AV News May 2021

The direct channel to the industry

May 2021 www.avnews.co.uk Page13

Page16

Post Covid opportunitiess for resellers

PPDS revolutionises retailer Kwik Trip’s in-store marketing

In addition to commonplace applications, the cloud is playing a leading role in developing the market for a range of technologies and services.

PPDS has announced that leading US convenience store, has completed its installation of over1,000 Philips Android displays inside 700 Kwik Trip locations.

Sharp launches the world’s Poly’s voice-activated Zoom Rooms with Alexa for Business largest 8K display Poly has announced Alexa for Business for Zoom Rooms, to provide customers with a hands-free, voice-activated, control experience for new wave meeting collaboration.

This new offering enables Poly customers to set up Alexa for Business with just a few clicks. Once enabled, Zoom Rooms’ users can ask Alexa to join meetings and book rooms, without having to purchase additional Alexa-enabled devices. With this integration, Poly, Zoom and Alexa for Business are simplifying the enablement and management of Alexa for Business by building it directly into the Zoom Management Portal.

As companies plan for a return to the office and strategise how to safely bring employees back into shared spaces and meeting rooms, touchless voice control has never played a more critical role. Alexa for Business improves the overall meeting experience, for rooms of any size, by offering customers the ability to start a Zoom Rooms meeting using voice commands. Poly Zoom Room users can ask Alexa to assist with tasks like starting their online meeting, booking a meeting room, and alerting participants with end-of-meeting reminders to keep everyone on task.

Installation takes just a few clicks, and once installed, a Poly Zoom Rooms device can detect an employee’s voice to jumpstart the meeting experience. Poly’s lineup of pro-grade devices are certified Zoom Room Appliances, and feature advanced speaker tracking, Acoustic Fence and Noise-

BlockAI, so you can crush every meeting, while blocking out distracting background noise.

“Our goal is to bring peace of mind as employees begin to return to the office, through integrative technologies designed to minimise contact with hightouch surface areas,” said Beau Wilder, vice president and general manager of video collaboration at Poly. “We continue to see the need for highly-imaginative applications of AI, especially when it comes to voice-activated commands like

as are the Poly Trio 8500 and Poly Trio 8800 smart conference phones, which all feature Alexa for Business capabilities.

Alexa can also help employees check the weather, stay up-todate on the news or listen to their favourite podcast. Alexa has more than 100,000 skills to help make their lives easier, more meaningful and more fun by letting them voice-control their world. Poly is the only Zoom hardware provider and partner that delivers certified solutions across Zoom Rooms,

Sharp has announced the availability of a new 120” 8K UV²A LCD electronic display for professional use - the 8M-B120C. The new large format display is the largest 8K monitor available on the market, specifically designed to convey unparalleled lifelike image detail and quality, ideally suited for professional environments that need high levels of visual clarity and precision.

The 8M-B120C is equipped

resolution of Full HD. The display reproduces images at a higher resolution than the human eye can capture, delivering significant benefits to an increasing number of businesses that rely on high levels of detail and accuracy, in sectors including broadcast, design and medicine, and high-pressure data-intensive environments such as air traffic control and trading floors.

The 8K display offers excep-

HDR (High Dynamic Range) further improves the depth of the image by increasing the contrast and colour range creating a more saturated and natural image. The display delivers a brightness of 600 cd/ m² and up to 1000 cd/m² at peak levels working in tandem with local dimming of up to 2048 zones, delivering a high level of contrast.

To smoothly handle video, the 8M-B120C uses a frame dou-

Poly has announced Alexa for Business for Zoom Rooms, to provide customers with a hands-free, voice-activated, control experience for new wave meeting collaboration.

Alexa for Business, and further enable employees to remain agile, with the ability to easily connect, so they can do their best work from anywhere.”

Poly Studio X series with TC8 touch interface, Poly G7500 video conferencing system, and Poly Trio C60 smart conference phone are the latest Zoom Room Appliances to support the Alexa for Business offering available now, in the United States. The Poly Studio X series and Poly G7500 are both certified Zoom Rooms Appliances,

TAP INTO TEAMS MEETINGS Logitech Tap for Microsoft Teams Powered by Lenovo ThinkSmart Edition Tiny

Zoom Phone, and Zoom Personal Workspace.

“Voice assisted technology is stepping in to address new ways of working,” said Jeff Smith, head of Zoom Rooms at Zoom. “Zoom Rooms Appliances like the Poly Studio X series and Poly G7500 that support Alexa for Business are changing the game for organisations who are planning to return to the office safely, while also catering to employees who want to stay connected and join meetings quickly from home.”

Sharp has announced the availability of a new 120” 8K UV²A LCD electronic display for professional use - the 8M-B120C.

with a 4m² LCD panel, using 33 million pixels that achieve resolution four times more than 4K Ultra HD and 16 times the

tional picture quality and enhanced colour accuracy thanks to a wide colour-gamut and optimized LED backlight. The

NOW G SHIPPIN

www.tdmaverick.eu

bler, with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz, or up to 120 images Continued on page 3

H

Continued from page 3

Sharp launches the world’s largest 8K display per second, twice the speed of most modern displays (60Hz).

This reduces motion blur during fast movements, making action scenes appear more realistic.

Four HDMI2.0a 4K ports allow for the seamless input of 8K signal or a 2x2 split screen.

The inclusion of one HDMI2.1 port allows users to connect devices with a single cable and a bandwidth up to 48 Gbit/s.

Peter Heins, Senior Product Manager, says: “The latest addition to Sharp’s 8K ecosystem delivers our best-in-class 8K technology in the largest display ever introduced to the market. We are excited to continue to develop our 8K ecosystem to further support businesses that require ultimate image precision and clarity. The new model is available to buy now from Sharp and its partners.

Maverick partners with Bose Maverick AV Solutions is bringing the power of the Bose brand to the meeting room, having signed a partnership with the company to distribute its Videobar VB1 all-in-one USB con-

Maverick AV Solutions provides partners with specialist services and support on audio-visual, smart meeting and conferencing room solutions.

By making use of its deep ex-

Headline News

PPDS brings Germany’s newest fully professional cycle store to life with Philips digital signage Founded in 2013, Concept-Cycles Hamburg is the largest concept store in northern Germany, offering full bike servicing, fitting, repairs and buying advice. Its 300 square metre showroom houses an extensive range of professional level road bikes, mountain bikes and power assisted E bikes (ranging between €1.999 - €13.499 in value), as well as accessories from some of the industry’s premium brands.

Following a recent fire, which has partially reduced capacity for the foreseeable future, Concept-Cycles decided to open a new ‘state of the art’, pop up showroom nearby, dedicated

filling its ambition, with PPDS the standout choice in bringing the dusty 100m-long ground floor of a former hotel, built in 1910, to life. Remarkably completed and opened in just over three weeks, the pop up showroom features 17 Philips professional displays, ranging from 24” to 75”, placed and mounted strategically throughout the store (including from the ceiling), ensuring maximum exposure and impact.

This includes high-brightness digital signage displays (Philips H-Line) placed in the shop front to captivate customer attention from outside the store, with the screens built for 24/7 use and

a digital touchscreen kiosk (Philips T-Line, 24”) was also installed to offer more tailored product information based on their own needs. To comply with Covid-19 regulations and to reduce potential concerns of returning customers, the store was also fitted with PeopleCount — PPDS’ exclusive digital customer entrance management solution, which automatically monitors and manages capacity, by using intelligent camera technology and a traffic light system on a display (Philips D-Line, 43”) to alert customers and staff when it is safe to enter.

This complete suite of solu-

coming the world’s first cycling store to combine state of the art equipment with a personal experience tailored for each customer.

Henrik Schmidt, CEO, Specialized Hamburg, said: “We had extremely little time and had to get everything up and running in just three weeks.

We are delighted with P.O.S Television and PPDS—two high-performance partners who are fully involved.” Konstantin Flabouriaris, PPDS, added: “We understand the pressures being faced by the retail industry, both pre- and post- Covid and our strategy has and will always be to provide value led, problem solving solutions in order for them to stand out from the crowd and be the very best they can be.”

He continued: “We’re delighted to have supported Concept Cycles Hamburg in creating this incredible new store – all in the space of just a few weeks, which shows the flexibility of our business and our inherent desire and commitment to supporting our partners immediately, rather than in a few weeks or even months.

From an unusual empty space, our solutions have brought Specialized Concept Store to life in ways that once seemed unimaginable, really grabbing the attention of the public whether they’re passing by or across the street, while bringing perhaps the safest and most tailored, customer centric experience to any retail store found in Hamburg or beyond. It’s never been more important to stand out from the crowd and, at PPDS, we’re helping retailers do just that.”

Fast facts • Client: Specialized Concept Store

Anna-Marie Constantinou, Maverick AV Solutions: “The Bose Videobar VB1 is an ideal core component of high-quality solutions for huddle spaces and conference rooms.” ferencing device in the UK. The agreement will enable audio-visual professionals and IT reseller partners to take advantage of the specialist expertise and sales support that Maverick can offer in smart meeting and conference room solutions, as well as the unrivalled services, logistics, and financial resources offered by Tech Data.

Anna-Marie Constantinou, business unit director, Maverick AV Solutions, UK, stated: “As they return to the workplace, end-user organisations are looking to provide enhanced, productive environments and experiences for their employees. The Bose Videobar VB1 is an ideal core component of high-quality solutions for huddle spaces and conference rooms. The agreement between Maverick and Bose gives our partners an excellent opportunity to meet a vitally important and pressing customer need.”

pertise and experience and taking advantage of the extensive resources and value-added services offered by Tech Data, partners can meet all their customers’ needs for presentation and conferencing systems, sharing and collaboration solutions, digital signage, and professional audio-visual installations.

Bose’s Videobar VB1 is an all-in-one solution that requires minimal setup and delivers premium audio and video performance. Full product details are available to registered partners through Tech Data’s InTouch ecommerce platform.

•Location: Hamburg, Germany •Project: New concept

Following a recent fire, which has partially reduced capacity for the foreseeable future, Concept-Cycles decided to open a new ‘state of the art’, pop up showroom nearby, dedicated exclusively to showcasing the latest bikes and accessories from bike brand ‘Specialized’ – a Premium Partner. exclusively to showcasing the latest bikes and accessories from bike brand ‘Specialized’ – a Premium Partner. In order to meet current and future customers – including safeguarding – Concept-Cycles wanted the new ‘Specialized Concept Store’ to become a standout environment, offering a unique and more tailored experience for customers, while complying with strict Covid-19 regulations.

Working alongside local retail AV integration specialist, P.O.S. Television GmbH, Concept-Cycles spared no expense in ful-

tions from PPDS has already resulted in outstanding sales results, with the store fulfilling Concept’s ambitions on be-

•Products: Philips 75” H-Line display (2 units), Philips 55” Q-Line display (3 units), Philips 24” T-Line display (1 unit), Philips 49” X-Line display (9 units), Philips 43” D-Line display (2 units), Philips PeopleCount solution

capable of displaying content in any light condition. Inside the store, a vibrant, 9-screen videowall (Philips X-Line, 49”) was installed to bring an immediate ‘wow factor’ to entering customers, with the store displaying inspiring and informative content in up to 4K, which can be managed and controlled entirely remotely. With PPDS’ ‘FailOver’, the Philips displays will always remain active, with content able to be backed-up and available in case of a primary source outage.

For customers wishing to do their own research in store,

AV News April 2021 P3

Business news

Philips’ hospitality TVs sales rocketing Sales of PPDS’ ground-breaking range of Chromecast builtin, MediaSuite TVs for hospitality have surpassed 100,000 - quickly becoming the go-to choice for some of the world’s leading hotels. First teased at ISE 2019 and on sale across EMEA since July of the same year, the Philips’ MediaSuite range set a new standard in control, personalisation and entertainment for the hotel industry, becoming the world’s first premium professional TVs

traditional linear viewing. Existing HFL5014 and HFL6014 Philips MediaSuite customers received their first complimentary software upgrade in Autumn 2020, bringing the latest features and security enhancements from PPDS and third-party partners – including the addition of Netflix-ready functionality and Google Assistant’s voice control.

The upgrade also gives access to thousands of apps on Google Play, such as local news,

hospitality industry due to the global pandemic today and we’re delighted that our strategy is able to provide some relief to both new and existing customers with our ‘Extended Lifetime’ guarantee. Our latest upgrade, which included the Netflix-ready integration, has been a great success and shows a great business case for choosing MediaSuite, with reduced cost of ownership and sustainability at its core.”

Racape added: “This year we

First teased at ISE 2019 and on sale across EMEA since July of the same year, the Philips’ MediaSuite range set a new standard in control, personalisation and entertainment for the hotel industry, becoming the world’s first premium professional TVs to feature Chromecast built-in. to feature Chromecast built-in.

Installed in a number of leading hotels across the globe in 2020 – as well as a number of hospitals and even in student accommodation – Philips MediaSuite pro TVs were designed with the future in mind. To provide premium picture performance and to help hoteliers maximise their RoI, reducing unnecessary hardware upgrades and replacements, while maintaining a consistent experience in every room, regardless of age.

Built on an Android TVTM OS, these Philips-branded hospitality TVs carry PPDS’ unique ‘Extended Lifetime’ promise, ensuring all MediaSuites, whether purchased today, last week or even last year, are able to offer a consistent experience, keeping pace with guest expectations, including how they would prefer to consume content – via casting, streaming or

weather and traffic information, as well as content streaming from providers such as YouTube, Deezer and Spotify, plus Disney+ and Netflix. Such innovations have proven to be of significant benefit to hoteliers impacted by the current climate, offering significant cost savings both today and in the future.

Franck Racapé, Commercial Vice President EMEA, PPDS, commented: “When we launched the Philips MediaSuite at ISE 2019 it was the culmination of years of extensive research and discussion with hotels, whether small independents or multi-national groups, to understand and to provide a solution that meets their own and their guest needs, not just for today, but into the future, too.

“We could never have envisaged then the financial pressures being placed on the

have introduced our HFL5114 and HFL6114 ranges, with new sizes and even more features.

These new Philips MediaSuite TVs come pre-installed with exciting new features and functionality for an enhanced and more personalised user experience. These include Google Assistant’s voice control functionality, latest security updates, and a more personalised and intelligent content selection.

Plus, the ability to embed Netflix – the world’s most popular streaming platform with more than 203 million paid memberships – allowing users to enjoy seamless access to all their favourite movies and shows. “We have been overwhelmed by the response from the market and we’re delighted that MediaSuite is bringing incredible benefits to more than 100,000* hotel rooms and millions of guests around the world.”

Avaya enables businesses to leverage cloud communications Avaya and RingCentral Inc. (have announced global expansion and new features for Avaya Cloud Office by RingCentral as customer adoption continues to grow. Now available in 13 countries, Avaya Cloud Office is a UCaaS solution that reduces cost and complexity while empowering workforces to call and connect across any device and work environment.

Nearly 72 percent of businesses have been rethinking how they work and 74 percent of businesses say they are focused more on unified communications since the pandemic, but many organisations are still lacking a cloud-based unified communications solution that can meet the needs for people working across multiple locations and devices.

Alta California Regional Centre (ACRC) is a nonprofit corporation assisting over 25,000 clients with intellectual, physical and developmental disabilities. ACRC chose Avaya Cloud Office to transition 600 employees across 9 locations from their on-premises phone system to a more flexible cloud communication solution and continue providing its important services for clients and their families. “We wanted a well-known player in the industry who was rock-solid. With Avaya, we knew we’d get that from them with their cloud solution. They have been great to work with from start to finish,” explained Phil Adams, IT Engineer, ACRC. “Avaya has opened our eyes to what’s possible during and after the pandemic in terms of how work gets done. Now that we have Avaya Cloud Office, we’re re-evaluating our remote work policy for the long-haul.

Our clients depend on us for critical resources and care, pandemic or not. Our teams can communicate and collaborate a lot faster now than they could previously, which is helping our clients feel more confident in their relationships with us. At the same time, we’re saving in terms of costs and productivity.

It’s a win-win.”

Avaya Cloud Office continues to add new features and functionality in a flexible and reliable package, and additional capabilities announced today include: •Team Connect: Enables users to quickly reach the teams they work with most often, as easily as possible, in both the mobile and desktop app. This

Utelogy and TwistedPair develop partnership Utelogy Corporation has announced a solutions partnership with TwistedPair to offer a powerful workplace analytics platform providing simple and easy management and monitoring of an organisation’s AV and UC estate. By embedding the Utelogy platform into TwistedPair’s existing service offering, Intuition, it will provide businesses with real-time analytics

of their workplace technology including monitoring devices, rooms, systems, connectivity status, and usage across multiple locations, using a single ‘agnostic’ platform.

“This partnership with TwistedPair gives us the opportunity to provide enterprises with the tools they need to remotely fix issues within 2-3 minutes, enhance productivity and per-

P12AV AVNews NewsMay November P4 2021 2019

formance as well as provide measurable and actionable business intelligence,” explains Jonathan Mangnall, Managing Director, EMEA at Utelogy.

As a multi-service provider, TwistedPair can now not only supply the network, infrastructure, telecommunications, and audio visual but also provide a complete service umbrella to

manage the workplace remotely, maintain uptime (and expedite resolution when there are issues), and most importantly, maximise a customer’s investment in technology by providing real-time analytics on the usage of a customer’s technology real estate.

“Working with Utelogy ensures that TwistedPair can offer a single platform to monitor,

capability is a simple way to launch conversations from the Avaya Cloud Office meetings calendar from either the desktop or mobile, at the touch of a button conveniently located beside the calendar entry. Team Connect differentiates Avaya Cloud Office from alternative solutions, with intuitive, oneclick accessibility.

•Customizable key layout: Avaya J-Series device users can configure and personalize their phone key layout, an especially valuable feature for Avaya customers who want to continue using their existing endpoint devices as they do today. An intuitive graphical user interface makes it easy to create and even easier to use.

•Salesforce Integration: Inbound and outbound calling, as well as call controls, are now natively enabled from inside the Salesforce platform.

•Multi-Account Administration: Centralises access to multiple accounts, enabling a single login to access and switch between a number of accounts through the account management portal. This makes managing multiple customers easier than ever for partners and agents.

•Conversation Folders: Colour-coded conversation folders are used to group and sort important messages for faster retrieval and more control over access to previous conversations. This is particularly important when messages contain detailed information, instructions, or frequently referenced content.

“Avaya Cloud Office has evolved significantly over the past year and has enabled many businesses to successfully transition to the cloud and gain the agility they need to withstand the pressures of today's challenging social and economic environment,” said Elka Popova, Vice President – Information & Communications Technologies, Frost & Sullivan.

“The new capabilities added to Avaya Cloud Office are likely to deliver considerable productivity and efficiency benefits to end users and IT admins alike. Avaya Cloud Office is enabling organisations of all sizes to effortlessly move away from on-premise systems to the benefits of cloud communications.”

Educational institutions have embraced Avaya Cloud Office to centralise and streamline communications as well as keep

manage and support our customers regardless of location or the equipment they use.

This partnership with Utelogy offers a smart system that will dramatically improve the user experience for your employees in the workplace and ensures that customers can manage AV solutions across the globe from one centralised platform,” comments Oliver Hall, Managing Director at TwistedPair.

staff and students connected.

Founded in 1897, Lincoln Memorial University has expanded to multiple campus locations across two states and chose Avaya to digitally transform its business. “In moving to Avaya Cloud Office it’s like we jumped a decade in terms of technology, and it’s had a major impact in our business,” said Michael Disney, CTO at Lincoln Memorial University. “Before, we were using multiple systems for things like voicemail, SMS and fax. Being able to tie everything together with Avaya Cloud Office enabled us to rid ourselves of the cost and management of those other systems which also makes our workday so much easier. It’s amazing to have an app that we can use on our personal cell phone for calling, texting, listening to work voicemails, and joining meetings from anywhere. This has increased our ability to be responsive and mobile which during these times are important services for students, staff, and administration.”

“Avaya Cloud Office continues to generate tremendous return on investment for our customers, who appreciate the flexibility and reliability the solution provides,” said Dennis Kozak, SVP, Global Channel Sales, Avaya. “With 71 percent of tech decision makers reporting faster adoption of new technologies in their organizations, Avaya Cloud Office provides customers a seamless and intuitive UCaaS solution that can streamline communications. Avaya Cloud Office is enabling organizations of all kinds, across the globe, to quickly and seamlessly manage communications across multiple devices.”

Avaya Cloud Office was recently recognised with the 2020 Unified Communications Excellence Award and a 2020 Communications Solution of the Year Award for enabling enterprises to leverage cloud communications to digitally transform their workforce engagement. Digital.com has also named Avaya Cloud Office as one of the Best Business Phone Services of 2021 for its calling and meeting features, as well as service plans, a cost-saving equipment management model, SIP trunking, extensive support and the Best VOIP Phone Services Of 2020 based on the variety of feature-rich, cloudbased phone system packages.

SELECT YOUR AUDIO TECHNOLOGY PREFERENCES:

MXN5W-C

Networked Loudspeaker

FULLY NETWORKED SINGLE VENDOR SUPPORT SCALABLE STREAMLINED DEPLOYMENT ALL OF THE ABOVE

MXA710

Linear Array Microphone

MXA

Network Mute Button

Shure Networked Audio Solutions for conferencing deliver everything you and your clients could want.

Complete the signal chain with audio capture, processing and reinforcement all from a single manufacturer. Microflex® Advance™ Array Microphones, IntelliMix® DSP and Microflex™ Networked Loudspeakers create a complete ecosystem with unmatched ease of deployment.

Explore the Shure audio ecosystem at shure.com/ecosystem

Business news

UC division of ELink Distribution AG joins Midwich Group Midwich Group, via its German based AV distributor, Kern & Stelly Medientechnik GmbH (“Kern & Stelly”) has acquired the Unified Communications (“UC”) division of Hamburg-based ELink Distribution AG (“ELink”). ELink provides audio-visual communication and network solutions to trade customers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland (“DACH”), and is renowned for its technical support and expertise. The business is an established value-added distributor of leading manufacturer partners such as Poly, Lifesize, and DTEN. ELink also acts as the distributor and master agent for Zoom Video Communications, Inc. (“Zoom”) licenses in the DACH region. As of today, existing customers of Kern & Stelly and ELink, will have access to the Zoom portfolio, including licenses and Zoom recommended hardware.

ELink’s 30 employees and 20

manufacturers will further expand Kern & Stelly's expertise in the UC sector. The founders and directors of ELink, Roman Klinke and Daniel Ebeling, will lead the newly formed UC competence centre at Kern & Stelly. The acquisition of ELink enhances the Midwich Group’s UC offering in the DACH region and underlines its investment in this strategically important and fast-growing technology category.

Lutz Kern, Regional Director (DACH), Midwich Group, commented: !With the acquisition of the UC division of ELink Distribution AG, it demonstrates our continued investment into a rapidly growing market and expands our AV expertise within Unified Communications. Thanks to its portfolio of leading manufacturers, we can develop a comprehensive and exciting range of services in the UC sector for both new and existing customers. The

ELink range complements our existing portfolio, and we can offer holistic solutions for conference, meeting and training rooms. The ELink employees are experts in their field and ensure individual advice and personal support for video conferencing solutions. I am very pleased to welcome the new colleagues to the Kern & Stelly team.”

Roman Klinke, CEO of ELink Distribution AG commented: “Kern & Stelly is a leading distributor in the DACH AV market. The integration of our UC team into Kern & Stelly helps us to realize the full market potential for our UC manufacturer partners. The Midwich Group also shares our values in supporting our employees and customers – this new partnership will strengthen the relationship with our long-standing partners.”

ed, comprehensive workflow for virtual production that is scalable to any production size and technical needs; flexible for fast changes, creative exploration and last-minute decision-making; and robust and reliable as it builds on established disguise technology.

disguiseVP aims to make virtual production even more accessible, allowing teams to bring technically demanding projects to life with confidence.

Once productised, disguiseVP will further extend the company’s virtual production offerings beyond the state of the

art with unrivalled quality and expedited workflows. The newly launched disguise r18 software is the most advanced in integration of Unreal Engine to date, unlocking extended reality and virtual production for the general public.

Safety and security communications specialist Halo Solutions has partnered with global intelligence expert Horus Security to support businesses, venues, arenas and stadia in the fight against organised crime, violent crime, strategic protest, terrorism, and extremism, as well as traditional health and safety threats.

Horus delivers bespoke intelligence-led services and security solutions via its global team of

on. This makes Horus a natural fit for us as we expand into new markets. Downstream, as businesses receive intelligence products, The Halo System is far superior to email for managing real-time decision making as strategic, tactical and operational managers implement their action plans.

“During my policing career, I have had an awareness of Horus going back to 2012. I have regularly observed, from the out-

ship between Horus and Halo will aim to combine our many years of experience and intelligent security solutions to guide businesses, organisations, and their associated projects through a new era of security requirements at large-scale events. We see the Halo platform as being the most reliable and efficient solution to deliver our intelligence product."

The Halo System has so far kept millions of event goers

Halo Solutions partners with Horus Security

disguise receives UK government funding Disguise is receiving research and development funding from Innovate UK to expand its work in virtual production. Innovate UK is part of the United Kingdom Research and Innovation organisation whose purpose is to accelerate UK economic growth by stimulating and supporting business-led inno-

mainly virtual production, disguiseVP is targeted to a totally immersive virtual production environment where extensive control and fast calibration lead to more informed decisions on set, improved collaboration and absolutely uncompromising results.

“The funding from InnovateUK

ed the contrast between 2019, when the global virtual production market was valued at USD $1,260.5 million and projected to register an annual growth rate of 15.8% from 2020 to 2027.

Virtual production is increasingly being adopted by film and episodic TV crews due to a de-

experienced multilingual re- side, the positive difference the safe, reduced insurance premiThe Halo System will become the first C3i platform on the market with a direct feed to real-time information, from a bank of intelligence experts.

vation. It invests in the best game-changing and commercially viable disruptive ideas through the investigation and prototyping phases. With the grant, disguise will focus on pure research, outside its usual engineering innovation work, while maintaining a development timeline that is highly competitive within the technology sector.

The disguiseVP R&D project focuses on scalability and flexibility as key improvements to the current disguise workflow. This will enable disguise to deliver the highest quality real-time scenes in Unreal Engine, while preserving the platform’s well-known robustness and reliability. Addressing

enables us to have a team focussed on our long-term R&D roadmap which maintains our ability to push beyond the boundaries of the present state of the art. disguiseVP is specifically focussed on making improvements to the calibration, rendering efficiency and image quality of the disguise virtual production solution. When integrated into our product, these advancements will be game changing.” says Abi Bowman, Chief of Staff at disguise, who oversees the project.

Virtual production is experiencing explosive growth, which experts predict will continue through the decade. Earlier in 2021, business analysts at Grand View Research highlight-

P12AV P6 AVNews NewsMay November 2021 2019

mand for incredibly high-quality and VFX-heavy productions.

This new wave of production, accelerated by the increasing accessibility and popularity of games engines like Unreal Engine in film, has led to a strong competition between streaming platforms and film studios to deliver content to an audience that is spoiled for choice. Moreover, the impact of COVID-19 on physical production has only heightened producers’ strive to avoid a “content desert.”

Offering time and cost efficiencies, virtual production allows for more products to reach the market sooner and at a reduced cost.

The disguiseVP project is designed to deliver an integrat-

searchers, analysts and investigators to better inform business decision making. The partnership will see The Halo System, which streamlines biosecurity, counter-terrorism, health and safety, communications and tasking for an infinite range of incidents and procedures, become the first C3i platform on the market with a direct feed to real-time information, from a bank of intelligence experts.

Halo Solutions' CEO and Co-Founder Lloyd Major says: “At Halo, we believe the best decisions are made when people have the best information and intelligence to base them

team can make to their clients lives and businesses. Providing reassurance, context, expert advice and information on a broad range of subjects, their professional ethics are second to none and I've always been impressed with their dedication to helping others. They are the best at what they do and this is a great partnership for both companies.”

This is another world first for Halo and a unique integration for the Halo System and third new integration to launch so far this year, with many more to come. Horus' MD, Jonathan Whiteley adds: "The partner-

ums and other costs as well as being credited with saving lives at carnivals, marathons and skiing events across Europe since its inception. It's a three part system but it's the uniquely designed mobile app which gives it the operational edge in the market. It has been proven to save lives, save time and save money, every day. Standing up to scrutiny from Safety Advisory Groups, Insurance Brokers and Coroner's Court, it's the perfect audit trail producing digital, tamper-proof logs for evidence in any investigation.

Trinnov home automation Driver Suite with Crestron Home Driver Trinnov home automation Driver Suite with Crestron Home Driver Trinnov completes its line-up of home automation drivers with the release of the fully certified Crestron Home driver by partner, Janus Technology. This driver is available free of charge from both the Crestron and Janus Technology Dealer Portals.

Trinnov Audio, pioneers of

Immersive Audio processing for the last 20 years, has furthered its automation support by adding Crestron Home to its line-up of automation drivers.

Crestron Home is fast being adopted by automation dealers and provides a simplified, but no less powerful, alternative to the full Crestron platform. This broadens its appeal to dealers by providing a quicker program-

ming platform that's easier to modify making it ideally suited to single room solutions, such as home theatres, or as part of a whole home control solution.

This driver completes the line-

continued on page 8

Headline news

Sharp/NEC enhances digital signage CTOUCH UK partners with Mozaik with new Raspberry Pi MediaPlayer Education Sharp NEC Display Solutions Europe has launched a new MPi4 NEC MediaPlayer Kit to augment large format display

technology with a pre-installed Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 running the NEC MediaPlayer.

play expert to just plug it in and gain access to a world of new capabilities.”

The beauty of the NEC Medi-

Sharp NEC Display Solutions Europe has launched a new MPi4 NEC MediaPlayer Kit to augment large format display solutions, giving customers access to an advanced media player solution and content management system (CMS) capabilities. solutions, giving customers access to an advanced media player solution and content management system (CMS) capabilities. When bundled with any new NEC large format display, the MediaPlayer kit is ideally placed to meet the needs of retail, quick-service restaurants, transportation and corporate environments as well as leisure and museum applications.

The NEC MediaPlayer is an intuitive, modular plug-and-play digital signage solution that’s easy to use and customise. It comes pre-installed on a 32GB NEC Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 to swiftly integrate or retrofit inside any NEC large format display that offers the slot for Raspberry Pi CM4. The new NEC MESSAGE Series MPi4 line-up displays already combine professional display

The MediaPlayer allows the smooth, remote operation of individual or multiple screen setups, browser-based playlists, content distribution and centralised device management.

For specific feature demands, the MediaPlayer also grants easy switching to third-party CMSs directly.

Erik Elbert, Senior Product Manager Large Format Displays and Computing Technologies at Sharp NEC Display Solutions Europe, said: “With the MPi4 NEC MediaPlayer kit, immersive real-time visual experiences are faster and easier to set up than ever. It will greatly help our customers present dynamic, up-to-date information and advertising to their target audiences. We consider our MPi4 display bundles as an out-of-the-box solution – you don’t need to be a digital dis-

aPlayer is its modular infrastructure, which integrates new features and applications.

Nils Karsten, Strategic Alliance Manager at Sharp NEC Display Solutions Europe, said: “A key, unique feature of our MediaPlayer is its ability to operate as a hub for partner companies like easescreen, Xogo, Yodeck, Info-Beamer, Rise Vision – just to name a few of our Alliance Partners. There are more than 15 CMS systems integrated, allowing the user a smooth installation of the respective CMS system – directly from our MediaPlayer. Markets and requirements constantly change.

We can even extend the functionality and enhance performance - without the need to alter the base infrastructure of the signage solution.”

Touchscreen manufacturer CTOUCH has announced an official partnership with one of the World’s leading Educational Software developers Mozaik Education in the UK. The software is renowned for producing an extensive range of incredibly detailed 3D content for education of all levels covering audio files, 3D multimedia content, static images, and lesson plans. The software boasts some impressive figures for educators and learners alike, with 40 languages, 1258 3D scenes, 119 tools and games, 1094 videos and 250 digital lessons to name a few.

Gregg Ringer, Head of Market Development for CTOUCH UK commented, “This is such an exciting element to the already comprehensive package that comes with the CTOUCH Riva.

The software caters for the occasional user that simply requires a wide range of in-class whiteboarding tools, all the way up to advanced users wanting to create the most immersive subject specific education content I have ever seen. It is genuinely incredible!”

CTOUCH already takes a unique approach to their propositions by partnering with other manufacturers that are best in their field, so they can offer the very best solution for education customers. Their existing partnerships with TrilbyTV, Radix, JBL, Microsoft and others are enviable, and this latest addition is a real win for customers.

Ringer continued, “Last year especially has shown us that the power of many can bring about great things, and we certainly subscribe to this in our business as well. We are specialists in touchscreen manufacturing and have been

for nearly 20 years. Rather than trying to dabble in audio, software, or digital signage, we forge powerful alliances with others who are the very best in these areas. What the customer receives is an incredible solution where every element offers specific value for their industry”.

Dr Ildikó Török, Business Development Director at Mozaik Education, hopes that this cooperation between the companies will help with the creation of an effective environment for education. “Mozaik Education is focusing on addressing teachers' needs for innovative

in a more engaging way” said Dr. Török.

The Mozaik software will be bundled free of charge with the CTOUCH Riva, and until the 30th of July will include a 3-year license to the incredible online resources. The CTOUCH Riva is an all-in-one touchscreen platform, specifically designed for education. With the CTOUCH Riva any user will be able to easily share their screen to the audience, write the smartest ideas on the instant whiteboard and truly inspire everyone in the room. This touchscreen’s operating system is based on

Touchscreen manufacturer CTOUCH has announced an official partnership with one of the World’s leading Educational Software developers Mozaik Education in the UK. and helpful content since it was established as a textbook publisher 30 years ago. Education today faces challenges worldwide. The question today is not only what to teach; it is just as important to decide how and in what form we should pass on knowledge to future generations. Our MozaBook software aims to support those who want help to teach the study materials more easily and

Android 8.0. The display is equipped with high quality Triple S glass and comes with TrueBeam Touch technology, which ensures the most natural handwriting experience. It includes Digital Signage software from TrilbyTV, Mobile Device Management Software from Radix, 2 x 40-Watt speakers from JBL and a 7-year warranty.

Control digital signage and interactive touchscreens with ClevertouchLive Clevertouch has released ClevertouchLive - a new digital signage Content Management Platform (CMP) that will challenge the norm and deliver revolutionary technology to enhance the user and audience experience. ClevertouchLive is a cutting-edge solution, there is no other platform on the market with advanced features designed to create a truly effortless experience for users and satisfies the demand for different functionality moving in to a Post-Covid world.

The new cloud-based software seamlessly integrates the technology manufacturers award winning Digital Ecosystem range enabling customers to manage all their Clevertouch devices from a single content management platform.

The Digital Ecosystem is comprised of digital signage, room booking and interactive collabora-

tion panels.

With ClevertouchLive users can: • Connect and manage all their devices from a single cloud account • Personalise their dashboards

to access the features they use most frequently • Customise the User Interface based on the functionality of their connected devices • Manage Meeting Rooms • Collaborate and push content

to all signage and interactive screens The user interface features of ClevertouchLive include: • Drag & Drop Content Editor • Template Editor • Design Creation Tools

• Instant Messaging • Emergency Alert Messaging • Scheduling of messages Inspired by the challenges over the past twelve months, a range of non-touch features have been included within the CMP to encourage engagement and interaction with audiences using their own personal devices.

• Interactive QR Code Display • Content Triggering from personal Mobile Devices “We are excited about our new entry into the market, this single sign on platform will truly be one the first to bring all our digital signage, interactive screens and software together.

We truly believe this is an industry game changer and will raise the functionality expectations of end users to a higher level, a level we are leading,” said Mark Starkey, CEO Clevertouch Technologies.

The Digital Ecosystem has

been a success and the new ClevertouchLive takes it to another level ensuring it will be a winner in the marketplace as an extremely compelling and holistic solution for many industry sectors.

AV News May 2021 P7

Business news continued from page 6

Trinnov home automation Driver Suite with Crestron Home Driver up, for all the major control systems, with drivers available for: • Crestron/Crestron Home • Control4 • RTI • Elan • AMX • Savant (inhouse) David Meyerowitz - Technical Sales Manager EU - Trinnov Audio elaborates; “We have been working with Janus Technology for a number of years now. We believe this is the best way to provide the most reliable and fully featured drivers for our dealers. Trinnov Audio are primarily a software company yes, but we concede that automation is a specialist field.”

“Therefore, we turn to Richard Caton and his team of engineers to provide the development and support for these drivers. They provide many drivers for many manufacturers so are ideally positioned to provide these services for us and allow us to use our precious R&D resources to concentrate on what we know best.”

Richard Caton, Owner of Janus Technology, adds; “We were pleased to be chosen by Trinnov Audio to develop their latest

tionality. We look forward to working with Trinnov and supporting their dealers with their integrations, and extending the

integration for Crestron Home.

The solution we developed provides a simple integration of Trinnov into the standard AVR interface in Crestron Home, and complements this with an extension driver, allowing the end user more bespoke control of the powerful advanced features available in the Altitude platform such as Preset and advanced Sound mode func-

capabilities our drivers as the Altitude platform and Crestron Home evolve.”

Automation plays a key role in the final delivery of the home cinema. Having the ability to control many different operations seamlessly at the touch of a single button makes the whole user experience that much more enjoyable and convenient.

TIG opens Experience Space in Johannesburg, South Africa Technological Innovations Group (TIG) is continuing on its track to deliver Experience Spaces throughout EMEA, with the launch of TIG South Africa.

Situated in Johannesburg, the new showroom is ready to welcome integrators, consultants, specifiers and end-users from across the region, who wish to explore TIG's portfolio of smart space solutions.

of AV, UC, IT and control solutions integrates. TIG's solutions work together to form bespoke bundles that match the client's exact brief, whilst helping integrators deploy superior, tailor-made and futureproof smart spaces in a wide range of environments.

The technologies available to explore in the Johannesburg Experience Space are built

is planning to host bespoke, personalised events in its Johannesburg Experience Space, offering an intimate and Covidsafe platform to discover how its portfolio integrates harmoniously with Crestron's solutions.

These events will see safety measures in place as well as virtual elements to reach those unable to travel. TIG has also built a Virtual Experience

AVer Europe partners with Icecat AVer Europe has announced that its product content is now available to channel partners via the Icecat platform.

Through its partnership with Icecat, a leading publisher and syndicator of product information worldwide, retailers and partners of AVer Europe are now able to freely access product datasheets, marketing materials and rich media assets.

The content is easy to access, standardised and available in a range of languages via the Icecat catalogue.

Following AVer Europe’s recent

distribution agreement extension with audio-visual distributor Midwich Group, this partnership with Icecat is another move to support its channel partners in delivering quality conferencing and audio-visual solutions to organisations across Europe.

Rene Buhay, Senior VP of Sales & Marketing at AVer Europe comments: “We are pleased to inform our customers that all our video conferencing and education products are now available on Icecat, in all European languages. Most of our

customers are already users of the Icecat platform. AVer Europe is now making it easier for them by setting up this strong partnership with Icecat.”

Icecat also offers AVer Europe’s partners the opportunity to integrate this product content into their own e-commerce platforms. “AVer Europe is a great addition to the Open Icecat catalog given its strong presence in the AV industry,” said Filip Van Ryn, Country Manager for Belgium at Icecat.

MAXHUB launches brand cross Europe Challenging conventions with collaborative technology, MAXHUB solutions enhance meeting and learning environments in the post COVID era. European-based customers can now experience these award-winning products as MAXHUB bring their solutions into the region for the first time.

Since 2017, MAXHUB has rapidly transformed meeting spaces and learning hubs across Asia Pacific with their cutting-edge visual solutions designed to facilitate compelling meetings with video conferencing products that connect people, whether working remotely or in the meeting room.

Darren Lin, General Manager, “MAXHUB’s strength centres on creating solutions that feature the very latest in smart technology, solutions that are

designed to bring people together to enjoy more. We have a broad ecosystem of products designed for the corporate market that each enhance the user experience through simplicity, useability and efficiency.”

Featuring an all-in-one design, MAXHUB LED walls create an immersive meeting or auditorium experience, delivering crystal clear visuals and including innovative features such as wireless sharing from up to four devices and a builtin android platform. With sizes ranging from 110” to 220”, MAXHUB LED solutions can be installed from the ceiling, on a wall and even on a mobile stand, making them ultra-diverse for a range of applications and use cases.

MAXHUB’s range of UCC products fit every type of working scenario, unifying in-room

and remote participants, keeping them engaged on every task. The comprehensive range includes web cameras for the home office and those adopting hybrid working practices. PTZ cameras are ideal for executive meeting spaces and all-in-one UC soundbars, simplifying video collaboration regardless of location.

Operating a channel-only model across EMEA, MAXHUB will support partners with sales consultants based in Germany, UK, France, Spain and Italy with virtual support for all other European countries. “We have seen the MAXHUB brand grow from strength to strength in the last five years in our territories around the world. We are excited to now be able to bring our expertise in product innovation, customer-centric approach and

Peerless-AV - new distributor in India Peerless-AV has announced the appointment of leading AV equipment distributor Pro Radio Networks LLP for the Indian market. With headquarters in Bangalore, and branch

offices in Mumbai and Chennai, Pro Radio Networks serves resellers and integrators across all the major metropolitan cities. The distributor’s reputation and long-standing relationships

with Tier 1 consultants is exemplary and central to opening new specification and tender opportunities for Peerless-AV. Year on year growth in the Indian market has resulted in

Technological Innovations Group (TIG) is continuing on its track to deliver Experience Spaces throughout EMEA, with the launch of TIG South Africa. Situated in Johannesburg, The Johannesburg Experience Space is located at: Hampton Office Park, Atterbury House, 20 Georgian Crescent, East Bryanston, Johannesburg, South Africa. Guests can book their one-to-one appointment with the most relevant TIG specialist by going to: https:// tig.eu/booking-form . TIG is committed to adhering to local Covid-safety and social distancing regulations in all of its Experience Spaces, and is dedicated to hosting safe meetings.

The opening follows the launch of TIG's Frankfurt, London and Paris Experience Spaces, all of which are designed to give visitors a firsthand demonstration of how TIG's impressive ecosystem

around the complete Crestron offering and include: Collaboration and residential smart space technology from Crestron, including: Flex, NVX, XiO Cloud, Crestron One, Crestron Lighting, DM Lite, Crestron Teams phones, Mercury, Room scheduling and Airmedia Stylish keypads for the hotel and home from Black Nova The Desk Sign and Blynclight ranges from Embrava, which display employee and workspace availability, Remote monitoring and power distribution solutions from GUDE User-friendly workspace management software from NFS. Luxury custom switches and sockets for the hotel and home from Rhombus Europe Over the coming months, TIG

P12AV P8 AVNews NewsMay November 2021 2019

Space, an immersive online space as part of its website, which delivers an engaging and life-like experience.

Rupert Denoon, TIG's Regional Director for Africa, comments: “We're so excited to bring TIG's portfolio of smart space solutions directly to our customers here in South Africa! We're here every day to provide Covid-safe tours of our new showroom, so you can enjoy private demos and see our solutions in action.

Give us a call, drop us a line or book your visit on TIG's website. We look forward to welcoming all our valued partners, clients and end-users to discuss your projects and provide a solutions-based, futureproof approach with Crestron at the core!”

Raghavendra R, Business head and Co-owner of Pro Radio Networks (left), and Justin Joy, Senior Manager Sales, MEA & India

Business news the expansion of Peerless-AV’s channel network and strengthening of local support. The Indian AV market is currently being driven by AV consultants and many multinational companies setting up in India approach consultants to help implement their technical infrastructure.

Pro Radio Networks is ideally positioned to target these new opportunities, currently providing local support across most southern, northern and western regions of India.

“The partnership with Pro Radio Networks is already proving a mutual success, helping us to win many projects with multinationals moving overseas branches to major cities in India,” said Keith Dutch, Managing Director – EMEA, Peer-

less-AV. “The distributor’s good rapport with consultants will be a key driver for growth since customers will have access to our high quality, premium products backed by superior customer and technical support from a trusted local source.”

“Peerless-AV is a valuable and complementary addition to our portfolio of AV brands and we are very happy to be selling all categories of the manufacturer’s product range, with a primary focus on mounting and kiosk solutions,” commented Raghavendra R, Business head and Co-owner of Pro Radio Networks.

NEC provides the ‘Perfect Fit’ for resellers Due to an increasing number of strategic changes within the telecoms industry in the last few months, many resellers are turning to NEC for new opportunities. NEC Enterprise Solutions, global leader in Communications & IT Solutions, have recruited fifty-plus resellers in the UK channel alone this year along with numerous others from the rest of Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Remaining committed to

BLUE cloud solution going forwards.”

Other distributors including Italian Distributor Easy Com are joining forces. Gianluca Marinucci, General Manager enthuses, “We are particularly proud to become distributor for NEC in Italy, the Global No.1 in the IP-PBX Call Control market. The broad and powerful portfolio of this world leader enables us to further expand our offering in

the Unified Communications market and reseller channel, NEC’s communications portfolio offers the choice of premise-based systems, hybrid and the latest cloud-based UNIVERGE BLUE UCaaS solution.

NEC is recognized as worldwide leader in the small and medium sized business call control (PBX-IP PBX) market for the last six years in a row.

Coventry-based HBT Communications, a successful UK reseller with over 30 years experience in telecoms, is one of the latest NEC Partners to be on-boarded. MD Ajmal Hussain explains: “NEC is a perfect fit for us – we would recommend them to other resellers.”

Adopting both the SL2100 small business PBX and SV9100 communications platform for SMBs, HBT have made full use of the online training for sales and technical teams.

Ajmal continues, “We’ve enjoyed a smooth transition thanks to the NEC Partner Program along with excellent support from distribution. The demand for IP / VoIP technology and homeworking capabilities the NEC portfolio provide are very strong in the marketplace.’ He adds: ‘We will also be investigating the UNIVERGE

the market and with NEC we expect to address the increasing demand in our market and fuel further growth.”

The South African channel has also benefitted including Huge Management. Andy Openshaw, Chief Operating Officer at Huge Group says: “NEC’s strong, long standing history and commitment to business communications, the company’s financial stability and their dedication to offer a rich choice of solutions to address current and future market needs, were decisive reasons for us to seek this partnership.”

Exertis announces new custom install hub Exertis has today announced a new sales team and dedicated online hub to provide specialised support to the custom installation and smart technology markets.

The new team brings together dedicated experts to help new and existing customers expand their proficiency and offering in the rapidly developing custom installation market, and to provide a market-leading ‘one-stop shop’ for companies providing installed CI/AV and home automation solutions.

Known informally as Exertis One, the new team will provide professional support to installers, spec-

ifiers, consultants, contractors, CEDIA members, independents, and smart home specialists, and the Exertis One portfolio will feature major brands from consumer and domestic networking, smart home, audio visual, and smart energy.

Caroline Hope, Commercial Director – Consumer, Exertis, says, “We are extremely excited to be launching this support for the smart tech and custom install community. We are bringing together the best brands and solutions to present to this vibrant channel, and our knowledgeable and dedicated team stands ready to assist on all brand and tech-

nical enquiries. The reality is that our custom install and smart tech customers will now only need one account manager to be able to access a broad array of experience, and complementary iconic brands.”

The new team will bring the smartest brands in emerging market opportunities to the market, including outdoor technology, CCTV, smart security and smart doorbells; and an extensive and growing portfolio of manufacturers including Sonos, Swann, Hive, Devolo and Google Nest, with more brand additions immi-

nent.

“The focus of our dedicated team will be to expand the portfolio and revenue potential of each customer, and to add opportunity and value to each of their businesses in this sector,” says Jon Sutherland, Director of Sales, Retail, Exertis. “Exertis’s position at the forefront of the custom install and smart technology market means we can bring emerging opportunities to custom installers in a swift manner, helping our customers to thrive.”

Opinion

New research reveals key opportunities for channel partners Research conducted by channel technology firms Giacom, Digital Wholesale Solutions (DWS) and Union Street across 200 small business leaders reveals nearly 70% are feeling overwhelmingly positive about the prospects for their businesses moving forwards. Additionally, 67% are confident in their company’s growth prospects through 2021. This survey comes after a challenging previous 12-months for many UK businesses, as a consequence of the pandemic on the economy.

The research also points out that UK businesses expect to increase their IT spend in 2021 as they look to improve operational efficiency and access more markets to give them a competitive advantage. But, they admit can’t do this alone and 37% say the most helpful thing a technology supplier can do for them is assist with making the right investments in technology. This presents a key opportunity for channel partners to become trusted advisors to customers, as they support them with remote working and digital transformation needs.

During the first lockdown, businesses rushed to put temporary fixes in place to get employees working from home.

Now, awake to the fact that this change in the way everyone works is here to stay, many SMBs recognise a need to invest in remote working long term. Therefore, research respondents provided four clear and immediate priorities related to remote working requirements; all of which the channel can support by aligning with a proven partner.

Making collaboration work for the long term – Most small businesses have now deployed either Zoom, for more consumer use, or Teams, for business use. They need help to understand what will work for the

long term; which is excellent to use and secure; all while creating a platform to do more.

Fixing home broadband – More than 40% of businesses are reporting problems with staff working at home, caused by poor networks. Over 60% say they are ready to invest to give their teams business-grade, secure connectivity at home.

Deploying a cloud or hosted telephone system – Many small businesses have run their businesses in lockdown by diverting their landline to their mobile.

Fixing this for the long term couldn’t be more straightforward, affordable and beneficial, helping to manage inbound calls on an all-in-one communication solution.

Joining together collaboration and communications – They want to connect their systems so as not to silo customers and staff.

Offering Voice Solutions allows partners to add a new revenue stream to their business, tapping into the multibillion-pound UK telephony market.

In addition, the research points out that 94% of business leaders recognise that further adaptations are required to support working from home. Once small businesses have sorted out their pressing remote working priorities, they need to figure out how to drive digital technology across their whole business, to improve the way they do everything for the long term. This means there is an incredible technology opportunity for the channel to help with: Storage in the cloud – Businesses now realise the liberation and flexibility they get when everything lives in the cloud and everything is connected to everything else.

Fibre and 5G – Businesses need a super-fast network to make this work, at home, on the move and in hubs, and with 5G and fibre rolling out fast, they will invest to get the best.

Steve Law, Chief Technology Officer, Giacom Security – Built into everything they use so they don’t need to worry about it.

Mobile and Microsoft 365 – Putting all those amazing apps into the palm of everyone’s hand.

Automation – Going systematically through the business and automating workflows – from filling in forms to ordering and ecommerce to HR processes Steve Law, Chief Technology Officer, Giacom said: “At DWS, Giacom and Union Street, we are encouraging channel partners to embrace this need for flexible working solutions, offering a comprehensive suite of products to address the needs of the home worker, from VoIP to collaboration apps, not to mention the underlying connectivity that supports it all.

“Although many MSPs are already making the most of the convergence opportunity, those not yet selling both IT and comms solutions are missing out. By offering a

portfolio of digital products and services that work together, the channel can capitalise on the remote working environment and help customers unlock hidden revenue with new technologies.”

AV News May 2021 P9

Application news

The Royal Shakespeare Company Blackmagic Design today announced that the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), a major theater company, implemented a live, multicamera production based upon the URSA Mini Pro 4.6K G2 and ATEM Television Studio Pro HD switcher to keep theater goers entertained.

Based in Shakespeare’s hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon, the RSC is known across the world and, before the pandemic, produced around 20 productions a year. The RSC played regularly in London, Stratford-upon-Avon, and on tour in the UK and internationally.

RSC’s Mark Kendrick says, “Our doors closed in March last year, and so far, we have been unable to reopen them to the public. With our doors set to remain closed through the winter, we looked to a digital first approach and live stream-

“One of the main challenges was, how do we give those productions the same buzz and feel as live theater?” explains Kendrick. “We had to create a workflow that combined our existing theater knowledge and practices with the principles of broadcast.”

“We pride ourselves on world class theater production,” adds Kendrick. “Whatever we did had to match the high standards our audiences have come to expect from us.”

He continues: “We decided to film each performance from the audience’s perspective, which meant getting out into the stalls. Every production has been slightly different, and so we adapted the camera positions to suit. However, as a general rule, we had two operated URSA Mini Pro cameras located centrally in the stalls, and a third provided an angled shot from the stage side. We also re“Our knowledge and understanding of how to capture live theater has grown considerably, and this has opened up ideas and conversations about what is possible to us post Covid,” concludes Kendrick. “We will always be a live venue, but this new knowledge could pave the way to reaching more audiences worldwide in the future.”

Press Photography Product photos for Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro 4.6K G2, ATEM Television Studio Pro HD, Blackmagic Micro Studio Camera 4K, Smart Videohub 12G 40x40, Teranex Mini Converters, HyperDeck Studio Pro, and all other Blackmagic Design products are available at www.blackmagicdesign.com/ uk/media/images. ing a series of plays performed on our main stage.”

The festival opened with a celebration of The Boy in The Dress, an adaptation of David Walliams’ book. The festival also features plays for public audiences and educational organizations, including adaptations of Shakespeare’s work by acclaimed author Michael Morpurgo.

lied on the Micro Studio Camera 4K to capture wide shots of the stage and auditorium.”

Actors now play to the camera instead of the house. “This has proved challenging in certain respects,” explains Kendrick.

“As there is also an obligation to keep the cast and crew safe and socially distanced. We also found that we had to approach lighting the stage differently

About Blackmagic Design to ensure we still got a quality look on screen.”

All the cameras are connected over SDI, routed to a Smart Videohub 12G 40x40, and vision mixed via an ATEM Television Studio Pro HD. Kendricks says, “The image quality from the URSA cameras is exceptional and we are im-

pressed with their build quality and reliability; the cameras often run for more than 12 hours a day, yet never miss a beat.

The workflow and integration with the software control and HyperDeck Studio Pro recorders allow us to create macros which made hitting show cues seamless.”

Blackmagic Design creates the world’s highest quality video editing products, digital film cameras, color correctors, video converters, video monitoring, routers, live production switchers, disk recorders, waveform monitors and real time film scanners for the feature film, post production and

television broadcast industries.

Blackmagic Design’s DeckLink capture cards launched a revolution in quality and affordability in post production, while the company’s Emmy™ award winning DaVinci color correction products have dominated the television and film industry since 1984. Blackmagic Design continues ground breaking innovations including 6G-SDI and 12G-SDI products and stereoscopic 3D and Ultra HD workflows. Founded by world leading post production editors and engineers, Blackmagic Design has offices in the USA, UK, Japan, Singapore and Australia. For more information, please go to www.blackmagicdesign.com/uk.

About The Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company creates theater at its best, made in Stratford-upon-Avon and shared around the world.

We produce an inspirational artistic program each year, setting Shakespeare in context, alongside the work of his contemporaries and today’s writers.

Wycombe Wanderers Football Club selects Vestel Visual Solutions as official audiovisual partner ing global manufacturer of professional display solutions, today announcesthat it has been fitted to enhance key supporter areas across the ground. Within the club shop, which fronts Adams Park, a 75” PDX75 screen provides a stunning window display, with 2500 NIT brightness ensuring incoming fans can see the latest content in vivid detail as they approach the stadium - visible even in the summer.

Within the store itself, a slimline 55” UHD model, alongside multiple 37” stretched dis-

London, 21 April 2021 - Vestel Visual Solutions, a leading global manufacturer of professional display solutions, today announces that it has been selected by Wycombe Wanderers FC as its official AV Partner.

Vestel’s digital signage and interactive displays have been deployed throughout Adams Park as part of a major infrastructural project to digitally transform the stadium and boost fan engagement.

Over 50 Vestel displays have Vestel Visual Solutions a lead-

P12 AV News May P10 November 2021 2019

plays, offer eye-capturing visuals to promote the latest club merchandise, as well as wider news from the club including ticketing information for upcoming matches.

Within the stadium itself, multiple bar areas including Monty’s Bar, Honours Lounge and the Vere Suite have been equipped with an array of vibrant digital signage solutions, which are expected to play an important role in encouraging supporters to spend more time in the stadium prior to kick-off,

or for the screening of away games. This is integral both in terms of building the prematch atmosphere, as well as from a business perspective, with matchday income making up a significant proportion of the club’s revenue.

Of particular importance is the club’s standard 3pm Saturday kick-offs, with many supporters often wishing to watch the earlier televised match prior to Wycombe’s game. With each of the key viewing areas across Adams Park now fitted with a

number of displays of varying resolution, brightness levels, and sizes - from 55" up to 86" fans are guaranteed a premium viewing experience when meeting at the stadium pre-match.

Menus within bar areas have also been upgraded from paper to digital, with the installation of 55” displays in portrait orientation.

“We’ve worked closely with Vestel to upgrade our AV offering across Adams Park, installing enhanced displays which provide a crisp and clear

viewing experience for supporters across all areas of the stadium,” said Neil Peters, Chief Commercial Officer, Wycombe Wanderers FC. “We can’t wait to welcome fans back to our home in due course for a vastly improved digital experience throughout the stadium, whether browsing in the club shop or soaking up the pre-match atmosphere in the concourse, bar or executive areas.”

“We‘re delighted to partner with Wycombe Wanderers FC, supporting the club’s efforts

THE SOLUTION THAT FITS YOUR CLIENTS’ NEEDS FROM GENEE It’s more than just a touchscreen; with Genee you get a solution. Genee believes that no two customers have the same requirements, hence, it is essential to provide bespoke configurations to ensure the customer gets what they need.

PICK YOUR TOUCH SCREEN G-TOUCH® 4K CLASSIC 4K Image Quality Variety Inputs Cost Effective

G-TOUCH® 4K PLUS

G-TOUCH® 4K PREMIUM

4K Image Quality Variety Inputs Android 8 Screen Sharing Genee App Store Seamless integration with Genee Vision Visualisers

4K Image Quality Optical Bonded Android 8 Better viewing angles USB Type C Connectivity 20W Speakers Variety Inputs Screen Sharing Genee App Store Seamless Integration with Genee Vision Visualisers

PICK YOUR SOFTWARE LEARN HUB

PROJECT FLOW

KIDLOLAND

Designed specifically around multi-user gamification, Learn-Hub is a cloud-based software that includes nine fully adaptable learning activities. Activities are designed for Early Years & Primary students and can be customised and configured by the teacher to meet any level or topic of work.

Project Flow is a cloud-based lesson delivery tool like no other; allowing presentations, activities, questions and work to be sent directly to student devices. It offers automated differentiation and instant feedback on student performance to the teacher.

KidloLand is an award-winning learning program for kids (1-8 yrs). Discover 3000+ educational songs, games, stories, nursery rhymes & activities about Early Learning, Math, Reading, Writing, Coding & more! Exclusive to G-Touch Interactive Screens!

PLUS LOTS MORE

PICK YOUR ACCESSORIES GENEE VISION VISUALISERS

GENEE OPS UNITS

STANDS AND WALL MOUNTS

With Genee, Visualisers are an essential tool enabling you to enhance presentations by showing your physical content on the G-Touch Display! Available in wired or wireless.

You can simply just plug in the OPS unit to your G-Touch® Screen and experience all the benefits of working in a PC environment. Available as i5, i7 and lots of memory and storage options to fit your needs.

Designed to provide the perfect means for displaying your interactive touchscreen. Whether in a classroom, training centre, or boardroom, we offer a comprehensive range of stands, trolleys and wall mounts.

www.genee-group.com +44 (0)1902 390 862 sales@genee-group.com @GeneeGroup @GeneeGroup company/genee-group @GeneeGroup

Application news Wycombe Wanderers Football Club selects Vestel Visual Solutions as official audiovisual partner to digitally transform Adams Park through our diverse portfolio of premium digital signage and interactive displays,” said David Flintoft, Sales and Marketing Director, Vestel Visual Solutions. “We have extensive experience in delivering AV solutions within stadia across Europe. In applying this to Ad-

ams Park, the stadium now delivers a first-class pre- and postmatch gameday experience, as well as enhanced facilities as a wider hospitality venue.”

Beyond the communal fan areas within the stadium, Wycombe Wanderers has also invested in enhancing its Executive Boxes, each now equipped with a

55” high brightness displays for an even more premium experience. A state-of-the-art Content Management System (CMS), supported by advanced Wi-Fi, means all displays can be managed centrally and with ease to ensure relevant content is showing on each and every screen, depending on its loca-

tion within the stadium.

Further still, the club has deployed additional Vestel solutions to support wider football and business operations. The home dressing room now features a 55” 700 NIT display to support with pre-match tactics and analysis, while a 65” interactive PCAP model with

Windows 10 OPS PC has been installed in the boardroom, ensuring more efficient meetings as well as the benefit of touchscreen functionality when presenting. There is also a 65" PCAP installed at Wycombe’s training ground, used by the team’s coaching staff, analysts and players to review perfor-

mances and tactics.

The partnership between Vestel and Wycombe is initially in place for three years, and will continue to see the two collaborate to enhance Adams Park over that period of time.

Konftel Strengthens Climate Neutral Ethos ‘Conferencing With A Clear Climate Conscience’ Moves Further Forward In an era of agile working with huge demand for conferencing and collaboration hardware, protecting the planet is just as important as connecting the world, for pioneering manufacturer Konftel.

The company was the first in the collaboration devices sector to earn official Climate Neutral certification – which has now been successfully extended for the second year in a row.

Climate Neutral Certified status means all greenhouse gas emissions have been offset, across all aspects of the business, from manufacturing and product packaging to transportation. Konftel continues to cut impact at source too with a series of new initiatives announced.

By investing in worldwide carbon credits, forest conservation, renewable energy and carbon capture technologies all benefit. Forest conservation in Zimbabwe, water filtration in Cambodia and renewable energy in India are some of the many projects to be supported

by Konftel so far.

Being a trendsetter is nothing new for Konftel, according to CMO Stefan Eriksson who cites how the booming business was the very first to manufacture

and sell a commercial conference phone more than 30 years ago. “It all started in a basement in Sweden when a bank director needed a conference phone in his office. Today we have grown into one of the biggest players in the world for collaboration endpoint solutions, bringing people closer together.”

He added: “Konftel is certified for the second successive year with the Climate Neutral standard. This means we have offset all our greenhouse gas emissions and are taking action to further reduce those emissions. Today’s hybrid working trends has triggered a huge explosion is conferencing equipment sales. But buying from Konftel ensures our customers have a ‘clear climate conscience’ that there is no overall impact on the planet. We believe every company should #beclimateneutral” He continued: “For us, it’s not enough to simply provide innovative technology, equipment and support which helps people communicate more effectively.

We also have to pay attention to our own carbon footprint in a way which encourages others to do the same. Stealing a march on our sector rivals and leading from the front is part of our DNA. A Climate Neutral Certified label is displayed on

P12 AV News May November 2021 2019

credentials help give it the edge too – an ethos inherent throughout the company.

“Konftel and our other Climate Neutral Certified brands are leading the global shift to a net-zero economy by doing

all our products which we are rightly proud of.”

Konftel has generated record annual sales, with an expanding portfolio of innovative video and audio conferencing solutions. Its environment friendly

what all companies should be doing immediately: measuring, offsetting, and reducing their carbon emissions,” says Climate Neutral CEO, Austin Whitman. “Our label helps consumers identify these brands.

It’s a recognisable and trusted symbol that turns everyday purchases into meaningfully positive climate action.”

As well as the investment in its carbon credit programme, Konftel will continue to reduce future business travel by staff, once the pandemic is over. It has replaced all plastic packaging for accessory cables with paper-based alternatives Furthermore new pledges include all company owned cars becoming electric by the end of 2021. Konftel will ‘climate-optimise’ packaging for all deliveries sent from its head office.

This includes replacing plastic bubble wrap with recycled paper, minimising carton sizes, switching from plastic tape and using thermal labels that require less energy and generate less waste. In addition Konftel will explore options for improved energy efficiency at its biggest manufacturing sites.

Eriksson emphasised: “We find that our customers, our partners and our people really care about all of this. We have put it at the very heart of our business because it’s the right thing to do. Yes, the right thing

from a commercial perspective, but also the right thing from an environmental and ethical perspective.

“We often get asked by customers and channel partners where we stand on climate neutrality and what we are doing to minimise our carbon footprint.

The subject is a big player in the procurement process, and rightly so. It means our investment in carbon neutrality is even more valuable and our commercial offering is more compelling. It is a new tool in the sales tool box, no question.”

Eriksson concluded: “When customers buy from us, they know they are buying from an organisation which has no carbon footprint whatsoever; zero net emissions. This is a huge statement of intent. The technology we produce works in harmony with our climate neutral philosophy. More conference calling means less car and rail journeys, fewer flights, less-full offices, reduced gas and electricity consumption.

The two strategies operate together. By choosing Konftel they really can conference with a clear climate conscience.”

Feature

Post Covid opportunities for resellers With light finally at the end of the tunnel, it’s time to give serious consideration to the long-term implications for the many reseller and integration business that make up the AV / IT sector. AV News assesses some of the leading opportunities and recommends a Top 8 of those worthy of further thought

At the very and of last year, Exertis trailed a host of new channel opportunities stemming from the cloud. “Strong digital and value-add capabilities are vital for businesses to thrive. The Channel has a critical role in the continuing acceleration of digital transformation” heralded a press release by the distributor in December 2020.

By way of evidence, Exertis referred to Gartner, which spoke of a CIO reaction around ‘respond, recover, renew’. The market researchers identified “potential for enterprise spending to pick up again as postponed projects restart”, “Business models and IT will need to be adjusted to the new reality”, and “digital transformation, automation and Edge solutions will continue to be huge opportunities”.

Of course. there’s an element of “they would say that, wouldn’t they”, but it is undeniable that Covid is likely to continue to disrupt, and that the channel continues to benefit from supporting 2020’s societal and business changes into 2021.

Predictions

Jonathan Wagstaff, business intelligence manager for the Exertis Group Back in December, Jonathan Wagstaff, business intelligence manager for the Exertis Group, put forward his views on the trends that will shape the channel in 2021 and beyond. Digital transformation and automation continue to be huge opportunities, Wagstaff says: “These will be the key drivers alongside the growth of Edge solutions that will support the expected IoT systems, vehicles and devices dependent upon them. Unlike centralised cloud provision, Edge needs the channel to push out rather than pull back in, so to speak.”

“Now, more than ever, channel businesses without strong digital and value-add capabilities will be at a disadvantage,” Wagstaff continues. “Like any industry we are at the mercy of macroeconomic trends, but a situation where vendors and customers struggle with complexity in the supply chain is going to be beneficial to those organisations who specialise in navigating such complexities.”

In terms of the focuses and capabilities of different sized companies, there’s still evidence of pent-up demand for devices for some verticals, he says. “However, there’s an expectation that enterprise spending will pick up again in 2021 as postponed projects start to restart. We also expect the acceleration of digital transformation to continue; here the channel has a critical role.

The largest organisations will likely be further down the road of cloud migration. However, small and medium-sized businesses are still going to need the channel, particularly in countries where cloud adoption is lagging.”

Gartner’ report of CIO reaction around “respond, recover, renew” can be expanded as follows: ‘Respond’ was about keeping

essential functions operating (issuing WFH equipment), ‘recover’ is about stabilisation – which is where many businesses are now.

What will be very interesting to see, will be the renewal cycle where business models and IT will need to be adjusted to the new reality.”

This includes a solidifying of working from home practices, he says, “along with business’s networking/device/cloud requirements, and an examination of digital capabilities with the huge and transformational shift online we’ve seen over the last year.

Clearly the rush to supply devices was going to be a largely 2020 phenomenon, but we still expect the channel to benefit from supporting these societal and business changes long into 2021.”

Remote working Research conducted by channel technology firms Giacom, Digital Wholesale Solutions (DWS) and Union Street across 200 small business leaders reveals as a consequence of the pandemic on the economy.

The research points out that UK businesses expect to increase their IT spend in 2021 as they look to improve operational efficiency and access more markets to give them a competitive advantage. But they admit can’t do this alone, and 37% say the most helpful thing a technology supplier can do for them is assist with making the right investments in technology. This presents a key opportunity for channel partners to become trusted advisors to customers, as they support them with remote working and digital transformation needs.

During the first lockdown, businesses rushed to put temporary fixes in place to get employees working from home. Now, awake to the fact that this change in the way everyone works is here to stay, many SMBs recognise a need to invest in remote working long term.

Therefore, research respondents provided four clear and immediate priorities related to remote working requirements; all of which the channel can support by aligning with a proven partner.

Priorities Giacom argues that there are a number of priorities identified in the survey where resellers can play a role: •Making collaboration work for the long term – Most small businesses have now deployed either Zoom, for more consumer use, or Teams, for business use. They need help to understand what will work for the long term; which is excellent to use and secure; all while creating a platform to do more.

•Fixing home broadband – More than 40% of businesses are reporting problems with staff working at home, caused by poor networks.

Over 60% say they are ready to invest to give their teams business-grade, secure connectivity at home.

•Deploying a cloud or hosted telephone system – Many small businesses have run their businesses in lockdown by diverting their landline to their mobile. Fixing this for the long term couldn’t be more straightforward, affordable and beneficial, helping to manage inbound calls on an all-in-one communication solution.

•Joining together collaboration and communications – They want to connect their systems so as not to silo customers and staff. Offering Voice Solutions allows partners to add a new revenue stream to their business, tapping into the multibillion-pound UK telephony market.

The combination of virtualised industry standard hardware with cloud sourced software enables resellers and integrators to deploy solutions rapidly and at realistic costs. suite of products to address the needs of the home worker, from VoIP to collaboration apps, not to mention the underlying connectivity that supports it all.

“Although many resellers and integrators are already making the most of the convergence opportunity, those not yet selling both IT and comms solutions are missing out. By offering a portfolio of digital products and services that work together, the channel can capitalise on the remote working environment and help customers unlock hidden revenue with new technologies.”

Opportunities Exertis Cloud has launched its Smarter SaaS service, the software asset management tool, in partnership with The Business Software Centre (TBSC). Smarter SaaS for Microsoft 365 is a cloud-based Software Asset Management solution that optimises M365 subscriptions. This service automatically recommends ways of managing IT costs while finding the optimal Microsoft 365 subscriptions for each user.

The Exertis branded dashboard solution will enable users to recognise and manage the key factors for optimisation. These factors may include lapsed users, non-allocated applications, changing adoption rates, facilitating staff training on M365 applications, licensing compliance, and ensuring users are on the right M365 subscription.

Phil Hames, Managing Director at TBSC says, “We are really excited about our partnership with Exertis Cloud. Everyone in the team has a can-do attitude and impresses us with their customer service. Our products and services will help drive new opportunities for Exertis Cloud and their customers.”

Rik Hubbard, Cloud Services Director, Exertis Cloud adds, “Exertis Cloud is excited to announce that we will be offering Smarter SaaS 365 to all partners who register for a cloud account and transition

Digital transformation In addition, the research points out that 94% of business leaders recognise that further adaptations are required to support working from home. Once small businesses have sorted out their pressing remote working priorities, they need to figure out how to drive digital technology across their whole business, to improve the way they do everything for the long term. This means there is an incredible technology opportunity for the channel to help with: •Storage in the cloud – Businesses now realise the liberation and flexibility they get when everything lives in the cloud and everything is connected to everything else.

•Fibre and 5G – Businesses need a super-fast network to make this work, at home, on the move and in hubs, and with 5G and fibre rolling out fast, they will invest to get the best.

•Security – Built into everything they use so they don’t need to worry about it.

•Mobile and Microsoft 365 – Putting all those apps into the palm of everyone’s hand.

•Automation – Going systematically through the business and automating workflows – from filling in forms to ordering and ecommerce to HR processes Steve Law, Chief Technology Officer, Giacom said: “At DWS, Giacom and Union Street, we are encouraging channel partners to embrace this need for flexible working solutions, offering a comprehensive

AV News May 2021 P13

Feature Diary and column their existing business before the end of March – free of charge for the first 12 months of the relationship. Smarter SaaS 365 is a best-in-class business intelligence tool that enables cloud resellers to gain valuable insight into the way their customers are using the Microsoft licences. This enables resellers to proactively help customers to maximise their return on investment. We are delighted to be able to offer our partners a service that enables them to identify additional opportunities to enhance their customers’

use of Microsoft 365”.

Exertis Cloud launched in October 2020 and is one part of Exertis’ ambitious digital strategy, which focuses on customer experience, innovative marketing and data-focused digital services to drive trade, as well as the expansion of digital services across the organisation.

“70% are feeling overwhelmingly positive about the prospects for their businesses moving forwards.” Additionally, 67% are

confident in their company’s growth prospects throughout 2021.

This survey comes after a challenging previous 12-months for many UK businesses.” The combination of virtualised industry standard hardware with cloud sourced software enables resellers and integrators to deploy solutions rapidly and at realistic costs for customers pursuing digital transformation as their businesses follow the new normal.

Post Covid opportunities for resellers In addition to commonplace applications, the cloud is playing a leading role in developing the market for a range of technologies and services. The range runs from the generic, including security for which there is an almost universal requirement, to the niche, such The combination of virtualised industry standard hardware with cloud sourced software enables resellers and integrators to deploy solutions rapidly and at realistic costs VR applications.

Technology opportunities 1.Cybersecurity From the start of the pandemic, the way business is conducted has changed permanently, with many workforces wanting to continue to work remotely as lockdowns and restrictions ease over time. So, as companies relax and rules are eased, life is expected to return to a form of ‘new normal.’ But the issues around cybersecurity are here to stay, and the gas pedal must not be eased – especially with the increased risks associated with continued remote working. Research by the National Cyber Security Centre shows that there has been a rise in COVID-19 related cyber-attacks over the past year, with more than one in four UK hacks being related to the pandemic. This trend is not likely to ease up any time soon either.

And, going forward, hackers

Photo Marvin Meyer could take advantage of excited travellers waiting to book their next holiday once the travel ban is lifted, deploying fake travel websites, for example.

Cybersecurity is not a one-stopshop. A full trilogy of solutions is required to ensure maximum effect. This includes a layered combination of DNS networking, secure endpoint connections, and an educated and empowered human workforce.

The need for DNS security cannot be ignored, especially with the rise of remote workforces, in order to monitor and manage internet access policies, as well as reduce malware. DNS is frequently targeted by bad actors, and so DNS-layer protection is now increasingly regarded as an essential security control – providing an added layer of protection between a user and the internet by blocking malicious websites and filtering out unwanted material.

Similarly, endpoint protection solutions prevent file-based malware, detect and block malicious internal and external activity, and respond to security alerts in real-time. Webroot Business Endpoint Protection, for example, harnesses the power of cloud computing and real-time machine learning to

monitor and adapt individual endpoint defences to the unique threats that users face.

2. Collaboration It is something of a cliché to say that collaborative technology advanced more in the first six months of 2020 than in the previous six years. The advance is far from over - there is still increasing demand for collaborative spaces of all sizes.

Designing a complete workflow

P12 AV News May P14 November 2021 2019

Photo by Adi Goldstein may incorporate an extensive portfolio of AV and UC vendors, catering for three sizes of meeting spaces, from huddle rooms, meeting rooms and board rooms.

These can be configured as Microsoft Teams Rooms, Zoom Rooms. Google Hangouts Suites and various other software partnerships.

Greg Bennett, head of Exertis Pro AV, said, “There is an increasing demand for companies

to provide more collaborative spaces of all sizes for their employees and we want to make it as easy as possible for our resellers to provide a complete solution with a choice of market leading products. We’ve recently combined our UC team into our Pro AV division enabling a complete offering for our customers.

We have the solutions, portfolio, resource, facilities and technical support ready to help our customers take advantage of the market opportunity.”

According to analysts Futuresource, there are 5.3 million meeting rooms in Western Europe. By 2023, 73 per cent of video-conferencing meetings will happen in huddle rooms according to Frost & Sullivan.

There is still some way to go.

3.New realities Grand View Research quantified the global virtual reality market size at USD 15.81 billion in 2020 and the market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18.0% from 2021 to 2028. Virtual Reality (VR) is a digitally created experience where a three-dimensional environment is simulated with the real-world. The technology offers an immersive experience to the viewers with the help of VR devices, such as headsets or glasses, gloves, and bodysuits. The technology has brought a transformation in the gaming and entertainment industries by allowing users to experience immersion in a highly virtual realm. In addition, the increasing usage of this technology in instructive training, such as for training mechanics, engineers, pilots, soldiers in defence, field workers, and technicians, in the oil & gas and manufacturing sectors is driving the market growth.

Besides providing training and fulfilling educational purposes, the technology is widely accepted across industries for various other purposes. For instance, in the automotive industry, it allows engineers to experiment with the design and structure of a vehicle at the concept stage before initiating expensive prototypes

of the vehicle. The technology is also being used to provide treatments to patients with mental health challenges with the help of VR exposure therapy. Moreover, the tourism industry allows potential customers to go on a virtual tour of landmarks, famous locations, restaurants, and hotels with the use of VR technology.

Photo Minh Pham Thus, the rising adoption of VR across several industries for various applications is fuelling the growth of the market.

The Covid-19 outbreak affected various business’ functioning due to temporary shutdowns of several industries and lockdowns imposed across various regions. However, VR technology has experienced a surge in demand during the pandemic due to the necessity of companies to continue their business operations virtually. Companies have shifted to virtual plat-

forms for attending meetups to formulate various policies and strategies for their ongoing business. It is also emerging as a very promising technology for virtual events as it assists in event planning. Event organizers deliver engaging and plentiful event experiences to individual attendees by hosting the event on a virtual platform and deploying it as a VR experience.

Hence, the increasing adoption of virtual events is contributing to the market growth.

VR technology has witnessed substantial opportunities in the entertainment and sports industry. Gaming, location-based entertainment, theatres, and music are expected to witness the benefits of VR technology.

For instance, an amusement

park in Germany called Europa-Park has deployed VR rollercoasters, Eurostat Coastality, attracting riders to explore the world based on the film Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. In 2018, China opened the VR Star Theme Park that hosts more than forty VR-focused rides. The growing attraction toward VR-based entertainment is expected to drive market growth.

Feature

Service opportunities 4.Marketing and promotion Accessing markets for new technologies and applications is an increasingly collaborative endeavour with support from distributors and manufacturers for their channels.

For example, resellers can take advantage of ready-made marketing campaigns, following successful trials. Tools available through distribution range from tried-and-tested email formats, e-shots and full web sites or microsites. Rob Fitzsimons, Exertis, head of UK marketing, said, “This is a low cost, highly efficient way for our resellers to

generate leads for their business. We have received great support from our vendors, enabling us to prepare a number of compelling messages, offers and promotions that our resellers can choose to take advantage of to generate their own marketing campaigns. Our aim is to provide a constant flow of high-quality content which can be simply deployed by our customers and targeted at their end users.”

Each managed campaign consists of an e-shot and a landing page which can be

recent “make the shift’ campaigns have enabled us to proactively communicate this initiative to our customers and prospects converting it into a tangible sales opportunity. Whilst a proportion of our customers were aware of the move towards Windows 10, and the consequences, the campaign has had the effect of both creating a sense of urgency and positioning BOSS as the specialist, local business able to offer both advice and solutions. This has created a significant uplift in

sales. To date we’ve generated in excess of £75,000 incremental sales as a direct result of the campaigns. We’ve already supplied over 120 new PCs and laptops across multiple brands, as well as related sales on software and services too. We’re really very keen to continue marketing this, and other campaigns, to our customer base and we’re delighted with the quality of the marketing content and the results”

Commerce. “To succeed today, retailers need to put a stake in the ground and define a unified channel strategy from a digital and physical perspective.” Will everything return ti normal as the pandemic subsides? Andrew Kandel, head of sales for North America at Waze. “There will be a return to normalcy, but there will be an evolved customer that sees the world differently.”

data collected from different devices. Data analytics and algorithms will help health providers to diagnose and treat diseases. Boundaries between physical health, mental health, aged care, and disability sectors will decline. Finally, health initiatives will be integrated into a wider range of devices following on from scanners deployed as a consequence o the pandemic.

6.Digital health and wellness

7.Experiential entertainment

Digital health is the application of technologies in the healthcare industry. It uses disruptive technology to improve and advance health and wellbeing solutions. It brings about efficient, personalized, and precise healthcare solutions. The World Health Organization has proposed a Global Strategy on Digital Health 2020-2025.

This strategy will help promote healthy lives for everyone everywhere. The organization defines digital health in its own terms.

It is the practice of developing and using digital technologies to improve health.

The health industry will become much more consumer-centric

A recent report in Forbes mag-

ema can be – points the way.”

Last year, AV News looked at a new form of entertainment in which video, virtual reality and like action involving actors and members of the audience were combined to create an experience where no distinction was drawn between the cast and the audience, real and virtual elements. One o he most spectacular examples of new immersive entertainment is the Madison Square Garden Company’s new MSG Sphere, the first of which is under construction in Las Vegas right now and will open this year. These three

fully personalised with the reseller branding. Resellers obtain a full preview of the campaign and can opt for which campaign they wish to run and receive click through and open rate reporting. Exertis already has over 100 resellers using the system and has successfully run a number of campaigns featuring an array of leading vendors, with click through rates in excess of 5%, almost twice the industry average.

Themis Hemley, director at reseller BOSS, said, “The

Vertical market opportunities 5.Omnichannel retail The pandemic brought about a rapid and fundamental change in the retail sector. Those who were well established in ecommerce did relatively

well, like ASOS, while those who were not, like Primark, suffered. Omnichannel retail is a business model in which all existing channels become completely integrated to offer customers a seamless shopping experience. Typically, the omnichannel approach sees instore promotions, like digital signage, linked to the retailer’s web site and digital marketing.

Canny retailers responded to the onset of the pandemic by developing a philosophy of “New Retail” — referring to the “seamless integration between online and offline worlds” that enable frictionless shopping experiences.

“Learning how to digitize, adapt and integrate online-offline behaviours to overcome physical world limitations are all lessons embodied by New Retail,” wrote Andrew Lipsman for Insider Intelligence.

With some physical stores closed down or operating at reduced capacity, merchants had to make some quick business decisions to meet their customers’ needs. But it goes beyond making physical stores’ products available on an online store as well. It’s about meeting consumers, many of whom have experienced unprecedented disruption to their daily lives and routines, in new online channels. Today, consumers are discovering brands in brand new ways and seek-

ing new conveniences to guide their shopping decisions. The key is integration of online and offline channels — and all related operations — to deliver

a cohesive and comprehensive experience across touchpoints.

A true omnichannel approach must deliver a consistent brand experience everywhere you sell to meet your customers where they are and build relationships that transcend channels. It should also include an emphasis on optimizing your business through channel diversification and comprehensive integration of your data and systems. In October 2020, eMarketer increased their outlook for 2020 ecommerce retail sales from 20% growth to 30%.

Photo by Luke Chesser The acceleration due to COVID-19 “has forced everyone to operate at a much higher level of digital maturity,” said Sharon Gee, General Manager, Omnichannel at Big-

and customer-centric. Big tech companies like Amazon, Google, and Apple, are investing in digital healthcare. Industries like retail, tourism, and lifestyle will converge with the healthcare delivery service. There will be a surge in health-related

Photo by Compare Fibre azine considered the future of entertainment in a post-Covid world. It concluded that “in the long run, societal trends and demographics – not to mention a real human need for physical interaction and shared humanity - support overall accelerating growth in the world of live experiential entertainment. Unless the world and we humans fundamentally change from this point forward, and without minimizing the very real pain and suffering that now envelop much of the globe, this is a momentary blip in live entertainment’s trajectory.”

“Once we collectively do recover (both physically and emotionally), Disney’s new partnership with Secret Cinema – where Disney movies will be staged whimsically as several hour evening immersive experiences that reimagine what cin-

new $1.66 billion Spheres are planned to reinvent the live event and venue experience.

The Spheres are spherical 15,000-20,000 seat venues covered from top to bottom (both interior and exterior) in ultra-high resolution LED lights to marry music with lights and sound to create previously impossible shared experiences.

that online learning has been shown to increase retention of information, and take less time, meaning the changes coronavirus have caused might be here to stay. While countries are at different points in their COVID-19 infection rates, worldwide there are currently more than 1.2 billion children in 186 countries affected by school closures due to the pandemic. In Denmark, children up to the age of 11 are returning to nurseries and schools after initially closing on 12 March, but in South Korea students are responding to roll calls from their teachers online. With this sudden shift away from the classroom in many parts of the globe, some are wondering whether the adoption of online learning will continue to persist post-pandemic, and how such a shift would impact the worldwide education market.

Even before COVID-19, there was already high growth and adoption in education technology, with global edtech investments reaching US$18.66 billion in 2019 and the overall market for online education projected to reach $350 Billion by 2025. Whether it is language apps, virtual tutoring, video conferencing tools, or online learning software, there has been a significant surge in usage since COVID-19.

8.Remote learning In much the same way that the world of work has transformed, whenever possible, to a hybrid model, education – particularly higher education, has followed suit during the pandemic. Will it revert when the pandemic is over?

The COVID-19 has resulted in schools shut all across the world. Globally, over 1.2 billion children are out of the classroom. Research suggests

AV News May 2021 P15

Installation

Law Firm Uses HoverCam document Aquarium of the Pacific adds versacamera for court proceedings tility with Christie RGB pure laser HoverCam, an innovative technology leader in the education market, announced that its Solo 8Plus document camera is successfully supporting patent law firm Insigne LLP's court proceedings, which were moved online due to COVID-19.

The Solo 8Plus clearly captures the vital intricacies of inventions going through the patent process for video conference presentation. Insigne had previously used HoverCam's document cameras in internal meetings and on-premises court proceedings.

“HoverCam has transformed the playing field in education with technology that is a natural fit in the legal field,” said Trevor Coddington, managing partner at Insigne. “The company's document cameras are so easy to use, they're not a barrier to presenting the information. We can show judges and juries how a part is made, how it works, and how it operates. Those types of things are critical to patent law.”

HoverCam's Solo 8Plus is a lightweight and compact document camera with a 13-megapixel sensor that captures vibrant images and live video in 4K clarity. What sets HoverCam apart is its patented Adaptive Sensor Resolution (ASR) 480x zoom. Some document cameras use digital zoom technology, which results in a loss in clarity that is similar to the fuzziness that occurs when using the zoom feature of a smartphone camera. Other, more expensive solutions zoom optically, which retains clarity

but requires a complex moving lens system that is bulky, heavy, and expensive. HoverCam's ASR zoom provides the clarity of an optical system, but without the added cost, weight, and complexity of an optical system.

Using HoverCam's ASR technology, Insigne has zoom range to focus in on the smallest inventions and seamlessly stream the shot via the video conferencing platform in ultra-clear detail for everyone — the judge, jury, and lawyers — on the call to see. It is interoperable with Zoom, Skype, Google Meet, and other platforms. It also has better image quality and versatility than a webcam, supporting 1080p full HD video recording as well as connectivity with iPads, all powered through one USB 3.0 cable.

In addition to the ultra-zoom capabilities, the HoverCam document camera family is built on the Flex 11 intuitive user interface, which is ideal for the legal environment. The software can be installed right from the camera without having to download it from a website.

It allows anything to be captured or scanned from the document camera and annotated, such as changes to the terms of a contract between two parties. It also features whiteboard capabilities and split screen modes for smoother collaboration.

Insigne's remote court setup includes an all-in-one device web camera with speakers and microphone connected to a 60inch flat screen. The HoverCam

document camera is connected to a laptop and powered via a single USB cable. The laptop is logged into the UC platform and operates as its own feed.

With the ease and success of the setup, Insigne is able to hold detailed demonstrations

The Honda Pacific Visions Theatre, the centrepiece of the Aquarium of the Pacific’s 2019 expansion, was recently outfitted with a Christie RGB pure laser cinema projector.

The Christie CP4330-RGB pro-

expansion that includes an art gallery, orientation gallery, culmination gallery, and the Honda Pacific Visions Theatre.

The new theatre has over 300 seats and features an immersive 130-foot-wide by 32-foot-

Pacific.

In early 2020, the Aquarium engaged Associates in Media Engineering (AME) to design, procure and commission a cinema projection solution.

The Aquarium specified the

jector allows the Aquarium to showcase a range of content, including DCI-compliant films, and media developed by the Aquarium.

Located in Long Beach, California, the nonprofit Aquarium of the Pacific is Southern California’s largest aquarium and the fourth largest aquarium in the United States. The aquarium includes 12,000 animals and over 100 exhibits that celebrate the inhabitants and ecosystems of the Pacific Ocean. In 2019, the aquarium opened Pacific Visions, a 29,000 square foot, two-storey

tall screen that curves in a 180-degree arc. A 30-foot-diameter disc tilts up from the floor to extend the projection surface. “The goal in designing the theatre was to create a unique platform with high-resolution imagery and effects that explores the most pressing environmental issues of our time through films. To expand the uses of the theatre, we wanted to be able to showcase cinematic film content, as we have done in the past but in a smaller theatre,” says Fahria Qader, director of Pacific Visions and architecture, Aquarium of the

requirements of the projection system: to use as much of the immersive screen as possible, implement a noise reduction system to hold the projector, and ensure the projector would be hidden from view when not in use.

HoverCam, an innovative technology leader in the education market, announced that its Solo 8Plus document camera is successfully supporting patent law firm Insigne LLP's court proceedings. during court proceedings as if in person.

“While we built our documents cameras from the ground up to support learning and engagement in the classroom, the same visualization needs to exist in government, corporate, and clinical markets,” said Bayley Pierson, director of marketing at HoverCam. “Insigne is a great example of how our document cameras are designed to be not only intuitive as possible but to also capture and deliver even the most minute details in picture perfect clarity over video conference.”

University of Virginia selects Yamaha UC conferencing solutions Yamaha Unified Communications is ensuring that the University of Virginia's Biocomplexity Institute — a research organization specializing in bioinformatics, computational biology, and systems biology — is delivering the highest quality lectures, meetings, and research presentations, including COVID-19 analysis. After experiencing poor audio and control system integration challenges with off-the-shelf consumer-grade conferencing equipment, integration firm Horizon AVL selected Yamaha's proven CS-700 Video Sound Bar and the Yamaha YVC-1000 Microphone and Speaker System.

“Audio sets the tone for remote collaboration. If those on the far end can't hear you or if the product is hard to use, it's really challenging to create a high-calibre experience for anyone,” said Michael Fitch, vice president of sales and marketing at Yamaha UC. “The installation at the Biocomplexity Institute is a great example of how organizations can deliver better, more productive meetings and classes with easy-touse conferencing tools built for intelligible, natural conversation.”

For the huddle rooms, the Yamaha CS-700 not only resolved the poor audio issues that the Biocomplexity Institute experienced, but also the lack of interoperability with the Crestron control systems installed in the rooms. The all-in-one Zoom-certified Video Sound Bar combines an adaptive beamforming microphone array

for perfectly captured conversation; four Yamaha speaker elements to provide the highest degree of audio intelligibility; and a wide-angle HD camera that captures participants and the room in clear detail for students and other participants on the far end. The solution eliminates the inherent inefficiencies of touching and oper-

ating disparate video and audio equipment during calls and the eye sore of cables snaked around the room.

The CS-700 features an open API ideal for integration with Crestron and other commercial-grade room controllers.

Users can control CS-700's control volume, mute, and camera's zoom, pan, tilt, and input

Yamaha Unified Communications is ensuring that the University of Virginia's Biocomplexity Institute — a research organization specializing in bioinformatics, computational biology, and systems biology — is delivering the highest quality lectures, meetings, and research presentations.

P16 AV News May 2020

functions directly from the control system, creating a simple conferencing experience. Staff can launch Zoom in seconds, with all the controls they need right at their fingertips.

Inside the institute's medium and large conference rooms, Horizon AVL installed Yamaha YVC-1000 Microphone and Speaker System integrated with Huddly cameras. The Zoom-certified Yamaha YVC1000 is ideal for both remote learning and high-level conference calls. It features separate intelligent microphones and a full-range speaker unit that can be placed close to a display for naturally blended audio and video to enable full farend comprehension. Yamaha's adaptive echo cancellation and human voice activity detection (HVAD) sound processing technologies developed over the years minimize background noise and help facilitate a stress-free, fluid conversation.

Because the YVC-1000 allows for up to five microphones to be daisy-chained, it's perfectly suited to pick up the audio around the room. The number of mics used in the room and where they are laid out can be tailored for reliable audio cov-

erage suited to the room size and shape. Yamaha's automatic auto-tuning measures and analyses the room environment and adjusts acoustic settings to the optimal level while automatic system warnings ensure every microphone is placed for the best pickup. Like the huddle rooms, staff can control the YVC-1000's functions right from the touch panel alongside the other devices in the room.

Installation

PPDS revolutionises retailer Kwik Trip’s in-store marketing PPDS has announced that leading US convenience store, Kwik Trip, has completed the installation of more than 1,000 Philips Android digital signage displays inside 700 Kwik Trip locations in the mid-west, revolutionising its marketing and communications and driving new revenue streams.

Serving more than 8 million customers each week, the retailer – notorious along the highways of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa – Kwik Trip began executing its digital signage rollout strategy in 2018 as part of a store modernising program, with the final installation recently completed in

customers.

Providing an instant fresh look and feel to customers versus the previously manually manage signage and frequently disposed of printed posters used to market its products are now replaced with vibrant, colourful, ever evolving and engaging live digital displays. Kwik Trip is now able to engage with its customers in a modern way and keep it current by being able to make quick and simple updates. By showcasing their hot food menu items at targeted times of the day, these displays are able to keep things relevant to customer needs.

Using Digital Touch Systems content management software, all screens across the entire Kwik

the food looks like under the wrappers.

The use of digital signage has also provided Kwik Trip with the flexibility to quickly test new products, and messaging across all stores as ways of identifying new revenue streams.

Thanks to Philips D-Line’s ‘FailOver’ peace of mind security, ensuring no screen ever goes blank and content is continually playing, customers will always be alert and able to take advantage of the latest offers and promotions in store.

Displays have also provided Kwik Trip with substantial cost savings, estimated to be around $1.9 million, thanks to its built-in Android backed Sysmind, displays come with an industry leading 3-year advance exchange warranty – entitling customers to a replacement device in the unlikely event of a fault that cannot be fixed remotely.

Mark Meisner, Director of Marketing and Advertising, Kwik Trip, commented: “The decision to go with PPDS came down to their System-on-Chip

comfortable about the investment.”

Joe King, Vice President, PPDS, North America, added: “Here at PPDS, our focus has and will always be to provide our customers with the tools they need to be the very best that they can be – whether that’s in retail, hospitality, education, corporate, or healthcare among others.”

specifically to meet their requirements and while providing them with an advanced, best in class solution, positioned them for maximum ROI and significant cost savings.”

King concluded: “We understand the competition in the digital signage market is high, and for us to continue to attract nationally recognised retailers like Kwik Trip speaks volumes

functionality, which led to significant cost savings over others. Also, a great (three year) warranty that helped us feel

“Working with Kwik Trip and their integration partners, we were able to fulfil their high demands with a solution designed

about, not only our quality of products but our quality of service after the sale.”

glimpse of what makes your classroom special.

If you’ve got a story that puts a smile on your face, we want

to hear it!

All you need to know Share your video anytime between 22nd March and 25th June 2021.

Entries will be judged on passion, innovation, and imagination.

Videos must be no longer than two minutes.

Entries must be from UKI educators only.

PPDS has announced that leading US convenience store, Kwik Trip, has completed the installation of more than 1,000 Philips Android digital signage displays inside 700 Kwik Trip locations. the city of La Crosse.

Working closely with PPDS throughout the upgrades, the La Crosse store includes a range of 11 attention-grabbing, feature-rich and highly reliable (less than 1pc fail rate), 43”, 49” and 55” Philips D-Line displays. For maximum visual impact these displays are strategically placed throughout the aisles to continually connect with

Trip estate can now easily be controlled and managed entirely remotely from the corporate headquarters, allowing material to be created and delivered to all, or selected, screens with one centralized action.

Kwik Trip has seen a significant increase in hot food sales, thanks to the use of vivid food photography. This visualisation helps customers see what

tem on Chip (SoC) processing system, eliminating the need for pricey external media players.

Key factors in Kwik Trip’s decision to select the Philips D-Line product were the inclusion of SoC, which enables faster and more versatile management, as well as automatic updates to ensure apps stay up to date. Also, for peace of

Competition

Share your Classroom Stories to win a Promethean ActivPanel!

Share your Classroom Stories to win a Promethean ActivPanel!

Celebrating all that’s positive about teaching and learning, the Promethean Classroom Stories competition gives UKI schools the opportunity to share their most inspiring stories. Best of all, you’ll get the chance to win the latest Promethean ActivPanel!

Promethean has 20 ActivPanels to award to the schools, teachers, ICT managers and educators who demonstrate the most passion, innovation, and imagination.

students to create your video. Show us how your school is making a difference in your community. Or just give us a

Create your Classroom Stories video and complete your submission anytime between now and the deadline of 25th June 2021.

Share your classroom story

Record a short video that illustrates something unique about your classroom or school and tell us why it makes you proud.

Consider working with your

ENTER NOW ttps://www.prometheanworld. c o m / g b / m i c r o s i t e s / c l a s sroom-stories/#enter

AV News May 2020 P17

Diary and column Technology news

ViewSonic monitors for Opinion work-from-anywhere Will micro-LED displays be a threat to OLED? ViewSonic Corp is introducing a series of monitors to support the work-from-anywhere trend that has grown significantly in the past year. With secondary work hubs at home and on-thego work patterns becoming the norm, fully featured displays greatly help optimise workflow.

ViewSonic offers a diverse portfolio of related products that boost work efficiency and flexibility.

cantly improving the overall video conferencing experience.

ViewSonic’s VG3456 features a stunning WQHD resolution on a 34” 21:9 ultra-wide monitor. By installing the vDisplay Manager Software, users can create split screens and auto-launch applications to maximise multitasking abilities and enlarge visuals. Its integrated USB-C docking station also supports ethernet connectivity,

VG2440V and VG2740V offer high-quality, built-in webcams; VG3456 for ultra-wide screens with USB-C docking; and VA1655 has versatile portability. “As more flexible models

which turns the monitor into a hub that provides 90W power charging, data transfer, internet, and connections to video, audio, and other peripherals, further streamlining the home

of remote and hybrid work take shape, people need more diverse visual solutions. We acted promptly to meet this trend and actively expanded our VG and VA series, which are monitor series designed for both enterprise and home offices,” said Oscar Lin, Head of the Monitor Business Unit at ViewSonic.

“Professionals from different sectors can easily find a second display in our comprehensive product line-up that satisfies their needs and helps them build a highly efficient second work hub wherever they are.”

Conducting meetings from home is very different from having meetings in a fully equipped conference room. To solve this pain point, ViewSonic is introducing the 24” VG2440V and 27” VG2740V Full HD monitors that both feature a built-in webcam. They deliver superb videoconferencing, high-quality live streaming capability, and crisp audio through a built-in speaker and microphone. With their vertical angle adjustment and ergonomic flexibility, the monitors position the webcam at the user’s eye level, making virtual communication even more immersive and signifi-

working environment and improving efficiency.

Aside from the 15.6” Full HD, metal-cased TD1655 touchscreen and the non-touch VG1655 portable monitors, ViewSonic is launching the ultra-light VA1655. Designed with a plastic case, it weighs only 0.71 kg, making it easier to mount and carry around. It is also equipped with a builtin back stand and pivotable display, enabling users to adjust the viewing angle and orient the screen in both portrait and landscape viewing modes, made specifically for users working from home who seek the ability to swiftly set up a flexible work environment or overcome one-screen limitations even when they are on the move.

P18 AV News May 2021

Micro-LED, believed by many as the next-generation display technology, has been pursued by players of LED, display, OEM, materials and so on.

It is also widely believed by many that Micro-LED displays are the replacement of OLED displays, especially in TV applications. IDTechEx reports.

In the LCD regime, LCD manufacturing is shifting to mainland China due to cost competence, new line production efficiency, and industry chain support. Other regions have started to shift away from the LCD business.

For instance, Samsung has announced it is ending the LCD business and will focus on its QD LCD & OLED. LG Display has halted its domestic production of LCD panels.

Panasonic and JDI are getting out of the LCD business.

AUO, Innolux, and a few other Taiwanese companies are slowing down investment in LCD or OLED. In the OLED area, OLED panel production is dominated by Korean companies in terms of effective production capacity, technology maturity, upstream materials and equipment, downstream application, and supply chain completeness. For instance, SDC and LGD have supported upstream material and equipment companies, building good ecosystems.

For the downstream applications, Samsung's small/middle-sized OLED panels are firstly supplied to Samsung smartphones, while LGD's large-sized OLED panels are firstly offered to LG TVs. Their brands can also provide enough attractions and feedbacks. Samsung and LG are dominating small/middle and

large-sized OLED panels, respectively.

Another technology existing in the competitive market is quantum dot (QD) technology, mainly using its photoluminescent feature. By applying QD films in the LCD structure, the colour gamut can be significantly improved. QD-based displays are catching up.

Micro-LED displays are composed of self-emissive inorganic LEDs, acting as subpixels. These LEDs are usually in the micrometre range, without package nor substrate, and therefore are transferred in a way different from traditional pick and place techniques.

Micro-LED displays have value propositions such as wide colour gamut, high luminance, low power consumption, excellent stability and long lifetime, wide view angle, high dynamic range, high contrast, fast refresh rate, transparency, seamless connection, and sensor integration capability.

Each technology has its marketing features to attract end-users but from some of the value propositions can be provided by alternatives such as LCD, OLED and QD, not Micro-LED only. There are some value propositions unique for Micro-LED displays.

However, not all the value propositions of Micro-LED displays can be realized based on the current technology maturity and cost expectation, such as low power consumption (the EQEs of very tiny micro-LEDs are low and final device power consumption can be much higher), extremely high resolution (similarly very tiny micro-LEDs are not mature and therefore it is very difficult and/or costly to achieve extremely high-resolution Mi-

cro-LED displays), etc. In addition, based on current status some value propositions may not be so significant for specific applications considering much higher cost. One example is the extremely long lifetime for mobile phone applications: Users may change their phone every 2 to 3 years, making the long lifetime less attractive considering the costs.

Therefore, whether Micro-LED displays can replace OLED or not, at least for the short to medium time scale, is a very application-dependent question. IDTechEx’s report on Micro-LED displays, “Micro-LED Displays 2021-2031: Technology, Commercialization, Opportunity, Market and Players”, has analysed the potential application markets from two aspects • Replacement in the existing display market, and • Creating a new display market For the former, 8 applications are addressed the most. They are: augmented/mixed reality (AR/MR), virtual reality (VR), large video displays, TVs and monitors, automotive displays, mobile phones, smartwatches and wearables, tablets, and laptops.

LCD displays, which dominate the current display market, are applied in almost all displays under 65". LCDs have their intrinsic limitation to go larger size. OLED is taking an increasing market share mainly in smartphone displays. QDLCDs are marketed as premium TVs and are accepted by an increasing number of consumers. LED displays are already used in huge public displays.

To compete with them, Micro-LED should identify their unique value propositions or value proposition combination

to offer advantages.

In terms of cost, the cost of the front plane of a typical Micro-LED display is dependent on the number of LEDs, instead of area, which is different from OLED and LCD. This is why fabricating a smartphone with the same resolution as a TV may result in a similar cost projection, rather than orders of magnitude lower expectation.

Therefore, it is significant to understand the different technology approaches behind each application and to get clear assessments on their possibilities and opportunities.

Creating a new display market requires features that cannot or can hardly be enabled by alternatives. Typical examples include displays with customised shapes and displays with sensor integrations. The emerging new displays expand our imagination beyond existing displays and help to get to the world with ubiquitous displays.

In addition, this IDTechEx report also focuses on the technology assessment, market status analysis, supply chain understanding, player activity tracking, business opportunity, and application interpretation. For a complete understanding, please refer to the report “Micro-LED Displays 2021-2031: Technology, Commercialization, Opportunity, Market and Players”.

For more information on this report, please visit www.IDTechEx.com/MicroLED or for the full portfolio of research available from IDTechEx please visit www.IDTechEx.com/Research.

Panasonic next gen live production Kairos line-up Further improving functionality for video production, rendering and distribution, Panasonic has announced upgrades to KAIROS, its next-generation live production platform. Opening new doors to creativity, KAIROS Core 1000 (AT-KC1000) is an additional and even more powerful mainframe option to expand video streams, processing power and increase video and still image recording capacity.

The KAIROS IT/IP video processing platform offers an open software architecture system for live video switching. It delivers complete input and output flexibility, resolution and format independence, maximum CPU/ GPU processor utilisation and virtually unlimited mix/effect (M/E) scalability through unlimited “layers” that users can freely create and move around thanks to its intuitive and easyto-use GUI. With the increase in demand for remote video production,

major production companies and corporations in Europe and the United States have already selected Kairos, including Creative Technology (CT) in the UK and Northern Europe offices, Mediapro in Spain, AED in Belgium, RTL2 and KST Moschkau – Innovation Center in Germany, and LiveX in the US. Panasonic will now offer the new KAIROS Core 1000 (ATKC1000) alongside the current, compact, KAIROS Core 100 (AT-KC100) for live video production applications.

The new KAIROS Core 1000 mainframe offers more processing power, thanks to increased CPU and GPU capabilities. It enables the platform to be utilised in a wider and more complex range of productions, pushing further its “unlimited video layers” concept, and its capability to manage different scenes at the same time and broadcast them via a variety of outputs. With the GPU’s higher

video processing capacity, the number of layers that can be used increases significantly, allowing full use of the multi-layered video composition and output in high resolution - including 8K video.

KAIROS Core 1000 also expands the system’s standard outputs to 20 HD or five 4K outputs, and also offers 4K support and the CANVAS function as standard. The powerful Canvas feature allows the use of non-standard resolutions and formats, for example, making Kairos the best solution to drive 32:9 LED walls or 9:16 content for smartphones, on top of classic 16:9 outputs.

Video streaming capabilities are also increased, with KAIROS Core 1000 expanding RTP/SRT/RTMP/RTSP streaming to eight inputs.

With KAIROS Core 1000, the recording capacity of still images and videos (RAM players, clip player) has been sig-

nificantly increased. The RAM player’s capacity (uncompressed) increases to 64GB and approximately 170 seconds of HD video (or 42 seconds of 4K video) can be saved. The clip player (compressed) increases its capacity to 180GB and approximately 55 minutes of HD video (or 14 minutes of 4K video) can be saved. A total of 12GB of still images can also be saved.

The Panasonic KAIROS Alliance Partners program includes IP COTS hardware manufacturers and leading vendors of graphics, automation, and media servers. Partnering with companies that actively support KAIROS allows Panasonic to easily expand functions and inter-operability to external devices by adding application software.

Technology news

Clear-Com Releases Station-IC Virtual Desktop Client ALAMEDA, USA – April 15, 2021 –Clear-Com® Clear-Com has released the new Station-IC™ Virtual Desktop Client, a Mac and Windows-based software application that connects to Clear-Com’s Eclipse® Digital intercom Matrix and coming soon, the LQ® Series of IP interface devices. Station-IC users connect natively to a central intercom system that hosts essential services such as audio and control systems, as well as panels, beltpacks, and even two-way radios or endpoints from other intercom manufacturers. Bringing Agent-IC’s intuitive UI to the desktop, with the added benefit of more licensing options and a flexible application window, both local and remote users can benefit from high-quality audio with very low latency.

Designed to be quick to deploy with a straightforward configuration process and minimal network configuration, users can be communicating in a matter of minutes.

The application features an adaptable UI that can be dynamically adjusted to meet the user’s desktop needs, effectively consolidating the user’s workstation. Normal and Full-Screen mode provides the user access to large buttons, suitable for either mouse or touchscreen operation, and a Compact mode floats non-intrusively over other active applications, providing direct access to favorite and reply keys without interrupting normal workflows.

Clear-Com offers Station-IC as both Event and Subscription licenses to better meet the needs of a broad range of applications. For production companies who need to ramp up their intercom instances for a oneoff event or other users who need intercom capabilities for a shorter amount of time, the Event license is a cost-effective and flexible solution available in one-week or one-month increments. For Broadcast studios, theaters, and other users

who will be using Station-IC as part of their everyday workflow, the annual Subscription license offers a lower cost-per-day and the ability to be transferred between computers as needed.

“As workflows evolved over the last year and the demand increased for our Agent-IC mobile app, it only made sense to look at bringing this functionality to our user’s PC desktops,” remarks Kari Eythorsson, Product Manager for Clear-Com. “I’m especially pleased that we’re able to offer the Event licensing option for rental Partners and others who will benefit from that flexibility.”

Station-IC is available to download and try in demo mode from the Clear-Com website at www.clearcom.com/station-ic.

The current release works with Eclipse® HX digital matrix, and a subsequent release in Q2 2021 will allow the software to work with the LQ® Series of IP interfaces.

Blustream expands its line of HDBaseT AV distribution products Blustream US has announced that it has expanded its line of HDBaseT AV distribution products for residential and commercial integrators with five new solutions that combine exceptional video performance with enhanced audio capabilities. Now shipping to the US market, the latest additions to Blustream's lineup include 8x8 and 6x6 HDBaseT matrixes; an HDBaseT receiver; an HDBaseT extender with audio return channel (ARC) control; and a

tion with the new matrixes, the RX70CS HDBaseT CSC receiver extends HDMI, bi-directional IR, and RS-232 signals up to 40 meters at 4K 18Gbps and up to 70 meters at 1080p.

The device supports HDMI 2.0 and enables ARC control when used with the HMXL66ARC, HMXL88ARC, or other compatible Blustream solutions. In addition, the RX70CS supports simultaneous analogue stereo and optical TOSLINK audio breakout.

HDMI/HDBaseT outputs. The versatile SW41HDBT provides enhanced features, including PoC to power-connected Blustream transmitter and receiver products; a web GUI for configuration and source and display control via CEC; manual or automated source selection; RS-232 pass-through; and control via the front panel, IR, RS232, and TCP/IP. “Our commitment at Blustream is to provide integrators with the AV distribution solu-

Blustream US has announced that it has expanded its line of HDBaseT AV distribution products for residential and commercial integrators with five new solutions that combine exceptional video performance with enhanced audio capabilities. four-way HDMI switch with HDBaseT. Using colour space conversion (CSC) technology, the 6x6 HMXL66ARC and 8x8 HMXL88ARC HDBaseT matrixes support 4K 60Hz 4:4:4 resolutions over distances of 40 meters via a single CAT-6 cable.

Both devices offer advanced audio features designed specifically for integrating all AV sources in the system. Each features an integrated audio matrix for enhanced audio routing, and via ARC, enables the audio from displays and all other sources to be embedded and routed through the system at the user's discretion.

Designed to work in conjunc-

The new HEX70ARC-KIT extender provides enhanced HDBaseT integration with the latest AV receivers and soundbars.

Purpose-built for integrators requiring reliable ARC delivery via both HDMI and optical sources, the device distributes HDMI, ARC, optical audio return, bi-directional IR, and bi-directional power over cable (PoC) up to 40 meters at 4K 60Hz 4:2:0 and 70 meters at 1080p.

The SW41HDBT four-way HDMI 2.0 4K 60Hz 4:4:4 HDBaseT switch is ideal for boardrooms, classrooms, and huddle spaces. Using CSC technology, the device delivers HDMI and HDBaseT inputs to simultaneous

tions they need to tackle the challenges of any project," said Jason Fitzgerald, Blustream US Product Manager. "By blending 4K 60Hz 4:4:4 video performance with enhanced audio routing capabilities and functionality like ARC, our latest matrixes, receiver, extender, and switch deliver exceptional results in any setting — whether it's providing advanced source and display integration in the boardroom or creating a truly immersive AV experience throughout the home. We couldn't be more excited to make these solutions available to US integrators.”

Biamp receives US patent for ‘magic cable’ Biamp has announced that it has been awarded a patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for its Magic Cable, used

Executive Vice President of Corporate Development, Biamp. "Magic Cable makes it much easier and safer to install

rating. With the Class 3 rating, it is “listed for purpose” meaning there's no need to seek a waiver if installed at lengths

in the company's Desono family of business audio loudspeakers. Magic Cable comprises two stainless steel suspension cables, two 18 AWG signal conductors within a separate cable jacket, and integrated ripcords that allow the installer to easily slice through the jackets as needed — greatly increasing installation efficiencies.

"Traditionally, hanging pendant speakers has been a time-consuming and complicated job with many steps, each with different tools. Our Magic Cable dramatically simplifies the job and only requires a pair of wire cutters. What's more, the entire assembly is encased in an attractive wrapper, so no further dressing or painting is required," said Joe Andrulis,

pendant loudspeakers, saving integration partners time and money. Additionally, it's the only composite cable in the AV industry certified to UL 13, demonstrating our commitment to offering our customers exceptional audio experiences — from design to installation to implementation."

Magic Cable's patent covers its innovative construction, a sub-cable jacket that encloses the metal support cables, a second sub-cable jacket for the insulated audio cables, the main ripcords, as well as sub-cables that allow toolless stripping of each cable jacket. Because of its unique assembly, it also meets the UL 13 Standard for Power-Limited Circuit Cables with a Class 3 indoor/outdoor

longer than 10 feet (3 meters).

The cable is also pre-dressed in an outer jacket that provides a clean post-installation appearance without the need to smooth out kinks. With these thoughtful features, it affords not only an installation that is easy, safe, and clean looking, but also one that can be completed confidently, regardless of ceiling height and/or length of exposed cable.

Magic Cable is pre-terminated inside Biamp's Desono P6 and P6-SM models to ensure there are no exposed connections at the loudspeaker. It can also be used with other Desono pendant loudspeakers including the DP6, DP8, P30DT, and P60DT.

Vision simplifies audio for meeting and learning spaces Vision’s AV-1900 is a mixer-amplifier that’s just the job for today’s demanding meeting and learning spaces, without unnecessary complexity or breaking the bank. The Vision AV-1900 is a new true mixer-amplifier designed to answer the needs of medium-sized meeting and learning spaces where everyone must be able to hear all audio sources clearly, regardless of their location in the space.

“Good clear quality audio is es-

to achieve in larger spaces like larger conference rooms, small auditoria, lecture theatres, school halls and houses of worship, especially when that audio includes multiple sources, both local and remote such as mics, stereo sources, remote presenters and live video content streams, which is now the norm,” explains Vision Managing Director Stuart Lockhart “With the AV-1900, we’ve focused on packing in professional features normally found

stall.”

The AV-1900 is 2x 50W amplifier at 8 Ohms, with four inputs, each of which can be either mic or line, and one of which has Bluetooth input. Mic inputs are balanced to eliminate electro-magnetic noise on long cables and have individual phantom power control. It also supports control over RS232 and is rack mountable.

The AV-1900 mixer-amplifier is in stock now and available through Vision’s international

Vision’s AV-1900 is a mixer-amplifier that’s just the job for today’s demanding meeting and learning spaces, without unnecessary complexity or breaking the bank sential to understanding and effective communication but can become complex and expensive

on much more expensive mixer amps, but it can also be quick, easy and highly flexible to in-

network of distributors. Like all Vision products, it is backed by a Vision’s Lifetime Guarantee.

AV News May 2021 P19

Diary and column Opinion

ViewSonic and the future of hybrid teaching ViewSonic Corp has created a video tribute to celebrate educators for their devotion and hard work during the COVID-19 lockdown. They argue that .once the pandemic abates, the hybrid educational model will be the new normal in education. Standing by the educators, ViewSonic is committed to delivering more innovative education solutions and sculpting the future of education.

The pandemic has affected people’s lives in all aspects, a hybrid approach of combining in-person and distance learning is foreseen as the new trend in the future. However, teachers’ workload and stress are getting heavier due to the rising demand for distance education

ing educators, ViewSonic launches “Here’s to Learning - A Thank You to Educators”, a 3-minute video filmed in the U.S., India, and Taiwan to celebrate the value they bring to the world. This video shows how educators overcome the challenges and barriers by in-

in-person or remote classes.

Hybrid teaching is the future of education, it allows teachers to simultaneously teach on-site or remotely. ViewSonic understands teachers’ pain points and provides the Hybrid Learning Solution with integrated software and hardware includ-

Teachers’ workload and stress are getting heavier due to the rising demand for distance education since they have to redesign their lessons and adopt new technologies at the same time.

since they have to redesign their lessons and adopt new technologies at the same time.

As a tribute to all the hard-work-

corporating technology into new teaching approaches to keep teaching-learning uninterrupted, no matter if they are

ing ViewBoard interactive displays, myViewBoard learning platform as well as a robust product portfolio.

In 2020, the first ViewSonic Hybrid Teaching Classroom in Chung Yuan Christian University was established in Taiwan. Through the end-to-end solution, teachers can switch between physical and virtual classrooms seamlessly which lessens their burden when adapting the teaching approach.

Moreover, it also breaks the barrier of space by incorporating physical and unlimited online students into one class.

Hybrid teaching and learning keep education uninterrupt-

ed and ViewSonic’s goal is to achieve a digital revolution and true equality in education that benefits both teachers and students in every corner of the world.

Find out more about ViewSonic Hybrid Learning Solution the following ersources are available from: h t t p : //w w w. m y m e p a x . c o m / modules/journ_access/?cust=02cfdef481a48afa4949fe053d4f82b2&page=detail&pfid=39136&lang_=uk

•ViewSonic Education – Hybrid Learning Solutions (brochure) •Introducing ViewSonic Hybrid Learning Solution (video) • Hybrid Learning Classroom Set Up (video) • Here's to Learning Anywhere - ViewBoard for Learning Solutions (video) • Here's to Learning Anywhere Monitors for Learning Solutions (video) • Here’s to Learning Anywhere - Writing Devices for Learning Solutions (video)

The full panel discussion is available to watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/KE_XYVV_wqs

peoplewatch

Peoplewatch

Sahara / Clevertouch UK Sales Director, John Ginty has stepped up to the position of EMEA Sales Director for the UK distribution business, Sahara AV, and the manufacturer of digital signage, software and interactive products from Clevertouch. In his new role, Ginty will expand on his successes in the UK to all manned territories and exclusive international partners across our Europe, Middle East and Africa operations. Ginty has been with the business for nine years and implemented a raft of new aspects from the customer relationship programme through to reorganising the sales team to increase efficiency and customer service.

Ginty’s latest success in 2020 was to introduce vertical sector specialists running across Enterprise, Higher & Further Educa-

forward and her already established relationships are sure to help us maintain our valuable connections across Europe and establish new ones.”

Kromers’ exciting growth continues, with them welcoming another new team member in the guise of Andrew Wilson (AJ) as Audio Visual Technology Consultant.

Sahara / Clevertouch UK Sales Director, John Ginty has stepped up to the position of EMEA Sales Director for the UK distribution business, Sahara AV, and the manufacturer of digital signage, software and interactive products from Clevertouch. tion, Retail, Digital Signage, Public Health and Government where we have seen a phenomenal uptake in business. Our colleagues would like to thank outgoing International Sales Director, Simon Chidsey for his 30-year plus service and making Clevertouch’s export business what it is today, extremely successful and growing at building at a rapid rate.

EMEA Sales Director John Ginty comments: ‘Simon has been an important part of the Sahara journey, his loyalty and dedication to growing the international business is evidenced by the significant contribution it has made to the organisation. Working for Sahara over the last 9 years with distribution, vendor and Clevertouch products has been a constant pleasure. The team, our partners and vendors have been an immensely important aspects in supporting the success we have achieved so far with our range of collaboration technologies and innovations.

“Recent events have started to demonstrate the true capability of our collaboration technology and software, and I look forward to the next chapter in my career working with the teams to build on the immense success the business has achieved.” This is a very exciting time for Sahara Presentation Products Ltd, being part of the Boxlight Group. The recent acquisition provides a step change in the depth of support and knowledge the group has internationally, we have gelled together quickly creating a coherent plan and are uniquely positioned to enhance services, introduce complimentary products and continue our rapid expansion worldwide.

“We aren’t finished yet”’, Mark Starkey, Sahara AV and Clevertouch CEO comments; “John has bought tremendous success to our businesses and is very much respected as a colleague and friend. With John’s experience within the AV sector working formerly with Medium AV, Matrix Display and USL AV, he’s built up a lot of trust with our customers and I know he will implement a successful strategy across the EMEA region. I’m sure the EMEA region under John’s guidance will go from strength to strength and of course, all of us at the Sahara and Clevertouch the business thank Simon for all his work”.

Kromers’ exciting growth continues, with them welcoming another new team member in the guise of Andrew Wilson (AJ) as Audio Visual Technology Consultant. AJ’s experience is legendary, having worked on some of the largest and most exciting AV projects in the world, and for some of the largest and most prestigious organisations in the world.

Jonathan Foot, Founding Partner at Kromers said: “We couldn’t be prouder having AJ join us - his deep knowledge, professionalism, and sharp wit will add exponentially to our already fantastic team”.

AJ continued “When the opportunity to join a consultancy with the reputation and integrity of Kromers arises it is one that you simply cannot refuse. I have always respected the quality of the engineering and robust documentation that Kromers produce, so when Jonathan and Chris talked to me about joining the growing team at Kromers, it was an easy decision to make.” AJ will be joining to further bolster the already well-respected AV Consultancy arm of Kromers.

P22 AV News May 2020

Absen has hired Jessica Golding as the company’s new European brand manager. Golding will be responsible for strengthening Absen’s reputation across Europe and Australia and fortifying Absen’s relationships with its European partners and distributors. Golding began her career working for DCS Group, a global distributor for leading brands in the FMCG market. “The work allowed me to gain invaluable experience straight out of University directly working with customers and to learn the ins and outs of distribution,” Golding said.

After two years, Golding moved on to Taiwanese B2C and B2B manufacturer BenQ as a marketing executive, where she was rapidly promoted to a marketing manager role. “BenQ was where I began my career in the AV industry and build upon my interest in technology,” said Golding. “I gained experience working with a variety of technologies, from interactive flat panels, to projectors, digital signage and wireless presentation devices. I was responsible for managing all BenQ’s UK events, as well as PR. Later, I specialised in management and promotion of BenQ’s educational technology sector.”

Bringing with her four years of experience and connections within UK distribution and marketing, Golding is now keen to express her passion for technological innovation at Absen. “Absen has always had a reputation for providing high quality LED and being the ex-

Amdocs Media, a division of Amdocs, a provider of software and services to communications and media companies, announces two new appointments that further strengthen its successful sales team in Europe. Michael Ritchie joins Amdocs Media from System 73 as Head of Sales for Western Europe and Africa, and Emil Umetbaev joins the business from MediaKind in the role of Sales Director responsible for business development in Eastern Europe and the Nordics.

Ritchie will be based in London and responsible for managing customers in the telecoms, broadcast, media and gaming sectors.

He will focus on developing sales strategies for media supply chain to deliver growth across the EMEA region. He has over 20 years’ experience working across the broadcast, media and telecoms industries covering OTT, online video platforms, content aggregation, content delivery and edge compute solutions. Prior to joining Amdocs Media, Ritchie was CCO at System 73 and previously held a series of senior commercial roles at Eurovision (EBU), Piksel, Red Touch Media and Fastly. He has a strong track record in developing new business and has worked with many brands including BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky, Virgin, O2, Vodafone, Amazon, Disney, HBO and Microsoft.

Umetbaev will be responsible for expanding Amdocs Media’s footprint in Russian-speaking markets and the Nordics. Based in Moscow, he will work closely with existing Amdocs regional sales teams to develop the company’s Go-To-Market strategy for this region. He has over 18 years’ experience working across telecoms, IT and media covering OSS/BSS, cloud & IP, IPTV, OTT, content management & delivery. Prior to joining Amdocs Media, Umetbaev was Program Director at MediaKind and previously had notable successes in delivering growth at Ericsson.

Raman Abrol, GM & Chief Commercial Officer Vubiquity and Amdocs Media, said: “It is great that we are attracting such strong talent to Amdocs Media. Michael and Emil were both obvious appointments due to their track records of consultative sales and excellence in scaling media and telecoms businesses. We’re delighted to have them on board and excited to see how they are going to help us grow our business in these regions.”

Optiseller's rapid expansion, which has seen it positioned as a high growth organisation with a multi-million-pound operation, is continuing as the ecommerce expert announces six new key hires.

Brendan Waters has joined as chief financial officer. Chartered accountant Brendan has over 20 years of experience working with entrepreneurial businesses and helping them grow. Louise Findlay joins as head of HR. She has been involved in the training sector for 18 years most recently being HR/operations director at You Train which grew to be Scotland's leading technology apprenticeship training provider.

Joining as full-time sales director is Stewart Runeckles. Stewart has a wealth of experience in ecommerce, having worked with eBay for seven years before running his own consultancy business. Stewart will be working closely with Ashley Maroney, who has worked as a consultant with the company for 10 years and has been confirmed as head of partnerships.

On the technical and product side of things, Raymond Booth, who has been in a senior role at the company for many years, has been appointed as Optiseller's new chief technical officer. Sam Clarke, for his part, has joined Optiseller as senior product owner.

Sam has five years of experience as a product specialist and has worked in ecommerce for 16 years.

Richard Falconer, Optiseller COO, comments: "Optiseller is con-

Absen has hired Jessica Golding as the company’s new European brand manager. perts in creating state-of-the-art solutions. Their renowned global reputation is built from the support each department gives to one another, and it’s a pleasure to be part of it,” she said.

Golding highlights the next few months, this year especially, as a fast-paced time for Absen, with many innovative technologies to be launched and many exciting installations to come. “It’s an exciting time at Absen, as the company reaches its 20 years milestone. We have some trailblazing products launching this year, like the Aurora Series and the Jade Dragon Series, Absen’s transparent LED,” Golding explained. “We’re also seeing a trend in retail where it’s fast becoming about the experience for customers, rather than the products, and LED is proving to be a backbone to these experience centres in setting ambiance and connecting the online shopping experience with the in-store.”

In speaking of her goals in the role over the next few years, Golding comments that she will be focusing on raising awareness for Absen as a brand with customers at the heart. “In my two months being part of Absen, I’ve seen for myself the hard work and dedication of staff with providing customers the best solution they can.”

“We’re really happy to bring Jessica on board,” said Emma Liu, Absen Europe’s managing director. “Her experience with a variety of technologies and markets will be a great asset for us moving

Brendan Waters has joined as chief financial officer. Chartered accountant Brendan has over 20 years of experience working with entrepreneurial businesses and helping them grow. tinuing with its ambitious expansion plans as demand for our services rapidly increases. These six new hires are seen as critical to the company's future growth. We have put in the right infra-

peoplewatch

Peoplewatch

structure to ensure we can service our customers and partners in the most efficient way possible. We are working on a number of exciting projects which will be launched later this year and now we have the manpower to deliver them."

Optiseller is now used by over 40,000 retailers in over 100 countries and has analysed over 1.1bn products. It reviews over 70m listings every week. The forced shift to online shopping presented a huge opportunity for Optiseller as lockdowns across the globe altered retail habits forever as the high street shut down. The business has already expanded greatly over the last year, and now has employees working throughout the UK, as well as internationally in Australia and Germany.

JL companies bring together two leading suppliers to the TV and events industries, JLLighting and JLLive, who together blend the magic of television and film to curate broadcast quality immersive and interactive events to live, virtual and on-demand audiences.

Mike Wroe, former CFO of Just Eat plc, has been appointed as Non-Executive Chairman of JLLighting and JLLive, the leading TV and events suppliMike Wroe, former CFO of Just er.

Eat plc, has been appointed as Mike has a wealth of expeNon-Executive Chairman of JL- rience as a senior executive, Lighting and JLLive, the leading TV board member and non-execand events supplier. utive director over the course of a 20-year career. As Chief Finance Officer at Just Eat plc, Mike led the transformation of a £20m start-up into a highly successful £4bn FTSE business operating in 15 countries worldwide.

Amongst a variety of advisory roles to a number of leading European growth business, Mike is also currently an active angel investor and is Non-Executive Chairman of private equity backed proSapient Limited, the technology-led expert network and primary research platform.

Jack Linaker, Group Director, commented: “We are thrilled to have Mike on board. His strategic vision will help us steer the business as we grow and enter new territories. Mike’s highly successful track record across a breadth of functions means he has a holistic and creative approach to business which dovetails perfectly with our culture and aspirations.

“Mike’s experience in identifying consumer and audience trends means we can depend on him to bring his unique perspective and fresh approach to our industry so that we can offer our clients new ways of connecting with their audiences.”

Mike Wroe, in-coming Chairman of the JLLighting and JLLive, commented: “In the last 12 months, digital acceptance has lept 10 years, dramatically changing the way people consume media and content. This change has radicalised the boundaries and expectations of what a ‘live experience’ delivers for audiences.

“A unique mix of skills and expertise across both broadcast and live events, combined with a true passion for creating world-class experiences puts JLLighting and JLLive at the forefront of content and digital delivery. I am delighted to be joining the companies at this exciting time in their growth, and I look forward to working with Jack, Dan, Phil and the team to help deliver that growth through exceptional broadcast, live and digital experiences for our clients.”

Jeroen Helms joins Peerless-AV as Regional Director of Sales EMEA. Jeroen’s OEM and channel experience, extensive AV industry knowledge and strength in sales management will help accelerate the Peerless-AV brand in the Benelux, France and Iberia Having held senior business development positions in these key territories for the past nine years, Jeroen already has well established connections, is perfectly placed to help build the brand as a well as drive new business opportunities and will play a vital role in implementing Peerless-AV’s EMEA growth strategy.

Jeroen’s previous roles at ZetaDisplay and Samsung in the Benelux involved building successful go to market strategies for new and expanding product portfolios, including LED and digital signage, and targeting high potential markets such as retail, corporate and healthcare. Prior to these companies, Jeroen worked with an AV technology manufacturer where he was responsible for the growth of multiple brands, selling mounting products, projection screens, displays and VC solutions.

“Jeroen’s track record of setting up channels for new product lines and growing sales year on year is highly impressive, and we knew immediately that he was right for the business. Not only will he integrate well into to the team, but he will be instrumental in building on established OEM, distributor and reseller relationships in each region as well as introducing and accelerating our brand in new and existing markets,” said Keith Dutch, Managing Director – EMEA, Peerless-AV. “The Peerless-AV sales and marketing team has an excellent reputation in the AV market and so, when presented with the opportunity to join the business, I jumped at the chance,” commented Jeroen Helms. “Having experience in displays, projector, LED and

Jeroen Helms joins Peerless-AV as Regional Director of Sales EMEA. the mounting systems that they attach to, means I understand the importance of selecting the right mount and solutions for an install. The mount is connected to everything in the AV world and its vital to stay ahead of the game. Peerless-AV is doing just that, especially with its SEAMLESS dvLED programme – and with all the outdoor display, kiosk and custom capabilities on offer, the company really has a competitive edge, opening doors to the dealer community in new markets. I see my new role as a growing one, for a growing company, which I can’t wait to be part of.”

Based in the Netherlands, Jeroen is fluent in Dutch and English.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in business economics from The HAN University of Applied Sciences in Arnhem and Nijmegen.

Genelec is delighted to announce the appointment of Marcel Schechter as Senior Customer Experience Specialist, with special focus on the domestic German market. Based near Stuttgart, Schechter forms part of Genelec’s international marketing and sales team and will be working in close collaboration with Business Development Manager Eric Horstmann and local German distributor Audio Pro, and will be concentrating on strengthening activities in marketing, education and customer support.

Genelec is delighted to announce Having graduated in Authe appointment of Marcel diovisual Media, Schechter Schechter as Senior Customer then worked as a studio enExperience Specialist, with spegineer and lecturer, spending cial focus on the domestic Ger7 years as engineer at Bauman market. er Studios in Ludwigsburg before joining Audio Pro in 2014 as Genelec product specialist. In this role Schechter gained a deep knowledge of the Genelec brand, specialising in assisting customers with loudspeaker selection, installation and room calibration, and providing high quality education to dealers and customers alike.

Genelec International Sales Director Ole Jensen commented: “Marcel is a perfect fit for Genelec – his knowledge, energy and passion for the brand has been obvious since the day he joined Audio Pro. With our total commitment to building closer relationships with our customers in Germany and reinforcing local distribution activities, we know that Marcel’s connections and experience will prove invaluable.”

Schechter concluded by saying that “I’m really excited about joining the Genelec team and further developing the work that I’ve been doing in recent years. To play an even bigger part in delivering an elevated customer experience is an opportunity that I’m really looking forward to.”

Lumen Technologies (NYSE: LUMN) has announced the appointment of Annette Murphy as managing director for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). She will be responsible for Lumen’s overall business in this key region and supporting the company’s customer base, with a customer first approach to optimize their success.

In this role, Murphy will drive Lumen’s EMEA business strategy and growth, leading teams across all go-to-market and operational functions, as well as working closely with the wider organization to ensure Lumen delivers on its mission to provide an exceptional customer experience. She will be instrumental in delivering on the company’s commitment to enable customers to capitalize on the opportunities of the 4th Industrial Revolution,

by utilizing the Lumen technology platform to leverage their data, adopt next-gen business applications and create amazing digital experiences.

Murphy joins Lumen from Zayo where she held several senior executive roles leading sales, commercial and strategy teams, most recently serving as executive vice president for Lit Services. Prior to Zayo, Murphy held senior management positions at Geo Networks and BT Global Services. “I am delighted to welcome Annette to our international leadership team,” said Laurinda Pang, president, global customer success at Lu- Lumen Technologies has anmen Technologies. “Her exten- nounced the appointment of Ansive business leadership expe- nette Murphy as managing direcrience and customer knowledge tor for Europe, Middle East and combined with a strong back- Africa (EMEA). ground in the fields of communications and technology, make her perfectly placed to deliver the Lumen vision and propel our growth in the EMEA region. Annette’s expertise will be key to positioning Lumen as the partner of choice for companies looking to thrive in the 4th Industrial Revolution.”

“I am excited to lead EMEA for Lumen as it continues to successfully execute on its transformative business strategy,” said Murphy. “Lumen has made significant progress since launching the innovative Lumen technology platform in 2020, to support its customers’ application and data needs for the 4th Industrial Revolution. I look forward to accelerating this growth trajectory in EMEA as the company continues to invest in its platform and enhance its customer success strategy, to deliver the business solutions that enable enterprises to excel in the digital era.”

Chargifi, the hybrid workplace specialist, today welcomes former WeWork executive Shaun Ritchie as a board advisor to further drive adoption of its new hybrid-working software platform. After co-founding the workplace experience platform Teem in 2013, Shaun oversaw the company’s growth as it became a market-leader, and helped establish this new category of enterprise software.

The company was acquired by flexible workplace disruptor WeWork, in 2018.

During his tenure as Chief Workplace Experience Officer at WeWork, Shaun helped to further define the modern vision of flexible, people-focused work patterns and spaces. Chargifi will focus this wealth of experience on scaling strategic market offerings, such as Chargifi Wx, which enables teams and individuals to collaborate, connect and increase productivity in the hybrid environment without distraction.

Shaun Ritchie comments: “Our working patterns and locations have been evolving for some time now. By taking an employee-first, rather than space-first, perspective, Chargifi is at the forefront of tech that supports the emergent hybrid working model. Productivity and wellbeing increasingly hinges on successfully navigating and managing the balance between home and office working.”

Dan Bladen Co-Founder and CEO at Chargifi said: “Organizations across the globe are reimagining where, when and how their people work. Recent data* suggests nearly 70% of companies are considering changes within the office to accommodate the shift in demand for hybrid work, while the majority of employees want to keep flexible working but are also seeking more face-to-face collaboration post-pandemic. “Clearly, managing and planning the hybrid working environment is rapidly becoming an issue for the leadership teams of organisations across the globe. Done right, it has the potential to unlock significant engagement and performance gains. We’re committed to helping our customers maintain these vital in-person connections.”

Chargifi’s technology helps companies harness the potential of healthy hybrid working patterns by optimizing and coordinating home and office balance. Chargifi Wx provides the new operating system for flexible work, enabling employees to realize their full potential, Chargifi, the hybrid workplace unburdened from the arrangespecialist, today welcomes for- ments and coordination around mer WeWork executive Shaun collaborative face-to-face work.

Ritchie as a board advisor to fur- *Microsoft 2021 Work Trend ther drive adoption of its new hy- Index data brid-working software platform.

P23 AV News May 2021

Diary and Events

ISE: Munich and Amsterdam cancelled Statement from Mike Blackman In a statement, Mike Blackman, Managing Director Integrated Systems Events said: “We have today made the decision to cancel the ISE events planned for Munich and Amsterdam. Whilst we have had good support from both exhibitors and visitors who wanted to get together at a local event, new government regulations regarding COVID-19 in both Germany and the Netherlands have meant that we are unable

to guarantee being able to proceed with these two events.”

"Preparations for Barcelona and London are well underway as the governments ease restrictions in both Spain and the UK and remain on target for the successful return of events. We are looking forward to bringing the industry together and delivering a platform for those who wish to be there and that will be supported by key exhibiting partners, a programme of

content and networking. These events will be supported by our online platform ISE Digital, providing our global audience with the opportunity to join us online.”

Registration for ISE @ Barcelona, London and for ISE Digital is free, quick and simple – don’t miss out – reserve your ticket now at: https://www.iseurope.org/register.php?actioncode=LIVEAPR4

As the world waits for events to reopen, Barcelona looks forward to welcoming ISE to the City, and to building for the future

• AV Experience Zone: a special feature area at the Gran Via, produced in association

with AVIXA, that will see presentations from 15 leading Spanish integrators across the two days. Content will be in Spanish and will cover the retail, hospitality, corporate, education and digital signage sectors, exploring new business possibilities and looking forward to the recovery.

• Catalan Innovation Zone: ACCIÓ is an agency of the Government of Catalunya for Business Competitiveness.

ACCIÓ’s different programmes promote internationalisation and innovation, and the agency will host a dedicated show floor zone showcasing these leading companies and technologies.

ACCIÓ has also partnered with ISE and TNW to produce three Startup Nation sessions on the Main Stage, highlighting upcoming Catalan entrepreneurial talent.

ISE Digital ISE Digital is a two-day festival [1-2 June / On Demand for 202] of content, powered by CISCO technology, and designed to deliver an intuitive agenda that will help to build a roadmap to success. With a comprehensive programme of live and on-demand content, ISE Digital will come from ISE’s own virtual studio with live sessions from the Main Stage in Barcelona on 1-2 June. Available on demand in the weeks that follow, the programme is a collaboration of informative content from ISE, AVIXA, CEDIA, TNW (The Next Web) and key show partners.

Live from the Main Stage, Barcelona During the two-day festival, the Main Stage at the Fira will be at the heart of the in-person content programme, with sessions also livestreamed to the online audience. Building on the RISE Spotlight programme which ISE has been running since November 2020, ISE Digital will also feature On the Sofa Keynotes, Reporter Roundtables and of course Startup Nation, sponsored by ACCIÓ, highlighting start-ups that are shaking up the markets.

Both AVIXA and CEDIA will be

P24 AV News May 2021

Following on from its debut in October 2020, PLASA Online will return from 10-13 May with a packed programme of online content for companies and freelancers who work throughout the events and entertainment technology industry.

Covering business solutions, creative inspiration and technical updates, each session was designed to give you the knowledge and confidence to navigate the Covid era of events and entertainment.

PLASA Online 2021 programme 10 May 2021 09:30 10:30

…But Barcelona Live & Online presses ahead!

Integrated Systems Events’ Managing Director, Mike Blackman, took part in the Barcelona reACT Conference, a 4-day working event to relaunch the city’s economy after a year of pandemic. Speaking at the conference and looking forward to June, Blackman said: “We recognise that the world needs events to get back to business and we are thankful for the support we have had from the national, regional and City authorities, the team at the Fira and of course to the proAV industry for its enthusiasm in the face of what has been an incredibly difficult period. Whilst 2021 will offer a different experience we are confident of delivering a great event which will pave the way for ISE 2022 in Barcelona.”

Embracing the hybrid approach to events, ISE Live & Online will bring the industry together in a safe and richly rewarding way. Mike Blackman explained: “Whether joining online or in-person in Barcelona, attendees can access inspiring content from innovation leaders, networking opportunities and the latest technologies. This main ISE event, 1-2 June in Barcelona and online, acknowledges that we are at a stage where we can start to plan again for the future and these two days will assist the industry to build a new roadmap for a new era.”

ISE Live is scheduled as ISE@ Barcelona: 1-2 June, Fira de Barcelona Gran Via. In-person attendees can visit booths from exhibitors including Alfalite, Ampio, AVISPL, Barco, Biamp, Control4, d&b audiotechnik, Equipson, LANG, NEC, Panasonic, Sharp, Shure, WolfVision plus many more. Highlights from the exhibition will be broadcast from the Main Stage during the two days. There will also be a Pavilion by ICEX to highlight Spanish brands and business opportunities as well as a host of other features including:

PLASA Online 2021

featured on the Main Stage with a range of sessions covering the latest market intelligence, global trends and taking a look at the smart technologies driving the residential and commercial marketplaces.

The full programme will be revealed on the ISE website over the coming weeks, but some highlights will include: • On the Sofa Keynote with TNW: Shaking out the trends in next tech Key insights showcasing the tech trends all businesses need to have on their radar and why.

This session explores which technology has accelerated and what’s been put on the backburner as a result of the pandemic.

• Rising to the challenge: Finding opportunity through crisis An influential AV thought-leader takes us on a journey of how they innovated and led their team to achieve growth through the different phases of the pandemic. This story is set to inspire and help you reflect on your own leadership style.

• On the Sofa Keynote Interview: Sustainability Accelerated Sustainability is at the top of the global agenda and modern society is increasingly concerned with sustainability initiatives and the protection of our shared environment, so ignoring it can only result in being left behind. We ask a thought leader what corporates ought to be looking at, why and what the perfect destination is in terms of a sustainable business.

• Roundtable: What’s your purpose?

How to position your brand and service in a post pandemic world. How important is brand purpose? Is it time to evaluate the values of your business?

Registration is free, quick and simple – don’t miss out – reserve your ticket now at https:// www.iseurope.org/register. php?actioncode=LIVEAPR2

The impact of Brexit on the touring community

The panel will discuss the challenges and issues relating to the movement of goods and people, including cabotage, work permits and visas. Register for this session by completing the form below: 09:30 10:30

AYRTON: Live from Paris Virtual demonstration for PLASA 2021 The expert team at Ayrton will give a brief overview of some of the latest additions to their product range, from the exciting new Karif to the Eurus and Domino (and everything in between)! Register f 14:30 15:30

Music Support: The mental health hour

Music Support, the charity that helps those in the UK music and events industry affected by mental health and/or addiction is pleased to present “The Mental Health Hour,” 16:00 17:00

Back to work: Challenges to consider and resolve

Returning to work after the removal of government restrictions will raise a number of issues not commonly encountered: Recruitment Fitness Muscle memory Skills fade Current competence Mental health an ...

11 May 2021 09:30 10:30

Myths and legends: A tour through some of the most enduring electrical misunderstandings In this session, electrical consultant James Eade will explore various misunderstandings that surround electrical safety management and technology. Examples range from electrical qualifications, PAT t ...

11:00 12:00

Vectorworks Spotlight: The all-in-one software for event design, from 2D drawings to realistic visuals

Join Tom White, Vectorworks Industry Specialist, as he demonstrates how Vectorworks Spotlight can be used at every stage of the event design process. From 2D drawings to fully rendered 3D panoramas an ...

13:00 14:00

VIP preview: New Shure Wireless features that put you in the driving seat

Exclusive to PLASA Online, Shure are showcasing brand new features for the SLX-D Digital Wireless system. Be among the first to see exciting new functionality for their mid-tier, industry-leading wire ...

14:30 15:30

Future Tech with James Simpson - in association with LSi magazine With an eye on the shape of tech to come, Copper Candle’s James Simpson will revisit a number of topics from his popular LSi column, Future Tech. Up for discussion will be light fidelity (LiFi), where ...

16:00 17:00

The Theatre Green Book. Volume 1: Sustainable Productions

The Theatre Green Book is a project spearheaded by the ABTT, the Theatres Trust and Buro Happold and led by Paddy Dillon. It has brought together theatre-makers and sustainability experts to create a ...

12 May 2021 09:30 10:30

An update on Ecodesign: The regulations covering energy efficiency and other requirements for lighting equipment

The session will cover the final changes made to these regulations in the EU (which are good news for entertainment lighting), what happens in the UK now that it is now longer part of the EU, and what ...

13:00 14:00

LAMPY demo presentation

LAMPY professionals will show you which models of the LAMPY DMX console are available and how LAMPY allows you to create and control a great light show with ease. Join them and learn if LAMPY is for y ...

14:30 15:30

Romeo & Juliet: Theatre goes CGI - in association with LSi magazine Hear from the team behind one of the most technologically re-

fined hybrid productions to take place since the pandemic hit the world of theatre. Led by Ryan Metcalfe, the production team will discuss 16:00 17:00

CREATEBritain: Linking creative industry practitioners; skills, knowledge, experience

CREATEBritain is an online platform developed specifically for the creative industries. For creative individuals it helps you to be found by peers and business opportunities, pulling everything toget ...

13 May 2021 09:30 10:30

Hands-on RDM and DMX

The session takes a hands-on approach to using and troubleshooting RDM and DMX512.

The theory is combined with many practical demonstrations using a number of manufacturers’ RDM product. Questions.

11:00 12:00

Fundamentals of a load measuring system

In this session, application engineer Tom Lilly and product specialist Elliot Van Laere from Broadweigh will provide an insight into what goes on inside a load cell, aimed at helping to demystify some ...

14:30 15:30

#WeMakeEvents: What's new with the campaign to protect live events?

Throughout the summer and autumn of 2020, #WeMakeEvents staged a series of global activations to amplify the voice of the live events and entertainment sectors, including the Red Alert Day of Action, ...

16:00 17:00

Technical Standards for Places of Entertainment

An update on the amendments that have been made in the last year especially the alignment with BS 7671 18th Edition Wiring Regulations.

Contact info@plasafocus.com