AV News February 2022

The direct channel to the industry

February 2022 www.avnewsonline.com Page 22

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ISE postpones until May 2022 AV News Awards follows ISE example Perhaps we all felt it was inevitable, but nonetheless news of ISE’s three month postponement was greeted with a mix of shock and disappointment, tinged with a hint of relief. In a statement, ISE’S organisers said: “After consultation with the ISE exhibitor and visitor community and in the light of the increasing impact of the Omicron variant in Spain, Integrated Systems Events announces that ISE 2022, scheduled for 1-4 February, has been postponed and will now take place on 10-13 May 2022 at the Fira de Barcelona Gran Vía.”

Mike Blackman, Managing Director of Integrated Systems Events, said today: “We’ve been closely monitoring the conditions in Europe and have been working hard on your behalf to balance health and safety concerns with the need for commerce and in-person interaction. It’s been a challenging time for so many over the past two years, and whilst we cannot wait to meet up with everyone at ISE 2022, listening to our exhibitors, owners and stakeholders, we have agreed the best course of action is to postpone the show edition for three months.”

“By moving the event to the spring, it provides time for our community to rebalance and for confidence in international travel and meetings to resume.

We will be working closely with all our exhibitors and stakeholders to ensure a smooth transition to the new dates.

We look forward to hosting the global AV community at ISE 2022 in May in our new home in Barcelona.”

Mike Blackman, Managing Director of Integrated Systems Events: “We’ve been closely monitoring the conditions in Europe and have been working hard on your behalf to balance health and safety concerns with the need for commerce and in-person interaction.”

David Labuskes, AVIXA CEO, commented: “While balancing the commitment to both commerce and gathering has been difficult in these uncertain times, we believe the postponement of the ISE show until May does just that. Our community hungers for the opportunity to reconvene in 2022.

This schedule makes that all the more possible for all of us.

Beginning with ISE, we are looking forward to the summer of AV where we will have the opportunity to come together at InfoComm in June and InfoComm Beijing in July – it could not be a better way to gather and reinforce the opportunities and success for our industry.”

Daryl Friedman, CEDIA CEO, added: “We want to ensure ISE 2022 will be a great success for visitors and exhibitors alike as it has been for nearly two decades, and that starts

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with bringing together as much of our community as possible. We know the entire home technology industry is enthusiastic about coming together in-person, and we are confident this move to May will ensure the most vibrant return for all participants. We cannot wait to connect with all of you in Barcelona this spring.”

“We look forward to making this event a success and would like to thank our stakeholders – exhibitors, sponsors, visitors, media partners, contractors, and the team at Fira Barcelona – for continuing to support us through this difficult and ever-changing situation.”

The AV News Awards ceremony, scheduled to take place on the original; opening day of ISE 2022, will move to the 10th May 2822 following the postponement of the exhibition and conference. The traditional presentation breakfast will take place at 8.30 am at the Fire de Barcelona where the winners will be announced and the trophies presented. AV News Managing Editor Bayan Denyer commented: “The original February date obviously had its advantages but nothing compares to the benefits of an in-person over the virtual equivalent. Well done to Mike and his team for

coming up with an excellent alternative to the February show dates”

The AV News Awards ceremony, scheduled to take place on the original; opening day of ISE 2022, will move to the 10th May 2022,”

Midwich trading update for the 2021 year end The Group finished the year strongly and the Board now expects to report revenue for 2021 in excess of £850 million, representing growth of approximately 20% over the prior year (23% at constant currency). The gross margin improved in line with the Board's expectations. Adjusted net debt at the end of the year of approximately £57 million (around 1.5 times adjusted EBITDA) was in line with Board’s expectations.

As a result of this strong performance, the Board now anticipates reporting adjusted profit before tax not less than £31.5 million for 2021,

Stephen Fenby, the Midwich Group Managing Director: “2021 was a very successful year for the Group, despite continued market challenges caused by the pandemic. Coming into the year, our ambitious goal was to return the Group’s profitability back to pre-Covid 19 levels.”

which is ahead of previous expectations.

Stephen Fenby, the Group Managing Director, commented: “2021 was a very successful year for the Group, despite

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Midwich trading update for the 2021 year end continued market challenges caused by the pandemic. Coming into the year, our ambitious goal was to return the Group’s profitability back to pre-Covid 19 levels. We achieved this, finishing the year with the highest revenues and net profit in the Group’s history. I would like to thank our team for this fantastic result.”

“Since joining the Group in 2021, NMK, eLink and Intro 2020 have all performed well, and we look forward to working with our new colleagues at

DVS, who joined the Group in early January.

In 2022, the Group’s focus will be on maintaining a strong growth trajectory whilst supporting customers through ongoing widespread product shortages, exploring cross-selling opportunities in the current portfolio and also evaluating the healthy pipeline of potential acquisitions.”

Midwich will announce its final results for the year ended 31 December 2021 on 8 March 2022.

Maverick signs distribution partnership with Absen Maverick AV Solutions has announced it will be partnering with world leading manufacturer of LED displays, Absen to distribute its commercial and data visualisation displays ranges across Europe. The move is designed to broaden Absen’s reach within the corporate and digital signage sectors, helping to serve the burgeoning needs for cutting-edge large-scale displays. This is the largest Pan-EU distribution partnership for the brand, with the ranges available with very short lead times in 16 territories from the Maverick AV Solutions teams.

Joan Aixa, Smart Signage Director at Maverick AV Solutions explains; “This is a landmark new partnership for Maverick as LED displays become more suited to a distribution model, with shorter delivery schedules and an exploding number of applications which suit this type of display. Absen is the brand of choice for some of the most prominent companies, integration partners and rental businesses around the world.

This collaboration will allow Absen to work with its current customers and vendor ecosystems, enabling it to enter new customer segments, including high growth areas such as the

meeting room and corporate environments.”

“Local support has played a key role in Absen’s success story and has enabled them to stay close to its customers, a position that mirrors the very essence of Maverick. This brand will be a great fit for our diverse resellers and the growth of smart spaces.”

Emma Liu, General Manager of Overseas Sales at Absen commented: “This new route to market is an exciting partnership to meet the demands throughout Europe. With increased expectations of the quality of technology and the focus around ‘What the corporate space looks like’, we believe collaborating with Maverick AV solutions and the wider Tech Data organisation will enable us to serve both the IT and AV communities with rapid stock deployments and scale to meet the needs of the market.”

Absen continuously conducts product and technology research and development to ensure its products are on trend and keeps the customer’s requirements in mind. Innovations have put the brand at the forefront of high-resolution display technology as a European market leader.

“This collaboration will allow Absen to work with its current customers and vendor ecosystems, enabling it to enter new customer segments, including high growth areas such as the meeting room and corporate environments.”

Shortages and delays put Live Events at risk PLASA, the lead association for the entertainment technology industry, and #WeMakeEvents, the global campaign to save live events, have published a detailed global survey report on the current position and future recovery of the live events industry.

The survey ran from 1 November 2021 to 21 December 2021 and was completed by 1,948 respondents in over 40 countries in five different languages. The data provides strong and clear evidence of the challenges currently facing the sector, with the vast majority currently reporting delays, shortages and cost increases.

Looking ahead confidence is mixed, with the majority of respondents lacking confidence in industry recovery within the next six months. This is even more startling considering the survey was conducted before the Omicron variant threatened the lucrative winter holiday season. However, there is cautious optimism from seven to 18 months, which mirrors the

delays in finished goods, cost increases, and unavoidable complications.

Juan Jose Vila, COO of Equipson Spain, comments: “The global Live Events industry has been hit like never before in our lifetime, with much of the supply chain left out in the cold, forced into accruing debt and calling off work. Much of what is involved in making live events happen is out of sight – from the engineer behind the sound desk, to the factory that the technology is produced in.

This survey demonstrates how impacted the global industry continues to be, so I stand with my industry colleagues around the world in calling for urgent financial support.”

In the lead up to the traditionally busy summer season, the Live Events industry is faced with a devastating skills shortage. 69% of companies report a lack of workers, particularly on-site roles such as engineers, technicians, crew and riggers.

These crucial shortages are forcing many to delay or can-

lenders, the industry is heading for a very uncertain 12 months or so. When allowed to work we are capable of recovering quickly, proving the sector to be viable. The negative messaging and Plan B announced by government in December resulted in our sector once again losing 80% of its income for December, January and the majority of February with absolutely no help at all, amassing further debt.

“We believe there is the potential for a busy 2022 from April onwards, however, there is the added factor of huge shortages within the sector resulting in many companies not being able to deliver numerous jobs or capitalise on any opportunities because of the lack of qualified personnel. Although we may be coming out of one crisis, amassed debt, massive staff shortages, rapidly rising overheads and interest rates, product availability and supply chain issues means we are quickly heading into a very different crisis, and we will all

What was once a strong and dynamic sector and the envy of the world – bringing in £70 billion, according to the BVEP UK Events Report – is now suffering from a ‘perfect storm’ of issues which is permeating every part of the Live Events Supply Chain. progress made when the Live Events industry re-opened in 2021.

But for now, companies and organisations are carrying a heavy financial burden, reporting a huge decrease in annual turnover. To increase the pressure further, 45% took on additional debt to survive the lockdowns. Freelancers are faring no better, with low earners growing in number and top earners dropping by 78%.

The supply chain is in complete disarray, with shortages and delays across the board. A shocking 94% of manufacturers are experiencing delays in components, resulting in many being forced to source new suppliers and redesign products. The knock-on effects are felt by rental companies, venues, installers and distributors, with the vast majority facing

cel work, further losing revenue and opportunities. There is very little confidence that this picture will improve over the coming months, with the real risk of not meeting the increasing audience demand for live entertainment and cultural events throughout 2022.

Andy Dockerty, Managing Director for Adlib, comments: “As a busy supplier to live events, the pressures have been immense. Covid and the enforced lockdown resulted in our turnover being down 80% and we had to rely on substantial CBILS loans to honour debt amassed through no fault of our own. These loans enabled the company to stay afloat and have resulted in huge additional monthly repayments. Couple this with rising bills and interest rates triggered by a lack of confidence in the sector from

need help.”

The pandemic caused an exodus of freelancers seeking work in other sectors, 17% of which migrated into Film & TV. Only half have returned to the Live Events industry full time,

leaving a skills gap that takes many years of training and experience to fill. Freelancers who remained or returned are facing shorter lead times and increased pressure. Not only that, touring abroad has dropped by 60%, and international travel remains an unfeasible option.

What was once a strong and dynamic sector and the envy of the world – bringing in £70 billion, according to the BVEP UK Events Report – is now suffering from a ‘perfect storm’ of issues which is permeating every part of the Live Events Supply Chain. Moreover, sectors such as hospitality and leisure will feel the economic effects as the Live Events industry attracts significant revenues to them.

However, when the Live Events industry re-opened in 2021, it experienced an overwhelming demand. According to Live Nation’s Third Quarter 2021 report, ticket sales were up 10% on 2019, and many festivals sold out in record time, proving a strong public appetite to make up for lost time and a highly resilient and relevant sector.

As a result, the Live Events industry has every chance of bouncing back to full health – but only with the help of government support and business investment. Without which, 2022 may see a noticeable loss of live events; many companies may not survive much longer, and many of the industry’s skilled freelancers may never return.

Adam Blaxill, Chair of PLASA, commented: “Companies and freelancers are acutely aware that there is a long road to recovery in front of the Live Events industry. The last couple of years have been fraught with financial difficulty and unexpected challenges, and most people anticipate more hurdles to come. As a director of a company in the creative sector and as Chair of PLASA, I call on the UK Government to recognise the complex challenges we face and assist in the recovery. We are renowned all over the world for what we do; our capability and the quality and creativity of our sector is world class, yet this survey clearly shows that it is being diminished – our capacity is declining and our talent is leaving!”

P3 AV News February 2022

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Business News

Midwich acquires DVS Midwich has acquired a majority stake in Cooper Projects Limited, the parent company of DVS Limited (“DVS”), a UK based distributor of video security products. Based in Cardiff, DVS was founded in 2003 as a specialist distributor of CCTV and associated video recording technologies, in which it has developed a strong market reputation working primarily with leading global brand HikVision.

In recent years, DVS has begun to diversify its portfolio to include complementary technologies, such as access control, intercom, and intruder detection.

DVS provides solutions for trade customers throughout the UK, across key verticals including the corporate, retail and residential markets amongst many others. An extensive range of value-add services are provided to customers by DVS including project design, ongoing technical support, training and the innovative proprietary installer programme which connects end-users with DVS customers in their geographic and technology area.

Stephen Fenby, Midwich Group Managing Director, commented: “The acquisition of DVS gives Midwich access to a significant segment of the Security market in which we currently have little presence, and which is expected to grow at around 8% per annum for the next five years. The knowledge and support of the experienced DVS team should help realise new opportunities for our customers in an increasingly converging technology market.

Similarly, we believe that much of DVS’s extensive customer base uses or could use our core AV products in their projects.

We are very excited at the prospect of supporting Tim, Gavin, David and the rest of the DVS team in accelerating the growth of the business.”

Tim Goodson, Managing Director of DVS commented: “At DVS we have always had

ambitious growth plans and combining with Midwich gives us a unique offering to both of our loyal customer bases. The Midwich team quickly grasped the understanding of our available technologies and how they could also be used by their own

values made this the perfect fit for me as we move forward with the same focus for the future of DVS.” Mark Lowe, Midwich UK & Ireland Managing Director, commented: “I am delighted to be welcoming Tim, Gavin and

Stephen Fenby, Midwich Group Managing Director: “The acquisition of DVS gives Midwich access to a significant segment of the Security market in which we currently have little presence, and which is expected to grow at around 8% per annum for the next five years. customers in an ever-converging space. We are super excited to be part of the Midwich group which has a wealth of experience and knowledge that we can utilise to make sure our ambitious plans are met as we look to grow DVS.” Gavin Dunleavy, Commercial Director of DVS commented: “Both DVS and Midwich coming together as market leaders and specialists in their respective fields is something I am incredibly excited about. With the Security and AV sectors growing ever closer we can increase our offering to both of our customer bases whilst increasing the high levels of service our customers expect. The clear synergy with culture and

the DVS team to the Midwich Group. The security market is an exciting place, and this acquisition presents abundant opportunities for our respective customers and vendor partners.

DVS’s focus on delivering the very best service mirrors our own ethos as does the DVS people-first approach. 2022 will be an exciting year for both businesses”.

The existing management team of Tim Goodson (Managing Director), Gavin Dunleavy (Commercial Director) and David Davies (Chief Technology Officer) will maintain a stake in the business and will work with Midwich to grow the business over the coming years.

Sharp NEC launches new go-tomarket organisation Sharp NEC Display has announced a new go-to-market organization that they say will

fully leverage the best offerings of both the NEC and Sharp brands in the market. Over the past few months the Sharp NEC Display Solutions of America (SNDSA) and Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America (SIICA) teams have developed a new approach to support customers.

As a second step in building stronger value to customers, management from SNDSA and SIICA have been studying how to leverage the resource strengths across both organizations. “Our objective is to use the greatest capabilities represented by each company and combine them into a single, more powerful team driving profitable growth through an efficient operating model”. All areas of the organizations were studied: Sales and Marketing, Finance/Accounting, Business Operations, Service/Support and IT to determine the best way to move together to achieve a joint objective.

“From the discussions and analysis it was decided that we would make the following organization changes effective February 1st, 2022: Sales and Marketing: “We are combining the Pro AV market-

ing and sales teams to intensify our focus on the end user customer and Pro AV Channel.

order management, logistics and IT. This provides better resource utilization and econ-

Sharp NRC Display has announced a new go-to-market organization that they say will fully leverage the best offerings of both the NEC and Sharp brands in the market.

SIICA Pro AV channel sales will work together with SNDSA channel sales as a single team under the leadership of Betsy Larson (SNDSA). Pro AV distribution account management will consolidate under John Sheehan (SIICA), who will also continue leading Sharp channel sales for other product categories. In line with unifying the sales structure, the Pro AV product marketing teams will be integrated and report into Jennifer Cheh (SNDSA). Todd Bouman (SNDSA) will lead the sales and marketing efforts of the Pro AV business for both the NEC and Sharp brands with both Channel Sales and Pro AV Marketing functions reporting directly to him and the Pro AV Distribution business having dotted line reporting.”

Finance/Accounting and Operations: “A common system and logistics model is being implemented that will enable better efficiencies and drive overall cost savings. To realize these savings, SNDSA will rely on SIICA for back-office support in finance/accounting,

omies of scale across both the display and printer businesses.

As part of this effort we will are implementing a unified system architecture and combined fulfillment and logistics operations by utilizing the Sharp ordering and logistics systems you are familiar with today. The planned go-live date is February 1st, 2022. This will provide a single face to the customer, simplifying our business model while building efficiencies in our companies.”

We are confident that by combining the Sharp and Sharp/ NEC teams into a unified goto-market structure we will be better able to serve you and the overall market. We look forward to sharing further details of this new approach in the coming weeks.

Bowers & Wilkins speaker systems bring ‘True Sound’ to Lenovo Yoga The new Lenovo Yoga 9i convertible (14”, Gen 7) will become the world’s first laptop to feature a bespoke Bowers & Wilkins sound system, specially designed to create a more authentic premium sound performance for portable computing.

The premium Lenovo Yoga 9i delivers an amazing audio experience with new enhanced speakers compared to the previous generation. The Lenovo Yoga 9i features an up to 4K OLED VESA Display HDR 500 True Black, slim bezel touchscreen with 100 percent DCI-P3 colour. Movies and music are heard as the artist intended with an improved Rotating Sound Bar now featuring Sound by Bowers & Wilkins.

Bowers & Wilkins has engineered a four-speaker system – featuring bespoke high-quality drivers including two tweeters and two mid/bass woofers –

into the thin body of the Lenovo Yoga 9i to offer extraordinary sound and bring a new sonic experience to movies, music or calls.

For over 50 years, Bowers & Wilkins has invented, designed and manufactured all of its core technologies in-house, leading the company to introduce a number of groundbreaking products, including the iconic 800 Series Diamond. Widely acknowledged to be the world’s best loudspeaker range, 800 Series Diamond speakers are the monitor of choice for the huge selection of iconic music and film scores that have been recorded and mixed at leading recording studios such as Abbey Road Studios and Skywalker Sound.

All of Bowers & Wilkins technologies are developed at the company’s R&D centre in Southwater by the same engi-

neering team for all projects, allowing the company to earn an outstanding reputation for consistently producing exceptional sound quality, irrespective of product type, size or form factor.

Two speakers for the Lenovo Yoga 9i sound system are seamlessly integrated into the product’s 360° rotating soundbar hinge and designed to always face towards the user, while two additional sideways-firing speakers are fitted along the edges of the product, for a total of four speakers and a more immersive and authentic audio experience. By carefully designing the speaker enclosures and selecting the highest quality components while optimising their position within the soundbar hinge, Bowers & Wilkins has produced a large scale, high resolution, low distortion and accurate sound that

projects far beyond the enclosure and brings new realism to the on-screen content.

Commenting on the launch, Dave Sheen, SVP Licensing & Partnerships at Sound United said: “The team at Bowers & Wilkins is always excited to work with world-leading companies with a similar philosophy to our own. Like Lenovo, we think and act differently to redefine what is possible for performance in a different form factor. I’m delighted that we are collaborating with a company also focused on going beyond the conventional and intent on reshaping its markets.” The Lenovo Yoga 9i convertible laptop (14”, Gen 7) is expected to be available globally in Q2 2022 and will start at $1,399.00.

The new Lenovo Yoga 9i convertible (14”, Gen 7) will become the world’s first laptop to feature a bespoke Bowers & Wilkins sound system.

P5 AV News February 2022

Business News

Konftel’s Interactive Room Guide streamlines the sales process

disguise and Moment Factory launch collaboration

Konftel’s interactive room type guide is being hailed a resounding success – helping resellers and their customers ‘cut through the conferencing jungle’ and speed-up the sales cycle. The powerful new tool showcases Konftel’s expanded product portfolio based on collaboration solutions for any room type – highlighting how video is everywhere and everywhere is video, in a rapidly evolving workplace.

Launched last Autumn, the guide helps users pinpoint the optimum set-up to understand the different dynamics of any video meeting scenario. It’s earned industry-wide acclaim.

Mark Sumner, UC&C Business Manager at distributor Northamber, says the guide has become a valuable addition to his sales kitbag – welcomed by resellers and their customers to help generate quicker and increased sales.

“The guide has made a tremendous impact across the market. It’s a big jump forward and helps people see first-hand a solution for every scenario, from offices to even schoolstyle environments. They can visualise and see straight away how equipment would fit in and get connected. It’s been warmly welcomed by the whole channel. The guide is so flexible, intuitive and comprehensive.”

The innovative 3D guide identifies the most appropriate products and connectivity setup, from personal workspaces, focus and huddle rooms to large multipurpose rooms – based on an overall objective to optimise video enabled meetings, whatever the layout.

Sumner added: “One hundred per cent, the guide helps users

disguise and Moment Factory have launched a collaboration to combine their ground-breaking expertise in extended reality (xR) experiences and enable new storytelling possibilities in the music, live entertainment and broadcast industries. As the pandemic accelerated the

The collaboration will focus on Moment Factory’s use of disguise’s state-of-the-art hardware and software, indepth technical expertise and global community of partners and users, whilst promoting Moment Factory’s conception and production of wide

lowing a ten year-long relationship, sharing common DNA in music and live events, it is only natural to combine our visions to continue bringing amazing experiences to life all around the world.”

Disguise CEO, Fernando Kufer agrees: “We have a pipeline of

adoption of virtual production across the world, it created new opportunities with new technologies connecting virtual and real worlds.

These technologies are influencing many types of experiences and are even enhancing the live shows that have returned post-pandemic. Moment Factory and disguise’s mission for this collaboration is to create and deliver a multitude of immersive experiences for musicians and artists in broadcasts, live streams, concerts and other live events, as well as boost innovation initiatives within extended reality.

scale creative, innovative and immersive experiences. Customers of both can expect new technology, better tools, a more integrated production process when working with both and greater opportunity for the community and users within the xR ecosystem.

Moment Factory co-founder Dominic Audet is excited about disguise and Moment Factory’s collaboration and mission to create amazing xR experiences. “By creating this collaboration with disguise, we will enhance our common delivery capacity for live xR events around the globe. Fol-

joint initiatives lined up that will push the boundaries on what experiences we can create for people using extended reality. After working with Moment Factory for many years and seeing the amazing projects they have delivered using our technology, I am confident that we will push each other to break boundaries in music and entertainment. With Moment Factory, we will bring new meaning to the disguise motto of create together,” says Kufer.

Konftel’s interactive room type guide is being hailed a resounding success – helping resellers and their customers ‘cut through the conferencing jungle’ and speed-up the sales cycle. cut through what can be a complex conferencing jungle. It’s helping broaden the appeal of conferencing. We work with UC, AV and IT resellers and they are recognising this is the market they need to get into and this is the market they need to understand. The guide speeds up the whole sales process, rather than simply finding a product online, going through the specifications and initially recommending it’s the right product for the right room. It brings everything to life and adds a compelling new dimension. Seeing really is believing.”

Konftel’s UK Sales Director, Jeff May, explained: “With the hybrid workplace emerging as the new norm, video meetings have become the central resource for collaboration and efficient decision making. This means every meeting space, whether at home, in the corporate office or even the classroom, needs to be equipped for instant, easy-to use and high quality video conferencing.

“There are many complexities to achieve successful and consistent video meetings – from room lay out and connectivity to choosing the right technology, which has to be easy to use. Our innovative room guide makes it easy to identify and choose the right equipment for the right rooms. One size definitely doesn’t fit all.”

Sumner concluded: “Now is the time to get involved in conferencing and understand the technology more. That could be wireless audio through to plug and play video. Years ago UC and collaboration was a bit of a black art but now every reseller can get involved.

“In today’s more flexible hybrid world, video conferencing can take place everywhere there’s a connectivity signal.

Demand for high quality endpoints is growing. For example I think the hotel and hospitality sector, hiring out equipment in rooms, offers huge potential in 2022.”

Avocor opens new EMEA office in The Netherlands Avocor has announced the opening of a new EMEA headquarters in Blaricum, The Netherlands.

Conveniently located close to Amsterdam, Utrecht and Schiphol Airport, the new facility coincides with Avocor’s rising profile and business growth in the region. “I’m delighted to be opening a new base in The Netherlands following a sustained period of positive sales activity across the EMEA region,” comments Till Gotterbarm, VP Product management, Partnerships and Operations EMEA at Avocor.

“The central location in The Netherlands and proximity to Amsterdam Schiphol, means that we have a conveniently located showroom for existing and potential customers to come and experience a wide range of our solutions. With an opportunity to get hands-on with our full range of products and solutions, including the Avocor Series One products for Google Workspace and the Win-

dows collaboration display certified for Microsoft Teams I’m looking forward to a busy few months ahead. This new EMEA HQ is just the first in a line of upcoming regional Avocor announcements so keep an eye on us for more exciting news!”

P6 AV News February 2022

Avocor has announced the opening of a new EMEA headquarters in Blaricum, The Netherlands.

Bose Professional shares “Better Connected” series

Bose Professional has announced the introduction of “Better Connected,” a video podcast series addressing the challenges of communicating effectively and developing deeper human connections in an increasingly virtual world.

With hybrid working set to define the future of professional communication, understanding how to establish connections with dispersed teams — and the role of technology in achieving this — will be integral to business success.

The “Better Connected” series has been curated to celebrate what is possible through the power of remote collaboration. During conversations with high-profile contributors, viewers will have the opportunity to hear about and be inspired by their experiences as we adapt to a new era of hybrid work. Over three episodes, “Better Connected” host Justin O’Connor welcomes household-name guests to explore how to foster authentic interactions while

collaborating remotely. Whether using the power of storytelling to educate remote audiences, employing communication skills in the most challenging environments, or staying motivated without an in-person team, the series features lessons for everyone adapting to the world of hybrid work and wanting to make the most of their digital interactions.

“Better Connected” episodes will feature:

Continued on page 8

Business News

Bose Professional shares “Better Connected” series •Connecting with Virtual Audiences with Dianna Cowern: Also known as “Physics Girl,” prolific YouTuber Dianna Cowern will share her experiences in cultivating trust and engagement virtually among her more than 2 million subscribers, as well as how to deliver complex ideas succinctly and authentically to an audience in a fun and entertaining way.

•Remote Collaboration with Scott Kelly: A former NASA astronaut and US Navy Captain, Scott Kelly shares his experience in communicating and interacting in challenging scenarios as well as staying productive. He speaks about the communication requirements

in the extreme environments and how to collaborate with teams spread across a variety of locations, providing practical tips we can apply to our lives on Earth.

•Staying Motivated with Michael Johnson: As an Olympic gold medalist, World Champion athlete and founder of the sports training company Michael Johnson Performance, Michael discusses how coaching techniques have adapted to the virtual environment. He also shares how to stay motivated when situations change and how to get the best out of people who have been taken out of their comfort zones, resulting in the development of top per-

formers.

“Better Connected features insights and stories from experts in their respective fields, who have adapted their skillsets for an increasingly virtual world,” shares Justin O’Connor, host of “Better Connected” and category marketing manager at Bose Professional. “While audiovisual technologies are increasingly common in our workplaces, we can all be inspired and learn from the experiences shared by our guests. In doing so, we can find the right balance between human and technology as our communication methods continue to evolve.”

Pioneer Group and Bundeling partner Pioneer Group has forged a new and exciting collaboration with Bundeling to improve fan engagement and provide a seamless opportunity for sports clubs and sporting arenas to enhance collaboration with fans, partners, local communities and staff. Head of Growth at Pioneer Group, Gerry Fredericks, stated: “More and more of our customers want to create a total immersive stadium experience. In addition, clubs want to reach more of their fans, sponsors and local communities faster with accurate and timely information – in this digital world; it just makes sense for us at Pioneer Group to work with Bundeling to provide this enhanced level of interaction – reducing wastage through paperless ticket ordering and eliminate multiple separate communications platforms – it must be synchronised. We're excited to be partnering with Bundeling – they have already completed some incredible projects into Sports Stadia across the globe, and we're delighted to be including this as part of our innovation agenda".

The Match-Day experience is changing due to the fan demographic. Fan engagement is critical and has become an essential part of delivering an experience that creates memories. As a result, leading sports venues are seeking new digital ways to improve interaction and collaboration with everyone that touches the club.

The Match-Day experience and journey starts with engagement at home, from purchasing a ticket, travelling to the stadium, being in the ground through to after the game.

Digital is key to delivering this seamless experience.

Bundeling Sports is a Dutch tech company whose primary focus is on improving the relationships within the B2B side of sports clubs. The platform is used at more than 600 sports

clubs, companies, associations, governments, and communities to communicate with hospitality partners, commercial partners, sponsors, charity partners, business club members, and suppliers.

The platform works by bundling all the communication flows into one easily customisable app to meet all the needs, using its versatile features. Some organisations use Bundeling as

to drive more innovation, increased success, and improved communication for all customers. We are already working on the first project together, and we hope for many more to come.”

a business app, others as an internal communications app. International Business Developer, Gard Valckx, comments: We are always on the lookout for new ways to increase our level of service to our current and potential customers. We are delighted to announce that we have started working with such a forward-thinking company as Pioneer Group. Through this new Partnership with Pioneer Group, we are confident that we will always be able to put forward the most suitable partner on several fronts.

Pioneer Group already has an impressive portfolio of customisable solutions, customers, projects, and top-class employees. Our partnership aims

Pioneer Group has forged a new and exciting collaboration with Bundeling to improve fan engagement and provide a seamless opportunity for sports clubs and sporting arenas to enhance collaboration with fans, partners, local communities and staff.

NEC’s Top 10 strategic technology drivers NEC Enterprise Solutions has presented the top 10 technology trends that will be strategic for most organizations 2022. The ‘Smart Enterprise Drivers’ that NEC recognizes are becoming core components in the business landscape and will deliver superior customer experiences, a more flexible and productive work environment and a competitive edge to enterprises large and small.

Smart Enterprises leverage the best and latest technologies to optimize business practices and drive workforce engagement. With more than 120 years of excellence in Information and Communications Technologies, NEC is sharing its views on leading and emerging trends and technologies in order to help companies how to navigate through the disruptive changes and transform smartly instead of being left behind.

“We have identified the top 10 strategic drivers that organizations cannot afford to ignore in their strategic planning processes”, said Ronald Schapendonk, Global Director of Marketing at NEC Enterprise Solutions. “This does not mean that all of these trends are applicable to all organizations, but companies do need to investigate whether and how these areas impact their operations and investment planning in the upcoming years”, he adds.

For 2022 NEC identifies the following top 10 Smart Enterprise Drivers: •Digital Transformation The integration of digital technology into all areas of an enterprise is fundamentally changing how organizations operate and deliver value to customers. Digital Transformation is key for enterprises to enrich their operations with innovative solutions and technologies like cloud computing, IoT, data analytics, mobile internet, artificial intelligence, voice recognition and application convergence.

•Ubiquitous Connectedness Making staff omnipresent and ‘always on’ is key for smart enterprises to operate efficiently and effectively in today’s business environments.

Organizations are capitalizing on mobility solutions that enable employees to work from just about anywhere, at any given time whether on-site, at home, between appointments or while traveling.

•Smart Collaborative Workspace Hybrid working being the new normal urges enterprises to keep remote workers engaged.

Smart Workspaces allow disparate teams to work together in real time and provide easy access to tools such as

click-to-call and conference capabilities, file sharing and digital white-boarding and embed these capabilities within business workflows.

•From Experience to Engagement The battle among enterprises for tomorrow’s customers is fought and won on customer experience. Smart enterprises push hard to deliver connected Customer Experiences (CX) across channels, processes and departments - making contact easy and pleasant, lowering

mation and need flexible and scalable storage solutions.

•Holistic Business Continuity Today’s high-performance enterprises require a robust communications and IT infrastructure providing always-on availability. The upsurge of remote working makes it all the more urgent for enterprises to ensure infrastructure and application security. Fault tolerance solutions that deliver Five 9s uninterrupted service, virtualized infrastructures and

thresholds, presenting options most relevant to the customer and ensuring swift response to queries.

•Dynamic Delivery as a Service Modular services and flexible deployment models allow businesses to invest in just what is needed now, trimming up-front costs with full options for future expansion. Smart enterprises take advantage of Cloud solutions that are scalable and offer a pricing tier that charges only for the resources used.

Programmable communications enables companies to embed voice, messaging and video into business applications and workflows via simple-to-use APIs. •Cloud Centric Accelerates Moving IT & Communications provisioning to the cloud – be it in a public, on-premises or hybrid model - helps organizations reduce risk, reduce costs and increase revenue. Cloudbased deployments can adopt new technologies much faster and more easily, with new functionality and applications driving rapid innovation. To fully leverage existing on-premises infrastructure many enterprises will adopt hybrid and multicloud models.

•Ensuring Data Security The power of capturing and analysing data offers tremendous opportunities to drive business intelligence and services. Our dependence on IT systems however make cyber security a key topic. Embedding work from home also creates a greater need for security management during online collaboration. As data sets grow, organizations find it increasingly complex to manage all collected infor-

geo-redundancy technology protect critical data and ensure business operations.

•Augmented Intelligence Artificial Intelligence and machine learning enable systems that are self-educating, self-healing and proactive.

AI tools will become widely available through cloud platforms and open-source software. Augmented Intelligence focuses on enhancing rather than substituting human involvement. Extended reality (XR) combines real and virtual environments with human-machine interaction.

•Digital Inclusion The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how important digital connectivity is when physical presence is not possible. Virtual and augmented reality technologies are removing distance between people, information and experiences, transforming the ways people live and work.

As technology advances, digital inclusion will encourage all people to participate in society, offering more potential for individuals to bloom and realizing a brighter future for all.

Combining its capabilities and rich portfolios in Communications and IT, NEC is unique in being able to provide enterprises, government authorities and individuals with solutions that cover the full spectrum of their operations. The level of integration of NEC’s network, server, storage and communications solutions highlight the power of these technologies and their application to benefit customers.

P7 AV News February 2022

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Technology News

New 4K projector from Panasonic Digital Projection expands CS PROD projector fleet To meet increasing demand for ultra-fine detail resolution in the corporate and education markets, Panasonic has added Quad Pixel Drive to its proven 1-Chip DLP SOLID SHINE Laser projection technology to create the 5,200 lumen PTFRQ50 projector. Amazing, entertaining effects can also be achieved by projecting onto quickly moving objects with pin-point accuracy when used together with the ET-SWR10 Real-Time Tracking Software Development Kit. The projector, which delivers smooth and richly detailed 4K (3840 x 2160) images and supports 240Hz/1080p frame rates with minimal input-to-output latency of under 8ms. The Panasonic PT-FRQ50 projector is designed for when details really matter. Quad Pixel Drive, Panasonic’s original pixel-quadrupling technology, produces extraordinary 4K images that retain natural sharpness and clarity. The high-speed 240Hz processing and narrow DMD aperture ratio creates an impressive sense of realism with the finest details and textures resolved in smooth, grid-less images. Accurate colours for faithful content reproduction is produced using Panasonic’s Rich Colour Enhancer technology.

The versatile 2.0x zoom lens

brings large image sizes to confined spaces with flexible throw-distances.

Combined with a wide V/H Lens Shift (V: +71%, -48%, H: +34%, -27%), it provides more freedom to adjust projector location and image position.

Preactivated upgrade kits for Geometry Manager Pro [1] enable automatic calibration of multiple screens simultaneously via camera, and an expanded range of software-based geometric adjustment and sophis-

ticated masking capabilities.

The highly reliable and low-maintenance projector offers up to 20,000-hour maintenance-free projection, while

Panasonic has added Quad Pixel Drive to its proven 1-Chip DLP SOLID SHINE Laser projection technology to create the 5,200 lumen PT-FRQ50 projector.

Sharp has expanded its 8K ecosystem with the launch of a new 32” 8K professional colour management monitor - the 8M-B32C1. This highly innovative display is the only 8K 32” HDR (High Dynamic Range) monitor with 1000cd/ m² peak brightness, providing exceptional clarity and colour grading for professional applications that demand supreme colour accuracy and high-quality image production.

The 8M-B32C1 is at the leading edge of professional colour management display performance, offering true 8K resolution with 33.2 million pixels (7680x4320 pixels) in a 16:9

consistency, providing optimal performance for professional environments, in sectors including photography, broadcasting, post production, imaging, medical education, CAD studio, defence and gaming production. The 8K display offers exceptional picture quality and enhanced colour accuracy thanks to a wide colour-gamut and 10-bit extended colour range. The peak brightness of 1000 cd/m² expands the contrast range significantly when combined with HDR technology, making the bright parts of an image even brighter and adding greater black level. The combination of this technology

The high display quality is supported by Sharp’s advanced Uniformity Calibration Correction Technology (UCCT) software, which instantly produces higher quality images by measuring inconsistencies and correcting them within the monitor, ensuring exceptional uniformity of white and colours. The Display Calibration Utility software for PC also allows users to adjust the colour more precisely, making this display ideal for creative fields.

To provide further image accuracy, the monitor includes additional colour and image management features, including luminance clipping, gamut warning, marker, focus peaking and false colour display, enabling the user to perfect every aspect of 8K images. The display offers both uncompressed and compressed bandwidths using the newest HDMI2.1 connectivity, supporting the latest professional production workflows and a full range of ultra-high-definition features.

Peter Heins, Senior Product Manager Sharp NEC Display Solutions, said: “We are proud to be leading the development of 8K technology with the latest addition to our 8K ecosystem.

The new 32-inch 8K display supports a range of demanding professional applications and creates exciting opportunities by producing high quality imagery with the utmost precision and clarity at incredible value.”

Multi Monitoring & Control Software streamline maintenance and optional Early Warning functions can prevent unexpected downtime.

Panasonic says that more models will be added to the series later in the year.

Projection mapping expert CS PROD, who specialise in the creation of content related to history and heritage, has added to its growing Digital Projection fleet with seven additional M-Vision Lasers taking their total inventory up to a total of 20. The company focuses on large format projections and technological lighting in historical sites such as the Cité de Carcassonne, where they have produced ten creations in the Grand Théâtre. Digital Projection's laser projectors are the only brand CS PROD feel confident using in their projects due to their precision, depth of colour and overall image quality. With backdrops such as cathedrals, castles, fountains, trees and cliffs, a flexible and reliable projector is paramount in realising the artistic visions of the team.

Christian Salès, artistic director at CS PROD, chose additional M-Vision Lasers so they can be easily networked, adjusted remotely and so each

its Merveilleuses’ (Of Water and Dreams, 10 July–22 Aug 2021), a video mapping show in Narbonne (France) which narrates the history of the city

its colours. Six M-Vision Laser projectors were used to project upon a 300m cliff, with use of a drone to aid the 3D modelling process.

through water. Six M-Vision Laser projectors were used over three sites, including a water curtain and an ancient bridge, with an additional four utilised to illuminate a medieval arch. On 2–3 July 2021 ‘Les Nuits de Cassis’ was debuted

member of the team would understand how to use them.

“The technique is as important as the content! By owning your projectors, you know that they will be in top condition, powerful, calibrated, and reliable.

You also know in advance, how the image will look in the end, which for an artistic director like me, is invaluable,” says Salès.

Digital Projection’s M-Vision Laser 21,000 and 23,000 models use red lasers along with a specially designed colour wheel which enables more vivid, saturated and life-like images than was previously possible on single-chip DLP projectors. The resulting colour gamut guarantees the projector will achieve at least the REC709 standard. “We want precision and beautiful warm colours in the reds, the laser-illuminated image quality shimmers in the stone with remarkable colours,” adds Salès.

CS PROD were involved in a number of major productions over the summer, attracting tens of thousands of people in total, including ‘Les Nu-

on Cassis castle’s cliffs. A CS PROD show entitled ‘Cassis and the Artists’ told the story of artists who made Cassis the popular holiday destination it is today. Cassis is a paradise for painters, often a challenge to be taken up due to the size of its site and the ardour of

“We are delighted to work with Digital Projection, and the manufacturer is very close to its users,” concludes Salès.

“We have direct contact and answers. They come to the sites once a year and are always ready to do a technical study. There are many menus and a variety of possibilities that can often be used to respond to requests or situations. The manufacturer's software is both functional and reliable.” With a fleet of 20 video mapping projectors, CS PROD is now a major user of Digital Projection technology in France. Stéphane Bourdon, national sales manager for Digital Projection in France, commented: “We are delighted that CS Prod has again trusted us with their mesmerising artistic video mapping projects. It is interesting to see that content creation companies can invest in hardware technology, but as Christian mentioned to me on a few occasions: A musician wouldn’t loan its music instrument, so why would this be different when it comes to video mapping?”

Sharp builds on 8K ecosystem

This highly innovative display is the only 8K 32” HDR (High Dynamic Range) monitor with 1000cd/m² peak brightness, providing exceptional clarity and colour grading for professional applications that aspect ratio, four times more than 4K Ultra HD and sixteen times the resolution of Full HD. The display delivers the next step-up in accurate picture reproduction, with precise imaging and high-quality colour

provides extremely realistic imagery that is displayed exactly as originally intended, delivering significant benefits for creators in the film, broadcasting and media production industries.

Projection mapping expert CS PROD, who specialise in the creation of content related to history and heritage, has added to its growing Digital Projection fleet with seven additional M-Vision Lasers taking their total inventory up to a total of 20. (Photo credit: CS PROD)

P9 AV News February 2022

INTRODUCING THE ALL NEW G-TOUCH® GEM SERIES! Introducing the all-new G-Touch® Gem Series. We have created the most powerful, engaging touchscreens for education and corporate enterprises.

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The Gem Series consists of the Sapphire, Ruby and Emerald range. Each range has been created to give end users the opportunity to pick a touchscreen that fits their requirements. All of the Gem Series have 4K displays, 5-year onsite warranty and are Windows, Mac and Chromebook compatible.

View our touchscreens and other products first at our very own Genee Interactive Day! We will be hosting our very own events in the new year so watch this space!

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01902 390 862 sales@genee-group.com

Technology News

Nanolumens Shines in refreshed brand vision Nanolumens has refreshed its brand identity for 2022 and beyond. With a newly launched website, the brand not only has a bold and creative new look, but it has e added new design tools and resources to assist channel partners, AV designers, and the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) community. The evolution of the company’s brand includes a new customer-centric approach, partner focused culture and a renewed purpose, vision, and brand promise.

“From the foundation of our philosophy to our product roadmap, our clients and partners depend on us to be industry experts committed to their success,” says Ney Corsino, CEO for Nanolumens. “As the LED market increasingly widens, it’s essential for us to continue to innovate and grow, building relationships based on trust and results. By refreshing our brand voice and philosophy, with a renewed focus on partner enablement, we’re putting a stake in the ground to show what we stand for and who we are as a brand. From our purpose to our personality, to our professionalism, ‘We ARE LED’, and higher standards in all we do are what

you can expect from us.”

“Along with a new look in our logo, communications, and website, we’re offering new design tools and resources for our AV partners. We’ve launched our NanoDesigner Room Configurator tool, which can offer a

multiple resources designed to assist our partners in driving their business. Featured programs include deal registration and design project discounts, tradeshow coop programs, volume rebate incentives and sales rewards programs, tech-

Nanolumens has refreshed its brand identity for 2022 and beyond.

With a newly launched website, the brand not only has a bold and creative new look, but it has e added new design tools and resources to assist channel partners. place to visualize and develop the scope and scale of a project. It creates fully exportable packages with spec sheets, array configuration details with BOM and accompanying diagrams, saving engineering and planning time.”

“We’ve also introduced a new Select Partner Program, with

nical training and more. We aim to deliver first and lasting impressions by being bold, visionary, creative, and fun. This correlates with Nanolumens’ refreshed purpose and vision, and the new look and feel of our brand,” says Kurt DeYoung, Chief Revenue Officer for Nanolumens.

Sharp builds on 8K ecosystem Sharp has expanded its 8K ecosystem with the launch of a new 32” 8K professional colour management monitor - the 8M-B32C1. This highly innovative display is the only 8K 32” HDR (High Dynamic Range) monitor with 1000cd/ m² peak brightness, providing exceptional clarity and colour grading for professional applications that demand supreme colour accuracy and high-quality image production.

The 8M-B32C1 is at the leading edge of professional colour management display performance, offering true 8K resolution with 33.2 million pixels (7680x4320 pixels) in a 16:9 aspect ratio, four times more

aging and high-quality colour consistency, providing optimal performance for professional environments, in sectors including photography, broadcasting, post production, imaging, medical education, CAD studio, defence and gaming production. The 8K display offers exceptional picture quality and enhanced colour accuracy thanks to a wide colour-gamut and 10-bit extended colour range. The peak brightness of 1000 cd/m² expands the contrast range significantly when combined with HDR technology, making the bright parts of an image even brighter and adding greater black level. The combination of this technology

This highly innovative display is the only 8K 32” HDR (High Dynamic Range) monitor with 1000cd/m² peak brightness, providing exceptional clarity and colour grading for professional applications that demand supreme colour accuracy and high-quality image production. than 4K Ultra HD and sixteen times the resolution of Full HD. The display delivers the next step-up in accurate picture reproduction, with precise im-

provides extremely realistic imagery that is displayed exactly as originally intended, delivering significant benefits for creators in the film, broadcasting

and media production industries.

The high display quality is supported by Sharp’s advanced Uniformity Calibration Correction Technology (UCCT) software, which instantly produces higher quality images by measuring inconsistencies and correcting them within the monitor, ensuring exceptional uniformity of white and colours. The Display Calibration Utility software for PC also allows users to adjust the colour more precisely, making this display ideal for creative fields.

To provide further image accuracy, the monitor includes additional colour and image management features, including luminance clipping, gamut warning, marker, focus peaking and false colour display, enabling the user to perfect every aspect of 8K images. The display offers both uncompressed and compressed bandwidths using the newest HDMI2.1 connectivity, supporting the latest professional production workflows and a full range of ultra-high-definition features.

Peter Heins, Senior Product Manager Sharp NEC Display Solutions, said: “We are proud to be leading the development of 8K technology with the latest addition to our 8K ecosystem.

The new 32-inch 8K display supports a range of demanding professional applications and creates exciting opportunities by producing high quality imagery with the utmost precision and clarity at incredible value.”

New LG TVs ‘Redefine viewing’ LG Electronics (LG) has unveiled its most advanced and impressive TV lineup yet, headlined by the company’s exceptional 2022 OLED TVs. With powerful imaging technologies and an improved webOS offering even more smart features and services, LG’s latest models are expected to elevate the viewing and user experience like never before.

The leader of the global premium TV market for nine years and counting and a CES Innovation Award honouree for eight consecutive years, LG OLED TV has reshaped the premium TV segment to become the first choice for millions of consumers worldwide. OLED TVs employ self-lighting pixels that can be turned on and off individually to deliver perfect blacks, incredibly natural colours and infinite contrast.

Backlight-free, OLED is thinner and lighter than every other display technology, allowing for the creation of unprecedented form factors such as bendable and rollable TVs. Featuring LG’s advanced OLED panel, the new G2 series models are in a class of their own.

The next level in OLED’s evolution, the OLED evo technology featured in both G2 and select C2 series delivers higher brightness for ultra-realistic images with amazing clarity and detail.

thinner bezels for a more immersive viewing experience in addition to giving the TV a sleeker design.

At the heart of most of LG’s new TV models, the α 9 Gen 5 leverages deep learning to enhance upscaling performance and give onscreen images a more three-dimensional quality by making foreground and background elements more distinct from one another. The •9 Gen 5 also expands the capabilities of LG’s AI Sound Pro feature to provide viewers with more lifelike audio; enabling the TVs’ built-in speakers to produce virtual 7.1.2 surround sound.

The latest version of LG’s innovative Smart TV platform brings the user experience to life on LG’s new TVs, delivering maximum convenience and easier content discovery. webOS 22 introduces personal profiles so users can enjoy a more customized viewing experience. Under each profile, users can set up fast access to their favourite streaming services, get tailored content recommendations based on viewing history and receive real time alerts to keep up with favourite sports teams.

Logging into profiles can be performed either from the TV browser or from a smartphone with NFC Magic Tap. NFC Magic Tap can also be

In addition to providing users with effortless voice control, and compatibility with other ThinQ-powered devices, ThinQ AI now offers support for Matter, a new industry standard for a more secure and seamlessly connected smart home, which will allow LG TVs to work as a controller for connected devices.

Acknowledged by consumers, tech experts and the biggest names in the film industry, LG OLED TVs continue to raise the bar for picture quality. The panels found in the 2022 OLED line-ups have been certified by global product testing agency Intertek for 100 percent colour fidelity and 100 percent colour volume. LG OLED TVs are unique in their ability to match the colours in the original source content and express all colours accurately regardless of how bright or dark the displayed images may be. 8 All 2022 LG OLEDs are certified flicker-free by both TÜV Rheinland and Underwriters Laboratories, and glare-free by UL. LG’s OLED panels have also been recognized by TÜV Rheinland for their low blue light performance and are the first in the world that meet the low blue light emission requirement of Eyesafe, a U.S.based health standards agency.

And not only do LG TVs make

LG Electronics (LG) has unveiled its most advanced and impressive TV lineup yet, headlined by the company’s exceptional 2022 OLED TVs. Powered by LG’s new •(Alpha) 9 Gen 5 intelligent processor, the company’s Brightness Booster technology enables G2 series TVs to deliver even more brightness through improved heat dissipation and a more advanced algorithm.

LG’s 2022 G2 series introduces a new 83-inch model and the world’s first 97-inch OLED model to complement the 55-, 65- and 77-inch TVs already in the lineup. The LG G2 series delivers a refined design with its attractive flush-to-the-wall Gallery Design. LG’s C2 series offers the most diverse selection of screen sizes with a total of six for 2022: world’s first 42inch OLED TV, ideal for console and PC gaming, in addition to 48, 55, 65, 77, 83 inches.

This OLED TV series features

used to mirror a mobile device screen to an LG TV. 4 Viewers can also mirror content from one TV to another in the home using Room To Room Share, which enables the viewing of cable or satellite content on another TV via Wi-Fi without an additional set-top-box. 5 Also new for 2022, Always Ready turns an LG TV into a media display when not in use. Easily set up in the SETTINGS menu, Always Ready is activated with a press of the power button on the LG Remote to transform the screen into a digital canvas for showcasing artwork, keeping track of time or playing music.

6 What’s more, upgrading ThinQ AI will allow LG’s 2022 TVs to become true smart home hubs.

it easier for creators to appreciate their accuracy, they also make it easier for customers to see movies as their creators intended as they were the first in 2021 to offer auto switching to Filmmaker Mode when enjoying Amazon Prime Video content.

LG OLED has claimed many gaming first titles over the years: first OLED TV to support NVIDIA G-SYNC Compatible and first 8K OLED TV to demonstrate 8K gaming with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series graphics cards. With its 1 millisecond response time, low input lag and up to four

Continued from page 16

P11AV News February 2021

Application News Continued from Page 13

New LG TVs ‘Redefine viewing’ LG Electronics (LG) has unveiled its most advanced and impressive TV lineup yet, headlined by the company’s exceptional 2022 OLED TVs. With powerful imaging technologies and an improved webOS offering even more smart features and services, LG’s latest models are expected to elevate the viewing and user experience like never before.

The leader of the global premium TV market for nine years and counting and a CES Innovation Award honouree for eight consecutive years, LG OLED TV has reshaped the premium TV segment to become the first choice for millions of consumers worldwide. OLED TVs employ self-lighting pixels that can be turned on and off individually to deliver perfect blacks, incredibly natural colours and infinite contrast.

Backlight-free, OLED is thinner and lighter than every other display technology, allowing for the creation of unprecedented form factors such as bendable and rollable TVs. Featuring LG’s advanced OLED panel, the new G2 series models are in a class of their own.

The next level in OLED’s evolu-

tion, the OLED evo technology featured in both G2 and select C2 series delivers higher brightness for ultra-realistic images with amazing clarity and detail.

Powered by LG’s new •(Alpha) 9 Gen 5 intelligent processor, the company’s Brightness Booster technology enables G2 series TVs to deliver even more brightness through improved heat dissipation and a more advanced algorithm.

LG’s 2022 G2 series introduces a new 83-inch model and the world’s first 97-inch OLED model to complement the 55-, 65- and 77-inch TVs already in the lineup. The LG G2 series delivers a refined design with its attractive flush-to-the-wall Gallery Design. LG’s C2 series offers the most diverse selection of screen sizes with a total of six for 2022: world’s first 42inch OLED TV, ideal for console and PC gaming, in addition to 48, 55, 65, 77, 83 inches.

This OLED TV series features thinner bezels for a more immersive viewing experience in addition to giving the TV a sleeker design.

At the heart of most of LG’s new TV models, the α 9 Gen 5

Nureva, Extron and TU Delft collaborate on audio integration Nureva Inc. has announced an integration between Nureva audio systems and Extron scaling presentation switchers with integrated IPCP Pro control processors. The integration was inspired by a request from IT staff at TU Delft, a large technical university in the Netherlands, that wanted to streamline operation of its Nureva audio systems through its Extron TouchLink Pro touch panels.

Built by developers at Extron and Nureva and supported

by TU Delft, the integration between Extron control processors and Nureva devices was made possible in part by the Nureva Developer Toolkit, which provides cloud-based APIs to enable system control integrations. The integration allows users to mute and unmute the audio and adjust volume, treble and bass from the Extron touch panels.

Users can also enable or disable the Nureva Active Zone Control feature, adjust the microphone pickup zone and set the active zone for full or partial coverage. This provides a reliable, convenient and in-

tegrated experience through a single user interface within the Extron Control system. The Nureva-certified control system driver supports all Nureva audio systems and is part of the robust portfolio of integrations available from the Extron website.

As part of the development process, Nureva implemented a new authentication meth-

the Nureva audio system in their classrooms through a familiar interface. TU Delft chose Nureva because it wanted audio systems that were simple to install, use and maintain.

The creation of an integration that saves time and effort for teachers has reinforced their decision.

“It’s been exciting working with Nureva to provide enhanced

Nureva Inc. has announced an integration between Nureva audio systems and Extron scaling presentation switchers with integrated IPCP Pro control processors. od better suited to hardware control of their audio systems communications. The result and help them integrate with has been that instructors at TU the systems at TU Delft,” Delft are able to easily control said Rainer Stiehl, Extron’s

vice-president of marketing, Europe. “The custom TouchLink Pro touch panel interface displays a broad variety of audio parameters, all intuitively displayed and easily controlled from anywhere on the network.”

“When we introduced the Nureva systems at TU Delft, we wanted to keep things simple by providing a consistent experience for our teachers.

We achieved that,” said Marco Buitenhuis, an AV/IT specialist at TU Delft. “The process was simple and any issues were quickly recognized and dealt with. “ “We created the Nureva Developer Toolkit to give our customers the power to customize their experience with Nureva audio in ways that simplify processes and tasks according to their specific needs,” said Nancy Knowlton, Nureva’s CEO. “We were very happy to support TU Delft and Extron in the creation of this new integration, simplifying everything about their audio-conferencing experience.”

Employees feel ‘meeting inequality’ in hybrid environment With hybrid work – or a flexible corporate environment that enables employees to operate both remotely and in a physical office – now a permanent professional fixture, workers have come to expect new levels of flexibility. However, employees now demand even more from their hybrid work experience – namely greater meeting equity.

Simply defined, meeting equity ensures that remote employees receive the same level of engagement, collaboration and access to a meeting room experience as those who are physically seated around the table. As a new Barco ClickShare survey has revealed, hybrid workers are growing more concerned about perceptions of an inequal and less productive meeting experience while apart from their colleagues, and many are going as far as to consider new opportunities at organisations where they believe they will be more included.

Lieven Bertier, Segment Marketing Director, Workplace at Barco.

After nearly two years of familiarity with remote and hybrid work, the Barco ClickShare Hybrid Meeting Survey found

es heard when joining hybrid meetings from an offsite location. Twice as many remote hybrid participants (56 percent)

hybrid model, 71 percent still struggle with the frictions and technical challenges that come with hybrid engagement,” said Lieven Bertier, Segment Marketing Director, Workplace at Barco. “Hybrid meetings have become the mainstay of professional collaboration, and this data spotlights an ideal opportunity for businesses to remove access barriers for remote participants and ensure that all employees feel they can perform their best from any location.”

Compiled in late 2021, the ClickShare Hybrid Meeting Survey reflects the attitudes and preferences of modern workers as business leaders adjust operational models, workspaces, and organizational cultures in alignment with evolving professional dynamics. Featuring input from almost 4,000 global workers across varying occupations and locations, the Survey also captures the technical, functional, and emotional complications that have emerged across the broader hybrid work transition.

Technical Frustration: gateway to resignation?

that more than one-third (35 percent) of workers still have trouble fully engaging during hybrid meetings. A significant source of this disconnect emanates from a perception of oversight, as 28 percent find it difficult to have their voic-

likewise feel that meeting leaders cater too heavily to those in a physical meeting space when conducting the conversation.

“While our ClickShare Hybrid Meeting Survey clearly indicates that the majority of workers (80 percent) prefer the

P14 AV News February 2022

A

The ClickShare Hybrid Meeting Survey notes an urgency for businesses to refine their hybrid work and meeting equity strategies. With businesses feeling the impact of The Great Resignation, Barco found that hybrid technology and flexibility no longer are simply a means of operation, but rather a differentiator in recruiting and retaining top talent.

As Barco uncovered, nearly three in four workers (71 percent) say they still struggle with joining and navigating hybrid meetings. However, these technical frustrations now appear to have a greater impact on their professional satisfaction and are potentially motivating them to explore new opportunities. Nearly one in three (30 percent) workers say they will consider a job offer from anoth-

er company with a well-defined hybrid policy, which includes clear guidelines and tools for successful and efficient hybrid meeting participation.

“Our Survey reiterates that as employees’ appetites for functional hybrid work continue to grow, working conditions now are just as important as salaries in attracting and retaining the best workers,” added Bertier. “For business leaders, successful hybrid work begins with establishing a formal policy – which we were surprised to learn that 60 percent of organizations still do not have – but also includes making investments that drive engagement

and give employees the leverage and tools to work wherever and however they like. These conversations and strategies will only grow in importance as businesses develop and execute their return-to-office plans.”

Working to see and be seen While hybrid workers are vocalizing their challenges, Barco

found that the return to on-site conference rooms isn’t without

its own pains. More specifically, employees are still working to replicate the flexible and convenient meeting experience they’ve enjoyed while remote.

Though 85 percent of businesses have at least one dedicated video conferencing room in their space, only 39 percent of IT managers feel these rooms are adequately prepared for a “Bring Your Own Meeting” style of work. As a result, nearly two in three (65 percent) workers have trouble mastering the differing connectivity points and laptop compatibility variables of their office's video conferencing rooms.

These frustrations also mirror the sentiments Barco captured in its latest Meeting Barometer, an ongoing, periodically updated index of workers' satisfactions with their hybrid meeting environments.

Application News

PPDS and NoviSign provide Sennheiser supports showstopping visual performance Cirque du Soleil and beautiful picture quality in any condition. The displays, which can be fully remotely managed and controlled, also provide peace of mind to the theatre, with FailOver technology meaning displays will always remain active.

Inside the theatre, 21 x 55” Philips D-Line displays equipped with built-in media players were selected and used to create an inspiring ‘wow’ effect for guests entering the auditorium. With these displays, guests can learn about current and upcoming plays, as well as programme scheduling and ticket collection info.

Custom software by NoviSign was configured to connect the entire suite of displays, allowing the theatre’s staff to update content instantly and easily throughout the day with both manual control and automatic scheduling.

Gadi Domb, CFO & Founder, Screens TV, commented: “Marvellous image quality and impressive brightness in direct sunlight made Philips professional displays the perfect choice.”

As part of an historic move to a new state-of-the-art venue, Israel’s most popular theatre turned to Philips digital signage to revolutionise the way it communicates with audiences both inside and outside its auditorium, with the installation of 25 x high bright showstopping screens. As a popular spot in the heart of Tel Aviv, the Beit Lessin Theatre is one of the largest and most popular playhouses in Israel, entertaining locals with modern and unique plays since 1980.

Named after Baruch Ivcher – a

the exclusive global provider of Philips digital signage and professional TVs, together with global digital signage specialist, Screens TV, and NoviSign, for a custom solution to meet their unique needs. To attract audience walkthrough, a suite of 4 x 55” Philips H-Line UHD displays were strategically placed facing the street from the panoramic glass front of the theatre. These ultra-high brightness displays were selected for their vibrant image quality in direct sunlight, ensuring maximum effectiveness

successful Israel born businessman who recently donated NIS 25m (around £5m) to the company, this award-winning theatre is renowned for its mix of culturally rich programmes that fuse artistic, social and contemporary statements covering the nuances and realities of life in Israel. Over the years the theatre has also shown over a thousand contemporary American and European plays, as well as original productions, including popular shows from New York’s Broadway and London’s West End, such as Chicago and Guys and Dolls. Attracting the country’s greatest talent, the Beit Lessin Theatre also functions as a school for playwrights, helping beginners through to the more advanced in mastering their craft.

The theatre’s ever-growing popularity, fuelled by fantastic performances, significant cultural importance, and larger crowds, has resulted in the Beit Lessin Theatre relocating to a brand-new, contemporary site in 2019. This 7,000m2 space features two impressive halls – one large and inviting, the other small and intimate – both with uncompromised viewing and equipped with advanced sound and lighting installations, hailed by the theatre as the most advanced in the world. To complete the perfect entertainment experience, the theatre needed a new state-ofthe-art digital signage solution, robust enough to withstand direct sunlight, high climate temperatures and continuous 24/7 operation.

To achieve its ambitions and high demands, Beit Lessin Theatre partnered with PPDS,

Inside the theatre, 21 x 55” Philips D-Line displays equipped with built-in media players were selected and used to create an inspiring ‘wow’ effect for guests entering the auditorium.

Cirque du Soleil has been delighting and mesmerizing audiences every year since its founding in 1984. The Company’s highly theatrical and acrobatic touring performances – known around the world for their dramatic creativity, imaginative storylines and audience engagement – are also recognized for their no-compromise production values: from sound and lighting, to costuming and stagecraft. In March of 2020,

everything more closely, including the RF,” says Steuart. “You can have what appears to be a functioning system, but if you are able to improve two or three links in an audio chain, you can achieve a greater performance in the end. While we are on tour, we usually only have one day in every city to do all our maintenance.” In the case of the Sennheiser Digital 6000 Wireless System that was already used in Alegria, the team

able to work within such a narrow bandwidth has been key.”

Prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cirque du Soleil’s touring operation had over a dozen active shows, each with its own set of artistic and technical challenges. Now, in the middle of its relaunch period, the Company is quickly scaling up towards its pre-pandemic level of performances: “Before COVID, we were at 12 shows, which was a lot. Now,

One of the reasons Cirque du Soleil chose the Digital 6000 System was because of its ability to identify and lock in frequencies in an increasingly congested RF environment. (Photo courtesy of Cirque du Soleil)

Key benefits include: •Ultra-high brightness: Spectacular 2500 cd/m² brightness ensures high visibility and pure image quality in extreme sunlight.

•Easy CMS integration: Content can be easily updated by Beit Lessin Theatre staff using NoviSign’s custom content management system.

•Brilliant previews: Plays come to life on each display with both static and animated content for a truly engaging experience.

•Advanced scheduling: Multiple channels are utilised with unique playlists, day parting, take-over content and exclusive campaigns to further enhance the overall experience and red-carpet events.

•Remote management: First- and second-line support is covered through remote management and diagnostics, whilst playback reports are also available for individual content channels.

Fast facts: Client: Beit Lessin Theatre Location: Tel Aviv, Israel Project: Digital signage solution Partners: NoviSign and Screens TV Products: Philips H-Line 55BDL3202H/00 (4 units), D-Line 55BDL4051D/00 (4 units) and 55BDL4050D/00 (5 units), H-Line 55BDL3102H/00 (4 units, Q-Line BDL3230QL/00 (4 units) and P-Line 55BDL5057P/00 (4 units)

Cirque’s touring operations were brought to an abrupt halt with the onset of the pandemic.

Despite this most unwelcome pause from live performance, the downtime afforded Cirque du Soleil’s production team an opportunity to test, evaluate and verify its entire equipment arsenal for its touring operations. “When all the shows shut down, most of the gear that was in North America was trucked back to our warehouse and just put on a shelf,” explains Matthew Steuart, Sound Specialist at Cirque du Soleil.

“But in May 2021, we started on a show called KOOZA and came up with a list of projects for that show.” Steuart says that after testing and evaluating their equipment needs for the show, which combines the two classic circus traditions of clowning and acrobatics, they upgraded to Sennheiser’s Digital 6000 Wireless. “Switching to the Digital 6000 was a no-brainer, there were just so many benefits,” he says.

Cirque du Soleil’s Alegria, which opened in Houston in November 2021, contains many of the entertainment ingredients Cirque du Soleil fans have come to expect - stunning acrobatics, beautiful stage craft and a poetic storyline.

For Cirque du Soleil, the recent long break afforded the sound team a chance to closely examine each part of the signal chain: “We were able to look at

didn’t have to do anything except perform a recommended firmware update. “We tested it and everything just worked.”

One of the reasons Cirque du Soleil chose the Digital 6000 System was because of its ability to identify and lock in frequencies in an increasingly congested RF environment: “The spectrum is just getting more and more crowded,” observes Steuart, who appreciates Sennheiser’s routine firmware updates. “When we sent Alegria to Miami a year and a half ago, if we didn’t have the Digital 6000, we simply wouldn’t have been able to do the show – there was just no RF space. Now, with the latest firmware updates including the new Link Density mode, it is so much easier. Sometimes we have to fit all of our wireless channels into a 6 or 8 MHz block if we are lucky, so being

with Alegria and at least four more productions including KOOZA, LUZIA, KURIOS – Cabinet of Curiosities and OVO coming in 2022, we are well on our way. There are many more shows in the works,” he says. While Steuart is delighted at the relaunch of Cirque du Soleil’s touring productions, he is grateful for the training and support Sennheiser provided over the course of the last 20 months: “When the pandemic began, Jamie [Criswell, Business Development Manager at Sennheiser] was on the phone with us the next day offering training classes,” Steuart recalls. “It was fantastic – Sennheiser made it clear that they wanted us to know what was happening and to make sure we had what we needed for the shows to run. This level of support was priceless and appreciated by everyone on our team.”

News February2021 2022 P17P15 AV AV News November

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Application News

Footasylum invest in major digital signage upgrade across 65 stores In recent years Footasylum has established itself as one of the leading retailers of fashion streetwear and sportswear.

With over 60 stores spread across the UK, Footasylum is one of the most recognised high-street brands in the UK. Despite troubling times on the high-street for many retailers, Footasylum has looked to turn their stores into an immersive digital experience that reinforces their brand positioning and strengthens their engagement with their young and trendaware target demographic.

Making strides to deliver this in-store experience, under the guidance of UX Global, in 2021 Footasylum appointed NowSignage to take over powering their existing expansive digital signage network across all 65 high-street stores throughout the UK. This move allowed them to overcome the limitations of the previous CMS, as they sought to refresh their screens with dynamic and

vibrant video content using the latest innovative technologies. Since moving the digital signage network over to the NowSignage CMS, Footasylum has continued to expand this network with the inclusion of cutting-edge technology to transform the in-store experience and customer shopping journey.

Samuel White, Retail Marketing Manager at Footasylum, said: “We moved our large digital signage network to the NowSignage CMS to find a more effective way to manage our content. The user interface of the NowSignage platform makes it so simple to perform our entire content strategy, including the display of synchronised HD video content, interactive social media walls, and transparent LED walls in an array of custom resolutions.” The Footasylum digital signage network comprises of a mixed estate of Philips D-Line System-on-Chip displays, along with Android

and Windows media players powering an impressive array of LED walls, LightScene projectors and unique video wall arrangements.

Charlie Zammit, Technical Account Manager at NowSignage, said: “Working on this project with Footasylum has been extremely rewarding for me personally. It’s an incredibly diverse project across a mixed hardware estate, providing a fine example of how the NowSignage CMS is truly hardware agnostic, allowing it to be extensively deployed across a mixed estate of SoC and media player hardware.” As a leading retailer that strives to stay one step ahead when it comes to streetwear, Footasylum utilises the NowSignage CMS to schedule vibrant video content that creates a visually stimulating experience for their customers, to strengthen the brand and promote the products being sold.

Richard Hutchinson, Sales

Director at NowSignage, said: “Securing Footasylum as a NowSignage customer has been a major achievement for us as a vendor. The in-store displays with dynamic HD video content look incredible, and the project is also a fantastic

showcase of our impressive social media integrations working to full effect.” For this project, NowSignage was implemented and delivered through UX Global, one of the UK’s leading retail integration specialists.

The First Americans Museum (FAM) of Oklahoma is the first of its kind as the only place in the United States where visitors can experience and learn our shared American history through the lens and collective stories of 39 Tribal Nations in Oklahoma today. Within a 175,000 square foot space located at 659 First Americans Boulevard in Oklahoma City, the museum takes visitors on an immersive and powerful storytelling experience of diversity, resilience, and culture through state-of-the-art exhibitions, artifacts, photography, live educational programs, discovery centre, and a completely unique centrepiece curved direct view LED (dvLED) video wall.

In celebration of its launch in September 2021, the museum planned a week full of thrilling events, including a 45-minute fashion show that featured original content on the newly installed video wall in addition to performances from the Oklahoma City Ballet and nationally renowned poets and speakers.

Controversially challenging in both building and architectural aspects, the museum has been in the planning stages for over 20 years by the State of Oklahoma, the City of Oklahoma, and the tribal nations themselves.

Initial discussions started in 2018 surrounding the construction of a giant, suspended, and curved direct view LED (dvLED) video wall designed to wrap around the centre of the museum. The objective was to create a gathering space for live music and performances that mimicked the centre of a trib-

al village and allowed for “The Exchange of Ideas.”

IT design consultancy Waystone LLC was tasked with bringing the concept to reality, designing a video wall solution that was not only technically feasible but also pushed boundaries in terms of creativity. As the central point of contact for the museum, Waystone LLC hired Oklahoma City’s leading AV specialist, Ford Audio-Vid-

eo Systems, LLC (Ford AV), to manage the AV portion of the project from start to finish.

The project’s uniquely shaped video wall made it essential for Ford AV to select a reliable mount manufacturer, with years of expertise in custom dvLED video wall solutions. Ford AV asked its long-standing partner of 20 years, Peerless-AV for assistance in making the complex idea a reality. The design

consultancy started in 2019 in cooperation with the team at Absen based on initial drawings for 192 Acclaim Series panels in a 6-degree concave design.

Peerless-AV was contracted to design a custom fabricated mounting system that could accommodate the curvature of the wall and support the total video wall weight of 4,200 lbs.

“This most certainly was no straightforward rectangular

video wall. The installation and engineering of the dvLED video wall was highly challenging, but the Peerless-AV team was optimistic and confident that they could do anything to make the mounting system work successfully,” said Courtney Myers, CEO of Waystone LLC. “By far the biggest concern was the curvature of the wall and the Peerless-AV team was instrumental in calculating

With over 60 stores spread across the UK, Footasylum is one of the most recognised highstreet brands in the UK.

First Americans Museum instals massive dvLED video wall

Initial discussions started in 2018 surrounding the construction of a giant, suspended, and curved direct view LED (dvLED) video wall designed to wrap around the centre of the museum.

P18 AV News February 2022

the radius. The structure and weight of the video wall was also a challenge; three layers of ply were needed to make the curve which cantilevers out 6 feet from the wall, giving the effect of floating in the air.”

Peerless-AV was also selected based on its flexibility, cost-effectiveness, innovative engineering capabilities, and superior customer service – all aspects of SEAMLESS by Peerless-AV, the company’s dvLED Video Wall Integration Program.

The program ensures the entire SEAMLESS dvLED Solutions Team is available every step of the way, guaranteeing every customer receives quality product support and service. The physical installation started the first week of May 2021. The Peerless-AV SEAMLESS Bespoke dvLED mounting system, custom designed specifically for this project, offers compatibility and exclusive support for the 192 Absen Acclaim 2.5mm dvLED panels.

Absen Acclaim 2.5 Series is a 2.5mm pixel pitch dvLED solution that provides outstanding full HD/4K image quality, true 16:9 aspect ratio, easy serviceability, and high brightness for indoor dvLED video wall applications, such as this. The slim design sits less than 10 cm to the wall when mounted, and the size of the panels made it a flexible choice for the creativity and complexity of the FAM installation.

Continued on page 20

Application News

First Americans Museum instals massive dvLED video wall From the moment the teams arrived on site, the process was painstakingly methodical and meticulous to calculate the necessary adjustment for the wall curvature required.

The first step was to install a plywood backing to create a secure base for the dvLED. From there, the team utilized a detailed CAD drawing, precise measurements, and a curved template, ensuring they were taking all the necessary steps needed. “The installation was a challenge from the very start.

One slight misstep in the curvature would throw the entire structure off, so the adjustment and placement had to be exact at every single point,” said a spokesperson at Ford AV. “Thankfully, Peerless-AV’s mounting system offers adjustability. The combined efforts of Ford AV and Peerless-AV helped make this installation such a success.”

The installation exceeded the museum’s expectations, and the Peerless-AV team delivered the perfect mounting system for the unique wall. To the engi-

neers that completed the project, the frame offered a certain magnificence on its own and they knew its presence would not go unnoticed. However, a

custom trim kit accessory from Peerless-AV was added around the sides of the video wall to give it that immaculate, finished appearance and meet the

visual expectations of the museum’s visitors. The resulting, unique shape of the video wall is a visual delight, reflecting the character of the FAM and

Initial discussions started in 2018 surrounding the construction of a giant, suspended, and curved direct view LED (dvLED) video wall designed to wrap around the centre of the museum.

the playfulness of its designer, Courtney Myers. The inner rectangle space is visualized to be used as a place to put text or have animated characters popping in and out, tailored to the live performances planned to take place in front of this giant “backdrop.”

The content shared at the museum is fine-tuned to the video wall by internationally acclaimed New York media design company, Batwin + Robin Productions. Intelligent editing software provided by the company allows for content flexibility and creativity. Not only does this software allow the museum to quickly change content, but the museum can also utilize sections of the video wall to show different content, maximizing audience enthrallment.

FAM Director/CEO James Pepper Henry commented, “The giant dvLED video wall is more than we hoped for! Since our opening, the Xchange theatre, as it is now called, has become a popular venue for demonstrations, singing, storytelling, and fashion shows. The dvLED vid-

eo wall adds a truly special element to shows and performances with original and inspiring motion backgrounds, and also provides a means to thank our patrons for their support in making FAM a reality.”

Installation Facts: Absen Acclaim 2.5mm 190.68" Radius, Curved Wall Mount 192 Panels | 366 Modules | 5,929,200 Pixels Total Weight of Video Wall: 4,200 lbs.

MGX virtual production with Formula 1 and Autonomy To advertise the launch of the Istanbul Financial Center (IFC) in January 2022, Istanbul film production company Autonomy partnered with auto racing’s Formula 1 on a dynamic commercial featuring virtual production by MGX Studios and powered by the disguise Extended Reality (xR) workflow.

Holding 1.4 million square metres of office space, a shopping mall, conference and exhibition centre and a five-star hotel, the IFC is a founding partner of the Formula 1 Rolex Turkish Grand Prix 2021. The metaphor of the IFC as a Formula 1 race car “driving forward the world of finance” provided a high-energy scenario for a commercial promoting its imminent opening.

The commercial features extreme close-ups of a Formula 1 race car cockpit, complete with revving sound design, as the vehicle speeds through Istanbul and glimpses of the IFC are reflected on the driver’s helmet visor. Since the race car and driver are seen in extreme close-ups, Autonomy was eager to shoot the commercial using virtual production. The production company approached Turkey’s first virtual production facility, MGX Studios, to simulate the Formula 1 vehicle and capture the beauty and modernity of the IFC site.

“Together with the Autonomy team we wanted to create a production that looked great quickly, using all the amazing possibilities provided by virtual production technology and disguise. The xR features provided by disguise and the innovation and creativity enabled by

disguise and virtual production were key to delivering a great project,” says MGX Studios’ Virtual Production Operations Coordinator, Mete Mümtaz.

According to Mümtaz, “the main goal was to achieve perfect reflections and background lighting – basically, that's why Autonomy decided to shoot the commercial in our studio instead of on a greenscreen stage. It was much easier and quicker to create exactly what they wanted using virtual production. The whole LED setup, consisting of LED side panels, a back wall and ceiling, allowed us to capture immersive reflections with every single shot.”

Mümtaz, Chief Technology Officer Fatih Eke and everyone at MGX Studios were excited about the project and confident that virtual production was the right solution. “Since this project was Autonomy's first virtual production experience, we thoroughly informed them about the technology before production. Instead of shooting a Formula 1 car physically driving on the streets of Istanbul, the comfort and convenience of extended reality (xR) technology provided by MGX Studios would be decisive in the realization of the project,” says Mümtaz.

The commercial marked MGX Studios’ first advertising project with hybrid technologies, including static images, video and Unreal Engine scenes. In order to achieve this, MGX Studios did intensive experimentation in pre-production. The virtual production shoot was supported by Unilumin Upad III LED walls, three Brompton

allows us to become more creative with each production.”

Tessera SX40 LED processors, a Mo-Sys camera tracking system, Unreal Engine, and three disguise vx 2s and one vx 1.

“While managing the content, the freedom and comfort of

to simultaneously manipulate light, content, reflections and motion. Being able to project the images we wanted onto an F1 car with reflective surfaces in an organic way and being

teams made the project look amazing.”

The use of disguise was key in achieving the high production standards in the project. According to Chief Technology Of-

using static images, video and RenderStream, if we wished, gave us the confidence to overcome any issues we encountered,” says Mümtaz. “The xR capabilities provided by disguise and the extensive capabilities of our studio allowed us

able to drive that F1 car virtually through the magnificent streets of Istanbul was a great experience for us and the client brands.” Overall, Mümtaz notes: “The creative acumen and great collaboration of the Autonomy and MGX Studios

“The xR features provided by disguise and the innovation and creativity enabled by disguise and virtual production were key to delivering a great project,” says MGX Studios’ Virtual Production Operations Coordinator, Mete Mümtaz. ficer Fatih Eke: “our confidence in disguise and our ability to use disguise during production

P19 AV News February 2022

Advertorial

What’s new with Genee in 2022?

It’s another exciting and innovative year for Genee! Genee has been a UK manufacturer for over 17 years and is proud to still develop and support its customers from their head office based in Wolverhampton.

In 2022, Genee have just revolutionised their interactive touchscreen range. The all-new Gem Series gives end users the opportunity to pick a touchscreen that fits their requirements. The Gem Series consists of the Sapphire, Ruby and Emerald and screen sizes range from 55” all the way up to 98”!

Unlike most other manufacturer’s, Genee does not charge a subscription fee for its white boarding software. SPARK II is an interactive white boarding screen software; it provides a presenter or teacher with an infinite canvas area. As well as importing documents and images from local files or the internet, this software will run over the top of other applications allowing you to annotate, highlight and manipulate objects.

It comes with a range of tools such as a Compass, Protractor, Ruler etc. It also has Science and Maths Content built within it.

SPARK II also has the ability to import Smart Notebook Files and Microsoft 365 files, meaning teachers do not have to recreate their lessons! SPARK II is available for FREE on all G-Touch screens and on all teacher and student devices.

Supporting hybrid wotking With the uncertainty around COVID-19 and the spread of the new variants, Genee believes that hybrid education and hybrid working environments will continue into 2022.

Educators from all over the world have had to change the way they can deliver lessons and for many having technology that allows

them to deliver these new hybrid lessons, have been critical.

Even before the pandemic, Genee has been at the forefront of creating software to allow remote and collaborative learning with software such as Project Flow and Learn Hub. Project Flow is a cloud-based lesson delivery tool like no other; allowing presentations, activities, questions and work to be sent directly to student devices. It offers automated differentiation and instant feedback on student performance to the teacher.

Teachers need to ensure that all students are performing to the best of their abilities and that lesson content is targeted to students’ individual needs and learning styles. Not only that but ensuring that students have understood all concepts before moving onto the next, is crucial to embed the learning. If the class contains individuals who have not fully grasped a particular concept, teachers need to be able to dedicate time to assisting and helping these students.

Multi-user gamification Designed specifically around multi-user gamification, LearnHub is a cloud-based software that includes nine fully adaptable learning activities. Activities are designed for Early Years & Primary students and can be customised and configured by the teacher to meet any level or topic of work. All activities are fully customisable with a simple interface to allow teachers to take full control. Teachers can also save, print and record student results. Up to 4 students at the same time can utilise the activ-

ities competitively and when used on an interactive screen (such as G-Touch Tables) the full multi-touch capabilities are revealed.

G-Touch screens have always offered businesses the ability to operate in hybrid working environments. The all-new G-Touch connect bundle takes this further and give businesses a seamless working environment. The G-Touch Connect Bundle includes the G-Touch® Emerald with, USB Type C, all in one camera with 20 MP 4K Super wide 133° Field of View, microphone and speaker.

The connect bundle also includes the G-Touch® Smart video conferencing AI software which features Auto Framing and Speaker Tracking. Users can also choose from a i5 or i7 intel OPS unit.

Whether businesses or schools continue as normal or change back to hybrid learning environments, Genee has you covered. Unlike most other manufacturers Genee’s support is provided by their in-house team in the UK. This is to give end users the confidence that they will always have the support they require.

To experience the latest Genee innovations call us now to book your very own Interactive Day! Genee is committed to keeping their staff and customer safe, this is why in 2022 Genee will be creating their own hybrid events to allow a safer environment to experience their technology.

Call Sat or John now to book your spot! 01902 390 862

Available with G-Touch

Darts Maths

Jolly Phonics

Learn Hub

Mathmatics Student

Classroom Movers

Magnetism Waves

Kidloland

GCSE Physics

Cube Share

History Quiz for Kids

Word Brain

Yellow Door

P18 AV News February P20 December2022 2021

Opinion

The Hybrid Conference Room: New Meeting Solutions, for Meeting People Where They Are Organisations of all sizes are wrestling with serious issues, especially related to their changing workforces. With more geographically dispersed teams than ever - across multiple corporate campuses or even from home employees expectations for their workday experiences are also higher than ever. Gergely Vida, CEO and founder of Lightware Visual Engineering explains some post pandemic options.

Even before the pandemic, there was already a significant shift towards more workers and companies embracing hybrid work models. COVID-19 simply accelerated the trend. Now, organisations are navigating their way back to “business as usual”, employers are largely divided into two camps: those looking to bring employees back to offices, and others trying to accommodate the needs of workers planning to remain in some type of remote environment.

While each model requires different approaches, there are also several common themes.

Wherever employees are working, the meetings and conferencing experience must deliver quality and easy collaboration, as well as usability and safety.

UCaaS platforms for driving future success As we are now returning to a time when working in the office is once again possible,

already have the necessary components – cameras, microphones, speakers and displays.

The meeting attendee brings a device that runs the Unified Communications (UC) software and the video codec. They connect the room device(s) and cable(s) to their device and run the meeting software. The room now becomes just a peripheral to the attendee’s device.

The second trend focuses on minimising the physical interactions in the meeting room and adding functionality to a room system that does not exist in the desktop. Three major vendors (Cisco, Microsoft, Zoom) are offering ‘one-touch’ or even ‘no-touch’ meeting joins in their enhanced rooms that include the codec processing and other capabilities in the room. Having a dedicated processor in the room system enables easy joins, as well as many advanced functions, including audio management,

advanced capabilities in the room is the answer. However, these rooms do not generally allow the ability to natively join other vendors’ systems. Users attending external meetings on a different platform cannot leverage the capabilities of these systems and need to use their laptop with the built-in low-quality/low-position camera, small screen, etc. In these cases, users will likely regress to joining independently, rendering the room useless for this purpose.

Adding a media management node in your conference rooms may be the optimal (or only) solution going forward.

The concept of a digital (or even analogue) conference phone in a meeting room will dramatically limit the room’s potential usage. The reason is quite simple, as users have adopted the UC paradigm of video, meetings collaboration tools, and even Teams and they

two converging trends are driving current and future user requirements and expectations.

Many organisations have deployed simple conference rooms using the Bring Your Own Codec (BYOC) philosophy.

In this implementation, rooms

audio clarity, video framing, speaker recognition and more.

Delivering a meeting room solution to satisfy both trends is a challenge. For the best and easiest internal meetings, using a vendor or partner system that includes the codec and

will likely continue to work the way they did during the pandemic.

One major change is a willingness or even desire to use different clients for meetings based on a Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS

By Gergely Vida, CEO and Founder, Lightware Visual Engineering.

platform) being used as the meeting host. Employees today are exposed to a variety of conferencing platforms and

applications, especially when meeting participants are coming from different companies or organisations, each having their own preferred video conferencing platform.

It’s becoming more common for employees to use multiple meeting applications and clients within the workday.

However, this is an issue for the meeting room, as most meeting rooms today are only equipped for the specific corporate platform. While vendors such as Cisco and others are working on the ability to join other UCaaS platforms from their room systems, joining via this WebRTC-based approach is not native and is often missing many advanced controls and features.

For those who want to use a room together for an externally hosted meeting, using the specific desktop client from the platform the meeting is being hosted in is the ideal way to attend.

It’s important to recognise that every video-enabled conference room has all the elements needed to make the desktop device work as a room system codec. While some vid-

eo bars incorporate those into a sealed system, most implementations use separate components. What if those devices, instead of being tethered to the native room system, could be connected into an open media management node that supports the native room system and also makes the same peripherals available to a user’s own device?

This would deliver the best of both worlds, a room optimised for meetings using the corporate platform, while also enabling users to utilise the room’s assets and join any meeting platform of their choice.

For organisations planning their return to regular offices and identifying how to optimise the use of in-building meeting rooms going forward, a solution optimising the corporate platform while enabling alternative UCaaS meetings will be critical. As more rooms and spaces are equipped with advanced UC platforms, managing the last meter challenge in the room is critical for both utilisation, satisfaction, and overall success in a hybrid business environment.

Fulfilling the business need for rooms enabling users to directly join external meetings while also delivering the corporate UCaaS standard with the advanced functionality and features for internal meetings will be important for virtually all organisations. While there are other in-room media solutions, the addition of management and reporting and other in-room capabilities makes the Lightware Taurus UCX an inroom media management node that should be considered.

P21 AV News February 2022

BETT 2022

BETT Preview 2022 Bett urges education leaders to ‘unplug and reconnect’ Education leaders and teachers are being urged to ‘unplug and reconnect’ in person at the Bett show. Organisers at the world’s biggest EdTech show are inviting the education community to emerge from behind the screen and come together face-to-face to connect, learn, share ideas and experiences and ultimately “create the future” of education.

Education leaders and teachers are being urged to ‘unplug and reconnect’ in person at the Bett show. Organisers at the world’s biggest EdTech show are inviting the education community to emerge from behind the screen and come together face-to-face to connect, learn, share ideas and experiences and ultimately “create the future” of education.

The show is returning after months of disruption and accelerated adoption of technology, where educators were forced to pivot and deliver lessons in unprecedented circumstances. With all content sessions CPD-accredited, educators can even gain active learning CPD-points by taking part at the event, across the week.

Bett is the place for education leaders, teachers and tech pioneers to celebrate, find inspiration and discuss the future of education including the latest thinking on pedagogy, digital strategy and policy implementation.

Thousands have already signed up to the event, held on 23 - 25 March 2022 at ExCeL London. Exhibitors and sponsors will range from tech superpowers such as Microsoft, Google, Lenovo and Pearson to specialist education suppliers such as Arbor Education, NetSupport, Promethean and 2Simple to rising start-up stars – offering impactful solutions for institutions of all sizes and all budgets.

High-profile speakers include one of the world’s leading authorities on growth mindset, Eduardo Briceño, the comedian and actor Sally Phillips, who will speak about home schooling during lockdown and life with a SEN child, and Gogglebox favourite Baasit Siddiqui, whose Siddiqui Education organisation helps boost the morale and achievements of disadvantaged pupils.

Eve Harper, Bett Event Director said: “Bett brings people together to network and have meaningful conversations. Despite our focus on tech, we

P18 AV News February P22 December2022 2021

find that the best way to make sense of the plethora of technological solutions is to engage in-person. A range of new offerings coupled with familiar faces from the worlds of education and technology make this the main meeting point for the entire education sector."

She added: ‘We will have thousands of attendees and some exciting speakers and solution providers, from Eduardo Briceño, one of the biggest proponents of the growth mindset, to Sally Phillips, an actor with a passion for connecting pupils with SEND." A new esports feature will take place at Bett, allowing educators to see how esports is more than gaming and could in fact be the secret weapon in encouraging learning, promoting teamwork and communication.

Venue ExCeL London Royal Victoria Dock 1 Western Gateway, London E16 1XL. Opening hours Wednesday 23 March - 10:00-18.00 Thursday 24 March - 10:00-20:00 Friday 25 March - 10:00-17:00 Higher Education leaders will also welcome a new co-located event designed just for them – Ahead by Bett, while global education leaders and change makers can convene at Learnit. Places are free for all attendees. Registration is open now at: https://uk.bettshow.com/visitor-registration?utm_source=media_partner&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=pressrelease.

BETT 2022

Issues at Bett 1.University AV teams, we salute you!

Attracting and retaining students remains business-critical for higher education providers.

Against a backdrop of continuing uncertainty, university AV teams must be applauded, and supported. Jonathan Cooper, Sharp NEC Display Solutions Europe sales consultant for higher education, assesses the current situation and how AV managers are addressing the future of education provision.

AV teams within higher education must be applauded. It has been a 2 year long roller-coaster, and it’s not over yet - moving to remote learning one minute, then receiving instruction to get students back on site, with all manner of ‘hybrid’ and ‘blended’ combinations in between. Covid-safety related uncertainties continue, added to which there are component shortages, shipping delays and subsequent long lead times to

contend with . . .

Whilst navigating this uncertain landscape, universities remain firmly committed to maintaining high quality teaching and learning, and the AV provision is a vital enabler to achieving this. Attracting and retaining students in this current climate is business-critical, and universities are pulling out all the stops to reassure prospective students that they are ready to deliver on expectation.

Attracting and retaining students remains business-critical for higher education providers.

2. All change in spending patterns AV managers have had a very important role to play in researching the options available to deliver learning during times of complete and partial lockdown. They have been required to put forward investment plans and procure new technology at very short notice to enable first class learning to be delivered. In addition, lecturers and university staff have had urgent training to develop the skills and knowledge needed to deliver lectures and seminars in new ways. The priorities for spending limited budgets have had to change and some capital projects put on hold, while the realities of providing teaching in an efficient and professional way have been critical.

After the initial need for communicating social distancing measures and safety precautions required for students and staff, educators have had to accelerate their distance / blended learning approaches

with procurement earlier than originally planned. Some education establishments had al-

ready been adopting a more varied range of teaching methods so had some experi-

ence of what worked well and what did not.

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

AV managers have been required to put forward investment plans and procure new technology at very short notice to enable first class learning to be delivered.

3c. Quality experience

3d. Room sensors

High quality audio and video technology ensures the best possible learning experience for all, bridging the gap between distance and face-toface teaching, whilst delivering long-life reliable performance and low cost of ownership. Collaborative tools have become particularly important, and the constant topic of bandwidth is not to be underestimated.

Environmental conditions have become a very important consideration for those physically attending a lesson or lecture, both students and teachers, requiring good ventilation and air quality standards. Keeping doors and windows open has become a common requirement but the colder months need a different approach. To this end, smart displays are spiking interest. Smart displays use sensor technology to monitor environmental parameters and usage stats enabling universities to report on air quality, humidity and room capacity etc. This data enables them to work with their estates teams to improve the learning environment and even synchronise data with building management systems.

Environmental conditions have become a very important consideration for those physically attending a lesson or lecture, both students and teachers, requiring good ventilation and air quality standards. (Image rights: Bettina Ausserhofer)

3.What is required of AV to support all eventualities?

3a. Lecture broadcast

3b. Remote engagement

New requirements have tended to focus on how a lecture is recorded and the ability to bring in subject matter via document cameras or similar devices to aid the lecturer in a pure broadcast situation. The tools used should help the lecturer relax and be able to communicate in an effective way.

Projection equipment which is silent in operation is important to ensure a quality experience for lecture capture where microphones are often installed on the ceiling mount right next to the projector.

For small meeting blended environments with circa 4 students in-person during lessons with others attending remotely, it is important to consider how remote attendees can engage actively in discussions. The set up must support a format which enables students to see their peers during a seminar, whilst managing the ‘event’ to ensure that certain rules of engagement are followed, ie, 10 attendees do not all speak at once.

P23 AV News February 2022

BETT 2022 4.AV Managers are not on their own

mal networking between university AV managers has become more important than ever. Experiences are shared and the good, the bad and the ugly of a possible option can be debated and discussed. The Learning and Teaching Spaces Managers Group (LTSMG) is an active community of higher education AV technologists and learning space designers providing welcome advice and discussion amongst its 400+ members. Sharp/NEC is proud to be working with LTSMG as they influence the development of AV in higher education.

At Sharp/NEC, quality products and industry leading support ensures our customers enjoy maximum ‘up-time’. Alongside this, our dedicated team of education sales specialists and product managers work hard to support customers through the universally challenging landscape of product delays and shortages. Keeping channel

Key Sharp NEC products for higher education

partners, whether distributors 1.Smart touch display for small group collaboration or integration partners, informed regarding product avail- The new NEC WD551 Windows ability is a key element which Collaboration Display supports we take very seriously. In some interactive engagement in cases, this has necessitated small group learning and meetnew products being brought to ing spaces enabling students market swiftly, and finding in- to connect their own laptop or novative ways to keep popular tablet device and interact usproducts rolling, to fill gaps due ing already familiar tools. The to key component shortages beauty of this product is that it which are affecting the whole just works! Its success is in its market. simplicity. Students connect “We expect the Higher Educa- with their peers and mentors, tion AV sector to perform well collaborate with experts and in the coming years and the forge links with industry withrecently announced joint ven- out physical barriers for the ture between Sharp and NEC most enriching learning expeDisplay Solutions will enable riences. us to offer the best solutions In addition, this smart display for the future – in desktop, incorporates IoT room senlarge format displays (with or sors to automatically switch without interactivity), installa- the display on or off, whilst tion projection and dvLED. Our providing vital air quality and accompanying solutions with room occupancy data to feed a SDM computing and RPi also university’s room management provide a compelling offering system, optimising space usfor the AV Managers of today age, and monitoring environand tomorrow.” mental parameters.

The new NEC WD551 Windows Collaboration Display.

2.dvLED large surface displays Direct view LED technology, whilst a relative newcomer, is fast becoming a mainstream technology, with its impressively long-life cycle and low power consumption, it meets the demands of sustainability targets yet delivers more in terms of visual impact.

NEC dvLED solutions are being specified for university campuses for bespoke 4K resolution lecture theatre screens.

In entrance halls with high ambient light levels, NEC FHD 110” dvLED display in portrait orientation is being used to create a high impact welcome for visitors.

Two new value-oriented NEC dvLED ranges (E Series and FE-E Series) bring the latest extended-life technology with Sharp/NEC’s trusted quality to the budget-sensitive education sector. With high brightness,

almost no reflection and deep contrasts, seamlessly scalable to fit the available space in seminar rooms and lecture halls, dvLED offers a compelling opportunity for higher education.

Two new value-oriented NEC dvLED ranges (E Series and FE-E Series) bring the latest extended-life technology with Sharp/ NEC’s trusted quality to the budget-sensitive education sector.

3.Laser projection for lecture halls Continuing to deliver exceptional versatility and maintenance-free performance, the NEC P, PA and PX ranges of laser projectors deliver teaching material in vivid clarity and no disturbance from fan noise with super-silent operation. With brightness options ranging from 5,000 to 20,000 ANSI there is a projector (and lens) combination to suit every learning need.

Projection continues to offer a cost-effective solution for large screen presentations with minimal servicing and great flexibility with interchangeable lenses and edge blending options.

Exclusively for the education sector, conveniently supporting standard refresh programs, Sharp/NEC’s laser projectors and large format displays bring peace of mind with a 5-year warranty.

4.Campus-wide signage for student outreach

Continuing to deliver exceptional versatility and maintenance-free performance, the NEC P, PA and PX ranges of laser projectors deliver teaching material in vivid clarity;

4 P24 AV News February 2022

The latest NEC MESSAGE line up of Large Format Displays supports slot-in options for standards-based communication technologies. Through our partnership with BirdDog we can offer an SDM-based AV streaming signage solution powered by NDI technology meaning it is now much easier to get any source from any room, to anywhere else on campus, or even remotely, meaning many more students can be communicated to in real time.

The latest NEC MESSAGE line up of Large Format Displays supports slot-in options for standards-based communication technologies.

BETT 2022

The Promethean ActivPanel returns to Bett Promethean returns to Bett 2022 with its award-winning ActivPanel on Stand SE51.

Designed specifically for the education market, the Android powered ActivPanel will be available for visitors to explore how its essential preloaded apps equip teachers with powerful tools to engage learners.

From the Instant Whiteboard, to Spinner, Timer, and Annotate, these practical apps help to create dynamic learning experiences for learners of all ages. With the ActivPanel supplied as standard with interactive lesson delivery software, ActivInspire, Stand SE51 will also be the go-to destination

for anyone wanting to learn more about enhancing pedagogy with advanced digital tools.

In addition to on-stand ActivPanel demonstrations, Promethean is welcoming a series of special guest presenters to Stand SE51. A daily programme will address topical subjects such as wellbeing, cooperative learning, and the future of technology in education.

Promethean is also excited to be hosting Chess Kid on-stand, who will be demonstrating how front-of-class displays can empower teachers to implement chess-led learning activities.

Beyond showcasing its leading

ActivPanel display, Promethean is using Bett 2022 as the opportunity to celebrate all that’s positive about education, with its stand designed to help visitors refuel, rejuvenate, and revitalise.

Finally, following the recent launch of its refreshed identity, Promethean will also be using Bett 2022 as the springboard to bring this brand to life at live events.

Visit Promethean on Stand SE51 at Bett 2022 to learn more.

Truly believing that all students deserve the very best start in life, Spire Junior School in Derbyshire has an ethos that is centred around improving student outcomes and transforming learning opportunities.

Prioritising student wellbeing and encouraging class-wide participation through interactive technology, Assistant Head and Year 6 Teacher, Alex Bramley, talks us through the importance of positivity and innovation in the classroom... immersed in exciting projects that have been designed to expand their horizons and as a result, the teachers use the tools and equipment at their disposal to make learning as interesting and engaging as possible.

“As a teacher, I truly believe that positivity and fun should be a fundamental part of each curriculum lesson. The teacher plays a pivotal role, not only in student understanding, but also in the way a student feels about their learning and how they engage with it, because of this I always try to make learn-

discussion of ideas, the absence of this social element posed a risk to student wellbeing. To navigate these challenges, Spire Junior School made it its mission to support regular communication between students. Organising Zoom meetings for students to chat to each other and school-assemblies that helped to boost morale, the school encouraged conversation, involvement and visibility between students and teachers. Coming up with Through the Keyhole style tours of classrooms and getting teachers to take part in Bushtucker Trials, students and teachers were made to feel involved in school-wide activities despite the physical distance between them.

With technology at the heart of his traditional classroom activities, Alex also ensured he kept up the interaction level when students were learning away from the classroom.

“Although unable to use my ActivPanel to the level we were used to, the ActivPanel and accompanying technology formed an integral part of our distance learning strategy. If I was in the classroom, I would record myself on my phone delivering a

are.

Spending a lot of time on digital devices, whether that be for educational or enjoyment purposes, Spire Junior School encouraged distance between screens and promoted daily exercise using educational driven tasks.

Such tasks included Alex’s own innovative idea, ‘Lamppost Orienteering’, that took students out in the fresh air to fulfil curriculum requirements such as number recognition, problem solving, maths, map reading skills and coding. “‘Lamppost Orienteering’ was created by taking a screengrab of a map, which detailed the local area around the school.

I then walked the area and selected a series of lampposts and their corresponding numbers to use, before lacing dots on the map and recording the codes for the answer sheet. These were then shared with the students to go and find the correct answers and codes. This not only helped students to bolster their coding and number skills, but also gave them a new and interesting task to participate in whilst also getting outside in the fresh air.

“Innovation and creating inter-

complete tasks, such as long division, faster than the other.

This competitiveness encourages the students to work together and the ActivPanel perfectly facilitates this. They also sometimes compete with me and we record the results for social media to share with other educators, I’m not ashamed to admit that they often beat me,” commented Alex.

Innovation away from the classroom Playing a significant role in the learning space over the last year, technology was instrumental at Spire Junior School to support students when adjusting to learning from home, maintaining communication between teachers and encouraging wellbeing breaks.

With vibrant classrooms that are environments that bolster student participation and the

lesson using the technology. If I was at home, I was able to use Promethean’s lesson delivery software, ActivInspire to deliver lessons digitally. Using my prepared lesson content, I saved valuable time in the hybrid process and as a result, students were presented with tools they recognised. The platform also has a screen recording functionality, which established the grounds of my teaching methods. Using ActivInspire Screen Recorder, I was able to record my screen and talk students through the key learning points of the lesson as I would usually do in the classroom,” continued Alex.

Engagement has naturally been an issue for students when learning away from the classroom, but Spire Junior School has continued to innovate and inspire students wherever they

esting tasks is a fundamental part of my job as a teacher. With students back in the classroom full time, I am looking forward to embracing technology even further and continuing to drive engagement through positive attitudes and exciting lesson delivery,” concluded Alex.

Forming the backbone of its pedagogical philosophy, technology and positivity are transforming the learning environment for both teachers and students. Using tools that have been designed for the learning space, coupled with a determination to enhance student outcomes, Spire Junior School’s support of its teachers to inspire new and innovative learning experiences has revolutionised lesson delivery and use of technology within the classroom.

Promethean returns to Bett 2022 with its award-winning ActivPanel on Stand SE51.

A pedagogical philosophy of passion and positivity

Aligning curriculum priorities with the ActivPanel Being one of the lucky winners to receive an ActivPanel in Promethean’s nationwide competition, Classroom Stories, Alex’s innovative streak hasn’t stopped there...

With an authentic outcomes driven curriculum, Spire Junior School challenges its students to work creatively, whilst deepening knowledge and understanding through engaging and enriching experiences. All students are encouraged to work towards an end-goal and are

lessons.

“At Spire Junior School, we are always learning and adapting our teaching methods to provide the best classroom experiences for our students. Communicating with our colleagues on social media, we are continually sharing and receiving best practice advice on technology use in lessons to fuel discussion and interactivity,” continued Alex.

Designed specifically for education, the Promethean ActivPanel has proven instrumental in supporting Alex to transform his classroom environment into a connected hub of interactivity.

The functionality of the ActivPanel has enabled teachers at the school to embed further technological experiences into the classroom in a streamlined and effective way. Allowing students to interact with their learning, the ActivPanel has enabled Alex to introduce fun and interesting ways to learn different topics and inspire peer-to-peer collaboration and understanding.

“We regularly initiate split screen challenges in which we’ll have two groups of students who will form a team to

ing interesting and engaging.

Students learn best when they have memorable experiences, fun whilst learning or enjoy taking part in tasks. This method of stimulating curiosity is a core part of my teaching philosophy,” Alex explained.

At Spire Junior School, teachers are supported and inspired to use their intuition, take risks and create innovative experiences. Using classroom technology and having a sense of freedom, teachers are motivated to find new ways of delivering engaging and dynamic

Logitech to showcase education specials at Bett At this year’s Bett show Logitech will be showcasing flagship products from its education portfolio, such as the Rugged Combo 3 Touch iPad keyboard case, its range of digital pencils such as Logitech Crayon and its intelligent AI whiteboard camera, Logitech Scribe. Designed specifically for use in education, these products arm students and teachers with the tools they need to be productive – wherever they are learning.

The integrated Multi Touch

trackpad and keyboard of the Rugged Combo 3 Touch allow students to turn their existing iPads into portable, lightweight laptops – perfect for note taking and collaboration wherever they are. A versatile, pixel-precise digital pencil, Crayon boosts productivity and lets students get creative, whether that’s taking handwritten notes, doodling biology diagrams or marking up digital textbooks.

It is also designed to work with hundreds of apps, so students can start learning, collaborat-

4

ing, and creating on iPad instantly.

Purpose built for hybrid learning; the Logitech Scribe whiteboard camera helps to bring the familiar whiteboard into a hybrid video classroom. The camera captures live content in outstanding clarity, using AI to “ghost” the presenter’s hand so it doesn’t obstruct the content, and smart software enhances marker colours, ensuring every student has the best seat in the classroom.

P25 AV News February 2022

UPDATES

Utelogy acquires CloudThinQ Utelogy, the leading UC, AV & Device management, monitoring and analytics company has announced its acquisition of CloudThinQ, an innovative, Seattle-based provider of IOT and real-time device management for the Enterprise workplace. CloudThinQ has developed a unique cloud-based enterprise IoT platform to intelligently integrate building systems into a flexible and scalable framework for enhanced smart building experiences.

Utelogy has seen dramatic growth of over 280% over the last 12 months and has been focused on delivering its platform to End Users, AV/UC Integrators and Managed Services Providers to remotely manage all types of UC, AV & IT devices in the modern workplace. According to Futuresource Research, the AV Managed Service market alone is set to grow to $4.3b by 2024 and we see this service proposition extending further into the workplace.

Utelogy is deployed globally by customers across Corporate, Investment Banking, Government, Technology and Higher Education. The Utelogy Platform delivers significantly improved user experience, proven long term cost-savings, and provides actionable insights into how technology and real-estate is being engaged and utilized across the entire estate.

The strategic acquisition of CloudThinQ augments the Utelogy proposition and will provide a platform extension that delivers insight, management, and control far beyond the meeting room and classroom and drives value to a wider cross section of stakeholders.

"In a post-pandemic world as employees return to the hybrid workplace our customers are looking to ensure all technology users enjoy a great experience and therefore need a toolset to help increase uptime, monitor and manage technology proactively as well as deliver deep analytics and user insights. With Utelogy’s acquisition of CloudThinQ, our technology will deliver on the combined vision of allowing everyone in the connected workspace to be first class participants," explains Kevin Morrison, CEO of Utelogy.

2021 was a very successful year for Utelogy with triple-digit growth which we are projected to exceed in 2022, highlights Kevin Morrison, CEO of Utelogy. “Bringing these companies together was a natural step in both company’s evolution. We have been working closely with CloudThinQ in the last couple of years and both technically and culturally the fit is perfect. CloudThinQ has

developed compelling technology and their expertise in IOT, AI, cognitive voice and management of real-time edge devices for leading global customers is second to none,” continues Morrison.

As part of the acquisition, Jim Sebring Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of CloudThinQ joins Utelogy as Chief Technology Officer of Utelogy. “We look forward to joining forces with the Utelogy team”, said Jim Sebring, CTO of CloudThinQ. “This acquisition will help Utelogy accelerate its growth and bring exciting opportunities for enabling and managing engaging customer experiences.”

Avocor expands its ecosystem of collaboration partners Avocor has announced its strategic partnership with Miro, the online platform accelerating innovation through visual collaboration, to explore the joint development of an optimised user experience on Avocor Devices.

Through this strategic partnership, Avocor and Miro plan to deliver innovation and industry leadership by solving the complexities of today's new hybrid work environments across interactive displays and visual collaboration. Miro currently works on Avocor devices, and the partnership solidifies their intention to jointly develop an optimized user experience for in-person and hybrid collaboration.

“Hybrid work environments are now more common now than ever before. Organizations of all types are redefining ways of working to ensure team collaboration is highly productive and engaging,” said Kevin Chung, VP of Business Development and Partnerships at Miro. “A new strategic partnership with Avocor, one of the fastest-growing global interactive display companies, helps bridge the gap between online and physical collaboration while providing a truly delightful and interactive Miro experience on Avocor’s devices.”

“The way in which human interaction is facilitated through technology is rapidly changing and at the same time expanding.” said Dana Corey, SVP and GM at Avocor. “It is vital that organizations focus on designing and implementing modalities of interaction/ collaboration that work together to ensure optimal experiences for customers. This is why Avocor, and Miro have partnered in the effort to proactively focus on user experiences that enable instinctual interaction through optimized solution design architecture.”

Avocor and Miro are committed to enabling a seamless and interactive visual collaboration experience, with plans to invest in future enhancements such as pre-installation of the Miro app and one-click launch of Miro on Avocor devices.

P26 AV News February 2022

Utelogy, the leading UC, AV & Device management, monitoring and analytics company has announced its acquisition of CloudThinQ, an innovative, Seattle-based provider of IOT and real-time device management for the Enterprise workplace.

farmerswife announces Cirkus

farmerswife, which provides resource scheduling, project management, and team collaboration software for the demanding needs of today’s media industry, is delighted to announce the immediate availability of Cirkus, its powerful new SaaS task and project management solution. Designed to address the specific project needs of media organisations, the cloud based Cirkus is available as both an integration for farmerswife, or as a standalone product, and has been built to reflect and adapt to the way teams work and collaborate in the real world.

Cirkus can be used by teams and freelancers in remote workflows to make collaboration simple and complete. Rather than using a disparate set of ad hoc tools to communicate between team members and across different organisations, the cross-platform Cirkus centralises the processes ensuring that communication remains seamless throughout the course of a project, planning and tracking all components and keeping everyone in the loop.

Avocor has announced its strategic partnership with Miro, the online With free pricing available for small teams and freelancers, meplatform accelerating innovation through visual collaboration, to ex- dia organisations with complex workflows and large staffing numplore the joint development of an optimised user experience on Avocor bers can leverage Cirkus' premium features at a low monthly cost.

Cirkus allows users to schedule, assign and manage projects and Devices. tasks; track status and report time; and collaborate efficiently with anyone, anywhere by coordinating resources and sharing files in one central hub. Power users can create custom templates, allowing them to reuse and refine successful workflows, instantly improving efficiency and optimising throughput to create a leaner, more agile organisation.

"Cirkus is the culmination of over two decades work developing solutions at the forefront of project management and planning in the media industry," comments farmerswife CEO, Stephen Elliott.

"It reflects the way that companies work, with large internal teams needing to work efficiently and seamlessly with external freelancers and consultants and lets them scale and flex to manage production cycles and optimise workflows and processes throughout their organisation.

NEW SOLUTIONS

Logitech’s cloud-based software expands Logitech has announced a major update to the Sync device management platform, built to support the modern, hybrid workforce.

Sync now supports personal collaboration devices, such as webcams, headsets, and docking stations, making it easy for IT to manage conference rooms and workstations from a single cloudbased interface.

More than half of all global knowledge workers are working remotely, and a majority of workers (83%) prefer a hybrid work arrangement in the future. While a boon for employee satisfaction and productivity, hybrid work brings a host of challenges for IT professionals, including an uptick in remote help tickets, the need to properly equip workers for remote collaboration, and a disconnect between in-office and remote device administration and maintenance.

“Remote work and collaboration tools in many ways saved the global economy and allowed all of us to maintain our productivity through the pandemic. But it also created an enormous problem now that hundreds of millions of people are at home and IT teams have limited to no visibility into tech issues and how to troubleshoot this. This is a potential productivity crisis,” says Scott Wharton, general manager and vice president, Logitech Video Collaboration. “Logitech Sync solves this critical problem by extend-

ing these views of what's happening in the office to the home (or anywhere else), not to mention a whole new frontier of insights and analytics to keep our organisations humming and thriving.”

It's easy for IT to mass enrol their entire fleet of workstations with Logi Tune, while giving IT visibility into device status and enabling end users to personalise their Logitech webcams, headsets, and

Logi Dock.

Sync significantly simplifies IT operations, easing some of the headaches associated with supporting distributed teams. Through a single web-based platform, IT managers can push firmware updates and enable new features to thousands of meeting rooms and millions of personal collaboration devices alike, reducing potential issues before they become trouble tickets and bring productivity to a halt. Sync works across the most popular cloud collaboration platforms like Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Google Meet, so the IT team can get visibility on all of their devices, regardless of which platform they use.

Sync also provides valuable insights, such as meeting room occupancy, to help IT managers make critical data-driven decisions.

As businesses rethink their office spaces, analytics help inform whether they should redesign their spaces to be more collaborative, shrink a large space to huddle room, or--for some facing empty hallways--give up their physical real estate altogether.

Sync's new personal collaboration device management features are available as a public beta globally and free for customers. Request early access to the phased rollout through the Sync Portal.

Lockheed Martin, Amazon and Cisco to Bring Voice Technology and Video Collaboration to the Moon

‘Callisto’ payload with Alexa and Webex for the moon Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) and Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) have teamed up to integrate unique human-machine interface technologies into NASA’s Orion spacecraft, providing an opportunity to learn how future astronauts could benefit from far-field voice technology, AI and tablet-based video collaboration The Callisto technology demonstration will be integrated into NASA’s Orion spacecraft for the agency’s Artemis I uncrewed mission around the Moon and back to Earth. Callisto uses Amazon Alexa and Webex

by Cisco to test and demonstrate commercial technology for deep space voice, video and whiteboarding communications. Lockheed Martin, which designed and built the Orion spacecraft for NASA, is leading the development and integration of the payload.

“Callisto will demonstrate a first-of-its-kind technology that could be used in the future to enable astronauts to be more self-reliant as they explore deep space,” said Lisa Callahan, vice president and general manager of Commercial Civil Space for Lockheed Martin. “Callisto is a shining example of how new partnerships with commercial technologies can be flown on Orion to benefit future human deep space missions.”

Callisto is named after a favourite companion of the Greek goddess Artemis. The payload features a custom hardware and software integration developed by engineers from Lockheed Martin, Amazon and Cisco, and includes innovative technology that allows Alexa to work without an internet connection, and Webex to run on a tablet using NASA’s Deep Space Network.

“The Star Trek computer was part of our original inspiration for Alexa, so it’s exciting and humbling to see our vision for ambient intelligence come to life on board Orion,” said Aaron Rubenson, vice president of Amazon Alexa. “We’re proud to be working with Lockheed Martin to push the limits of voice technology and AI, and we hope Alexa’s role in the mission helps inspire future scientists, astronauts and engineers who will define this next era of space exploration.”

Since Artemis I is an uncrewed mission, Callisto partners have worked with NASA to build a virtual crew experience at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, allowing operators to interact with Callisto from the Mission Control Center. These remote interactions will test and

demonstrate how voice and video collaboration technologies can help astronauts improve efficiency and situational awareness during their mission, providing access to flight status and telemetry, and the ability to control connected devices onboard Orion. Video and audio of the interactions will be transmitted back to Earth many times throughout the Artemis I mission, allowing engineers to analyse the performance of the onboard

“Callisto will demonstrate a first-of-its-kind technology that could be used in the future to enable astronauts to be more self-reliant as they explore deep space,” said Lisa Callahan, vice president and general manager of Commercial Civil Space for Lockheed Martin.

systems while also sharing interactions with the public.

“The future of technology is about igniting human potential whenever and wherever that may be – which will soon extend to the depths of space,” said Jeetu Patel, executive vice president and general manager of Security and Collaboration at Cisco. “Through Callisto, Webex is enabling boundless video communications and collaboration in deep space while helping to provide the next generation with inclusive and immersive technology. This first-ofits-kind solution could one day support future crewed missions, providing face-to-face interaction between crew, command center and loved ones.”

The Callisto technology demonstration will also allow students, families, space enthusiasts and the general public to engage with and virtually “ride along” with the Artemis I mission. They can follow the mission on Alexa-enabled devices by saying “Alexa, take me to the Moon,” and the Webex video collaboration capabilities will offer opportunities for STEM education and remote classroom teaching events.

Artemis I is currently scheduled to launch in early 2022 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, for a multi-week journey around the Moon and back. Artemis I will provide the foundation for future crewed missions to the Moon and deep space and is part of NASA’s goal to land the first woman and first person of color on the lunar surface.

P27 AV News February 2022

IN BUSINESS

Five ecommerce trends for 2022 In the past two years, we have seen e-commerce change and grow to meet the demands of the new Covid-19 world. As we celebrate a New Year, it is vital for all online sellers to look ahead and plan for what is to come. According to e-commerce experts Optiseller, there are five new e-commerce trends that will affect all online sellers in 2022. Optiseller experts say it doesn't matter what platform or marketplace you sell on, these trends can and will affect every aspect of selling online in the year ahead.

1 - Online sales are continuing to increase It's no surprise that the first trend we look at is that online sales are continuing to increase at a rapid rate. According to a survey conducted by Credit Karma, a personal finance start-up, about 70% of Brits say buying online has become their preferred shopping method, up from less than half prior to the coronavirus pandemic.

With the decline of the high street, more and more people are shopping from the comfort of their own homes. The global research from Episerver, which surveyed more than 4,500 shoppers, found that 38% of UK consumers buy online at least once a week, more than any other region surveyed. Closely followed by 26% in the US and 21% in Australia.

Richard Falconer, COO at Optiseller, explains: “These figures are promising and put into context the opportunities that are out there for online sellers. However, sellers need to stand out from their competition as marketplaces are only going to become even more competitive. eBay alone has identified that there were over 100,000 new ‘pandemic start-ups' formed in 2020 during the height of the UK lockdown.” These new businesses have sold over 72 million items across listings to the 29 million eBay shoppers who use the platform every day. Highlighting the need for all sellers to consider their listings, promotions and positioning to stay ahead of the competition.

2 - Mobile shopping is growing rapidly If your site isn't optimised for mobile transactions, you need to step into the 21st century now or you're going to lose out. By the end of 2021 mobile transitions will make 72.9% of the total worldwide e-commerce transition (Statista).

Commonly known as m-commerce, mobile commerce is the process of buying and selling products or services through a mobile, tablet or another hand-held device. And with today's society being mobile obsessed there has never been a better time to be mobile-friendly. According to Ofcom people in the UK check their mobiles every 12 minutes daily, just think of all the traffic and potential customers you could miss out on.

Falconer comments: “Mobile shopping has the very real potential to become the top channel for online purchasing and could change consumer shopping habits forever. According to Insider Intelligence mobile will inch closer to becoming consumers' preferred channel for online shopping within the next five years.

Get ahead of the game and set yourself up for success by being mobile-friendly.”

3 - Social media impacts consumer buying decisions more than ever before Similar to m-commerce, with the growth of social media platforms and the influence culture of today's society, social media is pivotal in the consumer buyer journey. According to GlobalWebIndex, 71% are more likely to purchase products and services based on social media referral alone.

The Deloitte report also noted that consumers who use social media during their shopping process are four times more likely to spend more on purchases than those who do not. This huge figure really hits home how important it is to stay ahead of the trends to ensure that you're reaching your customers and ultimately selling more online.

“You might not think that your products would do well on social media, but the Deloitte report provided some insight into which product categories work best on social media. According to their data, 56% of consumers buying baby products are influenced by social media, compared to 40% for home furnishings, 33% for health and wellness and 32% for car parts and accessories.”

4 - Environmental factors that influence e-commerce With COP-26 recently held in Glasgow, the Earth's future is truly at the forefront of the world's minds. It's no surprise that a research report by PFS and LiveArea, ‘Selling Sustainability: Adapting to the New Conscious Consumer’, found that consumer attention in the UK and Ireland have turned to the sustainability of the buying cycle and the environmental impact associated with their changing shopping habits.

For many consumers, the temporary closure of physical shops has provided the opportunity to reassess and re-evaluate their

P28 AV News February 2022

Calendar UC Expo DTX +UCX

“There has never been a better time to sell on-line. But to succeed, sellers need to put data at the centre of their business operation and keep up with the new e-commerce trends”

shopping habits. More than 37% of shoppers now say that they are more conscious of the environmental impact their online shopping habits have than before the pandemic. Meanwhile, nearly 73% of consumers expect online retailers and brands to use recyclable packaging or minimise their use of packaging.

And according to a study by Deloitte, nearly 1 in 3 customers claim to have stopped purchasing certain products because they had ethical or sustainability-related concerns about them.

These findings really hit home how important sustainably is to consumers and how every seller should consider their environmental impact whether that is choosing recycled packaging or using a low emission courier.

On 27 - 28 April 2022, UCX Manchester will launch alongside its sister show DTX Manchester (the North's biggest digital transformation event), forming the UK's most prominent and relevant enterprise IT event in the North.

Opening times: Wednesday 27 April 09:00 - 17:00 Thursday 28 April 09:00 - 16:00

5 - Supporting local on the up The pandemic saw nearly 50 chain shops close per day in the first half of the year (2021) on the British high streets, retail parks and shopping centres, research shows. This scary reality has promoted the UK to shop local.

According to Shopify, 57% of consumers expressed a willingness to purchase from new and independent businesses for the first time. Whether you are new to selling on-line or have been selling on-line for years using multiple marketplaces, this gives you the confidence to know that if you are an independent business that consumers will purchase from. Gone are the days of people only purchasing from big brands that are well known, everyone has a chance to sell on-line in today's market.

Falconer adds: “To round up, it's clear that the future of e-commerce for 2022 is looking bright with lots of opportunities out there for new and experienced sellers. The trick is to stay ahead of the trends, differentiate from the competition and ultimately sell more on-line. Whether you already sell on eBay or you are thinking of expanding your marketplaces to eBay, there has never been a better time to sell on-line. But to succeed, sellers need to put data at the centre of their business operation and keep up with the new e-commerce trends. As an e-commerce data platform with over 50,000 users in 160 countries, Optiseller help sellers control, manage and monitor their performance as well as grow sales.”

Venue: Manchester Central Windmill Street Manchester M2 3GX

ISE

10-13 May 2022 Fira Barcelona, Gran Vía

UPDATES Continued from page 23

farmerswife announces Cirkus “Evolution is a long and connected path and farmerswife is always evolving and learning, and has been for over 22 years,” he continues. “farmerswife is the proven engine for complex projects and financial management demands, while Cirkus is an elegant and simple

day to day task collaboration for teams. Together, farmerswife and Cirkus solve all your company's needs, end-to-end.”

Cirkus is available for macOS, iOS, Web and Android and pricing starts at free for up to three users. Pro pricing adds more features for up to 100 users,

including resource scheduling and reporting, and starts at £25 per member. A private cloud/on-prem version is also available for those looking for complete control of their data and security.

Unlocking 50% profit margins with ‘bundles’ Rob Hancock, Head of Platform at Giacom explains why the channel (in particular MSPs) needs to consider offering their clients bundled solutions instead of ‘single-solution sells’ to profit.

Over the last 20 months, many SMBs and MSPs have had a tough time, no thanks to the pandemic. Throughout this period, many SMBs have done their upmost best to survive against backbreaking market conditions. But, equally, some MSPs have faced similar growth concerns and challenges, as they’ve strived to support their customers.

One issue that some MSPs may face, is being limited by their lack of solution offerings. Without being able to cater for a wider range of customers and expanding on their expertise, these MSPs will struggle to increase their profitability over time. If we take into consideration that 34 percent of MSPs are kept up at night by concerns over competition, 27 percent are worried about revenue growth, and 23 percent are having sleepless nights over acquiring

new customers; this shows the channel has a lot to think about when comes to growing their businesses.

The market demands complete solutions Today, when SMBs purchase technology from the channel, they tend to start by pointing out they only want an email inbox. But in fact, at that point of sale, there is more opportunity available to MSPs to consult and offer comprehensive solutions. This is because, nowadays, when SMBs develop their technology stacks, they actually need to buy their technology solutions according to the wider demands of the business.

For example, while they might think that an email inbox is all that they need, their requirements are actually greater than this. When buying technology, SMBs don’t fully appreciate this. And, in light of the pandemic, what many SMBs actually require is the capability to adopt new digital ways of working and / or hybrid working – not just in the short term, but long-term too. Further, in a recent

YouGov poll 70% of people predict that workers would "never return to offices at the same rate" post-pandemic. This makes an ongoing case for digital / hybrid working technology.

In these situations, while a single solution sell to pre-pandemic customers might have made sense, supporting the new need for the SMBs’ more complex requirements demands a different kind of proposition and sell. It requires that the MSP market considers providing customers with forms of bundled technology options to offer to their customers, or that they assess how to evolve their existing bundles for more modern ones.

Another factor to consider is the contingent of SMBs that panic bought technology through the pandemic, without realising that their organisations actually need more sophisticated bundled technology solutions (e.g. greater digital transformation/hybrid working). In these cases, MSPs have the opportunity to upgrade their offering to customers and provide bundled solutions instead.

Evolving Networks charge into the IT Channel Managed services provider eacs has become one of the first partners to sign up to the UK's only SD-WAN vendor, Evolving Networks new Channel Partner Program. The collaboration will allow both companies to further their delivery of multi-cloud solutions and data security services across a range of sectors, ensuring optimum solutions for their growing portfolio of customers.

The strategic partnership will see eacs and its customers benefit from Evolving Networks innovative SD-WAN proposition, while Evolving Networks will gain direct access to eacs' expertise in professional and managed IT services.

Nick Toft, Head of Sales at Evolving Networks, stated: “We are delighted to announce eacs as one of our very first Enhanced Partners. They have the right cultural fit, share the same vision and obsession to deliver exceptional customer service and are up for the challenge of taking on the telcos. Our approach will be to take what we've developed over the years and plug it into eacs businesses, thereby enabling each other to deliver huge value to our customers and enhance eacs existing portfolios from day one.

Our partner program provides MSPs such as eacs with the tools to break the stranglehold the big ISPs have on the enterprise. It is an exciting venture for both, and we are looking forward to the new opportunities this partnership will bring to each party."

The Evolving Networks value proposition can be boiled down to three main areas.

• The core technological offering delivering a unique bandwidth aggregation technology incorporating networks underlay, software overlay, hardware, monitoring and orchestration.

• A unique engagement methodology allows businesses to seamlessly migrate away from legacy MPLS providers with a cost effective, de-risked transition; Service management is fundamentally re-engineered by engineering fault tolerance into every solution.

Kevin Timms, CEO at eacs, commented: “Over the last 18 months, organisations have had to accelerate their digital business transformation to enable a modern agile workforce. This has had to be balanced with maintaining user connectivity and productivity with ensuring effective, cloud-compliant security.”

“This alliance offers us and our client's numerous benefits. As a business, we are able to access Evolving Networks' entire ecosystem of services, meaning we can help clients stand their new SD-WAN service up in weeks, not months. Working together, we

are now able to offer clients the only fully integrated, one box Work from Home solution, enabling businesses to extend the SD-WAN benefits of resilience, QoS, and full monitoring to homeworkers. We believe that Evolving Networks business ethos and focus on excellence is very much in line with our own, so we're delighted to be entering into this relationship.”

Bundling can unlock up to 50% profit margins These days, hybrid working bundles are vital. They typically include cloud connectivity, productivity solutions, email security and backup. Anecdotally, the evidence for offering bundled solutions is strong too: for instance, Giacom found that customers can unlock 50 percent profit margins by offering a unique software bundle. They’re not alone either, up to 70% of MSPs are offering ‘service’ bundles of various solutions to customers too (Kaseya’s Global Pricing Survey).

What’s more, thanks to how the cloud has propelled technology forward, it means that SMBs can benefit from enterprise-grade solution-sells in bundle form from MSPs too. In the past, these sort of broader solution sales were thought to be the preserve of the enterprise market. Cloud democratised this and made it possible for CSPs, with strong technology partnerships and roadmaps, to enable MSPs to offer SMB clients powerful technology options (though bundles).

Moreover, since cloud is entirely scalable, bundled propositions can enable MSPs to work with clients to develop their own bespoke technology roadmap, perhaps phasing in different kinds of technology in stages where it makes sense, based on the best of breed technology available to them from their CSPs. With the right supplier relationship in place, CSPs and MSPs can partner effectively and provide flexible service level agreements that work in everyone’s favour. This reduces financial risk, especially for the end customers.

Tied in with the effectiveness of offering bundled solutions to customers is ‘marketing’. As MSPs consider bundled solutions, they

should work closely with their CSPs on the right kind of marketing that is required to sell these solutions too. Bundles can enable MSPs to differentiate themselves in the market, so it will be important to communicate the benefits of these solutions to the market effectively. Which is why MSPs should evaluate how their partner CSPs can support with messaging and positioning to end customers.

Conclusion Aside from market differentiation, packaging more than one software product together from suppliers to offer to the market, can enable MSPs to save money and offer greater price flexibility. This approach could also enhance operational efficiencies (e.g. savings on overhead cost), and help prevent customers from talking to competitor MSPs or tech suppliers.

In addition to this, stringing together compatible cloud solutions in bundles enables MSPs’ to deploy more capable and effective hybrid ways of working for end customers. Customers will benefit from cloud’s accessibility and availability, the collaboration options it offers, as well as flexibility, security and the fact it’s always up to date.

Finally, with the current shift towards solution-based selling, led by bundled propositions, the time is now for MSPs to align with proven CSPs – who can support them on their journey towards bundling not only solutions and sales, but also the profitability into their business.

P29 AV News February 2022

Peoplewatch

PEOPLEWATCH Datapath has announced a trio of new appointments to its global team. For Southern Europe, covering Spain, Portugal and Italy, Datapath welcomes Carmen Jerez as regional sales manager. Based in Madrid, Carmen brings extensive experience in AV technical support and management following a strong history of success at Aplein Ingenieros. Carmen, who also boasts a diploma in Industrial Engineering as well as an MBA in Business Administration, will manage Datapath’s key accounts in the region while expanding its customer base with new opportunities.

Covering France, Benelux and Maghreb territories, Datapath are also pleased to announce the appointment of William Zimmermann as regional sales manager. William brings over 25 years’ experience in technical AV support and account management to the position, including coaching, sales and engineering roles at French distributor Incom.

To coincide with these new appointments, Datapath sales

stalwart Andy Lee has been promoted to senior international sales manager, supporting the company’s management and development of OEM, distribution and developing strategic customer relationships throughout the EMEA and APAC regions. Phillip Davenport, Director of Sales and Operations (EMEA) for Datapath spoke of his optimism for the year ahead following the new appointments: “We are delighted to announce these key positions as we enter a new year. With the arrival of Carmen and William, we have reinforced our presence in two key European territories and, with the worst of the pandemic now looking like it’s behind us, we are excited to have a strong team in place to further deliver our latest Aetria solutions to the European market.”

He added: “Working alongside Andy, we have a superb team of industry professionals in place and, together, we look forward to the future with great optimism.”

good fortune to attend many gigs from a young age. This inspired a very strong interest in the music industry both on the creative and technical side, so this is a fantastic opportunity for me to develop a wide range of skills in the perfect environment. I’m really looking forward to the chal-

a standout candidate for this role. He has already demonstrated a ready willingness to learn and a strong aptitude for the technical nature of the job. His college study in music technology, allied with practical experience gained from volunteering as a sound engineer for many charity events, gives him a very solid grounding.

Jack’s appointment reflects the fact that our workload is rapidly increasing after some very challenging times, and we’re delighted to have taken on a team member with such great potential.”

Jack Robson adds: “I grew up around music and have had the

P30 AV News February 2022

DTEN has announced a whole host of new appointments for 2022, including those of Jan Mettner and Jaap Swaminathan. Jan Mettner joins DTEN as Sales Solution Engineer EMEA. Jan provides years of experience in the AV, UC and IT business and has sold and serviced solutions from Zoom, Cisco, StarLeaf, and Microsoft.

In addition, Jan has significant experience in the creation of large video infrastructure installations for major brands in the automotive and home-appliance-industry.

Jaap Swaminathan joins DTEN as Sales Executive - DACH & Benelux. Jaap has over ten years of channel sales experience in IT/Telecommunications and Video Conferencing through his network of AV, IT & UC distributors and vendors.

These additional hires come

hot on the heels of other recent DTEN EMEA roles, announced with Romain Vital as Country Manager for France and Southern Europe and Lydie Cassabois as Sales and Operations support for DTEN distribution partners across the EMEA region.

Doug Remington, General Manager for DTEN EMEA. confirmed: “We are very excited to announce these recent additions to the DTEN team. Our growth in 2021 across EMEA and globally has been phenomenal, and our expectations for 2022 are also significant. It was therefore essential that we are able to provide all our customers and the channel with the correct level of support to match our sales growth. I believe that these hires demonstrate our commitment to these expectations and keeping that high level of service.”

Bradford-based Pro Audio Systems (PAS) have announced the recruitment of Jack Robson to the post of Trainee Hire Technician.

Digital Nirvana has announced that it has hired Tom Moniak as director of sales. Digital Nirvana created the position in response to the company's growth and expansion. Moniak is responsible for sales to media and entertainment clients in the United States. “Tom has served clients in every aspect of production and delivery in the M&E space and has strong relationships across the localization, media

Datapath welcomes Carmen Jerez as regional sales manager. Based in Madrid, Carmen brings extensive experience in AV technical support and management following a strong history of success at Aplein Ingenieros.

Bradford-based Pro Audio Systems (PAS) have announced the recruitment of Jack Robson to the post of Trainee Hire Technician. Jack studied Music Technology at Huddersfield New College and joins PAS to help deal with an ever-increasing workload in its busy warehouse.

As well as assisting with preparation and maintenance of hire stock, Jack will be trained in a full range of technical and customer-facing tasks, working from a grass-roots role towards taking an active part in every aspect of event delivery.

Joel Sheldon, Hire Manager at Pro Audio Systems welcomes Jack to the team: “Jack was

lenge.”

For more than thirty years, Pro Audio Systems has supplied professional audio, lighting and video for sales, hire and installation, offering bespoke system design and comprehensive technical support to a wide variety of clients.

Tom Moniak, Director of Sales at Digital Nirvana production services, advertising, gaming, and software development communities and with Fortune 500 companies,” said Russell Wise, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Digital Nirvana. “That mix of experience makes us better able to serve customers and prospects in postproduction environments and lays the groundwork for our continued growth in the U.S.” Moniak is an accomplished sales leader who has held several senior sales, marketing, and business development roles throughout his career. Prior to joining

Digital Nirvana, he was the U.S. director of business development for brand localization solution provider Blend, where he managed all aspects of customer business relationships.

Before that, Moniak spent three years at Deluxe Entertainment Services Group, first working directly with media producers and content owners as an account manager, global client strategy, and then as an account director, global strategic partnerships. During that time, he sold Deluxe's new SaaS solution to the media and entertainment industry. Among his other roles, Moniak has served as a sales and marketing strategy consultant for a tech startup, USA director of business development for app marketing agency and mobile ad network Appromoters, and director of sales for app monetization network AppTap. “I'm here to help clients better navigate change for sustainable development and growth,” said Moniak. “I'm ready to dig in and collaborate with U.S. media and entertainment companies to help improve operational efficiencies, ensure compliance, reduce costs, and expand revenue streams with Digital Nirvana's comprehensive and flexible solutions.”

Moniak is based in Los Angeles and reports to Wise.

DTEN has announced a whole host of new appointments for 2022, including those of Jan Mettner and Jaap Swaminathan.

Ross Burling, a leading authority on the LED display solutions sector, has returned to Absen to fill in the newly created role of industry development director for OOH and sports. Burling – whose industry experience includes more than 20 years in the LED market – re-joins the

global LED display manufacturer with immediate effect, having previously served as the company’s business development manager for the UK, Republic of Ireland and Nordics.

In his new role, Burling will be an integral member of Absen’s Global Cooperation Department

Peoplewatch

PEOPLEWATCH (GCD), a group of international specialists tasked with building awareness of and delivering Absen solutions in key vertical markets.

“The opportunity to be part of the GCD team in a new European role was too good to miss.

With my previous knowledge and experience of working for

and the best people in the LED solutions industry”. As a member of Absen’s GCD team, Burling’s primary objectives will be collating market-specific information, working closely with the global key accounts team and other partners, and supporting Absen’s European regional business units to de-

the leading global LED vendor that is Absen, I had to say yes to this role,” comments Burling, who recently worked for UK systems integrator Concept Sign & Display Group as director of business development.

“Absen has an industry leading product portfolio with solutions for all recognised vertical markets, an experienced and expanding team in Europe, a strong service and support offering and tracked success in distribution, channel and direct sales.”

Burling’s CV includes major LED installations in retail, leisure, corporate, transportation and stadia environments.

He says he will bring his substantial expertise in the sports and out-of-home verticals to his new role at Absen, which is home to “the best products

liver the company’s industry leading LED solutions. Based in the UK, he will report to Ruben Rengel, Absen’s senior vice-president of global business development.

“We are delighted to welcome Ross back to Absen, where his expertise and experience will be invaluable in driving growth across sports and OOH and supporting our customers in those markets,” says Rengel.

“Working with both internal and external partners, Ross will play an important role in helping to deliver our solutions to clients across Europe.” Burling joins industry development directors, Christian Czimny (product), Ben Phelps (retail) and Philippe Poppe (corporate), who form Absen Europe’s GCD team.

Exertis has announced the appointment of Kim Lonas as Global Diversity & Inclusion Programme Lead. Lonas will report directly into Tim Griffin, DCC Technology & Exertis Group Managing Director.

In this newly created position, Lonas will drive the development of Exertis’ Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) strategy. This involves evangelising and project managing the strategy implementation across the division, whilst ensuring ownership and accountability is embedded within each business through the leadership teams and the Global Diversity & Inclusion Council. Lonas will play a key role in actively encouraging broader cultural and positive change with particular focus on how the business serves underrepresented groups and ensuring every voice is heard.

Lonas’ most recent role was HR Director, Exertis North America.

Lonas has been at Exertis North America (previously Stampede) for six years and is based in

Buffalo. Since joining Exertis North America, Lonas has been active in driving the D&I agenda and has been a contributing member of AVIXA’s Diversity Council for the past three and a half years. Lonas is co-lead for DCC’s Inclusion & Diversity project workstream and cochair of the AVIXA Women’s Council of Western New York.

Tim Griffin, DCC Technology & Exertis Group Managing Director, said: “This is a crucial role and will prove to be a catalyst for accelerating our journey towards an even more equitable, diverse and inclusive workplace, where everyone can unleash their full potential.

I am delighted to have Kim take on this challenge from North America, reflecting our ever-increasing international business.”

Kim Lonas, Global Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Programme Lead, said, “I am honoured and excited to become the first person to assume the position of Global Diversity & Inclusion

bring to decision-makers, consultants and end-users - and explain how the brand differentiates from the competition, whilst applying its philosophy to everything I do.”

Onur will report to TIG's Regional Sales Director for Eastern Europe and Russia, Serge Philippo, who comments: “We're so excited to welcome

Onur to the team. Everything he does oozes his passion for AV technology, and he brings with him a superb network which will be an asset in helping us to grow Crestron's presence in Turkey. His appointment will enable us to offer increased support for local customers and we're excited to see where 2022 will take us!”

Vivitek, a leading provider of visual presentation and collaboration solutions, has announced it has bolstered its UK sales team with the appointment of Peter Miller as Key Account Manager, North England and Scotland. Peter brings 22 years of AV experience to his new role, which will be invaluable in helping him to further Vivitek’s presence in those territories. Peter’s responsibilities include promoting the full range of Vivitek and Delta Display solutions by engaging regularly with Vivitek’s reseller/ integrator partners. He will also assist projects through the provision of product details, pricing and demonstrations

Vivitek’s flourishing dealer network.

Commenting on his appointment, Peter said: “I have had the pleasure of working in the Audio Visual Industry in the UK for the past 22 years with the first 14 years as a reseller and the last eight years in Distribution. This has allowed me to gain extensive knowledge of AV technologies and enjoy strong relationships which I will continue to develop at Vivitek. I am very excited to start this new journey with Vivitek, promoting its comprehensive, high-quality portfolio while working with a fantastic and experienced team.”

Holger Graeff, General Manag-

of Vivitek’s Novo Ecosystem and Digital Signage solutions.

In addition to working closely with Vivitek’s distribution account managers, Peter will be present at roadshows hosted

by Vivitek, as well as events arranged by Vivitek’s partners and AV industry trade shows.

Peter’s role is effective immediately.

Previously, Peter held positions at Exertis UK and Medium UK, and as an experienced Business Development Manager, he already has close and long-standing relationships with Audio Visual Integrators and Resellers in Scotland and the north of England. Peter’s deep understanding of the needs and demands of the market ensures that he is well placed to further develop

er, Vivitek EMEA, added: “We’re thrilled with the increasing demand that Vivitek’s solutions are enjoying across the United Kingdom. Therefore, we’re very happy to have Peter on board to channel his experience into meeting customers’ needs. Peter joins us with a wealth of experience from the AV channel and brings invaluable relationships with resellers in the north of England and Scotland, and he’ll be central to realising our growth plans in those regions.

Despite the challenges last year presented, Vivitek enjoyed strong sales in 2021 and Peter’s appointment this year will help us to continue to grow by providing additional focus and attention at the reseller level.”

Exertis has announced the appointment of Kim Lonas as Global Diversity & Inclusion Programme Lead Program Lead for the Exertis Group. The creation of this new position within the company is a testament to Exertis’ com-

mitment to make diversity and inclusion a core part of our corporate culture.”

Technological Innovations Group (TIG), the exclusive sales agency for Crestron in EMEA which offers industry-leading support to integrators, consultants and end-users, is expanding its sales team in Turkey with the appointment of Onur Esame.

Onur joins the team as Sales Engineer and will work to grow the existing Crestron dealer network in the region by motivating and inspiring customers with his impressive technical knowledge and industry exper-

tise.

On his appointment, he comments: “I was very excited to hear that TIG was looking for a local Crestron Sales Engineer in Turkey! Having worked in the AV industry for 10 years, this a great opportunity for me as it marks the perfect next step in my career.”

“I'm keen to offer my knowledge to existing and prospect dealers and work closely with them to showcase the benefits Crestron's unique solutions can

Technological Innovations Group (TIG), the exclusive sales agency for Crestron in EMEA which offers industry-leading support to integrators, consultants and end-users, is expanding its sales team in Turkey with the appointment of Onur Esame.

4

P31 AV News February 2022

Stop Press Global debut of Google Meet series one by Avocor Clear-Com brings mew solutions to Prolight + Avocor, is exhibiting several ing spaces and a personal classroom, meeting room and Sound Guangzhou 2022 new innovations at ISE 2022 device for your desktop – ele- huddle space applications. including the full Google Meet Series One product portfolio.

ISE will be the first time, since the strategic partnership with Google was announced in August 2021, that both products will be showcased side-by-side.

“ISE is the meeting place for the brightest ideas, smartest people, and most life-changing innovations to come together a create real, direction change in

vating the ability to see, hear and participate from anywhere - helping customers to connect and succeed in the evolved modern workplace.”

Series One products will also be on show at the Google booth 2G220.

Visitors to the Avocor booth will also see its recently launched E Series and the Teams-certified W Series. Available in four

The W Series is ideal for focus and small meeting rooms, corporate and home offices. Both the Teams-certified 65" WCD AVW-6555 and the all-in-one AVW-5555 interactive touch screens offer an integrated, high-quality conference camera with a microphone array and audio optimized for use with UC platforms, including Microsoft Teams and Zoom.

every market sector. We can’t wait to debut Google Meet Series One at ISE 2022 in Barcelona.” Said Scott Hix, CEO, Avocor. “With Google Meet Series One Desk 27 and Board 65, we’re now able to offer everyone meeting equity through shared devices for team meet-

sizes, ranging from 55” to 86”, the E Series features optically bonded glass in a 4K IR interactive display format. This impressive combination delivers a smooth, leading-edge touch technology display solution at an exceptional value – and is ideal for all sizes of office,

PPDS becomes team supplier for RBR

Displays tracking shows solid rebound PMA Research (PMA), the worldwide market information experts on large displays, has published their latest All-Displays sell-through tracking report on professional large-format flat panel displays (32” and larger) and professional projectors (above 500 lumens) being sold by leading U.S. Distributors who serve commercial markets.

Combined professional projector and flat panel display unit sales and revenues through distribution both rose 5% over the third quarter of 2021. When compared to 2020Q4, units and revenues grew 29% and 32% respectively. This uptick

growth.

Fourth quarter sales are typically focused on consumer televisions and home theatres.

This year, professional display sales were also strong as manufacturers tried to fulfil on the unprecedented high volume of display backorders. K12 education backorders for iFPDs and ultra-short-throw projectors were delivered through well into the fourth quarter, long past the typical education buying season. This pushed 4Q revenues ahead of the previous two quarters, and very close to pre-pandemic 4Q2019 levels.

Demand outstripped supply again this quarter for both projectors and flat panel displays.

Combined professional projector and flat panel display unit sales and revenues through distribution both rose 5% over the third quarter of 2021. can be attributed to an increase in interactive flat panel display (iFPDs) sales, and to increased sales of +10000 lumen laser projectors both of which added substantially to the revenue

End users were eager to purchase any inventory available.

This included many premium products with larger price tags, such as +6000L laser projectors, 24/7 and commercial-grade LCD displays.

P32 AV News February 2022

PPDS, the exclusive global provider of Philips digital signage, LED displays and professional TV solutions, is thrilled to announce its relationship with the team behind the reigning Formula One World Drivers’ Championship winner, to become an official Red Bull Racing (RBR) Team Supplier.

Aligned in their ambitions to lead from the front, this ex-

citing new collaboration sees the global professional display provider delivering across its portfolio of products, with professional displays and monitors on tour with the team throughout the season.

Far from a traditional supply deal, today’s announcement follows extensive collaboration and meticulous proof of concept testing throughout 2021 – a year when RBR’s Max Verstappen secured the team’s first Drivers’ Championship since 2013 – with PPDS’ range of Philips professional displays and solutions outpacing the competition to become the standout partner of choice for RBR’s VIP hospitality needs.

Ron Cottaar, Marketing Director at PPDS, commented: “We’re proud and excited to have be-

Clear-Com will be attending Prolight + Sound Guangzhou (PLSG) this year, exhibiting in Hall 4.2 on Stand A05 from February 22 – 25. Recognized as the largest entertainment and ProAV tradeshow in China, PLSG has become a key driver of growth, collaboration and technical development in one of Clear-Com’s core market areas. As the market leader in intercom technology for all types of live performances, ClearCom is excited to be bringing its latest innovations—Arcadia Central Station and FreeSpeak Edge Base Station—as well its trusted, market-proven solutions.

“We are especially excited to attend this show as live events have begun to come back online,” comments Jeffrey Wu, Clear-Com’s Regional Sales Manager and Chief Representative for China. “Clear-Com products have been critical to the live market for over 50 years, but we are still developing new and innovative products that we know will be welcomed by the attendees of this show.”

Featured on the stand will be

come an official Team Supplier of Red Bull Racing who, like PPDS, understand the true value and benefits of having deeply aligned, close working partnerships in order to achieve goals. We have worked to fully understand RBR’s deepest needs from their display portfolio – identifying and, for the LED wall, building from scratch, solutions that not only

match their visions and ambitions, but surpass them. We can’t wait for the new season to get started.”

Building on PPDS’ sponsorships on the sporting stage, next to partnerships with the likes of the reigning champions of English Premiership Rugby Union, Harlequins, this latest relationship sees sixty Philips professional displays and monitors used by the RBR trackside hospitality team during all 23 x Grand Prix race events throughout the 2022 FIA World Championship Season, beginning in Bahrain (March 18-20).

Fulfilling RBR’s ambitions to offer unrivalled, beyond-the-grandstand, VIP hospitality experiences for the 2022 Championship season, a suite of Philips professional

the new, award-winning Arcadia Central Station, a scalable IP intercom platform that integrates wired and digital wireless party line systems along with third-party Dante devices in a single rack unit. From the largest theatre stage to a corporate launch to the largest and most complex live events, Arcadia is ideally suited for a wide variety of applications, including those looking to integrate their wired and wireless solutions into a single, seamless system. The system scales to meet varying production needs, offering a base-level of 32 IP ports which can be expanded to up to 96 IP ports as needed.

Also on the stand will be the FreeSpeak Edge Base Station, an IP base station that supports the full range of FreeSpeak digital wireless intercom solutions encompassing multiple wireless frequency bands, as well as third-party Dante devices.

Designed for quick deployment, users can be up and running with a transceiver and two beltpacks in less than five minutes. Other user-friendly features include a default system set-up right out of the box, the

displays will now feature inside the stylish Red Bull Racing Paddock Club™, bringing F1 enthusiasts closer-than-ever to the action.

Housed above the team garages and pit lane, typically overlooking the start/finish straight, the Red Bull Racing Paddock Club™ will include PPDS’ market-leading Chromecast builtin Philips MediaSuite (x4) and Philips B-line (x2) professional TVs – providing live 4K UHD coverage of the race, access to exclusive behind the scenes content, coverage links to the RBR pit lane, and audio feeds from the drivers and crew.

Guests are also able to virtually experience racing around the track for themselves, in RBR racing simulators equipped with powerful gaming monitors from sister company, AOC. Taking centre stage in the RBR Paddock Club, will be an imposing 10m², 1.5mm pixel pitch, Philips L-Line 9000 UHD direct view LED display, creating a truly immersive and engaging indoor visual experience. Measuring 4.85 m wide, and 2.05 m high, the 48 cabinet, 8 x 6 LED wall eliminates pressures and challenges surrounding lengthy installation and deinstallation times for the RBR team, with the entire solution built into two bespoke, highly durable flight cases.

Designed by PPDS and manufactured by Dutch firm, AMPCO Flashlight B.V, the unique mounting mechanism allows two folded, half screens to seamlessly join together, giving the appearance of a single surface, while the cases allow safe and secure transportation.

Martijn van der Woude, Director International Business Development at PPDS, commented:

ability to add transceivers on the fly from the front panel, and to add beltpacks via USB—all features result in a system that Some of the company’s most popular products will also be featured on the stand, including the Agent-IC mobile app for iOS and Android devices, which has seen an uptick in adoption due to the rise in remote production workflows.

When connected to Eclipse HX IP-capable matrices or LQ® Interfaces, Agent-IC can quickly and cost-effectively extend communications access to any remote location and is ideally suited for scenarios where key contributors of a live production are required to be remote from the main event.

Additional products include FreeSpeak II® Digital Wireless intercom, a five-channel, full-duplex wireless solution, HelixNet® Digital Network Partyline, DX410 Digital Wireless two-channel intercom system and Clear-Com’s Encore® Analog Partyline MS-702 main station—all proven solutions for the live market.

“When it comes to F1, every second counts, both on and off the track. A giant LED wall that needs to be installed 23 times a season in a busy, time and space restricted environment may have seemed like a non-starter for some. However, at PPDS, this is just the type of challenge our teams enjoy rising to – a challenge that, working together with our partners, we were able to overcome, ensuring RBR guests are engaged with the most immersive, high quality and visual race day experience available anywhere in the F1™ Paddock Club.”

Bringing the benefits of this new sponsorship to its partners, PPDS will shortly be launching a brand-new partner programme incentive, offering a number of personalised money-can’t-buy F1 experiences.

Ron Cottaar concluded: “With TV audiences topping more than 400 million in 2021, the appetite for F1 continues to grow, and there’s nothing quite like experiencing the sound of the engines and the roar of the crowds in person. We’ll be sharing some of the benefits of this incredible relationship with of our partners, the details of which will be announced soon, so stay tuned!”