AV News July 2022

The direct channel to the industry

July 2022 www.avnewsonline.com Infocomm 2022 report and conclusions

Q & A: digital signage and retail

Page 20

Page 9

With attendance limited by Covid concerns in the US, and the rapid turnaround from ISE in Europe, this was never going to be a vintage InfoComm. But for inovation the event scored well.

AV News spoke to Samsung’s Business Development Manager, Henrik Hansen, about the modern-day retail experience and the importance of display.

InfoComm 2022 “buzzing”?

InfoComm 2022’s return to Las Vegas from June 4-10 featured a “buzzing trade show floor” according to the show organisers.

The show welcomed 19,681 verified attendees from more than 110 countries and all 50 US states, and 522 exhibitors showcased innovative pro AV products and solutions across 294,500 square feet of the trade show floor in the North Hall and new West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

David Labuskes, CTS, CAE, RCDD, CEO of AVIXA said: “InfoComm is the only place in North America where the entire ecosystem of the pro AV industry gathers – from manufacturers to distributors to integrators to end users. This week we saw thousands of AV professionals make the trip to Las Vegas to learn from each other and experience innovative technology in person. AVIXA is proud to play host to such an incredible group of industry professionals

as they spent their week advancing their businesses and careers and gaining inspiration to take home with them.”

“This week has been a celebration of and for our industry – from the trade show floor to the AVIXA council events to our educations sessions,” said Rochelle Richardson, CEM, Senior Vice President of Expositions and Events, AVIXA.

“There are many people and organisations that help make this show possible – the exhibitors, sponsors, attendees, speakers, media, the Las Vegas Convention Center, Freeman, and the AVIXA staff. It’s truly the contributions and collaboration from so many that makes this such an exceptional event.”

See pages 21 /22 of this issue for the InfoComm 2022 report.

InfoComm 2022 welcomed 19,681 verified attendees from more than 110 countries and all 50 US states, and 522 exhibitors showcased innovative pro AV products and solutions across 294,500 square feet of the trade show floor in the North Hall and new West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Barco projectors power 3D in important Air Force deal Barco has announced that its FS40-4K projector has been selected by visual display systems designer 3D perception to provide the projector for their Draco fast jet mini-dome simulator. This system was awarded the contract for the US Air Force Test Center (AFTC) for the Air Force Joint Simulation Environment (JSE).

The Air Force Joint Simulation Environment is an advanced training and simulation environment for the 4th and 5th

generation aircraft, including F-16 and F-35. 3D perception (3DP) was selected to supply a minimum of 9 immersive visual display systems by the 412th Air Wing’s Electronic Warfare Group at Edwards Air Force Base, California, in support of the Threat and Friendly/Virtual Air Threat (TAF/VAT) JSE, for delivery to Edwards, Nellis, and Wright-Patterson Air Force Bases.

Barco’s FS40-4K solid-state illumination projector offers

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stunning images at 4K (3840 x 2400) resolution. With the high frame rate processing and integrated adjustable SRP Smear Reduction Processing of Barco Pulse, smooth, fast-moving images are assured. Using no lamps or other consumables, and providing 50,000 hours LED lifetime and 24/7 oper-

Continued on page 3

PPDS US becomes wholly owned subsidiary of TPV Group PPDS has announced its US business has become a wholly owned subsidiary of the TPV Group, as the company enters a new, accelerated hypergrowth phase in North America. This highly strategic development fully aligns the business with PPDS’ wider global operations, unlocking immeasurable benefits and opportunities for its partners and customers. This includes adding more choice and value to the market, while offering unrivalled partner support, facilitating projects on both a local and global scale across industries including Corporate, Education, Healthcare, Hospitality, Retail and Transportation.

With this latest development in its global growth program, PPDS has set an ambitious target to achieve a top three market position in North America, cementing its position as one of the world’s fastest growing enablers of professional display solutions. Franck Racapé, Head of Global Commercial at PPDS commented: “As part of the company’s long-term plan to exponentially expand Philips professional display sales on a global level, our growth in the North American market is a milestone in our success. Our current business dynamic in North America is very promising and we look forward to further accelerating the trend, offering total display solutions for customers in all sectors, and positioning Philips professional displays as we believe they should be.”

In preparation for this latest evolution of the US business, PPDS has made a number of

significant structural changes over the past 12 months.

These include a major company rebrand in February (2021), switching to PPDS – previously Philips Professional Display

rate and Retail), plus a growing number of high-profile additions to its senior leadership teams. In North America, these include: • Bruce Wrywitzke, Director of

PPDS has announced its US business has become a wholly owned subsidiary of the TPV Group, as the company enters a new, accelerated hypergrowth phase in North America Solutions. More than just a new name, PPDS represents the transition of the business from a provider of displays to a total solutions enabler, forming strategic complimentary relationships with key third party partners, both locally and globally, including AppSpace, Crestron, D-Tools, Logitech, Intel, Navori, and Skykit, to name just a few, adding more solutions, choice and value to the channel and the wider market.

Amid a series of product and partnership announcements, PPDS has also confirmed a series of important internal management restructures to support and facilitate expansion in key market verticals (including Hospitality, Education, Corpo-

Sales • Joseph King, promoted as PPDS’ new dedicated VP For Hospitality • Patrick VanTreese, Education Sales Manager, • Beth Donow, Supply Chain Manager • Alison Maxson, Senior Marketing Manager • Mitch Rosenberg, Director of LED and LCD Videowalls • Adam Coleman, Solutions Manager, LED and LCD Videowalls • Jeff Handis, PPDS Channel Manager – Distribution & DMR Helping to accelerate the growth of PPDS in North Amer-

Continued on 3

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Headline News Continued from 1

PPDS US becomes wholly owned subsidiary of TPV Group ica, the US team will also receive support from PPDS’ newly announced global leadership team, consisting of Franck Racapé – Head of Global Commercial, Martijn Van der Woude – Head of Global Business Development and Marketing, and Robert Hsu – Head of Global Product Management. Driving the business forward in the US, is highly experienced and accomplished AV business leader, Vince Schuster, who was appointed in October 2021 as the company’s Vice President, Professional Displays.

Speaking of today’s changes, Schuster emphasized that, as well as the significant growth of the business in the US market over the past 12-months, PPDS being backed by one of the industry’s most complete

and innovative solution portfolios means it is well equipped to fulfil its market ambitions.

Vince commented: “This is one of the most exciting projects I have been part of during my career. The organization is equipped with a complete, industry-leading product portfolio to suit a variety of key markets, including signage and information displays, hospitality TVs, interactive and collaboration displays, business TVs and DV LED.” He continued: “Leveraging our partnerships and open technologies, such as Android, while capitalising on recent announcements, such as our Cloud-based Wave platform, to deliver a modern technology to securely and remotely monitor large project roll outs

for our SIs and software partners, PPDS already stands tall and proud in the global market.

With TPV, the future for the US business has never been brighter and we look forward to our partners joining us on our journey and helping them to surpass their customer’s expectations with highly innovative and future proof solutions.”

Barco projectors power 3D in important Air Force deal ation, the FS40-4K offers the lowest total cost of ownership for a projector and highest price/performance rating available.

The power of 3DP’s Draco minidome simulators for fast-jet applications is that it couples high visual quality with reconfigurability. This means the systems are designed for rapid delivery, installation, adaptation, and relocation. “Barco FS404K projector was selected for this advanced fast jet program due to its exceptional performance quality and feature set” says Knut Krogstad, CEO of 3D perception. The Draco 240+ model selected for this program has 240° horizontal and 150° vertical field of view.

Important highlights of the system include the enhanced pilot immersion via dynamic eye point, seamless image through continuous time-of-day transitions and NVG scenes via automated dynamic electronic-optical hybrid blending, a compact footprint of 11 x 10 ft (3.35 x

CTouch moves to channel direct model in the UK CTouch has announced that its UK entity, CTouch UK Ltd, will no longer be trading with the distribution organisation, Exertis Ltd. CTouch products have been distributed by Exertis in the UK for around five years after the distributors successful acquisition of the former AV specialist distributor, Medium UK. The decision taken by CTouch is part of its growth plans in the UK and lends itself in part, to the success of its UK business in selling directly to the Reseller channel over the last 6 months. CTouch UK launched the UK warehouse partnership with Relay Technical Transport Ltd earlier this year and has seen a fantastic response from

its UK partners.

CTouch UKs new Country Manager, Mark Richards, commented “CTouch as a European organisation has operated a Channel Direct model in all territories, other than the UK, for a number of years, and with great success. The UK set up the same model at the start of the year, and it has been a huge success for the business, as we have been able to respond more quickly to our customers and offer a greater level of dedicated service and support. Our distribution partnership with Medium and Exertis was a long and successful one, and we thank them for their support of our business”.

The move away from a tradi-

tional distribution model for CTouch has been driven by market changes and a challenging environment over the last 2 years, and having tested the model and process, they are confident it is a better way of servicing their customers.”

Mark continued: “Working directly with our customers allows us to provide complete focus on our products, rather than having the message diluted. We can also guarantee stock availability, credit, and ensure orders and deliveries are correct and on time. To ensure we continue to offer this service, we will be expanding the size of the UK operation in the coming months also.”

Barco has announced that its FS40-4K projector has been selected by visual display systems designer 3D perception to provide the projector for their Draco fast jet mini-dome simulator.

3 m), camera-free solid-state image auto-alignment and calibration technology, and motorized height adjustment for adapting to multiple cockpits.

“3D perception has long been a valued Barco Simulation partner and their visual display systems are highly respected in the industry,” says Neil Wittering, Segment Marketing Manager

at Barco. “We know the quality and reliability expected and demanded by their customers, so it is an honour to be selected as the projector supplier for this important installation. The FS40-4K is renowned for both its image quality and reliability and is therefore an excellent match with the sophisticated Draco mini-dome system.”

CTouch has announced that its UK entity, CTouch UK Ltd, will no longer be trading with the distribution organisation, Exertis Ltd.

Christie invests in robotics for MicroTiles manufacturing Christie has ramped up its production facility in its Kitchener-based Center for Engineering Excellence to keep pace with increased demand for MicroTiles LED. The new space includes a state-of-theart automation line with robotic handling, which has increased manufacturing capabilities by almost threefold. The design of the new area mirrors some of the most advanced manufacturing facilities in the world.

The new area includes advanced robotics and assembly lines, capable of manufacturing Christie’s award-winning MicroTiles LED. “In production and manufacturing, there is a tendency to outsource automation,” says Shawn Mills, director of display engineering, Christie. “By designing and building our new automation line using our in-house engineering experts, we've not only increased our manufacturing capabilities, but we've also ensured we are ready for the next stage of growth. As a result, the

new space incorporates best-inclass practices, including verti-

cal integration, which ensures we build the highest quality

product for our customers.”

Additionally, two new “pick

and place” robots have been installed to perform repetitive, low-level tasks, including moving tiles from conveyors quickly and efficiently. This allows Christie’s highly trained manufacturing staff to focus on

more advanced tasks. Mills is excited for the future, and the versatility of the team. “We can now invest even more in what's called design for manufacturing (DFM), a process used in higher volume industries, like

Christie has ramped up its production facility in its Kitchener-based Center for Engineering Excellence to keep pace with increased demand for MicroTiles LED. Continued on page 5

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Headline News Barco announces new UK + I distribution partnerships

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Christie invests in robotics for MicroTiles manufacturing automotive. On the team we have people that build and design the product and then naturally shift to designing the automation as an extension of this process. This gives the company a huge advantage because we can control much more of the value-chain, and we can be innovative not only in the design of the product, but also the process of creating that product. It’s as important how we make our products as what we’re making.

With the new production fa-

cility, Christie can increase production of MicroTiles LED, and adhere to the very high standard of quality that this product is known for. “We measure every LED as they come off the line, and we make sure they hit very tight tolerances, so that the MicroTiles create a seamless canvas.” Christie MicroTiles LED delivers P3 colour space, fully compliant HDR-10 and includes patented software that keeps the wall calibrated at 97% or greater uniformity.

MicroTiles LED includes a low

profile ADA-compliant QuickMount system so displays can be created in any shape and size, including 90-degree inside/outside corners and both concave and convex curves.

“We’re excited to be at the forefront of incorporating advanced manufacturing processes into LED design and production,” says Mills. “Ultimately, we want to deliver a product that continues to exceed expectations and meets demand, and we believe our new manufacturing space will allow us to do that.”

disguise unleashes a new era of infinitely scalable entertainment Visual storytelling technology platform disguise unleashes a new era of infinitely scalable, immersive entertainment with the release of their new flagship media server: the vx 4+.

Purpose-built for the world’s largest and most technically demanding productions, installations and shows, the vx 4+ is designed to ensure maximum content quality and playback performance, enabling productions to push boundaries and

scale with minimal latency.

With the capability to handle twice the amount of video layers versus its award-winning predecessor, the new disguise vx 4+ machine ramps up storage performance and significantly improves video throughout, with up to 100GbE in bandwidth for higher resolution live video.

“Production teams are perpetually seeking to push the boundaries of what is possible, with many experimenting with new

disguise VFC cards, rx render nodes and preconfigured network switch fabric, the vx4+ is designed for projects in need of a robust and scalable solution.

The inclusion of two 100GbE network ports and 12G video capture as standard enables the vx4+ to be used for 4K xR compositing alongside a cluster of rx render nodes. The integration of a new PCI-Express 4.0 motherboard, CPU, GPU and RAID storage, ensures that the

Barco today announced an update in its UK and Ireland distribution partnerships. The visualization company has appointed Lang UK and Midwich Group as the preferred distribution partners in the United Kingdom and Ireland for projection and image processing solutions. The new agreement with the reputable AV companies, which comes into effect immediately, is aimed at strengthening the position of both product groups with customers in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

Barco continues its distribution agreement with Midwich, now the sole distributor for the front projection product group in the region. Midwich/PSCo and Lang UK now share the UK and Ireland distribution rights for the image processing products.

Midwich Group is a specialist AV distributor to the trade market, with operations in the UK, Ireland, EMEA, Asia Pacific and North America. Midwich and Barco have been working together for three years. In continuation of this successful collaboration, the updated agreement appoints Midwich as the sole distributor for Barco projectors in the UK and Ireland.

“We are delighted to strengthen our relationship with Barco projection promoting their professional models to the install market,” says Lee Harris, Divisional Director of Midwich.

“We believe our expertise in the laser projection market will

enable Barco to expand their customer base and secure a stronger foothold in the 4K projection market. We see the cross-pollination with our Barco Clickshare, image processing and video wall technology customers as a key factor in driving this success.”

Continuing its successful distribution agreement for Barco IP products in the United Kingdom is Lang. The partnership with the supplier goes beyond the distribution agreement by also encompassing the common goal of serving the market as service and training partners offering Barco certified trainings for EventMaster and image processing products to its local customers. John Hooker, Managing Director of Lang UK, comments: “We have worked extremely closely with Barco for the last 4 years and built a strong reputation for product expertise, coupled with the LANG UK Academy certified training centre; we have a unique offer for UK rental companies and system integrators.

We anticipate continuing to expand our market share and introduce new customers to this class leading range of image processing products.”

He goes on to say: “We continue to increase the UK’s largest stock of Barco rental equipment, from EventMaster processors, controllers, switchers, fibre solutions down to individual cards. We have the most complete rental offer-

ing in the UK.” PSCo (part of the Midwich Group) focusses predominantly on the rental and staging market and has significantly expanded its rental fleet with a range of Barco EventMaster products. “We are excited to partner with Barco to expand our trade rental offering to the live events industry, with a specific focus on the latest image processing solutions including the E2 Gen 2 and S3 Tri-Combo presentation systems, EC-50 event controllers, and PDS-4K presentation switcher,” notes Stuart Holmes, Director of PSCo. “The investment demonstrates PSCo’s commitment to providing event professionals and fixed installs with a complete range of image processing solutions to meet every application, complementing our extensive range of LED and projection display technologies.”

In the new Barco UK distribution landscape, PSCo is now one of the two distribution partners for the image processing portfolio. Richard Marples, EMEA Sales Director of Barco, concludes: “We carried out a comprehensive review of our options to increase our distribution coverage for both projection and image processing in the UK and Ireland. Following that review we believe we have more than fulfilled our original target and look forward to the collaboration with our renewed distribution partners.”

ViewSonic’s new X1 and X2 LED projectors

Visual storytelling technology platform disguise unleashes a new era of infinitely scalable, immersive entertainment with the release of their new flagship media server: the vx 4+. captivate audiences like never before.

Today, requirements for spectacular visual content in shows and productions is skyrocketing. Film studios and broadcasters are turning to extended reality and virtual production for an improved production process for creating compelling filmed and live entertainment. Museums and theme parks want to wow audiences with larger, immersive and more interactive attractions.

Live events including music concerts, esports events and theatre productions are requiring high-quality video playback and are even pioneering the use of real-time content within their productions. All these high-stakes production environments have one thing in common: they need a rock-solid solution supporting high-performance video processing at

technologies and workflows, using real-time content or using video content at unlimited scale and complexity. As these ambitions grow, playing back large-scale content reliably without latency remains a challenge,” explains disguise Chief Product Officer Raed Al Tikriti. “disguise vx 4+ addresses the pressing need for an ultra-reliable high-performance server capable of handling the most demanding bandwidth-hungry, data-rich video processing.

Built on our team’s deep understanding of the needs of today’s productions, installations and large-scale shows, the vx4+ offers our customers cutting-edge technology, that works with the disguise modular ecosystem of solutions and offers the most reliable and effective solution for your production.”

Integral to the disguise modular ecosystem and working with

vx4+ video playback and compositing performance is unrivalled. When combined, the vx 4+ enables additional capacity to meet performance expectations whilst also keeping video latency to a minimum.

As disguise continues its mission to ensure that next-gen visual experiences are delivered to audiences everywhere, the vx 4+ is compatible with disguise’s upcoming IP Video Format Conversion (VFC) cards to be released in the second half of the year. IP-VFC is an industry-first and patented technology that enables users to change the video output signal from their disguise media server to a SMPTE 2110 video output.

ViewSonic Corp has launched its new X1 and X2 high brightness LED projectors for home cinema enthusiasts. The projectors offer an immediate entertainment experience and flexible options for installation.

Featuring 3rd generation LED technology, these projectors deliver brighter and more vivid visuals with 30,000-hour long lifespans.

With built-in Harman Kardon speakers, they are perfect for home screenings of movies, live sports and for playing video games. “As an innovator and leader in LED technology, we are elevating the home entertainment experience with our new LED projector solutions.

With enhanced brightness of 3,100 LED Lumens, the X1 and X2 not only deliver brighter and clearer images in any environment but offer more ecofriendliness compared to lampbased projectors," said Dean Tsai, General Manager of Projector & LED Display Business Unit at ViewSonic.

“Without complicated installation and setup required, these projectors offer immersive audiovisuals on a big screen at any time.” The latest X1 and X2 LED projectors are designed for all kinds of home entertainment spaces. For living rooms or recreational spaces, the X1 model can be mounted on the ceiling to better utilize the area; and, for smaller rooms, the short-throw X2 can sit on

a tabletop, projecting a 100” large screen from just 1.53 m away.

The X1 is equipped with a lens shift control knob for users to vertically adjust the image, all without needing to move the projector. Additionally, with a 1.3x optical zoom lens, it provides flexibility when mounting the projector on the ceiling. Users can choose a setup location within a range to get a large image that doesn’t interfere with existing interior designs, such as hanging lights or support beams.

These features are complemented with 3,100 LED Lumens of brightness and 125% Rec. 709 colour wide colour gamut, both projectors deliver bright and true-to-life visuals in Full HD resolution that are unaffected by ambient light.

These visual solutions are combined with quality audio from

at home.

The X1 and X2 projectors provide a simple and intuitive setup to enjoy a cinematic experience in the comfort of one’s own home. Featuring H/V keystone, 4 corner adjustment, and auto keystone, both projectors can provide perfectly shaped images from the top and side views. Whether you are screen mirroring a movie via embedded Wi-Fi connectivity or connecting a gaming console via a USB-C port, the projectors offer a large array of options for entertainment.

Additionally, its Bluetooth connectivity allows more flexible audio options. For instance, users can connect the projector to wireless headsets to enjoy immersive audio — without disturbing thepeople in the vicinity. Likewise, the projector’s speakers can be connected to a smartphone, essentially

dual Harman Kardon speakers, truly turning the room into an immersive entertainment space

functioning as a sound system, bringing more options for enjoyment to homes.

P5 AV News July 2022

Business News

PPDS launch of Global Partner Alliance program

Ricoh acquires Pure AV Ricoh has completed the acquisition of Pure AV in a move that further enhances its provision of meeting and workplace solutions to customers, including Unified Communications and Collaborations (UCC), AV and Workplace Management.

Founded in 2003, Pure AV is an award-winning specialist AV integrator with specific expertise in higher education learning environments, as well as the commercial and hybrid technology markets. Headquartered in Preston, UK, the company has 72 employees operating across the UK, as well as on customer projects globally.

Ricoh will take on Pure AV’s existing sites, including its premises in Preston. The entire Pure AV workforce will be retained as part of the acquisition. As a result of the acquisition, Ricoh customers will benefit from Pure AV’s renowned experience and expertise in UCC, AV and Workplace Management. They will also have access to a broad portfolio of products, software and service offerings, and be able to harness continuous innovation through strategic partners.

Pure AV customers will benefit from Ricoh’s global footprint, financial strength and integrated service delivery infrastructure.

They can access a wide range of Ricoh products and solutions, including RICOH Spaces, interactive whiteboards and

Peter Sutton, Managing Director, Pure AV: “We’re excited to start a new chapter that will allow us to accelerate our long-term growth strategy while delivering best-in-class solutions to our clients in the UK and Europe. Ricoh's worldwide infrastructure and end-to-end managed services expertise, combined with the strength of our design, engineering, and support services, will enable us to deliver powerful solutions on a local and global scale.”

Smart Lockers. They can also access Ricoh’s extensive digital services portfolio which encompasses Digital Workspace, Digital Experience, Business Process Management, Cloud and Infrastructure, Cybersecurity, and Graphic Communications capabilities.

Pure AV will continue to operate under its existing name, reporting to Ricoh UK. Edward Hamilton, Vice President, Communication Services, Ricoh Europe, says: “This is a significant addition to Ricoh’s communication services delivery business, both within the UK and at a European level. Not only will it accelerate our organic growth in this sector, but it will also strengthen our technical

design and delivery capability within the Corporate, Higher Education and Healthcare markets. Leveraging the specialist skills of Pure AV creates opportunities for lifelong learning and up-skilling of Ricoh’s existing employees, meaning our customers receive an even more diverse and extensive level of support.”

Phil Keoghan, CEO, Ricoh UK, added: “Pure AV has been selected based on its strong market position, engineering capability and customer base. The acquisition will enable Ricoh to expand further into this market and deliver customer projects at a larger scale, thus supporting the most ambitious digital transformation programmes.”

PPDS, the exclusive global provider of Philips digital signage, interactive displays, direct view LED and professional TV products and complementary solutions, is has announced the official launch of the PPDS Global Partner Alliance (GPA) affiliation program. The exclusive, invite only initiative, PPDS GPA is a highly unique and mutually beneficial move, connects multi-national enterprises with PPDS’ most elite and closely aligned regional integration specialists, combining local expertise with Philips professional displays and PPDS’ proven display solutions for seamless projects of any scale, anywhere in the world.

Covering 200+ countries, the PPDS GPA brings true, next level simplicity and complete peace-of-mind to end users, by working in partnership with system integrators to deliver consistent, one-contact service and support, together with precise planning and positioning.

Heading up the PPDS GPA, Simone Gagliardi, International

lationship with PPDS. All GPA partners are trained and certified to deliver the best knowledge and performance across PPDS’ portfolio of products, services, and solutions. The

business globally, while giving us the opportunity to support our international peers as well.

It was great to meet fellow members at the GPA event in Barcelona. We look forward to

Key Account Director at PPDS, commented: “The PPDS Global Partner Alliance (GPA) is an exclusive program consisting of our most elite business partners from around the world.

Through this Alliance, our regional and global customers benefit from an unrivalled international framework that ensures consistency and relevancy in their operating markets, delivering the best products, services, solutions and installations with precise strategies and positioning.

“With the GPA, our international customers are provided with complete peace of mind and confidence in our collective capabilities, paired with an incredible geographic reach for installations without the headache of managing geographical technicalities.”

Each PPDS Alliance Partner has been selected into the GPA based upon their capabilities, certifications, and ongoing re-

GPA includes 60 members, specialising in a variety of verticals – including retail, corporate, hospitality and education.

Supporting clients in 200+ countries, the Alliance covers Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and now, with DEEL Media, and Media Services Worldwide, both in North America.

PPDS GPA partners, including Jacob Volk, Executive VP of Client Services at DEEL Media, came together to network and share experiences and opportunities at the Alliance’s inaugural gathering in Barcelona during ISE 2022. Commenting on DEEL Media’s new membership to the PPDS GPA, Jacob said: “DEEL Media has been working with Philips professional displays for more than seven years and our relationship with the PPDS team has grown from strength to strength. We are delighted to have become the first PPDS GPA member in North America, reinforcing our

working with a great many of our new colleagues on a global level and to meeting with them again soon.”

Garry Darvin, President & CEO, Media Services Worldwide, said: “We are excited to be invited to be one of the first members from the US region to join the PPDS Global Partner Alliance. As a part of the ‘best of the best’ of integrated solution partners, we are thrilled to work together to collaborate with our partners in developing strategies for new opportunities and end-to-end solutions.”

Milan-based solution provider, Tailoradio, has been a GPA member since its formation, selected by PPDS as a partner for the design, installation and maintenance of Philips professional digital signage solutions for the retail market.

Franck Racape, PPDS: “Creating a network of local system integration heroes to cover the 200+ countries where Philips professional displays are operating was, from day 1, our North Star.

Nureva appoints AV Supply Group as Australia distributor Nureva Inc has announced the appointment of AV Supply Group PTY Ltd. as its distributor in Australia. AV Supply Group Ltd. first introduced Nureva’s revolutionary audio-conferencing product line to the New Zealand market in 2017, where there’s been an increasing need for reliable audio to support the country’s working and learning environments.

The group’s expansion into Australia, where there is an even greater demand from the

steady shift to hybrid working and learning models, presents an opportunity to broaden distribution to a wider range of resellers and their customers.

According to The Centre for the New Workforce 2021 national survey, almost all knowledge workers in Australia want some level of flexibility in their working arrangement and over 40% are prepared to leave their job if not offered flexible options.

Another report from Study International in Australia states

that continuing to enhance hybrid education could help Australian universities secure their future.

Both market segments require reliable audio to support resupport remote learners and workers. Recognizing this, and with AV Supply Group’s proven distribution approach in New Zealand and the company’s solid product knowledge, Nureva

Continued on page 8

“We are delighted to have AV Supply Group accelerate adoption of our audio and video solutions within the Australian market,” said Nancy Knowlton, Nureva’s CEO. “We’ve seen strong success in New Zealand and look forward to working with AV Supply Group to expand on that success through their channel in Australia.”

Continued on page 8

P7 AV News July 2022

Business News Continued from page 7

PPDS launch of Global Partner Alliance program Founder and CEO, Massimo Petrella spoke about the opportunities it provides the business: “Tailoradio’s engagement in the Global Partner Alliance has provided us with the incredible benefit of being able to affiliate ourselves with a program that has worldwide reach and immense opportunities in the co-development and presentation of our capabilities and solutions.”

GPA projects are managed, positioned, and supported – from tender to completion – by PPDS’ International Key Account Management (IKAM) team. First launched in 2021,

the team provides a single point of contact for global brands and enterprises to ensure fast, reliable, and optimised solutions, with unparalleled responsiveness and efficiency. Speaking to members at the event in Barcelona, Franck Racape said: “Creating a network of local system integration heroes to cover the 200+ countries where Philips professional displays are operating was, from day 1, our North Star. With the PPDS GPA, we have embodied this strategy, offering a single point of contact, with global engagement, powered by working together as a team with all

of you. These are the optimal conditions for global business.”

He concluded: “Whether you are a system integrator, a consultant or any other business, at PPDS we aim to inspire you with the very best products, services and connections solutions. Including proven software and complementary hardware recommendations, and a premium warranty offered on a global scale, supporting your business to push through the boundaries of today’s technology with cutting edge solutions.

Together we can accomplish the world.”

Continued from page 7

Nureva appoints AV Supply Group as Australia distributor plans to rapidly grow its sales to business and education institutions throughout Australia.

As businesses and education institutions have continued to support their hybrid teams and students, Nureva has experienced tremendous growth in its customer base globally, including the addition of Michelin and L’Oréal in France, University of Auckland and University of Otago in New Zealand, Universidad de las Americas in Chile, River Island and Deloitte in the UK, VMWare and Sarawak State Government in Malaysia, and Ritsumeikan University in Japan.

Powered by patented Microphone Mist technology, Nureva audio conferencing systems bring clear, reliable audio to meeting and learning spaces.

Microphone Mist technology fills a room with thousands of virtual microphones so in-room participants can move around the room and still be heard clearly by remote participants.

All systems feature true fullroom microphone pickup, easy installation and continuous autocalibration that automatically adapts to any room configuration.

“With so many organisations making a permanent shift to

hybrid working and learning, we see more demand for quality audio solutions, and Nureva’s product line provides the easy installation and reliable technology that today’s businesses and schools demand,” said Michael Good, AV Supply Group’s sales director. “AV Supply Group has successfully distributed Nureva products in New Zealand for the last five years, and now is the opportune time to expand into Australia to ensure our customers have access to Nureva’s breakthrough products.”

Lightware Visual Engineering opens new HQ for APAC Lightware Visual Engineering has announced the opening of its new state-of-the-art offices in central Sydney, Australia.

The new headquarters demonstrates the company’s long-term commitment to the Asia-Pacific (APAC) market. Located in the Newington Technology Park, in Newington near Parramatta, and surrounded by the Sydney Olympic Park and the beautiful Sydney harbour, the new APAC HQ features a dedicated training centre, a showroom, a tech lab, a warehouse, and office and meeting spaces.

The opening of the new office

is the next strategic step in expanding the company’s global footprint, fostering growth in APAC, and will be a central hub for customers and partners across Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands, providing sales support, after-sale technical support, on the ground customer support and product demonstrations for all of Lightware’s products. Newington Technology Park is a hub for major technology brands in the region, including Viewsonic, BOSE, Sony, Ainsworth, Pelican, CAE & BARCO – and now Lightware Visual Engineering.

“We are excited to relocate to the new state-of-the-art offices that will contribute to accelerate the growth of Lightware Visual Engineering in the region and will have a positive impact on our enterprise, live events and esports customers, and members of our staff in Australia,” said Jason Lewis, General Manager in Australia, Lightware Visual Engineering.

All Sydney-based Lightware staff will be working from these new headquarters, including Technical Support, Training and System Sales & Design.

Located in the Newington Technology Park, in Newington near Parramatta, and surrounded by the Sydney Olympic Park and the beautiful Sydney harbour, the new Lightware APAC HQ features a dedicated training centre, a showroom, a tech lab, a warehouse, and office and meeting spaces.

The intelligent conference room Across the world, life is gradually returning to normality after over 2 years of devastating disruption by the COVID 19 pandemic. The public health emergency took its toll on the economy and the healthcare sector the most, but it also created a paradigm shift in the corporate world. Remote work became the new normal and the coming together of employees happened almost completely online. However, as normality is gradually returning to the workplace, the future of work looks more like an integrated experience where employees leverage both virtual and physical workspaces at their convenience. For businesses, this hybrid model of work requires a more holistic re-engineering of their physical office infrastructure.

One of the areas that will witness transformative changes in the coming years is the evolution of smart and intelligent conference rooms within offices. To accommodate the dynamic needs of employees to connect with their peers either on-site or from their homes, meeting rooms require a more flexible and agile architecture that supports an integrated experience for all. The hybrid workspace approach that an enterprise is likely to follow will become a core pillar of new-age conference room design and infrastructure. Let us explore the top areas that will see renewed focus and innovation as far as conference room experience is concerned in the new normal:

Safety We have seen how the pandemic created a new breed of work etiquette that minimized close interactions. While meeting rooms will need to accommodate multiple personnel within them going forward, they will have to manage occupancy rates in tandem with healthy space utilization. This may mean tighter access controls to prevent unauthorized entry and overcrowding. It will also need better audio and visual infrastructure that allows more participants to have a feel of being in the conference room when they are physically working from elsewhere. Such infrastructure helps to keep a minimal number of people within conference rooms and fosters more virtual participation. This is especially useful when scenarios like a COVID wave are active, and government and healthcare regulations demand a restricted occupancy level within air-conditioned environments like conference rooms.

Unified communication Today, corporate meetings happen in a blended physical and vir-

P8 AV News July 2022

tual environment supported by leading team conferencing applications like MS Teams, Zoom, etc. The meeting room of tomorrow needs to have flexible integration with a range of unified communication tools and business information systems for seamless collaboration and information exchange between participants from different locations and the meeting room. By integrating with a host of cloud-based collaboration environments, these intelligent conference rooms will remove barriers between team members working within offices and those that work at other locations or

In addition to the functional elements, it will also be crucial to provide employees using this complex and expensive equipment with the support and information they need at all times. from their homes remotely. For empowering employees to collaborate in a post-COVID world, a unified communication experience is critical.

Functionality Minimizing clutter is always an enterprise priority within a focused work or collaboration environment like a conference room. It helps to boost productivity and prevent unwanted distractions or disruptions when important events or meetings are being hosted. When an employee walks into a conference room to host a meeting, he or she needs quick access to the infrastructure and assets that help get their job done without external help. This demands seamless wireless connectivity with projectors that aid in smart presentation and intelligent audio equipment integrated into tables or on over-

head ceiling panels that clearly capture the presenter’s voice. This would also need interactive screens with high-definition picture quality and viewing angles that engage participants thoroughly.

These are some of the major physical infrastructure components that empower presenters to have better functional control over their meetings within conference rooms.

Smarter digital controls We have seen how integrated physical infrastructure brings better functionality for hosts and participants. Equally important is the seamless digital transit and asset management capabilities of conference rooms. There may be situations when a meeting host may have to quickly switch between content on their computer with content on their smartphones. For the audience, the experience shouldn’t face disruptions during the switch. Intelligent room controls with highly user-friendly interfaces can help mitigate such management challenges and help employees set up room environments, book meeting slots, etc. without the need for external help.

The workplace of tomorrow will encourage more digitally immersive experiences that help establish better synchronization between employees working across locations. They need to offer a more connected ecosystem with premium audio and video experiences that make presentations ever more engaging and focused.

Besides, these meeting rooms will also play host to important events like customer meetings wherein a smooth end-to-end meeting experience is nothing short of a basic necessity. In addition to the functional elements, it will also be crucial to provide employees using this complex and expensive equipment with the support and information they need at all times. This will mean providing them with easy-to-access product information and how-to guides on well-designed self-service platforms. It will also mean providing them easy access to IT support or a helpdesk when more complex problems arise.

It is important to have a resilient and flexible environment that leaves a lasting impression on all attendees while at the same time guaranteeing a disruption-free conferencing experience. Get in touch with us to explore a range of future-ready conference and meeting room solutions that promote a highly agile and inclusive work experience desired by all.

Opinion

Q & A: digital signage and retail AV News spoke to Samsung’s Business Development Manager, Henrik Hansen, about the modern-day retail experience and the importance of display

AVN: How important is display and demonstration screens at point-ofsale in retail spaces?

HH: Presenting consumer products in a retail space is central to tempting shoppers in-store. Using technology such as Lift-andLearn to demo key features and facts about product in an interactive way can really engage the consumer. It’s important as it serves as a great way for customers to explore products and is used to promote not just the product, but also in-store deals that might otherwise be missed.

It inevitably increases the chance of a sale. Not only that, but it increases the time people spend in store, and when presented with dynamic content it offers up the chance for the consumer to view similar products and increase sales. This is great for retailers, advertisers and brands alike. Interest in Lift-and-Learn solutions continues to be popular and is a growing trend in the sector. We are also seeing a growing trend for ‘social display’ that allow customers the chance to share posts, tag the store, and build upon brand loyalty.

AVN: Following the pandemic and the trend for online shopping, how can retail owners utilise products to pull customers back into store?

HH: Retailers have witnessed dramatic change in the sector and have needed to adapt to changing consumer behaviour by adopting an omnichannel approach. This is largely due to increased online shopping driven by the pandemic. More than ever, retailers need to ensure their spaces bridge the gap between online and offline, ultimately driving direct customer interaction in a variety of forms.

We are so passionate about this concept we have opened Samsung KX in King’s Cross. It’s a great example of how experience is an important factor in drawing in loyal and new customers, whether this be with hands-on product time, or to simply discuss product with Samsung representatives directly, all in a non-transactional environment. It’s a good example of the omnichannel experience, where brand and customer can live out the journey together.

Samsung KX may bring about a sale, but it might also lead to a purchase online. Brands are finding ways to bring consumers instore, which is a big part of the strategy. It's key for retailers and brands to engage with customers with product physicality, this is despite advancements in technology and the ever-present online world.

AVN: How does Samsung Display compare to its competitors in retail?

HH: We offer a vast range of top-quality display solutions, including hardware, software, fully loaded CMS platforms to state-ofthe-art device management solutions. Having one of the broadest portfolios available, from 13inch to 98inch LCD displays and a comprehensive range of LED, we find its our experience and expertise in providing solutions that is the biggest factor when working with retailers. We’re proud to say we’ve been selected by some of the biggest brands in the market to support their projects, working in collaboration from ideation conception, support of rollouts, through to final delivery.

In order to help retailers to capitalise, we support with ‘proof of play’ software in line with content shown. This helps guide retailers with capitalising on investments and compare sales results, both in-store or at the till. We also support retailers with design should they need it. With our own designer of LED in the team, we offer expertise free-of-charge, especially in relation to anything bespoke. Content can also be tested and revised at our EU showroom, which features our full line-up. This helps with customers visualising their project.

24/7 operation, and will perform year after year, delivering crisp images with sufficient brightness to make an impact. Different brands and stores require a lot of inventive lighting. We work with some retailers where bright, open spaces are a constant theme, so having displays that can maintain visibility is vital.

AVN: What Samsung Display products are selling well/do you predict to sell well this year?

HH: The Wall is certainly one of our main products we predict will sell well at retailers this year. The Wall looks incredible and possesses amazing derived from its Black Seal and Ultra Chroma Technologies, whilst we’ve also focussed on improving the installa-

tion. It’s definitely gaining traction and making waves in the retail industry.

Our 8K display is significant too. We’ve continued to develop our AI upscaling, so much so that there’s now no compatibility issues with playing 4K content. This manages to bring retailers an exciting optimised 8K image without actually needing 8K content. In terms of other display screens, we’ve seen larger retailers adopting the 37inch stretch display. Not only does this provide a reliable quality display but is an excellent product to sit in-store and gain shopper attention.

Impactful first impressions are ever-more crucial for retailers, especially as stores are opening up again following the pandemic.

As a result, our super bright display screens are proving a popular choice for retailers wanting to attract shoppers back in-store.

Most of our range contains an embedded system on chip, meaning the media player is built in to the display. Importantly, this results in no extra hardware, less cables, less potential failure points, lower maintenance costs and lower power consumption overall. This is an attractive prospect for retailers. On top of this, Samsung Remote Management Solution allows you to have control of all displays remotely. You’re able to troubleshoot without the need of sending out a service technician, meaning less on-site service calls, less downtime and lower TCO. AVN: Can you share your top 3 tips to draw attention to a product in a retail space?

HH: First impressions are important, so cleverly causing shoppers to stop as they pass by is vital for retailers. Showing inventive content on displays is key to generate footfall, all starting with the window front. Our storefront window displays have been designed with that in mind, providing super-bright screens that cut through the daylight, taking the place of traditional sales posters all while drawing the consumer’s attention and getting them into store.

To echo my opinion at the beginning, it’s now really important for retailers to add engaging and interactive elements to otherwise static retail displays, and this is achieved through Lift-and-Learn offerings. With a solution that combines product, displays and sensors, it will provide shoppers with an educational, semi-custom first-hand experience. This encounter will either convert into a sale in-store, or at least leave a definite impression on the individual, and that is what matters.

AVN: If you were a retail owner, which Samsung Display product would you use and why?

HH: In a retail space, I’d use the QHB series with UHD resolution, and 700 nits brightness. These are suited for the typical retail space with lots of ambient light. The QHB series is produced for

P9 AV News July 2022

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Opinion

Maverick at ISE: stronger by continuing to evolve With the dust settling on ISE, it’s now time to reflect on an incredible return to in-person shows and the debut of the show in Barcelona’s amazing Fira Gran Via. For Maverick, we unveiled our new ski themed stand, which took visitors on a journey through a Ski Shop, Ski School and Ski HQ, demonstrating our extensive portfolio of vendors and solutions. The journey throughout the stand focused particularly on the smart spaces narrative, amplifying data driven spaces; how technology can enhance user experiences and data collection for better business outcomes. Simon Kitson reports.

Visitors enjoyed seeing a variety of IOT solutions that collected data to inform better decision making in a variety of different environments: including retail purchasing patterns; visitor demographics; and even the recording of temperature and humidity to enhance the experience of individuals visiting the stand.

Throughout the show, the narrative from the industry was clear employees want flexible hybrid work options and offices need to be worthwhile to visit, proving a direct correlation to the ways of working that people have become accustomed to over the past few years.

For us as a distributor this was a driving force for our stand design, ensuring that we encompassed the whole hybrid paradox narrative rather than just showcasing the solutions we sell.

Highlight A specific highlight for myself was being able to showcase Neat as part of that narrative. This pioneering video device company from Norway, began partnering with us back in April to allow us to distribute their complete product portfolio to our customers in 18 countries across Europe. For Maverick, Neat shares a common vision of thinking differently about meetings and meeting spaces, enabling exceptional collaboration for all teams, regardless of whether working remotely or dialling in from the office.

At ISE specifically we were given the opportunity to be the one of the first distributors to demonstrate their newly Teams accredited solutions to our customers. The experience was fantastic, and really showed how Maverick’s ‘Smart Meetings’ portfolio delivers collaboration solutions specifically tailored to each customer’s specific needs.

World leader

#HunttheHub

Another exciting addition to our portfolio announced at ISE, was our partnership with world-leading audio and microphone manufacturer and communications specialist Sennheiser. This is a great opportunity for us to offer best-in-class audio solutions for large meeting rooms. By adding the newly announced TeamConnect Intelligent Speaker (TC ISP) and bestselling TeamConnect Ceiling 2 microphone (TCC2), we are able to provide more advanced audio and collaboration technology and pave the way for meeting equity within smart spaces.

The show was also an opportunity for us to have some fun with our vendors products, you may have seen our social media campaign over the week which focused on the concept of #HunttheHub. Through this campaign we were able to demonstrate the true versatility of the Microsoft Surface Hub; doing on the go demos from stand to stand. The Hub is a perfect example of how a piece of technology can dissolve boundaries for hybrid teams so they can inclusively engage everyone’s voices, faces and ideas within meetings.

Visiting other stands, it was amazing to see the revolutionary technology our industry is producing. Among the best in show for me was the Logitech Scribe, an AI-powered whiteboard camera for Microsoft Teams Rooms that automatically enhances the colour and contrast of dry erase markers, making text and sketches easier to read. Scribe’s built-in AI delivers an incredible transparency effect, allowing participants to see ‘through’ the presenter for an unobstructed view of the whiteboard. Now you may not think these technologies are particularly remarkable, considering the stadium size immersive LED experiences on offer throughout the show, but for me it's the seamless integration of analogue and digital, and how technology can assist us in making our experiences more accessible and intuitive.

Perspectives Moving away from technology we also integrated an analogue data collection activity to the stand. The data board which we first used at UCEXPO; which not only informed the customer journey through the stand but provided key information into the ever-evolving way that companies are working post pandemic, and the significant barriers hindering their transition.

When discussing why their companies utilised various video conferencing platforms, some stated that their conference choice was dependent on various factors including whether meetings featured internal or external stakeholders, geographical location of clients, or whether live collaboration, document sharing or whiteboarding was necessary.

This simple survey reinforced the need for perspective as the new normal way of working evolves. Whether that perspective means investing in a platform for collaboration or software that facilitates meetings with on-site and remote workers - your technology and how you train your employees will directly affect experience and productivity.

It’s a lot of food for thought, and even though I leave another show with a yearning for more answers on how our industry can keep evaluating and adapting. I also leave with a feeling or pride and affirmation that regardless of the barriers our industry faces, we will always come back stronger.

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Application News

Henlow Academy - interactive with Avocor!

Henlow Academy in Bedfordshire caters for over 700 pupils in years 5 to 9 and is a key part in the county’s ‘Schools for the Future’ plan. The school is within the first cluster that are changing from a middle to a secondary school as the region transitions from a three to a two-tier education system. As part of this development, the school is currently undergoing a major newbuild and refurbishment programme overseen

by PCMS Design, an architectural and project management practice based in Buckinghamshire.

The latest phase of work at the Academy includes the construction of a two-storey extension to the existing sports hall and classroom block. The extension also incorporates four science labs, five classrooms and a lift. The corridors are wide and there are views of the courtyard which create light and space and bring out the brightly coloured walls. All classrooms and specialist teaching rooms are designed to Department for Education Building Bulletin 103, and alongside the eye-catching exterior and interior design, the extension also includes E Series interactive displays from Avocor, a global leader in collaboration solutions.

As the lead designer of the site development project PCMS Design specified the installation of fixtures and fittings in each of the new classrooms. Alex Bond, Director, commented on some of the design thinking behind the project: “the room shape and location of the classroom door in relation to the teaching wall are paramount in the learning space design process - and are the first things to be considered. This is so the orientation of the room is planned out to optimum effect for the teacher, who will need to see the door easily from the front of the classroom. We would never design a classroom with windows directly opposite the teaching wall in case of glare on the display screen.”

He continued: “We ensure is that the room lighting is carefully designed, and is arranged in banks for maximum performance and aesthetic effect. For instance, a typical classroom at Henlow has three banks with three LED light fixtures in each bank. The teacher can then independently turn off the three lights closest to the teaching wall when required further reducing glare, so that the Avocor interactive display is more easily viewed by the students. In fact, throughout the project we found the Avocor customer support and installation to be of a high quality, and would certainly recommend the company to other customers in the future.”

Karen Evans, Henlow Academy Operations Manager, added: “Our Academy has hugely benefitted from the Avocor Interactive displays, which PCMS Design specified in all the new build and refurbished areas of the Academy. We are now putting them through their paces, and I am impressed by the flexibility and ease of use they offer to both staff and pupils. They’re a great aid to our teaching environment.”

There are Avocor E series displays installed throughout the new extension. The E series interactive displays utilize the very latest optimized touch technology and superior glass technology providing a smooth and extremely accurate, low latency writing experience and object recognition. The ability to easily switch between using a pen, finger, and palm creates a fluid collaborative environment for users in real-time. In the specialist teaching areas such as the science labs and tech rooms, there are 86” screens in the specialist teaching areas, 75” screens in general teaching classrooms, and 55” in the group rooms.

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Application News

ST Engineering Antycip accelerates mission training with F-35 ST Engineering Antycip has partnered with Nova Systems to provide its technical integration expertise towards a Capability Concept Demonstrator that will investigate novel mission training solutions for the RAF. The prototype aims to enable pilots to exercise capabilities, tactics and procedures that would be

difficult and very expensive in the live environment due to airspace, aircraft availability or security constraints.

Capability Concept Demonstrators (CCDs) are intended to aid understanding and investigate military utility without committing to major expenditure until more relevant factors are better

understood. In this particular project, the F-35 – known as the most survivable and connected aircraft in the world – is being integrated into the Gladiator platform in the form of low-cost, targeted-fidelity simulators allowing interaction for the first time in a synthetic training environment between

ST Engineering Antycip has partnered with Nova Systems to provide its technical integration expertise towards a Capability Concept Demonstrator that will investigate novel mission training solutions for the RAF.

F-35 and a host of other platforms.

The hardware used in this project, selected by Nova Systems, forms part of the four simulator “cockpits” which comprises of two fixed based 180° domes and two deployable VR systems, utilising mixed reality headsets to provide the visual display. The prototype explores how the use of GOTS/COTS products can be maximised to introduce additional synthetic training capacity to the RAF. “Both Nova Systems and ST Engineering Antycip have experience working with the RAF’s Gladiator systems which makes them well suited to this complex project,” comments Alex Rowan-Smith, digital technologies, modelling, and simulation engineer at Nova Systems International. “If successful, the CCD will demonstrate a low-risk, costed route to swift delivery of additional, synthetic capacity for the RAF’s F-35 (Lightning Force) and enable personnel to participate in Gladiator-enabled synthetic collective training”.

The Nova selected hardware

consists of COTS cockpits providing F-35 representation targeted towards the mission training task. The Cobra Dome and the XTAL headset are the chosen display systems to compare simulator domes with mixed reality displays. The 180° Cobra Dome has been selected for its compactness and innovative single projector system. The XTAL has an unusually wide field of view for a VR headset, which is an important feature for pilots. Providing the ideal platform for this project, the software selected is the Gladiator Stack, which includes many MAKOne products.

Rowan-Smith says the successful collaboration between Nova and ST Engineering Antycip played an important role throughout the project: “The dynamism of a collaborative and open ethos surrounding the project was successfully demonstrated by both companies. The exhibition created enthusiastic interest in the project and brought positive exposure along with exciting prospects for future opportunities.”

“The brief for ST Engineering Antycip has been to ensure that the maximum value is being achieved throughout the timeline of this project,” says Katie Howe, senior account manager at ST Engineering Antycip. “This requires good communication and continuous assessment of priorities with the customer. A project of this importance showcases the talent within the UK office, with specialist skills of numerous engineers coming to the fore.”

accelerate much faster than the traditional pathways. We are able to fuse healthcare and tech innovation with industry.

This fusion brings something special and unique, creating faster-paced technologies.”

AlderHey@nywhere provides a unique digital platform that is designed with children young people and their families in mind, making it visually aes-

ery of patient care. Mindwave. which has previously worked with Alder Hey to develop other tech platforms, including AlderPlay and mental health platform CYP As One, have been the lead developers on the visual interface of the portal, as well as the interconnectivity and operability of data.

Founder and CEO, Kumar Jacob, said: “It has been a privilege to work with Alder Hey Innovation Centre and Microsoft to be responsible for the design and development of the user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) of AlderHey@ nywhere. Our role has been to ensure that the portal is visually appealing and immersive, making sure the experience that young people, children and their families have is engaging, enjoyable, simple-touse and easy-to-understand.

At the same time, we want the complicated data and AI to flow seamlessly to ensure that the data flow of information is interoperable and sent across multiple devices, making the experience seamless, functional and easy for clinicians to use.”

Health

Alder Hey: a hospital without walls Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, one of the world’s leading paediatric healthcare institutions, has launched a ground-breaking digital platform that is set to revolutionise the way in which patient care is delivered to children and young people. The hybrid health platform AlderHey@nywhere is being championed as a “hospital of the future”, where patient and clinical care is delivered in a hybrid world, both physical and virtual, to create a “hospital without walls”.

The interactive and immersive digital platform provides a hybrid point of access and patient care for families, children, young people and clinicians to manage, treat, educate and coordinate delivery of their healthcare. Most importantly, it will focus on preventative healthcare and will make patient care more accessible and personalised. The technology was developed by Alder Hey Innovation in collaboration with Microsoft and Mindwave as a solution to addressing the finite capacity of hospital and community resources, including both physical space and workforce. This was also paired with an increased demand of accident and emergency admissions, long waiting times for outpatient appointments, and increasing lengths of stay.

Alder Hey has a dedicated innovation centre within the hospital and campus, focused on using cutting-edge technologies and innovations to solve the real-world, day-to-day problems

faced by children and young people. Alder Hey Innovation believes that by leveraging innovative health tech, digital platforms, data and AI, it can revolutionise the way healthcare is delivered to children and young people. It seeks to break down the traditional barriers for patients when accessing care and personal health information, as well as when receiving therapies and seeking education, creating a future of healthcare that is a “hospital without walls” with the focus of care being the individual, taking a more personalised and tailored approach.

Commenting on the launch of the new digital health platform, Managing Director of Alder Hey Innovation, Claire Liddy, said: “At the moment, healthcare is most often about treating people that are ill. What we want to do is to shift to a more preventative model of care that is individualised and tailored and that empowers children and young people to take ownership of their healthcare and treatment. There are so many different technologies out there now, including wearable technology and devices such as smartwatches that enable you to monitor your health at home.

What we needed was a hybrid platform to bring it all together into one place so that families, children and young people could access it, alongside their clinicians at the hospital. We think the AlderHey@nywhere platform will allow us to elevate

the level and access to care for children and young people who tell us that they want to be empowered to understand and manage their own healthcare and treatment. It also allows us to move to a more preventative healthcare modelling, making healthcare more individual and personalised.”

AlderHey@nywhere is a co-development with Microsoft and

individual, giving them better life chances. Claire Liddy added: “The Innovation Centre at Alder Hey Children’s hospital is a really special and unique place. It’s a dedicated team, all focussed on bringing new technology into healthcare for the benefit of children and young people. We work with a wide range of private sector partners, including tech giants, SMEs,

Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, one of the world’s leading paediatric healthcare institutions, has launched a ground-breaking digital platform that is set to revolutionise the way in which patient care is delivered to children and young people tech SME Mindwave. The collaboration came together to co-create a hybrid healthcare platform that will create a way of delivering healthcare for children and young people that is far more tailored to the

entrepreneurs and universities, to co-invent new technologies and innovations. We have a different mindset and culture of innovation; we are able to move fast and think big, which allows our innovation path to

thetic, engaging and immersive, but also intuitive. At the same time, its dual purpose is engineered for clinicians to monitor, assess and optimise data and clinical workflow in the management and deliv-

Continued on page 14

P13 AV News July 2022

Application News Continued from page 13

Health

Alder Hey: a hospital without walls AlderHey@nywhere enables the interoperability of multiple systems using FHIR, remote devices and resources for management of acute and chronic conditions. Furthermore, it collates a new unique data set for longer-term, AI-augmented decision-making for preventative intervention, personalised care and long-term disease prevention. Umang Patel, Chief Clinical Information Officer at Microsoft, also offers a unique perspective thanks to his dual role at Microsoft and as a paediatrician working in the NHS at Frimley Park Hospital.

“It's been a real privilege to work with Alder Hey to develop the AlderHey@nywhere platform,” he says. “Microsoft always loves projects that gets its staff excited - to be given the opportunity to help children and young people - was one such project. Hopefully we have been able to bring some new insights, skills and innovations that will help Alder Hey not only solve problems locally but scale beyond the Liverpool region. What they have done at Alder Hey is great for many reasons, but two stand out: first, the Alder Hey team has managed to keep it simple. If you ask 100 doctors what they want in an ideal system, they will tell you a million important things.

The team has managed to scale that back, kept it usable, and

brought the most important things to the front. Second, is the momentum they have generated- it's trailblazing innovation at its best.”

AlderHey@nywhere was based around a model of prevention and intervention. The digital health platform allows for: • A true hybrid of both physical and virtual patient care • Remote real-time monitoring of patient care for intervention • Creating a platform of care that is tailored and self-managed • Digital Bio-markers and IoMT for preventive real time augmented clinical decision making • Children and young people want to be empowered to engaged interactively with gamification to understand and manage their care To watch our short film on AlderHey @nywhere and learn more about our work please go to https://www.alderheyinnovation.com/alderheyanywhere

Museums

Mixing future technology with the past The Museum of Civilizations of Europe and the Mediterranean has built its reputation by combining historical exhibits with social commentary to tell the story of this rich basin of civilization. The Museum recently enhanced its storytelling capabilities with the addition of a Broadcast Pix MX Hybrid Integrated Production Solution.

The French national museum, located in Marseille and known as MUCEM, presents permanent exhibitions based on different scientific fields: anthropology, archaeology, history, art history and contemporary art.

The MUCEM also offers temporary exhibitions often linked to current artistic or social events.

Most of the museum’s equipment is dedicated to its auditorium, which hosts more than 200 events annually – including exhibits, conferences and concerts – with many of them recorded for archiving and on-demand viewing purposes.

The museum had relied on a Broadcast Pix Mica system since its inaugural opening in 2013, but the team realized it needed an upgraded solution as its production needs expanded.

The Broadcast Pix system was selected for its flexibility and performance, according to Eric Moncho, Auditorium and Events Manager at MUCEM. “This new system allows us to capture events in the audi-

torium in SDI and NDI for the highest level of production and distribution flexibility,” Moncho said. “Now we have a system capable of controlling our NDI cameras in all our rooms from the same studio.”

The Auditorium configuration is based on six cameras: three older SDI models and three newer NDI models, the specification for delivering and receiving high-definition uncompressed video at the lowest latency among other NDI-compliant networked devices. MUCEM has several rooms including eight main areas with capacities between 300 to 1300 people, which are generally recorded with a single

camera. The museum’s recording schedule was accelerated by the pandemic when attendance was either prohibited or limited to online viewing. Using the new MX Hybrid allows the museum to reinforce the single camera system with the three additional NDI cameras.

The sale and installation were managed remotely by Broadcast Pix dealer partner SAV, a provider of audio-visual solutions for the corporate and TV/ radio broadcast markets. SAV worked closely with Broadcast Pix to ensure MUCEM had the right solutions for its current needs and future exhibits.

“This hybrid production and streaming solution is a perfect

fit for the museum’s exhibition and content plans,” said Carlo Bolognesi, EMEA sales manager for Broadcast Pix, “It gives them infinite flexibility to record events, stream them seamlessly and present their mission in the highest quality – and it can grow with them as their plans evolve.”

The French national museum, located in Marseille and known as MUCEM, presents permanent exhibitions based on different scientific fields: anthropology, archaeology, history, art history and contemporary art.

Music

xR concert on TikTok for Camila Cabello’s album launch Cuban-born American singer, songwriter and actress Camila Cabello’s “Familia: welcome to the family” immersive live concert on TikTok, gave social media users a chance to experience her music like never before, drumming up publicity and interest in her forthcoming album. Pioneers XR Studios used the disguise extended reality (xR) workflow to bring this ground-breaking performance to life, making it one of the first shows of this scale to use xR technology on TikTok. The popstar shot “Familia” at XR Studios in Hollywood, incorporating augmented reality (AR), set extension and LED flooring into six new songs, creating interactive environments ranging from vibrant rainforests and barren deserts to floating houses and illuminated disco dance floors. xR and AR elements included plants, skies, hypnotic graphics, animated cityscapes, fireflies and butterflies. Due to the widespread popularity of the show, TikTok rebroadcasted “Familia” three times after its initial live airing.

“The main goal of the project was to introduce the world to new songs from the ‘Familia’ album in a whole new way, different from the pre-planned

music videos and other elements for the album release,” explains JT Rooney, XR Virtual Director for the show and President at XR Studios. “This was an entirely separate and live performance-based interpretation of new music and style from an international star.”

High-quality creative visuals executed by Silent Partners Studio were brought to life in Cabello’s hybrid digital and physical world with “the transformation and transportation between each individual song and virtual world creating a unique experience for the audience hearing these songs for the first time,” Rooney said.

The disguise xR ecosystem and software solution was the backbone for driving the technical setup of the four-camera shoot with disguise vx 4 and rx II servers serving both LED and video/broadcast outputs with XR Studios’ unique compositing broadcast pipeline.

“The core of disguise being based in live shows and musical performances is a great advantage when it comes to programming, quickly changing and executing a fast-paced musical performance. In fact, disguise allowed Camila to feel at home in the XR Studios’ envi-

P14 AV News July 2022

Cuban-born American singer, songwriter and actress Camila Cabello’s “Familia: welcome to the family” immersive live concert on TikTok, gave social media users a chance to experience her music like never before, drumming up publicity and interest in her forthcoming album.

ronment, much like she would be on stage or in a touring environment,” says XR Studios CTO, Scott Millar.

TikTok’s unique 9x16 format was a consideration for the entire crew and team from environment design to technical execution and camera direction

by Sam Wrench. XR Studios used a system of guides and visual tools to ensure that all elements were properly seen and captured for the end product. The technical team was also tasked with facilitating ground-breaking and adventurous creative screen content and environments while maintaining a functioning and efficient studio system. Balancing multi-camera calibration and camera switching as well as managing colour and content pipelines so the crew and creative team are focusing on the shoot and creative troubleshooting instead of technical issues is a hallmark of XR Studios. Other technical challenges included managing a large number of talent and cast. Dozens of people were on stage together with scenic elements and flying/hung props. “disguise’s calibration process, both spatial and colour, helped keep the process moving along

quickly, especially with any lens swaps or changes,” notes Millar.

As artists, brands, personalities, influencers and outlets look to extend their reach, xR technology allows them to explore their creative vision with no technical boundaries. At the same time, flexible environments and the ability to capture a large amount of content in one location unlocks new channels and opportunities to reach audiences, as proven by the disguise xR TikTok debut.

Application News

Cinema

Behind-the-scenes of cinema BrightSign LLC has announced that its players are powering an unforgettable visitor destination that takes audiences behind the scenes of movie magic. Weta Workshop Unleashed! is an exciting new ‘part film set, part creative workshop’ attraction housed in the Sky City Hotel of Auckland City, New Zealand. Integrated by Toulouse Group, a New-Zealand-based audio-visual consultant, the visitor attraction showcases the innovations of Weta Workshop, the industry-renowned makers of props and visual effects for an impressive array of films that includes Lord of the Rings, Avatar and Bladerunner.

The resulting experience is an explosion of creativity, mayhem and colour that blurs the lines between reality and fantasy through smooth content management from the BrightSign players. Following a ‘red carpet’ entrance, visitors are directed through nine distinct zones, each matching a genre of the films being created with-

Circus

in a fictional studio. All the BrightSign players are locally networked. The push of a single button by a staff member issues commands to multiple players that send either the video or audio and lighting elements to multiple projectors, a surround sound loudspeaker system, and a theatrical intelligent lighting system.

Commenting on the project, Jeff Hastings, CEO of BrightSign, says “We’re delighted that BrightSign players are powering such a fantastic visitor experience. It’s always exciting to see how installers apply the players to their installations, and Toulouse Group is no exception. For example, using the GPIO inputs on the BrightSign players can trigger the media via a mixture of buttons, levers and other mechanical devices. Using the GPIO inputs in this way is very unusual in digital signage installations, but Toulouse uses the players in this way in close to half its installations, including Weta

Workshop.”

Marc Simpson, Managing Director of Toulouse, says “We use BrightSign players for the majority of our visitor experience installations due to their inherently reliable nature. The client brief for Weta Workshop was fluid, and we needed a responsive system that allowed us to work swiftly to meet the creative vision in situ. BrightSign players provided a robust platform that supports swiftly changing programming. Firewalls keep the network secure and allow staff at Head office to update content off-site. With almost guaranteed uptime, remote monitoring is a formality and maintenance is very seldom required.”

Weta Workshop Co-founder and Creative Lead, Richard Taylor says, “The experience wowed audiences from the moment it opened. Each person’s visit is unique depending on what they choose to interact with: which button they push, which lever they pull or which sensor they

trigger. BrightSign allows this fully customisable media experience to be delivered in a repeated, reliable way, until the final credits roll.” Five HD224

and 65 LS424 players power the experience, each with a different role in the installation. A further 35 LS424 players are used for audio-only

BrightSign players power Weta Workshop Unleashed!

DiGiCo technology means that if a musician needs assistance during the live performance, the sound engineer can intervene via the DiGiCo console.

Furthermore, the whole AV system from the GrandMA2 lighting console to the DiGiCo audio mixing console are synchronised via an OSC digital communication protocol so that lighting cues, followspots, individual monitor and instrument settings are pre-programmed in each musical segment.

“The new KLANG system has ensured the show production is seamless and easy to run, which is a huge advantage for a live action, variety performance with a demanding schedule of two shows a day,” concludes Maxime. “Not only

After a two-year hiatus, the 28th edition of the renowned annual Massy International Circus Festival returned this year, featuring the world's top circus artists, performing in the company’s impressive 50m diameter, 3,000-capacity big topreturned this year, featuring the world's top circus artists, performing in the company’s impressive 50m diameter, 3,000-capacity big top

throughout the site.

Innovative AV at International Circus Festival After a two-year hiatus, the 28th edition of the renowned annual Massy International Circus Festival returned this year, featuring the world's top circus artists, performing in the company’s impressive 50m diameter, 3,000-capacity big top erected in the town of Massy on the outskirts of Paris. To mark the return, the technical design team employed a new, innovative AV system, revolutionised by the introduction of immersive mixing technology from German in-ear monitor specialists, KLANG. Established in 1993 to honour the 75th birthday of celebrated clown, Achille Zavatta, the International Circus Festival of Massy has since been staged

annually in the town, receiving international recognition and broadcast every year on the French television channel, France 3. A homage to traditional circus entertainment, the festival attracts world famous circus performers. At the heart of the show is the Jean Ribul Orchestra, comprising 10 musicians including a brass section, which underpins the performances in the ring.

Tasked with managing the audio and lighting requirements was French rental company, Ultra Son, collaborating with equipment distributor, DV2.

The team devised an innovative audio system for 2022, employing the new immersive KLANG:konductor mixing

processor with 10 individual KLANG:kontroller personal monitoring mixers.

“We watched the KLANG:kontroller launch last year, and were very excited about this ground-breaking development,” comments ULTRASON owner Maxime Polak. “The use of the KLANG:kontroller is the first time these new products have been employed in France.

In a venue where the layout does not lend itself to accommodating multiple audio positions, the technology negates the need for a monitor mixer, allowing the show’s sound engineer to set and forget the monitor system, recalling snapshot presets for each song, and focusing on the live FOH mix,

leaving the musicians to manage their own monitor mixes autonomously.”

The KLANG:konductor manages up to 128 input signals, and delivers 16 immersive mixes at near zero latency. The rear panel has three DMI slots for Dante, MADI or Optocore cards, offering I/O freedom and easy integration with third party systems.

The KLANG:kontroller remote units let the musicians manage their own monitor mix, with added spatialisation. Up to 24 stereo signals can be assigned to the musicians, each of whom has control over the levels and spatial positioning. These 24 signals can be routed into 16 programmable, colour-coded groups on the remote controller for each musician to utilise.

“We introduced the KLANG system at rehearsals to walk the musicians through the system.

Once they were comfortable adjusting their sound and mix, we explored the immersive possibilities,” explains Maxime.

“The musicians were amazed at how the immersive technology helped them easily identify a source in the mix and avoid any loud levels in their in-ear monitor. The KLANG algorithm finely balances the channel mix, revealing what the musicians need to hear instead of simply increasing its volume.”

The KLANG:konductor is installed at the FOH position alongside a DiGiCo SD12 digital mixing console, and each KLANG:kontroller is networked on the matrix, so that each modification made by a musician to one of the 128 signals is visible in real time on the console. The comprehensive integration between KLANG and

was the tech team thankful for the timesaving benefits that KLANG’s latest technology provided, but the musicians were also really impressed with the advanced sonic experience that immersive sound has to offer.

It’s an evolution in monitor sound.”

AVNovember News July 2021 2022 P17 AVP15 News

Application News

Clubs

Newcastle’s latest super club Located in the heart of Newcastle’s buzzing city centre, The Lofts, which opened in August last year, has already earned a reputation for being a new ‘super club,’ welcoming

around the opening, with TV advertising, banners up around Newcastle, tickets sold out, and Pete’s private jet booked.

In short, there was absolutely no room for error. Everything

high-profile artists and delivering some of the liveliest nights out in the city. The 1,500-capacity venue was co-founded by directors Rob Seaman, John Dance and Marty Smith, whose extensive nightlife experiences in the Balearics and beyond drive the ethic at The Lofts.

And that ethic extends to the L-Acoustics K3, which is a key part of the overall experience, designed and installed by Adlib to deliver excellent coverage and crystal-clear audio throughout the venue.

“The club’s owners approached Adlib after we’d been recommended to them by a mutual acquaintance,” recalls Nick Whitehead, Adlib’s Project Manager and project lead on The Lofts. “They came to us with an ambitious but very clear brief. They wanted the best club in the Northeast and knew they wanted to use L-Acoustics because of their previous experience with the brand and, as a company, are always at the cutting-edge of audio technology. We were thrilled to support them on this journey and implement an L-Acoustics system, tailor-made for the venue.”

The first conversations and initial site visits all took place at the start of last summer, but with the official opening planned for the August bank holiday weekend and with BBC Radio 1 legend Pete Tong set to perform on The Lofts' opening night, the Adlib team had just four weeks on-site to complete the installation. “There was a lot of hype and excitement

had to be just perfect!” says Whitehead.

Whitehead worked alongside Project Designer Tim Robinson to design the perfect system for each of the venue’s three main spaces: The Plant Room, Harlem, and The Hustle. Set across three floors, the upper floor of The Lofts consists of three large rooms, the main Plant Room, the more laid-back Harlem, and the cabaret-style Speakeasy, all of which have large dance floor areas and bars, with a corridor connecting them. The Plant Room system comprises two hangs of five K3 with two hangs of three KS28 subs immediately behind, all end-fired and time-aligned. Delays are two A10, with X12 as out-fill. In the bar area, there are six ceiling mounted X8 cabinets and two KS21 subs.

“When the brief is to do a nightclub, there’s a temptation to put a bunch of point source boxes in each corner and call it a day,” says Robinson. “We were fortunate that the owners were great at engaging with us during the design stage. Using L-Acoustics Soundvision 3D files, we shared our ideas to demonstrate the effects of putting different cabinets in different positions, how they would interact, and what the audience experience would be.” A key design principle was to have a focal point in each club area, generally at the DJ booth, to focus on the live-performance feel. We wanted the sound always emanating from that focal point, with subsequent cabi-

P16 AV News July 2022

nets delayed where appropriate. The result is a remarkably coherent experience.

According to Robinson, with one defined point and the K3 in the Plant Room in partic-

a pillar for delay," explains Robinson.

The mezzanine level is a more private venue, The Electric: an artists' green room with its own DJ booth and a space where art-

Located in the heart of Newcastle’s buzzing city centre, The Lofts, which opened in August last year, has already earned a reputation for being a new ‘super club,’ welcoming high-profile artists and delivering some of the liveliest nights out in the city. ular, “it absolutely thumps.

If you're at the back of the DJ booth, whatever way you face, you can't see another loudspeaker. Everything points the same way, is timealigned, and works coherently.” The same approach follows through in Harlem, an acoustically tricky space. The room is divided into two distinct areas: a dance floor with a DJ booth and a bar area.

The dance floor with the DJ booth is a large, almost circular room with a glass tower and a huge floor-to-ceiling window that is almost 20m high at one end. The bar area adjoins the dance floor/DJ space through a low archway.

The 120-capacity Speakeasy features three clusters of A10i Focus and an A10i Wide, along with three KS21i. “We tried to design the systems so that the three spaces would interact coherently, rather than destructively. Everything starts at Harlem in front of the window with two flown arrays comprising four Kara II and three SB18. As you progress into the Harlem bar, we treated it almost entirely as a separate acoustic space because there is a dividing wall above the separating arch. We used two arrays of A10i—two Focus and a Wide—with four central KS21. At the far end of the bar, there is a single X15 mounted on the back of

ists, staff, and management can relax away from the public—it also houses the management offices. In the bar area of The Electric, four X8 are mounted above the bar following its curve to cover the audience side, with a further two X8 as dedicated stereo DJ monitors. “One of the reasons we liked this setup is to give uniform coverage to the audience area but not have it firing in the faces of the bar staff. It's better for their health and safety, and also, when you stand at the bar to order a drink, you dip out of the coverage, and you can hear yourself think and get your order right,” adds Robinson. The low-frequency extension is via

two Syva Subs mounted in the bar area ceiling, alongside the X8.

On the ground floor, The Hustle is a New York-style bar/club comprising a long thin room that runs the length of the building, with a central dividing door. “One end is clearly the bar and is the feeder bar for upstairs. So, it required a system that could go from background music to reasonably high foreground music in keeping with the level of the system upstairs.

The other end is the club which has booths for seating and a DJ booth, which needed a bit more of a dance floor system,” adds Robinson. The Hustle’s main system comprises two A15 on each side, with KS28 delivering low frequency, with further A10 deployed for delays as you move down the room. Coaxial X12 cabinets are yoke-mounted above the bar. These are all in the same plane and reinforced by ceiling mounted KS21 subs.

“In the area where the ceiling becomes a little low, we have placed compact X8 cabinets.

The Snug, a small room off the bar, is served by two 5XT and its own Syva sub,” shares Robinson.

The backbone of the audio system is a cloud-manageable Q-Sys control platform, which means audio is moved around the venue over an AES67 network, allowing any signal to be routed anywhere. “At the beginning of the project, there wasn’t any indication that audio would need to be moved from one room into another. As each room has its own DJ booth installed, why would it? But as that requirement inevitably surfaced, we were able to implement it very easily. Likewise, we can route between floors.

The Hustle can take audio from any of the bigger rooms upstairs, as can The Electric.

Given that The Electric is the green room, they can treat it like a radio station, listening to their friends who happen to be on stage,” explains Robinson.

During the installation process in The Hustle, one of the contractors was asked to install a TV system to broadcast sports

matches. The original intention was that the sound should come out of the TVs. But because the Adlib team worked so closely with the contractors on-site, they suggested using a Blustream IP-based matrix allowing audio to be routed into the Q-Sys system and then to the L-Acoustics cabinets, giving much more satisfactory results. Robinson notes that Adlib’s relationship with L-Acoustics adds value to complex installations with tight deadlines. “Our relationship with manufacturers is really important,” he says. “As an L-Acoustics Certified Systems Integrator, we could draw on all the resources they offer to help get an installation across the line as quickly as this.”

Good sound is critical for a nightclub such as The Lofts since its entertainment value is almost entirely based upon sound. “It needs to be an immersive and enveloping experience. It doesn’t have to be blisteringly loud, although it can be, as it has plenty of headroom,” Robinson concludes. “We’ve had a lot of comments about the sound in The Lofts being loud but very clear and not painful or uncomfortable. It definitely achieves what it needs to without hurting our ears. One of The Loft's owners, Rob Seaman, visited with the venue's resident DJ, Jonny Burn, shortly after The Hustle's system installation. As they walked into the room, Rob froze with his hands behind his back and just stood there listening. Finally, he exclaimed, 'John [Dance, co-founder], has to hear this!'

“The ultimate design is the result of a great collaborative effort, and from a technical point of view, this is the best nightclub in the Northeast, if not the country. We feel honoured to have been entrusted with the opportunity to work on this amazing project and to bring the L-Acoustics sonic signature to this remarkable venue.”

Technology News

Bluefin outdoor display has BrightSign built-in Bluefin International has added a big new outdoor digital signage display to its growing product line. The all-weather IP56 rated display features an industrial quality LCD display with an embedded BrightSign HS144 player. The player can push content updates remotely over BrightSign's BSN.cloud Control Cloud network, monitor the status of the player remotely, and manage groups of players to target a brand’s messaging.

“BrightSign has been dedicat-

ed to partnering with Bluefin for many years now, and we’re very happy to see their first large outdoor screen coming to market. This will be pivotal for integrators working on outdoor QSR and wayfinding applications and more,” says Ann Holland, VP of Marketing for BrightSign.

“We’ve always been known for engineering small LCD displays, and that perception is about to change with our new 55” LCD All-Weather Display,” says Randy Guy, Owner of Bluefin International.

“With rich features like automatic brightness control, integrated cooling fans, anti-glare surface, and a IP56 waterproof rating, this display will make a big splash in digital menu boards and wayfinding applications. The weather will not be a factor when it comes to getting your messaging across with this display. And with the added reliability of the built-in BrightSign player, you get the performance needed for outdoor applications like QSR and hospitality.”

Bose Videobar VB-S all-in-one USB conferencing device In its drive to bring feature-rich conferencing capabilities to all room sizes, Bose Professional has announced the Bose Videobar VB-S all-in-one USB conferencing device. Delivering premium video and audio to meeting booths, huddle spaces and rooms up to 10 x 10 feet (3 x 3 meters), the conferencing device is compact and so

in the room, while exclusion zones help to reject unwanted sound and auto EQ delivers optimized audio to all participants. A 4K ultra-HD camera offers a wide field of view, ensuring that meeting participants can communicate and be seen more clearly. Its Autoframing Mode is ideal for groups as it keeps in-room participants

In its drive to bring feature-rich conferencing capabilities to all room sizes, Bose Professional has announced the Bose Videobar VB-S allin-one USB conferencing device.

Bluefin International has added a big new outdoor digital signage display to its growing product line. The all-weather IP56 rated display features an industrial quality LCD display with an embedded BrightSign HS144 player.

simple to use, it can be set up between meetings — creating an experience so engaging and clear, you can read the room from across the globe.

Contained within the elegant, low-profile design is Bose engineering that allows the Bose Videobar VB-S loudspeaker, microphones and electronics to be housed closely together while delivering stunning performance without interference.

The included option of either a table stand or wall-mount kit keeps meeting spaces orderly and clutter free and makes installation simple.

The four beam-steering microphones actively focus on voices

in view, enabling remote participants to follow conversations while understanding content on whiteboards, flipcharts or other in-room objects. For the single presenter, the Follow-me Mode frames and dynamically follows the person, making it ideal for teachers or anyone leading training sessions or group discussions.

Like the original Bose Videobar VB1, the Bose Videobar VB-S works across popular third-party cloud conferencing services including Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Google Meet, delivering enhanced video and audio performance to key unified communication platforms. This

tents of courses.

In addition to serving as a smart podium, the ID2456 can also be used as a desktop digital whiteboard, allowing students

to achieve better interaction during group discussions. The 15- to 70-degree inclination adjustment function can be operated to achieve ergonomic

means users can seamlessly join conference calls regardless of platform and collaborate with remote colleagues from anywhere and not miss a thing.

“The newest addition to the Bose Videobar family increases the locations where companies can ensure Bose quality and innovation to support their meeting needs,” commented Martin Bodley, director and global head of Bose Work for Bose Professional. “The Videobar VB-S is perfect for addressing those vital smaller spaces where IT managers are challenged to find the right solution that’s transparent and ensures meeting experiences are clear and employees feel connected.”

The Bose Videobar VB-S is easily configured with the Bose Work Configuration software for fast initial setup. It is available either as an app or via web browser and enables users to manage their devices remotely.

The Bose Work Management software provides device status and control of critical functions for a single-device or all the devices enterprise-wide. Through the Bose Work mobile app, users can adjust device settings in real time from a smartphone — including volume, mute, pan, tilt, zoom, preset control and Bluetooth pairing. So, whether it’s a single unit installed in one meeting area to thousands of units installed in conference rooms around the world, it is simple to deploy and manage the Bose Videobar VB-S from anywhere.

ViewSonic 24-inch touch monitor for smart podium To achieve a complete digital teaching model for the classroom, ViewSonic Corp has announced that its brand-new 24-inch touch monitor. The ID2456, which offers 10-finger touch functions, is equipped with an MPP (Microsoft Pen Protocol) 2.0 active pen, providing schools with a smart podium solution. Instead of the non-touch computer screen on the traditional podium, teachers can now complete all operations using their fingers and connect to the original projection equipment in the classroom. It can accurately present the actual brushstrokes of handwriting, offering a more intuitive digital interactive teaching experience.

“ViewSonic has actively promoted the digital transformation of education. Earlier, to cater to digital writing needs of teachers, we launched the lightweight and portable 7-inch and 13-inch ViewBoard pen displays,” said George Lee, General Manager of Pen Display and Authentication Business Unit at ViewSonic. “We understand

that the podium plays a vital role as a control centre for the modern classroom. Therefore, we are launching the smart podium solution with the ID2456 at its core, transforming the traditional teaching environment into a modern classroom with real-time interaction. As a result, teachers can bring their teaching creativity into full play, achieving better teacher-student interaction and significantly improving teaching efficiency.”

The touch monitor ID2456 can be easily adopted in university classrooms or lecture halls. The projected capacitive (PCAP) touch screen provides accurate and fast 10-finger touch functions, allowing teachers to operate it intuitively. For example, opening files, editing teaching materials, and dragging and dropping pictures no longer require traditional peripherals such as a mouse, keyboard, or presentation pen. Additionally, the 4K HDMI output port can be connected to the classroom’s original projector or large LED display, allowing 4K

high-definition contents to be presented on the large screen.

The simple operations make digital teaching exceptionally flexible.

The active pen provides a realistic writing experience, allowing teachers to annotate on the screen easily while lecturing.

The adoption of MPP2.0 technology and the support of 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity enables teachers to write as they would usually. The active pen accurately presents the fonts and sizes of the users’ handwriting. They can apply more force to create a bold font.

Furthermore, the 50-degree tilt sensing complements the display’s palm rejection function, providing teachers an experience similar to writing on a traditional blackboard. Whether in a physical classroom, an online class, or a hybrid teaching environment, the ID2456 can take advantage of myViewBoard, which uses various teaching materials and templates as well as functions such as a digital whiteboard and real-time group discussions to enrich the con-

postures. Indeed, the ID2456 directly digitises discussion outcomes to realise paperless learning.

To achieve a complete digital teaching model for the classroom, ViewSonic Corp has announced that its brand-new 24-inch touch monitor.

AV November News July 2021 2022 P17 AVP17 News

Technology News

PPDS unveils Philips X-Line UHD videowall displays PPDS has announced the launch of its enhanced range of Philips X-Line videowall displays, bringing unrivalled picture performance and razor-sharp clarity to all forms of content in professional and commercial environments. The latest evolution of the Philips X-Line series consists of six brand-new direct LED backlight models and size variants, each featuring slick near bezel-less designs (0.9mm3.5mm) and equipped with a range of updated features and functionalities to support specific settings, including retail, corporate and control rooms.

From single panel installations through to multi panel videowalls, each new Philips X-Line display offers uncompromised 24/7 optimal performance, where quality and attention to detail are paramount to the experience. Whether displaying jaw-dropping full HD/UHD video content, or bringing meeting room content to full life size, the new Philips X-Line brings unrivalled sharpness and viewing clarity down to even the smallest detail, including often tricky to read Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint presentations.

The extension of the globally popular Philips X-line series, further reaffirms PPDS’ long-term commitment to the videowall market, taking the strategic decision to drive investment and its R&D resources to produce highly innovative and industry-leading videowall technologies and solutions.

Philips introduced the very first videowalls at ISE back in the 1990s, with the technology remaining a key part of the company’s past, present and future.

Speaking from the Philips booth at InfoComm in Las Vegas, Martijn van der Woude, Head of Global Business Development and Marketing at PPDS, commented: “We are delighted to showcase the latest evolutions of our highly popular and successful Philips X-Line videowall range here at InfoComm 2022.

Some manufacturers have decided to switch their attentions away from videowall technology but, rather than scale back, we are bringing even more choice, new dedicated features, and advanced capabilities to our partners and their customers, supporting their everyday business needs and helping them maximise their business vision. At PPDS we listen to our customers and deliver on their wants and needs and the Philips X-Line is the latest evolution of our journey in this burgeoning marketplace.”

Developed with retail in mind, the new Philips X-Line 49” BDL2105X/00 and 55” BDL2105X/00 are perfectly equipped to deliver spectacular, highly immersive and captivating 24/7 visual experiences – day and night – inside stores, shopping centres and malls. Combining high quality, near bezel-less (3.5mm) design and the latest innovations

from PPDS, Philips X-Line supports installations that are guaranteed to be noticed. With Full HD (1920x1080p) image quality, 500 cd/m² brightness, a finishing haze of just 3pc, and backed by PPDS’ exclusive Pure Colour Pro software – delivering higher luminance through custom colour temperature settings and advanced gamma calibration – Philips X-Line guarantees seamless connectivity, with crisp, radiant and distraction-free picture and video in both artificial and natural light conditions. As with all models within the Philips X-Line range, installations are fast and effortless, with two or more Philips professional displays connected to create a tiled videowall – without the need for external devices. A single player takes care of content, whether for four screens or forty.

The latest line-up of Philips X-Line models also introduces three dedicated models for use within corporate environments, including meeting rooms, boardrooms, lobbies and public spaces. Replacing existing models within the Philips X-Line range, the new series includes the 55” BDL3207X/00 (3.5mm bezel), 55” BDL4107X/00 (1.78mm bezel) and the 55” BDL8007X/00 (0.99 mm bezel) variants. Designed to bring maximum engagement and to inspire teams and guests, these new models take presentations and corporate branding to the next level, overcoming many of the challenges experienced by comparable competitor models, delivering content the way it was meant to be seen, with unrivalled razor-sharp clarity.

Featuring a high impact Full HD display – mirroring that of the 2000 series – and with enhanced 700 cd/m² high brightness, these models have been created to support any

also features energy saving automatic backlight control, helping reduce running costs for a lower cost of ownership, while also aligning with sustainability goals.

Mitch Rosenberg, the new Director of LED and LCD Videowalls at PPDS commented: “The quality of the display, whether a single screen or a large scale videowall installation, can make or break a meeting.

If content is not delivered and

content, static or dynamic, white or black. With displays pre-calibrated, Philips X-Line makes even the most challenging content, such as the small fonts used on detailed Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint presentations, perfectly readable on a grand scale, with no blur, or cloud impacting the viewing experience. The BDL8007X/00

content, be it static or something more spectacular, will always be displayed with the quality and clarity intended.”

Part of a growing focus on providing state-of-the-art, future proof display technologies to support control rooms and video surveillance (including security) markets, PPDS is delighted to introduce a brand-new

P18 AV News July June2022 2022

Philips X-Line 65” model variant. Featuring a best-in-class, higher performance 4K display (3840 x 2160), the new BDL6005X/00 model is designed for 24/7 operation and can be fully customised to fit customers’ exact needs and requirements. Crucial to these markets, the 65” X-Line can show content from multiple sources in real-time, with enhanced, Ultra High-Definition picture quality.

numbers and size.

All Philips X-Line models continue to include access to PPDS’ exclusive CMND and Control platform, for effortless management and monitoring of content via an intuitive interface. Plus, with FailOver also included, screens will never go blank, with the display switching automatically between primary and secondary inputs to ensure content keeps playing even if the primary source goes

history of being deployed and adopted in almost every market vertical, providing a variety of functions. Martijn van der Woude explains: “When PPDS unveiled Philips X-Line, the company set a new standard for the industry by combining highly complex, high quality, connected videowall technologies into a simple to use and easy to install package that evolves with the customer’s needs and requirements. Since then, we

PPDS has announced the launch of its enhanced range of Philips X-Line videowall displays, bringing unrivalled picture performance and razor-sharp clarity to all forms of content in professional and commercial environments.

down.

X-Line customers will also continue to enjoy the processing power of Android SoC without the cables, with an optional CRD50 module that can be easily inserted into one of the OPS slots, containing all the connections needed – including power supply – and removing the need to add an Android module for each display.

Further supporting hassle free installation, each of the new Philips X-Line models comes with IR and RS232 cables managed by a LAN connection, ready to daisy chain via DisplayPort.

While the new models have been earmarked for specific verticals, Philips X-Line has a

have seen installations incorporating, as part of our total solutions package, solutions from our strategic partners, such as Crestron, Logitech and Intel.”

“With Philips X-Line we have helped to create, innovative and transform experiences for customers in an ever-evolving list of settings. Retail stores, bars and restaurants, airports, cinemas, museums, gymnasiums, car showrooms, TV studios, and even the zoo. At PPDS there is no such thing as a one size fits all. These latest Philips X-Line models are no exception…we are delighted to add new possibilities with a product range suitable for every vertical market.”

presented clearly and accurately to the room, sitting up close or at the back, then the technology and the investment has immediately failed. With Philips X-Line, businesses have the comfort in knowing that

Mirroring Philips X-Line models within the corporate-focused series, the 65” model is fully calibrated to embrace white backgrounds. Combined with stunning 4K resolution and 500 cd/m² brightness, this allows content – including small lettering and numbers – to appear crisply and more radiant for stunning realism.

The Philips X-Line’s 3.5mm ultra-narrow bezel ensures near seamless connectivity between panels, with all space maximised to create a single screen effect, regardless of panel

Technology InfoComm News

New Christie Griffyn projector astonishes with 50,000 lumens New Christie Griffyn projector astonishes with 50,000 lumens Christie has announced the launch of the Griffyn 4K50RGB all-in-one pure laser projector. Delivering a stunning 50,000 lumens in an industry-leading package, the new Griffyn Series projector will be turning heads in its launch at InfoComm 2022. With RGB pure laser technology, and 98% of the Rec.2020 colour space – the colour space closest to what our eyes can see – the new Griffyn 4K50RGB pure laser projector is designed for exceptional experiences and delivers the rich, bright colour that applications including projection mapping, themed entertainment and live events require. Coupled with reliable illumination of 25,000 hours to 50% brightness, the Griffyn 4K50-RGB sets a new standard for 3DLP projection.

The Griffyn 4K50-RGB is the most compact and lightweight 50,000 lumen projector currently available, weighing only 197 pounds (89.3 kg), with no external chillers or laser racks.

Adding to its versatility is Christie’s integrated TruLife+ electronics ‘all-in’ connectivity, which eliminates the hassle of removeable options cards.

With Christie’s new Electronic Colour Convergence (ECC), users can easily adjust red, green or blue individually via remote control for perfect colour alignment. “Our new Christie Griffyn 4K50-RGB pure laser projector will be lighting up the Christie booth at InfoComm in vivid, bright colours with unmistakable RGB pure laser colour performance,” says Joel St-Denis, director of product management, Christie. “The Griffyn 4K50-RGB is the pinnacle of projection technology for the ProAV market, and we couldn’t be more excited to demonstrate it at the show.”

Griffyn 4K50-RGB features integrated Christie Twist, for warping and blending, which enables compatibility with Christie Mystique, Christie’s automated camera-based alignment and recalibration solution to quickly install, align, calibrate and maintain multi-projection systems, removing hours of painstaking work. The Christie Griffyn 4K50-RGB will begin shipping this month.

Christie has announced the launch of the Griffyn 4K50-RGB all-in-one pure laser projector.

ZHIYUN announces WEEBILL 3 professional DSLR gimbal Following on from the review of the ZHIYUN gimbal in the last issue, the company has launched the new WEEBILL 3 – a new portable, high performance gimbal specifically for DSLR cameras. Incorporating a new, updated SLING 2.0 design for improved ergonomics, built-in microphone, fill light and a powerful, inbuilt battery supporting all-day use.

The WEEBILL 3 upgrades the filmmaking and photography experience by offering a dy-

namic, lightweight and easy-touse professional device, where users can shed the discomfort of cumbersome equipment in order to focus on pure artistic creation.

Built from lightweight, ultra-strong materials, the ZHIYUN WEEBILL 3 offers enhanced ergonomics with a new SLING 2.0 design. The SLING 2.0 system incorporates three important ergonomic upgrades: a restructured L-shape handle that’s more stable when

self-standing, a new wrist rest, and a repositioned, extendable sling grip, providing over 40% more support to your wrist by shifting the weight onto your arm. The extra support reduces fatigue, allowing for extended use in comfort. By moving the sling grip to the bottom of the gimbal, it provides better stability and shake-prevention when shooting at low-angles.

The grip includes thumb buttons, mini control stick for movement, plus a finger trigger and wheel that can be customized according to preferences of shooting modes and action parameters, such as camera parameters, movement along axes, follow focus etc.

The WEEBILL 3 includes a built-in Hi-Fi microphone and 1000 lumen fill light for a fast and efficient setup-to-shoot experience. These convenient, high-performance add-in accessories save filmmakers from unwieldy additional wires and the weight of extra accessories. The microphone provides forward focused cardioid recording, with noise-cancelling functionality, while the bright fill light offers colour temperature adjustment to meet the requirements of each scene.

ZHIYUN offers a comprehensive ecosystem of TransMount accessories to extend the WEEBILL 3’s functionality, dramatically increasing on location teamwork efficiency. Combining the WEEBILL 3 with TransMount Image Transmitter and MasterEye Visual Controller VC100 allows directors to monitor the shot via wireless image

transmission, and apply parameter adjustment, such as focus and zoom, via remote control.

Other accessories include ZHIYUN’s Follow Focus/Zoom units and its ZY Play App. Compared to the previous version, the WEEBILL 3 upgrades the large 7,800mAh internal battery, which now provides up to 21-hours use for all-day

filming support. With support for PD fast charging (0-100% in 2 hours) and pass-through charging of attached cameras (5V/1A), the WEEBILL 3 offers outstanding endurance with minimal downtime.

ZHIYUN’s latest quick release system includes a dual quick-release plate with embedded magnetic wrench. The

camera requires balancing just once, then it can be repeatedly mounted and secured easily, fast and conveniently without needing to rebalance, saving time. The ZHIYUN WEEBILL 3 in now available at USD$449, or with a combo that includes a backpack, wrist rest, and extendable sling grip for USD$529.

ZHIYUN FIVERAY FR100C portable LED light stick Also new from ZHIYUN is the company’s first portable lighting accessory, the FIVERAY FR100C. Lighting is an essential part of filmmaking process, and ZHIYUN intends to provide users with a comprehensive photography and filmmaking product range, encompassing everything a scene needs, from imaging, lighting to audio. The FR100C is the result of ZHIYUN’s own R&D efforts and technologies, resulting in a portable LED light stick that’s five times brighter than alternatives.

The FR100C is a powerful, portable LED light stick that is said to be slimmer and weighs less than competitor alternatives, and yet still achieves 5X more luminosity. The FR100C can produce up to 21195 lux (at 0.3m) and provides 100 dimming steps to precisely meet the requirements of the scene.

An ergonomic control wheel and inbuilt status display is easy to see, and convenient for one-handed control. The standard ¼ mounting screw hole in the base allows the FR100C to be mounted on a gimbal, tri-

pod, stand or other equipment as required for each scene.

Supporting a full temperature range from 2700K- 6300K, plus RGB hue, saturation and brightness using the HIS full colour mode allows more freedom to fit the lighting to any scene, whether it’s a natural environment or when something more creative is required. Built in fans ensure effective cooling, ensuring it can be used even in high ambient temperatures.

A large 6-cell internal battery provides hours of illumination, while extremely fast 120W PD charging via USB-C ensures the FR100C can be back in use exceptionally quickly, minimizing downtime.

The ZHIYUN FIVERAY FR100C is available in white and black colour options for USD$199, or with a combo that includes a 120W power adapter for USD$249.

Also new from ZHIYUN is the company’s first portable lighting accessory, the FIVERAY FR100C

P18 AV News December 2021 P19 AV News July 2022

Event report

InfoComm 2022: report and conclusions With attendance limited by Covid concerns in the US, and the rapid turnaround from ISE in Europe, this was never going to be a vintage InfoComm. Nonetheless, such is the pace of innovation in AV and UC at the moment, a second major AV event in a few weeks seemed justified.

As the meat and drink of the industry, innovation in display technology shows no sign of abating. LED is very much flavour of the month and InfoComm 2022 provided a platform for the launch of the first 0.7mm pixel pitch dvLED display by VOD Visual. Targeted at the indoor markets of corporate presentations, retail applications, home cinemas and NFT art displays, the new model is the latest addition to the manufacturer’s VIVID range of products and will be presented as a 62” solution for Full HD images. With a matte surface, 1200 nits brightness and a Rec.709 wide colour gamut, the display is ideal for high ambient light environments, delivering exceptional colour accuracy and razor-sharp motion imagery without any glare.

The VIVID is available in 0.7mm, 1mm, 1.25mm and 1.5mm pixel pitches. Due to its revolutionary design, pixel pitches can be updated and reduced by simply changing the modules, essentially highlighting the evolving capabilities ingrained into VIVID’s DNA. Visitors to the show were also able to experience the VOD Visual EDGE range of products which comprises 55” cabinets to create a direct and seamless replacement for traditional LCD displays and scalable video walls. These were showcased as a 165” 1.8mm pixel pitch display and a 110” 1.2mm pixel pitch, both featuring Full HD resolution. The latest addition to the EDGE range, the EDGE CONNECT was also showcased as a 55” panel. This presents direct HDMI connectivity allowing users to connect standard video output devices like PCs and media players directly to the display, bypassing the need for send and receive cards or additional hardware. At four times the size of a standard cabinet, the lightweight EDGE displays are four times quicker to install, can be directly wall mounted and fit seamlessly together to create scalable configurations.

The VIVID range is said to comprise the world’s most advanced microLED displays, combining three ground-breaking LED man-

forced perspective 3D content to actively engage the attendees.

Featuring SiliconCore’s LISA technology, a proprietary LED encapsulation process, the display's durability and contrast increases while maintaining the LED’s beneficial characteristics. This LISA enhancement offers serviceability at the modular level at greater resolutions. The LISA protection for the floor is like no other durability technology on the market and differs from other coating processes that can cause uniformity issues. Significantly reducing the fragility of fine-pitch LED displays, the technology leaves a flat, durable, uniform surface on the PCB, while preserving the 1200 nit brightness levels.

ZACH technology The next level of SiliconCore’s ZACH technology shown at InfoComm can reach low light brightness down to 0.04 nits, as well as high frame rates of 120fps and refresh rates of 3840Hz with no motion blur and sustained brightness of 1200 nits. Superior contrast ratio, low power consumption, and low operating temperatures contribute to the display's exceptional life-like image reproduction and 10-year lifespan. These technologies are described as unique to SiliconCore enable the display to achieve the highest-performance specifications on the market, beneficial for active 3D content and simulation applications.

SiliconCore believes this innovation will replace technologies such as LCD, large pixel pitch solutions or projection that are limited in brightness, size, and durability. The SiliconCore modular floor will provide a more realistic, sustainable, and longer-lasting floor display solution, opening new applications not possible before.

ufacturing processes to deliver the greatest performance, colour contrast and energy efficiency. The new LED display is said to offer enhanced robustness and heat dissipation being cool to the touch. This combination is described as delivering impressive sustainability and green credentials, with energy consumption reduced by 30 percent.

4P20 AV News July 2022

Christie integrates Integration was also the key message for Christie. In their InfoComm booth the company demonstrate a range of integrated solutions, including the new Griffyn 4K50-RGB projector. The company also introduced technology-previews of MicroTiles LED and Pandoras Box Version 8.6. These are designed to work together to create seamless and extraordinary shared experiences.

The Griffyn 4K50-RGB pure laser 50,000 lumen projector lit up a 20-foot screen in vibrant colour. Stacked 25,000 lumen M 4K25 RGB pure laser projectors provided projection mapping of the Christie logo in conjunction with Pandoras Box Version 8. Additionally, the Inspire Series DWU960-iS projector, said to be one of the brightest fixed short throw projectors on the market, made its InfoComm debut. The DWU960-iS was shown in combination with Mystique Lite, which automatically blends up to three projectors with a push of a button.

Christie’s role in LED was also featured on their booth. Visitors were particularly interested in a technology preview of Christie’s MicroTiles LED in 0.75mm and 1mm pixel pitches, as well as a large display of MicroTiles LED in 1.25mm in a unique “shattered” configuration. Brompton Technology LED Processing Solutions Stand Out at InfoComm 2022

The Griffyn 4K50-RGB pure laser 50,000 lumen projector lit up a 20foot screen in vibrant colour

Video processing

SiliconCore on the floor As an LED technology innovator with its of Common Cathode Technology, SiliconCore Technology naturally had its part to play in progress in LED on show at InfoComm The company launched what it describes as “the world’s first durable 1.2mm ultra-fine pixel pitch LED floor display”. The SiliconCore High Resolution Modular LED Floor with next generation LISA technology, is described as a breakthrough for the dvLED display industry, and the only durable 1.2mm floor available for fixed installation, requiring no separate overlay.

Viewers can walk directly on the 4' x 7.4' LED floor display that features a smooth non-reflective, durable, flat, water-resistant surface. The floor can handle weight-bearing loads up to 1000kg per square meter or 200lbs per square foot. The 4’ x 7.4’ LED floor display will be paired with a duplicate 90-degree angle wall. This combination along with creative content, is said to provide a more immersive experience. SiliconCore is partnering with high impact, video wall content creation specialist, Render Impact to create

Cloud.

Dan Smith, vice president of business development, LG Business Solutions USA, said, “We developed this solution in collaboration with BrightSign based on feedback from key customers that wanted the ability to conveniently manage content and devices across their entire digital signage network from a single interface. With this solution, digital signage is even easier to manage and operating costs are lower.”

SiliconCore Technology launched what it describes as “the world’s first durable 1.2mm ultra-fine pixel pitch LED floor display”.

BrightSign and LG show integrated solution BrightSign demonstrated a new integrated digital signage solution, jointly developed with LG Business Solutions. The new solution. which was shown on an impressive LG direct-view LED video wall. enables users to control and monitor their BrightSign-connected LG displays remotely via BrightSign’s BSN.cloud Control Cloud.

The demonstration of the new integrated solution showcased key functionality, including the ability to remotely power on/off, change inputs, adjust volume, monitor device health and adjust device configuration. Future updates also will allow viewing content in real time and capturing screenshots via BSN.cloud Control

Alongside new LED displays on show, InfoComm 2022 featured advanced in processing solutions. Brompton Technology showcased its LED processing solutions for live events, broadcast, and virtual production. Brompton’s Tessera LED processors, and accompanying Tessera software unlock new levels of visual performance from LED panels and provide greater creative flexibility to AV professionals.

During the show, Brompton was recognized with an InfoComm 2022 Best of Show Award in the AV Technology category, for its Tessera v3.3 software. This release introduced revolutionary new calibration features such as PureTone and Operating Modes, which enable rental companies and studios to have more flexibility and scalability with their stock, and also added support for the ACEScg colour gamut and the ability to display tracking markers for the Mo-Sys StarTracker camera tracking system.

InfoComm 2022 also coincided with the beta release of Brompton’s Tessera v3.4 software, which introduces Extended Bit Depth and Stacking features to further enhance image quality and drive

Event report

new workflow efficiencies. Extended Bit Depth reproduces HDR content up to 10 times darker than previously possible, without compromising peak brightness for HDR highlights; while Stacking allows for multiple processors in a setup to be controlled together in unison, rather than having to apply adjustments to each processor individually.

The new features further enhance Tessera’s functionality, joining a feature lineup that includes Frame Remapping, which facilitates multi-camera virtual production shoots; ShutterSync, which lets users tune the LED refresh to the camera (instead of the other way around); 3D LUT, which provides the ability to live colour grade on the LED wall alongside integrations with Pomfort Livegrade and Assimilate LiveLooks; and the Hydra measurement system and Dynamic Calibration technology, which enable previously unattainable levels of brightness and colour saturation on LED panels.

Audio solutions As in previous year, InfoComm featured a fair spread of solutions across the AV spectrum. In the audio space, Renkus-Heinz, presented an ambitious showcase of its product lines including the brand-new and award-winning PCX Series featuring Passive UniBeam technology. The PCX series is a range of passive columns that feature the implementation of UniBeam steering in the passive domain.

The UniBeam is implemented in a passive crossover network to address each driver with a uniquely designed passive filter network to generate a downward steered asymmetrical vertical lobe to deliver consistent coverage from the front of the room to back while being flush mounted on the wall. Available in three, weather-resistant sizes — PCX4, PCX8 and PCX16, all PCX Series models include 3-inch full-range drivers and have an ultra-sleek appearance for minimal architectural intrusion in any room.

Other ranges on show include the S Series that features an SA/ SX28 subwoofer, a highly compact yet impressive subwoofer that allows for flexible and discreet placement in a variety of install and portable scenarios. In the C Series, the CA/CX121M 12-inch stage monitor serves not only as a monitor but is also an excellent choice for portable and installed PA functions.

The innovative design of the CA/CX121M results in maximum intelligibility and transparency in a highly capable and compact

package. The multi award-winning ICC12/3 -RN & -RD1 lineup completes the Iconyx Compact Series portfolio – a line that was first launched as a response to integrators seeking coherent and steerable sound solutions in highly problematic acoustic spaces.

The -RD1 models add improved interoperability and flexibility through Dante audio-over-IP functionality. Finally, the ICLive X is the most scalable, high output, steerable array system on the mar-

ket. Featuring six 19-mm compression drivers coaxially mounted in front of two 8-inch woofers, the ICLiveX is extremely flexible and perfect for any live sound application.

Nureva broadens its range Nureva Inc., best known for its innovations in advanced audio-conferencing solutions, announced the extension of its device management platform to include remote monitoring of third-party cameras. This new functionality in Nureva Console allows IT managers to monitor both the status of their Nureva audio devices and third-party cameras from a single cloud-based platform, to ensure the devices are functioning properly in their meeting rooms and classrooms.

Traditional audio solutions require multiple applications to manage different products in the room, creating complexity and inefficiencies associated with application switching. With Nureva Console, included with the purchase of every Nureva system, it’s easy to monitor the audio and video experience in every space, from anywhere, regardless of the camera manufacturer. IT managers get the benefit of simplified device management combined with the freedom to select the best audio and camera products for their

spaces. Nureva Console automatically detects a USB camera and prompts the Nureva Console account admin to add it as a monitored device. Admins can then see device details locally, monitor their readiness status and know when a device needs attention.

Adding support for third-party cameras is part of a broader Nureva strategy to work with leading camera companies on unique integration opportunities made possible by the company’s patented Microphone Mist technology. This technology fills a room with thousands of virtual microphones that deliver full-room pickup in a system that is simple to install, deploy and manage. Third-party camera monitoring will be released as a feature in Nureva Console in August 2022 at no additional charge for Nureva customers.

Collaboration As at the recent ISE show, collaboration and AV networks featured strongly at InfoComm 2022. Lightware Visual Engineering highlighted a diverse range of new and enhanced professional AV solutions at InfoComm 2022. From its Taurus universal matrix switchers to UBEX AV-over-IP devices and more, the Lightware technologies. Lightware also announced the official opening of its new global training facility, the Lightware Discovery Center, based in Las Vegas. “The professional AV/IT landscape is constantly changing, with an increasing emphasis on network connectivity, remote access and interactive collaboration,” said Gergely Vida, CEO at Lightware Visual Engineering. “Attendees will experience our latest technology innovations and comprehensive solutions designed for every application, requirement and budget as well as our

commitment to training and support for the A/V industry.”

UBEX is an AV-over-IP device that delivers pixel-accurate 4K60 video in real-time with Dolby Atmos capabilities for enhanced immersive experiences in live events, eSports or XR screen applications. Key features include pixel accurate delivery allowing uncompressed 4K60 4:4:4 video signals, ultra-low latency as low as 0.01 ms and versatile operations combining a receiver, transmitter and transceiver in one box.

On show, UBEX units can be connected to create a complex network through standard Ethernet switches with virtually unlimited numbers of endpoints while providing enhanced redundancy. The UBEX system includes a double-scaling feature that halves the number of endpoints needed for videowalls and allows the UBEX system to function as a single device for this purpose. VINX is a compact yet powerful device that offers a wide-range of features from HDCP to remote powering to Smart Bandwith Management allowing users to optimize signal management and AV system performance.

The 1G VINX device family, the “little brother” to UBEX, is also growing with the addition of a new wallplate that makes installation even easier and more convenient. Lightware is also adding a password-protected login function to VINX devices, requiring end-users and integrators to use a password to configure their devices for added protection against unauthorized access.

AV networks Lightware highlighted its efforts to tackle the common challenges of meeting rooms and collaboration environments, demonstrating its ongoing integrations with Cisco combined with the Taurus UCX universal matrix switcher series. The Taurus platform combines USB-C technology with Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) capabilities, allowing users to easily share their content, switch hosts and control their meeting room, directly from their own laptop. Users can connect to their choice of videoconferencing software: Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Webex The recent Taurus firmware version 1.4 allows devices to send basic Consumer Electronic Control (CEC) commands directly through their HDMI outputs, switch devices on/off, control volume or switch between input ports. This eliminates the need to use serial ports to control end-point devices, giving users and integrators easier control and streamlining system installation and configuration. Lightware’s Cisco integration brings ease and simplicity into the control of rooms and meeting spaces powered by Cisco Webex Room Devices, while also empowering the Cisco Touch 10 and Room Navigator with additional features.

Emerging technologies As with previous shows. InfoComm 2022 introduced new and emerging technologies to the AV mainstream. Leading manufacturer of innovative professional 3D audio technology Holoplot announced at the show that its innovative X1 Matrix Array loudspeaker won the “Best in Show” award at InfoComm 2022. Hundreds of industry professionals attended Holoplot’s packed demos to see (and hear) what’s possible with a Matrix Array, arguably the biggest leap forward in pro audio since line array, and evaluate its use for conferences, multipurpose venues, theme parks, immersive installations and more.

This enthusiasm proved that the whirlwind of two major trade shows in the last two months have clearly demonstrated is that the value of meeting customers, partners and colleagues in person cannot be underestimated. Attending both events for all exhibitors and visitors came with a degree of risk. We are not out of the Covid pandemic woods yet, as the rise in cases during both events showed. The risk was offset by the huge benefits of face-to-face interactions, displaying new products to a live and receptive audience, and sharing a beer with friends.

P18 AV News December 2021 P21 AV News July 2022

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UC News

Dyanix launches Workspace 365 Dyanix has launched a new solution – Workspace 365. Workspace 365 was founded in the Netherlands in 2010, with a mission to maximise the impact of people by conquering complexity and simplify work-life. Together, Dyanix and Workspace 365 will help organisations in the EMEA region to simplify their employees’ work by bringing together all of their apps, communication tools and documents into one central workspace.

Workspace 365, a browser-based workspace, is a solution that automatically adapts to each individual by only showing the applications, information and documents relevant to them. With Single Sign-on, employees only have to log in once to gain access to all of their applications from any device or location. Additionally, the workspace can be branded with the organisation’s colours and logo. “I, myself am a strong advocate for Workspace 365 having introduced it first at Dyanix,” says Peter de Boer, CEO of Dyanix.

“Workspace 365 is an essential component of any successful digital transformation strategy and we are excited to offer it as part of our growing portfolio of solutions.”

Dyanix enables its partners in digital transformation by acting as a gateway for vendors such as Workspace 365, and creating new opportunities for our resellers. With this partnership, Dyanix will be able to offer Workspace 365 to its resellers to help them to increase their productivity and streamline company processes.

Workspace 365, a browser-based workspace, is a solution that automatically adapts to each individual by only showing the applications, information and documents relevant to them.

Zoom cuts back on casual users Zoom announced via email that it will be cutting the length of 1:1 meetings for free users to just 40 minutes, a huge decrease on the current 30 hours. That now means that, from May, Zoom’s free plan will have a universal meeting length limit, regardless of how many participants are in the call .The move is likely to push at least some members of the current cohort of free Zoom users into testing out alternative video conferencing options.

last over 24 hours. Zoom announced the change by sending an email to all its customers, rather than announcing the new limits via social media or on their web site. This led to some confusion among users who were unsure if the emails were in fact genuine.

The video conferencing vendor did confirm that the email was legitimate via social media, however, but only after being quizzed by confused customers.

that individuals in Facebook counselling groups were discussing the change – which illustrates the impact this change could have on freelancers and the self-employed. “It seems there's a lot of confusion and a very short timetable for users to decide what is best. Can you postpone [the] deadline?” another user on the social media platform asked, echoing the views of many free Zoom users who will feel like this announcement is quite sudden.

The new meeting time cap is seemingly designed to nudge more free users into purchasing paid Zoom subscriptions and increase the vendor's profit margins. The news comes just days after Zoom was forced to pay $85 million to customers as part of a class-action lawsuit. For staff who spend most of their days in 1:1 meetings and have been surviving on Zoom’s free offering, this could be a gamechanger – and not in a good way. Google Meet is an excellent alternative – there’s a free version and the 1:1 meeting cap is 24 hours (and, for meetings of more than three people, it’s 1 hour – still longer than Zoom’s). You can also use business communications platforms like Slack and Microsoft Teams to make calls – although they won’t be quite as good as Zoom and don’t have as many features, they’re still an excellent option.

Zoom announced via email that it will be cutting the length of 1:1 meetings for free users to just 40 minutes, a huge decrease on the current 30 hours.

Previously, Zoom has limited the length of all meetings with three or more participants to 40 minutes on the free version of its product. From May 2, 2022, this meeting length cap will apply to 1:1 meetings too, which currently have a 30-hour limit – making them essentially unlimited unless you’re regularly holding meetings that

Any free Zoom users who regularly have one to one meetings that last over 40 minutes will be affected. There will be many users for whom Zoom has become a regular fixture of life in the past two years, making use of the free tier. When trying to verify whether the email from Zoom was indeed real, one Twitter user pointed out

4

P23 AV News July 2022

UC News

Cisco Webex adds new features For the first time in three years, Cisco Live! Cisco’s annual tech show was held in person and virtually. One of the challenges of a hybrid work environment is producing a quality and consistent conferencing experience across many different room sizes and settings. There isn't a one size fits all collaboration solution as each room is a different size and has different acoustics. Whether in your home office or the business office, each conferencing space needs custom audio and video solutions specifically designed for it.

Not only does there need to be quality and consistent video call experience in the conference room, but also from the remote side as well. There needs to be a consistent, quality collaboration and communication medium in place for hybrid work to be efficient and advantageous in place of our legacy medium of communication and collaboration. Cisco is addressing these challenges with new hardware and software that focus in integrating intelligence and consistency into its Webex solutions.

The Cisco Video Phone 8875 is a classic phone that has been updated and designed for hybrid work. Interestingly, while the classic phone seems like a dated device, its concept is still alive and well within the innovation of video calls. What Cisco has done is taken the classic phone, the one that goes to your face, and redesigned it to be what it calls a "mini-conference room" with a video camera and a screen for seeing all of the meeting participants. It presents a business-as-usual persona in recognizing that the collaborative world we live in is very much a hybrid. The Video phone is retrofitted with Cisco's new one-button push and

intelligent features. For example, users can sync their calendars.

I believe it answers more to the experienced generation, whereas something like the Webex Desk Hub is more cantered around the smartphone. Like the Webex Desk Hub, it includes calendar integration. It also is powered by Webex audio intelligence, removing background noise and enhancing the user's voice.

Cisco also announced a new Webex Room Bar intending to reduce video fatigue and increase participation. One of the goals for video call solutions is to make the collaboration experience more inclusive and unbiased no matter the work environment. In work environments like conference rooms where teammates are present together, it is more difficult for those in a video call to collaborate.

Traditionally with video calls, the conference workspace is one complete video call, making it an uneven playing field for those on the call to see and interact. Cisco has included different modes within Webex that allow for conference rooms to be split up by person in Frames View, by speakers in Speaker View, or manually with the option of the traditional Group view.

The Webex Room Bar has a 12MP wide-angle lens camera capable of shooting in 4K. Although 4K is not an optimal resolution for video calls now, it is useful in Frames view, giving each person a crisp digitally zoomed image. It is also a USB Bar, making it easy to connect to laptops or mini-PCs as a plug-and-play device. It has an extra microphone input and noise-canceling microphone array. The Webex Room Bar addresses how boring and unengaging meetings have become.

Webex has also improved its Public Switch Telephone Network (PSTN) by extending its AI-powered audio intelligence technology to include non-Webex calling users such as customers, partners, and suppliers. PSTN can often be overlooked and by including enhanced AI technology in PSTN calling, I believe Cisco is being consistent throughout its Webex offerings. Webex is also improving PSTN survivability to where on-site PSTN Webex calls are not dropped when there is a network or service outage. I believe this gives Webex an advantage in situations where reliability is the core value behind a call like highly volatile work environments.

Webex is making it easier for users to transition from a Webex meeting to mobile devices as well as integrating Webex into CarPlay. This new feature for Webex addresses more of the traditional side of hybrid work. Transitioning between the office to remote work can take time, and shifting from Webex meetings to mobile can save some of that time and even put it to good use, depending on how productive and dedicated you are. As for Webex Meetings to CarPlay, I don't believe meetings for the car is ready, coming from a safety standpoint. I believe this should be a step in the right direction than a complete solution for the car.

Like many video call solutions, Webex is looking to address the hybrid work environments we all live in and is doing so with intelligent and reliable features. The Cisco Video Phone is an update to a familiar face that I believe improves the hotdesking experience.

The Video bar should also make for a more exclusive experience with its new Frame and Speaker view modes.

Apple and Cisco Confirming Apple’s growing reach in the enterprise, Cisco has announced a range of upcoming features that will benefit any Apple-using knowledge worker using Webex.Apple and Cisco began working more closely together in 2015, when the companies issued a joint statement promising they would begin “optimizing Cisco networks for iOS devices and apps, integrating iPhone with Cisco enterprise environments and providing unique collaboration on iPhone and iPad.” Cisco has announced Move to Mobile, a new Webex Meetings feature coming in August that will make it easier to move calls between Apple devices and let you make and take them with Apple CarPlay.

Essentially, you'll be able to begin a meeting on an iPhone or Mac, transition the call easily to CarPlay, and then carry the call out of the car on the phone and back into the office. It’s just the latest in a recent spate of CarPlay enhancements. It's a solution that builds on multiple pillars: Apple’s growing presence in business, the long-understood needs of mobile professionals, the growing impact of mobility and employee choice, and the dawning realization that hybrid working environments are more productive and enable smart recruitment on a global scale.

Jeetu Patel, EVP & GM, Security & Collaboration, Cisco said: “Hybrid work is the future of work – and it’s here, now. The modern work environment is not confined to a single space or device anymore. It’s flexible, it’s mobile, it’s connected. We can seamlessly blend work into our lives with collaboration anywhere, at any time.”

Collaboration on the road – Cisco Webex integrated with Apple CarPlay.

Slack announces first quarter fiscals Slack Technologies, Inc., (NYSE: WORK) has financial results for its fiscal quarter ended April 30, 2021. The company has announced total revenues of $273.4 million, up 36% year-over-year.

The e company has a added over 13,000 net new Paid Customers, for a total of 169,000. Over 950,000 connected endpoints are registered on Slack Connect, up 265% year-over-year “Companies globally are racing toward a digital-first way of working to attract talent and to win,” said Stewart Butterfield, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder at Slack. “Slack is not just embracing this trend we are enabling it. In Q1 we saw a near-record number of Paid Customer additions, a record number of Paid Customers adopting Slack Connect, and approached 1 million active developers on our platform.”

“We saw rapid growth across segments in the first quarter, adding 13,000 net new Paid Customers and 102 net new Paid Customers spending greater than $100,000 annually,” said Allen Shim, Chief Financial Officer at Slack. “We also continue to drive substantial leverage. In Q1, we generated a record amount of free cash flow and expanded non-GAAP operating margins 1200 bps year-overyear.”

GAAP gross profit was $234.1 million, or 85.6% gross margin, compared to $176.0 million, or 87.3% gross margin, in the first

4P24 AV News June July 2022 2022

quarter of fiscal year 2021. Non-GAAP gross profit was $238.0 million, or 87.1% gross margin, compared to $179.2 million, or 88.9% gross margin, in the first quarter of fiscal year 2021.

GAAP operating loss was $55.3 million, or (20.2)% of total revenue, compared to a $76.2 million loss in the first quarter of fiscal year 2021, or (37.8)% of total revenue. Non-GAAP operating income was $10.8 million, or 4.0% of total revenue, compared to a $16.6 million loss in the first quarter of fiscal year 2021, or (8.3)% of total revenue.

GAAP net loss per basic and diluted share was $0.05. Non-GAAP net income per diluted share was $0.08. Net cash provided by operations was $62.8 million, or 23% of total revenue, compared to cash provided by operations of $8.7 million, or 4% of total revenue, for the first quarter of fiscal year 2021. Free Cash Flow was $62.7 million, or 23% of total revenue, compared to $3.7 million, or 2% of total revenue for the first quarter of fiscal year 2021.

Winners announced: BlueJeans By Verizon customer awards 2022 Verizon Business has announced the winners of the third annual BlueJeans by Verizon Customer Awards on Verizon’s Up to Speed.

As a reflection of customers globally who are deploying BlueJeans solutions to transform the way they collaborate, communicate, and get work done, the 2022 award winners are being recognized for

Contiued on page 25

UC News

achieving outcomes that positively drive their business and society forward “Workplace priorities have come a long way over the past few years, with collaboration and connectivity making their way to the top of the priority tech stack,” said Chadd Thompson, global head of marketing and customer experience, BlueJeans by Verizon. “Experiences are driving the workplace of the future, and our customers are at the forefront of leading the transformation that will help to drive business and society forward.”

Showcasing how collaborative, inclusive and immersive communication initiatives can be, the 2022 BlueJeans by Verizon Customer

Award category winners and honourees are: • Most Successful Hybrid Work Transformation - Winner: Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany Successfully navigated change to create new revenue streams, ensure continuity, and/or foster connectedness in today’s new world of work.

•Honourable Mentions: Northwood Technical College, Findley Foundation •Biggest Impact - Winner: Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn Med) Showed significant return on investment as a result of using BlueJeans, honouring a diverse set of outcomes

• Honourable Mentions: Array Behavioural Health, Student Nes • Most Innovative Use Case - Winner: Wharton Interactive, The Wharton School. Demonstrated superior skills in applying BlueJeans video technology to support a creative or pioneering use case outside of traditional virtual meetings.

• Honourable Mentions: Jujotech, Risolviam • Best Use of BlueJeans Events - Winner: Red Hat • Most creative or successful use of BlueJeans for events to support brand awareness, customer retention, and/or human resource initiatives such as employee engagement and culture building.

• Honourable Mention: ConectUS

Opinion

Agnostic remote management, monitoring and control We are in the midst of a connectivity revolution that is fundamentally changing how organisations connect their employees, vendors, and customers. With technology-powered experiences facilitating even more collaboration, the office or campus has to bring people together, inspire them and empower them to continue to innovate and enhance worker productivity.

In today’s world of ever-changing technology, supply chain issues, not getting locked in to a single provider, and the need for innovative implementations of your AV/UC estate emphasizes the importance of selecting solutions that can grow and change with you. With this in mind, many organizations around the world are looking for solutions that deliver Remote Management and Monitoring (RMM) at scale, are hardware and software agnostic, and provide all the tools needed to deliver great service management from a ‘single pane of glass’.

Having the right technology significantly influences the way people work and learn. Being in a conference room, collaboration centre, or classroom with outdated and broken equipment, poor acoustics, and terrible lighting erodes the total experience which may deter staff, customers, visitors or students coming to the physical workspace.

Jonathan Mangnall, Managing Director – EMEA, Utelogy Corporation believes that Utelogy can tackle many of these issues and delivers the benefits needed for an improved Total Experience (TX).

Utelogy is the enterprise-grade Management, Monitoring, and Control, and Automation Software Company that provides a complete overview for any connected workspace which can be visualized on a unified dashboard. The Utelogy Platform can report on data, generate alerts, and present deep analytical insights from all devices that have an open API, on top of offering software-based AV and UC control. Being vendor (hardware and software) agnostic allows the Utelogy Platform to integrate and support products that are connected to the network including AV devices, in-room PCs, IoT devices, Video Codecs, UC Clients, as well as USB peripherals.

Remote and hybrid workspaces are becoming the rule rather than the exception as enterprises transform their pre-pandemic office spaces into sophisticated collaborative spaces with enhanced videoconferencing, teamwork areas, dedicated meeting spaces, and

large event spaces. The imperative is that these spaces are always operational, and that they deliver a great user experience. To achieve this the management of these new rooms and systems is shifting from a ‘hero based’ service model one that is more proactive and uses an IT focused toolset at its core.

The modern workplace The modern workplace will become increasingly reliant on intelligent devices not only in the meeting space but throughout the

broader working environment with an emphasis on networked systems delivering high performance, and affordable collaboration solutions.

As organisations optimize emerging technologies to augment employee capabilities and enhance collaboration, performance and agility, the positive impact of delivering a great user experience is driving the need for actionable intelligence – delivered by platforms like Utelogy. Designed and priced to meet the needs of organizations of all sizes and topologies, Utelogy’s solution has been proven to help improve service levels, reduce the total cost of ownership whilst increasing the user's confidence in their AV/ UC tools.

By adding Utelogy to the technology ecosystem our customers can deliver rich insights into system operation, performance, and usage metrics to several different stakeholders. With its ability to connect to, and control hardware devices, building systems, enterprise software systems and ITSM platforms, Utelogy helps to deliver intelligent service with operational agility.

Intelligent and automated In the last few years, Utelogy has seen a shift from a traditional product “break/fix” approach to an “intelligent and automated” methodology that takes into account the Total Experience (TX).

Managed service models are starting to offer comprehensive solutions combining AV devices, software, and exceptional proactive customer support. These changes occurring in the global workspace require support organizations to adapt their logistical operations as well as their business mindset, but this also presents significant growth opportunities.

We see major growth potential in the AV Service Management (AVSM) market. With only 1% of the market currently covered, industry market research firm Futuresource Consulting predicts an increase from $900 m to $4.3b in 2024. The next generation for meeting room management needs to consider workflows and how the Managed Service Provider and the end-user integrate with them. By replacing proprietary, manufacturer-based monitoring platforms with an agnostic, software-only approach, Utelogy is able to focus on productivity and integrate seamlessly into the already defined workflows of the customer’s IT Service Management (ITSM) ecosystem.

Utelogy’s U-Manage dashboard allows decision-makers to visualize, export, and integrate usage data through a single, unified user interface (UI). By using a visual graph-based UI, IT managers, system operators, service agents, and other stakeholders are

Jonathan Mangnall, Managing Director – EMEA, Utelogy Corporation believes that Utelogy can tackle many of these issues and delivers the benefits needed for an improved Total Experience (TX).

provided with the data that is important to them to make critical business decisions on that AV/UC estate. U-Manage delivers flexible, granular reporting, performance metrics and integration with 3rd-party ticketing and asset management solutions through Utelogy's open API. With full visibility into the operational aspects of the AV/UC estate, including room usage, device usage, equipment state, maintenance and malfunctions, asset lifecycle, and performance indicators for evaluating the efficiency of rooms and devices.

Utelogy’s U-Automate feature provides the tools for scheduling and automating room testing prior to meetings and independently handling equipment problems (e.g. by alerting technical support).

U-Automate enables a health check of the entire AV estate and verifies room readiness. This solution is designed to eliminate the costly, time-consuming, and resource intensive manual processes enterprises employ today for overnight room checks. This improves the time to meeting start, reduces the amount of on-site support staff, and provides the ability to hook into your already defined ITSM operational workflows.

Focused on the Corporate, Higher Education, Banking, Financial, and Government sectors, the Utelogy Platform provides Remote Monitoring and Management at scale. With the Utelogy Platform you can manage the status and health of your entire connected estate and gain deep analytical insights to make data-driven business decisions all while reducing the total cost of ownership, reducing time to meeting start, and improving the agility, productivity, and user experience. For more information or to book a demo please visit www.utelogy.com.

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P25 AV News July 2022

Case Study

Promethean partnership drives education equity across South Ayrshire Scotland’s South Ayrshire Council is committed to establishing a quality education system that covers the authority's vast geography. Guided by an overarching objective to ensure continued education equity for both its teachers and students, the Council has developed a two-part strategy that simultaneously focuses on technology and pedagogy.

For the past 20 years, South Ayrshire has worked closely with Promethean to ensure it delivers the very best learning experiences for its students, with this new strategy marking the latest stage of the longstanding partnership.

“For South Ayrshire Council, equity in technology and pedagogy go hand in hand, so we felt it was important to address these in tandem. We’re currently implementing the next phase of our long-term plan, and Promethean is instrumental in helping us to not only level the playing field of our edtech estate, but also foster a community that ensures our educators can access excellent professional learning opportunities and support” explains Lynn Robertson, Education Projects and ICT Co-ordinator at South Ayrshire Council.

Equity in technology South Ayrshire Council’s journey into the world of edtech

solution that would make this functionality available for earlier investments.”

For South Ayrshire, Promethean’s partnership with Radix was the solution for delivering equity across its mixed ActivPanel estate. Radix VISO device management with the ActivPanel makes it easier than ever for IT administrators to securely maintain interactive flat panel displays, while future-proofing investments.

As the authority has eight primary clusters, each supported by an IT engineer, and one IT technician for each of its eight secondary schools, Radix would remove the need for IT engineers to physically attend schools to carry out ActivPanel updates. Therefore, alongside the refresh of its earliest interactive displays, South Ayrshire Council has also purchased 900 Radix VISO licences – which means that every display across the council’s estate can

began with the deployment of Promethean interactive whiteboards, which, over time, evolved into the implementation of the ActivPanel. As an early adopter of interactive flat panel displays, South Ayrshire Council focused on how to best establish equity across a mixed edtech estate. This started with an evaluation of existing hardware, which concluded with the earliest ActivPanel models being refreshed with the latest Android-powered solutions.

The main drivers of this decision were providing the same learning and teaching experience for staff and pupils and to unlock access to panel management.

Panel management is a key feature for helping IT administrators efficiently manage larger ActivPanel estates, through over-the-air updates as well as remote security and responsive support. “Panel management wasn’t available when we first introduced the ActivPanel, so our vision for standardising technology provision naturally started with rolling this out across all displays,” says Lynn. “Panel management now comes as standard with the ActivPanel, but we needed a

now be added to the authority’s network.

While this presents a practical technology solution, including full visibility of the council’s ActivPanel inventory, Lynn is excited about the potential it will unlock for the authority's investment: “This is huge for us. Before panel management, updates would need to be made manually – which was a time and resource challenge for our ICT Services department.

For our schools, this meant we weren’t accessing the latest ActivPanel features which are continually enhanced over time. By adding Radix to the Promethean solution, we can now fully network the ActivPanels, which means we’ll also have access to downloadable teaching apps that we couldn’t before.”

Equity in pedagogy With a strategy to establish technological equity in place and access to the full teaching potential of the ActivPanel possible, South Ayrshire Council simultaneously addressed pedagogy. This has centred on pioneering a series of initiatives and programmes to build a supportive community of educators. Working in close part-

P28 AV News July 2022

Lynn Robertson and Amanda Pickard with the Promethean ActivPanel. nership, South Ayrshire Council has implemented Promethean’s ‘train the trainer’ programme to establish a sustainable community of experts to ensure all staff is equipped with the skills and knowledge required to maximise the potential the ActivPanel can offer.

Not only does this enable the schools to become more self-sufficient, but the programme also ensures all teachers have ongoing access to vital training and support. This is true whether they are new to their role and the ActivPanel or require a refresher on core skills. Amanda Pickard, Primary School Teacher, and Digital Learning Officer, who helped to integrate the programme into the council’s framework, explained the importance of consistent training for equity in pedagogy: “We currently have

programme is just one aspect of our wider strategy that aims to foster an established community of educators, which equips teachers with the competency and confidence to make the most of their edtech. The teachers are also encouraged to tap into on-demand training sessions through Learn Promethean, Promethean’s online CPD platform. It’s a great alternative for those who can’t attend the face-to-face sessions.”

The council has also created its own digital support hub, which helps to facilitate a community approach to frequently asked questions and issues. Using the support hub, teachers and trainers within the community can share their experiences and processes, which enhances understanding and builds knowledge. Finally, South Ayrshire

Scotland, they are essentially an extension of our own team.

They have helped us to develop a flourishing community that aims to level the playing field and build pedagogical equity through sustained training initiatives.”

With the building blocks firmly in place to maintain education equity, Lynn reflects on why Promethean remains a trusted partner in the journey: “We had a vision 20 years ago, to deliver outstanding education through empowered learning experiences. It’s not enough to make a one-off investment in technology and expect it to deliver a positive impact. There needs to be a long-term strategy grounded in pedagogy. Promethean continues to be a valuable partner in this process, ensuring that we have visibility of future

12 certified trainers to date, with a view to qualify more. Our ultimate goal is to have a minimum of two certified trainers in each school cluster, which will definitely help to establish technological continuity across all schools and provide teachers with equal and scalable access to training.”

Amanda expanded on the additional avenues of support available to teachers across the region: “The ‘train the trainer’

Certified Trainers have been involved in delivering a series of practical webinars across Scotland, which disseminate best-practice approaches for teaching with the ActivPanel.

Amanda elaborates on the role that the close working relationship with Promethean has played in the authority’s achievements to date: “We have a very close and long-standing working relationship with Promethean in

technology developments while delivering access to the very best training and support.”

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Peoplewatch

PEOPLEWATCH Ernest (Ernie) Bakenie has joined Christie as Senior Director of Entertainment, effective immediately. Reporting to Bryan Boehme, Executive Director of Americas Enterprise Sales and Global Business Development.

Bakenie will work closely with the themed entertainment market and be based in Orlando, Florida.

Bakenie joins Christie as a seasoned executive having worked closely with theme parks, museums, and other entertainment attractions around the world during the past 25 years.

His leadership roles include Showscan Entertainment, Kraftwerk Living Technologies, and previously, Director, Entertainment Sales, APAC at Christie.

In his new role, Bakenie will be responsible for working closely with customers and partners to create best-in-class solutions

and drive growth in Christie’s themed entertainment business. “We’re excited to have Ernie back with Christie,” says Boehme. “Ernie’s passion for the themed entertainment market has taken him around the world, and his experience working closely with major theme parks and attractions will make him a major asset to our team.”

Bakenie’s relocation to Orlando will ensure he is well-placed to meet the needs of the industry. “I’m thrilled to be back at Christie. This opportunity allows me to use my unique background working in the themed entertainment industry to deliver the solutions that create awe-inspiring experiences,” says Bakenie. “There is no better industry to work with than themed entertainment, and I’m excited to help Christie’s clients create the thrills and excitement that audiences love.”

en track record both as an executive and a leader with a passion for commitment to excellent service that’s infectious. Under his management, we have seen Kinly become the number one player across Europe, so have the fullest confidence in his ability to lead Kinly through its next phase of growth and development.”

Tom takes up his appointment with immediate effect.

Xyte, the Hardware-as-a-Service (HaaS) solution leader, which is bringing a fundamental shift in the way hardware manufacturing ecosystems operate, announced today that Randy Klein, former President and CEO of Crestron Electronics, is joining the company as a member of its Advisory Board.

Klein has played a significant role in the AV industry for over 45 years, driving growth and profit in the global enterprise and residential technology channels. Spending 31 years at Crestron Electronics as President and CEO until 2021. Under Klein’s leadership, Crestron shaped the AV industry. Klein will apply his knowledge and experience to Xyte’s business strategy by supporting the company in its pursuit to allow device manufacturers to cloudify their devices, enhance support for customers and channels, and introduce new subscription-based business models.

Xyte’s first-of-its-kind Connected Device Management Platform (CDMP), provides one suite of tools to turn products into services, quickly go to market with as-a-Service offerings and transact recurring revenue at scale. With Klein’s guidance and support, the company aims to lead the way for hardware manufacturers and system integrators in their transition to the promising Hardwareas-a-Service business model, by easily integrating with Xyte’s plug-and-play platform.

Randy Klein explains: “I have always been driven by one simple goal: to make a difference in our industry. Today, the world we live in has changed. We use subscription models throughout our daily lives. Our industry is no exception. I am so thrilled to join Xyte.

Omer and his team are the future of our industry and have intelligently engineered a platform to adopt the hardware-as-a-service concept and “cloudify” connected devices. Xyte can truly transform and change our great industry.”

Xyte was founded by Omer Brookstein, CEO and Boris Dinkevich, CTO, in 2020 to provide the AV industry with an integrated solution to manage, service, and commercialize connected devices—all in one place via the cloud. Omer Brookstein explains: “We welcome Randy and his industry insight at this time of rapid growth for Xyte. By providing manufacturers with a platform to offer end-users a more financially stable way to buy and refresh technology, we will start to see innovations develop faster. Randy steered Crestron through the move from analog to digital and many periods of rapid change and innovation in his three decades with the company, so we're pleased to have his support as we navigate the same seismic change with our partners.”

Canon UK & Ireland has announced the appointment of Tracey Fielden as Country Director, Imaging Technologies & Communications Group (ITCG) of Canon UK and Ireland. In her new role, Tracey reports directly into Yusuke Mizoguchi, Senior Managing Director, Canon UK & Ireland, and will join the executive leadership team.

Tracey will be responsible for driving sales of Canon’s ITCG products, further strengthening Canon’s brand position in the local market, enhancing cross business unit collaboration, and continuing to strengthen Canon’s inclusive culture. Tracey brings over 20 years’ Canon experience to her new role, having started with the company as a Product Manager in 2001. Her most recent role was as ITCG Marketing Director, where she was responsible for leading a high-achieving marketing team. Throughout her career at Canon, Tracey has taken an innovative and creative approach to inspiring her teams and winning the hearts and minds of customers.

As part of her new role, Tracey will help realise the mission of Canon UK and Ireland’s mid-term plan to build a strong, sustainable, and viable future. She will continue to lead from the front and look to improve the consumer experience, build customer intimacy, and engage and energise the partner community continuing to evolve the brand to be more flexible and adaptable.

Tracey Fielden, Country Director, ITCG, Canon UK&I, said: “People are at the core of everything we do. I aim to spark the passion, vision and innovation of our teams so we can continue to deliver excellent services to our customers. I’m really looking forward to taking our customers and partners on a journey to inspire creativity, and I’m excited about what the future will bring.”

“Tracey has been with Canon UK & Ireland for over 20 years and during this time, her career has been spent between both our Document Solutions and Imaging Technologies & Communications Group functions,” said Yusuke Mizoguchi, Senior Managing Director. “In her previous role of Marketing Director, Tracey made a significant contribution to the development of the ITCG business in the UK & Ireland. I’m looking forward to her joining the Executive Leadership Team and know she will make a positive impact with her keen interest in coaching and mentoring. This, together with her passion for injecting fun into the business, will support the continued development of our inclusive culture.”

Tracey has taken up the role following the departure of Matthew Searle. Neale Conroy has recently been appointed as Tracey’s successor as ITCG Marketing Director, Canon UK & Ireland.

Ernest (Ernie) Bakenie has joined Christie as Senior Director of Entertainment, effective immediately Kinly – the leading specialist in AV systems integration and remote collaboration solutions – has announced Tom Martin as its CEO to further develop the impressive growth of the business in recent years.

Tom takes the reins at Kinly following a highly successful spell as Managing Director for Northern Europe. His experience with the company stretches back 15 years, beginning with Viju in the Nordics with roles in support, services and operations. With a passion for audio, his achievements and successes have seen him climb through the ranks to VP Technical Operation in Norway before Managing Director roles in Norway and, latterly, Northern Europe.

Based in the company’s Norway office, Tom envisages a bright future not only for Kinly, but for the AV sector as a whole. “This is an incredibly exciting time for Kinly and I am delighted to be announced as their new CEO,” said the 43-year-old, before adding: “The past couple of years have set up the business for growth across the worldwide market and, with Kinly, we have the scale, assets & highly experienced teams to fully support local & global customers.

Tom will continue to drive Kinly’s expansion with the latest technology offerings combined with a focus on service and support.

He adds: “Coming from a services background, I am proud to say it’s the dedicated Kinly service that sets us apart. Together with our valued technology partners, I’m looking forward to fantastic opportunities as hybrid work models continue to grow in popularity around the world.”

The appointment received the unanimous backing from the Kinly Board of Directors, with Chairman Jos Zandhuis adding: “In Tom, we have a CEO who knows the business inside-out and has a prov-

P30 AV News July 2022

Canon UK & Ireland has announced the appointment of Tracey Fielden as Country Director, Imaging Technologies & Communications Group (ITCG) of Canon UK and Ireland.

Randy Klein, former President and CEO of Crestron Electronics, is joining Xyte as a member of its Advisory Board.

Peoplewatch

PEOPLEWATCH Xytech, the leader in resource management software for the media and broadcast industries, has announced the appointment of Keith Buckley as the company’s President and CEO succeeding Richard Gallagher, the company’s founder. Gallagher will now advise the company’s board as envisioned when Xytech was acquired

by Banneker Partners in December 2021. With Buckley at the helm this move positions Xytech to significantly enhance its commitment to product innovation and operational excellence in its mission to drive visibility, efficiency and automation in the media and broadcast markets.

Since the acquisition, Banneker immediately began implementing enhancements of Xytech’s operational capabilities to speed the delivery of functionality essential to Xytech’s customers and allow the company to scale to meet continuing high demand for its MediaPulse platform. The addition of Buckley to lead these efforts confirms Banneker’s commitment to Xytech, its employees and its worldwide customer base.

Buckley has been a leader of high-growth companies for private equity sponsors and international corporations across many tech industries, with a focus on media and network software and services. Most recently, Buckley served as the CEO of Federos, an AI-optimized analytics and automation software solutions provider for complex networks that was recently sold to Oracle. He previously served as President and CEO of The Switch Enterprises, a leader in content production and delivery services for streaming and broadcast networks around the world. Before this, he was President and CEO of ASC Signal Corporation, Trusonic and InSight Telecommunications Corporation, among other media industry-leading companies.

“I’m joining Xytech as the company is poised for significant growth, and look forward to leveraging Xytech’s highly skilled team, strong base of product offerings, long history of core successes and its world-class customer base,” Buckley said. “The investments we’re planning and will execute upon in the immediate future will substantially increase Xytech’s value across the media and broadcast industries, creating an exciting environment for our team, our owners and — especially — our customers.”

“We are excited to work with Keith as we accelerate Xytech's mission of improving resource efficiency in the media and broadcast markets,” said Kenneth Frank, partner at Banneker Partners. “His background in the industry and track record in growing successful software companies positions him well to relentlessly focus on customer value and partner with the existing management team.

We also look forward to working alongside Richard as we assess other strategic options to accelerate growth at the company.”

“When I started Xytech almost 40 years ago, I couldn’t have imagined the impact Xytech would have on the industry. I’m incredibly grateful to my staff across the company’s history and our amazing customers. Being of service to this community has been a deeply rewarding experience. I look forward to transitioning my responsibilities to Keith, whose background makes him a great steward of the business going forward and working with Banneker in the strategic advisory role.”

Xytech has announced the appointment of Keith Buckley as the company’s President and CEO succeeding Richard Gallagher, the company’s founder.

Keysource, the datacentre and critical environment specialist, has appointed a new Head of Operational Services as part of a refresh that will see an increased focus on collecting and leveraging data to support the maintenance, operation and management of complex critical environments on behalf of its global clients Jon White will take up the role bringing with him a strong IT and service delivery background having spent the past 4 years at Principal Ltd, a managed services provider, as Head of Professional Services and latterly as Service Delivery Director. He will join Operations Manager Luke Brimelow and Technical Services Manager Mark Butcher in delivering operational services and support clients with their critical environment lifecycle.

Jon Healy, Operations Director at Keysource, said: “We currently operate over 200 contracts worldwide delivering a range of bespoke solutions including our 24/7 Help Desk, remote monitoring, preventative maintenance and emergency response. Jon’s appointment will complement our existing team as we continue evolving how we deliver an exceptional customer experience and ensuring that facilities deliver maximum uptime, effectively and sustainably.

Keysource, the datacentre and critical environment specialist, has appointed a new Head of Operational Services Jon White Blackbird plc has announced the appointment of Mo Volans as SVP Product Marketing. Mo joins the Company from VEGAS Creative Software where he was SVP Marketing.

Mo has worked with leading brands in pro audio, video and tech for over 20 years. Starting his journey as a music producer and content creator he found his calling in product marketing and growth strategy. Mo went on to lead global marketing teams, run a successful agency and create award winning products and growth for some of the most innovative names in the media industry.

An entrepreneurial approach ultimately led to the creation and exit of his own hardware startup. This experience gave Mo a deep understanding of consumer psychology and the skills needed to produce optimal user experience. Mo has held senior positions with Brainworx / Plugin Alliance and been a strategy advisor at

Abbey Road Studios. Most recently, as SVP Marketing at MAGIX / Vegas Creative Software, he shaped strategy for their entire pro audio and video portfolio.

After overseeing the launch of many successful products, Mo will use his experience to create and amplify a new engaging range of Blackbird products.

Mo Volans said: “As content creators continue to turn to the cloud for both production and collaboration, the timing is perfect for Blackbird to expand its already impressive offering. I'm really excited to be joining the Blackbird team at this crucial point in their journey.”

Blackbird CEO, Ian McDonough, added: “I’m incredibly happy to bring Mo on board at such a pivotal time in Blackbird’s evolution. Mo brings an extraordinary breadth of experience in developing and launching highly successful video products in the media creation space. Together with the recent hires we’ve made across product and through expanding our software engineering team, Blackbird is building strength in depth to roll out our next generation of products to new markets.”

PSNI Global Alliance, the worldwide network of leading technology manufacturers and service providers, has appointed Steve Riley as Director of Global Professional Services.

Steve joins PSNI with over 25 years of system integration experience. His past roles include more than 20 years within various AV integration companies, where he amassed a working knowledge of every aspect of system integration business operations, including international cultures, staff leadership, business-unit profitability, technical documentation standards, project process improvement, service and support business, and departmental and IT infrastructure.

Joining the senior management team at PSNI, Steve will develop and implement a one-of-a-kind global technology integration and service deliverable program for The Alliance by leveraging the talent and knowledge available from PSNI Certified Solution Providers (CSPs) and partners worldwide to expand synergy across the network.

“I’m thrilled to have Steve join the PSNI Global Team, said Chris Miller, executive director for The Alliance. “His expertise and experience in process refinement, industry training credentials and managed service deliverables will further enhance our global capabilities as the demand increases for our CSPs worldwide. Under Steve’s guidance, I am confident that we have added considerable reinforcement to our mission for optimal Global standards and success.”

Starting his role in June, Steve is also delighted of what the future holds for both himself and PSNI, adding: “I am excited to be joining the PSNI family and honored to be able to bring my skillset to their talented team. I am relishing the challenges ahead and look forward to leveraging the talent and knowledge available from PSNI’s Certified Solution Providers and partners worldwide to define and implement commerce-centric strategic deployment and service programs that will generate revenue to The Alliance.”

PSNI represents licensed service and integration offices in 50 countries spanning across 6 continents. Membership to 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, the worldwide network of leading technology manufacturers and service providers, has appointed Steve Riley as Director of Global Professional Services.

Blackbird plc has announced the appointment of Mo Volans as SVP Product Marketing.

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P31 AV News July 2022

Dairy and Events

Digital Signage Summit Europe - face-to-face after 3 years Digital Signage Summit Europe (DSS Europe) is returning for its first in-person event in three years, reuniting the digital signage industry on 6-7 July 2022 at the Hilton Munich Airport, Germany. With a compelling conference programme covering the most important topics in digital signage, DSS Europe is a not-to-be-missed event providing valuable business takeaways, important industry updates, two brand-new technology showcases and of course, a range of social and networking opportunities.

This year’s theme is ‘Digital Signage Business Critical’, which will analyse how digital signage has increasingly become critical to business success rather than simply a ‘nice to have’ option. DSS Europe will cover four main topics: • Digital signage business critical • Green signage • Industry developments • Concepts and content – how to create experiences in the real world and the Metaverse The full programme for the two-day event has now been released, providing a unique mix of keynotes, conference channels, awards and exhibition showcases involving some of the world’s leading digital signage experts, thought leaders and cutting-edge technology. Leading digital signage expert Florian Rotberg, Chair of DSS Europe and Managing Director of invidis consulting, comments:

“Our industry has seen unprecedented changes over the past few years with more clients than ever before demanding sustainable solutions. Technologies have developed faster than ever, and the importance of compelling content is clear.

Our conference programme tackles these important issues and with over 60 speakers from a wide variety of businesses, delegates will come away with plenty of knowledge to help their businesses benefit. You have to be in the room to appreciate DSS Europe and Early Bird conference tickets are now available. We can’t wait to see you in person in Munich.”

Be sure to check out the two new vendor-agnostic showcases at DSS Europe - The SoC Performance Showcase, partnered with SignageOS, will benchmark various platforms and show how SoC has evolved in recent years to become a viable alternative to external media players. The Sensors Showcase, partnered with 99Sensors, will present the industry-leading solutions that are the lifeline of data-driven digital signage.

Also new for this year, DSS Europe is offering a dedicated Innovation programme for start-ups, agencies, and other industry newcomers to present and showcase their digital signage, retail tech and adtech solutions at DSS Europe for free. Early Bird tickets are available now, so don’t miss your chance to join – register your place here (https://registration.firabarcelona.com/#/ en_GB/E235022/WEB) and you can find out more informa-

tion here: www.digitalsignagesummit.org/europe.

DSS Europe is a joint venture between Integrated Systems Events, producers of the Integrated Systems Europe exhibition, and invidis consulting, the leading German digital signage consultancy.

The ‘Rock Stars’ of Digital Signage Digital Signage Summit Europe (DSS Europe) returns to Munich on 6-7 July with its most impressive speaker line-up to date. Delegates will hear from over 60 industry influencers, including top level C-suite business leaders, concept and content ‘rock stars’, and disruptors who are shaking up the future of digital signage. Shaping up to be its most visionary conference yet, DSS Europe has secured critical thinkers from across EMEA to talk big picture concepts and innovation. Experience a programme of worldclass keynotes, panels, and fireside chats as well as excellent networking, including the opportunity to meet with our ‘captains of industry’.

Discover the latest projects and Digital Signage strategies from global companies and rising challengers from brands including Audi, Porsche, Hugo Boss, Stratacache, Google, Intel, Immaculix, Admira, Siemens, Sharp NEC Display Solutions, Telelogos, Sage+Archer, dan pearlman Group and more…

Join industry leaders as they examine the current state and future of Digital Signage in key markets, including DACH,

Nordics, UK and Middle East regions. A series of high-level panel discussions will explore this year’s theme ‘Digital Signage Business Critical’, look into the new role of IT integrators and IT departments, examine business models for a better approach to the future of digital signage, and discuss sustainability, green signage, and DooH and Mobility.

•Per Mandorf - CEO & President, ZetaDisplay •Manlio Romanelli – President, M-Cube •Alberto Cáceres Tejedor Group CEO, Trison World • Jonathan Wharrad - VP Global Brands, Mood Media • Roi Iglesias - Marketing Manager - Strategy & Innovation, Econocom Green Signage – Tackling Digital Signage’s Carbon Footprint

Must see highlights include:

(Wednesday 11:30 - 11:50 AM) •Theresa Kirchweger - Sustainability Manager, Umdasch The Store Makers

The Leaders Panel – Is Big, Big Enough? (Wednesday 10:30 10:50 AM)

Peerless-AV showcase 2022 registration Peerless-AV has announced that registration is now open for ‘A New AV Experience’ showcase and networking event on Tuesday 20th and Wednesday 21st September 2022 at the iconic sporting venue of Lord’s Cricket Ground, London. Visit the event information page at: eu.peerless-av.com/ pages/a-new-av-experience] register.

Exhibitors returning to the showcase for the second year running include: Absen, Barco, BrightSign, Datapath, DTEN, Hypervsn, iiyama, Kramer, Lenovo, LG, Matrox, Mersive, Peerless-AV, Philips, Samsung, Sharp NEC, Shure, Signagelive, Sony, Tripleplay and Unilumin.

Exertis Pro AV and Midwich have been confirmed as the headline showcase sponsors and new partners signed for 2022 include manufacturers from the audio, workplace technology, wireless and videoconferencing markets, as well as new digital signage, interactive touch and signal management brands. In addition to the BenQ bus, CTOUCH, Jabra, Lightware Engineering, Logitech, neat, Now Signage, Poly and UMA will be exhibiting at the showcase for the first time.

“As the AV world returns to

Over 30 market leading brands to exhibit at Peerless-AV’s September Showcase at Lord’s business post ISE and InfoComm, we are excited to open registration for the next big event in the AV and Digital Signage calendar – A New AV Experience Showcase and Networking Event at Lord’s – returning for a second year,” commented Keith Dutch, Managing Director – EMEA, Peerless-AV. Dutch continued: “After the big tradeshows of the past two months and our recent acquisition of ADF Visual Display Products, Peerless-AV will be

P32 AV News July 2022

demonstrating its strengths in dvLED infrastructure, alongside an impressive portfolio of market leaders from the LED, LCD, interactive, UC, VC markets and more. The central London location will be the ideal opportunity for those end users, resellers, integrators and consultants that perhaps did not travel from the UK to see the latest new product launches and first-time showings across all AV technology categories.

For exhibitors, this showcase allows them to demonstrate

first-hand their latest offerings and launches, to make valuable new business connections and network with their peers.”

In addition to Peerless-AV’s evening reception in the grounds on the Tuesday, the AV User Group’s September members meeting and networking drinks will be held on the Wednesday.

Visit the event page for 2021 showcase videos and testimonials, 2022 exhibitor list, venue information and registration: eu.peerless-av.com/pages/a-new-av-experience

• Christof Böhm - Senior Vice President Engineering, Quality Assurance & Service, Sharp NEC Display Solutions •Rainer Karcher - Global Director of IT Sustainability, Siemens - How Porsche is Changing the Rules of the Digital Signage Industry (Wednesday 12:00 -12:20 PM) •Roland Grassberger – CEO, Grassfish Marketing Technologies • Oliver Mack - Managing Partner, Macom •Alberto Cáceres Tejedor Group CEO, Trison World Boss •Robin Hoffmann – CEO, Heardis • Holger Konschewsky - Global Marketing & Brand Communications Manager Instore Digitalization, Hugo Boss • Markus Doetsch - Managing Partner Procult, Heinekingmedia Changing the Game of Media Player • Stanislav Richter – CEO, SignageOS • Radjen van Wilsem – CEO, CS Digital Media The full schedule is now available online at: www.digitalsignagesummit.org/europe.

IFA opens ticket sales for the public ‘Techies’ can look forward to IFA finally opening its doors again – from 02 to 06 September 2022. In addition to the latest products, services and trends from leading brands, the world’s largest trade show for consumer electronics and home appliances is also presenting a wide-ranging entertainment programme for the public. Autograph signings featuring TV stars, top athletes and footballers, live cooking events, talk shows, games and e-sports events, as well as music gigs with the latest stars: it all means that with IFA the Berlin Exhibition Grounds will be transformed into ‘Entertainment City’.

“We look forward to finally welcoming visitors to IFA again on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds.

That is why this year organisers decided not to increase ticket prices – despite inflation and rising costs. “That way, we would like to thank our visitors for their loyalty, and together with them celebrate the industry restarting business”, said Kai Mangelberger, Director of IFA 2022.

IFA Ticket Prices •Day ticket to IFA (during IFA) 17.50 euros •Reduced-rate ticket to IFA (advance sale only) 13.00 euros •Family ticket (advance sale and during IFA) •2 adults and three children 36.00 euros •3 for 2 group ticket (advance sale only) 26.00 euros Reduced-rate student ticket (advance sale and during IFA) 9.00 euros Additional information can be found in the ticket shop IFA media pre-registration: Register now and we will notify you as soon as the official media registration for IFA 2022 starts.