AV Integration March 2020 by Sun Circle Publishers

INTEGRATION March 2020 www.av-news.co.za

IN THIS ISSUE

ISE 2020 SHOW REPORT PROJECTION TECHNOLOGY FOR RESTAURANT COVID-19 AND THE AV INDUSTRY

FEATURE

HOME OFFICES AND AV INTEGRATION

Mindstec Distribution (South Africa) Tel: +2711 803-0093/0096/0098 Email: info@mindstec.com

First Floor, Building 2 703, Woodmead Office Park 20 Morris Street East Woodmead, Johannesburg

IN THIS ISSUE

CONTENTS

HOME OFFICES • ISE 2020 REPORT • COVID-19 AND THE AV INDUSTRY

THE 2020 INAVATION AWARD WINNERS

ISE DEPARTS FROM AMSTERDAM IN STYLE

STANDARD IS NO LONGER A DIRTY WORD IN AV TECHNOLOGY

SD-WAN – THE CONNECTIVITY SOLUTION FOR THE CLOUD ERA

CRESTRON AND LOGITECH PARTNERSHIP ANNOUNCED

ISE SHOW REPORT

HOME OFFICES AND AV TECHNOLOGY

NEW SENTRYONE FACILITY FEATURES “ROCK-SOLID” CRESTRON TECHNOLOGY

JOBURG RESTAURANT USES AV TECHNOLOGY TO PROVIDE UNIQUE DINING EXPERIENCES

EPSON ANNOUNCES ITS NEW DIGITAL SIGNAGE PROJECTOR

22 26 JAUME PORTELL ON THE POWER OF SMART RETAIL TECHNOLOGY

32 THE SA AV INDUSTRY AND COVID-19

40 LED MARKET: FIGURES AND FORECASTS

EDITOR'S COMMENT

avintegrationza

avintegrationsa

avintegrationza

EDITORIAL David Cornwell – Editor editor@pro-systems.co.za +27 (0)79 748 5386 Nicole Barnes nicole@suncirclegroup.com +27 (0)66 489 3482

THE IDES OF MARCH

Greetings and welcome to the March issue of AV Integration magazine. The professional AV industry has experienced a rocky start to 2020: while the COVID-19 virus continues to cause major disruptions to global working routines and supply chain dynamics, South African integrators have also had to endure the news that our economy has officially been deemed to be ‘in recession’.

PUBLISHERS PUBLISHER

Simon Robinson | simon@suncirclegroup.com

SALES

Claire Badenhorst | sales@suncirclegroup.com

WEB

Michael Lotriet | web@suncirclegroup.com

DESIGN

Trevor Ou Tim | design@suncirclegroup.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Albertina Tserere | data@suncirclegroup.com

ACCOUNTS

Helen Loots | accounts@suncirclegroup.com

However, as the successful staging of Integrated Systems Europe 2020 (pp.10-12) demonstrates, our industry is nothing if not resourceful and resilient – and, with the release of high-impact new technologies at the trade show, brighter days are surely on the horizon. Read our report from ISE on pages 14-17, and review some of the cutting-edge technology on exhibit at the event on pages 18-21. Our feature article this month concerns the expanding role of professional AV technologies in the home office environment (pp. 22-25), where we present research and chat to leading integrators about how the industry is responding to the global increase in offsite working conditions. We also have an exclusive interview with Jaume Portell, CEO of Beabloo, about the rise of smart retail technology (pp.26-27), and we present a topical opinion piece written by Nicole Barnes about the important role that the South African AV industry has to play in combating the coronavirus. As always, we hope you enjoy the magazine and invite you to keep sending us your suggestions for professional AV products, events and installation stories to cover. Till next time

David Cornwell

and the AV Integration team

Sun Circle Publishers (Pty) Ltd Tel: +27 60 994 6605 Waterstone Garden Center Cnr Montrose Avenue & Northumberland Drive, Northriding, Randburg, 2191, Johannesburg PO Box 559 Fourways North 2086, South Africa

Editorial Disclaimer The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed by the authors and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, positions or strategies of AV Intergration or any employee thereof. Sun Circle Publishers makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, correctness, suitability, or validity of any information and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. Sun Circle Publishers reserves the right to delete, edit, or alter in any manner it sees fit comments that it, in its sole discretion, deems to be obscene, offensive, defamatory, threatening, in violation of trademark, copyright or other laws, or is otherwise unacceptable. All contents of this publication are subject to worldwide copyright protection and reproduction in whole or part, in any form whatsoever, is expressly forbidden without the prior written consent of the Publisher.

INDUSTRY NEWS

THE 2020 INAVATION AWARD WINNERS Winners of the 2020 Inavation Awards were announced at the grand Beurs van Berlage building in Amsterdam on the 11th of February. The awards categories were decided in consultation with buyers of AV technology and represent what they want to know about the companies they buy from. Congratulations to all the winners, and particularly South African company Stage Audio Works. THE 2020 PROJECT CATEGORY WINNERS:

THE 2020 BUSINESS CATEGORY WINNERS:

• Control Room Aesthetix Technologies – Dubai Airport AOCC, UAE • Corporate Snelling Business Systems – Abcam Global HQ, UK • Education Polymedia – Engineering and Technology School #777, Russia • Government Media Vision – Room XIX at The United Nations Office at Geneva, Switzerland • Healthcare Jones AV – New Papworth Hospital, UK • Hospitality ALA Equipment Company – Parklane Hotel Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Limassol, Cyprus • House of Worship Stage Audio Works – Rivers Church Kyalami, South Africa • Leisure and Entertainment Kraftwerk Living Technologies – Magic Glaze 5D, China

• Best Client Support Riedel Communications • Best Marketing Campaign Digital Projection • Best Place to Work AV Stumpfl • Best Sales Team Peerless-AV • Best Small Company Active Audio/APG • The Business Growth Award Tripleplay • The Corporate Social Responsibility Award Epson • The R&D Award Crestron • The Sustainability Award Extron • Distributor of the Year Prase Engineering • Industry Influencer Claudio Lastrucci, Powersoft

• Live Event Alabama / Dushow – Fete Des Vignerons 2019, Switzerland • Retail Vichai Trading (1983) – The Prelude, One Bangkok, Thailand • Transport Astel LED – Istanbul Airport, Turkey • Visitor Attraction Electronics & Engineering – The Bicentennial Experience, Singapore

BEIJING INFOCOMM CHINA, ENTERPRISE CONNECT JOIN LIST OF SHOWS AFFECTED BY COVID-19 To ensure the safety of exhibitors and attendees and in support of the Chinese government’s efforts to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus, InfoCommAsia, the organiser of Beijing InfoComm China 2020 has decided to postpone the show, which was scheduled to take place from 26 to 28 March, 2020. Said Richard Tan, executive director of InfoCommAsia: “While we understand that this may cause inconvenience, the safety of all our exhibitors and attendees is of prime

importance and we made this decision with their best interest in mind. We will continue to monitor this fluid situation as it evolves and keep all exhibitors and attendees updated.” This announcement comes in the wake of a rush of other postponement announcements, including Enterprise Connect, which was due to take place from March 30th to April 2nd and has now been rescheduled for August, and Prolight + Sound, which has been cancelled.

Some other key postponements and cancellations in the AV industry include: • MSPAlliance’s MSPWorld conference (March 15-17) • Aruba Atmosphere 2020 (March 22-27) • Cisco Partner Connection Week (March 23-26) • Google Cloud Next (April 6-8) • ImpartnerCon 2020 (April 15-17) • Red Hat (April 27-29) • IBM Think 2020 (May 5-7) • Ingram Micro Cloud Summit 2020 (May 12-14)

CRESTRON AND LOGITECH PARTNERSHIP ANNOUNCED Crestron, a global leader in workplace technology, has announced a new partnership with Logitech to deliver a premier video conferencing, room control, scheduling and management experience for rooms of any size. “This is the coming together of two industry leaders to deliver the best room experience to our customers. It’s what they want,” said Randy Klein, president and CEO, Crestron. “Collaborating with Logitech helps us expand our unified communications offerings and helps our customers attain their goal for a more intelligent workplace.” “Crestron is a giant in the AV and digital media space and we’re excited about combining their leading products with our video collaboration solutions,” said Scott Wharton, vice president and general manager, Logitech Video Collaboration. “Not only will our joint solutions provide great value to our customers, but also to the AV channels who want the ability to mix and match solutions.” These workplace solutions pair the Crestron Flex C series with Logitech MeetUp, Logitech Rally or Logitech Rally Plus to deliver a complete unified communications experience for small, medium, and large rooms. Each system is compatible with Microsoft Teams Rooms or Zoom Rooms, providing greater choice and flexibility for customers. In addition, each system includes room booking capability powered by Crestron Room Scheduling, as well as a Management portal powered by Crestron XiO Cloud, that seamlessly integrates Logitech’s Sync APIs, aggregating Logitech and Crestron products into one common management platform. This enables support teams to easily manage all of the technology in a meeting room with a simple set of tools, while also providing key insights about how employees work and how the workspace is being utilised. Crestron and Logitech technology work together to provide customers a seamless room experience from videoconferencing to advanced room controls such as lighting, occupancy sensors, wireless presentation, source switching and beyond. “This ‘meet in the market’ partnership is a true case of 1+1 = 3,” explains Ira M. Weinstein, founder of analyst firm Recon Research. “Crestron brings a full line of certified unified communication solutions and cloud management platform, with Logitech bringing additional audio and video capabilities for small, medium, and large spaces. As a result, customers gain access to a broader range of vetted product bundles that are easy to buy, easy to deploy and easy to manage.”

INDUSTRY NEWS

EMPERORS PALACE INVESTS R2 MILLION IN THE FUTURE OF CONFERENCING Emperors Palace has invested R2 million in a market-leading 20-seater boardroom facility called Theodora, which boasts state-of-the-art audio-visual hardware conferencing tools and is available for businesses of all sizes to book for meetings, conferences and strategy sessions. The boardroom has been fitted with the latest in conferencing technology including two 86-inch 4K interactive LCDs, two 65 inch 4K comfort monitors for ease of content viewing, high sensitivity microphones and full surround sound. Additional features include wireless and Bluetooth charging and presentation capabilities, a native HD Pan Tilt Zoom (PTZ) camera and Vivitek’s NovoConnect Solution, enabling group work in an all-in-one display. “Through our significant investment in the latest conferencing technology, the Theodora boardroom has broken the boundaries of technological advancement. The room allows participants to actively participate in

conferences and is designed to give businesses an edge over their competitors,” says Clive Tavener, general manager at Emperors Palace. The conference room is fully BYOD (bring your own device) compatible, enabling full collaboration between users, whether they’re in the room or participating remotely, and is compatible with a range of online soft client-based video conferencing platforms, including Skype, WebX, Zoom, BlueJeans and HangOuts. Theodora also features modern automation and iPad control, allowing participants to present from any device, whether its run on an iOS or Android operating system, seamlessly and wirelessly.

DIMENSION DATA UNIFIES OPERATIONS TO BECOME MORE CLIENT FOCUSED The company has announced it will operate under one name, Dimension Data, to better deliver the changing technology needs of its clients. On 1 April 2020, the company will begin a process to create an operating model that will enable it to execute on its strategy and better serve its clients, employees and the communities in which they operate. Dimension Data will bring all its people together, uniting the businesses of Systems Integration, Internet Solutions, Britehouse and ContinuitySA into a dynamic, industrydefining company. “As the market around us continues to evolve, we are conscious of the need to

remain relevant by delivering products and services that enable our clients to meet the increasing demand for personalisation and customisation. Leveraging technology is critical for businesses, and our products and services play a vital role in empowering them to build their future,” said Grant Bodley, chief executive officer of Dimension Data. “The role of technology in business is changing and, therefore, how it is consumed and the decisions related to technology are changing. We are adapting to align our organisation to that of our client’s choices,” continued Bodley. “Bringing these legendary companies together will unlock opportunities for greater innovation, and as we continue to give clients the power to build their futures using game changing technology, we will do so from a place of greater strength,” he said. Dimension Data will have five go-to-

Thanks to the touch screen functionality, participants can annotate on top of their content in real-time, making all the content visible to participants. For ease and convenience, Theodora securely records meetings and participants can easily access the audio, visual and content recordings post-meeting via a USB port that will automatically delete the original file once the recording has been retrieved. The advanced technology solutions found in the Theodora boardroom is internationally competitive and is competitively aligned with the conferencing needs of global role-players. To make a booking or for more information contact Peermont Group Sales +27 (0)11 928 1903, or email sales@peermont.com.

market areas that, when integrated for a client’s business, will enable them to transform and be successful in a digital-first world economy: • Intelligent Infrastructure • Intelligent Workplace • Intelligent Business Applications • Intelligent Customer Experience • Intelligent Security “Reorganising ourselves to deliver what the market demands, is driven with growth in mind. We’re very excited about the future and are committed to bringing these changes online quickly,” said Bodley. “The way we collaborate with our clients is where we create the most significant value and sustainable business outcomes for them. The logic is clear: the more we focus on seamless client experiences, the more focused we become on delivering solutions that work. We believe that when we understand our clients’ needs, we deliver better solutions,” he concluded.

ADVERTORIAL DISPLAY

EPSON ANNOUNCES ITS NEW DIGITAL SIGNAGE PROJECTOR The white EB-U50 offers inconspicuous design, simple installation and operation, ideal for retail environments, galleries and museums. Epson has announced the EB-U50 signage projector that expands its current range in this sector. It has a low total cost of ownership (TCO) and its space-friendly, inconspicuous design blends seamlessly into environments so visitors are not distracted by the technology behind it. It can be used to captivate an audience by illuminating and projecting on virtually any surface and is ideal for shop window displays, retail showrooms and dynamic or experiential content for digital art, commercial signage, décor, education or corporate presentations.

The EB-U50 offers flexible mounting and can project from a wide range of angles. It can be attached to a lighting track, ceiling-mounted or used in a floor-standing position. In addition to being able to rotate the EB-U50 360 degrees horizontally and 30 degrees vertically, it can also be tilted to project in portrait. Timothy Wilson, business account manager – VI at Epson South Africa, says, “The EB-U50 is a great addition to our range of laser signage solutions. Its clean, white, edge-free, discreet design manages to be both stylish and practical. Also, the EB-U50’s versatility and reliability provide the user with many mounting options and fit-and-forget peace of mind.” It comes with Epson Projector Content Manager Software for quick, easy set-up without specialist installation. Playback is PC-free (with built-in Wi-Fi), via USB drive and can be changed using the remote control. The EB-U50 also includes multiprojection features to allow edge blending, the display of scaled images, the ability to adjust multiple projected images and to synchronise playback. The EB-U50 is now available through Epson Authorised VI Partners. For more information, please visit www.epson.co.za.

INDUSTRY NEWS

ERICSSON SPECTRUM SHARING NOW COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE • Ericsson Spectrum Sharing (ESS) will expand 5G coverage for global service providers including Swisscom, Telstra, Ooredoo and Play • More than 80 percent of service providers testing Ericsson Spectrum Sharing plan to deploy it in the coming 12 months

Ericsson has announced that its unique dynamic spectrum sharing solution is commercially available, allowing communications service providers to quickly and cost-effectively launch 5G on a nationwide scale. Ericsson Spectrum Sharing allows both 4G and 5G to be deployed in the same band and on the same radio through a software upgrade and dynamically allocates spectrum based on user demand on a 1 millisecond basis. Ericsson’s dynamic spectrum sharing is the most economically feasible way to deploy 5G on existing bands – enabling wide 5G coverage from day one – making more efficient use of spectrum and enabling superior user performance. Fredrik Jejdling, executive vice president and head of networks, Ericsson, says: “For the first time, our customers do not have to

re-farm spectrum before deploying a new ‘G’ and can quickly get 5G on the same footprint as they have with 4G today. In the next 12 months, more than 80 percent of the commercial 5G networks we support will use our spectrum sharing solution to achieve broad 5G coverage.” Julian Bright, senior analyst, Ovum/Omdia, says: “Spectrum is a scarce and costly resource that should be used efficiently. Ericsson Spectrum Sharing will mean that service providers can rapidly roll out 5G on their FDD bands without the need to re-invest. It means they can use both their new and existing bands for 5G high-speed, high-capacity services. Dynamically allocating spectrum between 4G and 5G is going to be the best way to start deploying 5G.”

ITEC COMMUNICATIONS MAKES ACQUISITION Itec Communications has announced the acquisition of an IT infrastructure integrator to meet what it calls a growing demand for integrated communications, in the South African enterprise market. The acquisition has seen the newly-merged business rebrand itself to a new name Itec Integrate – Digital Solutions Provider. A unique set of intellectual property offerings that enables faster integration and deployment of IT infrastructure and devices, including data centres and infrastructure has now been added to the Itec product stack. “This acquisition supports our strategy of strong growth in a managed services environment by providing a single source for solutions, services, and support. The additional services and product sets that this acquisition brings to the table will substantially expand the range of solutions we offer our customers today,” said Itec chief financial officer Alan Chapman. “We view this acquisition as a perfect cultural fit, where best in class technology and skills are combined, in the belief that excellent service and quality solutions are paramount to customer satisfaction.”

Roger Stow, the MD of Itec Integrate says this merger makes great business sense for both parties. “For Itec, it provides the opportunity to extend its range of services and products. For the IT infrastructure integrator, this deal offers access to new markets through the power and footprint of a bigger, well-established brand. The new company, Itec Integrate, will leverage our combined capabilities and expertise to meet and exceed our customers’ and strategic partners’ needs,” says Stow. Itec Integrate provides managed multi-vendor business solutions and services that solve customers’ business challenges, regardless of their existing infrastructure. “We’re seeing strong demand for managed business services from local businesses, who don’t have the time or resources to deal with numerous IT vendors, but also can’t afford technology outages,” says Chapman.

Roger Stow

“Itec Communications has always played on the layer above the infrastructure, which is the foundation for all the value-added services we provide. The acquisition means we can now offer even greater simplicity and peace of mind to our customers by meeting more of their business needs than ever before,” concludes Chapman.

ADVERTORIAL COLLABORATION

5 REASONS TO BUY THE NEW POLY STUDIO X SERIES

VIDEO CONFERENCING MEETS RADICAL SIMPLICITY

IT teams worldwide are helping their organisations adapt to new workplace rules and new business realities. Companies are using multiple UC platforms for video collaboration while new platforms continue to join the mix. If mergers and acquisitions are part of your reality, this can get even more complex. Plus, businesses are embracing new collaborative spaces like huddle rooms which present their own challenges. Poly Studio X gives IT teams and users a powerful yet radically simple solution that empowers them to say no more to:

01 02 03

A MESS OF CABLES AND MANAGING A ROOM PC IT teams can get rooms up and running in less than two minutes with an all-in-one solution. There are only two components – the video bar and touch controller – that are immediately paired right out of the box.

RUNNING FROM ROOM TO ROOM TO CHECK EQUIPMENT Centralised and secure remote management is critical to deploying at scale. This means less time, less money and more control. If you’re planning to open new locations or deploy new meeting room concepts, this will help your team move fast without all the stress.

“HELP! HOW DO YOU OPERATE THIS THING?” Users can start meetings instantly, with no IT help needed. With Poly Studio X, native integration with leading cloud video services like Zoom allows users to get started at the touch of a button.

04 05

BACKGROUND NOISE BINGO Poly’s MeetingAI innovations can intelligently differentiate between essential sounds, like speaker voices and unnecessary noise. An innovative acoustic chamber design and next-gen beamforming microphones help meeting participants hear and be heard.

GUESSING WHO’S SPEAKING Wide-view 4k cameras are smart enough to show just the people in the room and adjust automatically, helping co-workers from points afar feel like they’re in the same room.

Learn more about how video conferencing can be radically simple and simply powerful by contacting Kathea, the most established and respected value-added distributor of voice, audio visual, video conferencing and workspace management solutions in SA. For more information, visit www.kathea.co.za.

ISE DEPARTS FROM AMSTERDAM IN STYLE

TRADE SHOW REVIEW

EXHIBITION DELIVERS AGAINST A UNIQUELY CHALLENGING BACKDROP

ISE 2020 completed its 15-year stay at RAI Amsterdam on Friday 14 February 2020. The special ¡Hola Barcelona! event held on the final day brought down the curtain on ISE’s residence at Amsterdam’s leading exhibition centre. Politicians and executives saluted the RAI venue and the City of Amsterdam while looking ahead to the future with the show’s move to the Fira de Barcelona next year.

LEARN. DISCOVER. BE INSPIRED

Against a backdrop of the international health crisis and a storm sweeping across Europe, ISE 2020 delivered a vibrant exhibition floor and a compelling programme of content that included conferences, keynotes and training. The four-day show ended an exciting chapter in the exhibition’s history. Mike Blackman, managing director of Integrated Systems Events, commented: “This year’s show demonstrated to us just how determined our attendees were to come to ISE. Many of our exhibitors exceeded their targets for customer engagement and lead generation. The show has delivered on all fronts: as the global industry’s biggest annual forum, a launch-pad for new solutions, a place to do business and as a source of professional development and education.”

Thought leadership and expert opinion were to be found across many channels at ISE 2020, ensuring that delegates had an abundance of opportunities to ‘Learn. Discover. Be Inspired’. In the Opening Address, former Disney executive Duncan Wardle gave an engaging and thought-provoking demonstration of how to unleash the creativity within all of us. Fourteen conferences in two venues addressed business strategies and technology trends across the broadest range of vertical markets ever served by an ISE professional development programme. This well-received line-up included the launch of the Control Rooms Summit, and the creation of the Smart Workplace Track as an offshoot of the Smart Building Conference. On the Main Stage, jointly organised by ISE, AVIXA, CEDIA and AV Magazine, expert speakers offered thought leadership on a wide range of topics. Attracting a diverse and talented workforce within the AV industry was the focus of a number of these sessions. Furthermore, the largest AV Career Day ever held at ISE was an outstanding success. Over 170 students and faculty from 12 different universities across five countries took part in the event, organised by AVIXA and CEDIA. AVIXA also reported excellent take-up for its FlashTrack sessions, which offered 20-minute presentations on key topics across User Experience, Design, AV-IT and Emerging Trends. The association also launched its Digital Art Challenge at ISE 2020, in which digital content creators are invited to submit one-minute videos to be considered for a special big-screen showcase at ISE 2021.

ATTENDANCE AT ISE 2020 35,000 30,000 25,000 20,000 15,000 1,0000 5,000 0

Mon 10 Feb (build-up, conferences and Opening Address)

Tuesday 11 Feb (first day of exhibition)

Total attendees to visit ISE 2020 = 116,599

Wed 12 Feb

Thurs 13 Feb

Fri 14 Feb

Unique attendees to visit ISE 2020 = 52,128

TRADE SHOW REVIEW

Dave Labuskes, CTS, CAE, RCDD, chief executive officer of AVIXA, commented: “Having now had a few days to reflect on our last ISE in Amsterdam, I am struck by the sheer determination and enthusiasm our AV industry friends and colleagues showed last week. In the face of significant challenges, thousands of people still made the trip to the show, attended conferences and took part in the networking events, awards and parties, and engagement across the show floor was meaningful and important. For our part, the AVIXA Conferences, Flash Tracks and Main Stage programme were all very well attended. This year we were gratified to have grown our participation in the AV Career Day. We also launched our new and exciting Digital Art Challenge – a year-long contest to celebrate those artists and creative teams helping to change the way people experience the world. “And of course, we held the inspiring ¡Hola Barcelona! event on Friday – a chance to thank our great hosts for the last 14 years, the team at the RAI and the city of Amsterdam. We very much look forward now to ISE 2021 in Barcelona.” CEDIA reported its most successful professional development programme to date, with an increase in uptake of over 50% on last year. The association’s inaugural Design & Build Conference was well

attended and received excellent feedback from its audience of architects, interior designers and other design and build professionals. On the association’s stand, membership enquiries exceeded targets, and the twice-daily CEDIA Talks proved very popular. Tabatha O’Connor, CEO of CEDIA, commented: “ISE 2020 has been our best ever show. Our Professional Development programme proved to be the most popular yet with registrations at an all-time high. As part of that programme, we ran our first, dedicated conference for architects and interior designers which was a phenomenal success. The CEDIA programme for the ISE Main Stage was well supported as were the CEDIA Talks hosted on our booth. We were also delighted to be part of AV Career Day, welcoming a CEDIA party from Liverpool University. We signed up a record number of new members and enjoyed a great evening with our community at the CEDIA Party, held in the spectacular surroundings of the Johan Cruijff Arena, home of AFC Ajax. CEDIA thanks the city of Amsterdam, and the RAI, for its hospitality over many years, and for an exceptional finale in 2020. We can’t wait for ISE 2021 in Barcelona!”

TRADE SHOW REVIEW

¡HOLA BARCELONA! The considerable efforts expended by its exhibitors in creating attractive and effective stands were celebrated in ISE’s fourth annual Stand Design Awards. Independently run by EXHIBITOR magazine and judged by a third-party panel of exhibition industry experts, the competition determined the best stands against seven criteria across four size-based categories: The respective winners in these categories were:

49sqm or less

50sqm to 199sqm

Rocketsign

Lindy

In preparation for ISE 2021 in Barcelona, over 80 Spanish professionals from a broad cross-section of vertical markets were invited to ISE 2020 as part of the event’s Special Interest Group programme. Supported by ACCIO, ICEX and Grupo Eventoplus they took part in a special programme of tours, presentations and networking functions, culminating in the ¡Hola Barcelona! event. The content programme at ISE 2021 will be augmented by three new strands produced by TNW (The Next Web), focusing on technology and its impact on society: Growth Quarters, Startup City Summit and The Assembly. This co-operation between ISE and TNW was announced on the first day of ISE 2020. Reflecting the increasing number of vertical markets that ISE serves, additional Technology Zones for next year include Live Events and Lighting, Broadcast, and VR/AR/XR.

ISE 2020

ISE 2021

200sqm to 399sqm

BenQ Europe

XL 400 sqm or more

NEC Display Solutions

(115% bigger than 2020)

ISE 2021 (floorspace already sold for ISE 2021)

ISE 2021 will take place at the Gran Via – Fira de Barcelona on 2-5 February 2021. Stay up-to-date by visiting www.iseurope.org.

TRADE SHOW REPORT

ISE 2020 SHOW REPORT 14

TRADE SHOW REPORT

Since its inception in 2004, Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) has become synonymous with product debuts and thought leadership sessions that Other highlights included a comprehensive showcase the cutting edge of technological range of AvoIP and KVM (Keyboard, innovation. From the opening keynote address of its Video, Mouse) Technologies from ATEN; the launch of Barco Insights 2020 edition, which focused on how to promote a culture from Barco – the first Internet of of innovation in the workplace, to the range of solutions Things (IoT) platform for projectors, featuring live dashboards that can be presented by more than 1,300 exhibitors on the trade accessed remotely; and an engaging Conferencing Experience demo presented show floor, it is clear that the pro-AV industry is by QSC. This demo also highlighted the latest set for another dynamic year ahead. AV changes to the company’s Q-SYS Platform, which – in the words of product manager Martin Integration’s David Cornwell reports Barbour – “continues to evolve as AV integration and from the showroom floor. IT grow closer together.”

INNOVATION IS THE NAME OF THE GAME One clearly observable trend from the show was the continued growth and expansion of AV over IP technologies, as well as innovative control solutions to integrate these technologies into efficient business practices. Hundreds of companies brought new solutions for this horizontal to the RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre in 2020, with a number of notable highlights. Crestron debuted its new DMPS Lite simple AV room solutions at ISE 2020. Designed to give integrators a plug-and-play solution to grow businesses in smaller spaces, Crestron’s DMPS products underscore the value of flexibility. As Rupert Denoon, Crestron regional director South Africa, told AV Integration at the event: “The Crestron stand at ISE 2020 is designed to show people that we’re constantly working, developing and evolving. If you look around the stand, that’s the story that’s going on in the background all the time – giving the customer solutions that are flexible enough to change and evolve as their business does the same.” Similarly, Kramer unveiled both the VIA GO² and VIA Campus² solutions – products aimed at raising the connectivity standard in huddle spaces, small meeting rooms and learning environments. Yael Chicheportiche, the senior product manager of Kramer’s VIA range of technologies, said: “[VIA] works right out of the box, and everyone can use it. With the multitude of huddle spaces and other small meeting spaces, IT departments do not have the resources for dealing with a flood of help desk service tickets or calls. The VIA GO² delivers on the promise of powerful and reliable wireless collaboration.”

Audio technology also saw its fair share of exciting advancements at ISE 2020. Not only did Shure release their new IntelliMix DSP technology – smart audio processing software designed to bring unprecedented clarity to meeting rooms – but Sennheiser unveiled the latest in their ‘campuswide’ range of IT-friendly audio solutions, and Bose focused on its Installed Sound Expansion family of professional audio products.

COLLABORATION A DOMINANT THEME As Bruce Genricks, CEO of Electrosonic SA, comments: “I noticed an emphasis on certain themes that carried through into the products at ISE 2020. One of these was definitely collaboration – everyone was talking about it, and everyone seemed to be showcasing it on their stands in one form or another. This obviously touches a wide range of technologies: even within video conferencing, for example, collaboration can include connecting different meeting sites and it can also refer to participation within the same room, through sharing documents, providing annotations and so forth. This trend towards collaboration technologies seems to be expanding in line with the continued growth of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) models.” As an example of products that seem to be evolving along the theme of collaboration, Genricks points out the latestgeneration Auto-Tracking and PTZ camera from Adena. As he explains: “These operate using a lanyard system; the speaker simply wears the lanyard around their neck and the camera tracks them perfectly. These are ideal for collaboration scenarios, as well as presentation environments such as lectures and training demonstrations. These cameras can also be paired with the Adena Media Station, which allows you to record your video and audio content for later use or even live stream it over the internet.”

TRADE SHOW REPORT

Based on his ISE observations, Genricks further noted a growing preference in the market for “one device that does it all. Some manufacturers are still producing devises that connect to a display – but a lot of companies are now building a wide set of functionalities into the display itself.” Along with all-in-one devices such as the popular X3 from MAXHUB and the FLiP2 from Samsung, the all-new HubVC from T1V was launched to an enthusiastic response – showing that this technology still has room for growth as it continues to penetrate the education and corporate AV markets. Other companies, such as DisplayNote – who released the latest version of its Launcher meeting software – bucked the trend of ‘all-in-one’ solutions by presenting highly specialised meeting room technologies. Speaking to AV Integration at the show, DisplayNote COO Ed Morgan told AV Integration in an interview: “We are driven by the principle of doing one thing in the pro-AV space, and doing it better than anyone else. We often ask ourselves, ‘Where’s the ramp in this situation?’ – we are always looking for ways to streamline the meetings process and make sure that instant usability is the key feature of our product.”

Other key news from the collaboration sector came in the form of Biamp’s acquisition of Huddle Room Technology (HRT), including solutions that are designed to create smart rooms that exist as permanent virtual meeting places. Joe Andrulis, executive vice president of corporate development at Biamp, said in an interview: “There are both specific applications and entire verticals where we expect to see this technology have a big impact.”

DIGITAL SIGNAGE IN FOCUS As announced by AVIXA at ISE 2020, digital signage is expected to become the largest pro AV sector by 2024, eclipsing both conferencing and collaboration. As a result, content management software is evolving at a rate of knots, resulting in digital experience platforms (DXPs) that give greater control over content by tailoring it to the time of day, device, or even the demographic information of individual passers-by.

“The digital signage market remains buoyant as more businesses – ranging from international banks to world-renowned hotel brands – strive to meet the growing expectations of tech-savvy consumers in an increasingly connected world.” – Colin Farquhar, Exterity CEO

The trade show featured a vibrant video wall collaboration by Matrox and BrightSign, while leading IP video and digital signage solutions provider Exterity unveiled a new 4K Media Player at the show, as well as their ArtioFlow workflow app. Exterity CEO Colin Farquhar acknowledged the great potential of this AV market sector: “The digital signage market remains buoyant as more businesses – ranging from international banks to world-renowned hotel brands – strive to meet the growing expectations of tech-savvy consumers in an increasingly connected world.” Meanwhile, as Neil Colquhoun, vice president CISMEA and Professional Displays, Epson Europe, told us: “At Epson, we spent a lot of time in the lead up to ISE thinking about how to convey our messages to our customers, and we wanted to show our stand in a different light.” This approach resulted in the creation of three separate “highlight areas” on the bustling Epson stand. The first, a partnership with Igloo, presented a “virtual reality cave” powered by EB-L12000Q projectors and ELPLX02 lenses; the second presented Epson’s Experiential Future research, where visitors could experience simulations and augmented reality overlays in the context of retail shopping; and the third showcased the company’s Moverio smart glasses, which are being tipped to revolutionise the tourism industry by providing enhanced visitor experiences. “This approach focused on highlighting the quality of our technologies in a solutions-based environment,” Colquhoun comments, “and we’re delighted with the response we’ve had.” Other standout exhibitions were delivered by Digital Projection, who provided the first public showing of the company’s Satellite Modular Laser System, and by Christie, who used projection mapping and augmented reality to highlight two additions to its range of 3DLP Crimson laser projector models, the WU31 and HD31. “With flexible and freeform LED, but also with projection mapping, the creative possibilities are virtually limitless,” commented Michel Buchner from creative technology provider, Nexxt Technology. “The only problem is that the majority of designers and architects are not aware of this yet. Once they think beyond the frame and more about animated wallpaper, patterns, and textures blended as elements in their designs we expect a large rise in the use of aesthetic media with projection mapping and flexible LED.”

ISE 2020 TECHNOLOGY

BIAMP

TESIRACONNECT TC-5D ROOM CONNECTION DEVICE

AUDIO

The TesiraCONNECT TC-5D serves as the central connection point for all Biamp and Dante devices in a conference room. It simplifies installations by providing power and media over a single category cable between devices such as Tesira AVB DSPs, USB extenders, PoE+ amplifiers and microphones, as well as third-party Dante devices. •

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Four of the five gigabit RJ-45 ports provide PoE+ power (IEEE 802.3 at Class 4, 30W) to connected endpoints, while the remaining RJ-45 port is used for DSP connection or daisy-chaining TesiraCONNECT devices together. TC-5D eliminates the need for third-party switches; it works out-of-the box with Tesira and Dante products and does not require any device configuration. The small form factor allows it to be easily mounted to a wall or under a table, or placed above the ceiling or inside a credenza in the conference room.

SHURE

SCM820 DIGITAL INTELLIMIX AUTOMATIC MIXER Designed for use in speech applications including sound reinforcement, broadcasting and recording, the SCM820 uses IntelliMix technology to dramatically improve audio quality when many microphones need to operate simultaneously. Multiple I/O configurations and networking options ensure analogue and digital connectivity between devices. •

Compatible with control systems such as AMX and Crestron. Connectivity with sound reinforcement systems, secondary mixing consoles or recording device: input connectors include front-panel 3.5 mm jack and rear-panel block connector/DB25; output connectors include 6.35 mm jack, XLR, DB25 and RJ45 Dante. Delivers seamless automatic mixing and reduced background noise through dynamic channel gating and attenuation. NAT (Noise Adaptive Threshold) continuously adjusts the activation threshold for opening a channel. MaxBus ensures that only one channel is opened per sound source, reducing comb filtering for clear and intelligible speech. IntelliMix Modes offer five different presets of reliable auto-mixing styles to suit different applications.

•

SENNHEISER

MOBILECONNECT ASSISTIVE LISTENING OVER WI-FI Sennheiser MobileConnect streams audio content via Wi-Fi live and in superior quality to any mobile device. Following the Bring-Your-OwnDevice concept, MobileConnect is an easy-to-use and intuitive Assistive Listening system that consists of three components: the MobileConnect Station, the MobileConnect Manager software and the MobileConnect app (iOS and Android), for use on student’s smartphones. •

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MobileConnect enables low-latency transmission to mobile devices and provides real-time audio streams with high-quality sound and perfect speech intelligibility. The Personal Hearing Assistant enables users to perfectly adjust the audio signal to their individual hearing needs. The touchscreen control makes it easy and intuitive to use, while the Hearing Assistant enhances speech intelligibility and offers superior sound quality. MobileConnect integrates easily into existing network and audio infrastructures. Administration and setup of the entire system is conveniently handled by the MobileConnect Manager system.

ISE 2020 TECHNOLOGY

T1V

T1V’s new HubVC is a simple collaboration board that allows teams to wirelessly share devices, whiteboard and video conference – all at the same time. Built for small meeting rooms and huddle spaces, HubVC is designed to do the three most crucial items for any collaborative meeting: wirelessly share your device screen, whiteboard your ideas, and video conference with remote participants. •

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Cast up to four devices at a time for real-time screen sharing. The in-room team can broadcast up to four streams at a time. Users can connect from any network in the world and have the ability to view and control the HubVC board via their AirConnect application. Enjoy the convenience of choosing from Zoom, WebEx or MS Teams. Use one or all of the above options depending on the needs of your team – this can be decided during configuration.

MAXHUB

MAXHUB X3 STANDARD SERIES COLLABORATIVE INTERACTIVE DISPLAY The MAXHUB X3 Standard Series display is an interactive UHD screen featuring wireless connectivity, as well as extensive in-built collaboration and whiteboarding software. •

•

COLLABORATION

HUBVC COLLABORATION BOARD

These impressive screens offer an all-inclusive solution: camera, microphone, front-firing speakers, intelligent graphic and writing recognition, interactive mirroring for up to four devices, pre-loaded whiteboarding and interactive collaboration software and even cloud storage. Innovative infrared touch technology ensures a smooth writing experience. Present your ideas and content professionally with MAXHUB’s intelligent graphic and writing recognition, with user-friendly image and table insertion. The 4K Ultra-HD large display with ultra-slim bezel delivers wider viewing angles for an immersive experience, while anti-glare technology assures the sharpness of images even in bright environments. Equipped with 7th Gen Intel CoreTM processors, MAXHUB X3 boast strong performance and reliability, with Android 7.0/Windows 10 dual-system support and up to 16GB DDR4-RAM.

CRESTRON

MERCURY X TABLE-TOP COLLABORATION SOLUTION The latest evolution of the Crestron Mercury table-top meeting and collaboration solution, Crestron Mercury X simplifies connection to the room display, requiring just a single cable. •

•

Mercury X offers organisations the unique flexibility to run native Microsoft Teams or Zoom Rooms software, or operate in BYOD mode, which features a new more modern, streamlined UI. Thus, for organisations standardized on Microsoft Teams or Zoom Rooms, Crestron Mercury X delivers those native experiences, while guests can plug in their laptops and use whichever software they’re already running on their devices. With a built-in Intelligent Wide Angle HD Camera, the sleek Crestron Mercury X console is all that’s needed to transform any space into highly effective conferencing and collaboration space. It combines all the must-have features people need, with the fast, secure cloud provisioning and management required by technology managers.

ISE 2020 TECHNOLOGY

CRESTRON

DM-NVX-D80-IOAV NETWORK DECODER

CONTROL

Responding to market demand for standards-based AV-over-IP solutions, Crestron worked with Intel to create the plug-and-play DM-NVX-D80-IoAV network decoder. •

•

The Open Pluggable Specification (OPS) based device instantly transforms displays from the world’s largest manufacturers into native DM NVX AV-over-IP endpoints, enabling delivery of flawless 4K video and audio across any size network. The D80 simply plugs into the OPS port and is powered by the display. By leveraging the display’s internal DM NVX decoder, the D80 eliminates the need for messy cables and cumbersome power supplies, which reduces costs for clients. Displays can be flush mounted to the wall, which greatly simplifies installation and eliminates programming. With its ability to integrate with the Crestron XiO Cloud service, the DM-NVX-D80IoAV enables system managers to control each display from one centralised location.

KRAMER

BRAINWARE ETHERNET MASTER/ROOM CONTROLLER SOFTWARE Kramer BRAINware is an enterprise-class, user-friendly, revolutionary software application that enables you to execute all your room control actions straight from a KT-107 family touch panel without installing a hardware brain between the user interface and the controlled devices. •

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Using the power of Kramer Control, the cloud–based control and space management platform, Kramer BRAINware enables your KT-107 touch panel to operate multiple devices over Ethernet such as scalers, video displays, audio amplifiers, Blu-Ray players, sensors, screens, shades, door locks and lights. Designing a system was never easier than with Kramer Control’s programming-free, intuitive drag-and-drop Builder. Install, configure and modify your control system without any prior knowledge in programming. Features a fully-customisable UI, allowing for flexible and scalable control to meet your organisational needs. Controls any AV device/display with its corresponding logic and is available as a one-time license.

ETC

ECHOTOUCH TOUCHSCREEN CONTROL SOLUTION A stand-alone or integrated controller in ETC’s Echo line of architectural lighting solutions, EchoTouch offers advanced lighting controls like sequence programming and colour tuning, all from a seven-inch touchscreen. • •

•

EchoTouch offers compact, stylish, and intuitive touchscreen control of lighting in architectural and smaller entertainment spaces. Combining three powerful capabilities into one elegant device, EchoTouch can act as an interface into a standalone or integrated Unison Echo control system; provide status and control of all Echo products; schedule real time and astronomical events; and provide direct control for DMX/RDM and sACN fixtures and devices. EchoTouch shines in all environments, whether in a commercial building with users who need to choose between preset looks, or in an event space to create and recall predetermined looks. Programming is simplified with native RDM for discovery of connected fixtures and customisable palettes, while colour control is intuitive and accessible with a colour picker and customisable colour palettes.

ISE 2020 TECHNOLOGY

UNILUMIN

Unilumin’s UMini range offers a revolutionary narrow pixel pitch solution, providing 20000:1 contrast, cinema-grade HDR and ultra-wide viewing angles. •

•

Based on a revolutionary chip design that has distinct advantages over both SMD and COB technology, the 0.9mm pixel pitch UMini range has been manufactured to meet three key market demands: accuracy and richness of colour; innovative power management; and robust and reliable design to ensure maximum protection and endless screen use. The UMini technology, furthermore, allows the screens to cover 120% of the colour gamut (and so fully meet the DCI-P3 standard), as well as provide ultra-wide viewing of angles of nearly 180 degrees in both vertical and horizontal planes. There are two products in the Unilumin UMini Series: UMini 4K is aimed at broadcasting, commercial, enterprise and exhibition applications, while UMini Integrator is aimed at high-end conference room, residential, educational and medical applications.

DISPLAY

UMINI INTEGRATOR LED SCREENS

EPSON

LIGHTSCENE EV-100 PROJECTOR Add movement and life to your retail displays or exhibitions with a low visual noise projector that blends in beautifully to any environment, and blurs the line between lighting and projection with 2,000-lumen brightness and WXGA sharpness. •

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The LightScene EV-100 allows you to to create instantly appealing visuals with sharp WXGA resolution and 2,000-lumen brightness. Yet thanks to its low visual noise white casing, it can be used where a traditional projector would stand out, such as window displays and as part of exhibitions. A light, flexible design means the EV-100 can be installed in a variety of ways, from a traditional ceiling mount to a freestanding floor mount, or attached to an existing lighting track like a spotlight. A five-year, 20,000-hour warranty, coupled with Epson’s durable, reliable inorganic phosphor wheel technology means that EV-100 projectors can be installed and forgotten about, and don’t require regular maintenance.

BARCO

XT SERIES OF INDOOR LED SOLUTIONS Barco’s XT series narrow pixel pitch LED tiles are specifically designed to provide premium visuals, high reliability and great operating flexibility. While the new XT-E and XT-HB build on those same Barco benefits, they are set to meet the varying needs in Barco’s targeted core segments, such as control rooms, television studios, meeting rooms and 3D visualisation. •

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The entry-level platform XT-E, offering tiles with 1.2, 1.5 and 1.9mm pixel pitch, allows LED projects that don’t require high brightness or advanced features to get access to the valued Barco products with a cost-effective solution. With brightness levels up to 1500 nits, the XT-HB brings highbrightness LED to those applications in full daylight and environments with high amount of ambient light. The proprietary field-proven LED image processing solution Infinipix promises unmatched, constant performances under all circumstances. And Barco’s unique EssentialCare service package offers full peace of mind with up to seven years of batch compatible replacement.

FEATURE HOME OFFICE

HOME OFFICES AND AV INTEGRATION One of the big talking-points at Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2020 concerned the rise of home offices and the expanding possibilities in this market for professional AV technologies. In this feature, we speak to leading AV professionals, as well as present some research into current technologies and general workplace trends, to investigate how the industry is responding to the global rise in offsite jobs and remote working conditions.

FEATURE HOME OFFICE

ECONOMIC CONTEXT The evidence for the increase in remote working positions – or ‘work-from-home gigs’, as they are commonly called – is widespread, and this holds true in both global and South African frameworks. A report released by the British company Regus at the end of 2018 indicates that, globally, 52% of workers telecommute regularly – but, in South Africa, this figure rises to 56%. Similarly, a survey conducted by Dimension Data in the same year spoke to 73 executives of companies with at least one thousand employees about the prevalence of remote working within their organisations. The results showed that 42% of these organisations in South Africa have employees working from home on a full-time basis, with 67% saying they aim to have employees working from home full-time by as early as 2021. This latter figure represents a 10% increase on the global average, perhaps indicating that underlying conditions within the South African jobs market make it primed for this shift. The most common reasons given for the global trend involve two key concerns: from the employee’s side, a desire to strike a better work/life balance and to reduce commuting time and travel costs; and from the employer’s side, the need for greater operational agility to meet changing market demands, as well as the desire to attract top talent and to save costs on significant monthly overheads, such as paying rent for office space. So far, results seem to be promising on both sides of the equation: businesses who have gone the telecommuting route are reporting lower operating costs, productivity gains and better outcomes in terms of talent retention, while 43% of South Africans surveyed claim that, in a negotiation, they would rather advocate for flexible working hours than for more pay for the work they currently do. Of course, underpinning this global shift has been a raft of (mostly) free, web-based software applications that make collaboration amongst workers possible, even for IT novices working on standard PCs over residential internet connections. Applications such Skype, Zoom, Slack, Dropbox and others have revolutionised the modern working world, efficiently connecting teams whose members could be scattered in cities all over the world. As with any market, growth depends on demand, and therefore this leaves the professional AV industry with an important question to answer. We already know that more and more people will be working from home in the near future – but, to frame the question in terms of a market calculation, what can professional AV technology offer these workers that they can’t already get for free?

FEATURE HOME OFFICE

THE EVOLVING NATURE OF PROFESSIONAL AV TECHNOLOGY As far as Bruce Genricks, the CEO of Electrosonic SA, is concerned, “The professional AV industry has, in many respects, already begun to respond to this dynamic by incorporating sophisticated integration technology into the product design phase. What’s enabling this is the use of standards in AV over IP and other related technologies. With manufacturers using standard protocols, it makes it increasingly easy to ‘talk to’ devices over networks of any size.” He lists a range of examples that seem tailor-made for remote working environments. “One emerging technology is being referred to as BYOM or ‘Bring Your Own Meeting’ software. This concept allows you bring your own conferencing platform to the meeting with you. Not only does this cancel out compatibility issues, but it also saves the individual worker having to pay for more than one software licence.” Other areas where Genricks feels that this ‘integration out of the box’ trend is prevalent include ePTZ cameras – “which feature intelligent auto-framing and motion tracking, despite being static devices” – and all-in-one collaboration devices, such as the MAXHUB X3. “These are perhaps the prime example of this trend. You buy an LED screen of a fixed, standard size – and everything comes in the box. It takes two hours to set up, with no special training required, and then it has all-in-one functionality – including full HD display and full connectivity – with no transmitters and receivers and processors and scalers needed to make the screen work, and

no external control elements required to integrate the built-in cameras and microphone.” He mentions other products, such as Kramer Maestro – a powerful software tool that enables you to configure triggerbased room element automation scenarios – and summarises: “A lot of the traditional control solutions have been integrated into the technology itself, and have become automated in their own right.”

THE PROSUMER MODEL Meanwhile, Neil Colquhoun, vice president CISMEA and Professional Displays, Epson Europe, says that the company is keenly aware that a key customer base of theirs is the SME and small offices market, and have consciously designed products to service this segment. Likening this approach to creating a range of products aimed at ‘prosumers’, Colquhoun mentions Epson’s range of EcoTank printers – which allow small businesses to “print and scan at extremely high resolutions, while still proving incredibly affordable in high print volume environments” – as well as its cost-effective selection of ultra-short throw projectors. “These projectors can deliver a very large, clear and bright image in a very small space, which means you don’t need to compromise – in a home office environment – on the quality of presentations, and it also means you can fully participate in video conferencing environments when content sharing is a priority. In terms of dollar per square inch of image size, you can’t beat projection technology for affordability.”

FEATURE HOME OFFICE

HOT DESKING AND THE IMPORTANCE OF UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS Rupert Denoon, regional director South Africa at Crestron, confirms this general working trend: “More and more people worldwide are working off-site, and one of the key drivers of this is better time management. The amount of time we spend commuting and so forth, is valuable time that can be utilised for the workplace – even if it not in the physical work space.” He also adds another important, often-overlooked, element to the discussion: “It is important to remember that, in most cases, there is still a physical building that houses the company. But now, for a company of 4,000 employees, you might only need to provide space for 2,000 people onsite at any one time – and this is why, as workplaces become more flexible, hot desking technology is becoming so important.” According to Denoon, “room booking and management is becoming vital. It is about managing the space you have; space costs money, and so the more efficiently you can manage your space, the more your business can save. If you have a system in place that can facilitate this process via mobile devices, touch panels or even Outlook mailboxes, then you have a seamless engine that can drive these efficiencies” in the workplace.

Denoon highlights Crestron’s Flex and Mercury solutions as unified communications technologies which “really echo the theme of the changing working environment.” Speaking about Crestron Mercury, a table-top touchscreen device that Denoon describes as a “BYOD unifier”, he says: “It is your phone system, with added Bluetooth audio functionality; it has wireless presenting; it has facilities management capability; and it enables a Bring Your Own Meeting experience. Because it facilitates so many of these operations, the Mercury really does reflect the changing business landscape”, where reliable methods of digital collaboration– often between workers at remote locations – are increasingly the engine of productivity. In conclusion, not only has the AV industry played a significant role in creating the conditions for the viability of offsite work – largely through the availability and ease of use of unified communications technologies – but it is proving agile enough to adapt to user demands as this trend grows and develops. By developing innovative products that are ‘pre-integrated’ in the sense that they provide compact, all-in-one solutions to meet critical business needs – and, in some cases, by explicitly catering for this burgeoning market – it is clear that the professional AV technology is perfectly poised as more and more individuals around the world seek to ‘unify’ their personal and professional lives.

TECHNOLOGY RETAIL

JAUME PORTELL, CEO AND FOUNDER OF BEABLOO, ON THE POWER OF

SMART RETAIL

TECHNOLOGY Virtual customer assistant (VCA) solutions are becoming more and more important for transforming the customer experience. According to a study by Gartner, in 2021, 15% of customer service around the world will be completely managed by AI, representing a 400% increase on 2017 figures. Jaume Portell, founder and CEO of Beabloo, took some time out to speak to AV Integration about the growing power of smart retail technology.

“We work with what

TECHNOLOGY RETAIL

the customers tell us – and our AI system is constantly learning from what shoppers look at, interact with and eventually buy.” – Jaume Portell, founder and CEO of Beabloo

”Artificial intelligence systems like Halo can become great allies to the audio visual industry, and can transform the way organisations provide answers, advice and solutions to customers,” comments the CEO and founder of Beabloo, a company that describes itself as the expert in artificial intelligence and retail technology.

GIVING CUSTOMERS WHAT THEY WANT “We are a full retail tech solution for marketing companies,” explains Portell. “We decode what’s happening in the store by observing customers – their movements, their browsing habits, their facial responses, and, ultimately, their purchasing decisions. We work with what the customers tell us – and our system is constantly learning from what shoppers look at, interact with and eventually buy. Also, because our AI algorithms are always learning about what customers want, they – in turn – can bring a lot of value to the retail experience from the customer’s point of view.” Providing a sense of how Beabloo’s smart retail solutions work in practice, Portell says: “Firstly, we control the displays and what content is being shown in the store, and then – additionally – we collect information about customer interactions within the store. We notice how they are paying attention to certain hotspots within the store. We can see if they are interacting physically with products and we can read their emotional responses from their interaction with the digital signage displays within the store. Our system also captures demographic information, as well as statistics about the time of day and weather conditions – and so the AI engine builds a sophisticated understanding of what different shoppers are looking for, at different times of the day and the month, and what they eventually end up purchasing.”

AI FOR ACCURACY

Intelligent virtual assistants are, increasingly, one of the key technologies for helping customers who are looking for answers, tips or solutions to problems. However, according to Portell, the current generation of VCAs are often implemented incorrectly and can’t effectively manage data or understand what customers want. “As companies continue to apply multi-channel strategies, especially in the retail sector, VCAs need to create added value,” says Portell. “The screens integrated with VCAs must provide a unique experience and establish a positive, non-invasive relationship with customers to improve brand loyalty.” To demonstrate this at ISE 2020, Beabloo and Advantech presented the virtual assistant Halo, a voice- and touch screen-activated assistant can perform various functions – such as setting meetings for visitors, answering questions and even preparing coffee. Halo is integrated with leading language-processing platforms like Google Cloud and Amazon Web Service, and it can also be integrated with digital signage and audience analytics systems, making it suitable for use in diverse sectors, including retail, event spaces and hotels.

As Portell outlines, the heart of this operation is a sophisticated AI engine ingesting and then processing massive amounts of data. “The AI engines correlate amazing things; things that just couldn’t occur to a human engineer. This allows companies to ensure that, on this specific day, under these specific weather conditions, this is the right signage content to show to drive the best-possible sales results. This gives digital marketing teams the power to apply specific, targeted signage solutions; they no longer need to apply the same strategies to different customers and different outlets of the same store.” Speaking about the compatibility of Beabloo’s technology across other hardware and software platforms, Portell says: “We have our own content management system, but we are totally open to using our technology with other management systems. We are hardwareagnostic, for sure, but our analytics engine – which runs on cameras facing the public – needs to be synchronised with the content management system for results to be accurate. We need that time-synch to ensure the accurate data, but that’s about it. We are open to integrate with third-party CMS solutions, and our technology is modular – you can invest in only the face detection or movement tracking aspect, while some clients will even want info on what their customers are searching for online while they are using the free Wi-Fi in the mall. All of these points enrich the data we feed into the AI system, and provide increasingly accurate targets for the signage solution down the line,” Portell concludes. For information on Beabloo’s range of smart retail technology, please visit www.beabloo.com.

INSTALLATION AV CORPORATE

FLEXIBLE HARMAN INTEGRATION SOLUTION FOR 3M The training room at the new headquarters of 3M Philippines required a flexible, scalable AV solution capable of adapting to multiple formats, including one large space or three smaller rooms. 3M Philippines, a subsidiary of 3M Company headquartered in Minnesota, is a science-based technology company committed to improving lives. At its new location at The Finance Centre in Bonifacio Global City, the 3M office boasts a training room facility designed to convert from three separate meeting rooms into one meeting space able to accommodate over a hundred attendees. The space required flexible and easy to use audio and video controls for all possible room configurations. Gamma Oracle was appointed by 3M Philippines to outfit the space with a cuttingedge HARMAN Professional Solutions networked AV System. “It was clear to us that flexibility and high-quality sound performance were the criteria to be met at 3M’s training room facility,” said Gilfred Ulat, vice president of Gamma Oracle. “The client specifically asked for a sound system that could be used in one big training room, as well as have the capability to cater to three separate rooms with one click. After evaluating the location and dimensions, we set up a design plan based on leveraging the world-class JBL sound systems and AMX Presentation Switchers.”

Gamma Oracle equipped the training room with JBL Professional loudspeakers to deliver clear, detailed sound in both the large training room and smaller meeting room configurations. The speakers are powered by high-performance Crown amplifiers. AKG Microphones provide a frequency response tailored for optimum intelligibility and class-leading off-axis rejection to reduce ambient noise. AMX DVX all-in-one presentation switchers and an MET-7E Metreau 7-Button Ethernet Keypad give users the flexibility to control each zone of the sound system separately, ensuring ideal coverage in any scenario. “Our collapsible meeting and training room is dynamic in terms of the variety of events it hosts, from critical board meetings to vital training workshops,” said a 3M Philippines facilities leader. “It is also very adaptable in that it can be used as a single big training room, as well as three individual rooms. We required a sound solution that could not only match the room in terms of adaptability, but also provide highly reliable and dynamic sound for all types of events.” “The project at 3M’s Philippines facility called for an audio solution that could meet high benchmarks of performance, adaptability and reliability across a wide range of requirements,” said Ramesh Jayaraman, VP and GM of HARMAN Professional Solutions, APAC. “We would like to thank Gamma Oracle for delivering and designing a customized solution and our Philippine AMX partner, Intellismart Technology Inc., for supporting them.”

“The client specifically asked for a sound system that could be used in one big training room, as well as have the capability to cater to three separate rooms with one click.” – Gilfred Ulat, vice president of Gamma Oracle

EXPERT OPINION AV TECHNOLOGY

STANDARD

IS NO LONGER A

DIRTY WORD

IN AV TECHNOLOGY Rupert Denoon, Regional Director South Africa at Crestron

Have you ever heard of the Pareto principle, also known as the 80/20 rule? It states that, for many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. This has been proven for a variety of situations.

For instance, in business, 80% of sales come from 20% of clients. In computing, fixing the top 20% of the most-reported bugs, would eliminate 80% of errors and crashes in the system. And, in AV, this principle dictates that the best experience is reached by installing 80% standardised solutions, and 20% customised solutions. Why, you ask? A standardised solution reduces variance. That means that users know exactly what experience they can expect when they enter the room. And, just as important, it means that the support team knows what to expect, and how to solve issues. At Crestron, we love making the analogy with a car. Generally, every car is made from the same components. It has a motor, seats, doors, wheels, a roof, battery, brakes, radiator, transmission, etc. But, if you take the customised road, you’ll get a completely different result than when taking the standardised road. The customised road will result in a few cars that are extraordinary. But, while they might look cool, their solution isn’t scalable and very often gives a different user experience depending on which car

you are in. While the user is still trying to figure out how the door opens, the standardised car is already turning the corner. Sure, those cars might look less notable, but they have a few important features that every end-user is looking for: they are serviceable, scalable and user-friendly. And isn’t that what matters more in the end? Not only with cars, but also with meeting rooms. Which brings me to my next point. Simplicity creates scale, which has a lot of financial advantages. If equipment can be purchased in large quantity, you often receive a substantial discount. At the same, time you have to stock less spare equipment, which means you can save on real estate. And, speaking of saving, since less models need to be supported, the overall support burden reduces. Of course, while standardised solutions such as the Crestron Flex series, AirMedia and DM Lite are a growing trend, there are situations where a customised solution is necessary. But in approximately 80% of cases, both integrators and end-users have a lot to gain by choosing the standardised road.

CASE STUDY AV INTEGRATION

NEW SENTRYONE FACILITY FEATURES “ROCK-SOLID” CRESTRON TECHNOLOGY SentryOne is a leading provider of database performance monitoring and data DevOps solutions for the Microsoft data platform in multi-cloud and hybrid environments. Since 2004, thousands of companies such as DocuSign, Subaru and Progressive have entrusted SentryOne to build, test, document and monitor their databases. Whether it is airline tickets, electronic documents, financial information, or health records, SentryOne ensures that each of their customer’s databases is always operating at peak performance.

Upon outgrowing their previous office space, SentryOne relocated over 130 employees into a 3,000 square meter, state-of-the-art facility in Charlotte, North Carolina. As a destination employer, SentryOne wanted a facility that could accommodate growth, as their workforce is expected to grow dramatically in the coming years. The new SentryOne headquarters features a variety of beautifully designed meeting spaces, huddle spaces, a mezzanine which includes hoteling workstations, an impressive training facility and an event space all powered by Crestron. Connor Bright, systems integration engineer at SentryOne, and his team were looking for intuitive solutions for every area of their workplace. “Flexibility and scalability were integral to this project,” he explains. “We chose to work with Crestron because we needed a rock-solid technology infrastructure that our organisation can depend on both now and in the future.” Connor and his team deployed end-to-end Crestron solutions throughout the campus. Within the training center, meeting spaces, and huddle rooms, SentryOne utilises Crestron Flex UC solutions to streamline the experience within each space. The native integration with Microsoft Teams ensures that every room offers employees a simple one-touch experience. “Having the ability to successfully integrate a variety of spaces with different technology while maintaining a consistent user interface and experience has been a huge hit here at SentryOne,” says Bright. Crestron DM NVX network AV technology is used to distribute digital signage, streaming video and live TV throughout the campus.

Using DM NVX Director, the IT department can easily share content anywhere within the office and seamlessly switch between video sources with a touch of a button. Since updating to the latest firmware, the SentryOne team has noticed a significant improvement in image quality thanks to Crestron Pixel Perfect Processing technology. Crestron Room Scheduling is also used throughout the office. Employees can now easily book and release meeting rooms both in advance and on the fly. “Our employees love being able to walk up to a room and tab ‘book now’ to secure their meeting space for their next meeting,” says Bright. SentryOne uses Crestron XiO Cloud to efficiently deploy, manage, and monitor over 80 devices. “Managing all of our technology with one click has allowed my team to save a significant amount of time when updating our spaces,” says Bright. “Crestron XiO Cloud is used for network settings and changes, device provisioning, and firmware updates. It has significantly improved the deployment and management of our workplace.” SentryOne empowers Microsoft data professionals to achieve breakthrough performance across physical, virtual and cloud environments. Therefore, it is imperative to deploy technology that is built to support mission-critical applications. With Crestron, SentryOne has a secure and scalable platform that they can depend on. Not only does Crestron technology instill confidence in their team, but it allows all employees to focus on their customers and successfully drive value in other areas of the company.

CASE STUDY AV INTEGRATION

“We chose Crestron because we needed a rock-solid technology infrastructure that our organisation can depend on both now and in the future,” says Bright. “For us, it is imperative to provide each of our employees with innovative technology and a collaborative work environment so that they can continue to do their jobs seamlessly and effortlessly. Crestron XiO Cloud has been an awesome addition to our technology platform, revolutionizing the way we manage all of our devices across campus.” Meanwhile, Greg Gonzalez – founder and chief technology officer at SentryOne – comments: “As a Microsoft Teams campus, Crestron Flex provides every employee with one

consistent Microsoft user experience from the desktop to the boardroom. As we continue to introduce more technology on campus, Crestron will continue to be our standard. The flexibility that their technology has provided and their support during the completion of this project is truly unmatched,” Gonzalez concludes.

OPINION SA AV INDUSTRY

THE AV INDUSTRY HAS A CRITICAL ROLE TO PLAY IN SA’S RESPONSE TO COVID-19 BY NICOLE BARNES

It would be remiss at this time to ignore the devastating effects and enormous threat posed by the current pandemic caused by the novel COVID-19 virus. We acknowledge that the greatest peril posed by the virus is to the lives of those who have contracted the disease. However, it is also relevant to note the effects that the prevention methods being implemented by affected countries and communities are having on people’s ability to continue to work and access education. 32

The pro-AV industry has a critical role to play in supporting a move towards self-quarantine of those who are even mildly unwell by providing governments, enterprises, companies large and small and learning institutions with the technology needed to allow those in quarantine to continue to work and learn. It the event that the spread of the COVID-19 virus forces the South African government to implement restrictions on people’s movements – as we have seen in China and now in Italy, Korea and several other countries – how well are we prepared to rapidly adjust to a workforce that cannot come to the office and children that cannot enter a physical classroom? Remote work and learning practices are rapidly gaining traction in Asia, the USA and in Europe but are still far from the norm in South Africa.

1. THE WORK THAT WE DO While robotics and automation have started to impact the way that South Africans work and the type of work that we do, the country still relies heavily on manual labour. It is not possible to mine minerals, build, manufacture, assemble or repair physical goods remotely, and therefore remote working during a mass quarantine situation would pose an enormous risk to our already-fragile economy.

OPINION SA AV INDUSTRY

2. ACCESS TO THE INTERNET There are a wide range of affordable, accessible and highly effective tools available to support remote working and learning. Video conferencing is an extremely powerful tool to facilitate meetings between people in remote locations and students can attend lectures and classes given by teachers over streaming services and enjoy collaborative learning through webinars in the safety of their homes. However, without a reliable high-speed internet connection, none of these tools are of any use. According to the South African General Household Survey of 2018, about 65% of South Africans are active internet users. While these numbers continue to grow and data costs are set to come down in the near future, this still leaves a huge portion of the population without access to these technologies.

3. THE TOOLS WE NEED While only 28% of South African households have a computer in the home (National Household Survey, 2018), the penetration of smartphones, which afford users many of the same opportunities to access the tools needed for remote working and learning opportunities, is profound. According to the 2018 National Household survey, 90% of economically active South Africans rely on cellular phones for communication, with a very

large proportion of these devices being smartphones. While solid video conferencing and collaboration technologies are optimal when using computers that offer high-speed processing, high-resolution screens, quality audio and cloud computing functionalities, smartphones and tablets may prove our best tool to use in the event of mass quarantine. As South Africans, we are accustomed to facing adversity and our can-do attitude is renowned throughout the world. However, an uncontrolled outbreak of COVID-19 in South Africa would represent a challenge greater than anything our young democracy has yet faced. I live in hope that we escape the worst of a COVID-19 outbreak, but if that does not prove the case, it may provide an opportunity to prove our much-loved national maxim â&#x20AC;&#x153;together we are stronger.â&#x20AC;? The Pro-AV industry has the knowledge, skills and tools available make a powerful and meaningful contribution to supporting those affected by quarantine procedures, not just in South Africa but globally. I hope to see all of our industry stakeholders taking up the course should the need arise. I live in even greater hope that business and government decision-makers tasked with managing a home-bound population will resist the urge to stockpile tissue paper and rather reach out to our AV and IT experts during these difficult times.

SD-WAN â&#x20AC;&#x201C; THE CONNECTIVITY

TECHNOLOGY IP NETWORKING

SOLUTION FOR THE CLOUD ERA

A WHITE PAPER PREPARED BY FIRST TECHNOLOGY NATIONAL

With IT infrastructure moving increasingly into the cloud, considering the underlying requirements of connectivity and bandwidth is one of the most important factors. The user cloud experience is of utmost importance and the right connectivity solution is necessary to ensure optimal performance, speed and availability. Another important consideration is the cost of bandwidth as workloads, applications and data management are migrated to the cloud. Software Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) is becoming the de facto connectivity solution to deliver increased value, reduced cost and complexity and improved network performance.

TECHNOLOGY IP NETWORKING

FACTORS TO CONSIDER BEFORE MOVING INTO THE CLOUD Gerhard Olivier, solutions consulting manager at First Technology National, advises that when migrating workloads and applications into the cloud, several important factors need to be considered. He says, “Prior to any migration into the cloud, a comprehensive assessment of network capabilities and bandwidth requirements is a must. It is also essential to examine each application’s data requirements, in order to ensure that the most appropriate bandwidth decision is taken.” Organisations also need to be cognisant of the fact that many issues besides insufficient bandwidth will result in latency on the network, including congested routers, long distance between routers and firewall issues, to name just a few. All of these areas need to be mapped and evaluated to ensure smooth operations when cloud services are switched on. “Testing is the best way to mitigate future issues, as even a small issue that goes unnoticed in the pre-deployment phase can escalate to a major issue and fixing it post deployment can come at a much higher cost,” says Schalk Steenkamp, technical architect at First Technology National. In addition, it is very important that organisations consider the following regarding security risks: • Security of the WAN links • Data security • Contractual lock-ins • Data breaches and downtime • Visibility into cloud data • Control over cloud data • Data sovereignty

TRADITIONAL ARCHITECTURE NEEDS TO EVOLVE According to Olivier, many organisations want to move to the cloud to enable their business to move faster and be more agile. This is where the correct SD-WAN Solution and architecture plays a key role to ensure a successful journey to the cloud, especially where branch offices are present.

Traditional WAN architectures were created for applications residing within a data centre, not for cloud applications, and therefore lack agility, flexibility, efficiency and – most importantly – security. It has not been designed to optimally support the cloud consumption model in an efficient way. Accessing applications in the cloud on a traditional WAN architecture can lead to wasted bandwidth, additional operating costs and higher latency. “The management of traditional WANs can also be rigid and complex, and any network changes can be lengthy and challenging to implement, adding to inefficiency and cost. It is therefore beneficial for organisations to simplify their WAN architecture to achieve agility,” Olivier says.

SD-WAN ARCHITECTURE PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN THE CLOUD JOURNEY EXPERIENCE SD-WAN is a virtual WAN architecture that allows enterprises to leverage any combination of connectivity services, including MPLS, LTE and broadband internet services, to securely connect users to applications. Steenkamp highlights that, aside from providing enhanced speed and agility, SD-WAN reduces costs by providing optimised, multi-point connectivity using distributed, private data traffic exchange and control points. He says, “Users have secure, local access to the services they need – whether on-premise or from the cloud, and this is true regardless of the location of the user, from head office to remote sites and branch offices.” SD-WAN can be seamlessly upgraded by adding new links, with no changes necessary to the infrastructure or network. Using this technology, it is possible to cost-effectively mix and match network links according to content type or priority. Steenkamp adds, “This ensures optimal cost effectiveness while maintaining network efficiency.”

THE RIGHT TECHNOLOGY PARTNER IS PARAMOUNT Ultimately, SD-WAN offers greater flexibility, visibility and control over your network while lowering costs and, most importantly, ensuring that your WAN is cloud-ready. However, when it comes to planning and implementing an effective SD-WAN solution, the complexity and magnitude of the task can seem overwhelming. Partnering with a technology specialist is of the utmost importance. The right partner will assist an organisation with planning, optimising and testing the correct SD-WAN solution. This enables an organisation to reduce costs by simplifying their configurations and operations, resulting in enhanced performance and improved reliability.

“The management of traditional WANs can also be rigid and complex, and any network changes can be lengthy and challenging to implement, adding to inefficiency and cost. It is therefore beneficial for organisations to simplify their WAN architecture to achieve agility.” – Gerhard Olivier, solutions consulting manager at First Technology National

CASE STUDY PROJECTION

JOBURG RESTAURANT USES AV TECHNOLOGY

TO PROVIDE UNIQUE DINING EXPERIENCES In an influential 1998 research paper, the economists B. Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore coined the term ‘experience economy’ to describe, what they argued, would be the next major economic transformation society would face. They had the INSPIRATION foresight to say that businesses would begin to “I like to experiment and try new things,” says Nel, when asked about organise memorable events for their clients, where the idea to project movies during serving hours came from. creating a situation where memory itself “I’m mechanically and technically-minded, and I’m always trying something new. The main inspiration came from wanting to utilise the becomes the product; the ‘experience’ that space of the blank wall across the road from us. That, and also the necessity to have another form of entertainment and another keeps customers coming back for more. talking-point for people to have, as they’re sitting inside the restaurant.” In this case study feature, AV Integration His quest for the right projector led him to the Epson EB-X05, Nel explains. speaks to Trevor Nel, owner of the Lucky Bean “I was looking for something with a good throw distance, high lumen Restaurant in Melville, Johannesburg. output and affordable price-point. I did a lot of different research into different projectors and their applications –I knew I couldn’t change the Nel explains how his new Epson EB-X05 colour of the wall, for example, so I went for something that would be more vibrant, even on off-white surfaces. For the amount of features, [the projector has enabled the business to take EB-X05] was much more cost-efficient than other projectors in its category. part in the experience economy in a unique “It’s also vitally important for me to be able to replace a lamp or a spare part if something goes wrong. It was very easy to set up – completely and memorable fashion – by projecting silent plug-and-play, I just put a stand on the bottom of the roof and pointed the movies onto the wall across the road from projector in the right direction. So the ease of use and the safety of knowing I can get the projector serviced easily were also definitely big factors.” where diners sit and enjoy their meals.

CASE STUDY PROJECTION

BUSINESS BENEFITS As well as creating ambience for customers, Nel explains that the projector provides a number of additional benefits to the business, “We just use a laptop to feed content to the projector – and so I also have the opportunity to do bits of advertising for the restaurant in between the films. So, while the movie is playing, I can insert content – like to announce a cocktails special or promote something that’s moving fast in the restaurant. “Therefore, the projector doesn’t just attract people into the restaurant; once they’re inside, I can also communicate directly with them.” This aspect of the setup has proved so effective, Nel explains that he has “Even had people approach me about using my projector set up for advertising space for their products – but that isn’t my business. This space is mine and I’m going to use the technology for creating an ambience for the restaurant and my customers, as well as for the Melville community.”

“The projector doesn’t just attract people into the restaurant; once they’re inside, I can also communicate directly with them.” Trevor Nel, owner of Lucky Bean Restaurant in Melville

CASE STUDY PROJECTION

“The reaction to the films has been incredible. A lot of ‘wow’ responses from the community – people can’t believe there’s something like this going on in the neighbourhood four times a week. It’s also a great format for date-nights – which are traditionally Tuesdays to Thursdays. For us to be able to provide ‘dinner and a movie’ all in one is a fun alternative for our patrons.” – Trevor Nel, owner of Lucky Bean Restaurant in Melville

INSTANT REACTION Indeed, the response from the Melville community – one of Joburg’s funkiest, most vibrant suburbs – has been overwhelmingly positive. “The reaction to the films has been incredible. A lot of ‘wow’ responses from the community – people can’t believe there’s something like this going on in the neighbourhood four times a week. It’s also a great format for date-nights – which are traditionally Tuesdays to Thursdays. For us to be able to provide ‘dinner and a movie’ all in one is a fun alternative for our patrons.” When asked about the choice behind screening silent movies, Nel explains that, “The main reason is that the films we show are open source, and so there are no rights or copyright issues involved. But, beyond this practical element, silent movies go beyond cultural and language barriers; they’re comedic films, it’s good entertainment, and people like having the space to watch and still be able to converse freely while the film is playing.” Looking to the future, Nel says, “Our business model also creates opportunities for film premieres. We could do something like close off

the road and have a screening and then pay for the licence for that film for the night. The licence fees, in this kind of context, are workable. We are also quite closely associated with the two universities in the area, and we want to work with different faculties to collaborate around art exhibitions and other visual events. “Melville is the melting-pot of Joburg, so it makes sense for something like this – something interesting and dynamic – to emerge here,” he concludes.

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For more information, please visit www.kathea.co.za.

TECHNOLOGY DISPLAY

LED MARKET: FIGURES AND FORECASTS VALUE OF GLOBAL LED INDUSTRY (IN BILLIONS $US) 10 8 6 4 2 0

The growth of the LED industry looks set to continue at healthy rates, as screens become cheaper to produce, easier to install and more reliable to operate.

2020

2018

2022

VALUE BY PIXEL PITCH (IN MILLIONS $US)

2500

Demand for extremely narrow pixel pitches (<1mm) will be one of the key drivers of technological development in the industry.

2000 1.2 to 1.6mm

1500

1.7 to 2mm

1000

2.1 to 2.5mm

500

< 1.1mm

2018

2020

2022

STUDIO MARKETS

EXHIBITION MARKETS

ENTERPRISE MARKETS

(including broadcast)

(including retail)

(including corporate & education)

4% 4%

27%

31%

45%

92%

28%

68%

LCD

DLP

LED

LCD

DLP

LED

LCD

DLP

LED

Despite widespread LED penetration in the broadcast market, there is still both vertical and horizontal room for growth as price-points drop and energy efficiency increases.

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Mindstec Distribution (South Africa) Tel: +2711 803-0093/0096/0098 Email: info@mindstec.com

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