INTEGRATION November/December 2019 www.av-news.co.za
IN THIS ISSUE
HIGHLIGHTS OF 2019 PRODUCTS OF THE YEAR LED WHITE PAPER
FEATURE
AV UPGRADE FOR KYALAMI
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IN THIS ISSUE
CONTENTS
KYALAMI UPGRADE • HIGHLIGHTS OF 2019 • PRODUCTS OF THE YEAR
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INAVATION AWARDS 2020 BUSINESS FINALISTS ANNOUNCED
KRAMER NAMES EX-IBM EXECUTIVE AS NEW CEO
MAKING DEEPER CONNECTIONS AT ISE 2020
AV INTEGRATION PROJECTS: HIGHLIGHTS OF 2019
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ISE 2020 GETS NEW CYBERSECURITY WORKSHOP FROM CEDIA
LED DISPLAYS: WHAT DOES THAT SPEC MEAN?
BEST PROFESSIONAL AV TECHNOLOGY
5 ANNELIES KAMPERT APPOINTED GENERAL MANAGER OF CRESTRON EUROPE
6 EPSON BRINGS LS500 LASER PROJECTION TV TO MARKET
8 2019 STUDY BY GARTNER REVEALS GROWTH IN IT SPENDING
16 NEW AVoIP UPGRADE FOR KYALAMI
39 INTRODUCING SAMSUNG FL!P 2
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EDITOR'S COMMENT
avintegrationza
avintegrationsa
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EDITORIAL David Cornwell – Editor editor@pro-systems.co.za +27 (0)79 748 5386
WRAPPING UP 2019
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Nicole Barnes nicole@suncirclegroup.com +27 (0)66 489 3482 Cover image: Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit (image courtesy of Kyalami Group)
PUBLISHERS
Greetings, and welcome to the final issue of AV Integration for 2019. This year has been a busy one for local integrators and industry professionals, with many high-profile projects and important events taking place over the last 12 months. From sweeping technology-driven educational initiatives, to highly ambitious AV-integrated construction projects and a record-breaking MediaTech 2019 trade show in between, 2019 has brought its fair share of industry highlights. Our cover story for this issue is another stellar integration project, as we focus on the story of how the celebrated Kyalmai Race Track has reinvented itself as a world-class conferencing and events venue featuring the latest technologies and an
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
“anti-fragile” AV backbone. Read all about this exciting project on pages 16-19.
Helen Loots | accounts@suncirclegroup.com
To celebrate this year’s milestones, we devote a large section of this issue to reflecting on some of the highlights of the past year, as well as to recognise the year’s outstanding AV technologies – as nominated by integrators.
Sun Circle Publishers (Pty) Ltd Tel: +27 11 025-3180 Epsom Downs Office Park, 13 Sloane Street, Bryanston, Johannesburg PO Box 559 Fourways North 2086, South Africa
Our editorial Highlights of 2019 can be found on pages 20 to 30, as we look at – among other key stories – how Samsung and Epson technologies are making a difference in educational spaces; how Crestron and Hevlar have provided empowering control solutions for venues as varied as restaurants, casinos and art galleries; and how new spaces, such as the Arbitration Foundation of South Africa, have benefited from bespoke AV technologies. On pages 34-38, you’ll find our round-up of the year’s best products – as nominated by AV integrators. Some have been nominated for their sheer quality of performance; while others, such as the Maxhub touchscreen collaboration technology or the new Z1H series of speaker-projectors from Vivitek, have been featured for their versatility or ease-of-use. Finally, you will find a taste of things to come with our ISE Show Preview on pages 8 and 9 of this issue. Our January issue will be strongly focused on Integrated Systems Europe 2020, and we invite you to submit content to add to our coverage of the year’s first must-attend international trade show. From everyone on the AV Integration team, we’d like to thank you for your contributions and for your support throughout the year. We wish you a fantastic holiday season and some well-deserved rest, and we look forward to stretching our coverage of South Africa’s technological feats even further in 2020. Regards
David Cornwell
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
INAVATION AWARDS 2020 BUSINESS FINALISTS ANNOUNCED The Inavation Awards ceremony, this year in its 14th edition, is the benchmark for systems integrators, consultants and technology managers throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa and beyond. These annual awards continue to recognise and celebrate outstanding AV design, integration and management globally. This year sees the launch of the Business Awards categories, with detailed research being invested into the decision to change how the Inavation Awards celebrate skills,
talent and innovation within manufacturers of AV technologies. Here are the finalists in the first-ever Inavation Awards Business categories,
BEST SALES TEAM
BEST CLIENT SUPPORT • • • • • • • •
Absen Crestron Datapath Extron Loxit NEC Display Solutions Sennheiser Unilumin Group
BEST MARKETING CAMPAIGN • • • •
Audac AV Stumpfl Barco Digital Projection
BEST PLACE TO WORK • AV Stumpfl • Barco • Seada Technology
• • • •
Epson Extron Optoma Europe Peerless-AV
BEST SMALL COMPANY • • • •
Active Audio/APG Movilok Interactividad Móvil Netipbox Technologies Seada Technology
THE BUSINESS GROWTH AWARD • • • • • • • • •
Brompton Technology d&b audiotechnik Digital Projection Intevi Martin Audio Mersive Technologies Philips Professional Display Systems QSC Tripleplay
designed to highlight and reward excellence in manufacturers of AV technology. Winners will be revealed at the Inavation Awards ceremony and dinner in Amsterdam on February 11 – the first evening of the ISE 2020 show.
THE CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AWARD • Epson • RGBlink
THE R&D AWARD • • • • • • • • • • • •
Absen Albiral Display Solutions Amina Technologies Biamp Cabletime Christie Crestron Digital Projection Kramer Lang Powersoft Xi’an NovaStar Technology Co.
THE SUSTAINABILITY AWARD • • • •
Ctouch Europe Epson Extron LianTronics
TIG HOSTS THE CRESTRON ELITE PARTNERS SUMMIT IN DUBAI Earlier this month, Technological Innovations Group (TIG) welcomed over 65 representatives from across the AV industry to The Crestron Elite Partners Summit in Dubai. Attendees came from the Nordics, East Europe, Russia, Middle East and South Africa to discover the latest details on the vision of TIG and how their business can further grow and prosper with Crestron. TIG’s CEO, Robin van Meeuwen, led the
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conference alongside Dirk Hendrickx, TIG’s Crestron vice president of sales, and Crestron’s director of technology, Stijn Ooms. They provided key updates from the company, projections on industry trends and details of products that are set to launch in 2020. Van Meeuwen said: “It was an extremely great event bringing all these partners together to share the vision and connect people for so many countries. “Dubai has been a wonderful location for the event, and it’s important for Technological Innovations Group to host such strategic events for our partners ensuring they are up to date with industry
and technology trends. Events such as this brings us closer to our key partners and hope to inspire them to drive business forward.” Also in attendance was special guest Gaurab Majumdar, regional director of AVIXA, India and GCC. He delivered an engaging presentation on AVIXA’s perspective on AV Trends. ‘This type of event served as a great opportunity for AVIXA to help business owners understand the size, direction and composition of the larger pro-AV industry by highlighting EMEA’s AV market trends from our Industry Outlook and Trends Analysis [IOTA] reports,’ he commented.
ANNELIES KAMPERT APPOINTED GENERAL MANAGER OF CRESTRON EUROPE
Annelies Kampert
Crestron, a global leader in workplace technology, has announced the appointment of Annelies Kampert as General Manager of Crestron Europe. Headquartered in Belgium, Crestron Europe is a relatively new entity of Crestron. “Up until the end of 2018, all Crestron activities in EMEA were handled by Technological Innovations Group (TIG),” explains Peter Ypsilantis, former interim GM of Crestron Europe. “These activities will now be fully managed by Crestron Europe. We’re committed to making sure that our customers all over the region receive the same great experience and high level of support they’ve come to know.” Ypsilantis temporarily transferred from the Crestron U.S. offices to assume the role of interim GM and oversee the launch of the new entity. In January, functions including customer support, finance, HR and marketing were transferred from TIG to Crestron Europe, with no disruption to customers. TIG remains Crestron’s exclusive sales agent in EMEA. In parallel, Ypsilantis led the search for a permanent GM, which resulted in the appointment of Kampert. Kampert comes to Crestron from TIG, where she served as HR Director. “When this opportunity came along, I grabbed it with both hands,” says Kampert. “Crestron is experiencing tremendous growth, and that means a lot is changing. I embrace the challenges that come along with it, and I’m confident that, together with the team, we will achieve great results.” Kampert will spearhead the establishment of new Crestron Europe offices, first in the UK and next in Germany, with more to come. “In just a short period, I’ve grown to rely on her wise counsel,” says Ypsilantis. “I am convinced she will do a great job growing our business and ensuring that our customers and employees are well taken care of.”
INDUSTRY NEWS
EPSON BRINGS LS500 LASER PROJECTION TV TO MARKET Epson, the number one projector manufacturer in the world, recently introduced the Epson LS500 Laser Projection TV – a new generation of digital projection that redefines the everyday television viewing experience. Equipped with an ultra-high definition ambient light rejecting screen with unique optical layering technology, the LS500 Laser Projection TV offers sports enthusiasts, gamers, and content streamers an immersive, big-screen alternative to traditional LCD and OLED TVs. Capable of displaying 4K HDR content up to 120 inches, this new solution leverages outstanding colour and white brightness with incredible color accuracy for a stunning picture in virtually any lighting environment. The LS500 Laser Projection TV features Epson’s proprietary 4K PRO-UHD 3LCD technology, a dynamic contrast ratio exceeding 2,500,000:1 and advanced HDR processing to produce vivid colours and deep blacks for an exceptionally bright, colourful and sharp picture – regardless of the viewing environment.
“The Epson LS500 Laser Projection TV redefines the traditional television experience by offering an immersive display size up to 120-inches,” said Rodrigo Catalan, senior product manager at Epson America, Inc. “Whether you’re watching a live sporting event, streaming your favourite series, gaming on the latest generation of consoles, or simply watching the latest blockbuster movie, the all-new Epson Laser Projection TV will simple amaze you.” Powered by Google, the LS500 Laser Projection TV solution includes the Android
KRAMER NAMES EX-IBM EXECUTIVE AS NEW CEO Kramer Electronics has named Itzhak Bambagi as its new chief executive officer, effective immediately. New Kramer CEO Itzhak Bambagi
Bambagi has held executive roles at IBM and Digital/Compaq over the last 18 years and led IBM’s IT transformational experience using cloud technologies and various digital workplace initiatives across EMEA. His appointment comes as Kramer says it wants to further drive its software and cloud-based initiatives to suit the changing needs of the AV industry.
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In a statement to the press, Bambagi said: “Bringing software and cloud components further into the pro AV arena is the next step. By allowing remote support and management, we can bring standard uniformity to multisite installations, wherever they are in the world. Hassle-free solutions
TV operating system with a simple-to-use remote that features voice search through Google Assistant. Today’s streamers can watch their favourite content from apps such as Netflix, HBO, Showtime, YouTube, Hulu, ESPN and more. Users can even stream live TV through apps like PlayStation Vue and YouTube TV. Supporting the latest 18 Gbps HDMI 2.0 specification, the LS500 Laser TV displays 4K HDR content at a full 60Hz and is compatible with the latest streaming devices and gaming consoles.
and an outstanding user experience are key and my IBM experience will assist in delivering technology that ‘behaves’ in ways that are wholly familiar to – and expected by – IT departments. “The way customers consume IT and AV in an IoT enabled world will have a tremendous impact on our industry. Converging technologies bring a multitude of challenges and opportunities with software-driven solutions, cloud power, and scalability as well as opportunities for new business models, such as AV as a Service (AVaaS).” Dr Joseph Kramer, founder, president and chairman of Kramer, said: “We are incredibly excited to share this fantastic appointment. Itzhak’s decades of experience in sales, service and operational management paired with his deep understanding of advanced networking and cloud technology will be invaluable assets as Kramer meets the continuing challenges of the converging pro AV and IT industries.”
INDUSTRY NEWS
A Cybersecurity Workshop in session
ISE 2020 GETS NEW CYBERSECURITY WORKSHOP FROM CEDIA CEDIA is taking its Cybersecurity Workshop to ISE 2020 to provide an in-depth look at the concepts of network security and privacy. The one-day workshop, which will be taught by industry experts from around the world, will take place on Monday 10th February at the Hotel Okura, Amsterdam. It is designed for both residential and commercial integrators as well as manufacturers. CEDIA’s Cybersecurity Workshop responds to the growing danger of exploitation of residential networks and connected devices in this IoT age. The workshop delivers content to help integrators deal with the growing proliferation of threats and will cover all aspects of network security and privacy, and how these concepts have evolved to be critical components of every system design, implementation and aftercare plan. Jeff Sonnleitner, a professional network and security instructor with over 35 years’ experience, will be the lead instructor for the Cybersecurity Workshop. He said: “Security practices are becoming a necessity in every system design and installation, no matter the size. The home network has been a real starting place for cyber criminals, a cause for concern that needs to be addressed.
“This new workshop is open to everyone looking to create security policies, whether from a corporate or business standpoint, or as a safety protocol for end users.” Mixing seminars and demonstrations with immersive and collaborative sessions, the workshop will guide attendees through the most up-to-date examples of cybersecurity policies, allowing a company to ensure systems are implemented securely and customer expectations are managed. “The Cybersecurity Workshop is an exciting step in the right direction for CEDIA’s education programme at ISE,” added Matt Nimmons, managing director of CEDIA EMEA. “With the industry continuously expanding, more devices are being connected to the IP network. “It’s great to have Jeff as lead instructor, as well as industry experts Rich Green and Mike Maniscalco on board. Their extensive knowledge and experience of cloud computing, emerging technologies, and cybersecurity makes this a must-attend event for all ISE attendees.”
During the workshop, attendees will take part in sessions where they will create the outline for two important policies: • An Operational Cybersecurity Policy for staff to ensure every network is designed and configured in a secure manner. • A User Cybersecurity Policy to guide end users in playing their part in maintaining security and privacy. • At the end of the workshop, attendees will be given template cybersecurity policies that, combined with learning from the course, will help to create policies specific to their business. By the end of the course, attendees will be able to: • Define what cybersecurity is, identify common misconceptions, learn “quick wins” to put into action now, and begin developing their own strategy for minimising cybersecurity threats. • Determined how best to enable their workforce, customers, suppliers, partners, and collaborators to be risk conscious and security aware, and to fulfil their cybersecurity roles and responsibilities. • Achieve the goals of cybersecurity. ISE visitors who wish to attend the course can register now for an early bird rate. This offer ends on 8th January, 2020.
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INDUSTRY REPORT
The research and advisory company Gartner’s 2019 statistics reveal an increase across the board in IT spending compared to last year’s figures. However, spending on personal devices is expected to slow as software spending, and particularly cloud computing services, shows the highest level of growth.
OVERALL IT SPENDING 2018
vs
2019
R294.3 Billion
R303.5 Billion
“Cloud computing is a new reality in
SOFTWARE
South Africa. South African organisations are
2018
consuming
vs
2019
R28.5 Billion
significant amounts
R32 Billion
of cloud services,
INCREASE OF 11.4%
INCREASE OF 3.9%
2019 STUDY BY GARTNER REVEALS GROWTH IN IT SPENDING
including software platform as a service and infrastructure as a service.” – John-David Lovelock, vice president of Gartner Research
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INCREASE OF 3%
as a service,
DEVICES 2018
vs
R44.6 Billion
2019
R46 Billion
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COLLABORATE Meet the world’s leading innovators and solutions providers in the Audio and Live Events Technology Zone
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ISE PREVIEW
MAKING DEEPER CONNECTIONS AT ISE 2020 ISE returns to Amsterdam next February with a programme that will attract AV end-user and channel professionals alike
Tuesday 11 February 2020 sees Integrated Systems Europe – the world’s largest exhibition for AV and systems integration – return to the RAI Amsterdam. The ribbon cutting ceremony, which officially marks the opening of the event, will take place just before 10:00. The event runs over four days, occupying 15 halls, and is home to everything the professional AV industry has to offer – including the latest developments and technologies that will influence almost every industry’s future. ISE 2020 is produced by Integration Systems Events on behalf of international trade associations and co-owners AVIXA and CEDIA. Continuing a long tradition, this year’s event will be bigger than last year’s: more than last year’s 81,000 visitors are expected; there will be more floor space; and more conferences and learning opportunities are on the agenda. Visitors will be Making Deeper Connections with the newest technologies, the latest ideas – and the global AV industry in attendance. Designed to help visitors more easily find the 1,300 exhibitors most relevant to their interests are the six Technology Zones, spread across eight of the 15 halls.
A new initiative for ISE 2020 is the Innovation Zone, a specially designed area for first-time ISE exhibitors to showcase their technology. Also in Hall 14, the ISE Main Stage theatre relocates from Hall 8. The Main Stage will offer thought leadership and best practice sessions from ISE, AVIXA, CEDIA and AV Magazine. These sessions are free to attend, and no advance booking is required. Hall 14 will also be the location of an exciting technology feature, details of which will be announced in the coming weeks. Another show floor development sees an even bigger Hall 5; 2019’s temporary extension has been upgraded to a larger permanent one. This will help to accommodate the growing number of exhibitors and visitors looking to take advantage of the opportunity presented by ISE.
SIX TECHNOLOGY ZONES AT ISE 2020: • Audio and Live Events, showcasing sound from microphone to speaker, as well as the latest technologies to support the kind of audio-visual extravaganzas at which the industry excels; • Digital Signage and DooH, with a broad range of advertising and information delivery solutions for the retail, transportation, healthcare, corporate, education, leisure, and hospitality sectors and many more; • Education Technology, with its positive and growing multidimensional impact on learning outcomes; • Residential, showcasing the latest developments in the connected home as well as home entertainment and energy management; • Smart Buildings, with a wide array of solutions for the control of air conditioning, lighting and shutter control, security systems, heating, ventilation, monitoring, alarming and many others; and • Unified Communications, with innovative new platforms designed to facilitate collaborative working and enhanced productivity across sites and countries.
Crowds at ISE 2018
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ISE PREVIEW
Something that has characterised the development of ISE over the years is that it has attracted a growing proportion of end-users anxious to see and hear the latest technologies and solutions for themselves. This evolution in demographics has seen ISE respond with a conference programme that has been continually enhanced in both number of sessions and range of topics. ISE 2020’s conference and professional development programme – which runs over five days – will once again be presented with the tagline Learn, Discover, Be Inspired. ISE 2020 will see the return of long-standing fixtures the Digital Signage Summit ISE and Smart Buildings Conference ISE, along with more recent additions such as the XR Summit ISE and the 2019-inaugurated Digital Cinema Summit ISE and Hospitality Technology Summit ISE by HTNG. Two major new conferences have been added for ISE 2020 in the shape of the Control Rooms Summit and the CEDIA Design & Build Conference. The former will explore business and technology strategies for operators of control rooms across all sectors – including utilities, government, transportation and military – while the latter is targeted at architects, interior designers and other design and build professionals in the residential space.
The extensive conference programme is further enhanced by the AVIXA Higher Education AV Conference, which will highlight a range of different perspectives on how to best enhance the learning and teaching experience through effective use of AV. The AVIXA Enterprise AV Conference will highlight the growing availability of data and the opportunity that data analytics provides to enable better business strategies and workspace/system design. Also making eagerly anticipated returns are AudioForum, will this year will focus on acoustics and wellbeing; attractionsTECH, hosted by blooloop, covering the visitor attractions market; and AGORA, which will reflect the growing importance of sports venues as a key market for AV professionals. Many of the conferences will take place at the nearby Okura Hotel – a move that proved very popular with visitors when introduced last year. A free shuttle bus will run between the RAI and the conferences. AVIXA will also be hosting FlashTracks throughout ISE 2020 on a dedicated show floor stand. Designed for AV professionals of all experience levels, these are free 20-minute education sessions, focusing on hot industry topics. In addition to the CEDIA Design & Build Conference, CEDIA will present the CEDIA Cybersecurity Workshop for the first time. A theory-based interactive workshop, it will challenge attendees to produce technical best practice procedures and customer policies around network security and cybersecurity. The Workshop is the first in the association’s four-day roster of CEDIA paid-for professional development sessions, which will cover a broad range of technology and business topics for custom installers. Throughout the show, CEDIA’s stand will also play host to CEDIA Talks. These are 20-minute, free-of-charge sessions focusing on emerging trends and new technologies. There will be many other show features at ISE 2020. Organised and independently judged by EXHBITOR magazine, the Stand Design Awards recognise the most effective small, medium, large and extra-large stands at the show. The Inavation Awards return for the fourteenth time to recognise the best in global AV projects and technology, as well as outstanding distributors, project managers and consultants. The 2020 venue is the architecturally unique Beurs van Berlage. And, following 2019’s projection onto the nhow Amsterdam RAI Hotel, a spectacular projection mapping showcase involving another part of the RAI complex will catch the attention at ISE 2020. ISE’s Opening Address is renowned for presenting internationally acclaimed thought leaders, drawn not only from the audiovisual world but also from disciplines that have the potential to shape AV. The opening address at ISE 2020 will be presented by Duncan Wardle, a former Disney executive who will show how innovation can become part of the day-today working culture in our businesses. The opening address will take place the evening before the ISE 2020 exhibition opens, and be followed by the opening reception. ISE 2020 will be the final edition of the show to be held at the RAI Amsterdam; in 2021, ISE will relocate to the Fira de Barcelona. To prepare attendees for this change, the walkway between Halls 7 and 8, formerly known as the Business Lounge, will have a Barcelona theme. Here attendees can find information about how to get to ISE 2021 and what to expect once they are there. Additionally, to mark this significant moment in ISE’s story, the traditional closing keynote will be replaced by an invitation-only event on the Friday. Here ISE will say thank you and goodbye to Amsterdam and the RAI, and look ahead to what Barcelona and the Fira have to offer. “The event will mark the end of an era,” said Mike Blackman, managing director of Integrated Systems Events, “and the beginning of an exciting new one.” For more information about Integrated Systems Europe 2020, please visit www.iseurope.org
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LED DISPLAYS: WHAT DOES THAT SPEC MEAN?
WHITE PAPER DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
In this white paper feature, premium LED manufacturer NanoLumens provides a run-down of the more nuanced specifications to look for when investing in an LED solution. To read the full article, please scan the QR code below or visit www.nanolumens.com/white-papers/hey-what-does-this-spec-mean
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INTRODUCTION
DIODE LIFE SPAN
Organisations who make the decision to purchase a large-format LED display solution are not simply buying a piece of technology off the shelf. They are partnering with AV integrators to arrive at a fully-customised solution that is built to fit a specific space and serve a specific purpose. Creating this perfect visualisation solution requires a supplier to know what exactly a customer is looking for, but – in many cases – these desires can be hard to articulate because the terminology used within the industry is so malleable. Following the initial decision to purchase a display, a customer will likely establish a few things up front, like viewing distance, pixel pitch, display size and intended use. Each of these metrics are fairly easily understood and they work in tandem to set the basic dimensions of each display project. However, even if these primary specification discussions are productive, the confusing technical language that dominates secondary conversations can derail even the most promising projects.
A light-emitting diode, or LED, is essentially a small light bulb. But, unlike incandescent light bulbs, it does not contain a filament, thus making it more efficient. An LED also has a longer life span, lasting approximately 50,000 to 100,000 hours for a higher-quality LED — or about five-and-a-half to 11 years. The first thing a customer should know about the lifespan of a diode is the commonly-met benchmark. Here, the industry standard is 100,000 hours, which translates to roughly 11 years and five months. That number means that operating at 100% brightness, full white, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, the diode will last 100,000 hours until its brightness degrades to 50% of the level it met on day one.
WHITE PAPER DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
GREYSCALE Greyscale is the industry term used to indicate how well a display differentiates separate tones of similar colours, and it is a result of how well the display captures the range of greys between full black and full white. This scale is a product of the display’s bit depth (see next section), but it is based on the display running at full brightness, and so the further from full bright a display goes, the worse the grayscale quality will erode. For example, a display with a maximum brightness of 7,000 nits turned down to 1,000 will exhibit much worse grayscale than a display with a maximum brightness of 2,000 nits turned down to 1,000, even if the displays have the same bit depth.
BRIGHTNESS
BIT DEPTH
With the knowledge that diode lifespan is intrinsically tied to brightness, customers should next develop an understanding of how display brightness works. In the digital display industry, brightness is frequently measured in nits, with one nit being equivalent to one candela per square meter (cd/m2), representing the SI unit of luminance. For reference, a typical LCD display, like a computer screen or home television, runs around 300 nits. Commercial LED displays, on the other hand, range in brightness from roughly 750 nits (in small-scale indoor applications) to 10,000 nits for large outdoor installations. Many customers turn to LED because alternative digital display technologies have not proven bright enough. This can lead them to desire the brightest-possible LED solution, but – in truth – that is rarely necessary. In most large-format LED applications, even in high-bright cases, 1200-1500 nits is sufficient. The intended use case for your display should serve as a guide for the brightness level you require from your diodes. The more ambient light in a display space, the brighter the display needs to be in order for viewers to really see it. If you are considering an outdoor display, be aware that in order for viewers to see it properly during daylight hours, it needs to have a minimum rating of 5,000 nits.
While the brightness of the display plays a major factor in greyscale quality, greyscale is determined more fully by a display’s bit depth, as mentioned above. The bit depth of a display is essentially a representation of its processing capacity. All content shown on digital displays is part of a digital file. These binary digital files are compressed into pieces of data known as “bits” so they can be more efficiently stored and transferred. These bits are either a 1 or a 0. The term bit depth refers to the number of bits used to display the colour channels of red, green and blue for each pixel in a given LED display. An 8-bit display can create over 16 million colours, while a 10-bit display can create over a trillion. Most people can only perceive about 10 million colours, so the industry standard for digital displays and cameras is a bit depth of 8 bits. High-end photography, cinema and gaming applications can require greater bit depths to prevent any banding in over- or underexposed parts of their content, but – for most purposes – 8 bits will be sufficient. Note also that increasing bit depth will require greater energy consumption and greater processing power from your software.
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WHITE PAPER DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OFF-AXIS VIEWING
COLOUR SPACE While greyscale quality controls the tonality of your colours and bit depth controls the number of colours your display can possibly create, the colour space (or colour gamut) of a display determines the spectrum within which all those colours exist. There is only a certain range of colours that is perceptible to the human eye. To graphically represent the finite differences between colours, the International Commission on Illumination (CIE) created a two-dimensional graph that plots colour based on chromaticity (a product of hue and saturation) on the X axis and brightness (also called luminance) on the Y axis. This was first created in 1931, and is thus commonly referred to as the CIE 1931 Chromaticity Diagram. However, within the range of colours we can perceive as plotted in the 1931 Diagram, there are smaller subsections of colours that digital displays can recreate. These subsections were standardised at the urging of content creators, who wanted uniformity in the way their content was displayed across varying display technologies and manufacturers. The first baseline colour gamut for digital content was established in 1990 and dubbed Rec. 709. As time went on and technologies improved, content creators demanded greater colour space to show their work, so display manufacturers improved their technology to keep up. The newest standard gamut is called DCI-P3, and it was first published by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE). DCI-P3 is wider and richer than Rec. 709. The next generation colour space is called Rec. 2020, but right now few – if any – digital technologies are able to reproduce it.
WHITE POINT Often tethered to colour space, the white point of a display determines its colour temperature. White point settings are determined based on the Kelvin scale. 6,500 Kelvin, abbreviated as D65, is the most common setting. One white point isn’t inherently better than another and the reason to choose one white point over another depends nearly entirely on use case and use environment.
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Many of the aforementioned terms relate to what an audience sees, but off-axis viewing governs where an audience sees. Off-axis versatility is crucial, because LED displays are often not viewed by a stationary audience. As a viewer walks by a display, the amount of time he or she is able to see content is a function of the off-axis viewing capabilities of the display. For example, if a display only has an off-axis angle range of 90 degrees, or 45 degrees from centre each way, a viewer will only be exposed to the content while he or she is within that range. Once they have moved beyond 45 degrees to the right or left of centre, the display content is no longer cleanly visible. In contrast, a display with a viewing angle range of 160 degrees, or 80 degrees from centre each way, allows for over four times the total visibility. This extra viewing time can be precious in certain applications.
FILL RATIO Often confused with pixel pitch, which is the distance between the centres of adjacent pixels, fill ratio is the blank space between the closest edges of adjacent pixels. Essentially, fill ratio measures the empty space of the display. A lower fill ratio (or fill rate) can make the pixel pitch seem smaller without actually changing it. A higher fill rate, on the other hand, can make the pitch seem wider, but it facilitates a better contrast ratio because there’s more black visible against which the pixels can stand out.
FRAME RATE The frame rate of a display indicates the number of frames per second a display can show. The higher the frame rate, the larger the digital file for the content will be and the greater demands it will place on your display. A common frame rate is 24 frames per second (fps), but customers should expect their digital display be able to process around 60 fps. Some newer processors can handle 120 fps, but this sort of performance only really comes into play with sophisticated gaming and high-end cinematography.
BTUs The British Thermal Units (BTUs) produced by a display is a product of the heat output efficiency of a display. One BTU is equal to the amount of heat needed to heat one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit – roughly 1,055 joules. The efficiency of a diode and its circuitry determines the heat output of the LED driver board, while the efficiency and loading of the power supply determines the heat output of its components.
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FEATURE AVoIP INSTALLATION
"ANTI-FRAGILE" AV UPGRADE ENHANCES KYALAMI RACE TRACK
“We went for a modular system design. It’s more of an investment
up
front,
but
you
never
need
throw anything out – you just add as your needs evolve. Our advice is always to keep it modular, and that way you can always expand.” – Sasha Savin, sales director at Delcor Advanced Solutions
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FEATURE AVoIP INSTALLATION
First constructed in 1961, the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit – situated in Midrand, Gauteng – has a proud motorsport heritage. Fifty-eight years ago this month, a Porsche 550 Spyder driven by John Love and Dawie Gous raced to victory at the track’s inaugural Grand Prix event, and Kyalami soon became one of the motorsport world’s favourite international venues – with its flagship event, the 9 Hour Endurance Race, attracting crowds in excess of 20,000 spectators at a time.
Following the acquisition of the circuit by the Porsche South Africa Group, headed and owned by motorsports legend, Toby Venter, the facility benefited from a major renovation programme which commenced in May 2015 – including a resurfacing of the circuit and safety upgrades to meet FIA Grade Level 2 standard. Now, Kyalami has further suped up its offering with several first-in-country AV upgrades, transforming the venue into a world-class conferencing, exhibition and events space over and above its prestige as an international racing circuit. AV Integration got a tour of the revamped Kyalami by Willie Venter (Head of Group Legal) and Stefan Marais (Kyalami’s Head of IT), as well as Sasha Savin (Sales Director) and Gary Delport (Technical Director) of Delcor Advanced Solutions, who told us more about the exciting newly installed AV infrastructure.
UPGRADE TO IP As Marais explains, “The whole idea for the upgrade came about when Toby Venter agreed to offer Kyalami as the venue for the Kyalami 9 Hour Endurance Race [21-23 November 2019]. We knew we needed to have a system in place where the SRO [Stéphane Ratel Organisation] community could come over from abroad and we had a camera system and a race control environment in place – we had an operations room available, where decisions could be made by officials – and so we started with this goal in mind.” “The starting point and the foundation of this system,” he continues, “was our PA system. It runs around the circuit and consists of 13 towers – and we decided to build on this current infrastructure. The question was, ‘How can we integrate the existing audio infrastructure into a new visual component, using our existing platforms?’” He describes the “first phase” of the project as consisting of the installation of a “96-core fibre ring around the track – terminated into the 13 towers. This means that every audio and visual device on each tower runs on its own core of fibre. It’s all IP-based, IP to Dante, and Dante out. We’re on a single SFP set-up, and we’re running just under six kilometres of fibre at the moment. This is also redundant fibre – which means we can switch over between the different cores and for every PA tower, we have four fail-level points because of the multi-cores.” Marais points out that scalability was a crucial consideration from the outset. “Your foundations need to be sound, and that’s why we went for a 96-core fibre. Had we stuck with a 48-core we would’ve run encountered problems. The design of the head end and back end were part of our initial conversations with Delcor, and we went for a scalable solution from the beginning.” Sasha Savin of Delcor – a company which boasts more than 30 years’ worth of experience in the field of specialised security integration – elaborates: “We went for a modular system design. It’s more of an investment up front, but you never need to throw anything out – you just add as your needs evolve. Our advice is always to keep it modular, and that way you can always expand”; while Gary Delport, whose background is in network infrastructure and programming, comments that he “always knew” audio and visual technology was going to move to IP – saying that he’s been anticipating the switch for “more than 20 years.”
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FEATURE AVoIP INSTALLATION
“Because the system is based on a security platform, there are so many in-built redundancies and fail-safes. We have two MDMRs running here, we have three graphics cards – and we
Inside the state-of-the-art Control Room at Kyalami
believe that’s the best model to go for, as security systems always need to be up and running and fully-functioning, 24/7.” – Stefan Marais, head of IT, Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit
Kyalami’s fibre-ringed towers are crowned with JBL speakers powered by Crown amplifiers – supplied by Wild & Marr and installed by HFX Systems, who “helped tremendously with the design of the rig” – and can be operated from a single, centralised device via touchscreen technology. As Sasha points out, this has additional safety benefits in addition to its ease of operation. “Our audio rig is also connected to the fire evacuation system. We have touchscreen integration – so we can mute or activate every tower from one platform – and we can also perform monitoring in one centralised place. This means we could send out an alert message, or the full fire evacuation drill, from one device, and we can be assured that every speaker is responding.”
SPECIALISED VIDEO SOLUTIONS Once the team had their IP backbone and audio system in place, as Marais says, “It was time to get visuals up and running on the same platform.” He explains: “I had an idea of how we needed to have the cameras in place and we wanted to implement an
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internationally-certified system that would play a part in hosting race events – and so we needed to comply with certain standards. I was lucky enough to attend the Spa 24 Hour in Belgium race earlier this year – and we all learned a lot while we were there. We saw what systems our international counterparts ran and came back with ideas for designing our own. “The international tracks run a PTZ-based system, which is fantastic because it runs at 65 frames per second – which means no lag. However, the shortcomings are that – if the PTZ camera isn’t pointing in a specific direction – it can lose the action if a car goes off the track or disappears around the corner. So we consulted with Delcor and they specifically brought in 65 frames per second cameras that could sit in a static position and catch all the action – for example, if a car went off the circuit – and still not have any lag.” A first-in-country application, the most interesting part of the camera set-up is, however, the back end. Featuring built-in analytics, Savin says: “It’s a proactive system. It’s based on reviewing hundreds of hours of footage and any interaction will trigger off the GUI – the graphics interface – and it will instantly show up on the monitor. It reduces the amount of people it takes to monitor the system from about 20 people down to two. This kind of application is used extensively in security – but this is a unique application of it in the field of motor sports.”
FEATURE AVoIP INSTALLATION
ROBUST VERSATILITY The benefits of Delcor’s involvement extend beyond their video solution for the race track, as Marais points out. “Because the system is based on a security platform, there are so many in-built redundancies and fail-safes. We have two MDMRs running here, we have three graphics cards – and we believe that’s the best model to go for, as security systems always need to be up and running and fully-functioning, 24/7.” Speaking about Kyalami’s power supply, one of the biggest issues plaguing South African venues – he says: “Every PA tower has a battery back-up that can give us up to six hours battery life. Because our systems are inside the building, we have a generator that can power all of them – and we have a UPS that keeps everything alive for that 10 seconds before switchover. However, with the towers, we really had to think about this transition period – because we can’t afford for the system to be down, even for seconds. So, together with HFX, we put the whole system on the internal UPS – so it all stays active, all the time.” Willie Venter explains how this robust foundation has allowed the venue to expand its offering far beyond being a premiere circuit. “The precinct of Kyalami has pioneered itself into a new kind of venue. It’s a world-class convention centre – the venue of choice in South Africa for conferences, open-air events and motor racing. It’s an unprecedented venue because it caters for a variety of events – what the team has put together is a multi-faceted solution for a multi-faceted space. This is what fascinates me most about this project – when we are able to serve people on such a wide spectrum.” Marais outlines how the design of the venue’s AVoIP system allows for an easy integration between applications. “The audio system works in two contexts: both around the track and in our events and conferencing environment. It still works through the same centralised IP-based system, and we can customise it based on multiple events taking place at the same time.” The venue also features world-class conferencing facilities
The venue’s conferencing facilities include large video walls fitted with Pro Spectre screens supplied by Electrosonic – “industrial-grade displays that have been specced so that they can be updated through one switch,” and he tells us that “we will soon be one of the first venues in South Africa to have a dark fibre connection. Between the Cell C data centre and Kyalami there will be no transmission tower – no relay, no downtime – which is a huge benefit for everything we do, from events, to conferencing and broadcasting.” On the broadcasting side of things – another function that has been enabled by the venue’s high-end IP infrastructure – Marais says that, for the return of the race track’s iconic Kyalami 9 Hour Endurance Race, “All the outside broadcasting feed will be IP based on a multi-cast layer, pushed to 40 pit lane RJ45 plugs and 40 more within the pits. It will not only carry OB, it will also carry the timing feed and it will also carry a VLAN-based internet gateway, so every team will not be able to see the other teams’ data. We also needed certain recording facilities – including playback to multiple sources so that officials could review footage for penalties with no lag – but the SRO have signed off on our system, and so we’re ready to go.” Willie Venter concludes by reflecting on the “anti-fragile” nature of the AV upgrade, and how it has allowed the perfect platform for the Kyalami race track to grow into a multipurpose venue offering the latest in AV technology and IP connectivity. “We will stay at the leading edge,” Venter says. “What we have developed here goes beyond robust – it is anti-fragile. We have developed the system so that it gets stronger if things go wrong. At the start you can never know everything you are going to need, but this system improves in adversity.”
“The precinct of Kyalami has pioneered itself into a new kind of venue. It’s a world-class convention centre – the venue of choice in South Africa for conferences, open-air events and motor racing.” – Willie Venter, head of Group Legal at Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit
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FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS OF 2019
AV INTEGRATION PROJECTS
2019 HIGHLIGHTS IN THIS END-OF-YEAR SPECIAL, AV INTEGRATION LOOKS BACK AT SOME OF THE EDITORIAL HIGHLIGHTS OF 2019.
Though 2019 has come with its fair share of financial challenges, the year’s challenging economic climate has not slowed innovation in the South African AV technology sector. While many businesses may have had to wait ‘one more year’ and forestall AV upgrades for the time being, those organisations who have committed to investing in the latest technologies have seen world-class results. Our integrators are held in high international esteem, and it has been a showcase year for their ability to combine expert local market knowledge with cutting-edge technology solutions.
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In this feature, we take a look back at some of the editorial Highlights of 2019. While these stories may not always feature ‘the biggest’, ‘the brightest’ or even ‘the boldest’ integration feats, they all encapsulate an important aspect of why enhanced AV technology is vital to development in the context of the modern global economy. It is widely accepted that technology is the key driver of economic growth, but in the specific context of South Africa – where President Cyril Ramaphosa has said, “With technological innovations, we will develop systems to improve our resources efficiencies in various sectors such as health, utilities, crime prevention, education, transport and others to ensure better service delivery” – the increasing role that AV integrators have to play in the bolstering of the country’s social and financial resilience is plain to see.
Whether it is harnessing AV technologies to build functioning communities and create immersive educational experiences; using the latest centralised content control systems to execute a perfect brand roll-out across the country; employing AV technologies to enhance retail spaces and take full part in the Experience Economy; or finding elegant ways of incorporating video displays into the construction of building facades, in 2019 our local integrators have given us a taste of things to come as the Fourth Industrial Revolution continues to unfold and our country’s schools, offices, malls and museums become increasingly future-fit. AV Integration would like to thank everyone who contributed to these features and all others we have published over the course of 2019. We look forward to covering more great South African integration stories next year.
HIGHLIGHTS OF 2019
MULTISITE
Nando’s
An award-winning smart solution for Nando's (March 2019) Featured Technology: Crestron Market: Retail Integrator: Triac
Integrators at Triac designed a bespoke Crestron solution to manage lighting control, audio distribution and other peripherals across the new Nando’s flagship restaurant rollout, as the new brand standard. The client required an integrated solution that could be packaged in a simple and innovative way and which could easily be deployed across many locations countrywide. The ‘Black Box’ concept allowed Triac to design a bespoke solution that was robust, affordable, secure, easy for contractors to install and quick for Triac to deploy. A key requirement was a system that could successfully control multiple LED light sources and offer a predictable lighting result every time. Crestron’s universal dimmer technology, which enables every output to be separately configured, allowed for the various LED load types to be matched. This resulted in smooth, full-range dimming across all
the lighting zones, delivering great results in all instances – even in regions with inconsistent mains power supply – allowing for a warm and inviting atmosphere for diners, and ensuring that the restaurants are always comfortably set up for a great user experience. Crestron’s RMS System is a web-based platform that allows for real-time, remote monitoring of all individual systems integrated into the network. This intelligent asset now presents the client with valuable information for asset planning and deployment, automation and control of all systems and devices, condition monitoring and preventative maintenance, warranty and operating performance metrics, sales and marketing intelligence and power consumption. The collaboration with Triac has been extremely successful for Nando’s. Forty outlets are already equipped with the Crestron solution, with another fifty installations planned – highlighting how the technology and the integrator’s smart design, together, are delivering real benefits for the restaurant group.
“The system is awesome. As an experienced restaurateur, one of my biggest pain points was constantly having to manually manage multiple systems. The solution now takes care of this for us 24/7, so we can focus on looking after our patrons.” – Sashi Ranjith, owner of Nando’s Montecasino
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Fourways Mall
Eye on the future of LED (September 2019)
After seven years of refining their operations, Eyecom have emerged as one of the continent’s leading LED specialists – manufacturing, installing, repairing, servicing and conducting sales from their headquarters in Cape Town, South Africa. As owner Paul Bowling explains: “Eyecom originally did installations and servicing of LED screens, but in the last four years we’ve decided to manufacture our own screens in South Africa. We looked at what the African market specifically needed, and instead of just importing LED screens like everybody else does, we just import the LED modules – which are flown in. This speeds up the response time and the screens come in custom-made to any size.” Having been involved in projects as varied as control rooms, board rooms, universities, casinos, petrol stations and food courts all over Africa – including the continent’s biggest-ever digital rollout at the Media24 building – he explains how the recent Fourways Mall redevelopment project came to benefit from Eyecom technologies. “We supply a lot of integrators, and many have recently moved from the LCD to the LED industry. Those integrators have relationships with Woolworths, Super Dry, GHD, Primedia
and others. So, in total, just for the Fourways Mall project, we did 15 screens for Woolworths, one large screen each for Super Dry and GHD, four screens for Primedia, and then four and seven screens for two other retailers, respectively. These 32 screens were all manufactured and dispatched within one month.” Although Bowling is adamant that Eyecom is “in the right place, at the right time, with the right technology”, this does not mean that the company is content to rest on its laurels. He describes some interesting innovations that will soon be integrated into Eyecom LED screens. “One route we are currently developing is the audience tracking component of our LED screens. This means that the screen itself can give some accountability for its presence – Am I doing my job? Are people looking at me? Is the content relevant? – and advertisers and brands can actually see that the screen is reaching the audience they want to reach. “With these innovations, we will be able to provide data indicating that people are looking at the screen for X period of time; the technology can also tell you basic demographic information about the audience, as well as their facial response to the screen – did they smile? Or frown? For how long did they linger in front of the screen? The interface for this is basically a webcam; it’s the technology in the background that runs all of these analytics.”
HIGHLIGHTS OF 2019
Featured Technology: Eyecom Market: Retail Integrator: Eyecom
“We now feel like we’ve refined the technology for the physical screen – it’s user-friendly, it’s supportable for the African market, it’s easy to install. The next step is our screens being monitored from a remote location and adding that performance accountability and analytics value to advertisers. We want to know that all of our screens are representing Eyecom to their full potential at all times.” Paul Bowling, owner of Eyecom
FUTUREFOCUSED
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HIGHLIGHTS OF 2019
VALUE
Dariel
Smart AV for solutions provider (March 2019)
Featured Technology: Kramer Market: Corporate Integrator: Integrated Home and Office Dariel Solutions’ management team decided that after eleven years in the same location, it was time to move the company to new premises. This provided an ideal opportunity to overhaul the company’s dated audiovisual systems. The main objective of the executive boardroom installation at Dariel was to deploy a highly-efficient wireless presentation system that offered centralised control and would provide a seamless and secure platform for the BYOD style of meeting most often used by the Dariel team and their clients. To ensure that centralised control was achieved, accounts manager at Integrated Home and Office, Lucinda Hattingh, specified the Kramer VS-62H matrix switcher for 4K@60Hz. This unit enables analogue audio signals that employ advanced auto switching schemes and control options to be processed. The switcher, which supports resolutions up to 4K@60Hz (4:2:0) and WUXGA, is also able to reclock and equalise signals, and it can route any input to either or both outputs simultaneously. For video switching, the Kramer DIP-31 with Maestro Room Automation
was deployed. The DIP-31 is a 4K@60Hz (4:2:0) automatic switcher for HDMI, VGA, Ethernet, data and unbalanced audio signals. It supports various modes of input selection and transmits signal via HDMI cable to the VS-62H, which is housed in the company’s rack and serves not only as the aesthetic, but also the operational heart of the organisation’s offices. The DIP-31 functions as a step-in commander when connected to a VS-62H matrix switcher, and can manage RS-232 commands to support display powering options. The in-built Maestro Room Automation features an intuitive user interface that enabled Fourie and his team of integrators to fully automate Dariel’s executive boardroom, including input/output connectivity, routing and button pressing. The Dariel team wanted to deploy a solution that would be best suited to a BYOD model, which meant that the system needed to be flexible in terms of its compatibility with multiple operating systems. The VIA GO gives iOS, Android, Chromebook, PC and Mac users instant wireless connectivity with advanced presentation capabilities. The product features content streaming with crystal-clear mirrored images and video playback, and supports iOS, Windows and Android mirroring. VIA GO is easy and flexible to install with both built-in Wi-Fi and LAN connectivity, and the solution includes industry-leading 1024-bit encryption for secure use on the internal network.
“Integrated Home and Office worked with Kramer programmers to configure the touch panel to be as user-friendly as possible, and thus far we have not had a single staff member requesting assistance once they are familiar with the three simple buttons on the interface.” 24
– Francois Coetzer, senior systems engineer at Dariel
EXXARO
Mining the value of AV technology (September 2019)
According to Chris Smith – principal architect at EXXARO – “We were looking for a cost-effective integrated solution with ease of use, which could be easily integrated into the Microsoft Office Suite. Previously we had normal, projector-type of boardrooms, and we decided that we want to move away from them due to their quality and the cost of operation. We also specified that connectivity to the equipment in the boardroom must be seamless and wireless, and must enable any type of computer to connect to the equipment.” From Adré Pansegrouw’s perspective, the managing director of Frog AV, “The brief covered an enormous scope. We have a long-standing relationship with EXXARO, and I therefore had a very clear idea of what their vision was for the project – which included a solid installation at their head office in Pretoria that would allow for wireless, online collaboration and video conferencing, which would then be deployed at all of the company’s mines in Mpumalanga
and Limpopo on the same network. EXXARO where looking for standardised solution that would operate seamlessly to connect all of its sites.” Adré explains that the Frog AV team was systematic in its approach. “In tackling the EXXARO project, we designed three different ‘recipes’ for the differently-sized venues. The EXXARO team then decided how many of each rooms they wanted, and we simply replicated the three different configurations over the five floors of office space, ultimately including the implementation of 83 boardrooms. The benefit to a phased implementation such as at EXXARO is that we had the opportunity to design, implement and troubleshoot the installation at head office first. Thanks to the lessons that we learned deploying the head office installation, we are more equipped to extend the system to all of the company’s satellite offices.” Featuring two first-in-country installations – in the form of the Crestron Flex control solution and the T1V Suite of collaboration technologies – Smith is highly satisfied with the operability of the solution, which certainly qualifies as one of the year’s highlights in the South African AV integration environment.
HIGHLIGHTS OF 2019
Featured Technology: Crestron, Wavex, TV1 Market: Corporate Integrator: Frog AV
“We got it right the first time, and the use of the equipment is very user-friendly, working the same throughout all the boardrooms. This will be the technology, from an AV perspective, that we will roll out to all our BUs, and it will be the standard solution that we will deploy in the future for all our boardrooms.” – Chris Smith, principal architect at EXXARO
SCALABLE
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HIGHLIGHTS OF 2019
IMMERSIVE
!Khwa ttu San Heritage Centre Heritage installation (May 2019)
Featured Technology: Epson projectors Market: Education Integrator: Digital Fabric The !Khwa ttu San Heritage Centre was launched in order to preserve the history, acknowledge the challenges and celebrate the successes of all San cultural groups in southern Africa. This award-winning facility, located on the R27 near Yzerfontein in the Western Cape, contracted Digital Fabric to install the technologies that would provide a truly immersive experience for visitors. As Gavin Olivier explains, “The !Khwa ttu San Culture and Education Centre approached us to get involved with a fully immersive visual experience. Together with the museum team and its stake holders, Digital Fabric designed a fully-automated projection and audio solution to be integrated into the architecture.” In order to achieve this complex projection setup, “we simulated the space in 3D, allowing for pixel accurate calculations,” Olivier explains. “This allowed the content creators to shoot in the best possible format and camera combination for the intended outcome.
“Various design challenges arose due to the curvature of the roof and floor-to-ceiling heights in relation to the desired screen height in the venue. To combat this, the Epson EB-L1105U projector was chosen along with the ultra-short throw lens, making it possible to place the projectors within the tight space relative to the image size. The EB-L1105U also delivers excellent brightness and stability over time, and this suits the museum’s intended operational requirements. It’s a workhorse that simply delivers for us without fail.” Welcoming more than 20,000 visitors every week – and already honoured with the Best Heritage Experience prize at the Africa World Travel Market Responsible Tourism Awards – the !Khwa ttu San Heritage Centre is a fantastic example of how immersive technologies can be harnessed for social gains. “The vision of !Khwa ttu is to empower and support the San through heritage and education initiatives. Our San partners, additionally, wish to engage visitors around issues of climate change and environmental responsibility, as living sustainably lies at the heart of ‘traditional’ San lifestyles. Building our museum addresses our core purpose by providing a platform for the San to tell their story,” concludes Michael Daiber, CEO of the !Khwa ttu San Heritage Centre.
“The !Khwa ttu San Culture and Education Centre approached us to get involved with a fully immersive visual experience. Together with the museum team and its stake holders, Digital Fabric designed a fully-automated projection and audio solution to be integrated into the architecture.” 26
Gavin Olivier, founding member of Digital Fabric
Rosebank Link
Rosebank Link takes LED to new heights (March 2019)
The recently-completed commercial high-rise, Rosebank Link, has redefined the skyline of one of Johannesburg’s trendiest suburbs. Towering an impressive 15 storeys high, the Rosebank Link consists of two basement parking levels, a pedestrian walkway with ground floor retail space, a five-level parkade and eight storeys of rentable office space. The property developers involved in the project identified the location and visibility of the Rosebank Link as an ideal opportunity to incorporate an out-of-home advertising platform into the façade of the building from the outset. The Primary Colours team, including Ashendra Singh, consulted with architects, including Grant Neil, who were working on the development, and came up with the idea of making the screen asymmetrical to compliment the design of the street-facing façade of the building. Once the design for the LED screen was decided, the concept took a completely novel turn, with Neill proposing to incorporate a video-based architectural lighting effect, using LED strips, to accentuate the striking lines that dominate the façade of the Rosebank Link.
Once Primary Colours’ ambitious concept and design for the Rosebank Link out-of-home advertising solution was accepted by the client, Neill and Singh set about sourcing the technology that would enable them to bring their idea to life. After extensive research and consultation, Neill decided to specify the DigiLED 10mm SMD Screen. Neill explains that some modifications needed to be made by the manufacturer to achieve the desired effect, the most important being configuring the screen to provide extra-wide viewing angles. While the impressive screen that dominates the façade of the Rosebank Link represents cutting-edge technology, it is the building’s strip lighting that sets this project apart. Most impressive when viewed at night, the ribbons of coloured video displays are designed to reflect from the building’s edges, giving a more harmonious “wash” effect. This “smart lighting” spans a total length of 226 metres and stretches across 15 floors of the building. Primary Colours used hundreds of meters of DigiLED LED strip, together with 38 control boxes, intricately designed cabling and state-of-the-art media servers and control software to achieve the desired effect.
HIGHLIGHTS OF 2019
Featured Technology: DigiLED Market: Digital Signage Integrator: Primary Colours
“What you see on the screen is integrated with the lighting strips so that the advertising you see matches the lighting that you see across the entire building. The net result is that one can use the entire building as an advertising space because we can address the lighting aspect as though it was a screen.” – Ashendra Singh, co-founder of Primary Colours
INNOVATIVE
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HIGHLIGHTS OF 2019
UNIQUE
Arbitration Foundation of South Africa Inside the virtual courtroom (July 2019)
Featured Technology: MTC LED solutions Market: Collaboration Integrator: Page Automation The Arbitration Foundation of Southern Africa (AFSA) has always aimed to provide “a one-stop dispute resolution service”, but this year found its ability to do so enhanced by the adoption of cutting-edge digital conferencing technology supplied by Mindstec. From the installer’s perspective, according to Conrad Engelbrecht, this entailed: “Providing a platform that would allow the client to share information, concepts or plans, and discuss and brainstorm ideas in either scheduled meetings, lectures and or during collaboration sessions that would include more specific tasks with relation to arbitration sessions. Specifically, the ability was required to hold recorded arbitration sessions where the defendant and accused are captured simultaneously along with a full room view, and the ability to bring in external participants regardless of geographic location, either local or international.” In the context of a project where a two-by-two metre interactive video wall was brought in to replace projector technology, Advocate Michael
Kuper S.C., director and chairman of AFSA, expands on the benefits of the technological overhaul. “From our point of view, the [conference room solution] is multifunctional. Primarily, we run private court cases here – various forms of arbitration – and many of them are international in their scope. So you get a situation where a witness is in Europe or in China and the expense of bringing them here is extravagant, and so too in the case of experts – people who need to give evidence and who may be scattered around the world. “So, not only does this give us the opportunity, by video link of high quality, to put the arbitrator, who is the private judge, and the parties in exactly the same visual position – it as though the witness is present, allowing for cross-questioning and the like – but, in addition, it provides us with a visual record after the event of what has happened. “It also allows us to send the footage of that person giving evidence anywhere in the world. For example, I may have an expert in England, whom I don’t want to bring out at this stage – but I do want that expert to hear this witness testimony from China, for instance. It is the answer to all the problems of physical location.”
“It also gives you instant access to anything you might need on the internet. It really is multi-functional, and I would think – or I would have thought – that something like it would be found in every arbitration facility in the world. But, in fact, this is really cutting-edge – even by international standards – and we are very proud to have it.” Advocate Michael Kuper S.C., Arbitration Foundation of South Africa
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Javett Foundation and University of Pretoria Featured Technology: Helvar uSee Market: Architectural lighting Integrator: Pamboukian Lightdesign The Javett Art Centre is the result of a collaboration between the University of Pretoria and the Javett Foundation. The iconic building not only houses a premium selection of South African art, but boasts the latest in architectural lighting solutions, with a network-based control system that places lighting entirely in the hands of the user. Pieter Mathews and Associates, a Pretoria-based architecture firm, took the leading role in designing the building that would become the Javett Art Centre at UP. According to director Christopher Till, the architects took inspiration from the iconic South African rock formations found at Mapungubwe – a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is recognised as the ancient home of the first indigenous kingdom in Southern Africa between 900 and 1,300 AD. During the planning phase of the project, Till approached renowned architectural lighting designers Paul Pamboukian and Joao Viegas, of Pamboukian Lightdesign, to design a state-of-the-art lighting installation to ensure that art works could be displayed in the best conditions. Till and his team envisioned a highly flexible lighting
design that could spotlight artworks positioned anywhere in the various exhibition spaces. Working in close collaboration with architects, Pamboukian and his team put together an inspiring and highly functional design for the Javett-UP which was deployed with assistance from architectural lighting control experts, Electrosonic SA. Pamboukian Lightdesign and Electronic consulted closely on the best control solution for the Javett-UP and decided to implement a system that would allow gallery staff to operate specified lighting tracks rather than individual fixtures. Once the immense task of establishing an independent IP network, designing the network topography, installing the hardware and cabling and integrating the lighting tracks was achieved, Electrosonic deployed Helvar’s uSee user interface to make the system programmable for the end-user. The uSee user interface allows gallery staff to access, programme and save scenes using the uSee platform on any smart tablet or device. Bruce Schwartz of Electrosonic explains that “the uSee interface prevents a situation where a programmer would have to programme multiple pre-sets and save them on the system for the end-user to select when needed – which decentralises control over the system and stifles creativity.”
HIGHLIGHTS OF 2019
Shedding new light on African art (May 2019)
“Many of our most ancient creation myths suggest that light is the foundation upon which we are able to distinguish order from chaos. The innovative and highly advanced lighting installation deployed at the Javett -UP creates the opportunity to shed new light on the art of Africa. Due to the depth, diversity and significance of the work being exhibited at the Javett-UP, it holds the promise of becoming an epicentre of cultural discourse through the arts not only on the African continent, but on a global scale.” Christopher Till, director of the Javett Art Centre
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HIGHLIGHTS OF 2019
CUSTOMISED
Emperors Palace
A sign of the future at Emperors Palace (May 2019) Featured Technology: PVision screens, BrightSign management Market: Digital Signage Integrator: PVision Peermont's Emperors Palace Hotel, Casino, Convention and Entertainment Resort this year undertook a modernisation programme that resulted in the successful deployment of a comprehensive digital signage solution at its flagship resort, soon to be extended across the company’s impressive portfolio of properties in sub-Saharan Africa. Drawing on years of experience in the field, Scott MacLellan, creative studio manager at Emperors Palace, boasts a solid understanding of both the benefits and risks of digital signage solutions and was a driving force behind the change. “While digital signage has the potential to engage guests, generate additional advertising revenue and save on costs, when done badly it can look very amateurish, or fail to work completely, defeating the whole object of the investment,” he points out. The wealth of experience and expertise that Pvision brought – as well as their comprehensive and highly flexible product offering – played a large role in our decision to award them the contract, and the heart of the digital signage installation achieved by PVision is located in the Entertainment
Emporium at Emperors Palace. The area features a replica statue of Michaelangelo’s David, surrounded by an array of restaurants. The Entertainment Emporium provides a perfect space for an effective digital signage deployment, as many guests enjoy dining among wellplaced screens that offer an engaging montage of content, while being highly visible to foot traffic at the same time. Three large-format doublesided LED screens were suspended from the arched ceilings of the three main passageways leading off the Entertainment Emporium, taking advantage of the architecture to ensure maximum visibility to diners and those passing through. Understanding the importance of providing the right hardware to enable a well-managed digital signage solution, PVision installed the BrightSign operating system on all of the screens deployed at Emperors Palace. MacLellan explains that the Peermont group relies on two content management systems to oversee all of the displays throughout its chain of hotels and casinos. “We have two content scheduling systems that work in tandem at present,” says MacLellan. “We use a cloud-based solution called Infinity on all of the standard displays in our hotels, at till points and on the gaming floor. Stefan [Swanepoel] provided BrightSign to manage the content that we run on our in-venue marketing screens, and I have found the solution to be very efficient and user-friendly.”
“The benefit of developing and scheduling content centrally for all of our properties is that we can achieve brand consistency across our various establishments. We are also able to support our smaller venues by scheduling content on their displays for them – negating the need to have a marketing specialist at each site. As such, Peermont is planning to expand its digital signage campaign to most of its properties in the years ahead.” – Scott MacLellan, creative studio manager at Emperors Palace
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The Six Senses Zighy Bay Resort Featured Technology: ArtrioGuest by Exterity Market: Hospitality Integrator: Technology and Information Supplies (RAMCO) The Six Senses Zighy Bay Resort, located on the northern Musandam Peninsula in the Sultanate of Oman deployed an extensive upgrade to their guest infotainment infrastructure using ArtrioGuest by Exterity. According to Chakib Dhahri, IT manager for Six Senses Zighy Bay Resort, resort management has invested enormously in upgrading the infotainment systems in each guest room at the Six Senses Zighy Bay Resort in recent years. However, the incumbent IPTV solution had limited upgrade scope, so Dhahri and his IT team began working with Rashed Al Mazroui from Technology and Information Supplies (RAMCO), a leading system integrator of IT/IP solutions covering a wide range of industry sectors, to find an alternative. The initial upgrade moved the legacy IPTV platform, delivering 50 satellite channels, over to a new Exterity system that added full HD capability and a more modern integration with the existing Video on Demand service. In total, the team upgraded the service received on 140 televisions across the resort through the addition of Exterity AvediaPlayer media
players connected over the LAN to AvediaStream TV gateways and controlled by the central AvediaServer for end-to-end system management. However, as an innovator in the luxury hospitality space, in 2018, senior management began another review of how they could further improve the in-room guest experience. “We started to get more requests from our guests to be able to connect their own devices to the televisions in each villa, as well as easier access to their own subscription video (SVoD) services like Netflix,” says Dhahri. “We spoke with the Exterity team, and tested the new ArtioGuest application, which offered not only a similar user and management interface, but also added capabilities around integration, with additional devices such as Google Chromecast and other BYOD options.” Designed as a seamless extension to the existing Exterity based infrastructure, the resort updated each villa’s television screen with additional Chromecast capabilities, which are integrated into a single ArtioGuest interface. The system is also integrated with the Opera Property Management System (PMS) to set up welcome messages automatically, and to allow each guest to see current billing information. The 5-star resort chain has been awarded by the prestigious Condé Nast Traveller 2018 Readers’ Choice Awards, which placed three Six Senses resorts in the top ten of their regions.
HIGHLIGHTS OF 2019
The Six Senses invests In AV over IP (January 2019)
“Today’s modern travellers long for their chosen accommodation to offer a ‘better than home’ experience in every sense, including in-room entertainment. Six Senses is a great example of how this can be achieved by using a fully-customisable portal that seamlessly delivers live TV and VoD services. The fact that Six Senses is looking for more ways to work with Exterity in the future confirms the success of the ArtioGuest deployment and reinforces that tech-savvy hotel guests expect the highest quality in-room entertainment and service experiences.” – Walid Tabet, Middle East regional sales team leader at Exterity
CUSTOMERCENTRIC
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HIGHLIGHTS OF 2019
SUSTAINABLE
Samsung Smart Schools Project A bright future for learners (July 2019)
Featured Technology: Samsung Smart Schools Market: Education Integrator: Samsung South Africa Samsung Smart Schools work with global governments and organisations to provide classrooms in underserved communities around the world with its technologies and products, so that more students may enjoy the full benefits of a quality digital education. The goal of Samsung’s Smart School initiative is to bridge the IT accessibility gap and improve the quality of students’ education by collaborating with governments and appropriate organisations to provide interactive learning opportunities with digital devices Since 2011, Samsung’s African Regional Head Office has jointly operated solar-powered internet schools throughout Africa in cooperation with the Korea Education and Research Information Service (KERIS) under the Korean Ministry of Education. Equipped with Samsung tablets, PCs and other devices, the schools motivate students through captivating lessons taught by local, KERIS-trained teachers. Over the past five years, Samsung has deployed a number of fully integrated, real-time digital classrooms in some of South Africa’s most educationally-marginalised schools to support the empowerment of the country’s youth in light of the rapidly-unfolding digital revolution. So far, the initiative has supported over 3,000 schools that have allowed
well over 1.4 million bright young minds to learn in more fun and interactive environments. As is the case with Samsung’s Tech Institutes and other education-enriching initiatives, the ultimate goal of the Smart School program is to level the playing field to help students in these communities thrive in the digital era. The Smart School Solution by Samsung has three components. The first is an interactive management solution which allows teachers, through an LCD e-board, to deliver content to students, share screens, check student progress, conduct group activities and run tests or instant polls. The second is a learning management system that provides educational material and content, such as e-textbooks and learning apps. The third is a student information system which helps teachers track an individual pupil’s progress, attendance and other information. Samsung South Africa also note that the key to creating a sound and sustainable future for South Africa, and in the rest of the world, is to ensure that children are given the very best opportunities to learn about the world around them, in a way that is relevant to today’s technology and pace. Samsung has answered this challenge by deploying Digital Villages in South Africa, with the aim to provide under-resourced areas access to advanced ICT, education and health services. The idea behind the Digital Village is to provide the infrastructure and technology needed to bridge the digital divide and serve as a catalyst for local business development and government service delivery.
“Educating children in a way that ensures their space in the future working environment is critical to enabling the growth and stability of our country. Samsung’s Smart Classroom and Digital Village initiatives are making an enormous difference in the lives of children who wouldn’t normally have access to learning about and through technology.” 32
Justin Hume, chief marketing officer at Samsung South Africa
Photo by Nastuh Abootalebi on Unsplash
BEST OF 2019
PROFESSIONAL AV TECHNOLOGY AV INTEGRATION REACHED OUT TO SOME OF SOUTH AFRICA’S LEADING INTEGRATORS TO NOMINATE THEIR FAVOURITE PRODUCTS OF 2019. Every year, more and more businesses are adopting AV technologies to streamline their operations and enhance efficiencies in all areas of the workplace. In today’s fast-paced, digitally-driven world, connection is king – and to remain ‘future fit’, organisations of all shapes and sizes need to stay up-to-date with the latest AV technologies. For our annual feature showcasing the best of the South African AV market, we asked integrators to reflect on the products that have had the biggest impact over the course of 2019. While there are many international awards ceremonies honouring the latest releases from the top international brands, those solutions don’t always influence our market – which favours high functionality at a cost-effect price point – in the same way. With that in mind, enjoy our Best Of round-up of this year’s most influential AV technologies. 34
Key feature: Versatility The MAXHUB X3 Standard Series display is an interactive UHD screen featuring extensive collaboration and whiteboarding software, as well as excellent wireless connectivity to complete the package. This interactive touch screen is especially popular in educational and corporate environments. Due to its versatile functionality and different sizes on offer, there is also a growing demand for MAXHUB in huddle spaces, medium- and large sized meeting rooms and boardrooms. The MAXHUB is available in a range of sizes and these impressive screens offer an all-inclusive solution, including camera, microphone, front-firing speakers, intelligent graphic and writing recognition, interactive mirroring for up to four devices, pre-loaded white boarding and interactive collaboration software and even Cloud storage capacity.
Nominated by: Lucinda Hattingh, Integrated Home and Office “The MAXHUB screens from Electrosonic have blown me away this year. You get instant connectivity and wireless interactivity – making them perfect for educational contexts. The fact that they come with high-quality built-in speakers and microphones means they are a wonderful all-in-one solution for any space that requires collaboration technology.”
Distributor: Electrosonic
CRESTRON FLEX UC-M150-T
Key feature: Operability
BEST PROFESSIONAL AV TECHNOLOGY
MAXHUB X3
The Crestron Flex UC-M150-T system provides a complete video conference room solution for use with the Microsoft Teams intelligent communications platform. It supports single or dual video displays, and features the Crestron Mercury Tabletop UC Audio Conference Console, UC Engine Assembly with UC‑ENGINE and Huddly IQ camera. The UC-M150-T system brings the full Microsoft Teams UC experience to any meeting space in an enterprise or SMB facility, whether implementing a cloud-based Microsoft Teams deployment, on‑premises Skype for Business software, or a hybrid of the two. The Crestron Flex M-Series is the core of modern meeting spaces; it provides everything you need to instantly and securely call, present and videoconference.
Nominated by: Jesse Bosch, Prosirius Comment: “With the rise of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) culture, Crestron Flex conferencing products provide the user-friendliness and flexibility that is required in the modern workspace. The fact that they natively support Microsoft Teams is a huge benefit, and the audio and visual quality of the microphones, speakers and cameras is exceptional. This means that companies get an all-in-one UC collaboration solution that remains customisable enough to tailor to their specific needs; and, from an integrator’s point of view, the fact that we avoid multiple points of failure in the room is another advantage.”
Distributor: Crestron
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BEST PROFESSIONAL AV TECHNOLOGY
T1V COLLABORATION SOLUTIONS
Key feature: Functionality T1V creates interactive experiences for retail, events and exhibits, corporate, hospitality and education markets around the globe. From brainstorming and strategy phases, all the way to custom hardware and software development, final installation and ongoing support – T1V’s collaboration with customers spans the entire lifecycle of the product. T1V’s Interactive Walls transform public spaces into more dynamic environments. The touchscreen can be split into separate active areas – allowing for people to interact collectively or individually. Meanwhile, T1V’s patented software is designed for multi-touch, multi-user, and multi-application use, enabling multiple people to simultaneously share and operate across the T1V Interactive Platform for more connected, digitalised and engaging experiences.
Nominated by: Adre’ Pansegrouw, Frog AV “There is no other product like T1V software on the market. It has the functionality to create a completely open touchscreen canvas with the use of overlays. It is the only software that has unlimited connections and there is nothing that can compete with it in terms of the way it can integrate different applications.”
Distributor: Mindstec
VIVITEK QUMI Z1H SPEAKER PROJECTOR The new Qumi Z1H brings portability, sound and hours of large screen entertainment rolled into one projection power-house. The Qumi Z1 Series can be relied on to deliver a high-quality entertainment experience, thanks to three key qualities. First, the Qumi Z1 delivers a fabulous image – with projection size up to 100 inches. Second, it can fill a room with sound thanks to its powerful Bluetooth speakers. Third, its long-lasting battery powers a compact-sized unit that weighs only 660g – meaning that the Qumi Z1 is a comprehensive plug-and-play projection solution.
Nominated by: Chaz Nielsen, Dimension Data “It looks like a portable speaker, but the Qumi Z1H is so much more than that. It’s plug-and-play technology, which means anybody can use it, and it’s incredibly versatile – you can use it in so many different kinds of display applications. What’s even better is that you can pre-load your own content onto its 8GB internal drive, which means you can arrive ready to plug in and get started with your presentation.”
Distributor: Audiosure
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Key Feature: Plug-and-play
Key feature: Performance The Cisco Webex Room Kit Mini is an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered video conferencing system custom-designed for the huddle workstyle, and is easy to use, deploy and manage. It combines codec, camera, microphones and speakers into a single device that integrates with a 4K display to bring more intelligence and usability to all huddle rooms and spaces. The Room Kit Mini is ideal for huddle spaces with three to five people because of its wide 120-degree field of view, which allows everyone to be seen. It also offers the flexibility to connect to laptop-based video conferencing software via USB. The Mini is tightly integrated with the industry-leading Cisco Webex platform for continuous workflow, and can register on premises or to Cisco Webex in the cloud.
Nominated by: Anthony Olivier Comment: “The Room Kit Mini takes everything great about the latest Cisco series of endpoints and bundles it into a small cost effective package. It is also their first endpoint to provide pass-through functionality for use with soft clients on laptops, which is a game-changer. Auto framing, people counter, analytics and the smart new AI features mean this device provides great bang for buck!” Distributor: Cisco
IKON LARGE-FORMAT LED SCREENS IKON is one of the leading LED screen suppliers in Singapore. The company emerged as an independent entity after Audio Light Asia realised that they needed to customise LED screen and other products for designers and consultants, as off-the-shelf products did not meet specific needs. IKON LED screens can be custom build for various purposes such as LED-based video displays, LED-back lighted displays, matrix text displays and decorative stage lighting purposes. Featuring sleek aesthetics, IKON screens are impressively bright and represent excellent value for money.
Key feature: Value
BEST PROFESSIONAL AV TECHNOLOGY
CISCO WEBEX ROOM KIT MINI
Nominated by: Jesse Bosch, Prosirius “As the market changes, we are seeing more and more boardroom and corporate applications for large-format LED screens. The IKON screens we have worked this year are of exceptional quality – they are certified for 100,000 hours of continuous use; they are robust and easy to maintain. And the best feature is that they have a factory in South Africa that handles any repairs, so you don’t have to deal with dwindling spare part supplies and extended periods of downtime.”
Distributor: Ikon
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BEST PROFESSIONAL AV TECHNOLOGY
SECTION SUB SECTION
CLEARONE CONVERGE PRO 2
Key feature: Flexibility The CONVERGE Pro 2 solution is an advanced professional audio DSP platform for conferencing and soundreinforcement applications. At home in any size of meeting or conference room, it offers a unique combination of performance and flexibility. The CONVERGE Pro 2 is fully compatible with ClearOne’s range of microphones and cameras, and is optimised for any application. Powerful architecture, scalable connectivity and flexible control options allow you to multiply the impact of the unit across your organisational structure. Features a daisy-chainable design to support up to 144 Mic/line inputs, C-Link expansion bus with 64 channels and P-Link bus for scalable connection of peripheral devices.
Nominated by: Conrad Engelbrecht, I-Tech “ClearOne technologies are easy to install and simple to operate. Clients like [ClearOne] because you can customise the features to deliver what the organisation needs and when all the components are linked up correctly, the noise cancellation and pickup quality is excellent.”
Distributor: Mindstec
WAVEX TOUCH INTERACTIVE SCREENS
Key feature: Engagement
Wavex Interactive Touch Displays are professional-grade panels with the cutting-edge direct-view LCD technology and backlit LED. They combine a simple and slim design with unparalleled image quality and be controlled remotely through third-party control system while supporting any input device. Wavex Interactive touch displays encourage ‘active learning’ and high user engagement through their unique features and best-inclass benefits. They are available in a variety of sizes and can be used in a wide range of applications, including education, corporate and government, retail spaces and wayfinding in public areas.
Nominated by: Conrad Engelbrecht, I-Tech “Wavex Touch screens offer tremendous flexibility. They can connect to any device and they can run so many applications at the touch of a button… They are intuitive to use and present an easy, cost-effective way to shift meeting-spaces into the digital era.”
Distributor: Mindstec
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ADVERTORIAL
THE SMARTEST MEETING JUST GOT SMARTER “The Fl!p 2 offers a smart office and modern work environment where users can rapidly capture notes and ideas, share them with other people and save them without any difficulties.” – Cambridge Mokanyane, chief marketing officer at Samsung South Africa
Samsung Fl!p 2 – now available in South Africa - has transformed what can be achieved in a digitally progressive office The need for smarter, more efficient meeting environments is fast increasing. There is, therefore, a growing interest in technology that bridges the divide between the traditional and the digital. This is where the Samsung Fl!p 2 shines! Fl!p 2 is an intuitive and easy-to-use digital flipchart for any meeting environment, offering enhanced collaboration capabilities in an easy UI with a host of features, including
brush mode, annotation on, merge to roll and other collaboration tools. Available in 65 inches, it offers great collaborative features supported by unique designs. It has a large screen which can be used as the main display in a meeting room, while the no gap wall mount removes any unnecessary space between the product and the wall.
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HERE ARE A FEW WAYS THE FL!P 2 IS A MUST-HAVE FOR THE MODERN OFFICE:
ADVERTORIAL
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WRITE ON ANY BACKGROUND You to write on any background source. By simply clicking the note layer button, you can enjoy smooth writing anytime, anywhere on any content displayed, without affecting any work behind the original layer.
FLEXIBLE IMAGE EDITING SELECTION You can quickly and easily select, move, crop, capture and edit any image. Each Image can also be merged to the roll with just one click of a button, allowing it to be edited or erased.
EASY CONTENT NAVIGATION Enjoy 20 pages of writing space per roll, allowing you to seamlessly scroll through pages. The Fl!p 2’s intuitive, user-friendly menu simplifies navigation and saves time, while the quick finder feature allows you to preview content and make instant changes directly on the screen.
SIMPLE WEB SURFING WHILE ANNOTATING Fl!p 2 now supports web browsing and allows you to access the internet directly through the display, with no additional device needed. Once the browser is open, annotation is still available for you to draw around the browser too.
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DIRECT DOCUMENT ACCESS You get the capability to open Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Excel and PDF files directly with a built-in document viewer, ensuring easy access regardless of the content source.
CUSTOM SCREEN SAVER TO REINFORCE YOUR BRAND When the display is not in use, you can select a custom image to be shown as a screensaver. This means the Fl!p 2 can help to reinforce a brand, for example, by displaying a company logo.
MULTIPLE CONNECTION OPTIONS You are empowered by the Fl!p 2’s versatile connection options. USB, HDMI, NFC and wireless connection capabilities enable optimum collaboration and provide interactive content visibility, notation and sharing. The Fl!p 2 also offers an optional tray as a more powerful connectivity extension.
SAFE SECURE CONTENT PROTECTION Fl!p 2 ensures that confidential meeting information remains in the right hands. Using its reinforced, 6-digit lock system, each in-office team is able to safeguard sensitive content, lock the display and remove critical content from view.
Featuring a patented ceiling tile beamforming mic array with a superior architecture for reduced complexity and cost. COLLABORATE Live 1000 is a complete professional video collaboration system with state-of-the-art audio and video technology, designed for medium and large meeting rooms.
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