is done with purpose- to reinforce SIA’s belief in the explosive market potential that India presents the world with; to signify SIA’s renewed focus on the region, with a resolve to showcase its stake in the global domain; and to contribute, in any humble, genuine fashion, to its moving forward through focused columns.

PRINTED BY Print & Print Pte Ltd

It’s not just India that is opening up its market riches to the entrepreneurial world; the Middle East markets, which actually forged much ahead of India, are also apparently rearing to bounce back to their dynamic best, recovering from their recent setbacks.

Decidedly, therefore, India and Middle East geographies occupy an important part of SIA’s Asiatic, if not global, perspective.

My coming on-board SIA for India and ME market, therefore, presents me with exciting opportunities as also challenges. While I’m thankful to SIA team for supporting me all-through, I resolve to strive to do my best.

PUBLISHED BY Spinworkz Pte Ltd 51 Bukit Batok Crescent #06-10 Unity Centre Singapore 658077 Tel: (65) 6316 2716 Fax: (65) 63162715 www.spinworkz.com

My next outing will be at InfoCom MEA in Dubai. Wishing you all the best.

Ram Bhavanashi Editor India and Middle East

Disclaimer Systems Integration Asia is published 6 times a year.

All rights reserved. No part of this magazine is to be reproduced, whether mechanical or electronic without the prior written consent of the publisher. Views expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect those of the editor or the publisher. Unsolicited contributions are welcome but the editor reserves the discretion to use them. Whilst every care is taken to ensure the accuracy and honesty in both editorial and advertising content at press time, the publisher will not be liable for any inaccuracies.

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Mitsubishi Electric and Khai Quoc hold successful event in Hanoi

VIETNAM: Mitsubishi Electric Asia Pte Ltd, Visual Imaging Division held a successful joint-event with its Vietnamese distributor, Khai Quoc Trading & Technology Development Company Limited in mid July to showcase Mitsubishi Electric’s solutions to dealers and end-users.

Khai Quoc distributes Mitsubishi Electric’s visual and imaging products which consist of projectors, public display monitors and large display solutions. Khai Quoc chose to work with Mitsubishi Electric due to its reliable products, prompt service and trusted relationship. The seven years since both the companies established their relationship has brought about successful installations such as in Vietnam Airlines, Ministry of Education and Training, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and many more.

The joint-event took place at the Grand Plaza Hanoi Hotel in Vietnam. The two day event was held on the 14th and 15th of July 2011. The first day was focused on a Projector seminar followed by a Display Wall roadshow on the second day. The Projector seminar saw a strong

turnout of 130 dealers who specialised in projector sales. They came from 26 different cities, mainly from the northern part of Vietnam. Interesting presentations such as product roadmap, unique selling points and market situation were shared with the Vietnamese dealers to give them a clear understanding of Mitsubishi Electric’s direction. Complementing the presentation were live demonstrations of Mitsubishi Electric’s unique projector features which included Edge-Blending (XD8100U), 4-in-1 LAN Display & Wireless option (WD380U-EST), 3D projection (XD560U) and the latest 3D Home Cinema (HC9000D) among others.

The dealers were left impressed with what they saw.

Mitsubishi Electric also took the opportunity to display their range of Public Display LCD monitors, namely LDT461V2 (digital signage portrait function) and MDT421S (tiling function).

This prompted the dealers to show keen interest in selling Mitsubishi Electric branded Public Display LCD monitors.

The first day’s event was rounded off with a networking dinner that enabled many to forge closer bonds. The guests were entertained by famous local singers and a classical live band. Attractive lucky draw prizes were also given out during the dinner, which made it a memorable night for everyone.

The Display Wall Roadshow was held on the following day, at the same venue. The actual attendee turnout was three times what was expected. Total attendees were close to 120 dealers, system integrators and end-users. The customers came from diverse industries such as electrical and energy fields,

government sectors, broadcast stations, security and transportation companies.

LED-illuminated DLP display wall and super narrow bezel LCD display wall special features were highlighted to the wide audience. The special features were collectively known as “Smart 7”, which stands for “Redundancy, Intelligence, Flexibility, Internal Processing, Autobalancing, Easy Set-up and Durability”.

Live product demonstrations were also conducted on the spot. Mitsubishi Electric proudly presented two types of display walls with front-access capability. Front-access allows the endusers to open the panel horizontally without the hassle of removing the panel for maintenance work.

The first product demonstration was a 2x2 DLP display wall (four units of VS50PEF70U) which are 50 inch size. This product features SXGA+ resolution, front-access and LED-illuminated display unit. Other outstanding features include 80,000 hours long life time, true zero maintenance structure, ecology conscious solutions, selected LED power, advanced colour range and colour temperature options. The second product demonstration was of the 2x1 LCD display wall (two units of VS-L46XM70U) which are 46 inch size.

This product features WXGA resolution,

front-access and super narrow bezel LCD panel. The special features include motorized alignment mechanics, digital gradation circuit, diversified signal input compatibilities, internal processing capabilities of up to 6 overlay windows per screen and smart bezel compensation based on individual signal. The display wall technologies impressed the audience and many attendees were keen to find out more about the products.

Riding on the success of this joint-event in Hanoi, Mitsubishi Electric and Khai Quoc have decided to conduct another similar event at Ho Chi Minh, tentatively planned for early next year. www.MitsubishiElectric.com.sg www.KhaiQuoc.com

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AMX forms Network Media Group INTERNATIONAL: AMX®, has announced the creation of a Network Media Group to advance its line of IPbased media distribution and control solutions. AMX has garnered much praise from industry experts and press recently with its network-centric solutions that integrate AV and IT. With the formation of this team, the company further cements its commitment to this growing trend.

The mission of this newly formed group is to understand the unique requirements of a fully IT compatible AV solution and adapt existing products and develop new products necessary to meet these requirements. At the outset, the Network Media Group will span the U.S. and U.K and bring together teams responsible for current AMX IP-media product families including, Vision2 IPTV systems, the Inspired Signage line and the Television Distribution System (TDS).

This AMX US based team will focus on enhancing the capabilities of these lines for AV control, media management and distribution over IP networks, specifically pertaining to live and ondemand streaming of video, music and

The DTV-TX03-US digital TV transmitter (TDS Line)

The receiver (DTV-RX02-HD) receiver (TDS Line)

multimedia content, television content and digital signage content.

“Without question the marketplace is moving to the IP network as the network of choice for audiovisual content,” said AMX President and CEO Rashid Skaf. “AMX’s leading-edge IP-based AV distribution technology is engineered for optimal performance in IT frameworks – making the integration of these solutions in commercial environments the easiest and most effective for IT managers to introduce. The objective of the Network Media Group is to continue to push this technology, developing the next generation IP-based solutions, and ensuring our dealers are equipped with the best solutions available.”

With AMX’s Vision2, Inspired Signage and Television Distribution System a company can significantly improve communication within their organization by using their existing network infrastructure to stream live announcements from company officials corporate-wide, distribute and manage digital signage content, incorporate television content within their signage and even create their own corporate video channel.

As these solutions are built for IT networks, they are scalable for future growth and allow remote management via the network as well as from a PC, touch panel or keypad. www.amx.com

Barco joins forces with China Film Group company will maintain the Barco brand and ensure Barco’s world-class quality and service. Leveraging the experience and influence of China Film Equipment Co. Ltd., the new company will also build more effective communication channels and a more intimate relationship with customers.

CHINA: Barco and China Film Group have announced the formation of CFG Barco (Beijing) Electronics Co. Ltd. The new company is a joint venture among two Barco subsidiaries – Barco Visual (Beijing) Electronics Company Limited and Barco China (Holdings) Limited Company – and China Film Equipment Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of China Film Group.

Barco’s global market leadership in digital cinema is based on customer loyalty, local market adaptation and strong innovation, especially in China. By end of July 2011, more than 4600 Barco digital cinema projectors have been installed in Greater China (covering 65% of the Chinese market). To meet market demand, Barco has multiple factories in various regions of the world. The Beijing factory is already achieving a monthly production capacity of 500 projectors.

Last year, Barco set up a digital projector research center in Beijing, becoming the first foreign projector manufacturer to establish a research center in China.

This joint venture illustrates Barco’s and China Film Group’s determination to develop China’s digital cinema market by strengthening the localized development and production of digital cinema products and services in China. Through its customer service facilities, sales, local R&D, and production, the new

Xiaoli Han, General Manager of China Film Group and China Film Co. Ltd, said: “We’re following *China’s 12th Five-Year Plan – as a company in the culture industry, we should contribute to China’s digital cinema development.

Through this new collaboration, we hope that Barco will introduce more and

Wim Buyens, Senior VP Barco N.V. and GM Entertainment Division

more cutting-edge projection technology into China and further localize R&D and production in China. We will continue our efforts in promoting and applying digital technology in China’s film industry.”

“China’s digital cinema market is developing rapidly,” commented Wim Buyens, Senior Vice President Barco N.V. and General Manager Entertainment Division. “We are proud of and confident in our investment and collaboration with China Film Group, and we are honoured to work with China’s best film equipment trading company. This is another major milestone following our establishment of the research center in Beijing. The new joint venture will combine Barco’s technology and China Film Group’s wide expertise in the China digital cinema market. This roll-out of digital projector technology to many more cinemas will enable China’s film industry to reach and benefit a larger audience of moviegoers.” *China’s ambitious 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015), is based on the forecast that the culture industry will enter a period of rapid development in the next five years and contribute 5% to the country’s GDP. www.barco.com

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Clockaudio expands S.E.A. office and appoints Regional Sales Manager SINGAPORE: Clockaudio, a microphone and microphone systems solutions manufacturer, has announced that it is expanding its South-East Asia regional office in Singapore after only a year of operation. At the same time, it has announced the appointment of Jon Han to the newly created position of Regional Sales Manager, South-East Asia.

Clockaudio established a regional support office in Singapore, in July last year. Exactly one year later, the company’s regional expansion has necessitated a move to much larger premises in the central east district of the city, and an upgrading of the facility to full regional office status.

The accelerating growth rate across the region has also resulted in the appointment of Han as Regional Sales Manager.

Creation of this position sees the company bring in-house and expand the activities previously undertaken by Rob Yeo of Rytech Marketing. Han joins Clockaudio from Audio-Technica SEA, where he was Business Development Manager, Pro Audio Division. Prior to that he was Account Manager, Solution Sales at Spectrum Conferencing Pte Ltd, a key systems integrator and AV supplier in the region.

Jon Han, Regional Sales Manager, South-East Asia

Commenting for Cloackaudio, International Sales and Marketing Manager Rod Geary stated, “South-East Asia is a rapidly expanding and hugely important market for us, where our products and solutions are being specified in numerous highly prestigious projects. The move to a full regional sales office has been rapid and I am very happy to welcome Jon Han to the new regional sales position. He comes to us with extensive knowledge of the professional audio market, and particular expertise in integrated conferencing & professional AV solutions.” www.clockaudio.com

Gefen and Marshall Electronics combine technologies to enable Live Streaming Video INTERNATIONAL: Digital connectivity solutions provider Gefen has announced a new relationship with Marshall Electronics to enable live video footage on any HDTV display. Support for live video is particularly beneficial for many industries including entertainment, hospitality, retail and more.

The Marshall Electronics HD Encoder/ Decoder (VS-102-HDMI) accepts video from any non HDCP-encrypted HDMI source, including satellite set-top boxes, hi-def cameras and more. When used in a Gefen Digital Signage Creator project, users are able to feed live video in the HDMI format to any HDTV display, delivering all the features of digital video with digital audio.

The Gefen Digital Signage Creator works with any Windows-based system and gives users full control over their

digital signage content creation when connected to the LAN. The intuitive layout program offers the ability to create templates, insert music, layer video images, write scripts to control content and pull RSS feeds off the Internet. Content can be pushed to the Digital Signage Creator for immediate updates or pulled automatically from another server.

“When combined with the Marshall Electronics VS-102-HDMI HD Encoder/ Decoder, the Gefen Digital Signage Creator can also deliver a live video stream that remains in the HDMI domain,” explained John Novak, director, Digital Signage for Gefen. “This is an extremely valuable solution for many digital signage applications, especially sporting events and advertising functions.”

Equipped with both HDMI and VGA

outputs, the Gefen Digital Signage Creator delivers a digital video output or traditional analog video. Video resolutions are supported up to 720p at 60 frames and 1080p at 24 frames in both landscape and portrait alignments.

An RS-232 port allows for remote control of content through the display(s).

“By combining our resources and approaching the market together, Gefen and Marshall Electronics can now offer one of the most cost-effective solutions for streaming live video in a complete digital signage system,” said Perry Goldstein, manager, Sales & Marketing for Marshall Electronics. “This is a natural fit solution that has a small footprint, operates effectively and works with any size HDTV display.” www.gefen.com www.mars-cam.com

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Pacific Media reports 16% Y/Y growth in projector unit sales for Q2

Sales of Interactive projectors for the Education market remained strong. Photo courtesy of Hitachi

INTERNATIONAL: According to Pacific Media Associates (PMA), the worldwide market information experts on front projectors, the worldwide front projector market grew by 16% in Q2 2011 compared to the same quarter last year.

PMA divides the front projector industry into three brightness ranges, each associated with its own set of buyer types and applications: New Era (under 500 lumens), Mainstream (500 to 4999 lumens), and High-End (5000 or more lumens).

The New Era range showed unprecedented Y/Y growth with a 195% uptake in unit sales versus Q2 2010. Part of this phenomenal growth can be attributed to an increase in shipments of products with embedded pico projectors, such as camcorders, digital still cameras, and mobile phones. The New Era projector category also gained ground due to strong initial shipments of Wide XGA personal projectors.

In the Mainstream range, unit sales dropped by 4% in Q2 2011 compared to Q2 2010. Education Markets remained strong and the number of interactive projectors increased dramatically in Q2, but corporate and home markets were still sluggish due to the world economic situation. “The year/year slowdown in the mainstream market was seen mainly in developed markets, many of which saw buoyant sales during last year’s second quarter because of the industry’s post-recession inventory correction, sporting events like Euro Football, and strong education technology spending from the US stimulus” said Michael Abramson, VP of Projector Research at Pacific Media Associates. “Despite the weak comparisons, ultra-shortthrow projectors, including the emerging interactive models, continued to outperform the overall market, even in developed countries.”

Sales of high-end models continued to outperform the overall market as volume rose 26% in the second quarter versus the comparable quarter last year. D-cinema shipments registered another quarter of 50%+ growth, and the momentum is expected to continue the rest of the year with the announcement of many new financing and deployment agreements. The traditional high-end market for large venues also performed well with double-digit gains continuing in sales of Wide XGA and Wide UXGA models. www.pacificmediaassociates.com

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Media-Go Technology organises series of product introduction events HONG KONG: On 19th July, Media-Go Technology held a “Gefen Product Range Introduction” at their Kwun Tong offices in Hong Kong. Aaron Lange, International sales manager from Gefen was the presenter. Aaron gave a brief introduction about Gefen’s company background and then proceeded to present Gefen’s solutions that are used in different market segments highlighting the features and advantages of Gefen’s product range including extenders, switchers, HDMI matrix switchers and video converters.

Gefen Product Range Introduction Day

On 26th July, Media-Go Technology held a “LifeSize Product Range Introduction” with Kelvin Chiu, the International Sales Manager from LifeSize, and Wilson Chan, the Teleprescence Engineering Specialist from Media-Go Technology Limited, as the hosts.

Features of the LifeSize product range were demonstrated to show the quality, performance and how the different products in the range could be utilised to meet various different customers requirements.. Guests were invited to experience the true-to-life video conference call by dialling some local locations and to LifeSize Sales Engineer, Matt Carter, who is stationed in Australia. Matt also gave a presentation on various case studies and a product update. During the presentation the LifeSize®Video Centre – a single appliance solution, was demonstrated. This product ensures that live and on-demand videos are easily accessible from any location and on more devices—including the iPhone®, iPad® and iPod®.

LifeSize Product Range Introduction

The 23rd of August, saw Media-Go hold a “Kramer Matrix™ Training on Digital Video” event. Hosting the presentation was David Penrose, System Specialist from Kramer Asia Pacific.

During the introduction there were in-depth presentations regarding digital video and the features, and advantages, of the selected new Kramer Matrix items. Recent applications and new solutions were also reviewed during David’s presentation with supplementary information provided by catalogues distributed to the attendees.

Kramer Matrix Training

Finally on the 5th and 6th of September, held a “Advanced Integrated Solutions ClearOne INTERACT™ PRO” event that was presented by David Wang, the Technical Sales Director of ClearOne Limited.

During the introduction there were in-depth presentations regarding audio conferencing system and the features, and advantages, of the ClearOne INTERACT™ Pro. Successful projects constructed by Media-Go Engineering Ltd showed the feasibility of Crestron touchpanel to merge, reduce clutter and enhance the user experience by unifying ClearOne INTERACT PRO™, room control and other equipment onto a single display.

Media-Go Technology’s presentation activities serve the objective of engaging the industry with the various solutions that the company represents and how these solutions can be deployed effectively. It also allows for internal staff as well as the industry to share their thoughts and opinions and discuss issues. It is with that perspective in mind that Media-Go holds these presentations that are generally well attended. www.gefen.com www.lifesize.com

www.kramerasia.com www.clearone.com

www.mediago.com.hk

ClearOne INTERACT PRO event

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Dr Joseph Kramer Asia Tour 2011 Ari reassured the audience that Kramer will continue to put in more investment in their products and highlighted that Kramer’s Twisted Pair cables and connectors were growing at a very fast rate with cables contributing to 20% of their overall sales. Ari also showcased various case studies where Kramer’s solutions were used in unique settings and also highlighted some of Kramer’s sales tools – Cable Tab and Flash Tools which are intuitive tools that help users configure and choose the appropriate Kramer solutions.

SINGAPORE: Believe it or not this was Dr Kramer’s first tour to Asia and what an indelible impression he made for those who were fortunate enough to hear him!

The tour started off in Bangkok followed

by Singapore and then to Shanghai and Beijing and was part of Kramer’s 30th Anniversary celebrations.

The theme of Dr Kramer’s presentation touched on current competing AV technologies and of course about Kramer’s philosophies and way of doing business.

The Singapore presentation took place on 7th September at the Ritz Carlton Hotel. A packed audience of invited guests who ranged from distributors to integrators to consultants and even end-users were treated to a morning of entertaining, thought-provoking, insightful and at times even humorous presentation by Dr Joseph Kramer.

he was stationed way before joining Kramer. This was followed by a brief talk by Paul Lee, GM of Kramer AsiaPacific who highlighted about Kramer’s philosophies and its “Never Give Up” attitude. Next up was Ari Gorlin, VP of sales in Kramer who gave an overview of Kramer’s mission and of the huge opportunity that Asia presents for Kramer and its partners. In his speech, Ari highlighted that Kramer has sales, support and distribution offices in 18 countries with exports to over 60 countries. He also highlighted that in 2008 Asia contributed to 13% of overall sales and in 2011 that figure is expected to reach 20%.

Ari also made it a point to highlight that Kramer’s solutions are used in almost all vertical markets from corporate, education, houses of worship, government, entertainment and public venues as well as in the residential segment.

Dr Joseph Kramer

The presentation started off with a short introduction by Sam Bonomo, Executive VP of Kramer, who spoke fondly of his affinity to Singapore, where

Paul Lee, GM of Kramer Asia-Pacific

Dr Joseph Kramer, founder, CEO and chief visionary of Kramer Electronics than took over from Ari for his presentation. Dr Kramer stated off his presentation talking about how Kramer came about. He referred the audience to a book by Robert Frost, “The Road Not Taken” and lets on that his decision to take the road not taken has made all the difference.

Dr Kramer highlighted that Kramer exists because of the advancement of technology versus legacy systems.

He states that the world is over technologised and Kramer’s role is to be the buffer between the people who think they are getting ahead in technology and those left behind.

Sam Bonomo, Executive VP of Kramer

Ari Gorlin, VP of sales in Kramer

He spoke fondly about the first product he created – the VS-2E11 image enhancer.

He told the audience that Kramer now has over 1000 products with an average of 3 new products being introduced

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every week. He highlights that Kramer survived because it took the road not taken as they had to think out of the box and come up with unique solutions. He referred to the term RABBIT technology where Kramer multiplied the solutions quickly to run ahead of the pack.

With regards to thinking out of the box and being first with unique solutions, Dr Kramer went through a number of Kramer’s products – highlighting why Kramer came out with the solution.

Dr Kramer highlights that Kramer was the first in the industry to be able to transfer video over a twisted pair over long distances. Amongst other firsts he also highlighted that Kramer was the first in the industry with their FlatField speakers which are special loudspeakers that feature adjustable drives to accommodate different sized rooms and are fully intelligible. Dr Kramer then went on to highlight that Kramer produced the first Ethernet controlled matrix switchers, first Wi-Fi controlled switchers and first Bluetooth controlled switcher. He also highlighted how Kramer offered customers their control software for free, which at that time was unheard of. He also touched on the smart EDID simulation for analog and digital video signals that Kramer had introduced to reinforce Kramer’s philosophy of thinking out of the box.

Dr Kramer then went on to discuss about the various AV Technologies starting off with what he termed from “Analog to the Clash of the Titans” touching on DiiVA versus Thunderbolt versus HDBaseT protocols. In this interesting presentation he started off from the very beginning of Composite video and brought the audience through to all the various technologies over the years ending of with the three protocols. He offered insight as to the beginnings of these protocols, their individual advantages and disadvantages and suggested that the world will be divided amongst these three protocols. Dr Kramer also touched on WHDI – Wireless Home Digital Interface based on MHL (Mobile High Definition Link) products.

MHL is a mobile HD interface standard optimized for directly connecting mobile phones and other portable devices to high-definition televisions (HDTVs) and displays, while simultaneously providing power to charge mobile device batteries over a single cable.

For the last part of his presentation he spoke about recent real technology breakthroughs which piqued the audience interest. Dr Kramer highlighted about a breakthrough in wireless communication via a 800Mbps light bulb. He said that this will be the future and more importantly it will be safer to use. (Ed Note: Check out this link from

a BBC programme that touches on this issue: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/ programmes/click_online/9593015.stm).

With regards to VGA where some had predicted that it will die in 2015, he highlighted that it is a simple and reliable solution and may not necessarily see its end in 2015. He did however mention that probably Cat5 or optical cables will be the future.

On storage he mentioned that the new term will be petabyte and not terabyte.

Dr Kramer felt that Crystal Lattice Storage and Microflash storage will replace magnetic and optical storage.

As for other big buzzes Dr Kramer spoke about technology advancement in streaming, software based switching and digital AV encoded in packets.

The presentation ended with a sumptuous buffet lunch spread. The buzz at the lunch was very much focussed on the interesting presentation by Dr Joseph Kramer, who as Chief visionary for Kramer definitely made many in the audience ponder about the future possibilities for our industry. www.kramerasia.com

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Vega becomes Cisco TelePresence Video Master Authorized Technology Provider HONG KONG: Further to the designation of Advance Unified Communications (AUC) and TelePresence Authorized Technology Provider, Vega now is further recognized by Cisco Systems as the only Cisco TelePresence Video Master Authorized Technology Provider (ATP) in Hong Kong. This designation recognizes Vega as having fulfilled the training requirements and program prerequisites to sell, deploy and support Cisco TelePresence Video products and solutions at the Master level.

The Cisco TelePresence Video Master ATP Program is focused on providing a new way of working in which everyone, everywhere can be more productive through face-to-face collaboration with Cisco TelePresence Video solutions. A Cisco TelePresence Video Master ATP partner is a partner with the greatest depth of knowledge and skill in deploying the entire video endpoint portfolio,

which comprises single- and triplescreen Cisco TelePresence units, custom TelePresence suites, and infrastructure solutions. Cisco TelePresence Video Master ATP Partners possess deep networking and advanced Cisco Unified Communications capabilities, regional to global coverage, and a strong and mature services practice.

Vega is proud to get this recognition from Cisco. With this certification, Vega is the only company in Hong Kong to provide a full range of Cisco TelePresence products for their customers. Together with a very experienced and fast growing professional services team, Vega is now in the best position to support their customers in real-time collaboration through Cisco advanced technology and solutions. www.vega-global.com

Crestron at BEX Asia 2011 Crestron booth featured their affordable Prodigy control systems, the DIN-rail lighting and control series, iLux CLS-C integrated lighting system with motion sensor and the GLPAC compact dimming system. One key focus was on Crestron’s Integrated Building Technology (IBT) solution which co-works with the BMS software to manage energy and operational efficiency.

Crestron also took the opportunity to present at the Conference. Vincent Lum, Business manager at Crestron Asia (Singapore) presented on Crestron Integrated Building Technology – The Complete Energy Management System. www.crestronasia.com

SINGAPORE: The BEX Asia 2011 conference and exhibition was held from the 14 – 16 September at Suntec Singapore. BEX Asia is a an exhibition focused on eco-friendly, energy efficient building materials, design and architecture for the future of sustainable environments. The event brought together industry practitioners, professionals and key buyers across the regions to learn, network and do business.

With the AV industry pulling its weight in green technologies, a number of the solution providers were present at the exhibition showcasing their solutions to enable potential customers to benefit from their “green” solutions. These included Omeio International Pte Ltd showcasing their HAI home automation system, as well as HDL; Legrand featuring their Home security solutions; Lutron with their energy saving solutions and Crestron Asia (Singapore) Pte Ltd. The

(R-L) Kanny Leong Operations Director Crestron Asia with Edmund Chan, Country Manager and Vincent Lum Business Manager for Lighting

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Sony’s SXRD panel technology minimises the gaps between pixels for sharper, stunning image quality.

Motionflow automatically inserts extra frames between the images to improve the smoothness of the film, and makes action scenes and character movements flawless.

Sony holds Front Projector Regional Conference 2011 THAILAND: Early August saw Sony hold its Front Projector Regional Conference 2011 at the Dusit Thani Resort in Pattaya, Thailand. The conference saw Sony’s representatives from Japan and Sony Professional Solutions Asia Pacific and Sony Professional Solutions SouthEast Asia offices, welcoming dealers from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indo-China and Bangladesh. The three day conference started off with the checking-in of guests and a welcome dinner on the first night, followed by the conference on the second day.

N Hasegawa, Senior GM from Sony Japan gave the welcome speech, followed by a world-wide market update by T Oshima, GM of Sony Japan. This was followed up with the introduction of the product line up. The first part of the product line was presented by Lawrence Tang, Product Manager of Sony Professional Solutions Asia Pacific, who showcased for the first time Sony’s short throw projectors models VPL-SW125 and the VPL-SX125.

The VPL-SW125 WXGA projector is an ideal choice for close projection applications in the corporate and educational markets. This projector offers: Low cost of Ownership: The model has a low brightness mode which reduces power consumption and extends the lamp lifetime to approximately 6000 hours, which means lower operating costs across the board.

Ease of Operation: This projector is easy to install in small or difficult spaces, and has easy to operate controls. Bright, Clear Presentations: Excellent contrast, consistent colour stability, high picture quality and longer durability will improve visibility and enhance teaching quality.

The VPL-SW125 WXGA features a colour brightness output of 2600 lumens with a native WXGA (1280 x 800) widescreen resolution and has an outstanding contrast ratio of 3800:1 provided by the Bright Era® LCD panels. 12bit 3D Digital

Gamma Correction provides smoother and more accurate colour reproduction.

With the short throw lens that gives a throw ratio of 0.62:1, the VPL-SW125 is capable of projecting large image from short distance. Other features include Auto Pixel Alignment, and Automatic Keystone Adjustment The Sony VPL-SX125 offers similar capabilities to that of the VPL-SW125, except that it has a colour light output of 2500 ANSI lumens with a native XGA (1024 x 768) resolution.

SONY VPL-HW30ES

This projector now allows users to pre-select separate parameters for 2D and 3D content for Dynamic, Standard, Photo, Game and Cinema modes, as well as automatically recognising 2D or 3D input. Users can customise their viewing, to match the room specifications, along with the content type.

The VPL-HW30ES has integrated 3D with frame-sequential 3D USB-chargeable glasses and a transmitter.This transmitter will activate the 3D mode – and bring the content to life. The chargeable glasses and transmitter are sold separately.

The latter sessions included a SouthEast Asia market update by Dennis Kom, senior manager at Sony Professional Solutions South-East Asia, followed by interactive discussions and demonstrations. The evening ended with fine dining at the Mantra @ Amari Orchid Resort.

The third day was set aside for team building activities. The day saw participants soaring through the rain forest at the Flight of the Gibbon adventure. The adventure featured 24 platforms for participants to swing through the forest. It was a thrilling and unforgettable voyage for the participants that brought about much laughter and comradeship. After the excitement, participants broke for a traditional Thai lunch and ended the day with a jungle trek to a scenic site.

The second part of the product line presentation focused on the Home Cinema solution and was presented by D Nagatomi, manager at Sony Japan.

He focused on Sony’s new 3D home projector the VPL-HW30ES. Sony’s VPL-HW30ES, enter a new era of ultra high quality 3D imagery, accessible at an affordable price. Packed with the very latest innovative features which are easy to use and control, users can experience enhanced immersive 3D movie content without having to leave their sofa.

The VPL-HW30ES features Sony’s unique Dynamic Lamp Control technology.

Dynamic Lamp Control boosts the appropriate brightness when each of the user’s 3D glasses’ shutters flicks back open. This means that the user will not lose any brightness and attain the optimal visual experience.

Participants enjoying their Flight of the Gibbon adventure

The three day conference came to an end with the delegates invigorated about Sony’s ambitions and solutions. www.sony.com

Systems Integration Asia October - November 2011

NEWS

VTRON International Distributors Meeting 2011 meeting. At VIDM 2011, VTRON presented newly released products including their third generation Video Wall platform - V3L and V3U series to the global partners. VIDM also offered an opportunity for partners to network and share successful experiences as well as professional solutions in.

Product Highlights: The product highlights at the event included: CHINA: The VTRON International Distributors Meeting 2011 (VIDM 2011) was held on 6th September, 2011 at the VTRON Guangzhou Headquarters. At the meeting, VTRON demonstrated its latest control rooms systems and interactive conferencing solutions. Through this highly productive meeting, VTRON too gained valuable knowledge shared by their global partners.

This is the third consecutive year that the VTRON International Distributors Meeting has been held, and this year, more than 35 partners from around the world were invited to attend the

• 2 x 3 V3L Series 50” SXGA+ LED Video Wall (High Brightness) with XLAN 800 Processor • 2 x 2 V3L Series 70” 1080P LED Video Wall • 2 x 2 V3U Series 50” XGA Video Wall (Dual Lamp) with ARK 3100SP and Magic 3000 • 2 x 2 46” LCD Video Wall (Front Access) with AP 2000 Processor • 1 x 2 67” SXGA+ Interactive Multicube System (IMS) Apart from the sales presentations and product demonstrations given by the VTRON Overseas Operations Department in the morning, VTRON’s General

Manager of the R&D Department, Michael Jiang also gave a speech with regards to further development and strategies of Video Wall and IDB business. In the afternoon session, overseas partners from Korea, India, and Thailand shared their successful case studies. After the first day of meetings and a second day of visiting Macau, including a VIP banquet at Venetian Macau, the VIDM 2011 continued with a training program at VTRON headquarters.

To keep pace with the ever-growing market, VTRON works closely with its partners to take advantage of innovative new ideas in control and command centre technology, and the VTRON International Distributors Meeting is definitely a perfect platform for new information exchange. www.vtron.com

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SOLUTIONS UPDATE

Systems Integration Asia October - November 2011

ABtUS releases new improved touch panels ABtUS, known for their continued efforts in innovating new inventions, has announced yet another product. This time it’s an enhanced version of their previous touch panel.

The A934-212C-044 12 buttons touch panel supersedes its predecessor as the previous model would likely be discontinued at the end of the year. The A934-212C-044 retains all the useful functions of the previous touch panel but adds a couple of its own upgrades to enhance user’s experience. In addition to the popular user customizable screen, the new A934-212C-044 touch panel also allows 32 command codes with complete user programmable software, auto fade out back lights and efficient low power consumption.

This slick touch panel provides the user with the convenience of having one central control for almost any electronic devices in a room. The two COM ports on the new touch panel can control virtually any serial device using standard RS 232 or RS485 communication. By pairing this

touch panel with the extensive range of control modules from Abtus, users would be able to transform and give any room a stylish and futuristic look.

The A934-212C-044 comes in both black and white which blends well with the interior design of any room. www.abtussingapore.com

AMX announces Digital Generation System with HDMI/ HDCP compliance and control the entire solution, including the connected source and display devices located throughout the building, all from a single point of control. With the powerful combination of analog-todigital signal conversion, video scaling, and high speed digital switching this hybrid system delivers perfect video every time – regardless of signal type.

Enova DGX 32

The new Enova® DGX 16 and 32 Digital Generation Matrix Switchers from AMX deliver end-toend distribution of HDMI signals with Full HDCP, with the simplicity of Analog, without interruption or key constraints using InstaGate ProTM Technology. In relation, AMX has also introduced the new DXLink HDMI Transmitters and Receivers for simplified distance transport of HDMI w/ HDCP signals.

The Enova DGX 16 and 32 systems extend the boundaries of modular matrix switchers with an integrated NetLinx® Controller and embedded Ethernet switch so users can manage, monitor,

“While competitors go to great lengths creating work-around tools to mask HDMI-HDCP problems – AMX has simply eliminated the problem,” explained AMX Chief Technology Officer Robert Noble. “The Enova DGX and DXLink Transmitters and Receivers allow our dealers to be more profitable as they will spend significantly less time with HDCP integration issues.”

Installers can now easily integrate HDCP into system designs and enjoy hassle free plug-and-play operation. No tools, no delays, and no key constraints – it just works with the exclusive InstaGate Pro™ Technology from AMX. In addition to eliminating HDCP delays, InstaGate Pro allows sources with key limitations to be switched freely to connected HDCP compliant displays, eliminating HDCP key limitations that

plague large applications. And, with built-in SmartScale™ Technology on every output, video is perfectly scaled, automatically for each connected display.

This prevents inferior video quality which occurs when sources and displays have different supported resolutions.

The Enova DGX 16 and 32 offer a comprehensive set of hot swappable boards that can be used in conjunction with DXLink Transmitters and Receivers.

This provides an end-to-end distribution system, sending analog, digital including HDMI with HDCP signals, plus control, Ethernet and power up to 100 meters over one twisted pair cable.

“We’ve solved the HDCP nightmare for installers,” said Paul Hand, AMX Product Manager. “Specifying the new Enova DGX Digital Media Switcher in conjunction with DXLink Transmitters and Receivers creates a truly plug-andplay experience. InstaGate Pro and SmartScale Technologies work together to distribute HDMI without key-constraint hassles, while scaling it for each display independently. And, all of this happens without manual setup.” www.amx.com/products/ categoryDigitalMediaSwitchers.asp

Systems Integration Asia October - November 2011

SOLUTIONS UPDATE

Bosch extends Plena Easy Line range with new Plena mixer amplifiers Bosch Security Systems has recently extended its Plena Easy Line range with three mixer amplifiers. Available in 60 watt, 120 watt and 240 watt versions, the new Plena economy units feature five inputs, including four mic/line inputs and one background music input, to provide a variety of easy solutions for broadcasting announcements and music.

The units are designed for straight-outof-the-box use and feature a highly userfriendly user interface, preferred-setting indicator pins and standard labels for the inputs. Moreover, a variety of back panel connection points allow for true application flexibility.

The mixer section has integrated equalizers for regulating the treble and bass inputs that are easily adjusted with a simple turn of a dial. In addition, a built-in limiter prevents overload of the amplifier output signal. The system can automatically take priority over other calls and music during announcements.

It also features a 100 volt call-only output which can be used as an additional third

output for e.g. volume override or as an extra zone for announcements only.

The functionality of the new Plena Economy mixer amplifiers can be extended by connecting Plena Solutions equipment such as a message manager, a DVD/CD-player and tuner, a timer unit, a feedback suppressor, as well as many other Bosch products.

These new extensions to the Plena Easy Line range mean that Bosch is able

to offer high quality and easy-to-use public address solutions for applications such as retail shops, restaurants, small businesses, offices and schools. Although aimed at these cost-sensitive markets, the Plena Economy is nevertheless a professional system meeting the same high quality standards as Bosch’s other public address and background music systems and comes with a three year Bosch warranty. www.boschsecurity.com

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Systems Integration Asia October - November 2011

Christie introduces LHD700 and LX1200 LCD Projectors them to connect additional input sources without having to buy extra equipment – they can simply add input cards to accept video and data signals; and end users can ensure the projector meets future video and data source equipment needs,” added Anzures.

Christie LX1200

Christie® is pleased to announce the addition of the 12,000 lumen Christie LX1200 and the high definition 1080p Christie LHD700 projector to its LCD line-up. The successor to the popular Christie LX1000, the Christie LX1200 is suitable for rental staging applications, boardrooms, high education facilities and houses of worship. Featuring XGA (1024 x 768) resolution, the Christie LX1200 offers a high brightness, low cost projector, providing radiant imagery and finer contrast.

Brighter and more advanced than its predecessor, the Christie LX1200 utilizes the 4DColor™ technology that incorporates a fourth (yellow) LCD panel, delivering vibrant colors to presentations. The LX1200 also features a mechanical light shutter to block light when required, inorganic LCD panels for long life expectancy and increased performance levels, and top loading lamps for quick and easy replacement.

“The Christie LX1200 is a high brightness, 2-lamp system at 12,000 lumens that is more compact than other projectors in this lumen category. The LX1200 has one of the broadest ranges of lens options, allowing flexibility of placement in even the most challenging venues,” said Frank Anzures, product manager, Business Products. “And with Christie’s 4DColor technology, customers will experience vivid, dynamic colors that are unavailable with standard LCD panels.”

The new Christie LHD700 is a 7000 lumen full HD 1080p (1920 x 1080) resolution projector utilizing a single lamp and 4DColor™ technology that is ideal for auditoriums, corporate boardrooms, government, higher education, houses of worship, and fixed and rental staging requiring native HD content, high resolution data and superior brightness.

The GefenPro 32 x 32 DVI Matrix is a modular design for professionals. Each input can route different resolutions at any time to any display by switching from the included IR Remote, IP control, RS-232, or by using the front-panel push buttons. Overall, it simplifies the process of routing multiple DVI sources giving the ability to route sources without losing quality or resolution.

The LHD700’s AutoFilter cartridge system monitors airflow for up to 10,000 hours while its extended lamp life minimizes downtime. With optional input slots, the Christie LHD700 supports additional video signals including HD-SDI, or a network input card for control and asset management.

It has several key features. The LCD display located on the front shows the routing status. It has removable input and output modules and dual redundant hot-swappable power supplies allow the Matrix to be used in the most demanding and harsh environments, offering maximum flexibility for all applications. The advanced EDID management permits upload of custom setting and it supports 1920 x 1200 and 1080p resolutions.

“Customers can present their content exactly as it is intended to be seen.

And with Crestron’s RoomView® and AMX Device Discovery feature, it is more integrator-friendly, removing the need to program from scratch,” Anzures concluded. “In this inorganic LCD product class, the Christie LHD700 offers the most portable and brightest 1-lamp projector available.”

Both the Christie LX1200 and Christie LHD700 come with a threeyear warranty and ship in the fourth quarter of 2011. www.christiedigital.com

With optional input slots, the Christie LX1200 also supports additional video signals including HD-SDI, or a network input card for control and asset management.

“Customers and integrators benefit from this feature because it allows

Gefen presents its 32 x 32 DVI Crosspoint Matrix

Christie LHD700

www.gefen.com

TV One’s MX-5288 8x8 DVI Matrix Switcher TV One’s new MX-5288 is an 8x8 DVI Matrix Switcher that is designed to allow distribution of eight DVI-D (w/o HDCP) sources to eight devices independently or all at the same time. With the MX5288, all video paths are buffered to prevent cross talk and 480p through 1080p HDTV signals, plus VGA (640x480) through WUXGA (1900x1200) signals are accepted as valid inputs and outputs.

All inputs of the MX-5288 are processed at full bandwidth, using single link, 165 MHz (4.95Gpbs) circuitry, delivering no compromised outputs on all paths.

The MX-5288 also includes a switcher memory, which is employed to ensure last selection recall should power be temporarily lost. www.tvone.com

Systems Integration Asia October - November 2011

SOLUTIONS UPDATE

Extron MTPX Plus 6400 Twisted Pair Matrix Switchers now available Extron Electronics is pleased to announce that the entire line of MTPX Plus 6400 Series twisted pair matrix switchers for RGBHV, HD component video, standard definition video, audio, and RS-232, is now shipping. These switchers are available in five different I/O sizes, from 48x48 to 64x64. They incorporate the existing features of the MTPX Plus Series with new advanced features, including EDID Minder® for local inputs and outputs, RS-232 insertion from the Ethernet port to all MTP outputs, and switchable video prepeaking on all outputs.

“With the key technology advancements offered in these larger matrix switchers, AV integrators can take full advantage of the benefits offered by twisted pair signal distribution,” says Casey Hall, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Extron. “The MTPX Plus 6400 Series makes system integration easier, eliminating many of the headaches normally encountered with other twisted pair solutions.”

The MTPX Plus 6400 Series is capable of switching local and remote AV signals to multiple destinations, and is fully compatible with the entire Extron MTP product line. The MTPX Plus 6400 Series provides additional features to dramatically reduce costs associated with rack space, cabling, and installation. These features include dynamic skew equalization to maintain RGB color alignment at all times, video level and peaking compensation for brighter and sharper images, and local RS-232 insertion ports to eliminate the need for control system wiring to remote displays. Local high resolution

video inputs and outputs eliminate the need for additional transmitters and receivers, and local audio output volume adjustment and muting eliminate the need for preamplifiers in many AV systems.

The MTPX Plus 6400 Series is part of the most comprehensive twisted pair product line in the industry, and reflects Extron’s commitment to provide complete twisted pair solutions for every application. www.extron.com

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Systems Integration Asia October - November 2011

SOLUTIONS UPDATE

Crestron launches the V24-C 24” HD Touch Screen Display Designed with versatility in mind, V24-C is ideal in a wide range of residential and commercial environments. Whether as a home controller and TV display in a kitchen, an annotation and presentation control panel for a university lecture hall, or a video control panel for corporate and government command centers, V24-C combines the highest performance in control and HD display quality available.

Featuring advanced S-PVA display technology, V24-C delivers an incredible high-definition experience with rich colors and superb black depth and contrast. For a flawless picture from any viewpoint, ultra-wide 178 degree horizontal and vertical viewing angles produce consistent high picture quality without the need to be directly in front of the screen. The built-in HD scaler presents razor sharp 1080p60 video in the correct format no matter what source your content comes from.

Crestron’s V24-C 24” HD Touch Screen Display is the latest addition to its family of high-definition V-Panel™ touch screens. The revolutionary V24-C blends full touch screen navigation, high performance graphics and HD video with DigitalMedia 8G+™ connectivity and a spectacular 24” highdefinition widescreen display. Bringing all your favorite media, plus control functions together on one screen, V24-C combines separate touch screens, TV displays, and computer monitors into one brilliant HD touch screen display. While simultaneously controlling the home or other facility, V24-C, connected to a Crestron DGE-2 Digital Graphics Engine, provides everything needed to access most popular digital media content, enjoy online videos and music, surf the Web, perform real-time onscreen annotation, and more without requiring a separate computer. Full HDCP support makes V-Panel the only touch screen that enables reliable viewing of content-protected DVD, Blu-ray DiscTM, digital HDTV, streaming video and multimedia computer sources.

With a swipe of the finger, gestures navigation lets you effortlessly browse through music and movie libraries, scroll through TV channels and radio stations, and select any desired control app from an intuitive menu of colorful 3D icons. Onscreen keyboard and mouse capabilities enable complete control of the embedded Web browser and other applications.

A built-in USB port allows connection of a physical keyboard and mouse, providing the simplicity of traditional computer operation.

The DGE-2 graphics engine (and related AV source wiring) is hidden up to 330 feet away back at the main equipment rack.

The V24 features a DM input. The input allows all signals to be transmitted over single CAT5e or DM 8G wire from the rack to the display. The single-wire connectivity, together with V24-C’s slim and sleek design, produces exceptionally clean installations in any room.

In addition to controlling lighting, AV presentation systems, home theaters, thermostats, and other systems, users can view content from multiple HD video sources such as DVD/ Blu-ray players, PC and Mac® computers, the Internet, video conferences, security cameras and more, in multiple full motion video windows on V24-C’s huge 24” widescreen.

V24-C offers flexible mounting options for any setting, whether mounted flush in a wall, on a tabletop stand, or on an articulating arm. For more information about how you can bring the high-definition multimedia experience of V24-C to your home or commercial environment, please go to V24-C V-Panel and DGE-2 Graphics Engine. www.crestronasia.com

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Systems Integration Asia October - November 2011

SOLUTIONS UPDATE

Kramer introduces new range of HDMI Matrix Switchers

VS-88H

Kramer Electronics has introduced its high-performance VS88H, VS-66H, VS-84H and VS-48H high quality 8x8, 6x6, 8x4 and 4x8 matrix switchers that provide quick and reliable switching of HDMI signals.

All four units support bandwidths of up to 2.25Gbps bandwidth per graphic channel and offer HDMI Support (V.1.4 with 3D, Deep Color, x.v.Color™ and Lip Sync). They are HDCP (High Definition Digital Content Protection) compliant and HDTV (High Definition Television) compatible.

The VS-88H, VS-66H3, VS-84H and VS-48H matrix switchers are 1RU high and fit into a standard 19” rack mount with rack “ears” included. This cost-effective line of matrix switchers is ideal for conference room presentations, advertising applications, and rental and staging.

The VS-88H, VS-66, VS-84H and VS-48H are currently in stock and available for purchase from Kramer Electronics sales companies around the world. www.kramerelectronics.com

The models include Kramer’s I-EDIDPro™ - intelligent EDID technology that ensures EDID information is properly processed, resulting in Plug and Play operation for HDMI systems. The units reclock and equalize all signals, and can route any input to any or all outputs simultaneously.

These new HDMI matrix switchers also incorporate Kramer’s unique I-HDCPro™ technology - intelligent HDCP processing that constantly verifies and maintains HDCP encryption between input and output devices to enable quick and reliable switching with minimal switching time.

Each matrix switcher can store up to 16 preset switches in memory locations for quick access to common configurations.

These preset switches can be recalled from memory and executed when needed.

All of these HDMI matrix switchers can be controlled using the front panel button, the included IR remote or via RS232 (K-Router™ Windows®-based software is included) or Ethernet. Windows®-based Ethernet Configuration Manager & Virtual Serial Port Manager software is also included. A lockout button on the front panel prevents unwanted tampering.

VS-66H

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Systems Integration Asia October - November 2011

Lutron Unveils Energi TriPakTM that cuts lighting energy usage by 60% that monitor occupancy and available daylight levels, and communicate that information to the load controller which can then adjust the lighting in the space to optimise energy efficiency.

Lutron Electronics Co., Inc., has launched Energi TriPakTM for improved comfort, convenience, productivity of space and the ability to reduce a building’s lighting electricity usage up to 60%.

Energi TriPak is a simple, cost-effective, energy-saving light control for both new construction and retrofit solutions. It is a family of products which provides the ability to choose the components that meet any project needs and create the best light control solution for any space.

This family of wireless load controllers, sensors and controls communicate via

radio frequency, allowing the system to be easily installed without any complicated programming or additional wiring.

Energi TriPak is ideal for applications like classrooms, conference rooms, private offices, hallways, stairwells, washrooms, and break rooms. In most of the buildings, lighting and HVAC systems are the largest users of energy. Lutron’s solution Energi TriPak can reduce lighting energy consumption by up to 60% and HVAC energy consumption by 10% to 30% by offering wireless sensors

The utilisation of Energi TriPak is beneficial to various aspects in our daily life. It allows teachers to tailor the lighting for all kinds of activities, including a perfect lighting environment during presentations by turning off whiteboard lighting while maintaining enough light on the desk surfaces for students to take notes.

Apart from classrooms, Energi TriPak is also essential in a public space such as a hallway or a washroom. Since lighting is on continuously in hallways or washrooms even when the space is unoccupied, which takes up most of the time within a day, energy consumption can be reduced easily by more than 50% by using Energi TriPak with a Radio Powr SavrTM wall-mount or ceilingmount occupancy or vacancy sensor. www.lutron.com/energitripak

ANNOUNCEMENT

Interactive Classroom solution by Globus Infocom Ltd INDIA: Globus Infocom takes pride in introducing interactive classrooms which are actually interactive and smart due to their unique features and commendable performance. Globus has launched its complete range of interactive classroom solutions in order to transform and revolutionize the learning environment.

The interactive classroom gives the student and the teacher access to the vast knowledge bank from anywhere and at any time. There are some direct and vital benefits of Interactive smart classrooms: 1. Use technology to produce quality teachers and students.

2. Educate students today using aids which they will use tomorrow.

3. Develop teachers to make use of technology for betterment of students in future.

These technological solutions can in no way replace the teacher but they make the delivery of knowledge more convenient and simpler. Also, the clarity and impact of a particular topic is enhanced impressively. It provides teacher led group learning delivery model for K-12/ Higher and technical education with superior multimedia

digital content preloaded on a unique hardware - all manufactured in-house by Globus. The concept behind this solution

by Globus is to offer economical, ruggedized and teacher friendly solution.

The products which constitutes an interactive classroom of Globus are: Magic Studio: An all-in-one solution which comprises of an inbuilt computer, a high lumens interactive projector, impressive audio output due to inbuilt 30 watt speakers, inbuilt DVD player and this magical box can make any wall interactive, so you actually save on the cost of buying an additional interactive board.

Globus pad: Allows the teacher to be mobile as she can teach from anywhere in the classroom, which in turn increases the interaction between the teacher and the students multi-fold.

Globus Visualiser: A high quality document camera that shows text, notes, newspaper clips, maps and 3-D objects.

So there is no limit to your imagination and creativity with this all new Globus Visualiser.

Magic Studio

In a nutshell the solution is compact, simple yet technologically superior and highly user friendly and convenient to use. Also, the in-house manufacturing set up and R&D team, offers scalability, customization and reliability. The solution also gives the distributors a unique earning potential along with a strong support by Globus. Hence, interested distributors may immediately contact in order to join hands with an innovative and experienced team of Globus to make their business model flourish to the pinnacles of their success.

For enquiries kindly contact:- +91 9711210614 Ms. Kiran Deep (Vice President – Int. Mktg. & Sales)

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EXHIBITION REVIEW

Systems Integration Asia October - November 2011

INTEGRATE keeps up its momentum Integrate in association with InfoComm International 2011 again demonstrated that it was the event for industry heavy hitters. This year, 3353 registered visitor attendees comprising of sound, light and vision professionals converged on Moore Park, Sydney, for three days of fact-finding, education and networking.

2011 was undoubtedly another big year for Integrate, where its strengths continue to be capitalised on – in three short years the show is now surrounded by a palpable air of maturity and professionalism.

Digging a little deeper into the statistics of visitors, nearly 40% of those attending were Company Principals or Managers/Directors, and more than 40% of attendees were wielding an annual purchasing power in excess of $50,000, all pointing to the fact that Integrate is the region’s preferred forum for striking deals and forging lasting business relationships.

Free panel discussions

Geoff Emerick with Richard Luch at Integrate’s headline presentation

Dr Randall Lemke giving his keynote address

The show had a decidedly Fab Four vibe, thanks to the presence of guest of honour Geoff Emerick, who was responsible for the recording of some of most iconic albums of the 20th century, such as Sgt Pepper’s and Revolver. Geoff was joined by his old Beatles colleague and friend Richard Lush for Integrate’s headline presentation, where a rapt audience was transported back to Abbey Road Studios in the ’60s.

Integrate’s education credentials were given a huge boost in 2011 with a vastly expanded InfoComm education program, where the now traditional ‘Super Tuesday – Future Trends’ program was supplemented by six InfoComm Academy sessions and two half-day conferences. Between 20 and 60 delegates attended each Academy session and 2011 saw a significant lift in the numbers of those attending ticketed sessions.

Elsewhere, AudioTechnology World built on its 2010 debut with strong numbers attending the diverse array of free panel discussions and workshops.

Similarly, the Technology for Worship pavilion proved popular as did the range of Sound for Picture seminars conducted by the Australian Film, TV & Radio School.

There was also the Audio Visual Industry Awards (AVIAs) – sponsored this year by Sanyo which provided a fun and informal way for colleagues and competitors to come together and celebrate the best this country has to offer in audiovisual design.

Systems Integration Asia October - November 2011

EXHIBITION REVIEW

2012 Integrate sees significant areas of growth in the Education sector as well as Facility Managers and Security. Diversified Exhibitions (the new operators of Integrate) is strong in many of these complementary sectors, and 2012 will undoubtedly see a broadening of Integrate’s horizons, while staying true to the traditional power base of Pro AV, Audio & Lighting.

In 2012 Integrate will be moving to the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre at Darling Harbour, and with global events specialists, Diversified Exhibitions, now at the helm the industry can look forward to an even bigger and more vibrant show. The event will be held from the 21st to the 23rd of August 2012.

For more details and information do get in touch with Louise Brooks at louise@integrate-expo.com

AV Stumpfl presents their professional HD Player advanced multidisplay production and media server system. The timelinebased interface allows users to combine images, videos, text, sound, light and effects into their show, with ease and uncompromising quality. Also highlighted was the integrated VIOSO calibration tool within Wings Platinum.

Timothy Chua Regional Sales Manager and, Ronnie Choi, Country Manager for South Korea from AV Stumpfl Asia with Norbert Schmiedeberg Managing Director ITI-Image Group Pty Ltd

Showcasing their solutions from the ITI Image Group booth, AV Stumpfl exhibited its award winning Wings Platinum 4. Wings Platinum is an

VIOSO® GmbH is the market leader in camera-based projection systems.

VIOSO’s patented camera-based calibration is natively integrated in Wings Platinum and enables anyone to project on almost any surface without deformation and discolouration using up to four outputs of one media server!

Regular building facades and brick walls become advertising spaces, cinemas and art objects.

In addition AV Stumpfl presented their new compact professional HD Player which supports professional High Definition video playback from CompactFlash card.

Integrated hardware decode acceleration to ensure smooth full HD playback and clear images. Flexible playback, control and configuration options allow the HD Player to be adapted to a variety of different requirements. Integration into AV Stumpfl’s Iseo system and media update via the Internet provides for a decentralized Digital Signage network.

The HD Player does not contain any wear or shock sensitive parts and therefore is an optimum solution for continuous operation. www.avstumpflasia.com

Brahler ICS highlights upcoming enhancements to its digital DIGIMIC classic line Presenting at their distributor’s booth, Production Audio Services, Brahler updated visitors about their upcoming enhancements to their digital DIGIMIC classic line.

The award-winning CMic delegate unit will be enhanced by a channel selector and voting function. The system will feature 7 languages + floor channel and can still be operated as a stand-alone solution. The microphone unit has an OLED display (256 x 32 pixels) with a maximum of five keys. In addition to channel selection, the system features many voting and evaluation functions, such as classic Yes/No/Abstention or For/ Against voting as well as information gathering and knowledge tests.

The system’s interpreter console is based on the successful DOLV console of the high-end CDSVAN conference

system and can be hooked up to one of the four outputs of the DCen control console. Intuitive handling is facilitated by the console’s clearly laid out controls and the large backlit display, showing all activities.

The system can be operated together with a gooseneck microphone + headphones or headset. The interpreter functions are directly integrated into the DIGIMIC conference system, i.e. there is no need for an additional control console. The central DCen automatically recognizes which units are connected.

The intercom stations and interpreter consoles are powered via D9 system cable.

This system enhancement will be coming out towards the end of 2011. www.brahler.sg

(L-R) Eddie Seng, Technical manager and Philip Loh General Manager of Brahler ICS Pte Ltd

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EXHIBITION REVIEW

Systems Integration Asia October - November 2011

Analog Way showcases solutions for the production industry Analog Way parked its exhibits with its long time distributor AXIS AV. According to Gerry Raffaut of AXIS AV, Analog Way’s solutions are well known in Australia and are in the inventory of many of the rental and staging companies. At the exhibition, Analog Way’s Eikos, their multi-award winning Mixer Seamless Switcher with Matrix and Quadravision features was showcased along with the Smart MatriX and Axion2, high-end event controller. www.analogway.com

(L-R) William Roddes, Managing Director of Analog Way Pte Ltd with Gerry Raffaut, Managing Director, AXIS AV

AbtUS exhibits its HDMI Plastic Fiber extender Though they were represented by their distributor, Screencom, at the showfloor, AbtUS for the first time took part in Integrate directly. The intention was to enable them to highlight some of their other solutions directly to the visitors. The OPT-HDX11 series is an HDMI over Fiber Optic Extender that promises to maintain quality up to 650m. The pull factor is that the Extender is meant for plastic fiber as it is more flexible. AbtUS says that the full 1080p resolution is maintained and the extender has the ability to pass through IR and keyboard protocol through the extender. The OPT-HDX11 is expected to be ready for shipping in two months time. www.abtussingapore.com

(L-R) Puh Kean Chong, Regional Marketing Executive with Delson Goh Sales Director of ABtUS

projectiondesign strengthens presence in Australia As of May this year, projectiondesign had established its own presence in Australia to serve Australia as well as New Zealand.

This year has marked projectiondesign aggressively setting up its representative offices in Asia and now Australia. Jason Coy is the appointed Regional Manager and he works hand in hand with Espen Brynildsen who is the Technical Channel Manager. “Our objective is to be actively involved with our dealers and consultants. We hope to help them with design work or to close deals. We are also working towards having a targeted training programme to start off by hopefully the end of October,” says Jason. Projectiondesign has done well in Australia and the local presence is intended to help them continue to have and strengthen the mindshare of consultants, end-users and dealers with their solutions. www.projectiondesign.com

Jason Coy, Regional Manager ANZ, projectiondesign

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Systems Integration Asia October - November 2011

AMX upbeat about Australia

(L-R) Jeff Burch Product Manager AMX USA with Graham Barrett, Technology Director AMX Australia and David Jago Business Development Director from AMX East

On showcase at the AMX booth was all the recently released solutions: Enova, ModeroX, DGX, Hydraport and RMS which of course created a constant flow of visitors. Keeping to the upbeat mood at the booth, Graham Barrett, Technology Director of AMX Australia comments, “It was a fantastic year for AMX last year. We opened our office in Sydney, to augment our Melbourne and Auckland office and were on a big expansion in terms of manpower as well. We also secured some very major projects and money is still being spent in the government, corporate and finance sectors, where we will continue to push our technologies.”

Graham also highlights that AMX keeps its pulse in the industry through their scheduled training programmes for dealers, which has now been going on for 15 years, supplemented with their yearly big conference and had two years ago formed the Educational Alliance

Group, that saw its first summit this year. The summit saw 30 delegates from Universities in Australia and New Zealand participate to learn more about technologies and AMX solutions as well as to share and understand their needs and concerns.

“We also conduct roadshows that cover Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra, Auckland and Wellington that encompasses seminars and product demonstrations. The roadshows are targeted at specific markets that enable us to bring the solutions to their doorsteps. We make it a point to stay in touch with our dealers as well as consultants and major end-users through our various programmes, which in turn helps us keep our feet in the marketplace.”

SZ Reach makes inroads in Australia SZ Reach solutions are beginning to bear fruit in Australia through their their relationship with distributor, The Navigate Group. According to Brian White, their dealer, of Advanced Visual Design, it took about a year to abreast the market of the solution offered by SZ Reach and once it took off, there has been a steady interest in the solution. Brian highlights that SZ reach’s solution was most recently installed in the Charles Sturt university for their medical training facility. Prior to this the University of WA Psychology Department and Murdoch University as well as the Scitech venue in Perth had installed the system. Jack Mao of SZ Reach says that it has been a positive relationship and feels that Australia offers them huge potential. www.szreach.com

www.amxaustralia.com.au

Dataton showcases recently released WATCHOUT Version 5

(L-R) Jonas Amren of Dataton AB with Dean Stevenson of Interactive Controls

Interactive Controls has been representing Dataton for the Australian and New Zealand market over the past 10 years and both parties continue to enjoy a mutually beneficial relationship. The booth showcased WATCHOUT Version 5.

“Dataton has a good install base here and just at this show we have received 85 license upgrades,” says Dean Stevenson of Interactive Controls.

Dean also adds that the rental and staging segment in Australia has recently been invigorated, after the last financial crisis and was overall pleased with Integrate. www.dataton.se

Brian White of Advanced Visual Design with Jack Mao of SZ Reach

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Systems Integration Asia October - November 2011

TeamBoard Australia showcases its next generation interactive whiteboard

Kramer Australia continues to grow from strength to strength

Steven Wong, Business Development Head, Asia-Pacific

TeamBoard originates from Canada and has been established in Australia for 10 years. One and a half years ago to take advantage of the growing Asia market, they set up their Asia-Pacific unit, which is presently headed out of the Australian office. Taking centrestage at the booth was TeamBoard’s T3 VRT. Steven Wong, Business Development Head of Asia Pacific, comments, “This is our next generation interactive whiteboard that exploits nano technologies to offer the world’s first variable resistive touch

boards (VRT) for training, education and business.” This exciting line of interactive display products offers completely natural navigation in the user’s comfort zone (Windows7, MacOS, and Linux). The finger replaces the need for a mouse – float the finger touch cursor through cascading menus, interact with rich media content with ease. www.teamboard.asia

DIS confident of growth potential in Australia

John Ungerer, Managing Director of Kramer Australia

John Ungerer, Managing Director of Kramer Australia is pleased to admit that Kramer’s operations has been growing steadily and this is due to the growing installation of their solutions across Australia. “This has been possible because the key to our success is our people – they are integral to the success of our company. We stick to our plans and adapt to trends so that we are able to serve the market effectively. Kramer also organises Roadshows to reach out to our partners and end-user markets and we will continue to do this as we find it an effective tool,” says John. www.krameraustralia.com.au (L-R) Patrick Salloch and Dave Earp of PAT with Kim Jurgensen

DIS distributor, Professional Audio Technology (PAT) has been busy over the last 2 years building up a reference base for DIS. Having taken over the previous distributor, the key focus for PAT was to re-introduce DIS solutions to the market.

Kim Muurholm Jurgensen, Area Sales

Manager of DIS highlights that there is potential growth for DIS in Australia and is confident that together with PAT they will be able to exploit that potential. www.dis.cc

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Systems Integration Asia October - November 2011

VR Solutions showcases Christie and Spyder polarization orientation of light passing through them. In combination with a polarization-preserving screen and a single-lens stereoscopic 3D projector (up to 18.5K Lumens), this enables high-brightness, lowghost viewing using lightweight & comfortable passive 3D eyewear. The modulators are available in two sizes: Small, with a 16:10 ratio aperture of 9.84cm wide (3.875in) for projectors up to 4K Lumens, and Large, with a 16:9 aperture of 17.15cm wide (6.75in) for projectors up to 18.5 K Lumens.

(L-R) Andy Towers of Vista Systems with Michael Bosworth and Jason Wan Director of Sales VISTA Systems Asia Pacific

On exhibit was the Christie 10K and 18K projectors and DepthQ® modulators as well the MicroTiles and the Vista Spyder X20. The new DepthQ® Polarization Modulators electronically switch the

“We have seen a lot of interest from visitors for the DepthQ, mainly for the residential market,” says Michael Bosworth, Director of VR Solutions.

“The Vista Spyder X20 has also generated much interest for us,” he concludes. www.christiedigital.com

RDL showcases world’s first fullfeatured environmentally conscious “green” mixer amplifiers

David Zovod, Business Development Manager of RDL

RDL based out of USA is a 25 year old company that has over 650 products in its inventory. RDL’s solutions are used by integrators to fix problems be it in a audio studio, broadcast facility or commercial installation. At Integrate RDL showcased the EZ-MCP1 Microphone Compressor that in essence increases sensitivity of the pick-up and maintains clarity without distortion. This solution is most useful where presenters tend to be far off the microphone. The sensitivity ensures that the audio is picked up clearly. The other highlight was RDL’s new HD Series 35 Watt Mixer Amplifiers. RDL HD Series ultra high efficiency amplifiers, according to RDL are the world’s first full-featured environmentally conscious “green”

RGB Integration mirrors Extron business model

mixer amplifiers for commercial installations. An internal low-powerconsumption processor monitors usage demands to completely shut down internal circuitry for maximum power conservation and extremely low long-term operating cost. These amplifiers draw less than 1 Watt of mains power while in standby mode and automatically turn on when an audio input signal is detected.

This coupled with a highly efficient Class-D output stage makes these the most energy efficient mixer amplifiers available. www.rdlnet.com

Marc Booth of RGB Integration

Probably one of the most unique distributor model in the world. RGB Integration could easily be mistaken to be an Extron office in Australia. RGB Integration exclusively only represents Extron and the company follows Extron’s business model to the T. RGB has been representing Extron for 11 years and has grown from a staff of 4 to the present 22 and has offices in Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. RGB provides support network, education and conducts Extron training for its dealers.

Marc Booth of RGB says, “We also have a full-fledged warehousing facility that helps shorten delivery time. We are also opening an Extron training centre in Melbourne within the next 8 weeks and are looking into other cities as well.”

“Our philosophy is to ensure that we deliver the best service and best support to our partners. This includes training which we feel is vital for the growth of the industry. We currently hold training in 5 locations in Australia in a year with two schools in each location – one being the AV System Design School and the other Extron Configuration school.” www.rgbintegration.com

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Systems Integration Asia October - November 2011

Crestron positive about growth in Australia in Auckland, New Zealand and in the near future we hope to establish an office in Darwin as the Northern region is a growing region. I would say that currently 85% of our business is in the commercial segment though our residential segment is also growing.”

Jason Lewis, National Manager – Education and Government

Crestron Australia and NZ is part of Hills SVL. Hills has been Crestron’s authorised distribution and service centre since 1994. Jason Lewis, National Manager – Education and Government comments that Crestron’s business in Australia is worth about 25 million dollars and is expected to continue to grow. “We presently have 7 offices including one

One key aspect of the business growth is due to Hills SVL’s investment in training and certification courses where training courses are held regularly across the country. “Other than training, our internal structure also ensures that we are very involved with the industry. We have a Consultant Manager whose priority are the consultants, a Business Development Manager who oversees the growth of Crestron’s business in Australia, and an Education Manager who is responsible for the Education market and they are supported by dedicated technical support across our offices in Australia. We also maintain local stock support for the more popular items which ensures that our response time is fast. All these play a part in our growth,” says Jason.

Also on showcase was the Gilkon E.A.S.T. (Easy Access Service Trigger) mounts as well as the Gilkon Xtend modular Video Wall system. For the first time ever, Rental & Staging companies

(L-R) Garry Brown of HTG with Ben Osborne of Milestone AV Technologies and Pat Kohika of AV Supply Group

The Sanus brand has had good retail presence in Australia and New Zealand for some time now but now Chief is investing in building the Chief brand in the region. “We are now stocking a core range of products in Australia and also looking at localising the pricing structure to maintain our competitive edge,” says Ben Osborne, Regional Manager Asia Pacific from Milestone AV Technologies Ltd. Chief is represented by HTG in Australia and AV Supply Group in New Zealand.

www.crestron.com.au

Wilson Gilkes expands on solutions Wilson Gilkes was established in 1947 with its origins being in Photographic equipment. The company designs and manufactures all its solutions in Australia and currently has a staff strength of 100.

These days the company’s focus has changed to manufacturing of mounting, screen and lecterns and as of August, racks. James Hunt comments, “we have four full time designers and we handle the drawings, concepts and prototype.

Our manufacturing processes are also automated which enables us to stay competitive. Having every aspect of our business in-house has allowed us to adapt quickly to market trends and at this show where we are showing for the first time our racks, which is actually more suited for data and communication products rather than AV, we have had very good response.”

Chief initiates efforts to strengthen presence in Australia

James Hunt of Wilson Gilkes

have access to an Australian designed and manufactured, industrial-grade modular video wall system, that is radically simpler to set up and break down.

The Xtnd Modular Video Wall System offers a variety of floor, wall and fly configurations, from one easily assembled range. The one kit enables a variety of configurations, ranging from double screens to 9 screen super walls. www.wilsongilkes.com.au

Matt Tevan, Director of Asian Sales, Da-Lite Screen Company comments that Australia is a top-tier market for Da-Lite with the Education segment being especially vibrant.

Nick Libertone, Director of Convergent Technologies. Convergent distributes solutions from Teletask, Wall Wizard, d-tools, Global Cache, ME-Design and Wi-Spy.

(L-R)Leight Campbell and Kurk Branstater of KVM Australia. KVM Australia is an IT Channel distributor who represent KVM Technologies, Icron and Adder, with their solutions mainly found in control rooms, broadcast facilities and the education market

SYSTEMS INTEGRATION ASIA AUG/SEPT 2010 50

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Systems Integration Asia October - November 2011

EXHIBITION PREVIEW

INSTALL Vietnam 2011

2 – 4 November 2011, Vietnam Exhibition and Fair Centre, Hanoi, Vietnam Coming off the back of the inaugural showcase last year in Ho Chi Minh City, INSTALL Vietnam returns once again to Vietnam, though this time it is being held in Hanoi. INSTALL Vietnam is held concurrently with PALME Vietnam and Broadcast & Media Tech Vietnam.

With a population of over 86 million, Vietnam’s economy is the fastestgrowing in Asia and their entertainment and media market is the fastest-growing in the world. Forty percent of their population is below the age of 35. This segment generates the greatest demand for the latest technologies providing a ready market for Entertainment and Media products and services. The country’s exponential growth in the entertainment industry is expected to surpass US$2.3 billion in 2013. This swift development has brought about tremendous demand for Professional Audio, Light and Video equipment, technologies and services.

Among the top manufacturers who will be present at the exhibition are Meyer Sound who will be displaying three key products in their booth. D-Mitri is a digital audio platform and has a powerful network-based system encompassing the entire audio chain. MINA is the

smallest member of the Meyer Sound MILO family of self-powered line array loudspeakers and CAL is a series of self-powered steerable column array loudspeakers.

Audio-Technica will be showcasing their dazzling array of microphones including the AT2050 multi-pattern condenser microphone, the AT2035 cardioid condenser microphone, the BP4002 omnidirectional dynamic microphone, the BP4001 cardioid dynamic microphone, the AT846/O omnidirectional condenser boundary microphone and the AT846/C cardioid condenser boundary microphone.

System Integrators will be pleased to know that many international conference system manufacturers will be displaying their products at PALME Vietnam.

Brähler ICS (Germany) will showcase DIGIMIC, its unique digitally-controlled microphone management system. TOA Electronics (Japan) will be displaying the M-633D Digital Stereo Mixer which features the Automatic Resonance Control (ARC), Feedback Suppressor (FBS) and Automatic Clipguard (ACG).

The M-633D automatically eliminates unpleasant reverberation and feedback with just a touch of a button. Brahler ICS,

TOA Electronics and Taiden (China) will all be located in close proximity to one another.

Also making its debut at PALME Vietnam is Electronics & Engineering Pte Ltd, Singapore’s oldest professional A/V contracting, consulting and distribution company. The company celebrated its 60th anniversary this year and will be showcasing products from top brands like EAW, Shure, Mackie, Neutrik,Tascam, Furman, Symetrix and Powersoft.

Another top manufacturer who will be making its debut at PALME Vietnam is Community Professional, a leading supplier of professional sound systems since 1968.

Many prominent Vietnamese distribution companies will also be present at INSTALL Vietnam: Vistar will showcase its Yamaha products. TIEN PHONG TF, one of the leading suppliers of advanced information and communication solutions will feature industry leading display wall technology Jupiter Systems’ Fusion Catalyst™ 8000 and introduce the new Quad HD Decoder Card for its Fusion Catalyst™ and VizionPlus II™. www.palme-vietnam.com

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Systems Integration Asia October - November 2011

Actis to offer comprehensive Unified Communications solutions Actis Technologies, India’s leading audiovisual and systems integration solutions provider, announced its introduction of what it calls a comprehensive Unified Communications (UC) solution to the Indian industry. The Mumbaibased AVSI enterprise which is backed up by a 40-year-legacy of high-end, communication and collaboration technologies will henceforth incorporate its unique UC solutions with platforms like Microsoft Lync - an integration of voice, IM, video and email, into its Enterprise Collaboration Solutions.

According to the company, this is a first-of-a-kind offering for the rapidly growing unified communication space.

Largely constrained to IT systems till now, the unified communications offering brings new capabilities to AVSI domains to seamlessly unify highquality and face-to-face communication across the ecosystem of IT, AV (meeting and conferencing facilities), and telephony infrastructure with optimum compatibility.

“Research shows that the value of the premises-based integrated UC market is set to reach $2.3 billion by 2016,” says Abhimanyu Gupta, Director, Actis Technologies. “In 2010, the market registered 22 per cent year-on-year

growth to reach $674.4 million,” he says, adding, “our UC offering will enable highquality audio and video collaboration with much more versatility and flexibility because of the presence of specialized hardware, as existing solutions are limited to software platforms.”

The offering is also said to enable, for the first time, the integration of meeting and conferencing facilities to hardware platforms like Cisco and Polycom, thus preventing the obsolescence of legacy hardware systems.

Unified Communication solutions use the power of software to streamline communications between people and organizations, regardless of medium, platform, device, or location.

For instance, one could connect with an external organization from lync-tolync, lync to a web platform or lync to an external messaging service.

“One of the primary advantages from a UC deployment is empowering employee-to-employee and information access,” Gupta elaborates, “it not only brings the potential to save significant costs, but also deliver faster ROI by improving communications with customers, streamlining business processes and, ultimately, changing the way companies communicate”.

Actis also provides a Room Scheduling system along with the UC system which is an important piece of the UC puzzle. Room Schedulers ensure that room bookings are managed without conflict, making life simple for facility management teams. This is also available for a demo at the Actis Experience Centre, where it has been deployed for the benefit of companies who wish to see a proof-of-concept.

While the phenomenon of Unified Communications is still in its nascent stage in India, its adoption is, however, gaining momentum rapidly.

According to the Actis chief, Microsoft’s recent acquisition of Skype will make UC more prevalent. Organizations are viewing UC as a viable means for improving the quality of communication between the enterprise environments and outside world and extending effective and versatile collaboration tools too.

Actis is already deploying the UC methodologies for many government and corporate clients, Gupta explains. www.actis.co.in

Systems Integration Asia October - November 2011

INDIA NEWS

Crestron Asia sets up three more offices In India

As part of its steadfast commitment to improve and maintain the best technical and customer support in the industry, Crestron Electronics, Inc. has announced the opening of brand new offices in Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune.

Crestron’s commitment to support and service is backed by regional offices worldwide. Crestron Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune Offices, like all Crestron worldwide offices, is a factory operation. The office is staffed with

industry professionals, well-trained by Crestron, providing the industry’s best support.

and demands of each world market and provides the personalized solutions you need, when you need them.”

Kanny Leong, Crestron Asia – Director Operations, states “Crestron’s commitment to Products Plus People is not limited by borders, language or geography. We deliver the industry’s finest customer and technical support from a growing number of offices throughout the Region. Crestron’s global team understands the cultures

Crestron Asia Director, Tony Yeung is excited about the addition of the new offices “In addition to our dynamic team here in Hong Kong, Crestron is building a regional support and service network that will be hard to match. Crestron Chennai, Hyderbad and Pune offices are one of several additions we will make to that network this year,” states Tony.

Crestron’s newly opened offices are located at: Crestron Electronics India Pvt Ltd. (Chennai) 62/19, 10th Avenue, Ashok Nagar, Chennai-600 083, Tamil Nadu, India Tel: (91) 44-24710758 Email: india@crestronasia.com

Crestron Electronics India Pvt Ltd (Hyderabad) A-7, Ground Floor, Indian Airlines Colony, Begumpet.

Hyderabad – 500 007, Andhra Pradesh, India Telefax: 91-40-2790-0266 Email: india@crestronasia.com

Crestron Electronics India Pvt Ltd. (Pune) No# 6, 1st Floor, Abhijeet Court, Bhandarkar Road, Pune - 411 004.

Maharastra, India Email: india@crestronasia.com

www.crestronasia.com

AGC partners with AVI-SPL for Control Room Expertise Mumbai-based Indian networking major AGC Networks recently entered into a partnership with Tampa (Florida), USAheadquartered AVI-SPL’s Control Room Group (CRG), towards bringing new tenets of control room technologies to the country. Under the partnership, the two companies will pursue turnkey design and build unified communication business opportunities in the Indian Ocean region.

CRG, a leading provider of audio video communications solutions, has been offering design, engineering, integration and support solutions for mission critical facilities for global marketplace for over 10 years. In addition to control rooms for government, transportation, utilities, process control, network operations centres and security operations centres, the team has broad experience in designing and building physical security and technical environments, as well as simulation and visualization systems.

“Combining the strengths of AGC and the Control Room Group makes

for a formidable force in the market presently served by AGC, and we are looking forward to working alongside our new partners and gaining business in the region,” said Sean LaNeve, vice-president of CRG. “With the CRG focus on mission critical control rooms and AGC’s leadership position in the regional unified communication market, we are confident we can provide a superior client buying experience and consequently make a lasting and meaningful impression in the market,” he added.

Vinod Nair, AVP-AV & Video Conferencing, AGC Networks said on the occasion, “with this partnership we have addressed the experience deficit in the Control Room business currently prevailing in the Indian Market. Our partnership with CRG will get highly specialized skill set in the Control Room Business into India”.

“At AGC we believe in working closely with our clients to provide unique and highly reliable solutions across various

verticals including power, oil, gas, defence. Our alliance with the Control Room Group is to address customer requirements in these verticals. I am confident that this partnership will further enhance our market position in the Audio Visual space as well as maximize our customers’ return on investment through our customized collaboration solutions”.

AVI-SPL – a combine of Audio Visual Innovations (AVI) and Signal Perfection, Ltd. (SPL) – carries a legacy of over 40 years and boasts over 30,000 installations globally. As the largest global integrator for audio and video communications systems and services, AVI-SPL is uniquely positioned to deliver the most comprehensive lineup of collaborative solutions, including managed conferencing, telepresence and video conferencing, systems integration, product sales and rental, complete staging and production services. www.avispl.com www.agcnetworks.com

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Systems Integration Asia October - November 2011

AV Designer track training enthuses Indian AV professionals skills are indispensable for any aspiring AV professional,” says Mayank Gupta, Country Manager at AMX India.

“Technical skills will what stand a professional, and design skills are an important aspect.”

Generically, this round of training is good, though some of the concepts told appeared too technical and flew over the head, felt some participants. “While it may sound a little redundant for someone who is already deep into the trade, it is absolutely necessary for the beginners,” was the other opinion.

InfoComm Academy’s latest round of AV Designer classroom training in India recently evoked much enthusiasm from aspiring AV professionals. The training series is structured into three different levels, to be held in New Delhi and Bengaluru to cater to the industry in the respective cities. The first level, the DES212 AV Design Level 1: Environment was held from 21-23 August in the Indian national capital of New Delhi, and 2527 August in Bengaluru, the IT Capital of the country. The programme course was jointly sponsored by AMX India and Kramer India.

Called the AV Design Track, the programme comprises of three levels categorized as DES212; DES213; and DES312, aimed at various aspects of the design domain.

DES212 is all about the AV design environment. It explored principles that affect the planning and design of the ambient environments pertaining to sound reinforcement, display, projection needs, etc.

The DES213 Design Level 2 will be held in October and focuses on the principles of infrastructure that is required to support the AV setting environment.

This includes aspects like HVAC, electrical, cable pathways, lighting, IT connectivity, etc.

The DES312 Design Level 3, on the other hand, focuses a little higher on the application aspect. This last level of the training will be held in December from the 4th to the 6th of December in New Delhi and 8th to 10th December in Bengaluru. Design level 3 focuses on how to determine and analyze the needs of the clients, collaborate with other professionals, develop AV designs and conduct project implementation activities.

According to InfoComm functionaries, this series of AV Design training

is an effective stepping stone for design professionals preparing for InfoComm CTS-Design Specialized Certification exam.

“InfoComm’s three-pronged commitment to professionalism – extensive AV education, accredited certification and standards development – brings the most comprehensive training programmes to the AV industry,” says Andy Tan, CTS, of InfoComm International.

“The audio-visual facility and system design is both a skill and an art,” says Andy. “InfoComm Academy teaches both; regardless of one’s career level, one discovers new insights about the design process.”

A total of 56 professionals took part in the training programme. Rod Brown, CTS-D, an InfoComm International Staff Instructor, conducted the classes in both Delhi and Bengaluru.

“These AV design courses are valuable for anyone who works in or has the responsibility for the design of audiovisual facilities,” says A Bharat Kumar, CTS, Country Manager at Kramer India. “Anyone who is a system sales professional, designer, engineer, project manager or technology manager can seek this training and hone up design skills.”

“We actively support such initiatives for a simple fact that we believe technical

“We did gain some insights into the imperativeness of technicalities in AV design,” said a participant. “Aspects like Acoustics – which are generally not considered or told – has come into the picture and we realize how important is the element.”

“This sort of training is necessary,” says Naveen G Sreedhar, India Sales Manager, beyerdynamic. “It helps us know the basic essentials of design before we get into the act,” he says, adding, “that these finer aspects are not taught outside, they are indispensable.”

Today’s industry scenario requires more of such programmes, feels Kaushik Mukhopadhyay, CTS, of IAV India, particularly in the widely-prevalent feeling that there is huge dearth of skilled professionals.

The AV Design courses are divided into three levels, level 1, 2 and 3, and will be conducted over a period of five months in India. All levels together comprise nine day sessions while each course provides as many as 24 CTS renewal units.

The next level CTS-D level 2: Infrastructure would be conducted from 16-18 October in Delhi and 2022 October in Bengaluru.

For more details contact Andy Tan at atan@infocomm.org

Participants in Bengaluru with Instructor Rod Brown, CTS-D

Systems Integration Asia October - November 2011

INDIA NEWS

Cue India celebrates first anniversary CUE Systems India – the Indian arm of Czech touch panel major CUE, a.s. – announced its successful completion of one year of operations in the country.

Coming as it did, the first anniversary jubilation for the company is coinciding with CUE, a.s.’ 20 years of worldwide business existence giving a good measure of excitement about new marketing initiatives.

“Though CUE India’s presence is at a nascent stage, and we are adjusting to the numerous demands of the Indian market; the acceptance of CUE Systems by our valued partners has been astounding,” says Hiten M Desai, Country Manager at CUE Systems India. “It is this spirit and dynamism of the Indian markets, which has allowed us to grow from 1 to 40 Direct Partners in a short span of time,” exults Desai, “presence of many of our Partners in multiple cities, further strengthens our spread across the Indian sub-continent.”

According to him, India is a vibrant and dynamic market space that is unparalleled anywhere in the world.

That they were overwhelmed by the acceptance of a ‘new’ brand in India, with a good response from Tier-2 cities as well, increasing their presence in NCR and the South, in addition to Western India has been a high point. The period has been marked not only by training for several Partners but also by many prestigious installations across the country.

Celebrations apart, it would be deceiving to say they met their targets, Desai sounds candid. “But if we did, we would have nothing to look forward to.

No challenges. No fun,” he elaborates, “But yes, we did make a first good impression on our Partners, even those who were sceptical about just another brand entering the market. Our success has been in gaining entry into the AVSI market with the help of our Partners.

Our success has been the faith that our Partners and clients showed in our systems.”

Commercial segment has been the most promising for the company’s growth, and one of the company’s biggest success accounts has been the IIT-Mumbai, informs Hiten. Business expenditure has grown tremendously in India; even small and medium enterprises look at automation in a serious way, he says, SMEs have realized that a little bit of capex does go a long way in reducing costs. Most of the company’s sales have been for Boardrooms, Meeting Rooms, Conference Rooms, Room Scheduling Solutions, etc. The next in line are academia, museums, auditoriums, NOCs etc. The most challenging, however, has been the home segment.

“As CUE India adjusts to the India paradigm, a lot has also been happening at our factory,” claims the CUE India head. “With consistent research to offer the best and most comprehensive

Hiten M Desai, Country Manager at CUE Systems India

solution at a price that redefines our status and reach, CUE has reworked a lot of its product line,” he reveals, “CVC has replaced DirectorXPL; CUEnium2 series of Touch Panels, have been launched, integration with Apple happened, and a Nomination for InAVation Award.”

All this adding up to the celebrations, CUE India is giving ONE control processor FREE with every NINE purchased! This offer will be valid till 31 October 2011. www.cusesystem.com

AGC expands capabilities with Juniper Essar Group’s networking solutions concern, Mumbai-based AGC Networks has joined hands with American networking major Juniper Networks towards expanding its capabilities by adopting the highest tier of the latter’s services programme, the Advanced Partner Service (APS).

The new portfolio gives AGC’s customers in India, Australia and New Zealand access to more proactive and personalized services. APS provides immediate access to Juniper’s expert team, a dedicated partner support manager, and Service Insight, a powerful service automation tool.

“The significance of underlying network infrastructure is increasing with voice, video and data all travelling on IP platforms,” said Bhavin Barbhaya,

AGC’s vice-president Solutions (Network Infrastructure). “We want to remain focused on equipping our engineers with the skills they need to deploy and maintain triple play networks and provide the highest level of services to our customers,” he said, adding, “APS is a major component of our strategy to deliver the highest level of services possible.”

According to him, APS will help AGC support customers’ network infrastructure through faster resolution, proactive network management and access to highly skilled and experienced resources. “For AGC, it is a path to growth, both geographically and within market verticals,” said Barbhava.

AGC, a subsidiary of Aegis Limited, part of the Essar Group, has been a Juniper

services partner for two years. It employs over 200 Juniper-certified networking professionals and has its own executive briefing centre to showcase solutions to customers.

“AGC’s investment in its services capabilities is a major boost for its customers and for AGC’s own future,” said Vivek Kumar, Director-Global Alliances and Partners, Services, for Juniper Networks Asia Pacific.

“As voice, video and data switch to the network, timely and sophisticated support services become critical to business success. AGC is ahead of the curve in providing those services.” www.agcnetworks.com www.jupiner.net

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The prime reason or the only answer behind it is Energy, as the demand for energy keeps on growing by the minute, the pressure for finding new sources of energy is increasing by the day and the pressure is even more for finding out ways to manage the energy available in a better way.

Ben Lim, Regional Sales Director of Crestron Asia presenting Crestron’s Education solutions

CresSHOW 2011 Crestron Electronics India Pvt. Ltd. held its CresSHOW 2011 event at the Crystal Ballroom-II of The Lalit at Connaught Place in New Delhi, India. The event was organized to introduce Crestron’s latest integrated building technology as well as lighting and education solutions, sharing innovative ideas and successful cases with consultants, system integrators, dealers, end-users and business partners from across the country.

Naman Ashdhir, the Area Manager of Crestron India, took the opportunity during the event to emphasize the importance of continuous bonding and communication between Crestron and its partners. “We’ll continue to develop new products and technologies and continue our dedication to education and customer support. Together we’ll thrive, and together we’ll be stronger than ever before. You can bet that Crestron and our industry will continue to grow and expand the control system market.”

This was followed by opening remarks by Kanny Leong, Operations Director of Crestron Asia, “More than just a leader of technology, Crestron is about creating new opportunities. It’s our mission to develop means and the support to ensure the success of our partners. We will deliver the technology, the training, and the leadership to take our industry into the future. Thank you for being a part of it.”

During the event, Ben Lim, Regional Sales Director of Crestron Asia, shared the innovative Crestron Education Solutions with the audience. “The education market place is burgeoning

and demanding more sophisticated integration and higher performance of technology,” stated Ben Lim. “Having served the educational market for more than three decades and truly understanding the unique requirements of the academic community, we will keep our partners up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices to deliver the most reliable solutions.”

What’s more, Jayaprakash Chinnamuthu, Asst. Sales and Application Manager of Crestron India, shared his insight on Crestron Digital Solutions and updated the audience about “Why digital and the importance of Digital Media”. He also shared some very relevant and live examples related to the different industries like Audio, photography, Cinemas etc. which are all working on the digital platform today.

Farhan Walele, Sales and Application Engineer of Crestron India shared the latest integrated building technology solutions and started with an interesting question that is relevant to most of us today, that is, Why have lighting Controls become so important over the past 35 years or why controls on the whole have become very important?

Nataraju Upputuri, General Manager of Crestron India, introduced Crestron’s newest innovative products. “Crestron continues to deliver the solutions, the technology, and the support to strengthen our partnerships, and to take us into the future together.

We were the first company to introduce IP-based control systems, to deliver wireless control systems, and to integrate PC applications and voiceover-IP into touchpanels. Today, we don’t merely connect to and control devices in the home; we integrate and automate all the entertainment and sub-systems to provide the most modern experience and luxurious lifestyle. And this year we have introduced new products to meet the needs and expectations of our partners and clients”.

There was live demo showcases, highlighting Crestron DigitalMediaTM and touchpanel, including DM-MD8X8 Digital Media™ Switcher which offers low-latency digital video and audio switching, and HD lossless multi-room signal distribution, for all types of AV sources and V-Panel™ 12” HD Touch Screen Displays– a very stylish and versatile touch screen solution, marrying great looks and performance with extreme installation flexibility.

The event ended with a heartfelt Vote of thanks speech by Bikash Kumar, Asst.

Manager - Sales of Crestron India.

With the support and contributions from business partners, guests and staff, CresSHOW 2011 event was a success. www.crestronasia.com

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INDIA NEWS

The partnership will enable companies to acquire latest technologies like Telepresence without hampering cashflows

Actis partners with RentWorks Acquiring and replacing expensive specialized capital assets before they become obsolete, unreliable and expensive to maintain, is an essential, but a challenging task. Using rental finance to pay for equipment is a great way of maximizing customer’s purchasing power and obtaining the equipment they need without any capital outlay. Bringing this to place are Mumbai-based Actis Technologies and New South Wales, Australia-headquartered Rentworks who have entered into a strategic alliance, thereby paving way for more intelligent usage of capital expenditure (capex).

As part of the alliance, RentWorks, in collaboration with Actis, will provide videoconferencing lease service solutions in India. The leasing solution offering will provide companies access to state of the art technologies like 3-D telepresence, videoconferencing, edge blending, interactive training centres among others. It will offer innovative operating lease options for new equipment and exchange plans aimed at upgrading existing equipment. It provides the flexibility and additional advantage of using operating funds instead of making capital expenditure.

“Our partnership with RentWorks is aimed at providing flexibility to Indian companies (Enterprise & SMEs) and assisting them in embracing new technologies at a lower cost of ownership,” said Abhimanyu Gupta, Director, Actis Technologies.

“Acquiring and replacing expensive specialized capital assets before they become obsolete, unreliable and expensive to maintain, is an essential, but challenging task,” he said, adding, “using rental finance to pay for video conferencing equipment is a great way of maximizing the customers’ purchasing power and obtaining the equipment you need without any capital outlay.”

RentWorks originated as an operating lease company in Australia in 1988 to provide rental solutions on a wide range of equipment types, with particular specialization in information technology, telecommunications, medical and mining equipment. It later expanded to other parts of the world and was instrumental in creating rental leasing footprint worldwide with a total equipment financing of over US$3.5 billion.

With over 250 corporate clients in India, RentWorks India Pvt. Ltd. has built its reputation on creating solutions for even the most complex and demanding large-scale acquisitions.

Offering the customers the certainty of fixed, predictable equipment costs, the company’s flexible rental options can be tailored to suit specific budget and cash flow needs. Rental financing also helps hedge against uncertainty of projects, changes in economics and obsolescence as RentWorks invests its own funds into every transaction.

Says Alan Van Niekerk, CEO RentWorks India: “Actis, with its 40-year legacy, is at the forefront of introducing latest communication and collaboration solutions to the country which are altering the business communication edifice of the country.

Our partnership with Actis will enable companies to acquire latest technologies like Telepresence without hampering cash flows in view of huge investments needed to buy them.” www.actis.co.in www.rentworks.co.in

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Indian AVSI Going Places Convergence, the Next Level ?

By Bhavanashi Ramakrishna

technologies were to make – it captured the fancy of many a nation’s think-tank.

India had been no different and the term turned into an acclaimed phenomenon across the industry and government fora for over a decade.

Audio-visual and systems integration (AVSI) industry in India- the very expression springs an intrigue for most in the country, and probably outside too.

For, while most participant parameters more often than not appear oxymoronic, there is an increasing enthusiasm among the domain’s stakeholders about its capabilities of Convergence, into a potential future, that is essentially empirical. That there had already been a convergence of the acclaimed ICT the current phase is that of AV and IT, to visualize the industry imagery. SIA seeks to present a perspective, in this exclusive.

Since the time Henry Dennistoun Stevenson, famed British businesstechnology ideologist, coined the term ICT little before the turn of century – signifying the imminent convergence that the information and communications

The hitherto-unrealized domain of ICT Convergence then brought to the fore the coming together of IT and Telecommunications spiralling a paradigm shift in the way technology was exploited for connecting people across distances. Still, the basic mode of communication being essentially audio-based, there were no such jargon terms as Video-Conferencing and / or Telepresence; however, the situation dramatically changed in the few following years bringing in the video element, and much more from the understandably cryptic audio-visual integration segment.

Today, with wonder gadgets like iPads, networks like IP, wireless, and Web 2.0, interfaces like HDMI, display modes like Digital Signage, and new concepts like Cloud Computing, it’s a whole new convergence out there- the Convergence of the Next Level, where the Communications domain is taken by the combined mode of Audio and Video.

So, it’s, effectively, the convergence of AV and IT, they say.

Ratnesh Javeri, CTS-D, Founder-Director, Innovative Systems and Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

Convergence of Impressions “The AV industry worldwide has been facing its biggest challenge of AV and IT convergence, and India is not away,” says Ratnesh Javeri, CTS-D, FounderDirector of Innovative Systems and Solutions Pvt. Ltd., (ISSPL). “We have seen some acquisitions of the AV product companies by IT majors in the recent past,” Ratnesh says, adding, “foreign AV SI companies opening shops in India, and also the AV R&D going towards AV and IT close integration.”

India’s first AV SI company to implement and maintain Integrated Quality System of ISO QMS 9001:2008, EMS 14001:2004 and OHSAS 18001:2007, ISSPL built incredible strengths in a quick span of time. According to the ISSPL Founder, who is one of the five CTS-D-Certified AVSI professionals in Asia, there is an increasing amalgamation of AV concepts into IT products and vice-versa and the future of Indian AVSI industry would be determined by the level of this interfacing.

Systems Integration Asia October - November 2011

Evidently, the global IT industry spent dozens of billions of dollars just in the past few years in acquiring companies with audio-visual capabilities. Cisco, by far the biggest aggressor of acquisitions, spent to the tune of almost US$15 billion in recent past on buying AV enterprisesthe biggest having been showcased by its acquisition of Norwegian videoconferencing major Tandberg. It also acquired companies like WebEx in web-conferencing, Jabber in cloud computing, Pure Digital, Core Optics and ExtendMedia in the display solutions space to augment its AV interests.

The networking giant’s grand ambitions in AV space had also been exemplified in its Carrier Routing System (CRS-3) a few years ago.

A few years ago IBM made its intentions known by acquiring Cast Iron Systems for cloud computing, followed by its joint initiatives with Avaya and ClearOne. It’s not just Big Blue; many other IT heavyweights like Google and Apple, Microsoft and HP too took to AV space towards showcasing their business interests ‘audio-visually.’

in acquiring AV strengths,” an industry expert says, adding, “most productsystems in the market now are a mix of AV & IT.”

Prashant Govindan, Regional Manager, Biamp Systems

Mayank Gupta, AMX India Country Manager

Endorsing the view is AMX India Country Manager Mayank Gupta.

“The AVSI industry in India has been undergoing a significant change for the last three years- the change is convergence of IT, AV and Telecom.

This has affected the industry in three different ways- product development; project overlap; and expansion of applications.”

According to the Bengaluru-based AMX India chief, new product lines from AV product manufacturers have increasingly been incorporating IT and Telecom technologies. AMX itself took the lead in introducing a slew of products this year incorporating these technologies in their new Enova DGX range of controllers cum switchers and their new range of touch panels. More, they are also integrating AMX GUI on to some IP phones.

Kaushik Mukhopadhyay, CTS, CEO, Integrated Audio-Visual (India) Pvt Ltd

Says Kaushik Mukhopadhyay, CTS, chief executive officer of Integrated Audio-Visual (India) Pvt. Ltd: “The industry convergence has taken place largely because of these IT giants – such as Cisco, HP, Dell, and Microsoft – who saw synergies between their core competencies and AV/IT technologies.

They have entered the AV marketplace either through acquisitions or with AV solutions that have high IT profiles.”

According to the Bengaluruheadquartered AVSI solutions leader, while the explosion of digital technologies was one, the fact that key AV applications such as telepresence and command and control are being carried over IT networks is causing AV and IT to converge into a single domain.

“At least around 100 billion dollars roughly would have been spent by these majors in the last couple of years or so

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On the other hand, IT System Integrators have themselves been increasingly getting into AV projects. This trend has in fact upset the orthodox AVSIs to some extent- both in terms of margins and losing bigger projects to ITSIs. Cisco, HP, AVI-SPL serve a good example to this.

The other big change in AVSI, according to Mayank, is that the AV industry is now going beyond the traditional AV automation in homes and boardrooms in corporate sector. It is much moreacademia, stadia, and galleria too.

According to Prashant Govindan, Regional Manager, India, Middle East and Africa at the Mumbaibased Biamp Systems, large IT and telecom companies have begun to offer AV as an added service to their existing offerings to get a larger chunk of the IT/ AV pie. Moreover, AV is being viewed as speciality IT and part of the converged services model, exerting pressure on traditional AVSIs. “This has actually led the traditional AVSI enterprises to either team up with IT majors or compete

at lower margins,” he says, adding, “there is a growing realization that the next level can be attained only through specialization; and there is a huge demand for generic and product based training now.”

Shylakumar Balu, MD, Genesis IT Innovations Ltd

“Convergence of IT/ITES with AVSI is fast evolving to define and qualify the whole big domain of ICT,” affirms Shylakumar Balu, managing director of Bengaluru-based AVSI solutions pioneer Genesis IT Innovations Ltd. “While VoIP had essentially been an IT network, currently popular technologies like HDMI and digital signage too are IT-centric applications- which is why it’s quite natural for them to converge.”

Mustafa Rampurawala, Business Head, Solutions India Systems Pvt. Ltd

“We are now going hand in hand with IT,” declares Mustafa Rampurawala,

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INDIA SPECIAL FEATURE Business Head at the Mumbaibased Solutions India Systems Pvt. Ltd (SISPL). “We will see a stronger bondage between the two very soon,” he says, adding, “while the IT domain is already largely organized, AVSI is yet to elevate itself to that level, but it appears on its way.”

According to Mustafa who is also Founder-Moderator of Audio-Visual Industry in India, a business-networking group – first such entity for Indian AVSI – the industry needs to partner-align with the IT players to gain a bigger stake in global business in the first place, and to imbibe and implement the organizational mechanisms in the simultaneous run.

Audio-Visually Green Take note- it’s a ‘Unified Communication’ from the AVSI India Inc.! Its stakeholders do speak about the Spectrum; yet, it is essentially ‘green.’ Yes, while the industry in its entirety is agog about the ‘next level convergence,’ most members assert that there’s a great deal of ecologics getting into the new technology processes.

Mayank Gupta takes ‘green AV’ as one of the two main technology aspects driving AVSI industry today, the other being a combined package of webvoice-video. “We’re finally at a place where we’re moving from PC to nonPC devices being rich communication endpoints - from mobile phone and TV to in-car navigation system,” explains the American automation giant’s India head.

“Internet + voice + video is emerging as the ultimate trifecta for cuttingedge devices, and increasingly what consumers would expect from their electronics.”

According to him, video had been fast becoming a dominant means of unified communication worldwide since a year.

IMS Research reported that web-enabled devices on the globe had already crossed the 5 billion mark, and looks set for a figure of 22 billion by 2020.

Mindboggling! Having said that, Internet connectivity is no longer enough to differentiate your gizmo! So, what would differentiate the next 17 billion devices?

Video! (as of now!).

The second aspect is, of course, green. Solutions that not only monitor various energy sources, but also the ability to manage and reduce wasteful expenditure of precious energy will drive tomorrow’s technologies. AMX is now increasingly into green and intelligent building systems. AMX India is now a Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) member. The end-user of AMX solutions can earn LEED points by saving all forms of energy – electricity, water and gas.

Systems Integration Asia October - November 2011

“Industry is moving to greener concepts, environment-friendly products and systems,” endorses Mustafa of SISPL. “Both the AV design consultants and the product manufacturers are increasingly incorporating energy-saving, and carbon footprint reduction processes,” elaborates Mustafa. Use of natural lighting methods is one while use of high light reflectance surface finishes is increasingly adopted as part of intelligent building mechanisms.

transition from SD to HD; and very soon HD will just be a commonality. In most networks today, it’s an all-HD- content capture, transmission and display – all devices powered by digital technologies.

“Some specific applications that are showing promise include the command and control solutions, digital signage, video conferencing etc,” adds Nair.

That practically every product and system in the AVSI domain is an energy emitting process, being green is, perhaps, more relevant to AVSI than anyone else. On the other hand, while green runs as an undercurrent, the hottest technologies driving the industry today are arguably digital in nature.

Krishna Pratap Singh, India Sales Manager at TC Group International

Abhimanyu Gupta, Director, Actis Technologies

“Technologies like LED light sources, digital connectivity like HDMI and DVI, Protocols like H.264 and SVC, IP Control and IP Conferencing are the demand of the time,” says Abhimanyu Gupta, Director of Mumbai-based Actis Technologies. “They are the future,” he says, adding, “the way these technologies shape up determine the way we converge.”

Says Krishna Pratap Singh, India Sales Manager at TC Group International, “with convergence of AV and IT fast taking shape, the whole technology offering from the domain has already come under a dramatic change impacting the user experience to a great extent. While video sourcing through HDMI is already a commonplace, even beam steering in audio is fast catching the user imagination.” According to the Danish audio major’s India Rep, with the kind of knowledge dissemination about new technologies and their access points happening, customers want only the best and latest to qualify their projects.

Shyam K Shankar, Director, Ideas Ahead

Vinod S Nair, AVP-AV&BR at AGC Networks

Endorsing the view is Vinod S Nair, AVP-AV&BR at AGC Networks. “Some of the key technologies that are driving the industry are HD, and IP.” According to him, the industry had already begun its

According to Ideas Ahead Director, Shyam K Shankar with the ‘Analog Sunset’ being almost certain, the industry transition to Digital is quite but natural. Major switching and signal interface manufacturers have been the prime influencers to this paradigm shift.

There have been a slew of awareness programmes and design workshops conducted by manufacturers like Crestron, Extron, AMX, and Kramer.

Systems Integration Asia October - November 2011

More, manufacturers like Gefen and Thinklogical began taking Indian market seriously, a very significant pointer.

Lists out Prompt Audio Visual Pvt. Ltd., founder-director Saisiva Balasubramanian: “major technologies driving the industry today include Digital Signage, LED Signage, Audio and Videoconferencing (including Tele presence), Automation, and of course, the LED and Plasma displays. The shift from analogue to digital brings in its own set of challenges and opportunities for AVSI as well as client.”

Convergence, HD, and wireless are the three big things for tomorrows AV, Prashant Govindan of Biamp Systems, says, adding what would have been a difficult proposition a few years ago – like that of adopting CobraNet – now has become commonplace. The same is voiced by Ratnesh of ISSPL HD, network-centric systems and blend of AV & IT take the industry into an alldigital tomorrow.

“The concept of ‘smart buildings’ has created the need for a variety of applications to be integrated across the board, including AV, IT, security and telephony,” explains Kaushik. “It’s therefore, collaboration, communication and control tools, powered by the convergence of AV and IT technologies, driving the AV Industry today.”

Positives & Negatives While by some account, it may not be rational to gauge an industry that is just around two decades, the other is about the visibility of some very eventful aspects that had a direct or indirect bearing on its dynamics.

Says Vinod S Nair, AVP-AV&BR at AGC Networks: “The economic growth indices over the years have aided the cause of AVSI industry in the country with organizations looking at expanding to cater to increased growth.

However, recently the inflationary trends have made real estate expensive, and consequently budgets squeezed for other spends.”

According to Nair, who drives the AV vision and mission at the Mumbaiheadquartered Essar Group’s AVSI concern – claimed to be India’s largest AV integrator today – audio-visual and systems integration business did sound and shine high on the country with phases of bullish economic propulsive times nationally and internationally enthusing enterprises to make ambitious strides in the domain. Propelled by encouraging socio-economic milieu, SEZs (special economic zones) and IT Parks have sprung in numbers, which coupled with the wealth of information

that came into access, provided scope for impressive growth for AVSI industries. There had been some truly inspiring stories of enterprises seeking AVSI to do the talking on their approach to business. However, on the flipside, the real estate costs shooting through the roof in recent times have put strictures on their spending on AVSI deploymentwhich in turn has a big bearing the survival of most AVSI entities.

The macro-economic perspective of the AGC exec is, however, optimistic in that he opines that “the trends are not aggravating anymore and…will see the infrastructure investments going up.”

The view is endorsed by Mustafa of SISPL: “Indian AVSI industry at the moment is bouncing back on its feet, after the recession. With major (IT) players entering the main league of AV as a specialized business vertical, the industry is turning dynamic.”

On the other hand, there are many other factors that the Indian industry sports in the positive and negative.

According to Ratnesh of ISSPL, Indian industry’s coming up – albeit gradually – with its professionalism has been its biggest positive. “While there are more enthusiasts aspiring for professional AV certifications, there is a huge demand from consultants, PMCs and clients,” the ISSPL founder says, adding, “the important development is that they are now opening out to pay higher price for quality.”

Having said that, the tendency among big enterprises to poach talent from smaller operators by means of lucrative offers has been turning in a bane, he regrets.

One direct fall-out of this tendency is that while promising enterprises suffer the beating, the lure of sudden big money makes the professionals highly volatile.

That there is a huge dearth of talent, this measure stands to spoil the positive dynamism of the industry.

“Also spoiling the industry is changing the traditional ways of AV companies’ operations,” digs in Ratnesh. According to him, AV solution providers, traditionally, used to have small margins in both product sale and services whereas IT companies make money on higher product sale turnover with very little margin and heavy/exorbitant margins on the services.

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with IT domain,” feels Kuldip Kamat, Managing Director of All Wave AV Systems Private Limited.

“Convergence helps AV integrators bring significant value addition to the client,” he says, adding, “it stands to strengthen the AVSI domain by a great measure.”

Kuldip Kamat, Managing Director, All Wave AV Systems Private Limited.

For the Genesis chief, factors like a perceptible change in the mindset of corporate about the necessity of AV; access to information, better and novel technologies at lower prices; enthusiasm among aspiring professionals, besides a growing ‘green’ concern, are all positive aspects of the industry while the flipside are mushrooming of non-genuine; unskilled solution providers; lack of acknowledged methodical training mechanism, and a closely related dearth of certified professionals; and long, painful part of service component for long-imported products.

“An aggregate number of players might look too big, but the real big league comprises hardly half-a-dozen players,” Balu of Genesis IT Innovations Ltd voices concern. A large number taken by small – or fly-by-night-operator type – players, operating in tiny pockets, lend big dents into the interests and cause of the industry.

“Enterprises, having burnt their fingers with such players-sans-expertise over the past few years, often get skeptical about even a genuine player’s offerings,” Balu vouches, adding, “there have been instances of genuine players suffering; we have cases of enterprises coming to us for troubleshooting an erratic situation weaved in by some small, unskilled but ambitious player.”

“I see clearly the maturity of the AV as ITES (IT enabled Services) will lead it to a playground of the big- means smaller players would vanish and mid ones to be acquired by bigger local/foreign giants,” Ratnesh predicts the impending.

“The Biggest challenge is the unethical practices of non-professionals giving false promises, and then not delivering,” regrets Ratnesh of ISSPL. “Access to information can be used in the wrong way and that is what is exactly happening in many cases.”

“The big positive side of the AVSI industry today is the convergence

“The fact that there are too many players, considering the size of the

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INDIA SPECIAL FEATURE market becomes challenging,” feels Abhimanyu of Actis. More or less endorsing the view is Shyam K Shankar of Ideas Ahead, a three-yearold AVSI entity from Bengaluru: “There has been a mushrooming of start-ups.

While coming up of new players is always fine in that it widens up the field for clients to search for better options, the very nature of competition it springs is a big concern.” According to this former-Genesis top exec, while every new player undercuts the price in an effort to grab a work or two, the buyer takes this as an advantage – even as he compromises on quality – and bargains for huge benefits, some of which may well be out of the way.

It gets still critical says with Mumbaibased Prompt Audio Visual Pvt. Ltd’s Saisiva Balasubramanian, “People look at us as product supplier and not as a solution provider,” he rues, “most customers need free consultancy in terms of acoustics, lighting, audio visual solutions and once the BOQ is firmed up by a specific vendor, they would go shopping for the same product.”

Going by him, this creates its own set of problems as the original design intent gets distorted and truncated, apart from dilution added by non-AVSI suppliers. By the end of the journey the BOQ becomes grotesque; no one would have a clue to the applications and functionality encapsulated in the original design.

Indian AVSI industry, therefore, is powered ahead by many positives; however, pulled by more or less matching negatives. A few challenges have to be effectively addressed to turn the negatives into positive strengths, say the industry unanimously.

Skills and Training – the Biggest Challenge Yes, that’s the biggest challenge the industry, across the board, admits- for a simple reason it’s been suffering from it for long. However, one more suffering has been from the lack of awareness- primarily among the clients and their PMCs, as also the State administrative machineries; academia; and socially influential agencies about the importance and benefits of AVSI. “The biggest issue with the industry today is the availability of skilled manpower both at the technical implementation level and at the design level,” declares Vinod Nair of AGC Networks, “with the convergence of AV and IT, we feel this will be further aggravated.”

Endorses Actis Head Abhimanyu: “Foremost among the issues plaguing the industry, is lack of skilled/trained

Systems Integration Asia October - November 2011

manpower and high cost of bandwidth.

It’s a key challenge with very few opportunities available for certification, also there is minimal awareness about the AV sector being a viable career option.” According to him, that the Internet infrastructure in the country is extremely inefficient also proving an obstacle in realizing the potential of AV industry.”

Dearth of talent pool is just one. There are others and equally potential issues like awareness among clients about what technology does/gives what, and comes at what cost, feel the most in the industry. As a result, clients often expect top-of-the-line gadgets – without even firming up if they would use them to their capacity – yet, want them at rockbottom cost, they say.

While there are many issues that challenge the progress of the industry, the foremost is talent availability, says B Mahadevan, managing director of Resurgent Technologies Pvt. Ltd. “The result of this lacuna is that many companies today either do not know the technology well enough or tend to take shortcuts,” he says, adding, “this certainly affects quality, besides adding a generically bad implication to the whole industry.”

“The Indian Customer doesn’t offer a fair price for the services rendered. The customer starts by wanting the state of the art equipment and by and large ends up in having an art of the state solutions,” quips Saisiva of Prompt AV. “I have taken this line from a former stalwart and a founding member of the Indian AVSI industry.”

Ideas Ahead Director Shyam, on the other hand, has different ideas on the issue. “Addressing important challenges cumulatively is like undermining the others in an attempt to identify the biggest. The fact is that the impacting parameters of our industry’s ecosystem are not well balanced,” he says.

“Prioritization at different levels within the market space is an issue as the entities normally do not view the issues as a whole- that itself is an issue.”

According to him, quality manpower; awareness among clients; PMCs and architects; and access to technology all contribute to a holistic challenge.

AVSI market space is essentially technology-driven and thus demands extensive knowledge and skill sets to design and implement right solution.

However, today, we can count qualified engineering graduates working in the AVSI space. “Though we do have academic institutions providing Graduate and Masters courses/certifications in

sound and video engineering, those graduates opt for lucrative careers in broadcasting and cinema Industry. AVSI is like a neglected lot,” he explains, “with such little or no qualified talent coming to AVSI space, expecting quality outcome is far from reach.”

In the light of this situation, it is extremely difficult to train the available manpower on various technologies, unless there are proactive initiatives from manufacturers. Companies like Crestron, Extron, AMX and Kramer though provide excellent training on technology and or programming, what really lacks is hands-on training like Termination, Cable Dressing and Routing, Equipment Racking procedures, Installation and Commissioning. “Bodies like InfoComm can play a pivotal role in this aspect,” Shyam opines, “however, the costs involved in such programmes is generically prohibitive. While AVSI companies do send some of their staff for such courses, they generally are content with one or two of them attain CTS or CVE or AV Associate certification.”

PMCs and Architects play a critical role in identifying and providing business to AVSI space. However, AV is generally not considered during designing and budgetary stages. While high emphasis is laid on architectural designs, interiors, electricals, IT, and other services, AV gets the least attention. This restricts goal planning and deliverables based on the wish-list from the customer end.

“Forethought on AV at the very initial stage of the project is indispensable,” asserts the Ideas Ahead’s head. “Barring one architectural firm, there is none in town with onboard AV staff to help design deliverables to the customers,” he vouches, “scenarios like this hamper budget criteria leading to poor deliverables even for AV.” On the customer front, it is normally the PMC or the Facility Management Team that interfaces with AVSI solution provider. However, this interfacing more often than not does not happen the way it should.

Budget has been yet another potential challenge. That AV is taken into consideration in the very end of budgeting, not fully realising the project value, based on end-user wish-list, compromises are made to accommodate AV within the available funds. Hard negotiations lead to AVSIs amending specs of good and proven products with cheaper solutions that do not stand out for quality.

Admits Prashant of Biamp, “we are seeing challenges in multiple domains; we need to increase awareness of AV as a business tool rather than a nice-to-

Systems Integration Asia October - November 2011

have executive accessory.” He however, qualifies the situation in favour of clients who understand and appreciate the value of AV. “While there is a tendency to make do with the cheapest available product, it is changing in favour of quality and value for money.”

For a manufacturer like AMX, the biggest challenge is to break the vicious cycle of doing away with the need for legacy technologies, which are energyintensive, and replacing them with greener solutions. “AMX has been striving to break this by offering green solutions which also bring old, analog technologies and legacy systems onto a common platform with new forms of technologies,” informs Mayank Gupta of AMX India.

Chicken and Egg Situation?

Thanks to the explosion of IT in the country- it has changed the very socio-economic profile of the nation.

The exodus of MNCs setting up their operational bases on an extensive format helped not only catapult India’s stakes in the global services business sector (though the product development stakes are still a far cry), but also gave a new dimension and momentum to AVSI industry. India’s renewed strengths in audio industry made several audio majors too setting up their direct presence. However, the same has hardly happened when it came to AVSI, with most of them having only a sales office presence. While most in the AVSI segment believe manufacturers’ setting direct presence in the country help the industry’s cause, the latter feel the market should evolve to such situation.

R&D institutions; and simultaneously get more and more OEM participation is the message.

The role of IT/ITES enterprises is also very critical, and their need to go handin-hand with AVSIs is imperative, say the industry.

“It’s the OEMS and large AVSIs to take the lead,” feels Vinod Nair of AGC Networks. On the other hand, Ratnesh of ISSPL feels “joining of hands by AV and IT enterprises is also imperative.”

It actually has to be a multi-prong initiative, asserts Ideas Ahead Shyam, manufacturers’ contribution in terms of knowledge sharing; increasing and intensive programming schedule by agencies like InfoComm – in association with reputed academia, and at lesser costs – and an AVSI Consortium are all necessary. He also feels it needs to involve agencies like Indian Facility Management Association (IFMA) to impart AV-related knowledge to different facility managers.

“Leading AVSIs should join hands and form a consortium where they can discuss on improving competence levels by means of collaborative strengths,” he says. It’s something like an AVSI which is good in designing an auditorium or a NOC but lacking in a 3D studio set-up and the Consortium coming to its aid by sourcing the same from some other member.

The Way Forward

A Consortium would help draft and / or frame guidelines for the industry, and that can go a long way in addressing several issues plaguing the industry today, says Mustafa of SISPL.

One more unified communication from the industry: “it’s up to the OEMs and manufactures to take up the initiative.”

They need to step up their training programmes, at accessible costs; sensitise AVSIs to get into it in large numbers; strategise more innovative programmes complimenting the training in association with trusted academic and

While all this is for the AVSIs, the way ahead for manufacturers, according to AMX is the green path. “In today’s eco pressures of conserving our energy sources, any technology manufacturer who provides greener solutions with reasonable return on investment will be the winner.

INDIA SPECIAL FEATURE

How much is the Indian AVSI Industry worth?

Arguably, this one is the most intriguing question for any AVSI industry mover in India. For, no one believes they have the right answer- let alone attempting one. It ranges anywhere between Rs. 500 crore to Rs. 1500 crore (approx.

US$104 million to US$312 million) for professional AV from the established league, with another Rs. 1000 crore (approx. US$208 million) from the unorganized sector. An estimate by a leading solution provider is at least 10 times the higher side figure, which is Rs 15,000 crore (approx. US$3.12 billion), excluding the consumer segment of LCD/LED displays.

What goes without saying is that there had been practically no methodical research/study or survey by any agency- for the simple fact that there is none.

More, despite the sophistication, and claims like convergence, there had been no effort towards having a representative platform for an organized visibility. The one interesting, visible platform, so to say, is a business-networking group on LinkedIn titled ‘AudioVisual Industry in India’ being moderated by Mustafa Rampurawala, Business Head at Mumbai-based Solutions India Systems Pvt. Ltd. There is one more group called India AV Professionals on the same network, but hardly anything relating to pure, Professional AV is visible there- let alone some facts and figures.

More intriguing, is the case of exhaustive study titled ‘India’s Trade Potential in Audio-Visual Service and the Gats’ – done in early 2002 by Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), a research wing of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) – but literally no mention of anything relating to AV as the industry knows it today.

There are at least three specific areas where the “audio-visual services” are discussed in detail but all that relate to movies, music, and television. It did speak about millions of dollars, but nothing in the strict sense of today’s AV. It’s a case now for the AV sector itself.

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‘Genesis’ – Taking the name of innovation

Shylakumar Balu – Founder-Managing Director of Genesis IT Innovations Limited, Bengaluru – is a name synonymous with the AVSI industry in India.

A post graduate in telecommunications from George Washington University, Balu is credited with being one among the first to seed the professional AVSI industry in the country over a decade-and-half ago.

Having grown with the industry, Balu and his ‘Genesis’ speaks what the AVSI in India is all about, in this exclusive for SIA.

SIA: Tell us something about Genesis Balu: We are a 16-year-old organization; we started off with projectors and screens, and servicing some of the large legacy enterprises like ITC and HLL. Gradually, customers began asking for larger AV integration solutions including AV, lighting and control systems. While the domestic market was too nascent at the time – it’s, however, much the same today with some isolated exceptions – there weren’t too many brands and products in the international market either- InFocus was world leader of the time and we were India distributors for the same. Selling some 200-plus projectors a year was a big deal in those times, and we were honoured with a couple of awards too for achieving it, reminiscing which, today, can be a matter of blushing. Responding with the demand, we began working with Da-lite screens, SD automation, and AMX control systems for networking functionalities.

Admittedly, it was a steady growth, but having stuck to our ground strongly, we built the business with ingenuity. Today, we deal with almost all brands and their top-of-the-line products spanning the whole spectrum of audio, video and systems integration. From a small company of handful executives, we have grown to around 150 personnel, operating from seven major cities in the country, and generating over US$6 million in revenue every year.

So, from a humble beginning, Genesis carved out a domain of credibility, reliability and genuineness for audiovisual and systems integration business.

Having said that we are also conscious that we are not there everywhere in the domain; we address only the IT and ITES segments, and a select few corporates whom we had been servicing for long and share a big relationship with. More, our focus is as much on services part as it is on generating new business cases.

Apart from design, supply, install and integration of the systems, we also service the same on a regular basis so that their seamlessness functionality is ensured. It is actually so critical in our business today that it accounts for as much as 30 per cent of our revenues.

SIA: Indian industry was construed to have not taken birth (only seeding) at all when Genesis came into being. How challenging or promising you feel the journey has been?

Balu: It’s been both enduring and entertaining. That Genesis came into being when the industry was just beginning to take seeding we had to face

and clear many odds to move forward.

Little awareness about the very concept of AV and SI was just one. Beyond that, like what I just said, not many products in the market- so very few solutions, and thus ideations too, and more, the budgets. Today, ironically though, except for the multitude of products, solutions and solution providers, it is difficult to say if it has changed to a great extent, if seen holistically. That’s the enduring part.

On the other hand, with each technological development on the global scene, there had been a slew of innovative products and solution concepts. The Post Liberalization dynamics coming to play big, changing the industrial dynamics too, a whole big world of opportunities opened up, calling for expertise demonstration.

Absorbing each trend, Genesis only evolved further to better itself as well as the customer experience with innovative solutions. Innovation, actually, became part of the Genesis name. So, it’s surely entertaining too.

SIA: What factors you see as impacting the industry positively or negatively?

Balu: One big positive factor is that corporates and business leaders have realized that AV & SI is a necessityirrespective of size, companies today take it as a must. Thanks to the dynamics of technology trade that the costs have fallen dramatically. I remember selling a 200-lumen projector 16 years back at Rs. 6.5 lakh; today a projector that is at least 10 times as powerful is available at less than five per cent of the cost which is ridiculously cheaper in comparison.

So, access to better technology at lower costs is also a big positive.

New trends have begun replacing traditional, if not conventional modes of systems. Network operation centres, digital signages and videowalls are becoming commonplace- integrating information communication processes.

Data sharing/transferring – you can scribble something on an LCD and the same can be shared with all those within the network – is another new trend. Convergence of IT, ITES with AVSI is evolving to define a whole big new domain of ICT. With new technologies and solutions coming to place, a desire among business leaders for sophistication towards simplifying communication processes is on the rise. Most customers do not want complex installs just for the sake of ambitious showcasing of gadgetry.

They want the system to be as simple

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as possible yet as effective as it can get.

User-friendly sophistication is forming the baseline. Actually, this single point is one big direction the industry took in recent years. On top of it all, the AVSI is increasingly turning ‘Green.’ Most product-systems coming to marketplace today carry the ‘green’ tag, and ISO-sort certifications necessitate the systems to be eco-friendly.

There is an increased flow of information, frequency of skillsets improvisation, and more personnel joining the industrypointing towards an exploding growth potential. All these aspects paint a very very positive picture.

The flipside, however, is the fact that there are not many genuine players in the market that are huge. An aggregate of total number of players might look big, but the real big league comprises hardly half-a-dozen players; a large number taken by small – or fly-by-nightoperator type – players, operating in tiny pockets, and lending big dents into the interests and cause of the industry.

Enterprises, having burnt their fingers with such players-sans-expertise over the past few years, often get skeptical about even a genuine player’s offerings. There have been instances of genuine players suffering, and we have cases of enterprises coming to us for troubleshooting an erratic situation weaved in by some small, ambitious player.

It’s a little painful that the growth in manpower numbers is not reflected in quality. There is still a huge dearth of trained, if not certified, talent. Most of the industry professionals today are those tuned by the trade. On the other hand, honing up the available talent is often prohibitively expensive, making even genuine players think twice to depute their personnel to get perfected in training programmes being offered by some agencies. This realistically hinders the training and skill upgradition processes.

SIA: What would be Genesis solution to turn the flipside into positive?

Balu: Well, it certainly has to be a multiprong initiative. The foremost is to have a governing body that can represent the issues faced by the industry at various levels and also regulate various aspects of credibility and reliability of players involved. AVSI has not yet come out strong as a recognized industry spectrum as compared to IT or ITES. There are bodies like Nasscom, CII, and others to address issues faced by IT and ITES, but none for AVSI. This should happen.

Despite being 20 years into the trade, we do not have more than a handful of certified people to qualify expertise

standards. To make this happen, a proper training system something on the lines of IIHT, NIIT or IIM-B is required.

Manufacturers – who normally tend to poach talent from consultants and integrators – should actually initiate short-term/long-term training and certification programmes in association with such institutions to breed AVSI talent. On the other hand, the costs of training by bodies such as InfoComm should be made reasonably accessible to most individuals and enterprises. Also some format of periodical assessment to qualify the industry stakes.

SIA: Genesis has been there since the industry inception, and grew with it. What contribution / difference you think it made to the industry?

Balu: Genesis, boastfully, had been the bedrock of industry strengths. Most industry tenets literally had their genesis here. We were the first to bring high-end projection; we were the first to install a videowall in the country. We did the country’s first collaboration centre.

While the client spent over Rs. two crore on the initiative, that they recovered it within a year speaks about its efficacy.

We brought in streaming and digital technology and integration of marker board trend too to Indian AVSI. People who got trained at Genesis have made it big wherever they moved. Most professionals commanding the industry respect today had their genesis here.

We constantly strive to be abreast with the latest both in terms of product systems we contemplate, and skillsets we nourish. We conduct in-house training programmes as well as partake in outside events; we also send our personnel even for overseas training to get their skills honed up.

Like our punchline reads, we strive towards ‘making tomorrow happen,’ today- so that we are ahead of the world.

SIA: How would you visualize Indian AVSI industry in comparison with the global industry?

Balu: We need to be clear here that even global industry is not universally same.

What can be generically said is that it is much more organized in advanced markets with representative forums and bodies, with a noticeably high degree of professionalism. Indian industry needs to evolve to that level. In terms of competency levels, like I said earlier, the genuine stakeholders are on par with the best but on most occasions it is the budgets that cut corners.

SIA How about the notion of MNCs contributing to the growth of AVSI? Balu: That’s true to a large extent. MNCs

INDIA INTERVIEW

in India, particularly the IT and ITES, had been trying to just replicate their home models here. For a simple fact that they work on strict timelines, and constantly strive to minimize travel time and decision time which makes them exploit the ICT domain for as diverse applications as possible. More, they do not mind making one time big investment to be able to save costs of future times.

Barring a few big Indian corporates, this tendency is new to most enterprises that still believe and take pride in meeting in person to make business decisions. So, MNCs being big buyers of AVSI are its big promoters too.

SIA: Would MNCs involved in AVSI domain setting up manufacturing bases in the country help improve the situation?

Balu: I wouldn’t know if it helps; first of all, whether the current situation encourages AVSI manufacturers to set up their units here. Cisco, by far the largest stakeholder of IT, ITES and AVSI, despite such a strong footing in India is not contemplating manufacturing their routers or switches here. How can a projection or a control system or a camera manufacturer venture into manufacturing? More, almost all of them are able to meet the Indian demands by sourcing equipment from overseas.

What is required is streamlining all the stakeholders of the industry into an organizational structure.

SIA: Where do you see the industry going in the next five years…

Balu: Definitely going to grow by leaps and bounds. Convergence and competencies of compactness is imminent. Projectors have already gone out of AVSI integrator’s space. Value addition will occupy the centre of any and every application. HDMI appears to take centrestage of all applications charting a new direction.

Balu also shares a very unique honour.

He worked with internationally acclaimed, Chicagobased AVSI consultant Doug Allen in the prestigious Kanbay (Capgemini ) project.

This is till date the largest AV integration project in the country.

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The ‘Genesis’ of a new expertise AV Solutions optimised for learning at the DePuy Institute

By Bhavanashi Ramakrishna pioneer was thus entrusted with one of the biggest and most challenging tasks in recent times.

The Process Having come on-board, Genesis brought to the table a blend of its product solutions and expertise which begins right from the very entry into the institute. The Reception area greets visitors with extraordinary branding and a series of success stories of DePuy, besides welcome messages displayed on Samsung professional series LCDs. With a view to enable the displays take content from different source inputs like cable TV, VIDEO formats and PC, the displays are mounted horizontally on the wall behind the Reception Desk.

The Healthcare sector harnessing audiovisual technologies is nothing new, more so, when it relates to American majors.

However, its seeking to leverage AV and SI competencies through an Indian firm, and for high quality education and research and development objectives is truly unique. That the exploit – largest outside its home in the USA – came to an ambitious expression from Indian domain makes it doubly significant.

Bengaluru-based leader of audio visual and systems integration, Genesis IT Innovations Ltd., weaved in the install at the Johnson & Johnson’s DePuy Institute for Advanced Education and Research in Chennai. SIA presents an exclusive.

The Genesis When the DePuy Group – a Johnson & Johnson Company and one of the world’s largest orthopaedic and neuroscience device companies – announced the opening of its Institute for Advanced Education and Research outside Chennai, the capital of South Indian temple State of Tamil Nadu, it meant a few important things to global and Indian medical and AVSI domains.

The new 30,000 square-foot facility – its largest facility outside the US – located at Mahindra World City, some 30 km outside Chennai, will serve as one of the company’s hubs for education training and research on everything from nonsurgical early intervention to complex surgery in the areas of orthopaedics, spinal care, sports medicine, soft tissue repair, trauma, and neurosciences.

Thousands of clinicians and health professionals from across the globe

participate in DePuy’s educational and training programmes that are claimed to be the best in industry-supported education. The new facility is intended to expand the country’s trained surgery talent pool to cater to the growing needs of millions of patients.

That the institute will offer year-round educational programmes on the latest concepts, techniques and technologies in the areas of minimally invasive surgery, aging spine, deformity, neurological disease, joint replacement, and trauma care – featuring top-of-the-line faculty from leading institutions in India and across the world – it required very highly sophisticated audio-visual technologies to augment its activities.

Towards meeting the requirement, the Institute created a slew of structurally modern facilities that included: * * * * *

A 100-seat Auditorium Multiple Training Rooms Board Rooms Video Conference Rooms and A multi-station Saw Bones Lab

Designed by India’s famed architectural firm from Chennai, CRN Architects, and executed by internationally renowned CB Richard Ellis group, the facility is arguably unique in terms of architectural and aesthetic appeal, as well as methodical creation of each component.

When it came to integrating all these facilities with state of the art AVSI expertise, the institute’s due diligence zeroed in on Genesis IT Innovations Ltd. The Bengaluru-based AV solutions

DePuy Institute Reception area

Moving in, capturing one’s attention immediately, among other things, is the auditorium. The 100-seat capacity space represents the uniqueness for enabling technology with healthcare needs. The purpose of the space is actually defined

by DePuy’s need to connect to various hospitals and healthcare institutions across the globe. The slightly-crescent shaped space, treated in sober interior design theme, features rectangularly ribbed acoustic sealing with soft diffused lighting.

“We actually had to work a lot in tandem with the architects towards weaving a meticulously calculated acoustics, besides our quintessential task of AVSI,” informs Sugunakar Naidu, VicePresident-Sales at Genesis, who led the integrator’s team on the project. “It wasn’t that easy though because we needed to consider so many angles of sightlines that in turn involved lighting aspect too,” Naidu explains, “we achieved it by successfully putting in our expertise and teamwork.”

For the Auditorium two Christie DS+750 projectors have been used for projection onto two 120-inch tensioned Da-lite front projection screens mounted on the facing wall on the stage, besides several LCD displays from Samsung

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connected through Clearone DSP and video conferencing facility on High Definition camera device from Polycom.

The AV network weaved in enables the training rooms to be used for world class teaching and seminar environments that are characterized by live demonstration of interactive surgical procedures.

platforms of high-tech medical machinery aimed at providing hands-on experience for the surgeons with real life structures.

These labs are used as workshops as well as new teaching platforms for difficult and extraordinary procedures.

The video solution here features multiple numbers of ceiling-mounted Sony BRC 300 cameras capturing the proceedings live and beaming the video output onto multiple numbers of Samsung Large Format displays mounted all over the interior walls. The video captured here can be streamed live or recorded and beamed as per the requirement later.

Seamless switching of various video inputs are enabled by Extron ultra wide band matrix switcher.

Conference room

With a view to helping methodical space usage mechanism at the venue, the client preferred Crestron’s Cresnet backbone system that is programmed to provide a fact sheet of room booking and scheduling requirement.

The Auditorium

mounted on the interiors as well as the exteriors of the auditorium. Connecting every seat in the auditorium for audio is a network of Shure’s boundary microphones linked through Clearone DSPs on the tables enabling each participant to actively take part in the sessions of audio, video and conference calls. With a view to ensuring seamless switching across multiple audio and video input sources, a set of 12x12 Extron Ultra-Wideband Matrix Switchers are roped in, in combination with ADSP for RGB. A Stereo Audio matrix switcher, coupled with an Extron MGP 464, compliments the job with a four-window graphic display. A network of ceilingmounted speakers are also incorporated to augment meticulous listening.

Filling out the video input sourcing component is a High Definition Polycom video conferencing devise that enables DePuy to connect on IP and ISDN to hospitals and healthcare establishments across the globe. Handling the control jobs are Crestron 10-inch wireless touch panels, and in combination with Clipsal dimming modules, they ensure proper lighting exposure for different functionalities. The entire facility is on the Crestron network enabled by Creston Room Schedulers.

Training room featuring ceiling microphones

The Training Rooms are more or less similar with the auditorium in design theme but for the flat ceiling and size, besides the AVSI. They ceiling-mounted commonly feature Christie projectors aimed at tensioned Da-lite front projection screens that are complemented with Samsung professional LFDs. The speciality here is the audio conferencing facility designed with ceiling microphones keeping in view that the training room table cannot be cluttered. They are, however,

INDIA INSTALLATIONS

The Boardroom and Conference Rooms posed challenge for their typical space parameters, recalls Naidu.

The space is a blend of a conventional Boardroom and video-conferencing set-up aimed at high level executive meetings and doubling over for audio/ video interaction amongst surgeons and medical experts from across the globe, “The objective was very clear,” explains Naidu. “It was to provide the facility with a network that enabled DePuy to straddle across executive meetings to presentation, live surgical streaming, video-conferencing seamlessly and effortlessly.” Ingenuity had to come to its best expression.

Towards meeting the specification, the Genesis team chose high-end Christie ceiling projectors with Da-lite tensioned front projection screens and Samsung professional large format displays for the video component while the audio component was weaved with Shure boundary microphones in combination with Clearone audio DSP for crisp and clear audio conference calls. A Polycom HDX video conferencing device chipped in to ensure seamless video conference call. The source inputs are switched seamlessly with Extron Cross Point Switcher along with the 4 window processor MGP 464.

While the AV design here, in terms of product gear used, appears similar to that of the auditorium, the essential difference between the two is the scalability. The products weaved into the auditorium design have been equipped to scale high keeping in view its usability while those in the conference rooms are comparatively on a lesser scale.

All the boardrooms’ equipment is fully integrated and controlled by Crestron 10-inch wireless touch panel.

The other vital area of the institute is the long multi-station Saw Bone Lab comprising freely-spaced out multiple

The Feel

Sugunakar Naidu, Vice-President-Sales of Genesis

“It was a big task in its own right,” says the Genesis VP. “That the task involved coordinating with many solution providers outside the purview of pure AVSI, made it all the more challenging,” he elaborates, “we, however, came good by means of teamwork.”

According to him, the best part of the project was the client’s resolve not to settle for anything less than the best.

“The client was very clear in their brief and specification of their vision,” he says, adding, “no strings on budgetary stretches; the solution had to be simply top-of-the-line and futuristic.”

The AVSI aspect of the DePuy Institute project is claimed to be one of the most ambitious and unique in recent times.

“The integrated uniqueness of the install, so to say, is its single-backbone system that facilitates audio visual interactions not only across different facilities within the premises, but also with medical institutions in Chennai, India and the world over,” sums up Naidu.

A ‘genesis’ of a new expertise, has thus began. www.gitil.com

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and spiritual existence for a life-long well-being - presenting all that audiovisually was not only a challenge but a treat in itself. The brief was exhaustive!

Budgets and timeline schedules were pretty much part of it! Architecturally designed by the institute’s in-house team, and acoustically treated by an Australian firm, the venue presented an interesting setting.

Healthcare exhibited AudioVisually at the Jindal Naturecure Museum IAV exploits AV Technology to enhance visitor experience As the human passion for harnessing technology increasingly permeates various realms of his interaction, there is an evenly increasing realism coming to place showcasing his genius and urge for more. Evolving from conventional modes of exhibiting excellence, it is now getting to express itself with audiovisual sophistication. The latest case to showcase this is the Naturecure Museum at Jindal Naturecure Institute near Bengaluru. Integrated Audio-Visual India took the honours of designing it.

The ‘cool’ geography of Bengaluru, capital city of the South Indian State of Karnataka, is ironically the “hottest” terrain of India- so goes the cliché across the rhetoric circles. A ‘Pensioners’ Paradise’ that it was, due to its peaceful and relaxing setting, the city used to be fondly called Garden City owing to its opulent greenery interlacing with its Colonial architectures, and traditional settlements. Add to this the IT explosioninduced title of Silicon Capital of India, and the vibrancy of cosmopolitan cultures expressed in sophisticated establishments of retail, leisure, luxury, fashion, business, and for some time now, healthcare.

Summing up more or less all that, and more is the Jindal Naturecure Institute (JNI) – the erstwhile Jindal Institute of Naturopathy and Yogic Sciences –

ensconced in the midst of 100-acreexpansive lush greenery, some 20 km northwest of the city, near National Highway 4 (Tumkur Road). Run by Sitaram Jindal Foundation, a Charitable Trust set up by the Jindal Group CMD Dr. Sitaram Jindal, it offers treatment for relief, prevention and cure of specific diseases through a non-invasive, drugless therapy that combines Indian naturecure with Yoga and other drug-less regimens like diet therapy, physiotherapy, acupuncture, besides the German Vega therapy.

While being steeped in naturotherapy, the Institute accepts, encourages and provides diagnosis only through scientific methods with modern medical equipments.

The Brief When the management embarked upon a multi-phase refurbishment of the project recently, it wanted to incorporate an extensive and high-end professional audio visual system for its museum.

They entrusted Integrated Audio Visual India Pvt. Ltd., a locally based leading AVSI solutions provider to render their ideation audio-visually.

The institute does not merely treat ailments but also offers tips on several aspects of the new way of living towards enhancing the quality of physical, mental

The Museum essentially comprises the following exhibit areas: *Mouth Area *Hero Area *Digestive System *Dental *Skeleton / Muscular *Urinary System *Substance Abuse *Brain and Nervous System *Heart *Nutrition *Respiratory System *Acupuncture *Naturopathy *Yoga

The Treatment The basic concept of the museum was to showcase various parts of the human body and their functionalities under diverse conditions of health and nutrition, thus the integrator had to weave in a design that highlights the intended function of each exhibit, exclusively. It therefore roped in advanced audio visual equipment with cutting-edge technology throughout the designated area.

The experience begins at the Mouth Area

The experience begins right at the entrance as one moves in through the Mouth Area where discretely installed sensors detect the movement and activate the audio system into “laughs,” indicating a healthy being. Even as one is in smiles with the ‘healthy’ feeling, the laughs turn into “coughs,” before the person moves out, symbolizing ill-effects of hobbies or addictions like smoking, tobacco chewing, ghutkas etc.

After the Mouth Area, the visitors enter the ‘HERO Area,’ which is central to the whole museum install. The exhibit is a human skeleton wrapped inside a fiber structure, and is inbuilt with tiny LEDs lining the arterial and veinous systems, as well as other organs of the human

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ideal, and installed on the truss while the QSC’s K 181 speakers were installed on the raised viewing areas. That the combined power of both the speaker modules and subwoofers amounted close to 4000 Watts the area got treated to an awesome audio experience equal to a theatrical setting.

The HERO Area is central to the whole museum install

body- showing the functionalities of different systems - respiratory, digestive, and neurological. Ingenuity coming to play here, the arterial system – that carries oxygenated blood from heart to the body organs – is illuminated in red, and the veinous system – carrying deoxygenated blood from the organs to heart – is illuminated in blue. Similarly, the other functionary systems are accordingly glowed by means of LEDs lining them- the neuro, respiratory, intestinal, urinary and renal systems.

The 12-minute experience at the exhibit takes the visitors through the functionalities of different systems of the human body from top to bottom by means of a specialized audio-visual solution.

The ceiling-mounted truss at the Hero Area features two Epson projectors

The area of the exhibit is a speciality enclosure with a crescent-shaped facing wall consisting two large squarish screens on either side, while centering it in the front is a circular base on which stands the fibre-wrapped, LED-lit human skeleton. A ceiling-mounted truss is equipped with two high-brightness Epson projectors, besides speciality Spot Lights focusing on the Hero. Facing the Hero on either side are raised viewing areas facilitating the visitors to sit and watch the ‘Heroic’ system functionalities.

As the client wanted a theatrical experience, IAV considered many audio manufacturers before closing in the solution and finally worked with QSC India team to design this out-of-the-box solution.The audio content is a mixture of music and speech for which the QSC KW 153 Powered Speakers were considered

“We used the iServer from Crestron to weave in a very practical and costeffective network audio server solution utilizing the popular Apple iPod as its engine,” explains Avinash Nachani, Country Manager of IAV India, who led the IAV team on the project. “Designed for shelf or rack mount installation, the Crestron iServer provides a permanent housing for iPod, adding high-speed Ethernet connectivity to enable full integration with a Crestron control system while still allowing syncing with iTunes software,” he explains.

The Crestron iServer uses the latest Apple authentication chip, enabling high speed music library browsing and compatibility with the latest Apple products and features. The chip supports 6th generation (and later) iPod classic, and any iPod nano, iPod touch, or iPhone.

The entry and exit points to the different exhibits is made through circular openings of pure red, and yellow matrix with scattered red patches indicating healthy blood filled arteries, and infected blood carrying arteries causing ill health.

The rest of the areas in the museum generically feature Samsung LCD displays to show the content of the exhibits in the area. Below the LCD TVs are Crestron Cameo keypads enabling the visitors with the option of source selection. However, what makes the experience here is the personalised audio featuring Holosonic Audio Spot Light speakers which use a beam of ultrasound as a “virtual acoustic source,” enabling unprecedented control of sound distribution- thereby creating a wow feeling.

The diagram shows the real sound field of the Audio Spotlight versus the theoretical maximum directivity of any loudspeaker, panel, dome, or “shower” of the same size. As shown by this comparison, the Audio Spotlight technology not only surpasses all other

INDIA INSTALLATIONS

conventional speaker sound fields but also provides superior audio experience.

Audio Spotlight vs the theoretical maximum directivity of any loudspeaker

The other movement areas are treated with soft back ground music by means of QSC’s ceiling speakers. “That the museum is very unique in nature and purpose, its exhibits and the entire concept, the project presented a challenging situation. It required a great deal of ingenious thinking,” says Kaushik Mukhopadhyay, CEO of IAV India. “Our design worked out every single detail to realize the specifications.”

According to Kaushik, content streaming on demand through the network from a centralised server, automatic scheduling of events, activities initiated by sensor triggers, show control and motor movement synchronisation with relevant audio and video streams are some of the features that made the project very unique.

IAV India’s coming on-board JNI Museum project happened after a careful audit of design, process, quality and execution skill sets matching international standards.

“We are very pleased to have executed this project,” Kaushik sums up, “It’s been a wonderful experience being there.” www.iavindia.com The System Behind the Exhibits • 2 x QSC KW 151 • 2 x KW 181 Series for Pro Audio • QSC DSP322ua for sound reinforcement • 24 x QSC AD-C42T speakers • QSC RMX2450 Amplifier for background music • HD video conference codec with multi-site facility and PC connectivity • Holosonic Audio Spot Lights AS16-B • 2 x Epson EB-G5350 High Brightness Projectors • Crestron Lighting Dimmer System CGDMX-512BI for lighting effects • Crestron Wall Mountable 5.7” Touch panel TPS-6XWALL • Crestron AV2 Processor for centralized control • 15 x Crestrons iServers for Audio and Video Streaming • Crestrons Cameo Wall Keypads for Source Selection • 16 xApple iPod Nanos acting as Engines • Custom racks and control desks

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Systems Integration Asia October - November 2011

Re(de)fining visualization at World’s largest refining hub

Barco exploits its new Ecological Interface Design concept to achieve objectives

by Bhavanashi Ramakrishna Reliance Industries Limited & its petrochemical enterprise Reliance Petroleum - their very name springs awe; a reputation, and an ambition for big stakes in every realm. While that in their business domain is known, the same in their harnessing technology and putting it to inspi’rational’ use is a big business case in itself. The best to showcase this in all its magnificence is the business behemoth’s second oil refinery at Jamnagar in India’s north western state of Gujarat.

It’s a case of big players coming together to weave in what is claimed to be the world’s largest, first-of-its-kind video wall integration for the petrochemical sector. Taking centre stage in the honour is Barco India, in association with Honeywell India and Design Directions India. SIA presents an exclusive on what had hitherto been a closely held prerogative.

The Big Ambition When Reliance Petroleum – the prestigious subsidiary of India’s largest private sector enterprise Reliance Industries Limited – commissioned its second crude oil refinery at its existing facility at Jamnagar, in the Indian State of Gujarat over two years ago, the mega initiative not only meant the emergence of the largest ‘refining hub of the world’ with a combined capacity of over 60 million tonnes of oil refinement per year but also unveiled an incredible ‘visualization.’

The US$6 billion complex was completed in a record time of 36 months.

Together, the two refineries make a fully integrated entity with manufacturing, refinery, aromatics/petrochemicals,

captive power plant complexes, a port and a terminal for pipeline network access, sprawling over 7500 acres- more than one-third of London or Mumbai’s geographic spread.

To monitor, control, coordinate and optimize activities at such a gigantic site, Reliance set up an ultra-sophisticated Refinery Control Building, with an ambitious technology play - the centre of which is the largest video wall to date in the global oil sector. While visual solutions major Barco had a major stake in the exploit with a totally new concept called Ecological Interface Design – through a first-its-kind digital mosaic – it is also shared by automation solutions specialist for energy sector Honeywell Automation India who provided fire and gas and CCTV system solutions, and Pune-based award-winning designer firm Design Directions India who weaved in the graphic design for the venue.

The most significant aspect of this success story of ambitious integration was that the consultant-integrators were involved right from the stage of building ground-up. Barco’s proven credentials in visual solutions for the energy sector – shown in large video walls for Saudi’s Aramco Operation Coordination Center and China’s EPC – and its track record with Reliance’s previous projects brought it on-board, while the other two stakeholders too had their expertise taken into consideration by the energy conglomerate.

Design: Benchmarking New High of Sophistication The project brief was arguably ambitious.

The Central Control Center, besides helping monitor and control processes

across the entire network of complexes, had to serve as a tool to optimize plant performance, i.e. maximize production, quality, efficiency and safety, and even support business. It essentially meant a total automation, able to handle practically every condition with minimum, if not nil, human intervention.

To achieve that objective, high-level, next-generation information and visualization technology solutions were needed. Working in close cooperation with the Reliance team, Barco had to work out a total visualization solution that included system design, software, hardware, configuration and integration.

The biggest challenge posed was to create the definition for the displays, as Reliance’s vision specified for a totally new concept of visualization, going much beyond pixels and ergonomics. Together with Honeywell and Design Directions, Reliance and Barco undertook a stepwise and planned exercise to analyse all plant processes, decide what aspects had to be visualized, identify the requisite visual tools and then work out a clear structure for the information.

“As control rooms become increasingly centralized, they get ever more complex.

Operators are overwhelmed by the data on the wall and on their desktops, coming from all kinds of sources,” says Guy Van Wijmeersch, Market Director at Barco’s Security & Monitoring division. “This overload hampers real-time insight and situational awareness, which makes the control process slow and error-prone.”

To avoid this, the project team decided to only visualize key performance indicators and ensure it would be easy

Systems Integration Asia October - November 2011

to understand for all the workstation personnel concerned. Due diligence of repeated rounds ensured they evolved the vision to reality.

“It was essentially creation and provision of FDS (Functional Design Specifications) that included complete system architecture with both software and hardware integration,” explains the Barco India spokesperson, “sophistication and simplicity had to go hand-in-hand.”

Going by the FDS, Barco installed eight large rear-projection video walls- four for the Refinery and Utilities, and the other four for Power and Petrochemicals. Each of the walls was created using as many as 24 DLP display cubes of 67-inch width each, done in six rows of four cubes each, representing a major array of the company’s operations. In addition, a wall of six 67-inch DLP modules, done in two rows of three modules each, was set up in the War Room. It, therefore, meant that as many as 198 DLP cubes with XGA resolution have been incorporated into the facility- making it the largest for any energy major in the world.

Specifications for the projection system and image display- such as long lamp life, automatic calibration, redundancy, ease-of-use, high quality, etc. were all addressed with meticulous attention.

The visualization solution is entirely networked through a high-speed Ethernet connection, towards ensuring a highly reliable, flexible and scalable environment.

The network was weaved in, in such a way that operators can receive all possible types of data and video from all sources, which is then visualized in a scalable vector graphic format.

Besides depicting Reliance plants with various equipment set-ups and pipelines and mission-critical parameters like temperature, volume pressure, etc., the video wall also provides detailed process environment support, like dependencies on upstream and downstream processes - constraints associated with production process etc.

Digital Mosaic: Heart of the Design The visualization vision evolved by Barco was based on the Ecological Interface Design (EID) concept, a unique way of displaying dynamic data. “EID aims at developing a user interface that makes constraints and complex relationships in the work environment perceptually evident to the operators,” Van Wijmeersch explains. According to him, the key to this interface is the graphics. If designed well, graphics turn data into useful information, thereby helping operators effectively collaborate

in the working environment; maintain situational awareness; understand the big picture; detect incidents almost pro-actively; assess them and respond quickly and accurately before they escalate.

A Digital Mosaic Suite, which Barco had developed for the Aramco Oil Control Room in Saudi Arabia and customized to meet Reliance’s needs, played a key role in this process. “Digital Mosaic retrieves data from a wide range of data acquisition systems; analyzes it to trigger a scenario interaction with Barco’s Apollo Wall Management Software and then visualize it on Barco’s video wall in high-quality, scalable graphics,” explains the Barco India spokesperson. “It was actually a big challenge to weave in a single solution that integrates both software and hardware,” she adds, “the Digital Mosaic, based on EID made it not only possible but admirable.”

The audio component of the solution was weaved in by Barco’s Belgian headquarters which sourced the equipment from the European market and integrated it in association with Indian team.

The Safety Challenge: Closed Circuit Monitoring Being the largest petrochem plant that the Reliance project is, likeliness of toxic or combustible gasses would be some of the possible hazards that needed to be handled with clinical precision.

The setting demanded an integrated detection mechanism that senses and provides early warnings of any smoke, heat, fire or gas leak possibility, and a CCTV system that captures and presents the situation on real time basis. The system had to include detectors, alarm panels, suppression systems and manual call points with strong execution capability.

Honeywell roped in the full, integrated spectrum of gas sensing technologies - electrochemical, catalytic bead, openpath and point Infrared. The system included Honeywell fire alarm panels supporting XP95 protocol that could talk to third-party manual call points; Honeywell Digital Video Manager that brings streaming data from CCTV to a single location; and dual redundant Honeywell Safety Manager integrated into Honeywell’s Experion Process Knowledge System (PKS) offered a onestop solution to bring all the alarms together.

The systems also included Honeywell’s popular Operator Training Simulator (OTS), Invensys DCS, and Historian System, besides different video streams, explains Ajay Deshmukh, Product Marketing Manager at Honeywell

INDIA INSTALLATIONS

Process Solutions that worked on the project, “We had to integrate as many as 20 interfaces.”

“It wasn’t an easy task though, for the very nature of the project,” Deshmukh recalls, “it indeed demanded a highquality expertise which we had and put in.” According to the Honeywell executive, the most challenging part was the alignment of systems with the curvature architecture of the space.

“That the angle of separation between two connected displays was a mere eight degrees, aligning CCTV systems with the displays posed a big challenge,” he says, “however, we achieved it with clinical precision.”

The Digital Mosaic was arguably the central attraction of the whole process, Deshmukh admits, adding, the hardware part of it is truly incredible, he compliments, while the manner in which it is integrated with the software made it all the more unique.

It’s not totally first time that such an install was made in the country, the first being that at Jindals’ steel plant at Raigarh in Chattisgarh. However, it is much lesser in scale, while the Reliance Petroleum’s install transcended all notional parameters to scale truly big.

It is thus the first refinery control room in the world to implement the concept of complete integration of process systems with latest information and visualization technology, facilitating high level collaboration across the entire ecosystem of the site. Quality of supervisory information help operators gain insight into the overall performance of plants in terms of throughputs, capacity utilization, material balances, yields, etc. and current status of its equipment, while safety KPIs help keep the pulse on safety. Event-driven graphics enhance the management of abnormal situations, like a power or steam failure.

By centralizing all control activities in one Control Center, Reliance achieved enhanced control and, consequently, optimized plant performance and safety.

The 60 panel officers who ensure the control room is manned 24/7, now have all the tools they need to acquire realtime insight into every process and take decisions promptly.

It’s indeed re(de)fining visualization! www.barco.com www.honeywell.com www.designdirections.net

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The University of Hong Kong enhances its facilities BAP installs integrated control system to meet University’s objectives The University of Hong Kong (HKU) is one of the best tertiary education institution in the world. It is also the foremost university in Hong Kong.

Celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2012, the university is undertaking numerous enhancements to the facilities within and beyond the main campus in Pokfulam.

Amongst the many initiatives, the HKU Faculty of Business of Economics down town facilities at Admiralty were recently refurbished and given a fresh new look.

The newly renovated facility is constructed in a 100 seater theatre style setting with state of the art equipment reaching the full potential of rare down town space. Deep Batra, Manager (IT and Facilities) at HKU, says “The challenge was to make use of this space to the

best we can. The structural column in the middle, the need to have a flat stage with removable lectern and removable equipment, the lack of IT/AV personnel on site, all amounted to the need to have a highly innovative set-up.”

To facilitate the clear and smooth integration of intricate AV technology solutions, HKU needed an integrator who could not only provide a conventional AV set up, but also tailor a solution that would deliver advanced AV functionality over IP technology. “Not only the integrator offered the best solution, it was also the most economical, having understood our needs,” says Deep Batra.

To find a solution that would cover the wide variety of advanced technologies

and integrate them into a seamless environment that is easily accessible to both technical staff and end users for HKU was a daunting task.

In order to satisfy HKU’s request to simplify the complexity of the control system, BAP designed a system that was centrally controlled and able to run on a platform without programming infrastructure. The integrated control system not only controlled all the AV equipment, but also the lighting and dimming system. Users could activate different light scenes according to ambient lighting condition with a single touch of a button on the touch based control panel.

Systems Integration Asia October - November 2011

INSTALLATIONS

Wireless handheld and tie clip microphones (Sennheiser EW135 & EW112G2) were used for the stage application. Full range JBL powered ceiling speakers were used for sound re-enforcement. Extron XPA 2001 70V power amplifiers, DMP64 audio mixer with feedback suppression and HAE100 audio de-embedder were used for audio management and equalization.

A 4x4 VGA matrix switcher from Extron (MVX 44 VGA A) was used for switching multiple inputs from various floor boxes and wall plates, while a HDMI to VGA converter (DVI-RGB200) was used for converting HDMI signal to computer signal for presentation. Extron EDID 101V is employed in the system to enhance VGA signal quality from notebook - it ensures that the source powers up properly and reliably outputs content.

Dimming Control

Control System The integrated control system composed of Extron TLP 700TV, a 7-inch tabletop touch panel, IPL T S6 IP Link Ethernet control processor and IPL CR48 relay modules. All AV sources and light dimming control system could be monitored and controlled from a central location. Through Extron’s touchpanel, the user could easily control any device in the lecture theatre, such as projector, projection screen, LCD TV, microphone system, audio mixer, power amplifier, visualizer as well as dimming control system.

The user selected Extron TouchlinkTM touchpanel control because of its price, simplicity, stability and ease of use. Another important consideration

that the user took into account is the simplified configuration scheme, making it affordable for customers who might not otherwise be able to budget for a touchpanel and its associated programming expenses. With no proprietary program source, the user can configure the Extron touchpanel for upgrade or replacement purpose in the future which highly increased the effectiveness and efficiency.

Audiovisual System The lecture theatre had been installed with three front projection systems, 4500 ANSI lumens projectors from Mitsubishi XD600U and Da-Lite 100 inches Slimline electric screens. A 42-inch LCD panel from LG was used on the structural column as a preview for the instructor.

The client hoped that the dimming control was not only for functional use, but also to facilitate management and save energy. In order to meet the client’s requirements, the control system should be simple to operate and easy to control and maintain, and scalable to achieve energy saving and cost reduction.

Thus, BAP installed the Lutron GXI-3104 dimming control with RS232 interface (GRX-CI-RS232) for intelligent dimming control management. The dimmable light sources were zoned in the lecture theatre - lights on for those areas where there was audience, while switch off for those areas not frequently occupied. For the operation to be realized by the user on stage, BAP designed a touch screen control page that showed a detailed floor plan with clear zoning indication on it. This implementation provided a successful operation guide for user. www.bap.com.hk

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INSTALLATIONS

Barix IP Audio Solution at Maldives Islands Resort Barix IP solution supports multi-language communications for security, entertainment and public address Barix Audio over IP solutions are now live at the Holiday Inn Kandooma Resort in the Maldives Islands, distributing highquality, multi-lingual voice and music to its guests in nine zones. The system, installed by local systems integration firm EIT Private Limited, delivers audio to multiple points, creating a unified, resort-wide notification and entertainment system.

The Kandooma Resort is a full-service, 160-room resort located on Kandooma Island on the South Male Atoll in the Maldives Islands, renowned for its world-class diving and surfing. Besides its beautiful, oceanside setting, the Kandooma Resort is noted for its advanced technology, providing free Wi-Fi, iPod docking stations, and flatscreen TVs with satellite programming to guests.

Barix met resort requirements for high performance, reliable presence and security applications over the IP network at a reasonable cost. Mohammed Afzal, director of EIT Private Limited, stressed the importance of the system’s scalable topology.

“Barix provides a multi-purpose PA system that is easily expandable to accommodate future growth at the resort, which was very important,” said Mohammed Afzal. “The system

streams in-house music, live paging and recorded messages. It also supports multi-language playback, which is helpful in emergency situations. No other company serving our market could provide a solution that met the resort’s requirements.”

audio stream in emergency situations.

The Annuncicom is responsible for streaming pre-recorded security announcements to the Exstreamers in all zones. Nine amplifiers and 200 loudspeakers support playout across the grounds.

Afzal added that Barix devices are open and easy to customize. “Barix gives us the flexibility to customize intercom and other applications with the existing hardware,” said Afzal. “The programming language is easy to understand and helpful to companies that want to build custom solutions for their customers.”

www.barix.com

The complete solution includes a Barix Annuncicom PS16 Paging Station at the core. The PS16 is a multifunction, standalone IP intercom, paging and PA master station that connects to multiple end devices without the need for PCs or server software.

Resort staff can deliver live pages and announcements from the PS16 to Barix Exstreamer 100 IP audio decoders in nine zones with a single press of the button, targeting messages to specific zones or buildings; or initiating “all-call” announcements.

EIT Private Limited also installed one Barix Annuncicom 100 two-way audio device to override the network-wide

Rack with Barix IP Solution and Amplifiers

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Symetrix Jupiter takes centre stage at Beijing’s Visitor Centre 3M Multimedia Auditorium Jupiter’s allure was its promise of “zero learning curve.”

The recently-renovated Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall is located in Qianmen Dongdajie, Chongwen District, just east of the old Qianmen Railway Station. Its four floors provide a comprehensive overview of Beijing’s storied past and a brave vision of its promising future.

In addition to conventional display cases and photographs, the exhibitions include light boxes, sculptures, and a highly detailed scale model of the city. Most notable, however, is the 3D multimedia auditorium on the top floor, which features one of the world’s largest 3D screens. When the auditorium’s audio processor had to be replaced, A/V integrator Sanecore Group installed a new Symetrix Jupiter “zero learning curve” digital signal processor.

The 3D multimedia auditorium comfortably seats two hundred visitors in a space of four-hundred square meters (4,300 square feet). The room is purpose-built to multi-task. In addition to showing a 3D movie about Beijing, the room regularly shows feature films (both 3D and 2D) and provides a forum for conferences. Three Barco Galaxy projectors provide crisp, precise imaging. The room’s sound system is as impressive as it is flexible and features a full 5.1 surround sound system for a compelling 3D experience. When the 5.8 meter by 20 meter screen was installed

in 2007, it was the largest 3D screen in the world. The city simulation movies that were created for the exhibition hall take visitors through the city, both old and new, in a way that is educational and entertaining.

“The original processor, which was not a Symetrix by the way, stopped working on November 3, 2010,” said Alan Ho, design specialist with Sanecore Group. “I know the exact date because replacing the unit was so time-sensitive as it brought everything to a screeching halt. Together with the staff at the Exhibition Center, we decided to replace it with a Symetrix Jupiter 8.” Because Sanecore Group is China’s premier pro audio and lighting distributor and A/V designer/installer, it has been responsible for many of the country’s most ambitious A/V systems.

Jupiter’s allure was its promise of “zero learning curve.” Borrowing the obviously successful “app” paradigm from smartphone technology, Symetrix engineered the Jupiter hardware to take on a multitude of audio processing tasks via application-specific software apps. Users select an appropriate app using the intuitive App Finder utility at Symetrix website (www.Symetrix.co) and upload it to the Jupiter hardware.

In an instant, the Jupiter hardware is perfectly configured for the task at hand,

and a plug ‘n play computer interface makes tweaking the audio simple. The 3D multimedia auditorium uses the Sound Reinforcement #9 App, which provides matrix mixing, equalization, and speaker management.

“We were very pleased to use the new Jupiter system,” said Ho. “The physical installation was quick, and the entire system was tuned in under an hour.

In contrast to the prior processor, the Jupiter is infinitely flexible, and we were able to choose an app that would satisfy all of the demands of the 3D theater. Changing the default settings was easy in the elegant Windows GUI that is provided.” In addition to replacing the processor, the Jupiter also replaced an analog equalizer and other miscellaneous analog technologies.

The three current flavours of Jupiter hardware, Jupiter 4, Jupiter 8, and Jupiter 12, differ only in their input and output counts. Jupiter 8, with eight inputs and eight outputs, was well matched for the 3D multimedia auditorium. A Soundcraft GB8-32 delivers eight output groups to the Jupiter 8, which in turn provides signal to a modest rack of QSC ISA amplifiers. An EAW sb184C subwoofer complements a surround array composed of Renkus-Heinz PNX full-range loudspeakers.

“Because the Jupiter replaced not only the failed processor, but also a number of analog processors, the signal chain shortened considerably,” noted Ho. “Previously, the system connections were complicated and the sound quality suffered as a result, both in terms of fidelity and noise. The new Jupiter-based system is much cleaner, owing in part to the transparent sound quality of the Jupiter hardware and software and in part to the simplified signal chain. It’s crystal clear and stunning. There is no distortion.”

Reliability was also a critical factor in the choice of a new processor. After all, the operators of the 3D multimedia auditorium had just experienced how quickly things can grind to a halt in the absence of a functioning audio processor! “A failure reflects poorly on the city,” explained Ho. “The Exhibition Hall is located on the southeast side of Tiananmen Square, one of the most attractive sites for both national and international tourists. The exhibits and the 3D movie are educational not only for visitors to the city, but also for the residents of the city itself.

“The staff at the auditorium gave very high praise to the Jupiter system,” concluded Ho. www.symetrix.co www.sanecore.cn

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INSTALLATIONS

Living in style and security at the Regattas Apartments and Hotel Bosch provides tailor-made safety and security solutions The Regatta Apartments and Hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia is a joint venture between PT. Global Eka Buana and Intiland Development group ( Dharmala Intiland). The Dharmala Group, a major player in Indonesia’s property market, recently engaged Bosch to provide safety and security solutions for one of its most modern and extravagant projects.

An integrated system that covers surveillance, access control, intrusion and public address requirements was implemented at the Regatta Apartments and Hotel, by Bosch. The system controls the complex’s four tower apartment towers and area community, which spans 11 hectares of land.

“Initially we were only asked to install

a video surveillance system as well as public address technologies,” says Ong Kah Seong, General Manager, Bosch Security Systems Indonesia. “After a short while however, the customer assigned us to provide a fully integrated security solution.”

To monitor the premises, the Bosch Dibos Digital Video Recorder with web browser remote access and viewing was used with AutoDome Easy and FlexiDome cameras. A total of 539 for CCTV set were installed, guaranteeing discrete surveillance, while providing high resolution images in key locations.

Reliable access control is assured by an Access Modular Controller, which manages up to four access points such as doors, gates, turn stiles and revolving

doors, as well as 4000 ID card readers.

To avoid the risk of intrusion, an Easy Series Control Panel, designed for residential applications, was installed. In addition, a Praesideo Public Address and Evacuation System consisting of one network controller, twenty amplifiers, around 1500 ceiling-, cabinet-, and horn speakers, six basic call stations and ten keypad call stations was implemented.

Regatta Apartments can now rely on a particularly flexible, integrated security solution. The system has already proved its worth throughout the premises and the Regatta developer and property management is pleased with the solution. www.boschsecurity.com

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Sandvik display data with ONELAN Solution enables information to be disseminated with ease Sandvik Mining and Construction (SMC) is a business division within the Sandvik Group and a leading global supplier of equipment, service and technical solutions for the excavation and sizing of rock and minerals in the mining and construction industries.

SMC has operations in more than 130 countries and approximately 15,500 employees. With a vast amount of data that needs to be updated every hour, SMC Shanghai required a simple knowledge management solution able to disseminate information to staff quickly and easily.

Sandvik required the following: * An Ad-hoc functionality to allow different departments to upload their data in their respective zones * Easy file transfer system via FTP for data to be displayed immediately * Intuitive and user friendly product * Ability to play high-definition MPEG videos and JPEGs and * Capability to screen a range of live TV Channels After being suitably impressed by the ONELAN system used in another SMC region; SMC Shanghai decided they wanted the same for themselves.

They installed a ONELAN Net-Top-Box (NTB) 5505 publisher and subscriber, in addition to three other NTB 510 subscribers to power eight screens throughout the office.

SMC’s latest business data. ONELAN’s products excelled in meeting all of SMC Shanghai’s needs, as they were able to provide different types of content to both employees and visitors.

The publisher and subscriber units came furnished with TV tuner and were placed in the pantry, so that even while taking a break and watching television, staff could still remain abreast of business developments. Out of the three 510 subscribers, one was used at the reception to display the corporate video and to welcome guests. The other two subscriber units were placed around the office to notify staff about

‘The products offer the right mix of content management functionality, user friendliness and flexibility to address the company’s needs. Despite not using ONELAN’s product to its full extent yet, we already love the flexibility of its FTP system to push out content immediately,’ comments Mark Janssen, Business Intelligence Supervisor at SMC. www.onelan.com

ONELAN at the Shanghai Bund Sightseeing Tunnel Solution has created endless marketing possibilities ways to promote their latest They chose digital signage decided that it would be an tool to attract the attention of customers.

Located along the famous Shanghai bund, the bund sightseeing tunnel connects the Puxi entrance to the Oriental Pearl Radio and Television Tower in Pudong. Modern technologies are applied to the interior walls of the tunnel, providing passengers with pictures, patterns and views to make them feel as if they were right at the scene.

As part of the bund sightseeing tunnel’s tenth anniversary, a photography booth service was started. The bund management were looking for innovative

offering. as they excellent potential

Requirements * State of the art display system which complements existing technology in the tunnel * Ability to play high-definition MPEG videos and JPEGs * Crystal clear sound system to broadcast audio content * Easy picture file transfer via FTP to enable rapid display to screens * Attractive and dynamic content creation

The Solution A ONELAN 510 Net-Top-Box was installed to drive two 47” screens, both of which are located at the Puxi entrance of the sightseeing tunnel. There are similar plans to do the same at the Pudong entrance.

The bund management were impressed with the content developed by ONELAN China, which includes a layout enhanced by dynamic video and images. The easy drag and drop function using the FTP server allows digital photographs of potential customers to be displayed almost instantaneously on the TV screens. This enables customers to check their photographs thoroughly prior to purchase.

The combination of smooth audio and visual content has attracted considerable attention from tunnel visitors, prompting many to stop and take photographs at the booth.

“ONELAN’s system has created endless marketing possibilities for the sightseeing tunnel and has increased our visitor revenue,” said Mrs Yang, Bund Sightseeing Tunnel’s Staff Supervisor. www.onelan.com

Systems Integration Asia October - November 2011

INSTALLATIONS

dnp Supernova Core enters Singapore’s prime home entertainment market Ong Radio International takes optical solution into high places In the prime apartment residences of East Singapore, the sea front is just five minutes from the bustling business district – overlooked by the high rise of the Singapore skyline. The view from the top floor residences is simply sublime, as their affluent owners luxuriously entertain guests with fine wine, great home made food (from Western to Chinese cuisine), music and movies.

The aspiration is to share true-to-life entertainment with their guests. The video reproduction needs to represent movies, concerts and television programmes at any time of the day with high visual acuity – and without having to convert the living space into a pseudo dedicated and dark home theatre space.

Both the home theatre and two-channel audio face the same challenges within the fluid environment – since the entertainment space in the living room is opened to the kitchen, dining space and balcony. Is is thus essential that both video and audio are presented in pristine quality.

One such owner recently appointed Ong Radio International to manage and consult on his entire AV integration.

When the specialists first arrived on

site the place was simply a bare, highceilinged marble-floored apartment – with the keys newly passed to the owner from the developer.

The client wanted the biggest-sized screen appropriate for the room, and Ong Radio International set up a demonstration between a conventional white screen, and a dnp Supernova Core optical front projection screen. Fitted with the 20-20 screen material the 110” 16:9 Supernova Core custom screen offers superior brightness and ultra-high contrast, detail and definition.

This solution was also preferred because of the inherent access limitations, offering ease of delivery to site for straightforward on-site assembly – thanks to its economical frame construction.

Part of the award-winning products in the Supernova family, the Core is ideal for home theatre since it will deliver superior image quality front projection in a high-brightness environment and with minimal space requirements.

Supreme black levels are balanced with an ergonomic brightness level that prevents eye strain and creates vivid images with full colour saturation and exceptional image detail.

A Mcintosh MX150 with Room PerfectTM Technology was also a key element to delivering a well-balanced sound with luxury-level refinement and state-of-the-art processing – semicolumn technology speakers being preferred to point source speakers.

The main source was a media server system, followed by a tuner, and High Definition cable set-top box, while the intricate operation was simplified with a universal wireless landscape touch screen control.

This formed a very elegant overall solution for the client. www.dnp.dk

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VOICE BOX

Life is a Presentation our WPG solution as wowVEOS to encompass the fact that our solution was a combination of a presentation, collaboration, recording, audience response and streaming solution.

We now have distributors in USA, Australia, New Zealand, China/Hong Kong/Macau, India and Germany as well as the Middle East and Africa. Our clients include the University of Southern California, United Nations offices in Germany and Brazil as well as renowned corporate clients such as Cadbury’s and Unilever.

WOWVISION is a Singapore based technology company that is at the forefront of AV/IT convergence. The company has been slowly but steadily building up its reputation and its solutions. The company’s main solution is the proVEOS which is a single box solution that is easy to install and easy to use and it offers users a whole new way to present, interact and collaborate.

SIA took the opportunity to interview its affable and down-to-earth visionary Dr Dinesh Tripathi about WOWVISION’s philosophy and challenges.

SIA: How should WOW VISION?

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change with central management of any display at any location. We first called it “AirVision” and in essence we created a display system with its contents being centrally controlled. Our very first customer was METRO (a major retail chain at that time) in Singapore where we installed six displays at the cashier counters. This was quickly followed in 2002 by NTUC Fairprice (a large Singapore supermarket chain). In 2003, Thailand’s Tesco Lotus hypermarket engaged us to install 750 displays in 23 locations with all the content managed via a satellite link in Singapore.

perceive

Dinesh: I think the best way to sum this up would be that WOWVISION should be perceived as a company that brings presentation and collaboration simplicity to the AV industry. Though this is now an often said term, we truly believe in our philosophy that we are not about selling boxes but rather bringing solutions to the table.

We are very much in the IT/AV realm and as you know this is what the future is about and we are sitting right in the middle of it.

SIA: What about your brand values?

Dinesh: Our solutions are inherently human – another words it is about technology serving people rather than the other way round. In addition our brand values suggest that our solutions are Simply Smart and Seamlessly Connected. Values that we feel will resonate with end-users very well.

SIA: Could you give a brief about the beginnings of WOWVISION? Dinesh: WOWVISION was established in 2001. We were in the forefront of digital signage solutions. We looked into how the advertising world was going to

SIA: When did the break for a presentation solution come about?

Dinesh: In essence WOWVISION was a R&D company. In 2005 when the Republic Polytechnic in Singapore shifted its campus, it was seeking a solution to simplify presentation technology.

The Polytechnic approached us for a solution and this saw the birth of our WPG solution – Wireless Presentation Gateway. Its significance was that our WPG solution eliminated the hassle of VGA cables, audio cables, matrix switchers, scalers, controllers and touch panels. From the time of their approach to the end product it took us only 90 days to deliver the solution to them. In 2006 the Republic Polytechnic had 264 of our systems and as a testament to the viability and reliability of our systems in 2007 we had a total of 728 systems installed within the Polytechnic. The numbers have been growing since.

SIA: Where did it go from there for WOWVISION? Dinesh: From 2007 onwards we worked on a massive global feedback about our solution. This saw us talk to various stakeholders in USA, Europe, the Caribbean, China and even Japan. This enabled us to work on a business model for our solution. In 2008, we renamed

SIA: There seems to be a major push of your solutions recently. Your comments.

Dinesh: Though we have been in this field for 10 years now we have generally worked in the background. We also went through a number of different working models but as of the beginning of this year, I should say that we have settled most of our issues and are ready to take on a very active role in this industry. This is now evident with our current branding exercise that includes placement of traditional advertisements, where our logos have been revitalised and our messages more clearer and direct. We also have a free application at Apple’s App Store (Connect Me) which will enable potential users to test out the system. And at this year’s InfoComm International we introduced the miniVEOS which is a modular system designed for people who are not ready to use all the amazing features of proVEOS today. Users of miniVEOS can simply upgrade features with a license key.

SIA: What does the future hold for WOWVISION? Dinesh: We are already working on several new products which will further simplify presentations and collaboration. We are truly in the cusp of AV/IT convergence and our solutions are hassle free, future proof and very reliable.

We strongly believe that our current and new products as well as branding efforts plus with the help of our partners in the various countries, we will make a major contribution in removing the limitations of traditional AV connectivity. Life is a presentation and we are here to help you present yourself well. www.wow-vision.com Not many may know this but Dr Dinesh has been awarded several patents in display systems and signage solutions.

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Systems Integration Asia October - November 2011

The Convergence of AV and IT is shaping the world of communications

By Kaushik Mukhopadhyay, CTS, CEO of Integrated Audio Visual (India) Pvt. Ltd telephony. The industry convergence has taken place largely because IT vendors, such as Cisco, HP, Dell, and Microsoft, saw synergies between their core competencies and AV/IT technologies.

They have entered the AV marketplace either through acquisitions or with AV solutions that have high IT profiles.

The advent of new age collaboration, communication, control technologies, followed by knowledge dissemination, has shaped the vision, culture and mission of organisations. Heads of organisations, irrespective of their scale, size, nature – corporate, government or education – rely on professional audiovisual service providers as they strive to offer well designed, stateof-the-art and efficient collaborative tools and develop a team of workforce that is satisfied with the technologies offered by their respective employer. As a consequence, AV solutions are taken very seriously when the leaders of these organisations formulate their IT strategy vision. This development has a ripple effect that has changed the professional AV industry throughout the entire value chain and the convergence has had its effect across technology, industry and organisational lines at all levels.

It is important to understand the cause before we see the effect. One reason for the technology convergence is the replacement of analog by digital technologies. Another rationale is that key AV applications, such as telepresence and command and control, are being carried over IT networks. Furthermore the emergence of high-growth, IT-centric AV solutions, including digital signage, distance learning and some other unique applications has opened up new parameters of technology experience.

Interestingly, despite the IT-centric nature of these applications, visual component remains to be of greatest importance to users. This gives AV System Integrators, with their knowledge of display technologies, a considerable advantage over traditional IT integrators. The concept of “smart buildings” has also created the need for a variety of applications to be integrated across the board, including AV, IT, security and

At the end user level, the IT department has become a key player in decision making for most AV purchases. As a result, the AV value chain had to re-engineer itself to sell into the IT department. This process has caused a significant amount of organizational change. AV manufacturers are partnering with IT vendors to develop products, and AV consultants and systems integrators must either upgrade their skills to become more fluent in IT, or partner with IT systems integrators. Audio Visual and Information Technology integration is transforming the way the world communicates.

By its very nature, AV is a global proposition. In today’s connected world, collaboration is key to business success.

With increased globalization and competition, businesses, irrespective of their sizes, need to collaborate better within their organisation and with external entities like customers, partners and suppliers. Organisations and employees therein communicate and collaborate today with partners continents apart using virtual spaces and technologies that render business travels inessential and prohibitive. Increasingly, these businesses rely on communication and collaboration technologies like conferencing, involving audio, video and real time interactive tools and other audiovisual systems to improve productivity and gain a competitive edge. More so, when combined with IT technology, these AV technologies can be powerful tools not only to control but also to enable instant access to information, dynamic presentation and sharing of information and accelerated decision-making. This is why decision makers within an organisation, specifiers and IT managers in various organisations are keen to adopt AV technology at their workplace.

Internet Protocol enabled AV products are the waves of the future for this industry with end-users wanting them to stay competitive in their respective markets. AV products with IP ability allow a direct interface to the owner’s

LAN. Following are just a few examples of how the converged technology greatly benefits the user: Remote Diagnostics: An IP-enabled projector can send an e-mail to the technician for reactive service needs, such as a lamp nearing end of life and proactive service needs, such as filter cleaning. Or, in the instance to include a flat panel display, features can also include network-based control and delivery to transport video, files and more.

Some flat panel displays and projectors have mini-PCs embedded inside that allow users to access information from the Ethernet connection.

Wireless Networking: Many vendors are improving portable projectors or flat panel displays by adding wireless network cards that eliminate the need for video cables connecting a computer to the unit.

AV Control Systems: These systems are leading this new “convergence” revolution. Not only can you now control your installation from your iPhone or iPad, it is also possible for a technician with the right PDA to walk into a room, download full, customized control through a wireless network card and take-over room operation from a busy or techno-phobic, presenter. The technician can also control the room across the LAN, WAN or even the Internet.

Audio Processing: The old analog sound systems are converting to digitally processed, Ethernet-driven, computer-controlled networks. Users can accomplish all audio processing in the digital domain by adding a few microphones, amplifiers and speakers.

It’s quite a surprise looking back at the fact that equipment that used to take up several “U”s of rack space physically now reside in non-volatile computer memory at a fraction of the size and weight of the old analog gear.

Collaboration, communication and control tools, powered by the convergence of AV and IT technologies, is what is driving the AV Industry today.

The author is CEO of Integrated Audio Visual (India) Pvt. Ltd., a Bengaluru, India-headquartered leading provider of audio-visual and systems integration solutions provider, with a pan-Asia presence. He can be contacted at kaushik@iavindia.com

Systems Integration Asia October - November 2011

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into a rack that was not quite big enough for the task. This meant that there were no space in-between any of the units, but even worse, some of the smaller Scan Converters were strapped to the sides of the matrix, blocking all vents and fan slots and keep in mind that units like Scan converters and Scalers generate more than average heat. Not a good situation then, so much so that I recall my one technician telling me “I could have fried eggs on the matrix!”

Tricks of the trade The “Do’s & Don’ts” for your tropical fish tank…..

By John Ungerer, Managing Director, Kramer Australia Huhhhh? Why am I attempting to write about tropical fishy things in an AV magazine – “lost the plot” have I? Well read on, perhaps it will make a bit more sense as I progress through this, of course again staring the deadline our Editor imposed on me in the face….

I have it on good authority from my friend Ram that apart from it being costly to set up a tropical fish tank, or rather a tropical environment, it is very tricky to get this right and even more so to maintain the equilibrium in this small man-made sea.

In setting up, there are many important elements to consider. The right pump for the size of tank, the choice of fish, corals and other critters that will be sharing this environment. There is the choice of food and the correct dosage, the placement of the corals, shells and other non-mobile bits in the tank. Of course the correct acidity, salt levels and any other finer detail that the experts know about needs to be catered for and maintained.

Then – one of the key elements of this little community’s continued prosperity is the temperature of the water. In order for the Corals, and other sensitive creatures to survive and indeed prosper, the temperature in this tank needs to be kept within a very close tolerance.

If it varies too much all sorts of weird things can start to happen. The corals will start to discolour, fish can become sick, or even a bit mad I believe. So let us say you decided to position said tank near a window that gets a full blast of sunlight during some part of the day, it will be too much for the gadgets in

the tank to cope with the change in the ambient temperature and all the nasties described above….. well you can guess.

Ok, so before you all stop reading, or think that I must have really lost the plot by now, let me try and find the link between this and what I should really be writing about and the point I am trying to make.

It really has to do with the fitting of equipment into AV Racks and the seeming disregard or just lack of knowledge for heat dissipation in these setups. Let me start with a short and recent story…. Yup, it is easier to always reference these things back to real life, instead of just dumping a lot of facts on you!

Part of my sales team recently jumped around for a customer to try and get him out of a pickle with a failed 32x32 Matrix switcher installed in a club venue.

Weird thing is that even the second unit we sent them, after a while, started to exhibit these same strange symptoms!!!

Lose of RS-232 communication, one or more outputs dies, and the front LCD display somehow goes blank!

Again this one had us confused, especially since we tested the first “faulty” unit in our workshop and yes – you guessed it – no fault found! So then, this was another case of getting out to site to inspect what type of evil is causing all this grief. We were still in Sydney after the recent Integrate show, so some of my guys offered to drive to the site before their flight back to try and resolve this issue.

It did not take long to establish the cause of this strange problem. The Video matrix was bolted, or rather squeezed together with a lot of other equipment

Electronic equipment will not always just die completely when exposed to too much heat, but will often start to exhibit these “mad” symptoms, which should be a tell-tale to installers that all might not be well with the installation…

So then, how can this be avoided? (the tips part). Always ensure that when a rack is specified for a job there will be some “U”s left for Vent panels - in other words avoid placing too many items directly on top of each other without spacing.

Many units have ventilation slots at the top or bottom, try and keep these open.

Most fan slots are on the sides and/or at the rear of units, do not obstruct these.

This is a common problem in the staging industry where products like Scalers are bolted into small flight cases and then left closed during operation….. Your unit is guaranteed to die!

Small items like “Tools” size Scan converters & Scalers should be installed in the appropriate rack adapters where possible, these help with heat dissipation apart from making the installation look better.

If the Rack has a Fan tray installed, the back & side doors should be on, this will create a ducted airflow across the equipment. Remember Hot air rises, so the fans at the top will assist with this process, but it will not work if the doors are open. When fitting the equipment, always try and place the worst heat generators nearer to the top, this way it will not affect other equipment above it so much. If at all possible control the temperature in the room the equipment is housed in, decent A/C goes a long way to protecting an expensive investment, too often AV Racks are demoted to some dark & dingy corner in a facility…..

Ok, I notice the word count on this is growing so best I stop here… I could not have wished for a better conclusion to this story than the customer calling us afterwards, thanking us for showing them their installation was wrong!

The point I am trying to get across is that most often the equipment is not at fault, but it is the sum of the parts that causes a system to fail…..

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