AV News April 2023

The direct channel to the industry

Midwich launches Mi Finance

Mi Finance is a financial service that supports customers’ business growth through help in acquiring new technologies, or upgrading assets while protecting their working capital. Available to customers of Midwich Ltd, Nimans Ltd and Sound Technology Ltd, and with plans to roll out to the wider UK&I group of companies soon, Mi Finance offers competitive rates for lease and hire purchases. Three product options are currently available, including finance lease, hire purchase, and operating lease, with a fourth product in development.

Simon Munday, Mi Finance manager, said: “We are really excited to bring this proposition to market. We are constantly looking at ways to increase our service offering and Mi Finance is our answer. We work as an extension to our customer’s team –taking the administration out of their hands, offering quotations, managing proposal acceptances, completing documents, and arranging swift payments – so they don’t have to. The service is also available as an offering to facilitate transactions with their end client.”

Leasing has grown in popularity with recent figures by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) stating “that total asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase)

grew in January 2023 by 8% compared with the same month in 2022. In the twelve months to January 2023, new business was 6% higher than in the same period in 2022”.

Louise Nevard, Director (Credit at Midwich UK&I) added: “It’s great to be able to offer Mi Finance to our customers and work with the experienced and knowledgeable team at Nimans. They’ve got a proven track record of delivering results and to have them leading our Mi Finance proposition is fantastic. Using the team’s experience means that we can expand on our previous leasing services, which we launched in 2018, to provide the support our customers need.”

Edtech: big ideas, small budgets!

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Kids in tinfoil Crowns, interesting edtech innovations, upgrades to displays and networks.

Higher education and advances in technology

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In this Q& A, Andrew Bissett (AB), Country Manager - UK&I, Nordics & Africa at DTEN, looks at the impact of technological advances on higher education.

LMG launches ‘SenseIQ’ for smart buildings

LMG has announced the launch a complete IoT services solution, SenseIQ. SenseIQ enables organisations to connect and unify buildings with people and technology, achieving maximum visibility of key building data such as occupancy, air quality and power usage The all-in-one solution includes installation and maintenance of :a wide range of physical sensors wireless gateways. Cellular or LAN based backhaul connectivity are options with cloud-based software platform for analysing and visualising the data in real time over a 3D building render A wide variety of physical sen-

sors feed into IoT gateways, centralising the data either on the user’s network or in the cloud. This allows building owners to monitor temperature, humidity, indoor air quality (IAQ), zoneby-zone power usage, as well as occupancy and space utilisation via a variety of IoT sensors. The SenseIQ hardware – sensors, gateways and backhaul connectivity – is simple to install and seamlessly integrates with the cloud-based software. Providing a cohesive interface for SenseIQ, LMG’s software platform is designed to provide an accessible intuitive dashboard for users - allowing them continued on page 2

Bolton-based integrator wins with F1 Arcade.

Bolton-based AV integrator

TVC Technology Solutions, has brought its smart display technology to London’s most exciting new social racing experience, the F1 Arcade. This first-of-itskind premium experiential venue brings the excitement and emotion of the sport from the circuit to the heart of the city. TVC Technology Solutions, part of the TVD Group, partnered with Kindred Concepts, a brand-new global venture created to develop experiential leisure concepts, on behalf of Formula 1. The F1 Arcade in the heart of the City of London offers a best-in-class

Key to the F1 Arcade project was creating a fully immersive sensory AV experience that recreates all the noise, splendour, and excitement of F1 racing. The zoning of the audio was critical, from the world-building entrance that sets the scene with LED strip lighting and sounds of F1 engines, to the party atmosphere of the DJ booth and bar. To support the 60-strong line-up of motion F1 simulators, TVC was tasked with enhancing the social and competitive element of F1 Arcade with multiple large-

full-motion simulator racing experience designed to convey all continued on page 2

the speed and thrills of F1 motor racing.

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LMG launches ‘SenseIQ’ for smart buildings

to analyse, view and manage all building data from one central hub, controlling all of their IoT inputs from a web browser or a mobile app. The software is also able to integrate with users’ existing building management applications, to ensure a unified, connected operation throughout the building. The SenseIQ dashboard is built around a detailed 3D render of the user’s building, allowing maximum visibility of every data point from every device, in every location. This data provides complete clarity as to how the building is performing against certifications, such as the WELL Building Standard, in real time.

Mike Hook, Executive Director at LMG, comments: “Demand for the insight into building performance that IoT tech provides is growing rapidly in the aftermath of the pandemic. Both landlords and tenants need to be reassured that their workspaces are healthy, safe and sustainable, and with the recent unprecedented increase in energy prices, are performing as efficiently as possible. However,

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it’s very easy for building control and maintenance to become siloed and disconnected, thereby wasting resources, money, energy and ultimately ruining the experience for occupants.”

“That’s why SenseIQ is designed as one simple, complete package, focused on hard commercial and UX benefits. It’s all about saving building owners and operators time and money, and allowing them to make better decisions for their spaces and occupants in the long term. Our software, powered by IM&M, places enormous data analytic capability at your fingertips - without the restrictions of technical and installation complexity. It’s sophisticated enough, for example, to provide a cost-per-desk breakdown of energy usage in any given area. And yet, it’s accessible and flexible enough that a layperson can easily navigate the dashboard and gain immense insight into how the building is performing, in real-time. SenseIQ is entirely scalable, offering as much or as little detail as you need.”

Bolton-based integrator wins with F1 Arcade.

screen TVs, a multi-zone audio system and an attention-grabbing LED video wall display.

Devised by Adam Breeden, the man behind London’s most popular entertainment venues, including Flight Club, Puttshack and Bounce, the F1 Arcade is the first immersive state-of-theart racing simulation venue in full association with the Formula 1 motorsport brand. The F1 Arcade joins a growing list of high-profile AV projects for TVC Technology Solutions. Lucia Maguire, Managing Director at TVD Group, commented, “We came highly recommended to Kindred Concepts after one of the key stakeholders was involved in a previous leisure project we worked on at Puttshack, Watford. Our expertise in delivering amazing results in experiential leisure venues over the past 27 years, along with our buying power and team of experienced engineers, meant that we were ideally placed to lead the AV installation for this prestigious central London protect.”

The project involved strict deadlines, working alongside and often around other trades and the logistical challenges of the central London site. There were also strict regulations on noise levels – both during the work and when the venue is up and running. With offices above the main location and buildings attached either side, the audio system was carefully designed to deliver high SPL entertainment in the main areas while keeping acoustic leakage to a strictly controlled minimum.

TVC placed a senior engineer onsite to lead the project from

Sports Direct flagship store powered by inurface media

Sports Direct has opened its five-floor Manchester as its flagship store, powered by inurface media’s innovative AV solutions. The extravaganza of displays, LEDs, and interactive tech has transformed the retail unit into an awe-inspiring experiential shopping hub, creating the ultimate destination for consumers. Within the store, consumers can form a deeper connection with Sports Direct and the individual brands within the store using interactive AV solutions.

start to finish, trusted contractors, and the support of the office-based TVC Projects team who managed the supply chain and scheduling throughout. TVC is a division of the TVD Group, which has recently become employee owned, and is a leading UK provider in audio visual solutions on both commercial and domestic fronts.

In keeping with the themed venue concept, the installed AV and display technologies needed to allow game participants and spectators to fully engage in the F1 Arcade Hub, interactively accessing games, purchase exclusive products and access VIP experiences. The AV install list includes displays for in-game telemetry, pit wall screens showing race data, and a large LED video wall at the top of the internal stairs. In addition to the F1 action, the installation also involved large commercial and LED displays for live 4K feed content from Sky and BT Sports channels around the venue, and an eye-catching LG 86” UHD large screen display in the prestigious private dining area.

The resulting venue has set the blueprint for F1’s roll-out of F1 Arcade’s globally, with TVC advising on the imminent USA venue project. “The F1 Arcade has been an amazing project to work on,” adds Lucia, “and we feel very proud to have been an integral part of bringing this ground-breaking concept to life. The venue looks, sounds and feels spectacular, bristling with the excitement, noise and passion of F1 racing.”

The installation features an impressive 104 individual displays - 29 LCD and 68 LED displays, including the largest fixed indoor screen within a retail store in Manchester! Further adding to the impressive mix so far, the store also contains– 181sqm of LEDs, which is almost enough to fill an entire singles tennis court, as well as five interactive tablets, two projectors, and interactive jump booths. A 22.5sqm COB LED archway welcomes consumers into the store, followed by LED rafts and tickers - the displays comprise 35,841,664 LED pixels, providing a jaw-dropping visual experience. inurface has worked with Sports Direct to create a unique, market-leading destination. The aim of the installation is to engage and inspire consumers, creating a retail experience unlike any other in Manchester. Working in collaboration with design agencies The One Off and EB Designs, we have worked directly with sporting and lifestyle brands including Under Armour, Puma, Adidas, and GAME to provide a mix of AV solutions. “We also worked directly with Nike to provide interactive activations, like the jump booth –originally created for the Sports Direct Oxford Street Flagship,” inurface media’s sister company, We Are Xi, have installed 2 interactive experiences in the store to encourage direct customer and brand engagement.

Clear-Com Senior regional sales Southern Europe

Clear-Com has announced the appointment of Nicola Milburn as Senior Regional Sales Manager for Southern Europe.

Nicola brings 16 years of technical sales experience and a background in test engineering across a broad range of markets to her new role at Clear-Com.

Nicola previously spent ten years as Regional Sales Manager for UK and Europe at PHABRIX, where she focused on the Broadcast sector and helped transition customers to IP-based systems, often doing the training and demos herself.

“Nicola’s unique dual experience as both an engineer and salesperson makes her a valuable asset to Clear-Com,” said Richard Palmer, Director of Sales for Europe, Middle East, and Africa. “We are pleased to have her aboard to help us

strengthen our business in Southern Europe and Benelux.”

Nicola is eager to begin representing the Clear-Com brand and supporting partners to develop customized solutions for customers.

“Being involved in so many different types of applications and systems is so fascinating to me,” Nicola says. “Every single one is a different workflow, and I look forward to the challenge of

finding the right fit for each set of requirements. Clear-Com has such a good history of being the first in something, of innovating from an engineering perspective. I’m excited to be here.”

Nicola holds a HNC in Electrical & Electrical Engineering from Exeter College. She is also an

Ambassador for STEM, volunteers with the Rise Up Academy, and was shortlisted in the Sales Category for the 2022 Rise Awards. In her spare time, she loves outdoor adventures with her husband and their Jack Russell mix rescue dog, Kingston.

The Sports Direct installation features an impressive 104 individual displays - 29 LCD and 68 LED displays, including the largest fixed indoor screen within a retail store in Manchester.

Digital signage

BrightSign signage drives internal comms at BMW

BrightSign has announced that the company’s media players are driving internal communications at BMW Group. The BMW Group is a company on the move. With a longstanding reputation for innovation, it is now also undergoing a radical shift to carbon-neutral production and a digital transformation of its sales and marketing functions.

Inspiring its global employees to travel with it on this fast-paced and exciting journey requires internal communications systems that are effective, flexible, robust and scalable. Fortunately, the company has had a worldwide network of BrightSign digital signage systems in place across its offices and production locations for almost a decade to help stay in touch with them. This network continues to grow rapidly.

BMW Group currently has a large number of active BrightSign media players in its plants and offices around the world, and the level of investment has continued at a steady rate. Commenting on the project, Pierre Gillet, Vice President of International Sales at BrightSign said, "This exceptionally large deployment of BrightSign players has helped BMW Group transform the way it conveys practical information to its employees all over the world and it is continually expanding. This is a perfect example of how updated digital signage solutions can contribute to the overall smooth running of a large organization.”

Initially, BMW Group was showing only static images and videos but in the last five years, there has been a big increase in the requirement for dynamic content such as intranet pages, connections to internet services, RSS feeds and live quality indicator dashboards. Worldwide, BMW Group communicates a large number of live dashboards showing achievements versus targets in different areas of the business including production, sales and product development.

On the intranet, for example, you can see whether the required number of layers of paint have been applied during a production line shift or how sales are doing on particular products in different regions. BrightSign XT1144 players drive video walls that make this kind of information much more visible and accessible to everyone.

Around a quarter of all the players on the network are now running this type of content, but the number is growing all the time, due to staff enthusiasm to engage with the possibilities of the technology. Employees are aware of what the BrightSign players are capable of, and they are always coming up with ideas about different applications and

Tourist attractions

Wartburg Castle transports visitors through history

services that can be created or extended in this way.

Motivational films, BMW Group advertisements and announcements, and messages from board members, HR and numerous different teams are included in the content mix, ensuring communications are visual, engaging and easily available to all. Digital displays are used for disseminating practical information about things like Covid security measures and staff cafeteria menus. For example, there are many currently showing restaurant menus with plans to increase this number by the end of the year. Information provided includes details of which items are sold out. Employees of the BMW Group can book conference rooms all over the world using one of many available interactive Bluefin screens set up in meeting rooms with built-in BrightSign HS123 / HS124 SoC (system on a chip) players. The RoomNext system lets employees find out if a room is free and then reserve it either on the player itself, or by phone using a QR code on the door panel or on RoomNext itself. Other appli-

lection of BrightSign technology. The players are very well protected against potential threats, and the network itself prevents issues. The BMW Group uses different types of security mechanisms such as 802.1X authentication to protect its enterprise network, and the players can manage these easily.

Administration of the global system is also very straightforward, even though the location of the players and those responsible for their content are often many miles apart from each other. It is possible to manage all the players and change or upload content from a single laptop, anywhere in the world, and it’s also much lower maintenance and much more stable than using PCs. Many people across the organization are currently registered to 450 BrightSign accounts to program and manage content on local devices. Setting up new devices is also quick and easy. Employees are advised what type of media player to buy for their intended purpose and the players are delivered with special configuration files on an SD-card so that plug-

Located on a hillside overlooking the town of Eisenach, in the state of Thuringia, Germany, Wartburg Castle is a UNESCO World Heritage Site steeped in history and religion, and rich in quintessential medieval architecture. Originally built in the Middle Ages c.1067, the castle’s name is a German play on words for mountain (Berg) and fortress (Burg), coupled with a further play on "warte" wait and "Warte" watchtower. The castle was the setting of the fabled Battle of

non-profit foundation under public law supported by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, the Free State of Thuringia and the City of Weimar. The foundation owns over 27 museums, castles, historical houses and parks as well as art and literature collections. Since it was founded in 1922, the foundation has had the task of preserving the Wartburg and its art treasures in a dignified form as a cultural site of internationally standing and

torical and cultural experience portal for the public. Dr Franziska Nentwig, Managing Director Klassik Stiftung Weimar, in charge of the Wartburg site, said, “Built in 1930, the Chauffeur House had been standing vacant for a few years. We wanted to inject a new lease of life, making the inside and outside area more attractive, including the routing to and from the castle. We planned for a complete redesign and renovation of the house with a visitor experi-

cations that are also being considered include an emergency notification system, whereby the BMW Group’s fire department can press a ‘rescue button’ if an intruder or fire alarm has sounded in a particular building.

BrightSign XT1144 players are used for some types of HTML content and RSS feeds, while HO523 OPS-compatible players are used in some cases with LCD displays that allow open pluggable specification as an option. Content is created using BrightAuthor, and BrightWall is used to manage media for video walls. The whole network runs on BrightSign Network Enterprise Edition (BSNEE) hosted in BMW Group’s data center. For the BMW Group, security of the digital signage network was the single biggest factor in the se-

and-play is ensured. BrightAuthor is very intuitive and people that are new to it can create simple presentations almost immediately. As well as being very low maintenance, the BrightSign players are also exceptionally stable. The BMW Group are still on the first generation of players that have been running for eight or nine years now without a break. The players are very reliable, and it makes running a network of this scale much easier.

the Bards, a tale immortalised in Richard Wagner's opera Tannhäuser. It was also the home of Saint Elisabeth, still revered to this day, and it provided a refuge for the exiled Martin Luther, who

a monument of German history and making them accessible to the general public.

The foundation contracted system integrator inSynergie GmbH at the end of 2020. The objec-

ence portal at its core. For this multi-media exhibition element, we commissioned inSynergie to manage the project, including sourcing of products and installation.”

translated the New Testament into German here.

The Museum is operated by Klassik Stiftung Weimar, a

tive was to transform the Chauffeur House, based at the foot of the Wartburg, at the start of the castle grounds loop, into a his-

BrightSign media players driver internal communications at BMW Group.

According to Christoph Hörsch,

The DS-VW755S provided the ideal solution for this unique museum space. Designed for quick service access in recessed video wall applications, the mount provides the ultimate in versatility and is perfect in cases where overall video wall depth is a concern.

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Wartburg Castle transports visitors through history

Project Manager, inSynergie, the museum wanted to look to the future and opted for a digital format to remain flexible and be able to easily update and refresh content. “Certainly, a key objective was to maximise the visual impression via thought-provoking, colourfull images. They chose an interesting design configuration for the exhibit that integrates dynamic video walls with architecture, moving away from classic corners and edges to angles with a modern flair.” “For us, the installation challenge was mounting the digital displays into recessed exhibit walls and also onto a non-flat surface. This meant that mounting structure had to be adjustable,” Hörsch continued. inSynergie provided full project

to UL2442 safety standards for peace of mind in public environments. Tool-less micro adjustment at eight points allows the mount to overcome uneven walls, creating a seamless video wall display.

Installation of the mounts was straightforward, and the fibre optic cables were routed from the technical rooms according to pre-planning. However, before the displays were hung, vital adjustments had to be made to the mounting systems. “The old, historic building is damp, and the walls are breathing. Therefore, in the first construction phase, it was clear that the video walls had to be re-adjusted and integrated micro-adjustment in the Peerless-AV mounts was vital here,” said Hörsch.

Reader Offer

Grow in life and business: The importance of Belief Systems in Convincing and Winning

about the Wartburg automotive industry, the history of the castle and information about local culture and tourism. Customisable, dynamic, multi-coloured LED ceiling lights also synchronise with the content. The installation was completed in the covid pandemic and opened to visitors in Spring 2022. The experience portal has been very well received and impresses all who visit the Wartburg Castle grounds. “The high quality of product and uncomplicated cooperation with the Peerless-AV sales department meant we had maximum support throughout. We’re very happy with the result; it’s a visual delight,” concluded Hörsch.

Winning in a competition, be it in business or personal life, requires more than just meeting the requirements and having a good track record. There are several dimensions to convincing and winning, but the most important and often overlooked one is the belief system. This layer of values and expectations, although not directly mentioned, holds great value to the client.

Discovering both your own belief system and that of your client will give you brand new insights in the beliefs you share and the beliefs which di-vide you. Belief systems are the fundamentals of the Why, the How, and What things you create, make or buy. Here are the ingredients to discover when you want to start winning:

The Basics: Winning with the "What"

In a stable and predictable environment, the "what" is delivered is enough to win. For example, if a client requests a battery drill with 5000 revs, 7.2 Volts, and 2 years guarantee, delivering the drill is enough to win on a transactional level. The requester sets the requirements, and the supplier delivers them. This type of winning focuses on the "what." Adding the "How" to the "What"

However, if you deliver the requirements and price perfectly, but still don't win, you may be missing out on deeper factors. For instance, when we were looking to insulate and renovate the rooftop of our house, it was not just a transactional deal to us, but one of heavy investment and risk. In such cases, asking the experts "how" they are going to organize the work can make all the difference. For example, one company explained step by step how they are going to do the job, tailored specifically to my house, giving me trust and a good night's sleep. The company that ex-plained the "how" won the deal.

Combining the "What," "How," and "Why"

Besides the "what" and "how," the "why" can make a significant differ-ence in winning. For instance, in the hiring process, two questions to al-ways ask are "why do you want to work for us?" and "why should we hire you?" A good answer to the "why" shows intrinsic motivation and commitment and demonstrates a strong match and synergy with other employees in the company. The more challenging and dynamic the de-pendence between parties, the more important the "why" becomes in winning.

Taking it One Level Deeper: The Belief System

management and collaborated closely with architects and the museum’s content provider {insert name} to specify the right solution for the project. inSynergie had worked with Peerless-AV in the past, on projects such as the Buga national garden festival, and specified the SmartMount® Full Service Thin Video Wall Mount with Quick Release (DS-VW755S) to support 55” Samsung displays (UM55H-E). Product was sourced from AV distributor Kern & Stelly.

The DS-VW755S provided the ideal solution for this unique museum space. Designed for quick service access in recessed video wall applications, the mount provides the ultimate in versatility and is perfect in cases where overall video wall depth is a concern. It is also simple to install, can be mounted in portrait or landscape, and is tested

A total 63 units of the DSVW755S and Samsung 55” displays have been installed in portrait orientation. The front video wall has an 8x2 configuration, the two left side video walls are in a 2x2 and 3x2, the right video wall is a 6x2 and the back video wall a 2x2. Cladding is used around the video walls to give the feeling of naturally blending into the building’s architecture; old and new combined. The cladding can also be removed easily for service and maintenance access to the screens.

The experience portal is 360 degrees with an interactive podium at its centre. When a visitor touches one of the six figures on the podium, this triggers a new two-minute video sequence which comes to life across all five video walls for a totally immersive exhibition space. Each video tells a story

There is one more aspect to consider in winning. It is the least visible, or even invisible to most and that is your belief-system. This is present in every person, team, and organization, but is not openly discussed. The belief system is the set of unwritten rules that govern behaviour in a group. What if I make a set of house rules with: “Rule number one - In this house, we don’t kill each other”. Imagine you come to my house for the first time and see this rule. Would you feel comfortable and safe? You are probably thinking: “Wow, these people are obviously not from the same planet if they have to spell this out as a rule.” This works the same way in business. In business, failing to pay attention to the relevant belief systems can re-sult in a situation where you think you have delivered the best proposal ever, only for the client to respond that you "haven't understood a single thing of what we're doing here."

The belief system, and the other aspects of winning can be best explained using a tree as a metaphor.

•The WHAT is like the apples on a tree. They are the things we look at and value first.

•The branches and leaves of the tree are the HOW. Many leaves and branches make it possible to produce great many apples.

•The tree trunk is our WHY. It is strong, solid and essential to grow high and let the leaves catch lots of sunlight.

•The roots of a tree is our BELIEF-SYSTEM. It is invisible, but es-sential to the tree’s trunk, branches, leaves and fruits.

Sometimes winning is as easy letting someone a pick an apple from the tree (transactional winning). In many other cases where the transaction is more complex, dynamic and outcome uncertain, assessors (buyers, jury etc.) will look seriously at the other factors: How will they do it? Why do they do this? Getting insight into the whole tree is important for long term and sustainable winning, producing the right and great apples every year.

About the author:

Patrick Alexander, the author of the book ‘The secret of Value Based convincing Winning’ is an expert in winning and shaping the winning process. During his career he won and lost multiple times. As an inven-tor, he participated in a national contest with 2000 others and tackled several stages before winning this contest. During the last 10 years as a proposal architect, he worked with dozens of teams in making complex and winning proposals and tenders, contributing millions of Euros per year to his company’s revenue. Patrick’s mission is: Let people, teams and organizations with the highest value win. Let those win, who most deserve it!

More information on http://www.valuebasedwinning.com.

The book can be ordered via the website and https://www.amazon.co.uk.

The DS-VW755S provided the ideal solution for this unique museum space. Designed for quick service access in recessed video wall applications, the mount provides the ultimate in versatility and is perfect in cases where overall video wall depth is a concern.

Retail

Jack Wolfskin brings the adventure indoors

TV products, is excited to announce its range of direct view LED and digital signage solutions have been selected to create new, highly immersive and emotive shopping experiences for visitors inside Jack Wolfskin’s flagship store in Frankfurt.

Jack Wolfskin has been motivating people to go outside and connect with nature for over 40 years. Founded in 1981, this German-based brand is now one of the biggest international suppliers and franchisers of outdoor clothing, footwear, equipment and accessories. With more than 500 stores and 1400 employees across Europe and Asia, their premium product collections have empowered people to experience some of the world’s most exotic outdoor locations.

Adventure is at the heart of Jack Wolfskin. With a mission of enabling people to discover new experiences, the team at Jack Wolfskin wanted to bring the same sense of wanderlust and excitement for the outdoors into their stores. To make this happen, they needed an innovative solution that would stimulate the senses of their customers while also creating an intuitive and inspiring sales journey. As a brand that takes pride in the design and technology of their products, this solution also needed to reflect their high-quality standards and unique approach to exploration.

To start the ultimate adventure experience, Jack Wolfskin teamed with PPDS and Hamburg-based integration specialist, pilot Screentime. Fusing the

best of all worlds, a comprehensive AV solution was rolled out to transform the flagship Frankfurt am Main location into a next generation Jack Wolfskin store. This brought an immersive 7.5m2 Philips L-Line 7000 Series LED wall into the store to engage customers and draw passing crowds in.

To complement this awe-inspiring screen, a 55” 4K Ultra HD Philips Q-Line digital signage display was strategically placed to showcase the sustainability features of the store and its products. These Philips professional displays were integrated into the store’s wider content system, which includes interactive touchscreens and seamless storytelling experiences that set the mood for adventure. The benefits provided, both to customers and to the Jack Wolfskin team, are extensive, with the Philips 7000 Series LED’s modular design allowing for panels to be removed and for the wall to be reshaped with ease, bringing limitless options for design and

oped for Jack Wolfskin’s flagship stores are designed to make the shopping experience even more emotional. The combination of LED boards, standard digital signage screens, innovative touchpoints, such as the campfire, and touch tablets leave a lasting impression on customers at the POS, where competition is increasing in the highly competitive outdoor apparel sector. “This is a good example

Live music

of what is now the new benchmark in POS sales and marketing: a minimum of investment achieves the maximum impact on the customer experience.”

Fast facts

• Client: Jack Wolfskin

• Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany

• Project: Next generation flagship store

• Products: Philips 7000 Series LED display 41BDL7219L (30 units), Philips Q-Line 55“ 55BDL3550Q/00 signage display (1 unit)

• Partners: pilot Screentime GmbH

PRODIGY on Coldplay 'Music of the Spheres' tour

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simplicity for any future panel requirements. Offering high brightness and ultra-clear resolution, the dvLED wall provides a powerful impact for those both in and outside of the store, helping to maximise customer engagement and improve sales.

The Philips LED 7000 Series also offers low power consumption without impacting performance, meaning lower operating costs and a bigger step toward a greener future. Damian Rodgett, CEO at pilot Screentime GmbH, commented: “The digital POS sales concepts we have devel-

Continuing their successful 'Music of the Spheres' tour, British pop band Coldplay will embark on another long tour of stadiums around the world, starting March 2023.

PRODIGY on Coldplay 'Music of the Spheres' tour

Continuing their successful 'Music of the Spheres' tour, British pop band Coldplay will embark on another long tour of stadiums around the world, starting March 2023. Since the FOH control package initial design and build in February 2021, followed by promo and the kickoff of the 2022 live season, DirectOut's extremely solid and powerful audio solutions have ensured maximum flexibility and efficiency. In the process, four PRODIGY.MP and one PRODIGY.MC are once again playing their part in bringing the band's aspirations for a more sustainable tour production one step closer.“We have enjoyed a close working relationship with Alex (Hadji) Hadjigeorgiou and his colleagues for many years now. Almost all our products have already been used on previous Coldplay tours,” says DirectOut Managing Director Jan Ehrlich. “For us as a manufacturer, it is always special to see the tour push the envelope together with their technical crew. There are only a few setups as complex and sophisticated as Coldplay's on tour to thrill their fans and music lovers in general, tour after tour and take it up a notch.”

Tony Smith, Head of Audio, FOH-tech and sound designer for Coldplay and Alex Hadji, digital audio specialist at Hadji Audio, were looking at an early stage for the next advancement in system EQ, distribution and control to make the production at the forefront of currently available technology available in the industry. In the end it was the whole package that made DirectOut become an essential

Fine art

part of this audio system. At FOH, Dan Green, Coldplay’s FOH engineer, and Tony had outgrown their current system EQ and I/O AD gear and looked for an improvement. PRODIGY.MP and PRODIGY.MC were more than up to the task. PRODIGY.MP as system EQ provides the functionality needed and more in tonality/EQ curves as well as usability. PRODIGY. MC came on board as an I/O AD converter to get the analog

with great tech support, which is also key,” states Tony.

Three PRODIGY.MP in the PA system drive rack, a main plus backup and a spare, are used by system technician Dom Thorne, where Tony and Dan were also looking for advancement and more flexibility for audio distribution and routing as the primary function. It is fitted with 16 AES inputs and outputs, as well as 16 analog inputs and outputs. Inputs from FOH are taken

The signals are then distributed to the d&b SL Series sound system as a Left, Right, Sub, Fill and Delay 1-4 output, utilizing the extensive matrixing features of PRODIGY.MP. Additional outputs for Ring delays are also utilized when Ring delay systems are deployed. These outputs are via AES, which is then distributed via fibre through the Optocore backbone. An analogue backup of those same outputs is running concurrently.

the FastSRC’s on each input to allow sample rate independence for each console. “We were originally clocking off the AES input from the DiGiCo FOH console, but for security and the continued possibility of isolation we made the decision to use the PRODIGYs internal clock due to its reliability,” adds Dom. When looking back on the tour, he recaps: “Throughout the year the versatility and ease of control of the PRODIGY has meant that whenever an issue or variation in requirements has become apparent, I have been able to reprogram my original file easily and quickly to make it work. Whether it has been needing to find or repurpose extra inputs or outputs, to needing to distribute, time align and EQ the PA system completely differently. This is still whilst only using the PRODIGY in my drive rack to a fraction of its potential capability.”

gear onto a MADI stream and on the DiGiCo Optocore loop. “I´ve been using both for their basic functions, but both do what I need and do that very well. They have also reduced our footprint, weight and added functionality

as a Left, Right, Sub, Fill configuration, as well as two support band inputs via AES, with an analog backup for each input. The flexibility of the PRODIGY allows for those inputs to be in whichever configuration is required.

Several local I/O sources for Smaart, local playback and Voice of God microphone give Dom complete control over the entire stadium d&b PA system. PRODIGY.MP also acts as the PA system clock master, using

Luca Giaroli, Strategy and Audio Solutions Manager at DirectOut made sure the immense and complex capabilities of the PRODIGYs were demonstrated and taught. In online meetings and an onsite training at Solotech/Wigwam, Luca ensured that everyone was ready to work with the PRODIGY when rehearsals of the large production started.Dom remembers that the “potential complexity within the PRODIGY due to its power can at first be overwhelming, but Luca was brilliant in ensuring that, despite these options, the right knowledge and understanding turns the possibility for confusion into versatility and control.” And, in addition, Luca being responsive to any support

needs made the team feel well equipped for the upcoming tour. Alex sums it all up: “From my early dealings with Stephan Flock, co-founder and director of engineering at DirectOut in the development of the EXBOX. BLDS, through years of using the M1K2 devices on Coldplay to provide MADI splitting and format conversation, all the way through to our latest setup using EXBOX.MDs, multiple PRODIGYs, SPLIT.CONVERTERs and ANDIAMOs, the experience has remained the same - well-made equipment with good technical support and a feeling that the people behind the design of the products value our opinions and respond to our requests for new features. “And I must add at this point that this ethos is continued through the distributor, Chris Collings at Aspen Media. Chris has been amazing to deal with and adds genuine value to the products as a great interface between the user and manufacturer.”

“Synergies like these fertilize both sides,” concludes Jan Ehrlich, DirectOut’s Managing Director. “As a manufacturer, we receive valuable input and feedback from creative minds who want to retain the maximum flexibility and performance from our solutions. At the same time, our customers should always know that we are with them, take their suggestions seriously and always want to implement them within the scope of feasibility. This basis of trust drives everything we do - from designing new audio solutions to supporting our customers.”

HOLOPLOT X1 suppliers soundtrack to ‘David Hockney: bigger & close

At first glance an inconspicuous cuboid venue, Lightroom presents a blank canvas set to host a varied programme of original creative content. The opening show ‘DAVID HOCKNEY: BIGGER & CLOSER (not smaller and further away)’ is set to be the first in a series of unique exhibitions, created in collaboration with leading artists and innovators. The Hockney experience is as astonishing visually as it is alive with sound. The show features a specially created score

written by American contemporary composer Nico Muhly and sound design by Olivier and Tony award-winning sound designer Gareth Fry. Lightroom’s sound system is supplied by Berlin-based pro audio company HOLOPLOT’s revolutionary X1 Matrix Array and was installed by industry leading integrator and HOLOPLOT partner, Creative Technology.

Four and a half years in the making, Lightroom was conceived by award-winning design

studio and production company, 59 Productions, and is a joint venture between them and London Theatre Company, the creative engine behind the Bridge Theatre. The ‘Bigger & Closer’ exhibition allows the audience to enter into Hockney’s thought process and creative motivation, generating new perspectives on some of his most well-known, as well as more recent works.

“We’ve produced many largescale projection mapping shows, exhibitions, and theatre shows,

but we’ve never had our own space,” says Lightroom CEO, Richard Slaney, the former CEO of 59 Productions. “With immersive shows cropping up all over, we wanted to do something different. Hockney was top of our list of artists, so we emailed him to see if he was interested. Not only did he say yes, but he’s dedicated the last three years to the project. The idea of working with him was ours, but the show itself is entirely his creation. “It’s hard to imagine from the

outside, but the basement itself is 14m deep, allowing us to get projections up to 11m high. During the test phase, David came and sat next to us and talked to us about how he’d made the artworks and the stories behind them. It was then we realised this was the show we were meant to create. You want David on your shoulder, his voice in your ear, guiding you through his work. The harmonious marriage of David’s voice and Nico’s beautiful soundtrack

were the two core elements, accompanied by some subtle sound effects that truly underscore the importance of audio in this unique production.” Looking for a suitable audio solution that could turn Lightroom’s ambitious concrete structure into a smooth sounding gallery

continued on page 12

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HOLOPLOT X1 suppliers soundtrack to ‘David Hockney: bigger & close

space without compromising the 360-degree visuals, the team quickly realised that conventional loudspeaker solutions would need multiple wall cavities or mounting positions on all four walls to achieve the desired immersive effects.

“The initial brief was to consider a sound system for Lightroom that would provide good sound coverage, and also not bother the neighbours in the office above the main space,” says Fry, who has a long association with both 59 Productions and the London Theatre Company. “It had to be essentially invisible so that all four walls of highly reflective concrete could be an unhindered projection surface from floor to ceiling. It was an immense challenge because as built, the space has a reverb time of over six seconds and there is very audible background noise of projector fans. All of this is the natural enemy of intelligible soun

Fry’s initial design was a traditional point source-based sound system, with speakers hidden

demo so everyone else could hear the system.

Fry suggested HOLOPLOT and a system design that only required two positions within the room, yet delivered more creative tools that could be used to generate immersive effects. The system not only provided the answer for the current exhibit but also paved the way for future shows. “There are many things HOLOPLOT can do that I’ve never heard any other speaker system do. It has a bunch of magic tricks up its sleeves. But first and foremost, it gave us a sound system that could provide intelligible sound with very even coverage in a highly reverberant space. For that alone it was worth its considerable weight in gold!” he exclaims.

The final system design consists of two HOLOPLOT X1 arrays at either end of the room. Each array comprises four X1 Modul 96s and four X1 Modul 80-S, embedded and entirely hidden within predefined wall cavities, each at a different height. The acoustic centre of the East Ar-

360-degree projection surface. The immersive effects that are used in Gareth Fry’s sound design were created with X1’s Wave Field Synthesis (WFS) capabilities to create Virtual Sources. These Virtual Sources are positioned at a set distance from the North and South walls where it was not possible to integrate arrays or point sources. The positions of the Virtual Sources are defined inside HOLOPLOT Plan, the recently launched sound system design software allowing sound designers to visualize the impact of X1’s unique capabilities on any given space. The ‘bundled’ waves are reflected from the wall as if there is a point source positioned there, allowing the listener to localize the sound from a position where there is no array. It was key at the Lightroom experience that visitors would be able to localize sound from these reflections no matter where they are within the main space. To achieve this, multiple reflections were distributed along the North and South walls of the venue.

Training Million plan academy to plug skills gap

“The notion of having a freely adjustable speaker array without making any physical changes to it is very much a paradigm shift,” says Fry. “As sound engineers, we’re used to having microphones where you can adjust its directivity from omni to super-cardioid by flicking a switch. With HOLOPLOT, this is essentially the same, but for a loudspeaker.”

“Lightroom is huge, but it feels intimate. It’s an immersive experience but done differently. It’s more personal and evokes emotions. There’s a story within it, and it’s sequential, so you can enter at any point,” concludes Slaney. “I think we’ve raised the bar in terms of technology here. We may not be changing the base of art exhibitions, but we are certainly at a landmark moment within that range of different experiences. This is how you do it in a very particular kind of way, and HOLOPLOT has been the key to making the show ‘alive with sound’.”

One of the UK’s leading challenger consulting firms, which specialises in large-scale business, technology and digital transformation, is investing a further £1 million in its very own professional training and apprenticeships academies to create a pipeline of talent to plug the UK’s professional skills gap crisis. The S&A Transform Group (The S&A Group) was founded in London by tech and business transformation entrepreneur Darren Coomer in 2010, formally launched The S&A Academy, headquartered in Manchester’s Spinningfields business and tech district, as part of the Northern Tech Powerhouse movement.

The S&A Academy will have three specialised academies: Technology & Digital, Science & Laboratory, and Business & Leadership. Each providing personalised professional training and apprenticeships as well as bespoke course creation and certification programmes for corporate clients. The S&A Academy will play a pivotal role in providing a professional skills training and apprenticeship pipeline to the Northern Powerhouse and the rest of the UK. It will enable people of all ages to gain the professional skills they need to succeed in the workplace. Importantly, it will allow individuals to retrain and reskill, at the same time debunking the previously inaccessible university degree pathways to new careers in technology, science and business.

The decision to launch three apprenticeship training academies comes at a time when the UK

faces its biggest ever shortage of professional skills talent in these sectors. The UK Digital Strategy 2022 estimates that the digital skills gap costs the UK economy £63 billion per year in gross domestic product and that this gap is expected to widen

“Manchester was the natural choice to headquarter the S&A Academy given our history of launching other businesses in the northwest. It was the world’s first industrial city and now Manchester is the driving force of the Northern Tech and Science Powerhouse. The UK tech sector finished last year number 1 as the leading tech ecosystem in Europe and also number 3 in the world, with UK tech valued at over $1 trillion. The S&A Academies are strategically positioned to make a valuable contribution to the UK economy and the Northern Powerhouse by training the next generation of tech, science and business apprentices to maintain the talent pipeline to those fast-growing ecosystems,” said Coomer.

The S&A Group, along with its parent investment fund Moorfield Holdings, had previously invested over £1 million founding another Manchester-based training provider, Credersi. They will now look to take their experiences of designing and delivering critical science, lab skills and tech training programmes, as well as expertise in business consulting to launch the S&A Academy. The new S&A Academies will be curated by digital and technology transformation czar Darren Coomer, a highly experienced and gifted CTO and CIO with more than three de-

continued on page 13

in multiple alcoves around the space. “But I wasn’t happy,” he recalls. “It didn’t feel like it was going to end up sounding very good with very uneven coverage. That bugged me for months after I’d submitted the final design. But every time I looked for an alternative, I couldn’t find one that met the brief. Then I went to an early demo of HOLOPLOT. I knew instantly that this could be the solution to all our problems. As soon as I left the demo, I called everyone and put the previous system design on hold - and HOLOPLOT were kind enough to arrange a special

ray is at 4.61m and for the West Array at 6.66m. A traditional audio solution, with sources facing each other, would have created phase issues and spill between the sources. Thanks to HOLOPLOT’s unique optimisation algorithms, the listening area can be defined as well as the relative sound pressure level for each area. This allows for uniform coverage from each array no matter where the listener is positioned within the space. Additionally, each array is strategically placed behind colour-matched, acoustically transparent material, which preserves the integrity of the

“The biggest challenge for the installation was getting the speakers into position,” explains Jack Strong, Creative Technology Business Development (Integrations). “But with specially designed dollies to help maneuver the cabinets, an experienced team and good planning, everything went smoothly. And now the system is in place, any adjustments needed for future projects can be done via HOLOPLOT’s software, dispensing with the need for mechanical steering or for additional cabinets to be added, which is a huge advantage.”

At first glance an inconspicuous cuboid venue, Lightroom presents a blank canvas set to host a varied programme of original creative content. The opening show ‘DAVID HOCKNEY: BIGGER & CLOSER (not smaller and further away)’ is set to be the first in a series of unique exhibitions, created in collaboration with leading artists and innovators.

Darren Coomer, a highly experienced and gifted CTO and CIO with more than three decades of cutting-edge tech and business experience.

Training

Million plan academy to plug skills gap

Humanise technology or you are doomed to fail!

Humanise technology or digital transformation is doomed – that’s the stark message from Adrian Thompson, Founder of imageHOLDERS, as he prepares to address the Retail Technology Show in April.

“Businesses make the mistake of thinking this is about technology – it’s actually about people, what engages them and how they behave. If you let technology lead the way, rather than the user journey, you’ll fail,” Thompson says.

cades of cutting-edge tech and business experience.

Coomer has helped many boards navigate major business transformations, drive innovation and shift to customer-focused digital-first strategies, whilst all the time maintaining a clear focus on the need to constantly recruit and train new talent. He is credited with many large-scale transformations in global corporates, as well as launching pioneering products in Fintech and the blockchain/ web3 world. Either as a founder/ entrepreneur or on behalf of major corporations.

The three S&A Academies will consolidate S&A Group’s existing apprenticeship provision - which is licensed by the Education & Skills Funding Agency and regulated by Ofsted – as well as providing additional support to S&A’s growing consulting business. Collectively they will deliver specialist training and apprenticeships to corporate clients, as well as direct to educational authorities, aiming to recruit, upskill or retrain existing workforces as part of their talent strategies.

Coomer believes the S&A Academy’s offering will be class leading in delivering modern, industry designed and highly relevant training across its chosen sectors of technology, science, and business. With each domain chosen due to the extensive industry leading expertise the academies will have access to, via its sister company, The S&A Transform Group, and their clients. Clients ranging in size from VC-funded companies to FTSE scale organisations in both private and public sector.=“We built the S&A Academy to provide a future-proofed industry relevant professional training and apprenticeship programme that is commercially in tune with the real world and not a purely academic-led syllabus. It has been developed using extensive knowledge, expertise and experience, as well as detailed client feedback from many years of delivering business and technology consulting.”

The S&A Academy professional apprenticeships and training programmes will rival any graduate scheme, by preparing new employees with actual job-relevant skills, making them “oven ready” so they can hit the ground running on day one and

seamlessly fit into the workplace environment. An S&A Academy graduate will stay longer and make more commercial sense than consistently using external contractors, agency staff or offshore suppliers. Coomer added: “The recent closure of start-up growth network Tech Nation, which had incubated over a third of the UK’s tech unicorns, further reinforces the huge importance of developing our digital skills economy and workforces. By investing in professional apprenticeships in science, tech and business, we are by default investing and producing the next generation of professional careers with our own British talent. Both to address our current skills gap and to minimise our reliance on offshore labour, thus, creating a stronger UK economy and a more resilient workforce.”

imageHOLDERS works with a range of brands, from McDonalds to Nordstrom on tailored interactive kiosks and device enclosures that help drive user engagement, streamline processes and boost company revenues. The British specialist allies closely with its customers to design sleek and intuitive easy to use solutions that enable and empower both employees and consumers.

“We’re in the heart of a digital transformation that will define our era in the same way as the industrial revolution,” continues Thompson. “And yet many businesses do nothing because they think it’s too complex –they can’t see past tech terms such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT) and Apps, while the real focus should be on how all those elements and more can be applied to transform the user journeys of their workforce and customers.”

imageHOLDERS helps businesses break through this inertia by talking to them about the change management involved in successful digital transformation – again, a key element often overlooked. “There are three steps to change: resistance, acceptance and the point where change actually happens,” says Thompson. “We learn where a business is now, where it wants to be, and help them under-

arduous, which is why having a scalable modular approach is a key imageHOLDERS focus. “Our ability to tailor and customise solutions speeds time to market. We take a deeply modular approach – for some of our rivals ‘modular’ means putting different holes in the same sheet of metal. For us it’s about software, hardware and format flexibility –delivering future-proof solutions that can grow with an organisation’s needs. We aim to design out obsolescence,” he adds. For every business that stalls on digital transformation, there’s one that makes an equal and opposite error: rushing to implement technology that isn’t fit for purpose. Thompson believes this is largely down to, once

lets that they eventually ended up selling on eBay!”

Thompson also lays blame at the door of technology suppliers who peddle a ‘one size fits all’ approach. Everything imageHOLDERS creates – starting with its recently introduced Core range – is highly customisable and scalable. “Businesses have been burned by dead-end transactional solutions - we’re here to beat down those barriers and challenge pre-conceptions,” he says.

Digital transformation in retail

Thompson recognises retail has a unique set of challenges, which can add even more per-

ing range of payment options adds another layer of complexity.”

However, study after study has shown customers embrace instore technology – they want solutions that make it easier to pay, to see what’s in stock and be inspired: all these drive higher engagement and higher purchase rates. “People increasingly expect technology to enhance their in-store experience,” says Thompson. “Once again, the retailers that succeed are those that find a great balance between humans and technology. The best retail staff are highly knowledgeable about the products and services on offer - when they have the chance to share that knowledge it adds value and converts more purchases. If you can get them out from behind a till – let the user centric tech solutions take care of transactions – it’s better for them, better for the customers and better for business.”

EQ: the most important acronym What are Thompson’s concluding suggestions for businesses looking to embrace all the benefits of digital transformation, without the pain? “You need a high level of emotional intelligence. Don’t let technology lead the solution – focus on people and process before ‘feeds and speeds’. Also, encourage change, but don’t announce or make big moves until solutions are ready and tested.”

He has one final suggestion for businesses serious about digital transformation. “Maybe we should ban the word ‘kiosk’ –let’s think of them as imageholders instead!’

stand the changes needed to get them there.”

A modular approach

Thompson appreciates the implementation of new technology solutions may seem long and

again, people thinking devices are a means to an end. “We’ve heard horror stories of businesses making huge investments before they’ve even run a trial –they just haven’t thought things through. I know of one company that bought 4000 Android tab-

ceived barriers to successful digital transformation. “Retailers have strong brand identities; solutions have to be highly design conscious, and often fit in restricted space: square-footage is a premium, especially in UK and European stores. The evolv-

Videocites partners with the NBA

Videocites has announced the initial closing of a Series B round led by Velocity Capital Management (“Velocity”) with additional investments by Series A investor Infront Sports & Media AG, and NBA Equity. With offices around the globe, including one newly opened in New York, Videocites is providing the NBA with greater insights into its global reach and brand exposure across social media content published by fans and media partners.

While user-generated content (UGC) has a significant influence on a brand's perception and popularity across social media, it’s challenging to identify and categorize at scale.

Nevertheless, as it continues to grow exponentially, it’s crucial to measure fan content. Videocites has perfected its AI-generated identification capabilities and video-fingerprinting technology to recognize and analyse UGC and trademarked assets related to the brand. Its award-winning technology reveals fans’ engagement through video identifiers and contextual search.

“We’re excited to collaborate with Videocites to better understand how user-generated con-

tent resonates with our fans,” said David Lee, Head of NBA Equity. “This partnership and our investment in Videocites reflect our commitment to continue to grow and embrace our fans across the ever-evolving global social media landscape.”

“Aggregating and analysing real-time UGC and brand video data in one dashboard allows our clients to keep their finger on the pulse of their fanbase and partners,” said Eyal Arad, Videocites’ co-founder, and CEO.

“It’s no secret that today’s user habits across social media have a significant impact on shaping public perception of any organization. We are turning that ‘perception’ into quantifiable data.”

Velocity is a sports, media, and entertainment domain-focused private equity firm founded in 2021 by David Abrams and Arne Rees. “We believe that Videocites can become the industry standard for tracking and measuring intellectual property across social media. Videocites’ technology greatly enhances monetization opportunities for rightsholders and creates a platform for streamlined direct-to-consumer engagement,”

Avocor / PSNI Global Alliance preferred vendor partnership

“Aggregating and analysing real-time UGC and brand video data in one dashboard allows our clients to keep their finger on the pulse of their fanbase and partners,” said Eyal Arad, Videocites’ co-founder, and CEO.

said Velocity Managing Partner David Abrams. Videocites will use the funding to grow its global presence and recruit leading sales and business development professionals to expand its unique offerings to brands and content owners in the United States and Europe.

Huddly named as one of Europe’s fastest-growing companies

Huddly has been recognized by the Financial Times as one of Europe's fastest-growing companies, earning a coveted spot on the FT1000 list for the first time. Huddly enters the FT1000 at #469 in the overall ranking. “We're ranked #8 among 17 companies in the media and telecoms category and are the only Norwegian entry in this segment. In total, there are 10 Norwegian companies included in the FT1000, with Huddly ranking as #5.”

“Our growth has been driven by our commitment to delivering innovative and high-quality video conferencing solutions that

meet the evolving needs of our customers, and is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire team. We’ve come a long way, but this is only the

beginning. With the successful launch of Huddly Crew, we look forward to ushering in a new era of AI-powered camera solutions.”

PSNI Global Alliance has announced Avocor as its latest Global Preferred Vendor Partner (PVP) – reinforcing PSNI’s vendor offering with a comprehensive portfolio and knowledge of collaborative display solutions. Avocor provides solutions that allow people to come together easily, in-person or remotely, efficiently, and effectively. Specializing in Corporate, Education and Public Sector markets, its solutions are designed to be fully compliant with today’s communication software and hardware including Google, Zoom, Microsoft, Logitech, HP and Lenovo. With this new partnership, Avocor has become a global strategic manufacturing partner of The Alliance, granting access to its Certified Solution Providers (CSPs) to pursue new market opportunities and enable worldwide, standardized solutions for their customers.

“This is a great partnership for us," said Dana Corey SVP and GM at Avocor. “PSNI’s mantra for excellent practice and the highest operational standards echoes our own and we are excited to introduce Avocor to PSNI’s network of CSPs and help them deliver world-class solutions to their customers.” PSNI Global Alliance boasts a global network of integrators, known as Certified Solution Providers (CSPs) and Vendors from across the AV/IT and UCC spectrum.

PSNI’s Preferred Vendor Part-

“This is a great partnership for us," said Dana Corey SVP and GM at Avocor. “PSNI’s mantra for excellent practice and the highest operational standards echoes our own.”

ners (PVP) – of which Avocor is now a part of – connects manufacturers with CSPs to jointly pursue market opportunities by enabling Vendors to design programs in sync with PSNI CSPs.

“We are delighted to welcome Avocor to the PSNI Global Alliance lineup,” said Tom Roberts, director of vendor programs for PSNI Global Alliance. “Partnership is a core component of The Alliance and Avocor has a solid reputation for innovation, service and technical support. Its comprehensive range of col-

laborative displays and bespoke solutions are a perfect addition to our Preferred Vendor portfolio, and we look forward to a strong, productive and enjoyable partnership.”All vendors are pre-screened by PSNI’s CSPs to ensure that only the best technology providers are represented in The Alliance. Customers who engage with The Alliance are assured seamless installation and support, benefitting from the collective expertise of PSNI’s CSPs and vendors alike.

Utelogy joins the ClickShare Alliance

Utelogy Corporation has joined the Barco ClickShare Alliance Program as a validated technology partner, extending the capabilities of its software platform for managing A/V and UC devices and peripherals to include Barco’s ClickShare Conference solution for wireless presentation and conferencing. ClickShare solutions enable wireless conferencing and presentation in meeting spaces. When users walk into the meeting room, ClickShare automatically connects their laptop to room devices like cameras, mics, speakers, sound bars and displays. They can start a meeting from a laptop within seconds, using their preferred video conferencing platform.

Barco is continually expanding its Alliance Program by adding complementary solutions to help provide a seamless integration of technologies and ultimately provide users with an enhanced total experience. “We’re happy to work together with Utelogy on the integration of ClickShare into their enterprise-grade platform for managing, monitoring, controlling, and automating connected workspaces. Our joint partnership will help IT managers to manage and monitor their ClickShare units in the meeting room and beyond. The future of work is only one click away.”

says Johan Pirot, Head of MX Initiatives

& Strategic Partnerships Meeting Experience & weConnect at Barco

The addition of Utelogy room management solutions such as U-Manage and U-Automate furthers the Alliance goals of simplifying deployments, optimizing efficiency, minimizing reaction time, and reducing costs. “With the power of Utelogy, users can gain actionable insights into their entire AV/UC estate under a single pane of glass,” said Kevin Morrison, CEO at Utelogy. “They can monitor the health and status of ClickShare devices across an entire estate using a fully customisable location hierarchy. This integration will deliver more intuitive in-room control and let users focus more on their content and collaboration during meetings and not the technical logistics behind the scenes.”

Utelogy solutions can interface to ClickShare via its Rest API for seamless integrations and updates. The Utelogy and ClickShare integration will deliver a range of benefits, including pro-

active monitoring with customizable alerts and notifications, enhanced room readiness, network automation and self-healing, advanced analytics and custom dashboards. Current surveillance and control systems still require human monitoring and intervention. An AI-based system can accelerate time to action – reducing situation escalation, injury, and even saving lives.

“We are thrilled to partner with Exertis to build on the strength of our innovative platform and capitalise on the massive opportunity and incredible demand we are seeing,” said Albert Stepanyan, Scylla’s Founder and CEO. “Exertis is one of the largest and fastest growing technology distribution and specialist service providers. This is a clear validation of our team’s outstanding work and the start of an exciting new chapter for Scylla, our customers, and our partner ecosystem. We are confident that Exertis’ resources and insights will help us accelerate and scale our growth strategy.”

Astra Group unveils new structure

Leading full-service provider of traditional and digital signage solutions Astra Group, has unveiled a new group structure as it eyes continued growth. The news follows the unveiling of the Manchester headquartered business’s new group identity in 2022, bringing the business’s digital solutions arm, ADXBA, and bespoke architectural signage arm, Astra Signs, under the one brand The announcement sees the centralisation of the business’s sales and marketing departments alongside certain backend operational functions.

Former Sales Director, Paul

Dyke, steps into the newly created role of Group Sales Director, responsible for the continued UK and international expansion of the business, and leadership of the 10 strong sales team. He reports directly into Astra Group CEO, Jim Kerr. Supporting Dyke in driving sustained business growth is Joseph Derbyshire, who is promoted to Head of Business Development. A long serving member of the Astra team with over 10 years’ experience, Derbyshire will leverage his extensive knowledge of signage as well as the UK market to further develop the business’s relationships with new and exist-

Densitron highlights new business structure

ing clients.

Joining the sales division and bringing further extensive signage expertise to the business, particularly in the wayfinding space is Jac Lloyd-Jones, who joins Astra Group from WIDD Signs in the role of Business Development Manager. It’s a welcome reunion for Dyke and Lloyd-Jones, who previously worked together at IS Group. The sales team will be driven out of Astra Group’s Manchester headquarters with input from regional hubs in London and Dublin.

Caton partners with Osprey Video

Caton Technology has formed a partnership with Osprey Video to provide an integrated encoder and decoder which connects direct to IP circuits using Caton Transport Protocols (CTP). The integration was initially developed in response to a user request around a large worldwide sporting event. The partnership involves integrating CTP into the Osprey Talon 4K encoder and decoder. These are compact, cost-effective hardware devices providing high quality conversion from linear feeds into IP, at extremely low latency.

By embedding CTP into the Talon 4K encoder, users have a single point device which takes the source feed (at up to 12G SDI or HDMI), encodes it to H.264 or H.265, and packages it for CTP to provide secure transport over IP circuits, including the public internet. At the receiving end, the Talon 4K decoder takes in

the stream and delivers SDI or HDMI into the broadcast infrastructure.

The mobility of the Osprey solution means that it can be readily packaged for delivery in a tight space such as an outside broadcast truck, in a control room, connected to a camera, or as part of the master control in front of a stage. Both Osprey and Caton focus on achieving very low latency, so the solution is extremely practical for high profile sports, as well as entertainment and other live events to be seen worldwide. “Our goal is for our encoders and decoders to be platform agnostic,” said Scott Whitcomb, chief revenue officer at Osprey Video. “We were getting asked repeatedly to support Caton CTP, and we showed a proof of concept for a major broadcaster last year. Since then we have continued to work with Caton, using their API

to build a tight integration, and we are thrilled to be offering this as a full solution to our mutual customers.”

Paul Weiser, vice president of worldwide sales & marketing at Caton Technology added “We share the same core values with Osprey: we want to provide a set-and-forget system that will run securely and accurately 24/7 for as long as is needed; and we want to deliver low latency and very high quality at an affordable price point. This is a great partnership for us, and we look forward to seeing it develop.”

Optoma / Solstice AV distribution partnership

Optoma has announced a new distribution partnership with Solstice AV. With a strong focus on high-quality products and services, Solstice AV was chosen for its ability to promote the company’s growth of Optoma’s multi-award-winning range of laser projectors and Creative Touch interactive flat panel displays across the UK.

Established in 2020, Solstice AV is a complete solution provider for the AV industry, including projectors and interactive displays, as well as LED displays, digital signage, and professional TVs. From specifying to sales support, marketing, and installation, Solstice AV offers a concept to completion and beyond approach, including servicing and warranty solutions post-sale.

With this in mind, Solstice AV will stock and distribute Optoma’s feature packed 5-Series Creative Touch Interactive Displays, as well as Optoma’s range of laser projectors, including

popular WUXGA models and Full HD 1080p projectors such as the new eco-friendly ZW350e and 4K UHD ZK507-W. Kelley Chisman, Distribution Manager for the UK and Ireland at Optoma, notes that “the partnership with Solstice AV will help drive Optoma’s growth in the UK market. Solstice AV brings a host of excellent opportunities and services to support our goals not only in projection, for which Optoma is most know for, but

Densitron has confirmed that it will be exhibiting at NAB 2023 (Booth C1286), which will take place at the Las Vegas Convention Center from 15 to 19 April. As well as showcasing some of its newest innovations, including control surfaces and haptics solutions, Densitron will be unveiling a refreshed and simplified offering to support broadcast manufacturers, systems integrators and end-users. The company’s revised structure acknowledges the increasingly complex and rapid nature of product development throughout the broadcast industry. The sheer volume of choice in terms of new

flagship IDS Control System –will be targeted towards broadcast manufacturers, systems integrators and end-users. The focus for the remaining three propositions – display screens, HMI modules and ODM products – will be on broadcast manufacturers, to whom Densitron will highlight its unique ability to partner on product development and supply the latest display & control technologies, including solutions based on haptics and tactile control. With this in mind, Densitron will introduce two major new offerings targeted at broadcast manufacturers and systems

to resonate with all of its sales channels, including those companies seeking an expert collaborator in the exciting but resource-intensive area of HMI and control systems technology. “As more and more manufacturers focus on software solutions, we provide access to innovation in hardware products so they don’t have to undertake internal product development in that area,” he says. “We also provide access to leading manufacturing and supply chain management processes so that customers can outsource non-core activity, allowing them to retain internal resources and maintain a clearer focus on proposition development.”

also with our 5 Series interactive displays, which won the “Best of Show” award at ISE for a second year in a row.”

solutions means that it’s more important than ever to provide concise messaging about products and services to customers and end-users. For manufacturers, the rise of technology trends such as HMI (Human Machine Interaction) means there is a greater need to involve third-party specialists so they can free up internal resources to focus on core proposition development. Densitron’s new business structure delivers on these requirements by delineating four main propositions and the channels to which they will be directed. Control Panels – including the

integrators at NAB 2023. The first of these, a design & build service called ODM+, involves Densitron taking over the full hardware product lifecycle from customers – from design to manufacturing and supply – so that they can release internal resources to focus on more strategic projects. Meanwhile, the second new service sees Densitron making the best of its HMI technology available for incorporation as a sub-assembly into third-party manufacturer products.

Mark Price, SVP, Sales at Densitron, expects the approach

Visitors to the Densitron booth will also have the opportunity to access exclusive private demonstrations of several new technologies at NAB 2023. Price reveals that there will be an emphasis on the latest control surfaces that incorporate the best of Densitron’s HMI technology into products available off the shelf for purchase or white labelling, adding: “We’ll present some of the innovative building blocks we are developing, such as our Tactila and Haptics solutions that provide a crossover from existing mechanical technologies to the more innovative use of HMI. By implementing these solutions it’s possible to retain the all-important reassurance of a physical response to each touch, as well as utilizing the multiple benefits of HMI. We are expecting a lot of interest in these private demos, so we encourage visitors to book in advance of the show.”

Loewe UK adds TV / audio range to showroom

Loewe Technology will now feature its award-winning range of TVs and multiroom speakers in

the Chelsea showroom of luxury furniture company, Ligne Roset. Both heritage names continued on page 16

Exertis boosts AI security offering

Exertis has strengthened its security portfolio through a strategic partnership with Scylla, providing both new and current customers access to Scylla's Anomaly Detection System (ADS) as part of Exertis' expanded security solutions. Scylla’s AI solutions are ideal for enhancing security in industries such as retail, sports venues, airports, video monitoring centres and in conjunction with Covid-19 compliance, by offering anomaly and behaviour detection, face recognition, object detection and tracking, and perimeter intrusion detection amongst many other capabilities.

Scylla, the leading real-time physical threat detection solution can be seamlessly integrated with CCTV cameras (effectively filtering out up to 99.95% of false alarms), UAV cameras (detecting firearms at distances of up to 50m with 4K drone cameras and up to 100m with 8K cameras), thermal cameras, enabling real-time thermal scanning for lithium-ion battery overheating, heating of transformers and electrical substations, as well as skin surface temperature monitoring, and bodycams. AI-based security has proven to not only be more effective but also save companies money by reducing labour costs.

According to the recent market analysis, the global video analytics market is expected to reach 22bln USD by 2027 growing at CAGR of 22.7% (2020-2027). The outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic also influenced the wider and quicker application of video analytics for threat detection.

Dominic Ryles, Director of Sales & Commercial – Security at Exertis Enterprise, said: “We are delighted to partner with Scylla and to have the opportunity to bring their leading real-time physical threat detection solution to our channel partners. This new addition to our vendor portfolio means we’re enabling our channel partners to not only open up new revenue streams for themselves, but a unique opportunity to bolster existing video solutions such as CCTV, UAV, thermal, and body cameras, with robust AI-powered technology, to deliver meaningful insights to detect objects, actions, and behaviour anomalies.”

INSERT PIC with caption:

Dominic Ryles, Director of Sales & Commercial – Security at Exertis Enterprise: “We are delighted to partner with Scylla and to have the opportunity to bring their leading real-time physical threat detection solution to our channel partners.”

SET as an adjacent story:

Exertis and eSentire partner to deliver 24/7 multi-signal MDR

Exertis has announced that it has bolstered its cybersecurity services, adding eSentire, the authority in Managed Detection and Response (MDR), to its Enterprise portfolio of offerings.

eSentire’s award-winning, 24/7

multi-signal MDR, Digital Forensics and Incident Response (IR), and Exposure Management services will be available to Exertis’ channel partners and their end-user customers across the UK, Ireland, and Europe. Through this partnership, Exertis’ partners and end-user customers have access to eSentire’s multi-signal MDR Service, which provides 24/7 advanced threat detection, investigation, and complete response. With coverage across network, endpoint, log, cloud and identity data sources, eSentire MDR provides the world’s most complete threat response capability and a Mean Time to Contain active security threats of less than 15 minutes. Customers benefit from aroundthe-clock monitoring & exceptional support, delivered by eSentire’s Cyber Resilience team comprised of 24/7 SOC Cyber Analysts, Elite Threat Hunters, Threat Response Unit (TRU) experts and a dedicated Cyber Risk Advisor. eSentire also holds global alliances with best of breed technical partners including Microsoft, AWS, CrowdStrike, VMWare Carbon Black, SentinelOne, Lacework and Sumo Logic so customers can partner with Exertis and eSentire for a fully managed solution or choose to bring their own existing license for 24/7 protection under eSentire MDR. eSentire’s ability to protect global businesses from unknown threats by operationalising threat intel and building novel detection models truly sets eSentire apart. On average, eSentire’s TRU performs 125K global threat sweeps, 175 proactive hypothesis driven threat hunts and builds more than 100 novel detections with investigative SOC processes each quarter to harden customer defences. eSentire, the G2 peer to peer review site MDR leader and top MDR provider named by MSSP Alert on its Top 250 Global MSSP ranking, proudly protects more than 1,750 organisations across 35 industries in 80 countries around the world from known and unknown cyber threats with the mission-focus of building cyber resilience and preventing business disruption. Exertis now joins eSentire’s award winning e3 partner ecosystem – representing experience, expertise and eSentire. Recognized four times as a 5-star CRN Partner Program for its innovative ecosystem approach that uniquely delivers value to and through partners, based on how their customers choose to transact, eSentire offers flexible pricing bundles, co-selling, co-marketing and fast start incentives to encourage widescale service adoption.

Dominic Ryles, Director of Sales and Commercial – Security at Exertis Enterprise, said: “Security expertise continues to be incredibly challenging to recruit, train, and retain. In order to en-

sure our channel partners and their customers can continue to scale their business ambitions securely, complete attack surface visibility, 24/7 protection and rapid threat intelligence operationalisation are paramount. We are thrilled to partner with eSentire, the global leader in Managed Detection & Response (MDR) to bring enterprise- grade cybersecurity services to our Enterprise portfolio.”

Piers Morgan, VP EMEA Sales and Channel, eSentire concurred stating: “Exertis delivers best in class solutions to leading organisations across the UK, Ireland and throughout Europe. We are thrilled to be part of their Enterprise portfolio expansion as we partner to help security leaders anticipate, withstand, and recover from cyberattacks with our award-winning Managed Detection & Response services.”

continued from page 15

Kramer announces new Australian distribution

Kramer has announced its expanded distribution partnership with AVA Distribution (AVAD), an audio-visual distributor headquartered in Brisbane, Australia. From innovative wireless presentation and collaboration, revolutionary room control built in the cloud, to web-based AV network management, Kramer is setting a new standard for AV/IT convergence upon an open ecosystem. The company is committed to providing the best products, solutions, and services, and remaining the all-round choice for the enterprise, education, and government markets. With this new partnership, AVAD will market, distribute, and support Kramer’s entire portfolio while delivering the most intuitive audio-visual experiences through its wide network of resellers, integrators, consultants and installers across Australia.

Customers will now have access to a dedicated team, offering end-to-end audio-visual technologies with reliable support that drives their businesses forward. The partnership falls under Kramer’s new ENGAGE Partner Program, designed to Enable its Network (of partners) to Grow, Accelerate, Gain and Excel. The scheme engages distributors, system integrators, and resellers to boost growth and profit via Kramer product portfolio adoption, training, certification, and marketing efforts. Accredited partners enjoy various benefits and incentives such as marketing development funds and special equipment discounts. Marc Remond, Kramer President APAC, said: “We are very excited to partner with a value-added AV distributor such as AVAD to strengthen our position as a leading professional AV ven-

dor in Australia. AVAD’s team is extremely professional, and the company has a longstanding reputation in the ProAV market. Thanks to this close partnership, both resellers and customers will gain access to Kramer’s secure and reliable products along with the technical support, training, and programming services they need to ensure their technology deployments are successful and provide the best possible return on investment.”

Santo Pappalardo, Managing Director at AVAD, said: “We have been a Kramer distributor since 2016 and are delighted to have been chosen to become their principal distributor for the new ENGAGE channel program. Kramer delivers a complete range of innovative products designed to help our ProAV resellers create the absolute best audio-visual experiences.”

Loewe UK adds TV / audio range to showroom

in their respective industries, the two design-led companies have partnered to offer visitors a redefined vision of a luxury living space. Styled within Ligne Roset’s beautifully designed showroom, Loewe’s 4K OLED TVs’ blend seamlessly with the surrounding space. Offering industry leading detailed, natural

lines and sophisticated detail, Loewe’s award-winning products are an excellent fit with our furniture. Both brands are very much alike, offering unparalleled heritage filled with stateof-the-art technology, timeless design and a well-earned reputation for high quality.”

Based in Chelsea, London, the

in Briord, France. Alan Whyte, Managing Director at Loewe Technology UK, commented: “This combination makes perfect sense; two heritage brands pushing the boundaries of quality and design while also boasting unrivalled customer service. Visually speaking, our design parallels are obvious, I believe,

customers visualise their own living spaces. This is something particularly ground-breaking for the luxury AV industry.” The news comes after Loewe celebrated its 100th anniversary after the company’s founders, Siegmund and David Loewe, pioneered the integrated circuit as well as television and radio

picture quality with Dolby Vision while its soundbar, either hidden or attached, fills the showroom room with rich, full sound.

‘The addition of Loewe’s stunning TVs has elevated our clientele experience.” said Imran Badat, Owner of Ligne Roset Chelsea, Bromley & Hampstead. With their clean modern

Ligne Roset showroom welcomes visitors from around the world to experience its renowned furniture range and ground-breaking contemporary designs. Founded in 1860, Ligne Roset is a pioneer of modern furniture design whose entire product range is handcrafted at the company’s headquarters

but I’m particularly delighted that Ligne Roset’s Chelsea showroom has joined us in our journey to redefine the customer experience in the luxury interior sector. Saving our clientele precious time and needless hassle, our high-end AV offerings sit together with Ligne Roset’s timeless furniture to help showroom

of

broadcasting in 1923. The company’s high-end flagship TV, the iconic, was announced last year and will be available to purchase later in 2023.

Loewe Technology will now feature its award-winning range of TVs and multiroom speakers in the Chelsea showroom

luxury furniture company, Ligne Roset.

Boom complete conferencing solution

Fast-growing video conferencing manufacturer, Boom Collaboration, has officially launched a portable all-in-one device which further blurs the lines between home and office work. The Boom UNO is a complete con-

ViewMaster Pro NDI multiviewer launched

a vertically adjustable lens and touch keypad with volume and mute controls.

Boom Collaboration was created in 2020 by founders Fredrik Hörnkvist and Holli Hulett, in a bid to disrupt the sector and

The Boom UNO is a complete conferencing system that combines a 120° wide angle full HD camera with a 360° omnidirectional microphone and built-in speaker

ferencing system that combines a 120° wide angle full HD camera with a 360° omnidirectional microphone and built-in speaker. The compact stylish device has plug-and-play functionality via one USB cable and is available in black and white colour variants. It is compatible with Zoom, Teams, Webex, Google Meet and all the major meeting apps A status light is complemented by full duplex HD audio,

stand out from the crowd. creating high performance, high value advanced products. The ambitious Texas-based business has quickly developed an extensive conferencing portfolio and operates in 20 countries, with plans for major expansion to 30 more this year including the UK and central Europe.

“There’s little doubt hybrid work is here to stay and for many organisations it’s already embed-

ded as an integral part of modern working cultures,” Hörnkvist explained. “From our own research and experience we estimate around 55% of businesses globally have work from home policies, with this number growing in a post pandemic world. In addition, 30% of all employees are full-time remote workers while over 60% work from home occasionally. The right equipment can boost productivity while saving corporations money - creating true meeting equity for all participants. “For us, demand for flexible. portable products that are suitable for home as well as office life continue to accelerate. The Boom UNO ticks every box.” Hulett added: “The Boom UNO gives users all the tools they need for effective collaboration in a simple user-friendly package. Enjoy video calls in full HD combined with a powerful speakerphone with omni-directional pickup, full-duplex and advanced echo cancellation and noise suppression. It’s very easy to use and pop in a bag to transport between the home and office, or wherever people are working.” The Boom UNO is lightweight and compact. It measures 18.1cm tall and is 6.2cm wide and deep.

XMOS launches high-performance voice conferencing

XMOS has announced the launch of its XMOS XVF3800 voice processor, designed to deliver a high-performance, rapid time-to-market solution for enterprise and consumer voice conferencing platforms. The four-microphone processor is intended to enable Microsoft Teams and Zoom certification in conferencing devices, video bars, portable speakerphones, PCs, gaming monitors and collaborative display solutions. State of the art algorithms provide high-quality audio in challenging environments, while the processor itself enables engineers to fully optimise performance based on the specific acoustics of the product at hand.

Key features include:

• (AEC) – removes far-end echoes picked up by the mi-

crophones, which enables the XVF3800 to extract clear voice signals even with high-volume speaker output

• Adaptive multiple beamformers – tracks both stationary and non-stationary voice sources, identifying the direction of arrival, and isolating the voice of interest, improving double talk and dereverberation performance

• Noise suppression – nulls diffuse noise sources (air conditioning, road noise etc.) to enable accurate, consistent voice capture

• Automatic gain control (AGC)

Rascular, designers of software-based powerful, customisable control and monitoring applications for third-party, professional video technologies, is continuing the expansion of its NDI ecosystem with the launch of ViewMaster Pro multiviewer. This has been created to satisfy the needs of both broadcast and AV customers.

ViewMaster VR Pro is the multi-output version of ViewMaster VR, bringing all the functionality of Rascular’s NDI multiviewer to a multi-monitor

uration and control options via an easy-to-use webpage. This includes not only the ability to configure both versions of the multiviewer quickly, for initial set up and live adjustments, it also provides the ability to easily configure control of the company’s NDI routing solutions – RouteMaster VR and VR Lite – from within the multiviewer. This gives users the ability to create routes and switch paths, with any available source able to be routed to any available output, providing an all-in-one approach for a

lies, showing at a glance which sources are in Preview and Live. With ViewMaster Pro, each head of the multiviewer can be configured separately. Comprehensive audio control options are also available to users. Rascular also provides the ability to create presets that hold all the setup options for a chosen ViewMaster configuration, allowing quick and easy access to preferred setups depending on the project.

Ephraim Barrett, Sales Director, Rascular, said: “We’re constant-

– ensures a consistent far-end volume for speakers at different distances from the device.

• Beyond the specialised microphone interface and two supporting linear mic arrays, the XVF3800 also incorporates USB2.0 connectivity, as well as

an I2S audio interface that can sample at 16kHz or 48kHz.

The XVF3800 is currently available to early access customers and will be generally available, along with a development kit, the XK-VOICE-SQ66, in the next quarter. The new, cost-optimised processor builds on the success of XMOS’ high performance VocalFusion range.

“The modern workforce has more disparate and flexible work environments than ever before, and so has never had higher expectations for its communications tools”, commented Aneet Chopra, EVP Marketing & Product Management, XMOS. “With this in mind, enterprise and consumer software providers like Microsoft Teams, and Zoom, are raising the bar to match these expectations. Turnkey solutions that are high performance and easy to integrate are needed to keep pace with new innovations and experiences. The XVF3800 provides a reliable, cost-optimised solution for collaboration applications, delivering the price-to-performance ratio needed to bring new innovations to the market rapidly and successfully.”

Rascular is continuing the expansion of its NDI ecosystem with the launch of ViewMaster Pro multiviewer.

environment with up to four separate multiviewer outputs supported. As with ViewMaster VR, each of the ViewMaster VR Pro multiviewer outputs can be configured to generate a unique NDI source with audio on the network, which can be used for monitoring purposes. The audio can be selected from any of the sources in the multiview. Both versions now benefit from significantly expanded config-

multitude of applications. All configuration options are presented in a clear and easyto-use way to users, allowing quick initial configuration and subsequent changes to be made. ViewMaster VR can display up to 36 NDI Sources in a variety of layouts. The name of each source is clearly displayed, and users can easily select what sources to view. ViewMaster VR can also display NDI tal-

ly evolving our NDI ecosystem as the market expands alongside customer requirements. ViewMaster VR Pro takes all the benefits of the single monitor version into a multi-head environment. This expansion also includes our brilliant new configuration and control options, especially the ability to configure and control our NDI routing solutions from within the multiviewer.”

Connected Distribution introduces MuxMeet

MuxLab’s innovative MuxMeet Wireless Presentation and Video Conferencing Solution is being introduced by Connected Distribution, to service the growing demand for home working and collaborative video conferencing systems. The MuxMeet range of products enables companies’ workforce, customers and business partners to share content and presentations and to communicate clearly and professionally, increasing productivity and efficiency of meetings. It is also ideally suited to the education and healthcare sectors. The product range comprises the MuxMeet Videobar, Share Base, Share Base-2, Share Dongles, Tablet-1, Tabletop Panel and Mini PC, which can be used in a variety of configurations depending upon the exact requirements of the users. In its simplest guise, meeting participants

can dispense with the poor-quality cameras and speakers in their laptops by connecting the MuxMeet Videobar via USB to the computer and HDMI to the TV screen. It also comes into its

own when used in a larger meeting room situation as it is fitted with four microphones, an eightwatt full frequency speaker and 4K PTZ 120-degree camera with auto tracking and auto framing.

continued on page 18

continued from page 17

Connected Distribution introduces MuxMeet

DSP acoustic echo cancellation ensures crystal clear sound, and the camera can be set to follow or zoom in to preset locations, such as a white board at the back of the room, at the press of a button.

The Share Base-1 is a wireless presentation module that replaces the traditional Pro-AV switch found in typical meeting rooms. It makes sharing content an easy experience regardless of the user’s platform. iOS devices stream natively via AirPlay, Android users can download the Muxlab BYOD app (Bring Your Own Device) from Google Play, Windows and Mac users can connect via the BYOD app or by using the Muxlab Share Dongles (HDMI or USB-C).

Simultaneous screen sharing and video conferencing is achieved by using the Share Base-2 and MuxMeet Videobar combination. Share Base-2 meets today’s hybrid workforce’s requirements, supporting not only local presentation sharing, but collaboration with remote participants. Conference calls can be hosted using many of the popular solutions, e.g. Zoom, Teams, Webex etc. and users can share their screens wirelessly using the same technologies employed in the Share Base-1.

Plug and play Share Dongles, with either HDMI or USB-C connections, allow meeting participants using Windows or Mac laptops to wirelessly share content at the push of a button. They provide the ideal solution for visiting participants who won’t necessarily have the MuxMeet BYOD app installed on their computers. For more

permanent and heavy use situations, or use in shared offices, the combination of the MuxMeet Tablet-1 and Mini PC-1 provides the ultimate in flexibility and control. The Mini PC-1 becomes the heart of the system, running the video conferencing software and connecting to the MuxMeet Videobar, TV and the LAN. The touch screen Tablet-1 can be desk mounted and is perfect

January of the same year. And, while this has dropped off since the peak, there is now a definite trend for hybrid working with staff splitting their time between office and home. This provides huge opportunity for technology companies to service the new model of working, to provide a seamless communications experience whether in the office or remotely. MuxMeet is a very sim-

Optoma launches new laser projectors

Optoma has announced three new ultra-compact, short throw DuraCore laser projectors designed to bring high brightness, dependability, and cutting-edge image technology into conference rooms, boardrooms, and other corporate spaces.

MuxLab’s innovative MuxMeet Wireless Presentation and Video Conferencing Solution is being introduced by Connected Distribution, to service the growing demand for home working and collaborative video conferencing systems.

for controlling the video conferencing software and scheduling conference rooms.

Connected Distribution’s product director Mike Bonnette, commenting on the introduction of MuxMeet says, “The global pandemic changed the workplace beyond recognition, with almost 45% of the UK’s population working from home in April 2020, up from just 6% in

ple to use, but hugely powerful solution from MuxLab, a company famed for its robust distributed AV and broadcast products. MuxMeet offers the flexibility required for many different situations, enviable reliability and comes at a very affordable price, making this cutting-edge technology available to all.”

Avocor’s FUSE remote management platform

Avocor has announced the launch of FUSE, a free, cloudbased software management platform that enables IT/AV and Facilities teams to remotely deploy, configure and manage Avocor solutions at scale, from anywhere in the world. With FUSE, teams can dramatically improve efficiencies while reducing overheads at every stage from product configuration onwards and extending the useful life of devices.

Built on Xyte’s Technology-as-a-Service (TaaS) cloud platform, FUSE enables teams to configure their device estate and organize products into spaces as they appear in the real world (location, spaces, etc..). This enables IT departments to manage the lifecycle of their Avocor devices efficiently.

Management of multiple Avocor devices is also streamlined with FUSE. Multiple Avocor products can be managed from anywhere through a single view, reducing local IT support overheads and improving efficiencies. With FUSE, users can benefit from huge time-saving features, such as internal and escalated remote support of Avocor devices, instant firmware updates, and automated ticket creation when devices stop reporting or fall

outside of customizable parameters. This means AV/IT teams can be confident that firmware and software upgrades are being installed when desired and devices are operating optimally, further futureproofing systems. The power of FUSE doesn’t stop there, however. It also collects key data regarding usage, giving CTOs information they need to make strategic decisions around future meeting space requirements. “FUSE has the power to revolutionize how AV/IT teams deploy, configure and manage their Avocor solutions,” says Dana Corey, SVP of Avocor.

“Remote management from anywhere in the world means users can quickly view the status of their Avocor displays and ensure updates are installed when needed, and quickly respond to any issues. Not only will this save teams time and resources,

The ZX350ST, ZW350ST and ZH350ST are Optoma’s most compact, hassle-free XGA, WXGA and 1080p laser projectors, respectively, to-date, delivering powerful image performance with flexible installation features and extensive connectivity options in a sleek, compact form factor, up to 34% smaller than previous Optoma models. To support Optoma’s commitment to sustainability, the new projectors guarantee up to 30,000 hours of lower-cost and virtually maintenance-free operation with the projectors’ DuraCore laser light source, cutting power consumption by up to 45% compared to Optoma’s lamp-based projectors. Designed with the environment in mind, the compact product and packaging sizes allow 2x more products carried per container to reduce logistical carbon footprint3 and the packaging contains up to 97% recyclable materials. Featuring 3300, 3600 and 3500 lumens, respectively, and a 2,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, the Optoma ZX350ST, ZW350ST and ZH350ST projectors produce sharp and vivid images with incredible colour accuracy. With their short throw

distance, these projectors deliver bright, large-screen presentations with stunning clarity from just a few metres away. Equipped with keystone and 360-degree and portrait mode operation, the ZX350ST, ZW350ST and ZH350ST projectors also guarantee flexible installation in virtually any orientation and loca-

lower total cost of ownership and the functionality that our users expect.” These feature-packed projectors also offer a built-in speaker, an RS232 connection point for ultimate control and monitoring as well as a short throw lens to enable setup from less than half a metre from any wall – perfect for

but it will also ensure end users are able to enjoy the best possible experience.”

“We are extremely excited to partner with Avocor and enable them and their users to better manage, support and service their devices remotely,” says Omer Brookstein, Xyte Co-Founder and CEO. “With the FUSE cloud, powered by Xyte, Avocor devices can be installed, configured, and supported more quickly and efficiently, providing Avocor users an unprecedented customer experience.” FUSE integrates with many premiere cloud-based platforms, including Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Slack, Salesforce.com, and Monday.com. Visit fuse.avocor. com to open a free FUSE account and start managing and monitoring your Avocor devices through the cloud.

tion with their small, lightweight footprint. The new models also include an external power pack for added energy efficiency and versatile installation.

“As we continue to demonstrate our commitment to sustainability, we are designing products that not only deliver superior performance and are built to last, but also consume minimal energy and have a reduced environmental footprint,” said Ollie Blundell, Product Manager, Optoma. “The new ZX350ST, ZW350ST and ZH350ST combine powerful DuraCore laser technology with essential features from our line of ProAV projector solutions, along with an eco-friendly design, delivering a

meeting rooms, medium-sized exhibition venues and events. The ZX350ST and ZW350ST also feature an RJ45 port and additional firmware for control including Crestron RoomView™, Extron, PJ Link, AMX, Telnet and HTTP. A value-added solution, the Optoma Management Suite (OMS) is available on these projectors offering IT administrators and technicians a real time remote platform to monitor, manage, and diagnose multiple displays simultaneously. OMS enables technicians to check the status and make configurations to optimise performance and broadcast emergency messages, alerts, or announcements across on-site displays.

Peerless-AV’s new generation Smart City Kiosks

Peerless-AV’s new generation Smart City Kiosks offer even more versatility and functionality for outdoor advertising and wayfinding applications St Albans, UK, 21 March 2023 – AV technology pioneer Peerless-AV® today announced the global availability of its new generation Smart City Kiosks. Shown for the first time in EMEA at ISE 2023, the new Single (KOP55XHB-EUK) and Dual-Sided (KOP55XHB2-EUK) models have been designed in response to customer feedback and demand.

Key upgrades facilitate a simplified installation for running power and data cabling while offering a dedicated storage space for media components. The Dual Sided model is brand new to the range, offering increased screen space and opportunities for revenue-generating digital advertising and wayfinding.

These Smart City Kiosks offer supreme versatility in a wide range of verticals, including retail, government, transportation and visitor attractions.

“Our Smart City Kiosks have been hugely successful in EMEA and International markets and now these new generation models are in high demand after a positive reception at ISE in Barcelona,” said Keith Dutch, Managing Director – EMEA, Peerless-AV. “We’re pleased to announce that both Single and Dual-Sided models are now

available to order globally. They provide an attractive, flexible, functional outdoor digital signage upgrade for any end user organisation seeking to replace an existing static or low engagement signage solution in urban areas.”

The KOP55XHB-EUK models incorporate one 55" Xtreme™ High Bright Outdoor Display (XHB554-EUK) and the KOP55XHB2-EUK models feature two 55” Xtreme’s, installed back-to-back. The two screens can play content independently or can operate from a duplicate

which can detect up to 10 touch points, whether finger, gloved hand or stylus, all in a convenient plug-and-play design.

Installation simplicity is factored into all design aspects of the Smart City Kiosks. A base cover allows power and data cabling to run upwards from the bottom centre and secure doors allow quick access for maintenance purposes. An IP55 rated media cabinet provides a spacious, enclosed storage area for AV components and integrated fans for active cooling.

The Smart City Kiosk is wind

feed, within a slim, modern and aesthetically pleasing design.

The Xtreme display’s offer full HD 1080P resolution for a bright and crisp picture even when placed in direct sunlight. Its fully-sealed, IP66 rated design prevents the ingress of foreign materials, such as water, dust, moisture and insects from entering the display and has an operating temperature of -35°C to 60°C. The displays can be enhanced with an optional IR touch overlay (KIRP-XHB4),

tested up to 135 mph and its stylish, stainless steel and aluminium body, combined with an outdoor rated paint finish, provides the ultimate in corrosion resistance.

The KOP55XHB-EUK and KOP55XHB2-EUK models are now available to order in black or silver and with or without two 4-inch, 100 watt, waterproof speakers. See them in action next at The AV Showcase by Peerless-AV at Lord’s, 16-17 May 2023.

Right-sizing audio for meeting rooms

Meeting rooms are back, driving the need for more streamlined and efficient AV solutions that are easier to install without compromising features or performance. Chris Lyons, Senior Manager, Integrated Systems Global Marketing at Shure Incorporated. In 35+ years at Shure, he has served in marketing, product management, technical support, and public relations, shares his hints and tips on right-sizing audio.

Many organizations are continuing to see a balance of in-office and remote workers. On any given call, there is almost always an assortment of in-office and remote participants.

Hints and tips

But another subtle change is taking place - Like bears emerging from hibernation, workers are coming out from behind their laptops and gathering in a space that until recently seemed on the brink of obsolescence: the meeting room.

For a while it seemed like the meeting room was dying. But as time goes by, more and more in-office workers are choosing to gather in a meeting room to take advantage of the personal dynamics that being together offers.

Of course, this means that more meeting rooms are being used more frequently by more people. There is pressure on IT and AV departments to bring every meeting room in the organization up to the same standards – especially small and medium-size rooms that get used the most. With either an in-room PC or a gateway for a user’s own laptop, they can’t skimp on audio, video or control features. While the demand for smaller but high-functioning rooms is going up, the appetite for a “big project” is going down. There’s some resistance to the traditional process of designing a videoconferencing solution, specifying equipment, and coordinating a week or more of down time while the whole kit is installed and commissioned. A full-scale project is still the norm for larger training rooms or lecture halls with more complex AV requirements, but it’s beginning to seem unrealistic for smaller “every day” rooms.

The variable in the room refresh equation that is now under the microscope is time. Now, AV/IT managers are not only faced with “how much will it cost?” but also “how soon can we start?” and “when will it be finished?”

https://shure.widen.net/s/56ttbkdwq8/stem_ecosystem_small-huddle-room_03

One thing that hasn’t been compromised is audio quality. Consistent coverage that makes everyone in the room sound natural, powerful DSP to eliminate disruptive echo and room noise, and seamless integration with a room control system deliver the goods, while certifications with leading collaboration platforms eliminate any doubts about how things will work once up and running. The next wave of audio solutions will live overhead and out of the way, as it becomes clear that ceiling microphones and loudspeakers are the preferred form factor in most rooms. Having the microphone and loudspeaker on the ceiling puts everyone at roughly the same

distance, resulting in a nice balance of sound quality for everyone in the room in terms of both speaking and listening. There’s no need for a “wall of sound” hitting the people at the near end of the table just to make sure that the people at the other end can hear well. The new generation of microphones will be pre-configured to cover small to medium-size rooms, virtually eliminating the need for complex configuration. Just mount the mic more or less in the middle of the room and plug it in, route audio to the collaboration platform, and you’re essentially done.

As hybrid meetings remain central to organizational success, AV/IT teams need to stay ahead of the curve in preparing small and medium rooms for regular use. Performance that matches what is found in larger, more complex installs while being designed specifically to handle smaller spaces will maximize productivity and efficiency for the organization.

https://shure.widen.net/s/zhhqnr8b8k/stem_ecosystem_smallmeeting-room_06

Organizations want the benefits of state-of-the-art components with excellent performance, seamless control integration, and discreet appearance, but they also want to keep things as simple as possible so as to require the minimum time spent on cabling and configuration.

Right-sized solutions

Fortunately, a new generation of audio products is hitting the market that are aimed squarely at this “right sizing” trend. Shure’s Stem and Microflex Ecosystems offer a comprehensive set of options that can be mixed, matched, and scaled to handle the needs of any size room. Some of these products integrate the array microphone, DSP, and even loudspeakers into one device that can be used alone to provide a total solution for small or medium rooms. In larger rooms, individual microphones, DSP units, and loudspeakers can be combined together to serve more complex needs or varying seating areas.

https://shure.widen.net/s/75zqbmtvfs/stem_ecosystem_small-huddle-room_07

The changing face of video conferencing

In today’s fast-paced world of video conferencing technology there’s a multitude of options when deploying and installing equipment – from the simple to the sophisticated. Fredrik Hörnkvist and Holli Hulett are founders of fast-growing video conferencing manufacturer Boom Collaboration which has a growing global presence. Many factors have to be fused together to create a compelling and life-like call experience, in a consistent and rewarding way. The art of communication continues to evolve! Over to Fredrik and Holli….

Quality equipment does make a significant difference. Quality really matters. It’s one of the many reasons we decided to produce a 4K PTZ camera early on. We believe this is where a lot of the platforms such as Teams will go next. In the future video calls will be conducted in 4K not HD. Raising the bar and raising the game in terms of quality will lead to a greater customer experience.

Through these interesting, challenging and evolving times, from lockdowns to hybrid working, conferencing has been at the fulcrum of dramatic changes in daily and working life; how people interact and communicate, almost from anywhere. Choosing the right equipment is crucial. That could be plug-and-play or more powerful full room integrated systems. Global economies still face many challenges with the most recent report from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) showing world growth slowing to 2.9% in 2023, down from 3.4% last year.

To survive an unstable economic climate, business leaders are looking to technology solutions that cut costs, amplify productivity, and accelerate ROI. Automation tools are widely considered “recession-proof” because they reduce operating costs, increase efficiencies, and build the strong digital foundation organisations need to weather any storm.

Knowledge gap

We recognise it’s a fast moving space so there might still be a knowledge gap for some AV installers and resellers in certain areas of the market - from audio and video technology to meeting etiquette. There are definitely gaps in expertise due to the fast transition of people working from home and an explosion in software-based solutions such as Teams and Zoom. Manufacturers need to be the piece that’s missing in the sector.

Body language

Maintaining face-to face eye contact is crucial for a rewarding and life-like call experience. Body language is part of the art of communication, with great hardware vs not so great hardware a vital component of overall success.

Building a bond and rapport happens in many different ways. Being relaxed, happy and friendly goes a long way. So much human interaction happens through body language and facial expressions. A smile can light up a room and make someone happy without any words. Emotion is powerful. A meeting is an encounter between people, where we constantly read each other. An interaction. First impressions count.

It takes just a split second to read a face. Attractiveness, whether or not the face is familiar, emotions and whether or not the person appears to be friendly. These can all be quickly established. The encounter is conducted to a large extent through looks. A look unconsciously reveals emotions. It can be the crucial factor in deciding whether or not you believe what a person is saying. We are often drawn to the happy faces in a group. The reason for this is that people seek out positivity. Information is passed on more quickly via facial expression and hand movements than by the spoken word. We can react at lightning speed.

allowing for the reading of unspoken cues. It’s good to look straight in the camera when you want to really drive a point home or appeal to someone in the most sincere way.

Body language and making eye contact needs to be flexible as well as natural and tailored to different scenarios - being able to tailor an approach whether that’s teaching, pitching or selling. Being able to

Our goal is to emphasise the vital role hardware plays to improve the meeting experience. Manufacturers should be trusted advisors about the best end points to drive the end user experience. It’s about matching the right equipment to the right rooms and helping organisations to transition at whatever stage of the journey they are on. Some installers perhaps used to sell traditional telephone systems then IP handsets but now cloud-based full unified comms systems are taking over with video at their heart. So, they have to adapt to maintain their revenue streams and that’s where manufacturers should come in with their knowledge and expertise. The quality of audio and video plus user friendly technology all have to combine to create the ultimate life-like video call experience. It doesn’t happen by chance. However, it doesn’t matter how good the technology is. If it’s not being used on a regular basis in the right way then the whole investment and experience is undermined. It has to be reliable, easy to operate and effective.

It’s all in the eyes

When we meet physically, we can read each other directly with a look and the whole process is unconscious. Looks are important for turn taking; when we have eye contact, we control whose turn it is and we confirm that we have each other’s attention and that we are following conversation. In a video conference, the turn taking is different. It’s not always easy to manage with some people ‘fighting’ to get their voice heard.

When people are speaking, eye contact is important for those they are communicating with, so they should always look towards the conference camera and screen when speaking, rather than anyone in front of them in the room.You want to be able to read their expressions, body language, eyes etc while speaking to discern how a message is coming across. Having the camera at eye level mounted with the screen gives the most natural assimilation of eye contact while

adapt is very important on a video call. Some miss that when trying to create inclusivity and equality. This is particularly hard with a large group when everyone is split up into little square boxes on a screen. From our own independent research and speaking to resellers, 48% of people worry about how they look on video, whilst 59% feel more self-aware. To overcome some of the challenges we always suggest putting the camera at eye level on the same wall as the main display so that it’s natural and easy to engage directly with people. We feel something like a 360-degree camera is actually counter intuitive to the way we communicate. Also, because more people are using video calls now they are more conscious of their appearance. They want to look their best and can now physically see themselves in a different way on screen.Feedback from customers definitely indicates people are more conscious and want to improve their image. For us, if we’re conducting a big webinar for example, when prepping content we’re also prepping our appearance. We do pay special attention and take more time.

A video call has become part of daily working life for many people. It’s probably one of the biggest lasting legacies of the pandemic. There’s no going back. Jumping on a video call is now part of working culture. Being smart and professional is hugely important. Equally people need to be seen and heard clearly too.

Choose wisely

With so many different cameras and speakerphones on the market. How do you know which are best for your customers, for now and the future too? Forming effective, long-standing partnerships with manufacturers and distributors built on trust can help provide a competitive advantage For us it’s about offering the highest levels of support to installers and resellers through the distribution channel and going the extra mile, not a bland ‘Me-too’ brand.

We recognise installers have the relationship with customers. Together we can help them transition to the new world we live in – as we all play a part in influencing the changing face of video conferencing.

About Boom

Fast-growing video conferencing manufacturer, Boom Collaboration, was born in 2020 by founders Fredrik Hörnkvist and Holli Hulett, in a bid to disrupt the sector and stand out from the crowd – creating high performance, high value advanced products. The ambitious Texas-based business has quickly developed an extensive conferencing portfolio and operates in 20 countries, with plans for major expansion to 30 more this year including the UK and central Europe.

Boom believe excellent hardware that delivers smooth video and crystal clear audio brings the world one step closer and helps customers accomplish more together in less time. https://boomcollaboration.com

THE AV SHOWCASE

Back for a third year, Peerless-AV’s highly successful AV Showcase returns in May, with over 40 leading brands and many new for 2023 features. The event attracts professionals and decision-makers not only from the UK AV community but all across Europe; recognising the value of Peerless-AV’s strong partner relations and industry connections and ability to bring all the leading players from the audio, workplace technology, wireless, UC/VC, digital signage, interactive touch and signal management markets together, under one roof.

40+ Exhibiting Brands

Technical Workshops

‘Mix & Mingle’ Evening Drinks

2 Day Showcase

Unleashing the power of the mind! University of Oxford's neuro-themed escape room

In a bid to educate and intrigue more people about the mysteries of the human brain, the University of Oxford’s Neuroscience Department has taken inspiration from the attractions industry to engage a new audience through an immersive and interactive edutainment experience.The neuro-themed escape room challenges participants to explore the inner workings of the human brain while solving a series of puzzles and challenges

The University of Oxford Neuroscience Department turned to experiential designers LCI Productions to deliver the AV brains of the operation, which features a range of cutting-edge technology and special effects, including projection mapping, motion sensors and interactive and evolving soundscapes. The escape room has been created as part of the University’s public engagement ambassador scheme, with the objective of providing outreach in schools, community projects, science fairs and museums.

Once inside, participants must use their wits and knowledge of neuroscience to solve a series of puzzles and challenges that test their understanding of the human brain. From identifying regions of the brain responsible for specific functions to understanding the effects of neurotransmitters on mood and behaviour, the escape room is designed to provide a comprehensive and engaging learning experience for visitors of all ages.

The project

The project was led by Amy Howard, a PHD student in the Oxford Neuroscience Department at University of Oxford, working closely with the team at LCI Productions. Together, they worked to create an experience that was both entertaining and informative, using the latest technology and techniques in experiential design to bring the science of the brain to life.

“Visitors are met by an Artificially Intelligent (AI) Brain that gains consciousness and threatens to put the laboratory in lockdown,” explains Amy Howard, PhD Oxford Neuroscience Department. “Guests need to outsmart the brain in a series of physical and mental tasks, which offer a unique and immersive experience of brain discovery. Each challenge combines topics from MRI physics, image analysis and neuroscience with ticking timers, kinetic sand brains and tabletop puzzles,” says Howard.

“We wanted to create an experience that was both fun and educational, something that would really capture the imagination of visitors and help them to understand the complexity of the human brain. The escape room format was perfect for this, as it allowed us to create a series of challenges that were both engaging and informative.” Howard adds.

LCI delivered the full audio, visual and lighting production, including technical design, concept creation, original media and audio scores, installation and programming. The escape room media is brought to life through projection using an Optoma ZH406 Projector, with content controlled using a BrightSign XT1144 and two BrightSign HD22’s. Additional displays include a UHD 32'' Samsung panel and

a HD 24'' Samsung display, where the high resolution is used to showcase the details of real-life MRI imaging and brain scans.

To bring together the cinematic lighting and visuals, LCI used a Enttec S-Play Light Show Controller with LED Tape and Driver, with a Custom 8 Way Relay Interface Unit. “The neuro-themed escape room was a unique and exciting challenge for us,” said Rob Paul, Design Director of LCI Productions. “We worked closely with the team at the University of Oxford to develop a concept that would be both entertaining and educational, while also incorporating the latest technology to create an immersive and unforgettable experience for visitors.”

“Our team was able to create an environment that not only challenges players, but also provides an insight into the workings of the brain through use of creative and interactive experiences including 3D projection mapping, cinematic lighting and holographic displays.”

Partnerships

LCI also partnered with audio developers Pastporte to provide a custom-built soundscape that ties in with the theme of the room and

encourages visitors to move through the neuro-themed puzzles. The ambient soundtrack plays in the background throughout the duration of the game and creates an eerie atmosphere with an added sound trajectory that coincides with the brain's activity, for example whenever the brain speaks or lights up.

“We took a lot of the inspiration for the brain's voice from the classic 1960’s Sci-fi movie, ‘2001: Space Odyssey’. The soundscape incorporates different robotic sound pitches to help create a transcendent voice for the brain,” explains Ben Blackler, Immersive sound designer at Pastporte.

By combining the excitement of an escape room with the fascinating world of neuroscience, University of Oxford has the opportunity to engage and educate individuals in a unique and immersive way like never before. “It’s been really fun working with LCI Productions and Pastporte to develop the narrative and to bring our idea to life,” says Howard. “Neurological concepts can be fascinating and intricate, and creating an escape room that showcases these topics can be a thrilling way to engage people's curiosity and intellect. By immersing players in a world of brain teasers and puzzles, we can provide a fun and interactive way to explore the wonders of the mind and inspire a deeper understanding and appreciation for neuroscience.”

Results

The results have wielded a seamless experience that educates visitors on different parts of the brain, whilst engaging the senses with a fun and interactive challenge. “This project proves that immersive room experiences don’t just have to be exclusively for entertainment purposes,” explains Paul. “They are a great medium for taking visitors or students on interactive, thought-provoking and captivating journeys, transforming seemingly ordinary spaces into an extraordinary environment.”

“Whether you need a permanent, temporary, or touring experience, immersive rooms can be used as an educational tool, an experiential marketing space, or a unique form of entertainment, allowing visitors to explore and learn about different worlds, cultures, and environments in a way that is both engaging and memorable. When combining these spaces with the use of touch screens, gesture-based controls and physical buttons, guests can interact with their environment, further immersing them into the world around them. The unique and memorable experience provided by immersive rooms creates a lasting impression that stays with visitors long after they have left the room,” concludes Paul.

The neuro-themed escape room is now open to the public and is expected to attract a wide range of visitors, from families and school groups to corporate teams and tourists. It offers a unique opportunity to learn about the human brain in a fun and interactive way. Catch the escape room at Aylesbury Museum this Easter, between the 10th -15th April.

Technology Update

How AI is improving your day to day collaboration.

If you’ve been on social media or watched the news this month, you’ll have seen something about AI. Whether it's the rise in popularity of OpenAI’s chatbot ChatGPT, Elon Musk’s cries for AI to slow down or the showcase of new AI tools at Enterprise connect, AI is everywhere. Simon Kitson discusses the ways in which the AV industry has been utilising AI within technological advancements for the past several years. Generative AI is majorly used in video collaboration to create seamless user experiences and enhance accessibility to more individuals. Below I discuss the variety of ways that AI is already improving how we collaborate in the hybrid world, and what is on the horizon in terms of innovations and developments.

AI in Microsoft Teams Premium changes the productivity equation

One of the most significant advantages of AI in video collaboration is its ability to transcribe and translate conversations in real-time. This feature available from Microsoft Teams enables people who speak different languages to participate in a meeting without any language barriers. The transcriptions make it easier to review and reference the meeting later on, reducing the amount of notetaking and allowing users to become more engaged in the real time collaboration.

In addition, when enabling transcriptions, you can also enable real-time captions. This displays the transcript as recorded during the call, adding captions to the conversation as participants speak. With Intelligent recap, Microsoft Teams Pro is integrating AI across your meetings experience, helping you get the information most important to you from every meeting and increasing productivity in new ways.

recognition, and background noise suppression - making meetings more engaging and inclusive.

This week they’ve announced that they're evolving the capabilities of Zoom IQ to become a smart companion that empowers collaboration and unlocks people’s potential by summarising chat threads, organising ideas, drafting content for chats, emails, and whiteboard sessions, creating meeting agendas, and more.

A new era for AI and Google Workspace

AI has always been transforma-

Lightware Taurus UCX

Seamless Collaboration at Emory University School of Medicine

AI-generated notes (powered by OpenAI’s GPT-3.5) will automatically generate key points and takeaways from every meeting, while AI-generated tasks will make follow-up easy by automatically creating and suggesting action items. This feature saves time and ensures that participants do not miss any critical information.

Zoom IQ: our next-gen AI smart companion

Over the past year, Zoom has introduced different features of Zoom IQ, including smart meeting recordings, which allow users to quickly access the meeting information you need through chapters, recording highlights and action items. AI powered features such as virtual backgrounds, avatars, gesture

tional in building products that have earned a valued place in people’s lives. Across Google’s portfolio this is no different, advances in AI are already helping over 3 billion users save more time with features such as Smart Compose and Smart Reply, the generation of document summaries, and enhanced security features.

But what’s next? Google has announced it will be making it possible for Workspace users to harness the power of generative AI to create, connect, and collaborate like never before. To start, they’re introducing a first set of AI-powered writing features in Docs and Gmail to trusted testers. These new features promise to save you time and effort of writing, but instantly generating a draft for users when they simply type the topic they’d like to write about.

Cisco join the enhancements giving Webex a ChatGPT-like AI

Cisco has also announced it will be following in the footsteps of other collaboration giants and is introducing a suite of generative artificial intelligence-driven features in its Webex video conferencing platform, from meeting summaries to visual enhancements. These features are aimed at both customer communications and hybrid working end users; and include AI-powered audio, video, natural language understanding and analytics enhancements.

With the advancements in AI technology, video collaboration tools have become more intelligent and efficient, providing an immersive experience to users. By enabling real-time translation, facial recognition, intelligent backgrounds, camera con-

Nestled within the main Emory University campus in the Druid Hills section of Atlanta, Emory University School of Medicine is home to more than 400 future health professionals. The School of Medicine is ranked among the top institutions for biomedical education, clinical care and research in the United States. Founded in 1915, the school boasts a diverse team of over 3,000 faculty members working in hospitals, clinics, classrooms, labs and research centres. Roger Takacs, Vice President of Education at Lightware describes the rationale behind the Univariate’s latest technolsional AV cart. For connectivity, we decided on a dedicated computer that enabled users to run a Zoom meeting seamlessly. We recognise the growing need for bring your own meeting (BYOM) functionality. While we considered a standard USB cable, it would require users to select the appropriate camera, microphone and speaker from the computer. It would be a tedious process and require some experience. We wanted to utilize USB-C to streamline the connectivity once users plug in their device.”

The School of Medicine’s physician faculty provides over 5 million patient service visits annually. They offer state-of-the-art clinical training to residents and fellows in the School of Medicine’s simulation labs and patient-care clinics. The School of Medicine sees rare and complex cases, from children through veterans and underserved populations, and quickly transfers research knowledge to patients in translational clinics. The School of Medicine is centred around active collaboration. COVID-19 required the School of Medicine to rethink active collaboration. Faculty physicians continued to keep the public informed during the pandemic – many while treating patients. They could not pause their dayto-day operations. Throughout the pandemic, the School of Medicine had many people coming onsite for simulation labs and patient-care clinics. Due to restrictions surrounding the pandemic, they had to distance themselves socially. The areas were limited to eight people in a 30-foot-square-foot area. It required the School of Medicine to utilize spaces that were not traditionally used as gathering spaces but were large enough to socially distance.

“We started utilizing the atriums of buildings because it provided ample space,” explained Jon Hamilton, audiovisual manager for Emory University School of Medicine. “There’s no technology in these spaces – They were never designed to be collaboration spaces, but rather traditional atriums. The atriums are covered in wood paneling that can’t be retrofitted to add technology, so we were required to design a mobile solution.”

Hamilton added, “We built mobile AV carts but carried it another step further. We wanted to build something that could be wheeled into any space across the School of Medicine’s campus and could be operational within 10 minutes. No matter the setting, we required a solution that was plug-and-play.”

Hamilton added, “At the time, Lightware was the only company offering a USB-C switcher. I first heard about Lightware’s technology during LAVNCH WEEK. They were highlighting new products. One product that struck my attention and pinned my interest was Lightware’s Taurus UCX. At the time, Lightware was the only company offering a USB-C switcher. We wanted

offers USB-C connectivity for simplified audio, video, power and control signal handling via one cable. The Taurus UCX allows seamless connectivity across various video conferencing applications, including Cisco Webex, Microsoft Teams, Zoom and others. It simplifies switching between video conference sources depending on the needs of a particular meeting.

Roger Takacs, Vice President of Education at Lightware Visual Engineering, said, “Emory University was able to enhance their productivity in hybrid collaboration and presentations by utilizing Taurus UCX, with the convenience of using only one USB–C cable. The whole educational environment was made simple and efficient with this solution.” Reliability and ease of use are the most important requirement for higher education. They rely on AV almost more than any other sector. Classrooms must be reliable and are expected to run intuitive-

trol, real-time collaboration, and automated meeting summaries; video collaboration is more efficient, productive, and engaging, ensuring that participants can focus on the meeting's content rather than the technology. But with all these advancements, one thing is clear: AI is no replacement for the ingenuity, creativity and smarts of real people.

The faculty at the School of Medicine are both doctors and professors. They do not have time to learn how to operate the technology. The focus must be on medical education rather than learning how to operate the technology. Hamilton, and his team at the School of Medicine, had to provide a solution that was simple to use yet provided flexible features.

“We carefully selected the products for the mobile professional AV cart to create a powerful user experience,” noted Hamilton. “We integrated a large display, but we needed to select something practical. We chose a 65” display on a heavy-duty profes-

USB-C because it makes everything native to a device. It truly catered to a seamless end-user experience.”

Lightware has introduced a revolutionary unified communications (UC) connectivity solution that bridges the gap between BYOM applications and USB-C devices. Lightware’s Taurus UCX is a universal matrix switcher that enables users to easily share their content, switch hosts and control their meeting room easily and intuitively. “Lightware solved a problem that I didn’t know I had before I had it,” said Hamilton. “I solve end users’ problems, and I like it when other people do that for me. Most importantly, the end user does not know about the technology behind the experience, but it all works the same, no matter what they’re connecting. So much so, they’re just assuming that every system performs this way.”

Lightware’s Taurus UCX is designed to tackle meeting room and collaboration environment challenges. The Taurus UCX

ly. They need to function every day from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., and if a single room is not working, it is possible that potentially more than 10 classes will be affected during the day, causing instructors to fall behind on lesson plans and resulting in students missing part of the knowledge they should have received.

The Taurus UCX not only provides access to USB peripherals and the local network but also has the ability to charge a laptop. Via the USB–C connection it will provide access to the local network and let you share content if required. Emory University standardized Taurus UCX for unified connectivity on mobile professional AV carts to create a powerful user experience. Takacs added: “We, at Lightware solved a problem at the university that they didn’t know they had before they had it. At the time, Lightware was the only company offering a USB–C switcher, and as we saw, it truly catered to a seamless end-user experience for the Emory University.”

The AV Showcase – Back for a Third Year!

Lord’s Cricket Ground is the place to be this May! The AV Showcase has a new and stronger position in the AV and Digital Signage calendar, with registration now open for Tuesday 16th and Wednesday 17th May. Over 40 returning and new for 2023 brands have signed up to exhibit in the Nursery Pavilion, with entry at the North Gate. Visit The AV Showcase event page to view 2023 exhibiting brands as they are announced, along with testimonials and videos from previous years: https://eu.peerless-av.com/pages/a-new-av-experience

The increased floorspace accommodates additional industry leading brands from the audio, wireless,workplace technology, UC/VC, dvLED, LCD interactive touch and signal management markets.

New for 2023

New for 2023 will be advanced Tech Talks and Workshops; educational and informative technical sessions in which multiple vendors will team up to present full solutions with forward-looking market insights, product competencies and real-life examples of successful installations.

Peerless-AV’s ‘mix and mingle’ evening drinks reception will return on Tuesday 16th. Furthermore, visitors will have the opportunity to attend free Lord’s Tours. Led by an expert guide to explore some of the most famous sights in sport, including the Grade II*-listed Pavilion, the world-famous Long Room, Players’ Dressing Rooms, and MCC Museum, home of the Ashes Urn.

Last but not least – Visitors will have the chance to enter a competition to win 2 tickets to the 2023 Ashes Test cricket matches to be played between England and Australia this June and July.

16-17 May 2023, Lord’s Cricket Ground, London

https://eu.peerless-av.com/pages/a-new-av-experience

“Now in its third year, we’re pleased to announce our return to Lord’s and new May dates,” said Keith Dutch, Managing Director – EMEA, Peerless-AV. “Our event attracts professionals and decision-makers not only from the UK AV community but all across Europe; recognising the value of Peerless-AV’s strong partner relations and industry connections and ability to bring all the leading players from the audio, workplace technology, wireless, UC/VC, digital signage, interactive touch and signal management markets together, under one roof. This year we have over 30 leading brands, returning and new, to the exhibition floor and we will have some new features to reveal soon over the two-day schedule.”

AV User Group

The AV User Group will host its strictly members only daytime meeting on Wednesday 17th May in the grounds. Owen Ellis, Chairman of AV User Group, commented, “Although this meeting is a closed event for end user members and sponsors, the Peerless-AV Showcase is an ideal central London venue for us and, alongside the afternoon of presentations, our attendees will have the opportunity to walk the show floor to see the latest AV technology innovations.”

Visit the AV User Group events page for more information on timings, agenda and registration: www.avusergroup/events

AV Showcase Exhibitor News

Absen

New for 2023, Absen will provide visitors to The Peerless AV Showcase with a look behind the scenes at the Allen Stand’s brand new 116SQM SR10S LED scoreboard - an addition to the existing two scoreboards at Lords from Absen. The Absen team will also showcase the other Absen solutions throughout the venue, including the PL 2.5 indoor LED screen powered by Brompton, and A99 stadium perimeter display, all of which assure stability and reliability, with modules designed for all weather conditions. During the two-day event, Absen will be filming a case study of the installations at Lords Cricket Ground to highlight the benefits of these LED installations.

AMX

AMX will present its latest products and partnerships for video and control solutions. The latest in networked AV, the SVSI N2600 product range offers cost-effective, powerfully robust and features high-quality, low latency 4K video, ideal for live video and detailed content in classrooms, meeting spaces, courtrooms, and more. In addition, visit AMX for demos of Varia, the next-generation, professional-grade touch panels. Designed to adapt to the unique needs of

your environment by offering a selection of pre-loaded personas that define the entire panel experience. Working with industry partners to provide a holistic solution, enabling customers seamless integration across control, booking and collaboration platforms. Also don’t miss out on the onsite competition for a chance to win some JBL goodies.

Barco

The new ClickShare CX-50 will be at the AV Showcase, bringing flexible, inclusive wireless conferencing to high-impact meeting rooms. ClickShare automatically connects to room devices and helps start a video meeting from your laptop, using any conference tool. Create a space where minds meet, in one click. Use the ClickShare Button or the intent-based meeting flows powered by the App. Enjoy dual screen support, content and people side-by-side on-screen and touch-enabled interactivity features like local view of the room display, annotation, and blackboarding. ClickShare offers enhanced security and network integration for any enterprise. XMS Cloud Management guarantees easy management of units and analytics to drive the digital workplace.

DTEN

DTEN is changing the way people connect and collaborate through immersive, video-first and touchscreen devices. At this year's AV Showcase, DTEN are excited to be showcasing their new multi-platform, all-in-one range, the D7X series, which includes their first

Microsoft certified MTR device. DTEN will also be showcasing their inclusive portfolio of plug-and-play touch screen solutions for businesses, schools, homes, and hybrid environments using Zoom Rooms. Visit DTEN at Lords for live demonstrations and to find out more about how you can make your hybrid working environments more collaborative.

Epson

As the world’s number one projector manufacturer since 2001, Epson UK plays a market leading role in the provision of high-quality visual technology into a variety of sectors. Epson’s self-developed 3LCD technology ensures accurate and bright content that is visible to all users. Epson always appreciates the opportunity to showcase new product developments that can improve image quality, reliability and ease of use. With several new product ranges announced and showcased during ISE 2023, Epson UK look forward to working on future projects and opportunities with our partners.

Jabra

Jabra is showcasing the PanaCast 50 Video Bar System for the first time in the UK after a successful unveiling at ISE 2023. Part of Jabra’s PanaCast 50 solution portfolio for small-medium sized meeting rooms, the Jabra PanaCast 50 Video Bar System is an integrated solution, that includes an Android based compute unit, as well as state-of-the-art SOCs, speakers, microphones, video camera, with network and display interfaces for easy deployment. The solution comes with a 10.1” touch controller to manage the room experience. The system natively and securely runs Microsoft Teams Rooms on Android or Zoom Rooms.

Iiyama

iiyama will show the all new TE12 SERIES, a new range of highly versatile interactive LFD’s designed to inspire all possibilities in all stages for education, start-up and large-scale businesses. Available in sizes ranging from 55" to 88", the new series includes Android 11 and optional OPS Slot PC features, meaning users can smoothly annotate and control any content on the display from any source. It

also boasts a new 4K Interface with User Profiles for simple login and access to a bespoke menu and Cloud Drives. In delivering this new series, iiyama is a trusted Interactive Display brand for many of the world’s largest organisations in education and business alike.

Jetbuilt

Jetbuilt is the global leader in project sales and management software. The cloud-based Jetbuilt platform reduces the friction and time to communicate by using one common tool, thus bridging the silos that separate professionals across the industry. Jetbuilt easily saves you 75% on time spent quoting projects. Render well-presented proposals in multiple languages. Purchase across multiple currencies and sell in yet another. Choose from nearly 3 million low-voltage products with updated dealer-connected pricing. From lead tracking, quoting, installation, inventory, service, and engineering functionality, Jetbuilt is the most widely used complete project platform.

Lenovo

Lenovo has expanded its portfolio of Smart Collaboration Solutions with the new standalone ThinkSmart View Plus and will be presenting these on the booth at Lord’s. ThinkSmart View Plus running Microsoft Teams display allows users to better collaborate in multiple scenarios with a dedicated unified video communications solution. A standalone collaboration display with premium audio, video, and whiteboarding features, the smart collaboration solution is purpose built for hot desking, phone booths, executive desks and home office use cases. Also joining the portfolio is the newly announced Lenovo IP Controller and ThinkSmart One, the world’s first Windows-based collaboration bar, which is now available to partners across the UK.

Neat

As you increasingly add video technology across your different workspaces and offices worldwide, you will need reliable and efficient advanced functionality to deploy and manage your devices effectively for maximum workforce productivity. Neat Pulse is a full-service offering that gives users technical support, an extended warranty, cloud management and monitoring for all Neat devices. Stop by the Neat booth at The AV Showcase to find out more around the Neat experiences (Neat Symmetry, Neat Boundary, Neat Sense, including Neat Pulse) and the full portfolio of devices, embarrassingly simple to install, manage and roll out, covering 90% of business meeting needs.

Nowsignage

The industry's most trusted and fastest growing digital signage CMS and winner of 'Digital Signage Technology of the Year 2022' at the AV Awards, NowSignage is pleased to announce its latest feature release... OnDemand! Book your demo of OnDemand and a whole host of other innovative features.

Developed as a custom development for a 3,400-screen rollout for a major supermarket, this industry-first feature is available now to all customers for no additional cost! OnDemand provides users with the ability to instantly trigger localised content, alerts, or bespoke messages/announcements to any screen within their network, via any mobile device.

www.prometheanworld.com/gb/microsites/experience-the-activpanel/ ROOMZ

Swiss company ROOMZ is showcasing it cable free meeting room booking panels, which can be installed everywhere in just few minutes. With the Flex office management application, employees can easily book a desk or parking space on the spot, or in advance to easily organise their day at the office. ROOMZ offers a unique and reliable ecosystem to enhance collaboration and the employee experience. With the all new and powerful Advanced Analytics tool, facility managers can also get comprehensive insights to understand how their offices are being used and adapt the design accordingly. Finally, the whole ecosystem has been designed to be data secure, as energy efficient as possible, and to have a long service life.

Sennheiser

Sennheiser is announcing a new ceiling microphone for mid-sized meeting rooms and lecture or collaboration spaces. Named TeamConnect Ceiling Medium (TCC M), the new TeamConnect Ceiling solution was unveiled at ISE 2023 in Barcelona, where it won a Best at Show Award. TCC M delivers all the innovation and features of the award-winning TeamConnect Ceiling 2 (TCC 2) to a new segment of the meeting space market. With a coverage area of up to 40 m², customers can now bring the power of TCC 2 to their mid-sized meeting space, with a sleek design and at an attractive price-point. Unlike the TCC 2, TCC M is round, but does offer the same ceiling installation choices - surface mounted, suspended, or flush mounted. These options allow for cable-free tables and flexible furniture arrangement.

Sharp/NEC

At the Peerless-AV Showcase, Sharp/NEC will present the latest visual technologies purpose-designed to help businesses meet the challenges of hybrid workflows. Through its collaboration with industry leading solutions providers, Sharp/NEC offers solutions which deliver seamless compatibility and a high-quality experience for users of Teams, Cisco Webex, Barco Clickshare, Crestron Roomview, and more. With LCD, dvLED and Projection technology in the portfolio, by partnering with Sharp/NEC, users can achieve the perfect-fit solution to their unique application requirements. From interactive touch screens for collaboration, to large surface dvLED solutions for panoramic video conferencing, to super-silent laser projection - our expert consultancy approach ensures best outcomes and long-term customer satisfaction.

shown at ISE, wayfinding, and digital signage solutions. Visitors will also be able to see a live demonstration of the new SRG-A40 pan-tiltzoom camera with AI (Artificial Intelligence) auto-tracking.

Sound Control Technologies (SCT)

At this year’s Peerless-AV Showcase, SCT will be showing their new USB range of switches and extensions along with their core camera integration technology. SCT are a pioneering manufacturer of camera integration and extension solutions for the meeting room and video conferencing market. Often involved in many of the Fortune 500 installations, SCT support up to 45 different Camera and Videobar solutions and have been a development partner for Poly and Cisco for more than 20 years. With Headquarters in USA, SCT also own their own fabrication and PCB facilities allowing them to scale when necessary and develop new bespoke designs when the project is right.

Uniguest

Uniguest is a global leader in providing connected technology solutions to enable those in hospitality, senior living, sports/stadiums, entertainment, retail, education, government, corporate, and enterprise to engage with their audience. Uniguest will be showcasing a broad range of technologies from its leading Tripleplay, Onelan, MediaStar, Reserva and Planet eStream digital signage, IPTV and enterprise video platforms including new UI’s, an 8K digital signage and IPTV Media Player, and a super-fast 4K Low Latency encoder. Uniguest provides turnkey technology solutions that include hardware and software solution packages, professional services, system implementation, and 24/7/365 multi-lingual support.

Unilumin

Unilumin’s latest Mini LED Chip on Board (COB) technology innovation, UMiniIII Pro, will have its first showing in UK at The AV

Peerless-AV

Peerless-AV will show the new, game changing SEAMLESS Kitted Series Universal dvLED Mounting System, the first of its kind on the market, unveiled at ISE 2023 and available globally in June. Modular, cost-effective, scalable and stockable with fewer SKUs, the mount facilitates fast, easy latching of dvLED displays via quick-connect clamps, resulting in a dramatically simplified installation. The latest SEAMLESS Kitted+ dvLED mounting solutions will also be presented, demonstrating versatility of substructure offerings for installations where mounting to a wall is not an option. Furthermore, Peerless-AV will show a true universal UC/VC solution to meet the needs of any all-in-one soundbar and the now available, new generation single and dual sided Smart City Kiosks will be located around the venue as wayfinding and information boards.

Promethean

Visit the Promethean team at The AV Showcase and gain hands on experience and a demonstration of the ActivPanel 9 series. Find out all about Promethean’s latest offer for up to 60% off*. Also find out about joining the company’s channel partner community. The team on stand would be happy to talk through the Promethean Partner Programme. *terms and conditions apply, for full terms visit https://

Shure

Shure are excited to announce that its flagship networked microphone, the MXA920 Ceiling Array Microphone (MXA920W-S), is back in stock, shipping on demand and showing at Lord’s! Also on show will be the recently launched brand new GLX-D+ Dual Band Digital Wireless System. The GLX-D+ Dual Band Digital Wireless is the perfect solution for presenters who want to go wireless with confidence, and without complexity. Shure is additionally pleased to announce that three firmware updates have been released for the Stem Ecosystem; upgrading the RoomDesign Tool, Stem API For third-party device control and monitoring, mute sync and local network functionality.

Signagelive

Signagelive, with its new ultra-flexible Hierarchies tool, gives organisations everything they need to scale their corporate digital signage quickly, securely and effectively. The no-fuss solution makes it easy to roll out content management responsibilities across every team, and grant employees exactly the access they need, without relaxing any network security protocols. Enabling companies to split network management and visibility, Signagelive Hierarchies makes delayed user access and workflow bottlenecks a thing of the past. It is the ultimate tool to help boost team productivity and maximise digital signage outcomes.

Sony

Sony is hitting the road to showcase its latest line-up with a European road trip covering 60 locations in 17 countries, including Lord’s London for the AV Showcase. The tour will bring Sony closer to its customers and provide a more personalised, hands-on experience for visitors. Two mobile demonstration units will include demonstrations across the growing BRAVIA 4K Professional display range. The Sony workplace management solution TEOS will be in control of the installed devices and allow management of them remotely throughout the roadshow. The displays will showcase BRAVIA supervisor as

Showcase. Key features of UMiniIIII Pro are ultra-low heat dissipation and ultra-low power consumption. The small but mighty 150mm x 337.5mm HDR-capable display module with 5G ultra-large signal transmission, is built to catch the eye with rich, cinema-grade dynamics. These include 28 trillion+ colours at 600 Nits (potential for 2,000) and super high contrast ratio of up to 30,000:1 with unique Enhance black level+ and multi-layer optical processing technology. It also offers a very wide, 180-degree viewing angle for an impressive viewing experience in exhibition halls and conference centres as well as industrial design and other high-end applications.

Yealink

Yealink, offering the latest audio and visual solutions for unified communication and digital transformation, is set to exhibit the truly all-in-one smart board, the Yealink MeetingBoard 65. Fitting into various scenarios under hybrid working context, it boasts supreme audio and video quality, premium inking capabilities, collaborative diagrams, fluid components and more. Yealink’s intelligent 360° allin-one camera SmartVision 60, designed for middle space meeting room, is also worth checking out as the all-new 10K camera delivers stunning images with exceptional detail even when zoomed in. The People Feed Feature to include everyone equally for enhanced Mic-

Edtech: big ideas, small budgets!

Kids in tinfoil Crowns, interesting edtech innovations, upgrades to displays and networks. Yes, its Bett 2023 - but all at a time when teachers are on strike and even struggling to provide pupils with glue sticks and pencils! AV News weighs up the edtech advances in a walk around the show, and asks is this the right time to launch new education technologies?

According to official government figures, the total funding allocated to schools will reach £57.3 billion in 2023-24 - an increase of 64% compared to the £35.0 billion allocated in 2010-11. On a per-pupil basis, the total funding allocated to schools for 5-16 year old pupils, in cash terms, in 2023-24 is £7,460a 44% increase compared to £5,180 allocated per pupil in 2010-11. When adjusted for inflation, funding has increased by 10.3%, reaching £7,220 in 2023-24.

This all sounds fine until you factor in the current rate of inflation in general, the specific impact of rising energy costs and teachers pay demands for above inflation pay increases. The result is that current funding levels are barely adequate to maintain current levels of edtech provision, let take advantage of innovations which have the potential to improve the effectiveness of teach

ing and learning.

Government support

Notwithstanding the current budget limitations, the UK government says it is committed to supporting “the education sector in England to develop and embed technology in a way that cuts workload, fosters efficiencies, supports inclusion and ultimately drives improvements in educational outcomes”. Commitment objectives in supporting the use of technology in education include securing the digital infrastructure; getting connectivity right; and encouraging a move to a cloud-based approach.

Government support is in intended to stimulate “a vibrant market for edtech products and services”. This is obviously encouraging rhetoric, but cynics will point to the disparity between the government’s stated objectives and the disappointing flat budget allocation.

Student engagement

Engagement is very much the name of the game and innovations on show at Bett 2023 offer new levels of student engagement through the use of such emerging technologies as VR and 3D. Avantis Systems, for example, while not a new name at Bett, as the creators of ClassVR, they attracted a whole lot more attention from visitors this year. Actually, Avantis says that its classroom technology is already used by more than a million

students in over 70 countries worldwide. As “the world’s first virtual reality solution designed just for education”, Avantis can supply everything a school needs to seamlessly implement VR technology in any classroom “at an affordable cost”.

Ian Stuart, Head of Education at Avantis, explains: “I have always wanted to make a difference for all learners”. He says: “Evidence shows virtual reality has the tools to push the boundaries of teaching, and helps students meet

their learning goals. ClassVR offers a great way to engage students and enhance existing lessons with VR designed specifically for schools”. Avantis is committed to a continuing program of content updates to ClassVR. For example, as part of this ongoing commitment to inspiring young minds, ClassVR worked with a team from NASA. Making a series of educational and training videos available to the public on the ClassVR Portal – encouragingly,

free of charge. There are five new categories now available in the ‘Physics’ section of the ClassVR Portal. These include: Mars; NASA Astronaut training videos; NASA commercial crew program; NASA launch videos; and Black Holes. Each of these new categories can be browsed directly and added to playlists as required.

Integration with the curriculum

While the ClassVR Portal in-

cludes access to thousands of engaging VR and AR resources that support pedagogy.

Teachers might be concerned that integration of a yet another classroom technology could impose significant additional workload or distort lesson plans.

ClassVR has done its best to manage the integration of VR content. The technology is open platform, supporting virtual and augmented curriculum content, as well as allowing students and teachers to create, upload and share their own content, cre-

ating a collaborative community of global educational resources. Teachers can add value to every lesson with a wide array of subject specific resources and even create, upload and share their own content and contribute to creating a community of global educational resources with other ClassVR users.

But what about hardware?

ClassVR’s standalone VR headset comes with a student-friendly interface, embedded educational VR and AR resources and simple-to-use teacher controls. Using technology in a busy classroom isn’t always as easy as it should be. The ClassVR interface and teacher portal provide the simple-to-use tools needed to ensure this exciting and engaging technology can deliver a rich, reliable experience.

3D learning

If some might find that VR is a step too far in somewhat straightened circumstances, Bett 2023 also saw renewed vigour from a number of traditional edtech vendors in both emerging technologies and upgrades to familiar solutions. ViewSonic, for example, showed its virtual learning platform complete with an immersive 3D platform that now incorporates subject-specific Thematic Classrooms and class performance metrics for educators. In the pursuit of providing educators with total solutions for digital learning, the company also showcased

Avantis Systems is not a new name at Bett, but as the creators of ClassVR, they attracted a whole lot more attention from visitors this year.

diverse pre-made digital lesson content called ViewSonic Originals, and the latest ViewBoard interactive displays and myViewBoard software suite.

Kevin Chu, Director of the UNIVERSE Business Unit at ViewSonic: “We want attendees to see just how powerful a 3D virtual campus can be when in-

corporated into digital learning. UNIVERSE ensures students and teachers have access to solutions that harness the latest and most innovative technologies to enhance online learning experiences.” ViewSonic launched UNIVERSE in 2022 as a virtual learning platform that brings the benefits of in-person

learning to an online environment. Combined with intuitive controls and diverse features, UNIVERSE has been helping to increase student engagement, encourage collaboration, and foster a sense of belonging. The most recent UNIVERSE update marked the introduction of

a new type of virtual space. The Thematic Classrooms allow participants to explore interactive 3D environments built to help students learn about specific school subjects. The first thematic classroom was designed for biology classes, where students can interact with biologi-

cal structures like blood platelets and nerve cells, providing a more immersive way of understanding how these elements function in the body. Following the release of the biology-themed room, ViewSonic will also launch thematic rooms based on subjects like English, math, geography, and history. ViewSonic has also introduced the new Portfolio tool in UNIVERSE, enabling teachers to access class insights such as test results, attendance, and participation records with ease to streamline class management.

Furthermore, UNIVERSE’s Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) integration allows educators to seamlessly exchange information between different Learning Management Systems (LMS). Aiming to provide a seamless learning experience and greater flexibility for both teachers and students, the platform will soon be integrated with LMS such as Canvas and Blackboard. With increased digitization, teachers are faced with new challenges, particularly in developing and implementing content for a digital curriculum. For the myViewBoard platform, Originals provides teachers with pre-made content to help them build engaging digital lessons. ViewSonic Originals is broken down into four categories: Original Content, Backgrounds, Graphics and Online Games. In addition to an extensive library of teaching materials for all ages and subjects

ranging from interactive modules to full lesson plans, the database features an extensive collection of backgrounds, images, and animations that are perfect for a range of topics and themes, allowing teachers to add safe, copyright-cleared media to their lessons. By offering thousands of interactive modules to full lesson plans, the company makes planning and running lessons easier for all those in the K-12 age groups.

Interactivity

New software environments often demand new and improved hardware – particularly displays. ViewSonic’s latest 5K 105” ViewBoard IFP105S for hybrid collaboration and the 24” touch monitor for “smart podium” solutions are examples but by no means the only ones. BenQ also debuted its latest generation of interactive displays for education - the BenQ Board Pro RP04 and the BenQ Board Master RM0 - at Bett UK 2023.

The new generation BenQ Boards are fully integrated with Google Mobile Services (GMS).This gives schools the advantage of easier access to official Google services such as Google Play and Google Classroom, as well as a more native experience when using Google Search and other Android applications directly from their BenQ Board. The new BenQ Boards grant schools the flexibility they need when it comes to teaching and IT management. The Boards offer teachers the ability to customize the learning experience by allowing them to use a variety of apps that are either relevant to their curriculum or tools that they are already familiar with. IT managers also have the freedom to set up their BenQ Boards according to their school’s requirements.

With the integration comes a fully redesigned user interface that is optimised for classroom use. On the new home screen, users can either type or speak to start browsing lesson content from the Google Search bar. Educators are also able to utilize all the classic BenQ widgets, set app shortcuts, and customize their digital teaching space based on their preferences.

All RP04 and RM04 interactive displays come with Google’s core applications such as Google Drive, Maps, Meet, and YouTube. Schools looking to use Google Workspace apps such as Classroom, Docs, Sheets, and Slides can conveniently download and install them directly from Google Play. This allows students

BenQ adebuted its latest generation of interactive displays for education - the BenQ Board Pro RP04 and the BenQ Board Master RM0 - at Bett UK 2023.

and teachers to open their lesson files and work together on the BenQ Board’s large touchscreen interface, which can support up to 40 simultaneous touch points. The BenQ Board is available in 65”, 75” and 86” screen sizes. As with the previous generations of the BenQ Board, the RP04 and RM04 have the latest versions of EZWrite and InstaShare. EZWrite is BenQ’s feature-rich whiteboarding software that allows teachers to annotate during class, import or display a variety

shared BenQ Board. The new generation of BenQ Boards also boast of new features that make learning more accessible to a wider scope of students. Text-to-Speech allows visually impaired students to hear text as it is displayed or written on screen. Multilingual translation allows teachers and students to use and understand educational resources that have been written in different languages. Another helpful new feature, Optical Character Recognition (OCR), allows students

performing any unnecessary additional configurations. Through the BenQ Account Management System (AMS), administrators have the option to synchronize their Google Workspace Directory and immediately carry over all user accounts into the BenQ ecosystem. Directory syncing is also available for schools using LDAP, Azure AD, and other SAML-based identity providers. Once accounts are synchronized, teachers will be able to log in and open their Google-hosted files directly from their BenQ

curity features to protect against rogue and malicious apps, phishing attacks, possible data leaks, and data loss. BenQ also ensures users’ security by offering encrypted network communications as well as other proxy-level security options. We also host our cloud services on secure AWS cloud infrastructure.

BenQ Boards are still the only interactive displays for education with the most comprehensive set of health-focused ClassroomCare features designed to

light, which is known to cause eye strain and long-term eye-related issues. The BenQ Board Pro also has a full set of air quality sensors that allow schools to monitor and regulate the levels of CO2, PM2.5, and other toxic pollutants in their classrooms. The RP04 also has a built-in air ionizer that helps reduce particulate matter.

BYOD

Interactive large format displays support collaboration in small group learning scenarios. Sharp’s legacy in touch technology for education saw the launch of the LC Series, designed to meet the demand for Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) preferences amongst today’s students. Equipped with seamless USB-C connectivity, just a single cable connects display to personal device whilst receiving charge in return. HDMI-out allows connection to another display or projector to size-up the image area for bigger audiences. An all-in-one solution, the LC Series features pre-installed functionality for instant interactivity, and with the EShare feature, content can be wirelessly shared between devices for best collaboration amongst peers and mentors.

Investment in dvLED is continuing to expand and with Sharp/ NEC’s fine pitch bundled products this has simplified the purchase and installation process, appealing to the Higher Education sector. There was a lot of discussion around Teams collaboration as Sharp/NEC launched its 21:9 LED-FE009i2-104, a 104-inch wide-format Panoramic View display for video conferencing layouts such as MTR Front Row. Good account management is vital, especially in the Higher Education sector, where budget decisions, deliveries and installations must take place during certain times of the year. As

supply issues continue to bite, and component shortages and shipping delays cause long lead times, communication and flexibility have never been so important!

While the shadow-free advantages of flat screens commend them to education users, projection still has a place particularly in larger venues. Sharp/NEC also has a foot in both the flat screen and projection camps. The company has launched a new series, the PV Series, alongside new super-silent PA Series models, all targeted towards Higher Education. Bringing professional projection to low budget applications, the new compact 3LCD PV Series is the ideal opportunity to transition from lamp to laser technology to benefit from high bright, low maintenance operation. It uses the same mount and lenses from our lamp-based PA Series projectors helping to keep costs to a minimum and reducing waste.

Sharp/NEC’s innovation in super-silent projection technology came as a result of direct communication with education end-users, addressing a real need in the market, especially in learning and collaborative environments where noise from cooling fans would be a distraction.

The verdict

So having seen what was on offer at Bett 2023, was this the right time to introduce new edtech solutions and even complete new technologies? If the resent economic gloom in the UK is little more than s local difficulty, with energy costs and the cost-of-living crisis to decrease in line with government expectations, then no harm is done. It might take years for VR, 3D etc to establish a foothold in the UK mainstream, but the process could be quicker elsewhere with education a real priority among emerging nations.

of lesson materials, and utilize a wide collection of specialized classroom tools designed for different subjects. InstaShare is BenQ’s wireless screen sharing solution that gives teachers and students a convenient way to simultaneously cast and control up to 9 laptop, tablet, and smartphone screens on their

and teachers to convert images and documents with blocks of characters to an editable text format. This gives them a convenient way to draft projects or build lesson materials from available print resources. Schools with existing Google accounts can easily transition to using BenQ Boards without

Boards with their existing school accounts. For easier login, teachers can either scan a QR code or use their school-issued NFC cards for one-tap login. Since the BenQ Boards runs a proprietary version of the Android 13 system that is officially integrated with GMS, schools can rely on Google’s built-in se-

maintain healthy learning spaces. Both the Pro and Master Series have certified antimicrobial screens and peripherals that reduce the risk of germ transmission. Both BenQ Boards are also fitted with Eyesafe screens that are designed to protect the eyesight of students and teachers from harmful high-energy blue

Sharp’s legacy in touch technology for education saw the launch of the LC Series, designed to meet the demand for Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) preferences amongst today’s students.

Higher education and advances in technology

In this Q& A, Andrew Bissett (AB), Country Manager - UK&I, Nordics & Africa at DTEN, looks at the impact of technological advances on higher education.

AV News: What advancements in technology are currently being utilised to improve the effectiveness of higher education institutions?

AB: Since the pandemic, many higher education institutions have adopted a hybrid-learning approach to be able to meet the needs of dispersed and remote students. They are reliant on video conferencing and collaboration software and hardware to enable students to join classes and lectures from wherever they are.

What we’ve seen though is that being able to just ‘join’ a class isn’t enough. Higher Education establishments that are leading the field in hybrid learning are looking at how they create a fully inclusive and equitable hybrid learning experience for both in room participants and those who are joining remotely.

Best-in-class audio and video solutions are being used for the crystal clear sound and picture quality, responsive touchscreens are being used for hybrid whiteboard, screen sharing with the ability to anno-

AB: Ironically, one positive to come out of the pandemic was the increased adoption of video conferencing, however there are still many challenges in rolling this out across an institution on a larger scale or on a more permanent basis.

Firstly, with many institutes there seems to be a challenge around user adoption and product utilization. Complex room systems with lots of elements to set up or switch boards / controllers to get familiar with can have a high learning curve or cause user frustration. Making the technology user friendly is key to ensure it’s utilised effectively.

Secondly, IT resources can be limited within a lot of education institutes which means there can be a challenge with video enabling multiple spaces. Choosing solutions with simple deployment, easy remote management and minimal maintenance means that it's more likely that the institute can scale and provide a consistent experience in each hybrid learning space.

Lastly, one of the challenges that we’re seeing more and more in higher education is the need for the learning spaces to be multi-fuctional and flexible. Rooms and spaces are used in different ways for each class with different set-ups, and the students and teachers need the technology to be dynamic enough to adapt. Static projec-

continuing to develop accessible, high-quality, immersive video conferencing and collaboration solutions to work natively with Zoom Rooms and Microsoft Teams Rooms, as well as offering Bring-YourOwn-Device (BYOD) functionality.

DTEN is responding to the growing demand for hybrid learning by continuing to develop accessible, high-quality, immersive video conferencing and collaboration solutions to work natively with Zoom Rooms and Microsoft Teams Rooms

tate are being used to make lessons more productive, the addition of multiple peripherals are being used for larger teaching spaces and advanced software features (for example Smart Gallery from Zoom) are being used to allow remote participants to get a better view of their peers in the classroom - sll of which combined are creating a more effective learning environment.

AV News: What challenges exist for educational institutions as they leverage technology for hybrid teaching and how can they overcome these?

tors and projection screens are what you might have expected to see in education environments in the past, but now many establishments are opting for mobile technology solutions. The Royal College of Art is a great example of this with over 120+ DTEN Devices on mobile carts.

AV News: How is DTEN helping to meet the changing needs of Higher Education Establishments?

DTEN is responding to the growing demand for hybrid learning by

AB: Our product engineering team is constantly working on ways to make hybrid lessons more inclusive which is why our devices are designed to be as simple as customers like or as extendable as they need. Our Product team has developed the Vue and Vue Pro cameras (due Q2 2023) which recently won ‘Best New Meeting Equity Conference Room System’ at ISE 2023. These additional 4K side cameras ensure that all in-person participants are captured brilliantly without pixelation or distortion, allowing the remote students or lecturers to experience a more natural learning experience. This is just one example of our product innovation. Our new Microsoft Certified device, the D7X Android, offers the fastest response time on the market to allow users to achieve a seamless writing experience. What’s more, our whole portfolio of plug-and-play all-in-one solutions are designed to be easy to purchase, easy to install, easy to use, easy to scale and easy to manage.

Peoplewatch

PPDS has announced the appointment of experienced AV sales specialist, Kristen O’Connor, to its North America management team. Part of an accelerated recruitment drive to increase staff numbers by 50 percent in North America this year, and adding even greater specialist knowledge and expertise across all departments and for specific verticals, Kristen O’Connor joins as PPDS’ new Sales Operations Manager, NA. Based in Oregon, and with a career entering its twelfth successful year, Kristen is an established and highly respected member of the AV industry and community, having held a series of leadership roles at some of the world’s most established innovative technology companies.

Reporting to Joe King, VP Hospitality at PPDS, Kristen’s role covers a broad range of important responsibilities, as PPDS continues to drive growth across its ever-evolving product and supporting solutions portfolio. These include, but are not limited to, driving revenue, providing data-driven insights, pipeline development, management and forecasting, performance metric analysis, and sales process optimisation.

In addition, Kristen will also be providing sales data management, communication, and tools administration to ensure increased efficiency and productivity, while helping to improve the sales onboarding process and provide ongoing training on sales tools. Discussing her new role, Kristen commented: “I am delighted to have joined PPDS and to be part of the company’s journey as it continues to set a new benchmark for the pro AV industry, delivering truly world leading, highly innovative solutions together with unrivalled customer support.

“As PPDS continues to grow rapidly, we need to ensure we have a solid, scalable structure and sales process. My ambition is to build out a successful operations team that will help propel the success of the overall sales team, support strategic initiatives, and identify opportunities for continuous improvement. I believe my ability to recognise and prioritise challenges, develop ideas for potential solutions, and then execute them with thoughtfulness and a focus on collaboration makes me an effective asset to any team.”

Nick Begleries, Commercial VP, North America at PPDS, added: “2023 is another important year for PPDS as we continue an accelerated phase of growth in North America with the aim to achieve a top three position in the marketplace. To achieve our ambitions, it’s vital we have the right people in our teams, those who want to join the business on its journey and share our desire for delivering truly unrivalled support to our customers. Having worked with Kristen before, and seeing her dedication and commitment in previous roles, I’m thrilled to be working with her again. On behalf of PPDS, I welcome Kristen to the team.”

son. “Together we'll make sure to offer reliable and secure products to meet the needs of critical sectors that require the highest level of security, zero frame latency, and robust quality.”

John Garfi, the new Regional Manager for Victoria and Tasmania, is a seasoned professional with over 20 years of experience in the live staging, hospitality, audio-visual/ICT integration, consulting, rental and production industries. Based in Melbourne, John will be serving Lightware's diverse clientele, including higher education, specialist consultants, systems integrators, government, and commercial clients, by providing them with the latest in AV & UC Lightware hardware and software to guarantee optimal system reliability and performance.

John’s extensive background in strategic, operational, financial, technical, business, and systems integration, in addition to his passion for innovation and quality, will play a crucial role in driving Lightware's growth in Victoria and Tasmania. “I’ll focus on streamlining processes, boosting performance and growth, and delivering positive results for customers and partners to contribute significantly to Lightware's success so far in the regions,” said Garfi. Lightware’s New Australian Headquarters which includes a training theatre, experience centre, warehouse and technical development centre opened in May 2022 as a strategic step to expand the company’s global footprint and foster growth in markets such as Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands, providing training, sales support, after-sale technical support, on the ground customer service and product demonstrations for all of Lightware’s products & systems. “We're excited to have Gordon and John join our team spearheading our Australian offerings,” said Jason Lewis, General Manager, Lightware Australia. “Their extensive industry knowledge and experience will be invaluable in expanding our reach and delivering innovative solutions to our customers. We're confident that their contributions will further elevate the importance of our Australian office as a strategic hub for the region.”

Lightware Visual Engineering has announced the appointment of two key roles with a focus on growth in the Australian market. Gordon Anderson is the National Manager for Defence, Intelligence and Government, while John Garfi is the Regional Manager for Victoria and Tasmania.

Lightware Visual Engineering has announced the appointment of Christopher Chandler as Vice President of Global Partnerships.

PPDS has announced the appointment of experienced AV sales specialist, Kristen O’Connor, to its North America management team.

Lightware Visual Engineering has announced the appointment of two key roles with a focus on growth in the Australian market. Gordon Anderson is the National Manager for Defence, Intelligence and Government, while John Garfi is the Regional Manager for Victoria and Tasmania. These announcements contribute to elevating the Australian Lightware office as a central hub for customers and partners across the Asia-Pacific region.

In his role as National Manager for Defence, Intelligence and Government, and working from Canberra, Gordon Anderson will ensure that Lightware's hardware delivers the highest quality in AV & UC system security, with the reliability and performance demanded by these key sectors. Anderson brings over 25 years of experience in systems integration, business development and sales management positions in the Australian Pro AV market, having worked for companies like Intravision, Crestron Electronics, Hills Limited, Sound Advice Australia and his own company Anderson Audiovisual. “I am delighted to be part of Lightware Visual Engineering at such a pivotal time for the company, where new vertical markets like Education and Defence are taking an important role in its expansion,” said Ander-

Chris is a highly experienced audio and technology industry professional with an exceptional track record spanning more than 25 years in sales and management. Prior to joining Lightware, he worked at Biamp where he held various roles including Sales Director.

“Lightware is committed to providing the best integrated systems solutions to our customers, and we are excited to have Chris join the business to lead our global partnerships strategy,” said Szabolcs Turi, “His extensive experience across the industry will make him an invaluable asset, and we’re confident that he will help us to continue to grow and provide exceptional service to our partners and customers alike.”

“I am thrilled to be joining the Lightware team and look forward to helping the company elevate its already impressive offering to the AV community,” said Chris. “I am passionate about the AV industry, and I believe that Lightware has a unique opportunity to work closely with partners to make a transformative impact on the industry. I am excited to be a part of that journey.”

Absen has announced the appointment of Vegard Børresen as Business Development Manager of the Nordic region and Dawid Laskowski as Business Development Manager of Poland. This expansion of the team bolsters Absen’s client relationships providing direct local support as well as driving new opportunities within these European markets

Børresen brings extensive experience in sales and regional development to his role, most recently serving as Business Development Director in the Nordic region for another LED brand. With a background in engineering, Børresen has a track record of fulfilling technically demanding projects through precise product knowledge, developing strong relationships with diverse channel partners, identifying new business opportunities across a range of vertical markets, and establishing and disseminating effective sales strategies within his region.

Lightware Visual Engineering has

of Christopher Chandler as Vice President of Global Partnerships. In his new role, Chris will be responsible for driving business growth within integrator customers and alliance partners globally, and he will report to Szabolcs Turi, Lightware’s Executive Director, Business Development.

Laskowski brings with him 17+ years of experience in sales, marketing and regional management across the digital print and AV markets. Spending nine years as the Country Manager for Poland & Baltics for Christie Digital Systems Inc, Laskowski has vast experience in project management, and client and partner relationship development, as well as collaborating across a range of departments from R&D and Technical services to marketing and Logistics. “I am delighted to join Absen and be at the cutting edge of LED technology.” Says Børresen, “Absen understand and respects that regional business development has cultural nuances. Within my role I can bring service and support locally, adding to the in-depth technical support that clients get when working with Absen.” Laskowski adds

announced the appointment

Peoplewatch

Absen has announced the appointment of Vegard Børresen as Business Development Manager of the Nordic region and Dawid Laskowski as Business Development Manager of Poland

new ideas together with the highly motivated team to design innovative products for the next level,” says Anaitz Goia. With proven track record of over 12 years in the IT, AV and media industries, Goia was responsible for developing technological strategies at TABAKALERA in Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain. In addition to a bachelor’s degree in Telecommunications Engineering, the 36-year-old has a master’s degree in business intelligence and Big Data at the University of Barcelona, and another master’s degree in business and management: “I am confident that Anaitz will bring a fresh perspective to our technology approach and forward technology choices. He will be putting his experience and education to use, leveraging his industry experience to help drive our business into the next era.” says Ken Cordes, CEO TRIAX A/S. “Our goal is to be there for our customers in technology as well as in product design quality. That means we need highly qualified teammates.”

Numerous broadcasts, satellite, cable and telecommunications operators as well as companies and private households use TRIAX products. The dynamic company relies on permanent further development. Thus, the merger with Ikusi Multimedia in 2021 was another milestone on the way to innovative technology leadership. In order to provide customers with the highest-quality connectivity solutions at all times, now and in the future, the company relies on proven expert knowledge such as that of Anaitz Goia. Therefore, the R&D department will continue to be expanded in the future.

“Absen is full of open-minded, enthusiastic and dedicated people who are ready to reach for the most incredible projects. I am excited to bring my experience and market knowledge to Absen to help reach our goals in this territory.”

Ruben Rengel, Vice President of Global Business Development comments “We are delighted to add Dawid and Vegard to our team; they are ideally placed to help support clients and drive new opportunities in their respective regions. Their deep understanding of their regions and vast background in the AV sector is a perfect fit for what we require in Europe. We are excited to see what new things lie ahead with these two appointments.”

Anaitz Goia joins the TRIAX leadership team as Global Head of Technology, reporting directly to CEO Ken Cordes. Goia is a proven expert in digital transformation, technology strategy, IT&AV Technologies, Big Data and AI. At TRIAX, global provider of innovative products and solutions for the reception and distribution of video, audio and data signals, he will be responsible for the areas of research and

Acoustic isolation specialist Studio Float has appointed Todd Erikson as Director of Sales & Marketing, as the business pushes ahead with the next stage of its growth strategy. Studio Float specializes in noise and vibration control products and the design and specification of appropriate systems for a wide range of architectural sound isolation projects.

Erickson’s primary focus is to drive the growth of Studio Float in North America, by building sales of its affordable, high performance decoupling devices in multiple market verticals, including professional studios, post-production, hospitality, education, commercial, leisure and domestic installation. He will also be responsible for driving forward the expansion of the Company’s global distribution network by developing relationships with key stakeholders. With a professional background as a musician/producer/engineer and extensive mechanical engineering experience, Erickson brings a wealth of broad and diverse knowledge to the role. “Sound isolation and room tuning are always major concerns of most architects, engineers, building developers, and studio operators,” says Erickson. “Floating walls, ceilings and floors remains the most effective way of reducing sound transmission and vibration from room to room, and I’ve spent many years working on anything from low-budget DIY remodels up to multi-million dollar commercial builds. I believe that quiet buildings make better buildings, and even better neighborsand I carry this ethos with me into my new role.”

Studio Float president, Dave Malekpour said,: “We’re excited to welcome Todd Erickson to the Studio Float team. His commitment to delivering exceptional results as well as a true passion for audio, makes him the perfect fit for this role and we’re looking forward to working together to grow Studio Float’s presence and position the brand as an industry leader.”

PSNI Global Alliance welcomes former Diversified President Kevin Collins to its Board of Directors, where he joins as Strategic Advisor. Kevin brings over 30 years of industry experience to PSNI, as a co-founder of one of the largest and most respected Broadcast/AV/ UC solution providers in the world. Participating directly in hundreds of projects globally in his career while maintaining a board level and C level executive positions in strategic planning, enterprise sales and operations roles included EVP of Sales, COO and President. He also led the global expansion of Diversified both organically and through M&A to include offices across EU, MENA, APAC and Australia. Chris Miller, PSNI Executive Director, spoke of his delight in bringing Kevin’s expertise into the Alliance: “Kevin’s industry and business experience will complement an already impressive PSNI Global Board of Directors and staff that will further advance our global service deliverables. As the largest alliance of technology integrators in the world, Kevin’s counsel will be invaluable as we further develop our global account management structure and managed services initiatives. We are delighted to welcome him to the PSNI network.” With experience in global deployment logistics and services for enterprise customers, Kevin is enthusiastic to be working with the PSNI board and membership to continue to define the strategic goals of the association and build an executable strategy that PSNI needs to deliver for its members. Collins said: “I have worked with PSNI for many years and have always admired how the organization has consistently adapted and grown to deliver more value to its members whether they are a vendor or service provider. This leadership team feels like family and having been a member all those years and seeing some seismic shifts in the current business model, I know we can find ways that help bridge the gap to the future for our members.”

PSNI represents licensed service and integration offices in 61 countries spanning across 6 continents. Affiliation with The Alliance is a commitment to embrace standardization, best-practices, global support and client satisfaction as one unified voice in the audiovisual industry.

PSNI Global Alliance welcomes former Diversified President Kevin Collins to its Board of Directors, where he joins as Strategic Advisor.

development (R&D) and customer support.

With the new addition to the management team, TRIAX continues their capabilities expansion, focusing further on developing solutions that make connectivity easier and more intuitive; strengthening its reputation for solid and dependable solutions. Anaitz Goia will lead the product development team as well as the technical customer support functions. He will be working across the entire organization, improving and focusing an already strong development team and a focused support function. “TRIAX is a pioneer for connectivity and digital infrastructure solutions. I am therefore very excited to develop

Anaitz Goia joins the TRIAX leadership team as Global Head of Technology, reporting directly to CEO Ken Cordes.

Acoustic isolation specialist Studio Float has appointed Todd Erikson as Director of Sales & Marketing, as the business pushes ahead with the next stage of its growth strategy.

SiliconCore launches 1.9mm XR displays at NAB

SiliconCore Technology will unveil a 1.9mm XR LED Display for broadcast and virtual production at NAB 2023 on Booth C3544. This fine pixel pitch display features proprietary technologies from SiliconCore to ensure superior performance, including frame rates of 240Hz and increased durability. The display can also be used as a studio floor to create the highest-resolution immersive production spaces possible.

The 1.9mm XR LED Display will be an immersive setup, with a 16.4’ x 8.2’ wall and adjoining floor. With immersive content created by Vū, a virtual production powerhouse, visitors to the booth will be invited to enter the environment and experience multiple XR scenes and backdrops, including CG and real imagery. The experience includes a highly evocative soundscape.

SiliconCore’s patented Common Cathode driver chip technologies include fast clock speeds to enable frame rates of 240Hz and refresh rate of 7680Hz with colour gamut of DCI-P3 ≥ 95% and BT.2020 ≥ 85%, delivering uniform colour, defined images, with less motion blur, for excellent camera viewing. These displays are ideal for slow-motion cinematography and building active 3D environments. In addition, the high brightness at 2000 nits and low greyscale performance produces a high dynamic range that takes full advantage of scenes requiring both bright and dark imagery simultaneously.

As the only LED manufacturer designing its own driver chips, SiliconCore is uniquely positioned to maximize the efficiency and performance of each pixel. The high brightness, high contrast, 180-degree viewing angle, coupled with cool operating temperatures, lead to a longer lifespan for optimal ROI in production environments where operating cost is crucial. SiliconCore’s patented Common Cathode driver technology provides a power reduction of 20-40%, leading to significantly reduced operating costs.

With advancements in floor resolutions, SiliconCore’s proprietary LISA technology ensures durability that doesn’t require a separate overlay. The encapsulation occurs directly on the PCB, increasing strength while maintaining the LEDs' beneficial characteristics and modular serviceability. The low-reflective, water-resistant surface

See the New Dalet at NAB 2023

Dalet will showcase its new SaaS solutions that power modern, agile, and efficient digital content production, management and distribution workflows at NAB 2023 held in Las Vegas, NV from April 16th to 19th on booth W1935. The featured cloud-native solutions provide tailored workflows for:

•Modern Archive Management and Monetization - Cost effectively migrate aging archives into a modern content library for collaborative use across productions and unlimited monetization opportunities. Deploy on any cloud, on-premises or hybrid environment with bestin-class security and a robust set of tools to find, use, repurpose, share, and deliver content.

•Powerful Media Supply Chain and Distribution - Orchestrate, automate, scale and analyze content packaging and global distribution. Meet (and exceed) audience demand for high quality, fully compliant content for viewing on any platform. Efficiently adapt to ever-changing business demands and add delivery endpoints on the fly.

•Streamlined Production Asset Management - Eliminate production silos, unsupported formats and processing friction that bogs down production and remote collaboration. Fully optimize cloud and on-premises infrastructure with comprehensive monitoring and prediction capabilities that optimize resources and costs.

•Faster News Production and Delivery - Bring news operations into a new era of Storytelling 360 with a fully connected, digital-first news operation equipped with web-based tools for collaborative planning, contribution, production, fast-paced media editing, and distribution under a single solution.

The new Dalet SaaS solutions, which are available today, are underpinned by the proven Dalet Flex platform and Dalet Pyramid modules. They offer faster deployment with a roll-out in days rather than months. For customers who want to maximize their existing Dalet investment, Dalet Flex and Dalet Pyramid offer a gradual transition path. There is no big bang approach that forces a full product replacement. Cloud-native architecture and customer success specialists provide the full arsenal of services to ensure operational scalability, agility, security and optimum cost-performance ratio.

“The last three years have put a significant burden on our customers’ businesses, whether they’re adapting to new audience requirements, distribution demands, or work environments. To accelerate the delivery of new technology that empowers our customers and positions Dalet as a leader in this new era, we took the company private and invested in expanding our leadership, product and customer-facing teams. We rebuilt ourselves as a cloud-native, subscription-based media solutions company. We’re excited to introduce the new Dalet at this NAB Show,” says Carl Farrell, CEO, Dalet. Dalet product, app and technology introductions

Dalet product specialists will present an exciting technology preview of elastic ingest workflows in the cloud at the Dalet booth at

NAB A cutting-edge, cloud-native technology codenamed “Dalet

InStream” built on the market-leading Dalet Brio I/O solution, the preview will showcase end-to-end workflows in the cloud, from ingest to production and distribution. Allowing temporary scale-up of ingest capabilities to acquire multiple feeds at once, this technology is a game-changer for broadcasters and media companies facing grow

ing needs to ingest feeds from the cloud and expand their coverage at an affordable cost.

Together with the entire product line-up, Dalet will showcase the fol

lowing new releases on the boo:

Dalet Flex - media workflows and collaboration

•FlexMOBILE, the new mobile app for seamless media management on-the-go with unmatched mobility and remote collaboration, avail

able on Android and iOS.

•FlexREVIEW, the collaborative review and approval tool with expanded audio waveforms support and monitoring for multi-channel files, as well as a refreshed user interface.

•Dalet Flex - Laptop and Mobile (1)

Dalet Pyramid - news production and distribution

•Pyramid Planner, the intuitive, calendar-based planning now comes with configurable views, tasks, and assets sharing in a single workspace. The modern planning approach provides visibility and enables collaboration across the news operation.

•Pyramid Cut, the state-of-the-art, web-based editor enables fastpaced, intuitive and collaborative production of multiplatform news stories from anywhere. The digital-first editor also enables users to templatize graphics for different video requirements, making packaging eye-catching stories fast and easy.

The new Dalet SaaS solutions, which are available today, are underpinned by the proven Dalet Flex platform and Dalet Pyramid modules. They offer faster deployment with a roll-out in days rather than months.

can handle loads of up to 2000 kilograms per square meter.

Eric Li, CEO of SiliconCore Technology comments: “Our unique, patented technologies mean that we are the only LED manufacturer delivering a 240hz frame rate for XR studios along with 1.9mm and 1.2mm modular floor solutions. We are excited to open the community to new creative possibilities. As the video production market advances, our goal is to provide the highest resolution and performance solutions for XR environments.”

The 1.9mm XR displays suit premium XR and VP environments. A 500mm x 500mm cabinet design enables outstanding levels of freedom and creativity through scalable solutions to any volume and size, including curved configurations. In addition, the Lotus 0.83 4K at 145” will be on display, showcasing the highest resolution SiliconCore technology with maximum contrast and performance.

SiliconCore Technology will unveil a 1.9mm XR LED Display for broadcast and virtual production at NAB 2023

Sennheiser Group at NAB 2023

NAB Visitors are invited to experience the combined power of four brands at booth No. C5217: Sennheiser, Neumann, Dear Reality and Merging Technologies will showcase their full range of audio solutions for video production, sound design, recording, and more to equip professionals of all levels, from social media creators to audio mixers for film and television.

Besides its full range of mics for camera use, Sennheiser will showcase its EW-DX and Digital 6000 wireless microphone systems and also debut its latest wireless audio system, designed specifically for film makers, high-profile content creators and broadcasters. The product portfolio on show is rounded off by the company’s broadcast headsets. Attendees will also have the chance to listen live to Emmy-nominated foley artist Sanaa Kelley and head mixer Arno Stephanian – captured by Sennheiser’s world-class shotgun microphones.

•Sanaa Kelley, founder of Reel Foley Sound, and Arno Stephanian, head mixer, will captivate visitors with their art

•Sanaa Kelley, founder of Reel Foley Sound, and Arno Stephanian, head mixer, will captivate visitors with their art

•Sanaa Kelley, founder of Reel Foley Sound, and Arno Stephanian, head mixer, will captivate visitors with their art

The ProLabs team, meanwhile, will be demoing the exciting capabilities of its AMBEO 2-Channel Spatial Audio renderer, which, working from immersive and 5.1 formats, creates a fantastically spatial soundscape for listeners on a stereo system. Sennheiser’s Joe Ciaudelli, Director of Spectrum & Innovation, will be at NAB to discuss Wireless Multi-Channel Audio Systems (WMAS), a truly game-changing wireless technology.

Instead of individual 200 kHz bandwidths as in narrowband transmission (left-hand side), the technology uses time slots in a 6 or 8 MHz wide window (right-hand side). Instead of individual 200 kHz bandwidths as in narrowband transmission (left-hand side), the technology uses time slots in a 6 or 8 MHz wide window (right-hand side).

Neumann’s studio microphones and monitors are firm favourites with studios and broadcasters the world over. Active listening stations with Neumann headphones will allow visitors to listen to the most popular mic models, while an immersive set-up will impressively demo KH 80 and brand-new KH 120 II monitors.Dear Reality will demonstrate spatial productions with an extended immersion using the dearVR PRO spatializer. Visitors can listen to these multi-channel productions with Neumann headphones and the dearVR MONITOR virtual immersive mix room plugin. In addition to their own booth (C4517), Merging Technologies will be present at the Sennheiser Group booth and demo their world-class audio interfaces. Their Anubis and Hapi solutions are part of the active demonstrations at the group’s booth.

During the show, content creators, journalists and freelance reporters can try some of Sennheiser’s audio for video solutions for a day. They should simply come to the booth to collect a mic or headphone, leave an ID and return the gear at the end of the day.

NAB Visitors are invited to experience the combined power of four brands at booth No. C5217: Sennheiser, Neumann, Dear Reality and Merging Technologies