AV News November 2021

The direct channel to the industry

November 2021 www.avnews.co.uk Page 12

Page 19

Feature - remote learning and collaboration

COVID-19 accelerates a journey to the Cloud

Collaboration tends to be hindered in traditional lecture and lecturer-led teaching delivery.

When the first national lockdown in England happened back in March 2020, many businesses initially panicked.

DTEN agrees strategic investment from Zoom DTEN has announced an investment made in the company

by Zoom Video Communications, Inc. The investment allows DTEN, recognized for its all-in-one collaboration technology, to accelerate new product and services innovations.

“Zoom and DTEN are both dedicated to future-forward technology, seamless user experiences and a relentless pursuit of customer happiness,” said Wei Liu, DTEN founder and CEO. “With this investment, DTEN is able to innovate even faster to support and advance the Zoom-connected world.”

The relationship between DTEN and Zoom is ongoing; from its inception, DTEN has ensured its solutions deliver optimal Zoom Rooms experiences. The recent Zoom investment, providing both financial and engineering support, further solidifies the partnership and reconfirms DTEN’s commitment to the Zoom ecosystem.

“Zoom is committed to empow-

ering people to decide where, when, and how they work,” said Kelly Steckelberg, Zoom CFO. “Zoom’s investment recognizes that DTEN shares our same goals to always make video-first communications frictionless, reliable, secure and productive.”

Liu cited the success of DTEN ME, the first all-in-one video collaboration device designed for individual use, as an example of the ongoing working alliance between Zoom and DTEN. Product design was closely aligned with Zoom’s engineering team, with focus on delivering a big video conference display experience right at the desktop. The result: a fully immersive Zoom-enabled device, combining video communications, content sharing and interactive whiteboarding, popular for home use and at individual workstations alike.

Long-term customer Medallia confirms the value of the partnership: “The combination of Zoom and DTEN accelerated

DTEN has announced an investment made in the company by Zoom Video Communications, Inc. The investment allows DTEN, recognized for its all-in-one collaboration technology, to accelerate new product and services innovations. our speed of deployment,” says Robert Vicario, IT Collaboration Service Manager at Medallia.

“And it enhanced our ability to manage a global program at a world-class level.”

Liu notes the relationship with Zoom has helped DTEN establish a comprehensive portfolio of products, ranging from large boardroom-sized displays, in conference rooms and huddle spaces, and to individual desktops. “Zoom and DTEN

Continued on page 3

CDEC launches ‘CDEC live’ CDEC has announced the launch of ‘CDEC Live’, a new division of the AV integrator that specialises in live streaming. With large-scale physical events no longer able to take place due to COVID-19 restrictions, many have now become hybrid or online offerings, prompting CDEC to invest in a specialist team to provide the quality of experience necessary for a successful streamed event.

Offering everything from corporate webcasting and social media streaming to esports and hybrid events, ‘CDEC Live’ aims to take the mystery out of live streaming while offering solutions that enhance audience interaction, generate revenue, build brand recognition and encourage attendance at future events.

Services include pre-event consultation and planning, live stream testing, bandwidth solutions, registration services, recording, and reporting and analytics. Streaming is available to any platform – including all major social channels, Zoom, Teams, Skype, UStream, LiveNow and client websites –

many of them simultaneously.

Toni Moss, managing director at ‘CDEC Live’, said: “This year has seen massive changes to how events are run and attended, and live streaming

skills, knowledge and technology to make this happen.”

“CDEC Live’ offers a complete live streaming service, offering everything from initial advice to technical support, scripting

Toni Moss, managing director at ‘CDEC Live’: “This year has seen massive changes to how events are run and attended, and live streaming has played a vital role in keeping employees, customers and wider audiences engaged and informed.” has played a vital role in keeping employees, customers and wider audiences engaged and informed. To be successful virtual events must be reliable, secure and truly connect with the audience and we have the

and asset creation. We have an incredibly talented team and the latest in production equipment to deliver a bespoke service that will ensure your event runs smoothly while reaching

PPDS announces partnership with Logitech This latest PPDS partnership combines Logitech’s advanced range of video conferencing and audio solutions with the dedicated Philips-branded corporate and education display ranges to offer extensive, unrivalled online meeting and collaboration capabilities for hybrid working and learning.

Adding even more choice to PPDS’ ever-growing global base of partners and customers, this strategic collaboration with Logitech has been formed

to address the current and future needs for video conferencing and audio for business and education customers – whether on site or remotely – for more inclusive outcomes.

Video conferencing has become a preferred way to comminate with peers, partners, customers and, within education (hybrid, blended, absent and distance learning), with many businesses adopting a video-first culture to help energise and empower their workforce.

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Pre-pandemic, the market was already thriving, valued at more than €4.8 billion, with forecast growth topping €9.2 billion by 2027. With the current global dding even more choice to PPDS’ ever-growing global base of partners and customers, this strategic collaboration with Logitech has been formed to address the current and future needs for video conferencing and audio for business and education customers.

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conditions, the role and need for reliable, high quality, professional video conferencing solutions has never been greater, nor more important. One popular video conferencing platform provider experienced a 354 percent increase in subscribers during 2020, hosting approximately 300 million meetings per day.

Continued on page 3

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Headline News Continued from page 1

DTEN agrees strategic investment from Zoom were invaluable for businesses, schools, healthcare facilities and more during the pandemic,” he says. “In the new normal of hybrid work and school, we continue to help people connect safely and collaborate productively.”

Along with the investment announcement, Liu shared updates on other DTEN news, including: •The successful release of two new products, DTEN ME Pro and DTEN GO with DTEN Mate, further expanding DTEN’s portfolio of all-in-one video conference solutions.

•DTEN’s recent rollout of DTEN

as a Service, a new subscription service that fully integrates device, support and service.

•Initiatives to address the “new normal” combining in-person with remote learning for schools and hybrid workplaces for businesses.

•Expansion of the channel network with new distribution agreements with SYNNEX in the United States and Nuvias UC in Europe.

Recent international product recognition with awards received from RedDot, Chicago Atheneum's GOOD DESIGN and International Design Awards (IDA).

Continued from page 1

PPDS announces partnership with Logitech

Midwich confirms agreement with Jabra Midwich, a specialist AV distributor to the trade market, is pleased to announce a distribution agreement in the UK&I with Jabra, a world-leading brand in audio and video solutions. Jabra’s new PanaCast video conferencing camera line-up has been engineered to make meetings in the world of hybrid working inclusive and collaborative: The Jabra PanaCast 50 is the first intelligent video bar with a unique 180-degree field of view, and the Jabra PanaCast 20 is a compact and portable, ground-breaking intelligent personal camera. Combining immersive video and audio technologies with cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence, these solutions work with all leading video and audio-conferencing

platforms. The PanaCast 50 is also certified for use with Microsoft Teams and Zoom.

Ross Floyd, Divisional Director, Midwich, comments: “We are thrilled to add Jabra to our line-up of collaboration solutions. Their passion for creating world-leading technology is infectious and when it comes to meeting room collaboration solutions for the office, Jabra’s PanaCast range is one of the most immersive and engaging video conferencing experiences available on the market today.”

Nigel Dunn, Managing Director, EMEA North at Jabra comments: “We are delighted to partner with Midwich and to have chosen them as a specialist AV distributor for Jabra in the UK & Ireland. Midwich’s industry expertise will bring the

Working together, PPDS and Logitech bring plug-and-play connectivity and validated compatibility and seamless integration between a range of collaboration-inspired Philips professional displays for both corporate and education settings and a range of Logitech products. Each designed to meet specific needs and requirements based on the environments in which they will be used, whether at the desktop or a small office at home, a huddle space, vast boardroom, a classroom or lecture theatre.

For corporate environments, these include the Crestron Connected certified, Windows or Android powered, UHD Philips C-Line interactive range, and the Crestron Connected, Extron and Neets compatible, Chromecast built-in Philips B-Line range for smaller meeting rooms and huddle spaces.

For education, a range of Logitech solutions can now connect

education markets. Combining Logitech’s advanced technologies for unrivalled, world class video conferencing quality with our own market-leading range – designed and inspired by market feedback to meet every business need – we’re confident that there is no stronger or more complete all-in-one solution. With Logitech and PPDS, customers never have to settle for second best.”

Angie Mayo, Global Alliance & Go-to-Market Manager at Logitech, concluded: “With video becoming a must-have collaboration tool in any workspace, our customers are looking for high quality, flexible solutions that are easy to deploy at scale.

We are very excited to partner with PPDS to combine Logitech’s family of products with the wide range of Philips professional displays to easily video-enable every meeting space of any size.”

seamlessly with PPDS’ multitouch, 4K Philips T-Line range for smarter, more engaging inclass and hybrid or blended learning experiences. With Logitech products – which include the Brio, Rally Bar Mini, Rally Bar and Rally Plus – starting video conferencing meetings has never been easier, with one-touch, seamless connection on a solution that works for the user, including GoTo, Microsoft, Zoom, Pexip and RingCentral.

Tim de Ruiter, International Business Manager at PPDS, commented: “We are thrilled to have partnered with Logitech, adding even more incredible quality to our range of dedicated Philips professional displays for the corporate and

BrightSign ships two millionth media player BrightSign has announced that it has shipped its two millionth media player. The milestone comes a mere four years after the company hit the one-million mark in Q3 of 2017. “When you consider it took us eleven years to ship our first million media players, it’s impressive that we bridged from 1M to 2M in just four short years,” said Jeff Hastings, CEO of BrightSign. “This accomplishment speaks equally to the value of our products, and the broad market support that’s responsible for driving our continued sales growth over the years.”

BrightSign hit the 2M milestone earlier than anticipated, thanks

Jabra’s new PanaCast video conferencing camera line-up has been engineered to make meetings in the world of hybrid working inclusive and collaborative: outstanding level of service and commitment that’s required to support our partners and drive our business forwards in the AV channel. Jabra PanaCast intelligent devices create the optimal collaboration experi-

ence for flexible hybrid workers, maximising productivity.

We look forward to working with Midwich to enable even more businesses and organisations to experience audio and video like never before.”

at Kramer, explains: “Our continued partnership with Sony has enabled us to strengthen the education vertical offering with a single solution which will enhance presentation technology systems and increase learning effectiveness and experience in classrooms and lecture halls.

The Sony-Kramer Solution is a progressive education-based offering that empowers faculty and professional staff to deliver impactful, cinematic presentations and lesson content in real-time.

“Not only that, but it will also enhance the experience for students and improve engagement, without the need for installing a dedicated studio. By digitizing the classroom experience, a new learning style is created that gives those in the room and those at home the same great experience.”

An agnostic platform, the Sony-Kramer Auditorium Solution enables complete integration with existing devices or as a new installation and can be configured with audio devices, cameras, video bars, webcams and recording devices.

Rich Ventura, Vice President, B2B, Imaging Products & Solutions – Americas at Sony, comments: “Sony is recognized worldwide for offering great technology, innovation and support to our customers. By working with our collaborative partner, Kramer, we’re combining our collective strengths, while expanding our power and reach to deliver comprehensive and integrated solutions designed to add value and meet the specific needs of our users.”

The Sony-Kramer Solution is available now worldwide to authorized resellers.

Kramer delivers AR Teaching Studio using Sony AI Kramer Electronics has collaborated with Sony Electronics to integrate an Augmented Reality (AR) Teaching Studio Solution designed for virtual or hybrid learning experiences that incorporates AR software with Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies.

The solution, intended for any education or corporate institutions, combines Kramer’s award-winning control solutions and other various audio, video and management products with Sony’s Edge presentation, visualization and analytics suite (REA-C1000). The Sony device, combined with the Kramer Control Solutions, improve the quality of all presentations and communication. Edge seamlessly blends AR software with AI technology to intuitively enhance the presentation experience and improve the visual and audio quality for in-room and remote participants.

The Kramer Control platform is embedded on a specially designed tablet that allows the presenters to move around the space freely and easily operate all the equipment in the room via a single user interface. Providing the education sector with a cost-effective and professional quality presentation suite, lecturers, teachers and presenters can choose to add optional licenses to incorporate

in part to growth catalysed by several pandemic-related influences. Covid-related lockdowns and restrictions gave businesses the opportunity to refresh (or add new) digital signage to their businesses with minimal disruption. Additionally, many businesses and municipalities relied heavily on digital signage to effectively communicate new public health recommendations, social distancing requirements and general health & safety information as the pandemic evolved. Lastly, BrightSign’s media players were incorporated into many of the temperature-screening solutions that became essential

features including handwriting extraction across multiple displays, PTZ auto-tracking, close-up by gesture features, Chromakey-less CG Overlay and real-time cropping, all through a single device.

Using AR technology, the handwriting extraction feature ensures that any words and diagrams written on a whiteboard, or a blackboard remain in full view to the audience, no matter where the speaker is standing. Chromakey-less CG Overlay technology extracts the presenter’s image and overlays it onto any background image, animation, or video in real-time without the need for dedicated studio equipment or a specialist graphics operator. Focus Area Cropping allows one camera to simultaneously show two different output images and can be set to be shown as either a static or dynamic picture.

For perfect image reproduction for virtual participants, the PTZ auto-tracking cameras accurately and smoothly follow the speaker’s movement throughout the presentation to ensure they stay in focus and within frame throughout their presentation.

For those in-room, the close-up by gesture technology can also detect and react to the gestures of audience members.

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to businesses as they screened customers and employees upon entry to their facilities.

Hastings continued, “This milestone was earned through the collective teamwork of our entire organization. The pandemic was a difficult time across the entire AV space, and it’s gratifying to know that our company performance remained strong throughout. Despite many of us working remotely for the past year and a half, each and every BrightSign employee pulled together and contributed to the company’s remarkably strong performance in the face of a very challenging business climate.”

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Business News

Peerless-AV signs MixGT as Jordan disti HYPERVSN strengthens partnerPeerless-AV has announced that it has partnered with Mix Generation Technology (MixGT) to distribute its portfolio of professional AV mounts and solutions to the Jordanian market.

An established player in the region, and particularly active in dvLED video wall and outdoor projects, MixGT is strong in the growing hospitality, retail, corporate and government markets. They will help develop the Peerless-AV brand with local integrators and increase market share in the region.

“Working together with MixGT, we look forward to building our partnership and growing our brand in Jordan,” said Keith Dutch, Managing Director – EMEA, Peerless-AV. “The com-

pany is an ideal fit for its extensive experience in specifying and designing projects, as well as strong technical resources, strategic relationships, complementary brands and market coverage.”

A primary distributor of Samsung in Jordan, MixGT will promote, market and distribute the entire Peerless-AV line up, including kiosks, outdoor displays and dvLED mounting systems. The company is also responsible for brands in the fields of cloud security and mobility services, ICT Integrated Solutions, lighting and control, AV/ELV complex audio visual and electrical low voltage, business automation, interactive solutions, hospitality products,

ICT Consultations and 3rd party quality assurance.

“The digital signage market is growing in Jordan and the addition of the Peerless-AV brand means we are perfectly positioned to both attach products to Samsung sales and to target new business opportunities through our network of dealers and integrators,” commented Amjad A. Jabr, Co-Founder and Director of MixGT. “We’re seeing demand for outdoor projects increasing, owing to the varying but generally hot and dry climate, and we’ve already secured tenders for Peerless-AV kiosks in the QSR and hospitality sectors.”

ship with PSCo

PSCo, the official UK distribution and trade rental partner of HYPERVSN, is delighted to announce the full line-up of their product range can now be seen at Innovation House in Bracknell, UK and in HYPERVSN’s new London based showroom.

As the developers of the world’s first integrated 3D holographic display system, London-based HYPERVSN are experiencing promising growth with over 350+ installations across 100+ countries. The company has recently invested in opening a new showroom in central London, expanding its local team, and developing a range of new products including the exciting ‘HYPERVSN Holographic Human’.

HYPERVSN technology consists of a four-ray rotor that can display 3D content at up to 670 RPM, producing visuals and videos that appear to be floating in mid-air and are perceived by viewers as hi-resolution holograms, without the need for wearables. The result is a highly disruptive, scalable and cost-effective solution that drives brand and customer

engagement with multiple applications ranging from events and conferences, bars and restaurants, to corporate offices and retail stores, to name a few.

Powered by a proprietary CMS software, users can control the device remotely and create, upload and manage content. This also includes HYPERVSN 3D Studio, which allows users to easily convert 2D images into eye-catching 3D visuals – and requires no design skills.

Kiryl Chykeyuk, HYPERVSN Co-Founder, comments: “The HYPERVSN system presents new disruptive opportunities to capture and convert audiences by engaging in meaningful conversation with all customer demographics. It is definitely a unique solution for brands wishing to reach high brand exposure and effectively set themselves apart from competitors” Customers can choose from 3 product ranges, which are available for trade rental and purchase through PSCo: the HYPERVSN Solo, HYPERVSN Wall and HYPERVSN Holo-

graphic Human. HYPERVSN Solo units can be installed individually, or multiple units can be synchronized to create one larger image for an even more powerful HYPERVSN Wall installation. Popular at tradeshows and exhibitions, HYPERVSN has also proved to be a popular solution at PSCo’s events and its experience centre at Innovation House, where the 3D holographic technology has received a lot of interest and positive feedback from visitors seeking out new ways to capture and convert audiences with unique digital signage solutions.

Stuart Holmes, Director at PSCo, comments: “We see huge potential for HYPERVSN products, especially from our corporate, retail and rental customers, who are keen to re-engage their audiences now that lockdown restrictions have been lifted. The investment by HYPERVSN in its UK team, new office and product line-up gives us great confidence and we can’t wait to see what’s in store for this highly innovative display solution”.

Peerless-AV has announced that it has partnered with Mix Generation Technology (MixGT) to distribute its portfolio of professional AV mounts and solutions to the Jordanian market.

Midwich signs Lenovo distribution agreement Midwich has announced a distribution agreement in the UK&I with Lenovo, the developers in world-changing technology solutions. Lenovo Smart Collaboration solutions are transforming workplaces into more agile, connected environments by creating easy-to-use tools that are accessible for every skill-level. Lenovo’s products facilitate the integration and deployment of solutions that have been tailored for existing UC platforms, including Zoom.

Lenovo’s Collaboration Solutions, ThinkSmart View, ThinkSmart Hub, ThinkSmart Tiny and ThinkSmart Core are specifically designed for the Zoom platform. These products will be available to channel partners in the UK through Midwich and Square One in Ireland. Ross Floyd, Divisional Director, Midwich, comments: “Remote working will continue to be a reality for many employees, but physical in-person meeting rooms still have an important role. When working with teams, it has become increasingly important to deploy collaboration solutions that seamlessly connect flexible workers and teams together,

enhancing productivity. Lenovo’s Smart Collaboration Devices for Zoom Rooms deliver an integrated, connected experience, and we are delighted to add these products to our formidable line-up of UC&C solutions across the UK&I,” Jane Ashworth, Channel Director, Lenovo comments: “We are delighted to announce our new relationship with Midwich for Smart Collaboration Products.

Our ambition as we move to a more hybrid working environment coupled with continued demanding for best-in-class interface experience with customers and colleagues, Lenovo and Midwich are positioned to jointly execute. Midwich join an exclusive Distribution line up, focused on providing world class products and services for an ever-changing world. This is an exciting new relationship, and we are very much look forward to our joint ambitions being realised.”

Similar to a personal productivity assistant for the home workspace, ThinkSmart View for Zoom handles administrative and collaborative tasks, freeing the resources in the PC. The device works with a PC to divide workload, so that the PC

can be simultaneously used for productivity whilst ThinkSmart View is used for Zoom for meetings, calls, content-sharing, calendar entries, and more.

The ThinkSmart Hub meeting room device has been redesigned for ultimate meeting efficiency. Built on the Zoom platform with 8th Gen Intel Core processors, the redesigned Hub has a slimmer design and sleeker display, four speakers, four microphones, an innovative single-cable mechanism, and brighter, more visible indicators. It’s still scalable across room sizes and features onetouch meeting start, for the best possible Zoom experience.

Engineered for intensive tasks and Mil-Spec tested for durability, the Tiny desktop enables better meetings through its powerful performance and proven reliability.

Lenovo’s first modular room kit designed for flexibility and scalability in meeting spaces.

A certified solution for Zoom Rooms. The purpose built ThinkSmart Core compute device is powered by an 11th Gen Intel Core vPro processor and delivers connectivity to support most meeting room configurations.

PSCo, the official UK distribution and trade rental partner of HYPERVSN, is delighted to announce the full line-up of their product range can now be seen at Innovation House in Bracknell.

Sophos expands UK distribution network Sophos has announced it is expanding its U.K. distribution through partnering with two new distributors, Tech Data and Giacom. Both Tech Data and Giacom’s network of channel partners will have access to Sophos’ complete portfolio of cybersecurity solutions, including threat response services, starting in November 2021.

“We’re delighted to announce the appointment of Tech Data and Giacom as official U.K. distributors –they join alongside Arrow ECS to complete our distribution line-up,” said Jonathan Bartholomew, vice president of sales for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) North, at Sophos. “Both are well established to support the growing needs of their own and Sophos’ channel partners. The

onboarding of two additional distributors further advances our mission to provide partners with the best and most complete set of cybersecurity solutions in the market that help organizations defend against ransomware and other cyberattacks.”

As a result of the partnership, Tech Data will deliver Sophos’ full range of award-winning products and services, including Sophos Intercept X, Sophos Firewall and Managed Threat Response (MTR). As one of the largest distributors in the U.K., Tech Data will also be able to provide channel partners with the staffing and tools, such as in-depth sales, technical and renewal support, that they need to accelerate business growth.

“This appointment is hugely

exciting and pivotal partnership for Tech Data and Sophos,” said Alison Nixon, director – security, Tech Data Advanced Solutions, U.K. and Ireland. “It presents us with the opportunity to offer tremendous value to all partners selling Sophos security. Whether they are platinum partners or just starting out on their security journey, we can help them digitally transform, accelerate and grow. We have the tools, platforms, automated processes, and resources to support every aspect of their enablement and business

Continued on page 6

P5 AV News November 2021

Business News Continued from page 5 development. The deal also provides access to the trusted strength, breadth and scale of Tech Data and the expertise of our specialist security practice.

From day one, we will be making the full scope and range of our capabilities available, to ensure partners can offer their end-user customers the very best protection and keep pace with the rapid pace of change in cybersecurity.”

Giacom is one of the fastest-growing distributors of cloud software solutions for IT service providers in the U.K. and will now be offering Sophos’ complete portfolio of security solutions to its partners.

Giacom is uniquely positioned to support Sophos’ entire partner base, including MSPs, providing partners with cloud software solutions available in their Cloud Market management portal. Sophos’ partners will have access to highly trained and certified sales, technical support and customer service teams, as well as sales, mar-

keting, technical, and training resources to help accelerate their cybersecurity business – providing end users with industry leading security solutions to protect against the evolving threat landscape.

“We are very excited to add Sophos to the Giacom Cloud Market and provide our partners with access to a world class security solutions provider. As a prominent brand in the cybersecurity space, Sophos increases the strength of our own security portfolio,” said Mike Wardell, chief executive officer, Giacom. “To be chosen by Sophos as a key distributor is excellent recognition of Giacom’s reputation and market leading position. Giacom and Sophos share many of the same values and we look forward to continuing to provide Sophos partners excellent customer service.”

Hall Technologies moves to Texas Hall Technologies has announced that they are moving their headquarters to Dallas, Texas as of December 1st. This move comes on the heels of Hall’s tremendous expansion over the last year to rebrand and reimagine the company.

This statement from Hall Technologies, CEO, Jason Schwartz, “Hall set an aggressive plan to rebrand and evolve the company. Part of that plan was moving our operations to Texas.

Why Texas? Texas checked off all the boxes for us. One of the main reasons we selected Texas is because it’s a distribution hub. For our US customers this means expedited shipping, and that our products will now be in our customers’ hands within two days. That helps our clients keep projects on track, on budget, and on time. Our headquarters will also house our Hall Experience Center. We

will all be living in a HIVE enabled environment where control is within reach and used throughout our office and the Experience Center for seamless collaboration. We can’t wait to host you in our new office and show your first-hand the power and simplicity of our HIVE ecosystem.”

“Our new office will be open and inviting, just like our company culture. We’ve been setting the building blocks for this over the past year with numerous key players being added to the team, the rebranding, as well as new technology being launched.

We’ve built a rock-solid foun-

dation for tremendous growth and opportunity. I’m excited to see our trajectory,” says Hal Truax, VP of Sales and Marketing for Hall Technologies.

Hall Technologies has announced that they are moving their headquarters to Dallas, Texas as of December 1st.

Adder celebrates Queen’s Award Adder Technology celebrated its third prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise with a ceremony at its Cambridge headquarters.

The award for International Trade was formally presented to Adder’s CEO, Adrian Dickens. It recognised the company’s market-leading range of high-performance keyboard, video, mouse (KVM) solutions that are exported worldwide via a network of trusted partners and resellers.

Having previously been honoured with a Queen’s Award for

the resilience and determination demonstrated by our teams around the world over the past year. The business has continued to grow despite the challenging circumstances we have found ourselves in. This award proves the commitment we have to our vision and acknowledges the efforts of everyone involved across the business.”

Prior to the presentation, the Lord Lieutenant joined the Adder Board of Directors in a tour of the site incorporating Adder’s engineering, R&D, and

post-production to command and control, and industrial process automation. Whilst all the firm’s products are manufactured at its Cambridge headquarters, 91% of its global revenue is generated from foreign exports.

Neil Hillier, senior vice president global sales and marketing at Adder, said, “We are extremely grateful to our global customer and partner network for their loyalty to Adder over the years. They inspire our innovation and challenge us to

Partnership responds to market demand for a hybrid working Resonate, a Microsoft Gold Partner, specialising in implementing advanced Microsoft unified communication solutions globally, and Kinly, a leading global provider of visual collaboration services & support announces the launch of their hybrid focused video and voice services for Microsoft Teams.

The era of hybrid work is truly here, organisations and their employees need solutions and services to help them work together in the new hybrid workplace. According to Microsoft’s 2021 Work Trend Index, ‘Employees want the best of both worlds: over 70 percent of workers want flexible remote work options to continue, while over 65 percent are craving more in-person time with their teams. To prepare, 66 percent of business decision makers are considering redesigning physical spaces to better accommodate hybrid work environments.’

Together, Resonate and Kinly are

provide their staff the modern workplace they now expect.

This approach makes hybrid meetings and teamwork in different locations simpler and more effective , whilst empowering employees to meet how and where they want.

The partnership of Resonate and Kinly creates the possibility to offer clients an end-toend video and voice solution; not just a simple ‘bolt-on’ addition to each portfolio, but an integrated offering. This drives more value to the client with potential savings on infrastructure and installation costs.

Recognising that UCC services have moved in most cases from a ‘nice-to-have’ to ‘business critical’ for organisations’ daily operations. Availability and adoption services are included in the proposition, offering clients the business value that they seek in today’s hybrid workplace.

Commenting on the new part-

now want a seamless experience from desktop or mobile device to meeting room and want a simple to use service from one supplier rather than many. Our partnership with Resonate delivers a more compelling and integrated experience across Microsoft Teams.

With this partnership we bring together best-in-class in one simple service.

Robert Garcia, CEO at Resonate adds: “Our customers need a solution that works end to end. Resonate can transform even the most complex customer’s existing voice solutions to Teams Voice, but our core services did not extend to visual collaboration and the meeting room experience. This is a key part of the Hybrid working experience which our customers need to thrive. Our partnership with Kinly means that customers can enjoy a world class managed visual collaboration experience fully integrated with our Teams Voice offering. It's a powerful end to end experience, anywhere, and

combining their industry leading experience to deliver a global offering that helps organisations

nership, Robbert Bakker, CEO Kinly explains ‘What we know from our customers is that they

on any device.”

Adder Technology celebrated its third prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise with a ceremony at its Cambridge headquarters.

International Trade in 2001 and a Queen’s Award for Innovation in 2014, Adder was presented with the latest award in a ceremony by the Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire, Julie Spence OBE QPM, the Deputy Lord Lieutenant, Mr Christopher Walkinshaw, and Cadet Warrant Officer, Alex Braybrook.

“We are delighted to have been honoured by such a prestigious award and to receive recognition for a third time is truly remarkable,” said Adder CEO and founder, Adrian Dickens. “I have been immensely proud of

manufacturing facilities before joining over 100 employees for the ceremony and a celebratory lunch.

Originally founded in 1984, Adder has established itself as a leader in the design and manufacture of innovative enterprise technology products which enable users to securely access and control computers from anywhere in the world via a standard IP network. The core technology, known as KVM, is used globally by customers across multiple industries – from pro-AV, broadcasting, and

P6 AV News November 2021

deliver leading solutions that support their mission-critical applications. Without them, this award would be not achievable.”

The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are the most prestigious business awards in the UK, with more than 7,000 companies having won an award since it was first established in 1965. The awards celebrate the success of exciting and innovative businesses which are leading the way with pioneering products or services, with 205 won this year alone.

Business News

Exertis Pro AV boosts Poly proposition

PPDS Intelligent Signage Solution for retail

Exertis Pro AV today launches its new Poly services proposition in the UK and Ireland. The technical assistance centre – which provides customers with a comprehensive service and support structure to accompany Poly systems – complements Exertis’ existing Poly pre-sales and professional services and will be available as a basic or advanced package to suit customers’ needs.

Exertis is a major Poly distributor with the presales capability to support resellers in the design of Poly solutions and winning business. The new maintenance service will complete the full proposition for customers, delivered from within the UK, by the fully accredited technical assistance centre.

Customers can contact support via telephone, e-mail or secure web portal, and hours of cover is available as either business hours only, or 24/7, 365 days a year. Exertis will provide an optional advanced hardware replacement service, offering replacement via next business day delivery.

The service coupled with Exertis Pro AV’s existing Poly sales and solutions team adds the pre-sales and professional services capability to enable a complete end-to-end offering for trade partners. The team supports customers in identifying the right products to deliver the seamless integration and deployment required for voice and/or video solutions.

Greg Bennett, Head of AV Solutions, Exertis Pro AV, said: “We’re delighted to be able to offer this to our reseller partners. The new service is the

PPDS is excited to announce a new collaboration with leading hardware and computer vision software providers, Intel, Advantech and Navori Labs, for the creation of the PPDS Intelligent Signage Solution for Retail. Bringing a bundled, trusted and proven solution to system integrators and retailers for easy installation and straightforward integration into stores.

Continuing PPDS’ Total Solutions strategy – and its ongoing efforts to support the retail market through world-first innovations – the PPDS Intelligent Signage Solution for Retail is a revolutionary AI-powered digital signage solution that combines Philips digital signage with intelligent context-aware software and camera technologies. Delivering unparalleled data-driven insights to high street retailers for enhanced, more targeted customer experiences resulting in greater return on investment.

Designed to take the customer’s omnichannel strategy to the next level and to create an experience unachievable online, the solution enables retailers to make smarter, more informed business decisions, using advanced analytics based on the store’s activities throughout the day, week, month or even year.

cent accuracy) – including gender – which are delivered on an intuitive and fully featured dashboard assessable on any computer.

The information can be used to deliver unique, bespoke, targeted content and marketing to help drive sales. Alternatively, content can be easily created and scheduled, based on the data analytics, such as during times where a specific demo-

retailer reported up to a 26 per cent increase in entrance traffic due to the presence of instore displays, using targeted marketing, while a department store improved customer satisfaction, reducing its waiting time by 35 per cent on weekend peak hours by implanting extra ambulatory cashiers.

Chris Colpaert, General Manager at PPDS, commented: “There has never been a more

graphic, or group, ie. sports fans are historically more prevalent. The solution is GDPR friendly, 100 per cent anonymous and doesn’t perform facial recognition. No images or video are ever stored on the system.

Other benefits of the PPDS Intelligent Signage Solution for Retail include: •Know your customers: Measure footfall counts excluding

Compatible with PPDS’s Philips P-Line* 24/7 digital signage range for indoor environments (42”-55”), and connected with the store’s choice of on-board ethernet or wi-fi, the solution harnesses Advantech’s powerful integrated DS-200 SDM-L Smart Display Module computer platform, powered by Intel vPro technology that can be used to manage the unit remotely. These are brought together with the award-winning Aquaji smart AI-computer vision driven software platform for marketing analytics, and QL CMS software used to manage the display contents, both from Navori Labs.

Available as a cloud-based solution (SaaS) or as an on-premises version hosted on your own hardware, the plug and play ‘Navori Aquaji’ software analyses video feeds from embedded or IP-based cameras strategically placed around the store. These produce anonymous marketing data and comparable metrics based on foot-traffic and people’s physical features* (up to 98 per

staff and classify each guest based on their attributes (gender and age range).

•Time in store and waiting time: Determine the time spent in line and time spent before receiving service. This data is used for queue optimisation.

•Attention span: Calculate each shopper’s field of vision in relation to any monitored area or digital signage screen for audience assessment and proof-of-performance analytics.

•Proactive: Anticipate foot traffic and demand based on comparable data over time.

•Staff where and when you need them: Optimise staffing levels to meet peak hour demand.

•Store design: Manage shelf layout to ensure an easy flow to the right marketplace and product.

The tried and tested Navori Aquaji platform comes with an impressive success record for retailers, with one store reporting a 42 per cent increase in impulse product selling, thanks to a triggered targeted customer promotional offer. Another

important time for retailers to attract customers back to the high street and to seize every sales opportunity. Every store is different and every customer is different, so the marketing that works for one person may not for another. Take into account age and gender, and you’re almost certainly alienating a high percentage of the people entering a store. With our advanced Philips digital signage and our industry-leading partnerships with Intel, Advantech and Navori Labs, we’re reducing the odds of failure and increasing sales opportunities for retailers, while making the experience for customers a smarter and more tailored one.”

He continued: “This solution will bring retailers the tools to improve their customers’ journey and experience by analysing the data and implementing the right content to the right person at the right moment and in the right place. This is a game-changer for the retail industry, whether you’re a single small corner shop or an international retailer.”

Tim de Ruiter, International Business Manager, PPDS, concluded: “This solution is a revolution for retailers, allowing them to manage content confidently, knowing that it’s timely, on target and accurate. By selecting the gender and age frame, the retailer can be sure that only one group will see a specific promotion.”

“Helping our retail end customers to make their jobs as hassle-free as possible helps our system integrators to differentiate their own service. So, helping them to track whether content receives attention, and to be able to adjust it within the timeframe of the promotion to make it more attractive, is a real bonus. The data helps them to make the right decisions and they can clearly see the impact of their decisions with the results. It’s a virtuous loop.”

Greg Bennett, Head of AV Solutions, Exertis Pro AV, said: “We’re delighted to be able to offer this to our reseller partners. The new service is the crowning piece of the Poly total value add as it complements the existing offering for our customers.” crowning piece of the Poly total choice for our customers.” value add as it complements Paul Dunne, EMEA Channel the existing offering for our Director, Poly, said: “We’re customers, with our pre-sales delighted to be expanding our technical consultancy team, service and support via the full along with our full range of Poly force of Exertis Pro AV UK and products and solutions.”

Ireland to benefit all Poly cusBennett continued: “We’re tomers. During the past months pleased to enhance this by of- the team have gone through exfering a fantastic support ser- tensive training, passing all levvice wrap that our customers els with flying colours. Exertis can leverage. Having a fully Pro AV in the UK and Ireland accredited technical assis- can now offer a total suite of all tance centre, with optional ad- Poly product categories matchvanced hardware replacement ing any collaboration platform and 24/7, 365 support, makes needs.” our new service the stand-out

Barco and LANG BARANDAY extend partnership Barco has extended its partnership with official distributor and service provider LANG BARANDAY AG into the Swiss healthcare market. As a longtime partner for Barco’s LED, LCD, projection and image processing technologies, LANG BARANDAY is confident it can boost Barco’s solutions for medical imaging and workflows in the region, for a variety of applications, including radiology, surgical imaging and dentistry.

LANG BARANDAY AG has been an official distributor and service partner of Barco AV products for more than 15 years.

Both companies recently intensified that longstanding cooperation. LANG BARANDAY AG has now expanded its portfolio into the field of medical imaging, hereby strengthening its position as a partner for system integrators and resellers/planners in the region.

“For many years, we have been successfully holding the Barco flag very high in all parts of Switzerland, to fulfil the high quality demands in the AV market,” says Nicola Votta, CEO of LANG BARANDAY AG. “Thanks to our intense relationship with Barco, we are thrilled and confident to continue that success

now for the healthcare community.”

Existing and new users of Barco’s healthcare solutions will be able to rely on LANG BARANDAY’s comprehensive service offering. This includes product demonstrations, training, sales, as well as the associated project planning. The company also offers its customers their consignment and rental stock, and it is able to fulfil spare part or replacement unit requests within 24 hours.

“Based on our experience with the company’s high-quality service, the partnership with LANG BARANDAY will be an ideal way to connect with healthcare professionals in the region and to offer Barco’s healthcare imaging solutions for almost every patient touch point, from the imaging room, to radiology, through specialist consultations and in the surgical suite,” says Filip Pintelon, senior VP and GM healthcare at Barco.

P7 AV News November 2021

Business News

BrightSign accepts majority investment from Graham Partners

Ekinops and Exertis partner for in enterprise access networks

BrightSign has announced that Graham Partners has made a significant investment in the company. Graham Partners is a private investment firm targeting technology-driven advanced manufacturing

founders will continue to be significant investors alongside of Graham Partners.

Rob Newbold, Managing Principal at Graham Partners, said, “BrightSign is a leading, innovative player in the industry

companies. The investment is expected to fuel BrightSign’s growth initiatives to continue providing the most powerful digital experiences for a variety of high-growth markets including retail, healthcare, education, attractions, stadiums, and transportation, among others.

BrightSign was sourced on a proprietary basis through Graham Partners’ Investment Theme Program with a specific focus on digital signage. This outreach ultimately resulted in Graham Partners’ investment in BrightSign. The company’s

with superior technology and strong customer and partner relationships. Graham plans to leverage the company’s leading market position to continue its expansion into high-growth markets and technology partnerships.” Jeff Hastings, who will remain BrightSign’s Chief Executive Officer, added, “Graham Partners’ operating resources and expertise investing in IoT resonated with the BrightSign team. We are excited to partner with Graham to enhance and expand our company.”

Extending its presence in the network virtualisation space, Exertis has partnered with Ekinops, a leading network access and virtualisation specialist, by signing a distribution agreement for its OneAccess-branded portfolio.

Market-proven by service providers globally, Ekinops’ OneAccess portfolio provides a wide choice of innovative physical and virtualised solutions for enterprise network services.

OneAccess-branded routers are deployed with OneOS6 built-in services, which means network functions such as SD-WAN can be activated on demand. This enables flexible, future-proof network management capabilities and accommodates diversifying and growing connectivity demands. Ekinops has also grown its UK and Ireland sales team alongside its distribution announcement with Exertis.

“As one of the UK’s largest and most trusted technology distributors, we pride ourselves on our strong vendor partnerships to deliver quality, cost-effective solutions for our customers,” says Tom Cox, Commercial Director Enterprise Division at

Jeff Hastings, BrightSign’s Chief Executive Officer: “Graham Partners’ operating resources and expertise investing in IoT resonated with the BrightSign team.

We are excited to partner with Graham to enhance and expand our company.”

Exertis. “Ekinops and its OneAccess portfolio embody these values. As a widely trusted, reliable and mature technology brand, we look forward to offering the OneAccess portfolio to our customers and facilitating truly next-gen network solutions.”

“An agile, partnership-driven approach is at the heart of Ekinops’ offering,” says Frank Dedobbeleer, Group Vice President Sales EMEA & APAC at Ekinops. “To deliver this, it is vital that alongside a skilled regional sales presence, we have a distribution partner who shares our values.”

“We pride ourselves on a strong global presence,” Dedobbeleer adds. “In 2020, 63% of our total revenue came from international markets, an upward trend we intend to continue. The UK and Irish telecoms sector is undergoing a period of exciting growth and transformation, and enhancing our established presence and investments.”

disguise acquires Mapping Matter and Previz Driven by the accelerated demand for remote collaboration and cloud-based solutions for creatives and technical teams to share their vision and progress with project owners, disguise’s latest acquisition solidifies their position as the globally recognised, standard solution for end-to-end production. These latest acquisitions mark the next step in the company’s rapid growth, after investments from the Carlyle Group and a minority stake from Epic Games, which were announced earlier this year.

Both Mapping Matter and Previz share an established reputation for delivering engaging, visually rich, interactive cloudbased solutions for designers anywhere in the world. By integrating both platforms into its award-winning solution, disguise will enable users across all three platforms to come together, develop and manage their projects in one unified and comprehensive workflow.

Users will be able to collaborate importing, previewing and making creative decisions on the final output together, while easily sharing their work with clients and peers around the world.

In the following months, disguise, Mapping Matter and Previz are bound by their joint vision to empower cloudbased, remote collaboration amongst creative and technical teams. They will be working closely together to develop a joint user journey that gives

value to their respective customers. Ongoing development will provide access to comprehensive workflows with content engines such as Unreal Engine, which will collectively enable design, sequencing, calibrations and validation, with a pipeline of new functionalities set to be released.

A web-based tool for technical

jection technical designs more fluid, the platform has since been trusted by live design teams working for the likes of Cirque du Soleil, Moment Factory and Creative Technology.

Mapping Matter founder, Francois David says: “Over the years, I've come to know the team at disguise not only as great innovators and leaders

ward teams, Previz was launched in 2017 by creative studio and long-term disguise workflow practitioners dandelion + burdock who envisioned a seamless workflow to design assets creatively, plan projects effectively and communicate ideas confidently, all from one browser. The platform has since been used across both live and

the industry-leading platform for content review and approval for live visual experiences.

Joining forces with such a forward-thinking, ambitious company is what takes us into this next chapter.”

Trusted for over 20 years on some of the world’s biggest, most complex live shows and broadcasts, the disguise soft-

design, Mapping Matter plays an important part in the simulation and photometric analysis of AV installation projects.

Released in 2016 to make the process of creating video pro-

in the industry but as a group of great humans. I’m thrilled that they are excited to take the lead and expand upon the Mapping Matter workflow.”

Built for ambitious, future-for-

virtual events for global brands such as the BBC, Fitbit and Land Rover.

Previz founder Niall Thompson says: “We set out in 2016 to be

ware is a powerful toolkit for winning pitches, developing storyboards, creating camera fly-throughs, validating content, testing technical setups,

P8 AV News November 2021

Frank Dedobbeleer, Group Vice President Sales EMEA & APAC at Ekinops.

Tom Cox, Commercial Director Enterprise Division at Exertis.

and designing entire projects.

Its timeline-based interface allows users to build a 3D model of their mapping interface - be it an LED volume, live stage or building facade - and map pixel-perfect real-time content onto the simulated environment. disguise welcomes the acquisition of Mapping Matter and Previz to mark a new period in their platform’s growth: “We are incredibly excited for this new chapter in our mission to democratize production workflows with the addition of Cloud-based collaboration to the disguise platform,” says disguise CEO, Fernando Kufer.

“We have been working closely with the teams at Mapping Matter and Previz over the years and our shared vision for remote collaboration has enabled us to join forces to deliver a more comprehensive and streamlined solution for all our users to create their best story.

We are thrilled to welcome customers of both Mapping Matter and Previz to disguise and look forward to a bright future together.”

Clever workplace solutions

Room booking • Desk booking • Visitor management Insight & analytics

Get in touch Evoko takes workplace management to a new level of simplicity.

A flexible and fully integrated solution allows you to achieve complete workplace coordination.

01638 510 900 sales@anders-kern.co.uk www.anders-kern.co.uk/evoko-naso

Opinion Technology News

Why Going Green Should Be More Than An Industry Dream Conference With A Clear Climate Conscience Says Konftel office locations. Large conference rooms with vast glass tables, for example, make for really poor acoustics.

“Quality really matters. Audio clarity, picture sharpness and reduction of background noise – these are all factors which greatly influence the overall impact of any meeting. Equally other factors need to be considered about the office return including the impact on the environment.”

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.

It’s an ethos that would no doubt earn plenty of plaudits from world leaders who converged in Glasgow for the COP26 UN climate conference summit this month.

Konftel’s UK Sales Director, Jeff May feels individuals and industries all need to pull together to deliver change.

Konftel was the first in the collaboration devices sector to earn official Climate Neutral certification which has been 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.

from office work, high-quality videoconferencing is increasingly being seen as a net-benefit way to reduce an organisation’s total footprint.

“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 all our products which bears testimony to our ethos.

“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.

May 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 in-

Forest Conservation “A Climate Neutral Certified label is proudly displayed on all of our products. It means all greenhouse gas emissions across all aspects of the business have been offset by the investment in worldwide carbon credits.

“Forest conservation in Zimbabwe, water filtration in Cambodia and renewable energy in India are some of the many projects to be supported by them so far. All companies should take responsibility and make achieving net zero central to their decision making. We all need to take the lead.”

He highlighted: “Of course, video conferencing in itself makes a hugely positive contribution towards safeguarding the planet’s future simply because it renders travel so much less necessary.

But the green credentials of our processes and our products are also hugely important to us too.”

As well as the investment in its carbon credit programme, Konftel plans to continue to reduce post-pandemic business travel; replace all plastic packaging for accessory cables with paper-based alternatives; replace plastic bubble wrap with recycled paper; minimise carton sizes and switch to thermal labels that require less energy and generate less waste.

New pledges include all company owned cars becoming electric by the end of 2021 and improving energy efficiency at its biggest manufacturing sites.

“Organisations that invest in low-impact technologies to enable and encourage remote collaboration inherently make their operations more environmentally friendly,” May added.

“Over the last decade, many companies and industries have increased their focus on sustainability by measuring the environmental impacts of daily operations and pursuing corporate social responsibility initiatives to reduce waste and energy costs.

“Although the hybrid office was already a popular idea at the start of 2020, no one could have envisioned how much would change by the year-end. Global climate change remains a concern for virtually every industry, and it is becoming clearer each day that traditional practices such as frequent long-distance business travel and long daily commutes may never regain their peak popularity.

Going Green “Today, it is virtually impossible to ignore the environmental impacts of products, services, and work itself. While there is no silver bullet to eliminate emissions and other impacts stemming

P10 AV News November 2021

“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.”

Further Boost In a further boost to installers, Konftel has created an interactive room type guide – available via Konftel.com – to help pinpoint the optimum set-up and understand the different dynamics of any video meeting scenario. This innovative 3D guide identifies the most appropriate products and connectivity set-up, from personal workspaces, focus and huddle rooms to large multipurpose facilities. hybrid workplace emerging as the new norm, video meetings have become the central resource for collaboration and efficient decision making. This means every meeting space, whether at home or in the office, needs to be equipped for instant, easy-to use and high quality video conferencing.

“Many companies recognise the need to maintain a workforce that may be much more remote in the future, where conferencing is the new norm. This means they will need to either redesign or re-equip

tent. 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. The time to act is now.”

So let us help you find the perfect match.

Investing in touchscreens can be a daunting exercise for any education establishment. It’s an investment in time and money primarily, but also an investment in the student and teachers. So make sure you get something they love!

Get in the know... ctouch.eu/buyers-guide

0203 868 2240 www.ctouch.co.uk

Education futures

Feature - remote learning and collaboration 1. Remote learning and collaboration Collaboration tends to be hindered in traditional lecture and lecturer-led teaching delivery. Comparatively, remote learning offers contemporary forms of engagement and collaboration that you couldn’t otherwise have in the physical classroom environment. For example, group work and interactivity is far easier to facilitate in the remote learning environment. Staff can create breakout spaces, track work in real-time, use tools like EZWrite whiteboarding to share opinions, thoughts, ideas, and answers. All of which effortlessly replace the outdated sticky notes method in terms of ease, efficiency, and engagement.

From an assessment perspective, educators can more quickly differentiate the needs of individuals by accessing live working documents instantly. Comparatively, in the classroom space, you have to go at the pace of the slowest person. Hybrid, blended, and flexible learning allows for self-paced and individualised journeys for students. Meaning that those learners who might be more disengaged, have other home commitments, or find certain topics more challenging can access their education resources in their own time.

The collaborative environment Students are far more open to collaboration from the comfort of their own home, they feel far more confident about participating behind the safety of a screen with the kettle only a few feet away. Blended learning was the toe-dipping test.

It enabled institutions to think about the technology resources available to complement in-person learning. But it remained very much a ‘one-size-fits-all’ structure. In its place, hybridisation allows for an individual experience. If you think about a complex technical qualification, you have to learn a lot of comprehensive new skills.

In that traditional learning structure, you have that oneor two-hour lecture to take it all in. There’s no post-learning, only your rushed scribbled notes. In hybrid education, students can return to all of the teaching resources as much as they want to.

Government policy There have been some communications from the DfE, but it isn't necessarily clear. 30th September saw an announcement that there would be a plan

to return to normal by 2023. All this means that we are aiming to be 'back to normal' but with a lack of insight as to how educational establishments can bridge the gap of lost learning, as well as maintaining healthy progress in a not-yet under-control pandemic.

Meeting the social challenge social As Universities and their Students’ Union partners are responsible for much of social experience, they are the Edu-

Nick Mawer, Marketing Manager, Kramer Electronics UK Ltd, cational Authorities concerned in this area of the Higher Education experience. The main priority, right now, is support-

Learning beyond the hybred classroom Prometheanworld.com to reduce the content in some subjects and give advance notice of topics in other subjects but not conclusively explaining which this would be - advanced information will be released by February 7, 2022 (before half term) but the timing will be kept “under review subject to the course of the pandemic” and can be brought forward.

The other announcement was a decision to maintain grade boundaries to be set by exam boards at a “midway” point between 2021 and 2019, the last time exams were sat before the pandemic. Grades are expected

ing students to feel safe and comfortable on-campus again.

The universities want students back. There are very few who want a fully remote experience, and some don’t even want to consider blended learning let alone hybrid education.

What helps Universities is that students want to be there in person thanks to the social culture. Instead, the trend appears to be about moving back to previous normality but providing learners greater hybrid options, especially in terms of enabling safe spaces for social interaction.

P12 AV News November 2021

Nick Mawer, Marketing Manager, Kramer Electronics UK Ltd, reasons that: “For accessibility, higher education establishments can secure better guest lecturers when they are not restricted to location or time zone. This can enhance the quality of lectures provided by making them accessible for experts across the world to take part by joining and presenting remotely. It is also beneficial for students in remote areas or with physical disabilities, as they no longer need to travel to classes. This can help with affordability, as they don’t need to live in pricy student accommodation or away from home.”

For some. there might even be advantages to removing the social imperative: “For inclusivity, students who find social situations challenging can really benefit from not being in hectic spaces with lots of people. Learning from home can make it easier for them to concentrate and

through online collaborative take part in lessons. Similarly, not being in a physical space and having to speak out loud makes people more confident to ask questions and contribute to discussions.”

Interactive pedagogy For the lecturer, hybrid education at its best is when the room set up allows them to see and interact with their remote and inroom participants simultaneously and naturally. The technology set up in the room needs to give

them the ability to address and engage with everyone equally for it to be truly effective and inclusive. This includes wellplaced screens and a responsive audio and visual solution that follows the lecturer around the room and ensures they can hear responses from remote participants.

For the students, hybrid education at its best is when they have the same experience as the people in the room, are seen included in the discussions and can contribute their opinions in real-time. The technology being used to foster engagement and collaboration

in learning environments can be used to do the same for social situations. The focus is on bringing people together and into one cohesive physical and digital space, which can be used for lectures, seminars, breakout collaborative sessions or for socials if students can’t physically get together.

The hybrid education model has even ben muted as a possible solution to the current skills shortage in the UK economy: see section 2 for an account of Credersi – the world science and tech campus.

Credersi – the world science and tech campus Two of Manchester’s leading tech companies are leading the race to innovate the global education metaverse with their own science and tech campus, Credersi World, using a mixed reality platform that includes virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). While Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg has outlined his vision of what a global metaverse might look like, tech and science educators Credersi and 3D tech innovators PixelMax are at the forefront of developing and shaping what the education metaverse will actually be. Tech disruptors Credersi and PixelMax are already making this a reality and for the last 12 months, they have been developing and creating their own virtual science and tech campus.

The Credersi World science and tech campus is an immersive experience with its own real estate. Delegates enter the concourse – much like they would at a physical university campus – and will be able to delve into different learning pods relevant to their courses.

'Credersi World' is an immersive platform in which students – and employers who want their workforces reskilled for careers of the future – shape their learning in a virtual campus world, complete with shops, cinemas, art galleries, wellbeing rooms and food and coffee shops by using immersive mixed reality technol-

ogies. The concept for Credersi World was to create a virtual science and tech campus that could train and reskill workforces of the future in an immersive and engaging way. The Covid pandemic has resulted in more people than ever before taking up training and learning with a view to reskilling for a career of

the future.

Credersi co-founders Darren Coomer and Andy Lord saw how the pandemic had impacted university students and those in further education courses.

Many students were struggling to keep up with remote learning on platforms such as Zoom and Teams and maintain their

Education futures

as the UK’s version of California’s Silicon Valley thanks to its phenomenal growth of tech companies. Credersi is at the forefront of incubating, training and developing the digital pioneers, codebreakers, vaccine developers, bio scientists, biological and cyber defenders,

mission has always been to create a place where people can effectively communicate and collaborate in real time.:” Over the last 18 months their 3D world technology has evolved to offer world first virtual events and more recently to create ‘always on’ 3D environments

to ensure that each delegate can be immersed into their surroundings and engage with their syllabus learning within an exciting platform. As a result of creating and shaping the education metaverse, we can also create our own real estate within the campus. Big

software engineers and data scientists of the future. PixelMax was founded in 2018 and created by co-founders Shay O’Carroll, Andy Sands and Rob Hilton. Their specialism lies in creating virtual 3D worlds, where they have delivered ground-breaking initiatives and won numerous awards. They have worked with some of the world’s biggest businesses to deliver innovative solutions that solve a variety of business problems and challenges.

PixelMax co-founder and tech disruptor, Shay O’Carroll, commented: “The 3D worlds we create and the solutions we offer our clients are vast. The pandemic has changed the way businesses operate and it has become clear that virtual worlds add a huge amount of value. The PixelMax technology allows our customers to deliver something truly unique. Our

which businesses are now starting to use as their virtual office to complement their hybrid working model. The PixelMax technology harmonises the virtual world and the physical world to deliver an enhanced or more immersive reality for the user. Partnering with Credersi to create the science and tech campus is a great example of what can be achieved.

Andy Lord explains: “What we have created with the Credersi World science and tech campus is something truly unique, which is immersive, engaging and interconnecting. We are creating the education and training metaverse, a unique ecosystem for companies to reskill their existing workforces and make them future proof.

It also means that we educate and inspire the next generation of tech and science pioneers in a world they relate to. We want

pharmaceutical companies and technology firms can exhibit their companies and recruit the very brightest minds and talent coming out of our incubator programmes. We become much more than just a tech training provider, but a science and tech campus that has everything to offer delegates and future employers. There is no reason why you couldn’t have companies like AstraZeneca, PWC and British Aerospace alongside Government organisations such as the Home Office and GCHQ, as well as retailers like Boohoo and ASOS, and Deliveroo or an Amazon online shop.”

'Credersi World' is an immersive platform in which students – and employers who want their workforces reskilled for careers of the future – shape their learning in a virtual campus world, complete with shops, cinemas, art galleries, wellbeing rooms and food and coffee shops by using immersive mixed reality technologies. engagement to learning. At the same time, through their tech training company Credersi, they then saw employers and business suddenly finding a skills shortage as never before, as well as a rapid advancement of future technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI). They decided to team up with PixelMax

– and reskill them for a career of the future.”

The Credersi World science and tech campus is an immersive experience with its own real estate. Delegates enter the concourse – much like they would at a physical university campus – and will be able to delve into different learning pods relevant to their cours-

able to carry out and conduct live experiments in AR and VR laboratories, while coders and cyber security students can simulate real-time ethical hacking and defence exercises on real-life infrastructures. Andy Lord added: “The simple question all CEOs and business leaders need to ask themselves is, ‘What do you do when demand outstrips supply?

co-founders Shay O’Carroll, Rob Hilton and Andy Sands, to see how they could revolutionise and shape the learning and education metaverse.

Credersi CEO, Andy Lord, said: “The reality is that technology is now driving businesses forward at such a rapid pace that there is simply not enough skilled workforce available to fulfil those roles, which is why we have such a massive skills shortage and demand is outstripping supply. As companies try to keep up with the rapid pace of technology as it evolves, they have realised that a large percentage of their workforce are simply not fit for purpose. That now means companies have to identify the talent from within their workforces and organisations and create the opportunity to educate and train them

es. Various boulevards line the tech estate, which engages with the delegates at all levels, providing breakout rooms, libraries, shops, cinemas, art galleries, oceanic aquariums, as well as virtual banks and even wellbeing counsellors.

The careers boulevard will have exhibitor totems, where tech, pharmaceutical and bio science companies can have a presence on the campus real estate. Delegates can drop in to learn more about career opportunities at each company and the campus will also have its own careers fairs, where companies can come to recruit delegates.

The lecture boulevard will have rooms that allow delegates to wander in and listen to visiting academics and tech entrepreneurs giving masterclasses. Bio scientists will be

Try and find people who don’t exist?’ You simply can’t just wait and hope the workforce will come back. The pandemic has been a clarion call to the global economy. Business and industry must rethink how they adapt to the future after the impact of events such as Brexit and the pandemic. With the rapid advancement of technology and AI, we must now look at how we reskill our workforces to make them future proof. Businesses also need to create a culture of continuous personal development for their staff and talent. They will find this in the education metaverse, which will future-proof their workforces with the right skills in an immersive and engaging way.”

Dubbed “Silicon City”, Manchester is now the fastest growing tech hub in the UK and across Europe and is widely seen

P13 AV News November 2021

Education futures

Vivitek NovoPro leads the way for UCL University College London (UCL) is London's leading multidisciplinary university, with a well-deserved reputation globally as one of the finest seats of learning in the UK. Since 1826, it has championed independent thought by attracting and nurturing the world's best minds, and today it is the second largest physical University in the UK, home to 38,000 students and 12,000 staff. As a leading university at the forefront of teaching, UCL is a pioneer in the way it uses modern teaching methods and technology to ensure it delivers a world class learning experience for its students.

Today, Vivitek’s NovoPro – a powerful, wireless collaboration tool – is playing a fundamental role in helping to invigorate lectures while bringing students’ work and projects to life. Paul Burt, Spaces & AV Service

play connections and to some extent, the paper-based display of designs and concepts.

NovoPro is ideal for education applications, as the platform is designed to ensure a top-quality wireless experience, yet at

9am to 10 pm at UCL, with no failed units or problems reported, which – despite its attractive and very competitive price point - illustrates its inherent robustness and suitability for a large scale, high-usage de-

UCL is the second largest physical University in the UK, home to 38,000 students and 12,000 staff. As a leading university at the forefront of teaching, UCL is a pioneer in the way it uses modern teaching methods and technology to ensure it delivers a world class learning experience for its students. performs as well as – products costing three times as much.” Asked whether based

on his experiences to date Paul would recommend the NovoPro to other education institutions,

he replied with an emphatic “Yes!”

NovoPro is ideal for education applications, as the platform is designed to ensure a top-quality wireless experience, yet at a price-performance point that makes it easily affordable for any classroom, meeting room, boardroom or huddle space.

Owner, Information Services Division, University College London, who is responsible for the technical facilities in 700 teaching spaces across the institution, explains: “We had a requirement for a wireless presentation solution that was simple to use but could easily scale to an enterprise-grade level. I was aware that there were some complex solutions already available on the market, but they were very expensive. I then came across the NovoPro on Vivitek’s booth at ISE 2016.”

Impressed by its rich feature-set and attractive price point they were soon pressed into service, with the first project they were used for marking a significant moment in the university’s history – the opening of a worldclass business school, located on the 38th floor of the prestigious One Canada Square tower in Canary Wharf.

The next project was even more ambitious, with a subsequent 15 NovoPros installed in teaching spaces at the Bartlett School of Architecture on Gordon Street. In that application, multiple connections to the NovoPros are being used to enable architecture students to connect up to displays and discuss their work with other students and their lecturers. This new, interactive and collaborative method for sharing work and ideas replaces cabled dis-

a price-performance point that makes it easily affordable for any classroom, meeting room, boardroom or huddle space.

With NovoPro as the hub, contributing digital content onto the projection screen is fast and simple and the additional features such as on-screen annotation and capture open up a vast array of creative possibilities in any meeting. Participants can instantly connect their device via a Wi-Fi connection to NovoPro and start sharing immediately once the meeting host assigns them one of the four (split screen) projection connections.

Featuring a powerful QuadCore processor, NovoPro is a fast-operating wireless hub for any learning space, class room or meeting room. Multiple devices (up to 64 in client mode) can be connected at any one time, while four can be actively projecting in a split screen.

This empowers users to share content with the group on the main display through its full mirroring capabilities. Its cross-OS platform compatibility ensures NovoPro supports all types of Wi-Fi enabled devices including iPads, iPhones, as well as their Android equivalents, alongside Chromebooks, laptops and all types of desktop PC. Given the value that NovoPro adds to the learning experience, it is often in use from

P14 AV News November 2021

ployments, as Paul explains: “It does everything we need it to, and it’s cost-effective. We also like the fact that given this is a reasonably new market that’s evolving quite quickly, the attractive price point of the NovoPro means we’re not financially committed to one product route, which gives us more flexibility over our future AV needs and how we can accommodate them.” Paul estimates that circa 1,000 students are using the current NovoPro units which are linked into the University’s EduRoam wi-fi network. “The network configuration was quite straightforward,” Paul added.

On a more practical, day-today level, Paul points to another problem that NovoPro has solved: “One of the benefits of NovoPro is that it is always a challenge to maintain working HDMI leads in a teaching space. Not relying on the HDMI leads also prevents trip risk incidents from occurring and there’s no need to swap HDMI cables between students’ devices.” This observation is evidence that NovoPro really does simplify the collaboration process. Paul enthuses over NovoPro’s other qualities. “Although we don’t use it yet, with a view to the future we like the fact that iOS Mirroring support has been included. It’s also very easy to use, and I’d go as far to say that it is as good as – and

Technology that Drives Outstanding Experiences.

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P17 AV News November 2021

Education futures

Feature – education and the Cloud 2: Education and the Cloud Following the recent spending review and budget, Rishi Sunak has announced that the government will pump an extra £4.7 billion into school funding by 2024-25. Coupled with the spending increases announced in 2019, the additional cash would “restore per-pupil funding to 2010 levels in real terms” - equivalent to a cash increase for every pupil of more than £1,500.

The spending review cash will also be “supporting delivery” of the government’s commitment to increase new teacher salaries to £30,000 – suggesting schools will have to fund future pay rises. Staff, then, is naturally an important element in education funding, but the chancellor also promised to “to deliver on our commitment to schools” which should allow for an investment in infrastructure and equipment.

Cloud computing solutions in education allow efficient management of business processes and effective knowledge delivery to students. This results in higher student engagement, better collaboration among stakeholders and improved student performance. The growing need for a centralised system for the management of academic processes and competition among academic institutions are the major driving forces of the cloud computing

Photo by Sigmua in education market.

Software as a Service (SaaS) and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) service models are expected to be the largest contributors in the global cloud computing in education market during the forecast period.

SaaS and IaaS are expected to be the major contributors in the service model segment of the cloud computing in education market. These service models continue to develop as business drivers for education as they enable institutions to increase their global reach and target students from every corner of the world.

Hybrid cloud and community cloud deployment models are expected to show significant adoption rate in the cloud computing in education. Hybrid cloud is gaining traction among educational institutions

as it leverages the advantage of both private and public cloud.

Due to the difficulties involved in collaborations among various educational institutes and agreements on sharing resources, community cloud is the least preferred choice. Educational institutions that are aiming at collaborative learning and inter-domain research are mainly adopting community cloud. These cloud computing deployment models are fast becoming an attractive option

for the delivery of education services.

The North American region is expected to contribute the maximum market share to the overall cloud computing in the global education market. The high adoption of cloud technology in North America, particularly in the U.S. and Canada, is the major reason for the growth of cloud computing in education. Furthermore, the market is in the emerging stage in the regions of Asia-Pacific (APAC), Europe, and Latin America owing to growing technological developments in the field of cloud, analytics, and the emergence of mobile technologies.

Such is the commitment to cloud sourced solutions, the global market is estimated to grow from USD 8.13 Billion in 2016 to USD 25.36 Billion by 2021, at a Compound Annual

P18 AV News November 2021

Growth Rate (CAGR) of 25.6% from 2016 to the present day.

Customer strategy This growth in demand for cloud solutions has prompted many education buyers to adopt new strategies. By removing licenses and other IT barriers to accessing resources, the cloud has created equity of access; becoming a fully realised everyday solution for educational users by providing an ease of access to the necessary

resources. Another key focus is on security in the cloud, which is available at a significantly cheaper cost compared to downloadable firewalls and security software, making cloud a cost-effective solution for education in this area.

Does this mean that the cloud is the ‘go to’ resource in every circumstance? Whilst there are cloud-based management information systems (MIS) available that are more than capable of managing the requirements of education institutions. A lot of schools and colleges have preferred to stick with their on-premise MIS solutions. Likewise, some courses have preferred to maintain on-premise management and delivery systems, as integration into the cloud has proven more expensive.

Accordingly, there are specific application areas where the Cloud may not be the best

choice. Whilst there are some fantastic examples of where the Cloud has transformed education delivery and learning, such as with the Adobe Creative Cloud. Other courses like Engineering have struggled to translate their high-level teaching delivery into the Cloud, which has proven to be very expensive in comparison to on-premise management systems.

Similarly, there is a reluctance from departments such as Finance and HR to move confidential files into the Cloud environment. Whilst the cloud amongst AV and IT professionals has successfully demonstrated its security abilities, legislation like GDPR and perspectives on internet storage has meant that these branches feel safer with on-premise solutions. Concerns about security and localised legislation aside, Cloud sourced solutions can give rise to problems of support. particularly in institutions lacking in-depth expertise.

Such is the momentum behind the Cloud today that the on-premise alternative is the exception rather than the rule.

Nick Mawer Marketing Manager, Kramer Electronics UK Ltd, explains that: “In the higher education setting, some universities are using the Cloud to deliver live lectures, in place of having large groups gathering in lecture theatres. This can be beneficial to the students as the traditional format limits the opportunities for engagement and interaction, whereas online platforms open up the option of collaborating in real-time.”

“Other institutions are using the Cloud to deliver pre-recorded sessions, which means they remain accessible to students who can watch them in their own time around other working schedules, or when they need a refresher ahead of exams. There are still challenges around issues such as copywrite and who owns the recording once it has been uploaded and where it can be used in the future.”

Mawer continues: “Cloud offers an immediate ability for adoption into teaching and learning practices thanks to those additional special benefits. For IT and AV managers,

the cloud has huge benefits in helping them to manage devices across a network. They can assess what rooms and technologies are being used most and put preventative maintenance strategies in place to minimise downtime. This can be done on campus and even multi campus wide from a centralised and convenient location.”

Support and benefits The Cloud is a vital development in education resource management so structures like Google Workplace for Education – Enterprise Edition give educators priority ticketing access to their support desk. This is made even easier by being accessible over email, chat, and telephone. This service is important because beyond the deployment of new Photo by Sigmua

technology, users need this maintenance support in order to improve the chance of successful adoption.

From experience, Google Cloud absolutely provides a holistic solution that supports the delivery of education at all levels with training, maintenance support - with Google Drive, and Google Meets being just a couple of examples. The same cannot be said for on-premise bought packages which do not come with continuous support packages, they tend to work for some users thanks to years of trial and error. “There are fewer use cases within education for on-premise only solutions, versus the benefits that an effective hybrid education strategy presents. An example would be if a higher education institution was working on re-

Education futures search that had a high security concern,” says Mawer.

“In general, for most applications, the Cloud is now widely trusted as a secure resource.

In our own lives, we trust it on a daily basis for data sensitive interactions, such as online banking, so it is secure enough for most education applications.”

COVID-19 accelerates a journey to the Cloud When the first national lockdown in England happened back in March 2020, many businesses initially panicked but believed that by summer, life as we knew it would return to normal. Now, over a year later, organisations have quickly come to realise that this is not a temporary problem, which in turn means, they can no longer justify a temporary solution.

COVID-19 accelerated the shift towards cloud-based services, with new research revealing that 40% of businesses are accelerating their move to the cloud, with 51% planning to move more applications to the cloud. Rob Hancock, Head of Platform at Giacom explains how the cloud presents numerous opportunities for business continuity during unprecedented times. We’ve weathered the storm this far, but if businesses haven’t yet made this change, they need to act now, or face being left behind.

Remote and/or hybrid working is now at the top of many businesses’ priority lists, so it is critical that ITCs offer the right tools and services to facilitate their customers’ transition. New research has revealed that two-thirds of UK workers feel uncomfortable returning to a physical workplace.

This highlights the need for businesses to quickly mobilize themselves by moving their infrastructure to the cloud in order to continue as we head towards a ‘new normal’.

The cloud fundamentally offers organisations a central location where they can store their resources online, meaning anyone in the organisation can access the necessary information wherever they are, allowing them to operate in an optimum way.

Cloud subscriptions It’s not just a centralised hub that

businesses can gain value from. It’s important to ensure that workforces are also taking advantage of the features included in their cloud subscriptions. By working with the right Managed Service Provider (MSP) that can provide training, education and support around shifting to the cloud, companies can benefit from a comprehensive list of additional features within their packages to help them manage and grow a business in today’s world – one which will remain uncertain for some time yet. The role of the MSP is to make this switch as seamless as possible by taking on the planning and implementation, as well as having the expert knowledge of how cloud infrastructure can benefit the business and smooth over any possible ob-

Photo by Annie Spratt stacles.

For example, many businesses had access to Microsoft365 packages, but did not utilise Microsoft Teams across their company network before COVID-19. Now, Microsoft Teams has seen a 70% increase in users due

to remote working restrictions, which is clearly a tool that has been taken advantage of to drive productivity, collaboration and communication during lockdown. This is where ITCs have a vital role to play in educating their end-users on how to gain the most value and productivity from technology with the resources available.

Secure in the Cloud With remote working, data access and greater flexibility comes a need for much tighter security controls and processes within businesses. However, security was pushed to the bottom of many organisations’ priority lists at the beginning of COVID-19. As the number of cyberattacks continues to increase, with almost half of businesses suffering from a cybersecurity breach or attack in the last 12 months, the emphasis on data security must be reinforced There’s no single one-size-fitsall solution. Both small and large businesses need to have the correct security infrastructure and unique measures in place to suit their organisation’s needs. Additional functionality can be added to cloud networks, including Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), Single Sign-On, and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) solutions to ensure a secure cloud environment. Getting the basics right will put your clients in a position to build their business and engage with staff and customers in a safe and secure environment – the cloud.

Flexibility and agility

Photo by LinkedIn Sales Solutions

is essential. Microsoft’s Chief Executive, Satya Nadella, has said that they’ve seen two years’ worth of digital transformation in two months, including remote teamwork and learning and critical cloud infrastructure and security. The recovery to the ‘new normal’ places the migration of physical servers to the cloud as a priority, not only to facilitate secure remote working, but to provide businesses with greater flexibility, scalability and more efficient resources.

COVID-19 has acted as a catalyst for businesses needing to be both flexible and agile.

If companies are unable to respond to unexpected situations when they occur, such as the pandemic, then they could potentially face devastating effects. More disruption is anticipated, let alone any hurdles that we don’t see coming, so flexibility and agility are core components for business survival.

Conclusion To continue with a ‘new normal,’ organisations have to adapt and implement a longterm solution, or they could seriously disadvantage themselves compared to their competitors. It’s survival of the fittest; businesses need to be flexible, agile and able to cope with change. Digital transformation, particularly cloud migration, is a long-term commitment and can fundamentally shift a company’s capabilities and how it operates. Now is the time to start future-proofing your customers’ businesses.

We have all had to quickly learn that to get through this pandemic, remote working and implementing digital solutions

P19 AV News November 2021

Application News

Sennheiser at world’s first super boutique hotel Opened in September - and referred to as ‘the world’s first super boutique hotel’ by owner Edwardian Hotels - The Londoner emerged as a new edifice in the heart of London’s West End - paying tribute to the artists, visionaries and eccentrics of the city where the hustle and bustle never stops.

Visual Systems, part of Myriad Audiovisual Sales, was employed by the hotel group to design and deliver top-of-therange audio solutions, which includes Sennheiser Digital 6000 wireless microphone systems, SpeechLine Digital Wireless, the world’s first speech-dedicated system, a Sennheiser infrared system on 2.3MHz and 2.8MHz and the audio manufacturer’s flagship MobileConnect system for assistive listening.

“When we were first approached by the Edwardian Group to provide audiovisual equipment for The Londoner, we truly felt that it was once-ina-lifetime project and we felt privileged to be involved,” says Ray Sappal, Director at Visual

ensure we purchase the correct product for the job in question,” says Nick Kalsi, Technical Consultant at Edwardian Hotels. “I worked very closely with Visual Systems to ensure we had the very best available in the market. I visited a number of audio suppliers, including Sennheiser in Marlow, and I have to state that I was very impressed by not only the products but also the inhouse technical team there, so it made my job very simple to include Sennheiser in my recommendations as I was very comfortable knowing the products would work well and we had support from the manufacturer.”

The Visual Systems team deployed 14 channels of Digital 6000 in The Ballroom. A beautiful, 566sqm event space, it has been equipped to host events of any calibre, turning theatre premiers and corporate gatherings into truly memorable experiences. “With Digital 6000 serving some of the major theatrical productions such as Wicked, Les Misérables and Hamilton, it made com-

ployed 14 channels of Sennheiser Digital 6000 in The Ballroom. There is also a dedicated broadcast infrastructure with hybrid fibre optical cables. “As we didn’t know how long COVID was going to go on for, we designed the whole ballroom space so that it can be used as a hybrid events space. This means that you can stream an event not only within the hotel, but also externally through a dedicated platform,” Sappal adds. Speaking about why the team chose Sennheiser, Sappal leaves no room for doubt. “We have worked with Sennheiser for a number of years, so whenever we specify microphones, we normally go with Sennheiser as our first choice due to the company’s solid reputation in the event industry, the high quality of their products and around-the-clock technical assistance.”

As well as Digital 6000, the Visual Systems team also installed Sennheiser’s SpeechLine Digital Wireless system in the hotel’s two largest meeting room spaces. Designed for

Systems. “After looking at their requirements, and especially the hotel location which, being in the heart of theatreland, is a very RF-congested area, we knew right away Sennheiser’s Digital 6000 would offer the best performance and a ‘no compromise’ approach when it comes to RF robustness, sound quality and workflow.”

With the West End life exuding every aspect of the venue’s design and audiovisual elements, The Londoner is home to one of the country’s best equipped ballrooms as well as meeting room spaces, all located in the basement of the hotel which spreads across six floors beneath the ground.

The Londoner is home to one of the country's best equipped ballrooms as well as meeting room spaces, all located in the basement of the hotel which spreads across six floors beneath the ground. ‘’My role is to evaluate all technology for the group to

plete sense to also deploy it in the place which is living and breathing the West End across its entire facility,” continues Sappal. “With its higher channel density and bullet-proof signal reliability, The Londoner got the best and latest in digital wireless technology.”

Apart from theatre, TV and movie premiers, Digital 6000 will also be used for live music shows and entertainment, further serving the Edwardian Hotels team’s vision of creating a high-quality urban resort, a destination in the heart of London that is so much more than just a hotel. “I would say that The Ballroom space is the best equipped ballroom in London, if not in the UK,” says Sappal. “Apart from Digital 6000, we have also delivered state-of-the-art laser projection systems, four large electric screens, as well as motorised trusses with over fifty moving lights.”

The Visual Systems team de-

speech applications, SLDW features Dante support for IP networks as well as stress-free management via the Sennhe-

P20 AV News November 2021

Opened in September - and referred to as ‘the world’s first super boutique hotel’ by owner Edwardian Hotels - The Londoner emerged as a new edifice in the heart of London’s West End - paying tribute to the artists, visionaries and eccentrics of the city where the hustle and bustle never stops. iser Control Cockpit software, with the latter also offering full control of the Digital 6000 wireless microphone series. Another technology that proved its worth instantly, and even more so due to the COVID health and safety regulations, is Sennheiser’s assistive and personal listening solution, MobileConnect. “Because of COVID, we thought MobileConnect would be perfectly suited. The beauty of the system is that each person can use their own mobile devices like smartphones or tablets to stream live audio content via the existing Wi-Fi,” explains Sappal.

By deploying MobileConnect Stations, event audio is available throughout B2 ballroom, B2 pre-function spaces and anywhere within the hotel if connected to the hotel Wi-Fi 33, even in B3 meeting rooms for ballroom event overflow.

This allowed the team to bring a cost-efficient and hygienic solution to The Londoner, meaning the hotel does not need to issue dedicated assistive listening devices, with each

of administration for all MobileConnect Stations, meaning a more centralised approach for the hotel technical team.

There is also a dedicated broadcast infrastructure with hybrid fibre optical cables at The Londoner. The comprehensive training offered by Sennheiser at their UK offices in Marlow made it all the more easy for the hotel to say ‘yes’ to the proposed solutions. “We were able to bring the team to Marlow for a demo and training, just to make sure everyone felt comfortable using each system and can take full advantage of the extensive features offered by MobileConnect, SpeechLine, Digital 6000 and the Control Cockpit software,” says Inesh Patel, Business Development Manager – Business Communication at Sennheiser.

“We also sent a demo kit to the hotel’s Mayfair site, with Sennheiser’s technical application engineer Joe Mahoney also doing some onsite training.”

“One great thing about all these systems is that they can all be controlled centrally via

visitor using their own personal device. Additionally, the MobileConnect Manager software can be used as the single point

the Control Cockpit software, which means the team can digitize their AV management

workflow and have a smooth and efficient experience,” says Sappal. “Whilst for many hotel chains technology is more of an afterthought, this is certainly not the case with Edwardian Hotels, as we have not come across any other brands that invest so heavily into technology than this group does.”

“The collection of spaces The Londoner offers is simply unmatched, and we are pleased that Visual Systems could complement this unique facility with the absolute best in audio technology, thanks to Sennheiser. This project really did feel like ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ opportunity, and we are proud that we were part of it!”

“We as a group invest heavily into technology, and hence we always aim to be one step ahead to ensure we cater for any requirements our clientele may have,” concludes Iype Abraham, Commercial Development Director, Edwardian Hotels. “The Londoner Hotel is the newest member to our group, hence we wanted to make sure this was a unique hotel not only for the architecture and interior design but for the technology used throughout the complex; it had to be the best in its class. “I wanted to ensure the Ballroom was equipped with the best audio equipment available and I feel we have achieved and gone beyond our initial requirements.

We have a fantastic system installed, I am very pleased with the finished product, well done to Visual Systems who carried out the detailed design and installation.’’

Application News

disguise xR powers the Honda Civic Tour Honda aficionados got a preview of the all-new 2022 Honda Civic Sedan as well as a live streamed concert from a Grammy and Academy Award

winning artist in the 20th Anniversary Honda Civic Tour. The event, broadcasted on Twitch, was an extended reality (xR) experience powered by disguise xR with changing virtual landscapes enhancing the artist’s unforgettable performance as well as sharing a glimpse of the new car.

For around four to five months, virtual production experts Sixdegrees and All of it Now (AOIN) worked with content creators at Immanent to mingle the artist’s live transitions into three realistic virtual environments: a city that transforms into a jungle, a red-rocks cave interior and a mountain top.

Added to this was a 3D model of the new Honda Civic travelling through an extended reality environment.

The content creation team at

Immanent crafted 3D worlds for three stages in Los Angeles used in the live streamed event. This proved to be an important test for disguise and the camera-tracking technology, which had to work flawlessly in a live, raw world instead of a shoot that was heavily produced and edited later. The calibration and changeovers had to be flawless.

AOIN used a disguise vx 2 media server as the director to render the xR feeds and a vx 4 to render the LED video wall and floor feeds. An rx machine was used in the uncompressed 25G mode, along with Mellanox MSN2010 switches, to achieve better image quality and colour

The content creation team at Immanent crafted 3D worlds for three stages in Los Angeles used in the live streamed event.

For around four to five months, virtual production experts Sixdegrees and All of it Now (AOIN) worked with content creators at Immanent to mingle the artist’s live transitions into three realistic virtual environment.

reproduction. Since failover was not an option on the live broadcast, a second vx 4 and an additional rx machine were run as understudies in separate sessions.

“Real-time camera switching was a crucial element for the success of this project: It gave the director the freedom to switch cameras as if it were a standard live show,” said Danny Firpo, Producer at AOIN. “We used the IoCore 2 box to receive a camera tally and convert it to OSC for camera switching, and it worked flawlessly.”

“We had anticipated up to a minute or two to transition into the three different environments. After we optimised the [disguise] solo environments and set them up for

level streaming it ended up taking only about 10 seconds to transition from one scene to another. I was kind of amazed that we were able to move that fast!” said Drew Best, CEO of Immanent and Visual Content Director of the show. disguise’s new virtual zoom feature was also used to great effect on this project. The virtual zoom extended the virtual scene to allow cameras to zoom in and out of each scene - giving the team more freedom of motion to explore the 3D worlds.

“Using xR tools [for a live performance] was definitely a step forward for the team, and so many people helped us make sure there was a smooth transition into that workflow. We were able to create real-time

rendered content that could be adjusted on the fly. disguise has the highest set of standards for this type of production. I can't imagine doing this event without it,” said Juan Santillan, CEO of Six Degrees and Executive Producer of the show. The show achieved great success with over one million people watching the live show.

Garden festival choses Peerless-AV outdoor displays BUGA Erfurt 2021 opened in Thuringia, central Germany for 171 days, celebrating the renaissance of Erfurt’s heritage as the city of flowers. Taking place every two years, the National Garden Festival is an internationally renowned horticultural exhibition that transforms Germany’s most beautiful cities with fields of flowers in bloom against historic backdrops.

BUGA Erfurt 2021 attracts visitors from all across Germany and Europe, and includes 430,000 m² of exhibition space and covers an area of 87,000 m², with over fifty themed gardens, 23 indoor floral displays, exhibitions, and a wealth of other attractions. These include ‘Danakil’, the first desert and jungle house of its kind.

The challenge Egapark is the epicentre of the BUGA festival; a historic 36-hectare park. To help guide visitors at the entrance to the park and provide information about the exhibits, ticket prices, safety procedures, opening hours and so on, BUGA sought the assistance of systems integrator inSynergie GmbH. The outdoor nature of the end application meant a truly outdoor digital signage solution was required that would offer daylight readability, reliability in fluctuating temperatures and resistance to all-weather condi-

tions. BUGA also wanted a solution that would be aesthetically appealing to visitors and that could be either used standalone or integrated within a kiosk.

The solution After site visits and careful installation planning to ensure the right technology was chosen for the environment, inSynergie GmbH proposed the Xtreme High Bright Outdoor Display from Peerless-AV. With an IP66 and NEMA 6 rating, the Xtreme High Bright Outdoor Display offers the highest particle and liquid protection in

the industry. It also has the widest operating temperature range (-35°C to 60°C), IK10 rated impact resistant safety glass, and a unique, fully sealed, ventless design, without filters or exhaust fans.

A fundamental feature is optical bonding, which not only reduces glare and reflection through the UV absorptive gel between the glass and the screen but prevents entry of moisture and formation of condensation. It also creates a higher level of sharpness and perceived brightness but, most importantly, it does this without any extra investment or additional HVAC requirements necessary for the heat generated by these high bright screens.

Polarisation and automatic contrast adjustment are other important features incorporated in the Xtreme display to ensure content is always readable, even

when viewed with polarised lenses and sunglasses. Ambient light sensors automatically ad-

just the 1300:1 high-contrast panel to best match the lighting conditions. Christoph Hörsch, Project Manager, inSynergie GmbH, commented: “We were well aware of the field proven quality of the Xtreme displays and were confident that they would deliver the level of outdoor performance required for BUGA. They can not only withstand extreme temperatures and humidity, but they work exceptionally in direct sunlight offering a clear, crisp picture.”

The installation

adjustment and reusable custom wall spacers.

The installation took place in March 2021. Eight 55" XHB552-EUK displays, with wind-rated (up to 90mph) ceiling tilt mount (ECMU-02-C-S), are installed at egapark’s various entry points to direct and inform visitors. One XHB552-EUK, with outdoor flat mount (ES-

F655P), has also been installed within a custom outdoor kiosk in the park. The outdoor mounts

The results

feature a powder coating to ensure resistance to rust.

A further nine SmartMount Full-Service Video Wall Mounts with Quick Release (DS-VW765LQR) have been installed in combination with NEC 55" Multisync UN552VS in the BUGA merchandise store. Designed for the fastest installation and easy service access in recessed video wall applications, this mount is packed with time saving features, including no tools micro

4

Christoph Hörsch from inSynergie added, “Peerless-AV provided exceptionally good technical support throughout this project and the result has 100 percent lived up to expectations. The end customer is also very happy and the displays have been successfully helping visitors navigate the garden festival since it opened in April.”

The Xtreme displays have enabled BUGA to add a digital age element to the festival. They are providing an important wayfinding and information solution that also blends into the environment for an enhanced visitor experience.

P21 AV News November 2021

Opinion

Open office spaces need coordination Open office spaces, hot desking and collaborative spaces require coordination, why not make it digital?

Don’t make it difficult Three reasons to invest in desk booking: 1. Make it easy for staff and visitors to find available seating for work.

2. Coordinate not just desks, but break-out spaces, tables and other office areas.

3. Add to your existing room booking system and manage every ‘workspace’ in one place.

What is desk booking?

Quite simply, desk booking is when you digitally reserve desks, areas and locations that are shared with others, such as in shared offices or offices using ‘hot desking’ where workers move around the office freely instead of having an assigned space.

The idea is that instead of rushing to the hot desking office to grab a spot, you can book your desk in advance. Just like room booking, you can see which desks are taken and can book it on the spot using a laptop or your phone.

it resembles how you plan a stay at a hotel.

The actual solution can work differently, there is no set standard practice. You could for example implement maps and visually find your desk. This is useful for a large office complex with many rooms and floors. It all really depends on your individual office setup and current needs.

Why use desk booking for your office?

• Save time for workers and increase comfort and staff satisfaction.

•

Optimise your office for actual needs (and save money).

• Enable your office to adapt to growing needs of working from home.

How many companies are using desk booking?

Desk booking is relatively new. Open offices have been a trend for a long time, but the technology and practices when it comes

Why is desk booking important?

No matter where the trend goes in the future, the notion of a more open office and collaborative spaces is sure to stick around for a while.

One of the many factors for the increased user adoption of hot desking is to reduce office real estate costs, provide flexibility and the track and traceability offered. flexible working and options to work from home also means staff often do not have a fixed designated desk when they are in the office.

The open, free-seated office trend is already implemented to a huge

taking. You need a system, and we believe a digital solution that encompasses meeting rooms as well as desks can benefit many mid to large organisations.

How does the cloud-suite solution from Evoko help you achieve workspace management efficiency?

With this solution Evoko takes workplace management to a new level of simplicity. The flexible and fully integrated solutions allow you to achieve complete workplace coordination.

to this have just recently caught up. Many companies are already using room booking, but desk booking is not as common yet.

Luckily, it is easy to get both of these time-saving features in the same solution.

Should you invest in desk booking?

If you utilise open office space, hot desking and have collaborative spaces that are not meeting rooms, it is wise to dip your toes into digital assistance to coordinate these areas (you can scale over time). The risk of having trouble finding available desks increases the more areas and desks that are free for the

degree, so the next logical step is to synchronise your desk and spaces just like you do with meeting rooms. The risk is obviously that workers spend unnecessary time trying to find available desks that they could spend on working.

How does desk booking really work?

There are two types of desk booking. You can either support the practice of booking a desk for the day, making it similar to ordinary hot desking where you benefit from being early on the scene, or you could allow for a larger time frame where you book desks days in advance, this is known as “desk hoteling” because

As the Evoko cloud-suite solution covers everything from the basic booking functionalities, with naso room manager, to an extensive range of add-on packages such as desk booking and visitor management.

• Naso room manager covers everything from basic booking functionalities to an extensive range of functions that can be added by our extended room booking • Evoko desk booking helps employees to easily find and book a desk, or search for where your colleagues are scheduled to work for the day.

• Evoko visitor management system interacts with your visitors to automatically identify them and notify the host of their arrival.

Find out more Contact A+K to find out more about workspace technology and to request a demo of Evoko Naso room manager and Naso cloud suite workplace solutions in action. www.anders-kern.co.uk/evoko-naso sales@anders-kern.co.uk 01638 510900

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P23 P23 AVAV News News November October 2021

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Peoplewatch

Peoplewatch IDNS continues to push forward by investing heavily in personnel and training. With several key appointments and by adding a new Director to the board, they are accelerating their development plans at warp speed.

Stuart James, Tom Shevlin and Matthews Sims all move over to IDNS from within the industry,

government, education and 21st century learning, I’m excited to bring that knowledge to IDNS. They are a forward-thinking company that really cares about the impact of their solutions on their customers.”

Sims, who has over 6 years’ experience in the AV industry,

leading business development across Southwest Wales after spending the last 18 years working within the AV sector.

“The proficiency and know-how I have gained over the last two decades in the AV and IT space has allowed me to recognise and meet the expectations of customers. IDNS are only go-

career since joining them – never before has a company and its people inspired me as much as IDNS. It’s a great privilege to now be part of the board of directors and I look forward to continuing in helping them to move forward.”

Along with these strategic appointments, IDNS have also

IDNS continues to push forward by investing heavily in personnel and training. With several key appointments and by adding a new Director to the board, they are accelerating their development plans at warp speed.

Sonjia Kinsella is promoted to Operations Director and another four members of staff join the ever-growing team.

James, Shevlin and Sims have moved over to spearhead IDNS’ development in both the healthcare and education sectors across the UK. James joins IDNS as Commercial Business Manager and will be leading their capital projects division.

James has over 20 years’ experience in the AV industry and was involved in the project that won the National Eisteddfod of Wales Gold Medal for Architecture.

“With my expertise in local

has been brought in to support the demand for AV technology in the healthcare sector. With expertise in multidisciplinary rooms and collaboration solutions, Sims will support healthcare organisations transition to more agile ways of working in a post Covid world.

“IDNS’ presence in the healthcare sector has been growing organically at a rapid rate. That is due to the fantastic structure they have in place, which enables them to support their customers quickly and effectively without compromising on quality.”

Shevlin will be responsible for

ing one way over the next few years and as the lines between AV and IT continue to blur, they are perfectly positioned to provide their customers with technology that delivers a truly integrated solution.”

After many years of managing technical departments within the communications industry, Kinsella joined IDNS as part of their capital projects team back in 2019. Since then, she has seen a rapid rise through the company, culminating in her being named Operations Director.

“IDNS have wholeheartedly supported me to progress my

recruited several new members to their account management team and technical team. Managing Director, Darren Clayman, said: “Since the management buyout in 2018, we’ve worked tirelessly to not only grow the business in terms of customers, projects and revenue, but also make IDNS a desirable place to work. With these key people moving over, and our clear progression path for anyone already with us, we’re now seeing the impact of that hard work across the company.”

Starmind, a leading Swiss technology company in the field of human-centric AI, today announced its expansion in the US with the appointment of Luanne Tierney to the Starmind Board of Directors.

Having gained strong momentum over the past year, winning new Fortune 500 customers and expanding existing customer relationships, Starmind plans to make further targeted investments and to expand in key markets, with a strong focus on the US. The coronavirus pandemic has intensified customers’ digital habits and companies need to adapt with a new approach in regards to knowledge and experience sharing.

Customer feedback has shown that organizations using Starmind especially value the power to be able to tap into a large network of experts and access and utilize knowledge and experience that is usually not accessible. Large multinational companies such as Accenture, Bayer, Cognizant and Novartis already work with Starmind not only to improve their customer-centric commitment, but to also apply the same concept to the employee experience, ensuring knowledge-workers are equipped with answers to their questions and they feel set up for success.

Andreas Meyer, Chairman of the Board, said: “The validity of our

business model is affirmed by the significant interest we have received from customers in the US, where we want to expand our business further and take advantage of the strong momentum. Being able to add an experienced executive and Silicon Valley tech enthusiast like Luanne will help us undertake that expansion and respond to market demand.”

Luanne Tierney commented on her Starmind appointment: “ I am amazed by the simplicity of the Starmind solution and the complexity it helps you solve. The pandemic has made CIOs across industries realize the urgent call to address inefficiencies and productivity gaps and the need to implement new ways of working. I am excited to join the Board at this important time.”

Against the backdrop of an evolving work-from-anywhere business environment, Starmind recently launched a study on lost productivity in companies. The report confirms that one of the major challenges large organizations face today is the employee experience in regard to the accessibility of information in the form of documented or undocumented knowledge.

Key findings of the report include: • Employees resort to guess-

work multiple times a week: 84% of knowledge workers make decisions based on assumptions four times per week • Repetitive questions drain days of productivity: On average, knowledge workers are asked more than one question every day (six questions each week) they have answered be-

fore • The volume of workplace data is growing exponentially: 45% say they can’t get the data they need quickly and easily enough to do their job effectively. Further, 49% say the information they do find is frequently outof-date

VITEC has announced the appointment of Fadi Jumaa to the role of Business Development Director, Middle East.

The newly created position will strengthen VITEC’s presence in the region, with Fadi addressing markets across VITEC’s portfolio. With the acquisition of Exterity, a market leader in IPTV, VITEC has further bolstered its solutions offering, and is able to propose a wider range of best-in-class solutions, and services to its customers.

Jumaa held multiple roles with various key vendors throughout his dynamic career, working at multinational companies including MultiChoice ME, Thomson Video Networks, and Ateme. This allowed him to establish a significant foothold in the region, and provided him extensive experience across different industry sectors, including broadcast and various video delivery chains.

“To attract someone of the talent and experience of Fadi is a real coup for VITEC, and we are thrilled by the attributes that he brings,” says Nicolas Pons,

VP – Business Development, Middle East, VITEC. “His technical understanding combined with his in-depth knowledge of the market in the region will strengthen our position in the Middle East as we continue to extend our reach into new geographies, market verticals and partners.”

“VITEC is renowned for its engineering excellence, and I am thrilled to join a team dedicated to providing customers in the Middle East with innovative solutions” says Fadi Jumaa, Business Development Director, Middle East, VITEC. “I firmly believe in the infinite opportunities the region has to offer and VITEC is in a unique position to provide a broad range of leading-class solutions to cater to the region.

VITEC’s Middle East team operates from two offices in the region – one in Riyad, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and another in Dubai, UAE, addressing Military, Broadcast, Enterprise, Health, Hospitality, Sports and Entertainment verticals.

Starmind, a leading Swiss technology company in the field of human-centric AI, today announced its expansion in the US with the appointment of Luanne Tierney to the Starmind Board of Directors.

VITEC has announced the appointment of Fadi Jumaa to the role of Business Development Director, Middle East.

Pixel Artworks has appointed Alex Apthorpe as Managing Director for its Middle East headquarters, based in Dubai, following growth in the region.

Following the launch of the company’s office and state-ofthe-art immersive showroom located in D3, Dubai’s Design District, Apthorpe will continue to expand the range of work across the region, with specific focus on Saudi Arabia and Qatar. He will oversee work for clients including Expo 2020.

Apthorpe has over 20 years of experience in the areas of brand experience, film, live events, conferences, exhibitions, theatre and event technology for sectors including Automotive, Telecoms, FMCG, and Finance sectors in the Middle East, Af-

4

rica and Europe. During his career, he set up the Middle East office for Jack Morton Worldwide, the leading global brand experience agency, and held roles at Edelman Middle East and DesignLab Experience.

Apthorpe will lead Pixel Artwork’s Middle Eastern client services and business development teams and play a key role in the design and delivery of all projects. He will be supported by the team in Dubai, alongside the company’s creative studio in London, to continue designing and delivering world first, magical and measurable experiences.

Tom Burch, Founder and Managing Director, Pixel Artworks said, “Alex has an incredible wealth of experience and

P25 AV News November 2021

Peoplewatch

Peoplewatch Pixel Artworks has appointed Alex Apthorpe as Managing Director for its Middle East headquarters, based in Dubai, following growth in the region.

Following the launch of the company’s office and state-ofthe-art immersive showroom located in D3, Dubai’s Design District, Apthorpe will continue to expand the range of work across the region, with specific focus on Saudi Arabia and Qatar. He will oversee work for cli-

ents including Expo 2020.

Apthorpe has over 20 years of experience in the areas of brand experience, film, live events, conferences, exhibitions, theatre and event technology for sectors including Automotive, Telecoms, FMCG, and Finance sectors in the Middle East, Africa and Europe. During his career, he set up the Middle East office for Jack Morton Worldwide, the leading global brand experience agency, and held roles at Edelman Middle East and DesignLab Experience.

Apthorpe will lead Pixel Art-

Pixel Artworks has appointed Alex Apthorpe as Managing Director for its Middle East headquarters, based in Dubai, following growth in the region.

Leader Europe has announced a new addition to its sales and customer support team with the appointment of Max Holland as business development manager. His arrival will enable the company to focus more ef-

“Working alongside Terry Millard, Djamel Djadi and Kevin Salvidge, he will form part of an experienced and talented team addressing the test, measurement and quality-of-service analysis needs across the

of the UK's best-known resellers is a good match with the applicant credentials we shortlisted for this position.”

“The broadcast media industry's accelerating transition from SDI to IP makes this a particularly good time to be joining Leader,!

Max Holland adds. “I pride myself on going above and beyond the role of an account director to build trusting, lasting relationships with clients. Leader has lived fully up to its name in developing robust, versatile and high-precision test equipment that provides exactly the information needed by camera

crews, studio staff, OB colourists, MCR technicians and the rapidly expanding number of remote production teams working in today's SDI/IP hybrid world.”

Graduating from Ravensbourne University with a BSc in Broadcast Engineering, Max Holland joined Vizrt in 2014 as an account manager, growing the company's customer base across the UK, Scandinavia and the Middle East. He joins Leader from Jigsaw24, an active provider of multi-platform media solutions and IT services.

Hiltron Communications has announced a new addition to its management team with the appointment of Jean-Luc George van Eeckhoutte as Sales Manager for the EMEA region. He brings nearly 20 years of experience to the role and joins from RF technology company Spinner GmbH. “Jean-Luc has an excellent track record of achievement in the satcom sector, combining a good understanding of the technology with proven skills in sales and business management,” comments Hiltron Managing Director Antonio Monteverde. “He joins us at a significant time in the company's development as we broaden our customer base from our primary focus on Europe.”

“It is a great pleasure to be joining a company with the strong reputation Hiltron has achieved both as a satcom equipment manufacturer and systems inte-

grator,” said Jean-Luc George van Eeckhoutte. “The extensive Hiltron product catalogue includes long-established products such as the highly respected HMAM family of motorised antenna mounts plus the glue equipment used at the core of many communication systems. I hope to build on that success.”

Following his early years in defence electronics, Jean-Luc George van Eeckhoutte joined Satlynx in 2001 where he was active in Network Operations and later as Solutions Architecture Manager. From there he advanced through engineering roles at Siemens Space and Newtec to WORK Microwave where he was Director of Business Development / Regional Sales Director from 2014 to 2018.

Chris Colpaert said: “I am thrilled to welcome Vince to the PPDS team. Vince is a natural leader, and his knowledge and experience of the AV industry are second to none.

North America is an important and growing market for PPDS and we see some incredible opportunities ahead with our ever-evolving portfolio of display solutions. Vince was the standout choice to support our ambitions and to take this company to the next level in North America and achieving its potential."

PPDS has experienced significant growth in North America in 2021, becoming a trusted Pro TV, Digital Signage and LED brand of choice for a growing number of markets

value and choice to customers, while making the buying and installation process of solutions more simplified and aligned, the business has also recently undergone a full company rebrand and executed a brand new ‘Total Solutions’ global strategy, moving beyond just displays, by forming a series of strategic partnerships with a growing number of leading hardware and software providers, including Crestron, Advantech, Bosch, Intel, i3 Technologies.

Speaking on his appointment and ambitions for the company, Vince said: “I’ve worked in this industry for more than 25 years, and I can candidly say I have never been more excited

PPDS appoints accomplished AV leader Vince Schuster as its new Commercial Vice President, Professional Displays in North America.

Hiltron Communications has announced a new addition to its management team with the appointment of Jean-Luc George van Eeckhoutte as Sales Manager for the EMEA region.

Leader Europe has announced a new addition to its sales and customer support team with the appointment of Max Holland as business development manager. fectively on specific regions of Britain and mainland Europe.

“We are very pleased to welcome Max into the company,” says Leader Europe managing director Koichi Fukagawa.

entire spectrum of digital film and television content creation, post-production and broadcasting. His background in the broadcast and computer software sectors as well as with one

P26 AV News November 2021

PPDS has announced the appointment of highly experienced AV sales and company leader, Vince Schuster, as its new Commercial Vice President, Professional Displays North America.

Leading PPDS into a new era of growth in North America, Vince – an AVIXA Certified Technology Specialist, Digital Signage Display Expert and certified in Imaging Science FoundationCommercial – is a notorious and highly respected figure in the AV industry, with a proven track record for driving increased revenue, profit and sustainable growth, at some of the world’s most influential AV/IT organisations specializing in digital signage and visual display technologies.

With a career spanning more

than 25-years, Vince brings invaluable additional industry knowledge and experience to the PPDS team in North America, as well as the wider global company. Based in the greater Washington, D.C. metro region, and reporting to PPDS General Manager, Chris Colpaert, Vince is tasked with overseeing the day-to-day management of the business.

Core focus areas will be to rapidly expand the business (and grow market share), extending awareness of the PPDS brand and the benefits the business provides – both to the channel and to the end customer – through its bestin-class customer support, partner programs and its extensive portfolio of professional display solutions.

verticals. This has been accelerated by the release of a series of dedicated and often world-first solutions launched this year for multiple markets, including Hospitality (Philips MediaSuite), Education (Philips T-Line), Retail (Philips D-Line, X-Line), Corporate (Philips C-Line), Food and Beverage (Philips B-Line), the new Philips L-Line 7000 LED range, among others. Fuelling its ambition to bring additional

nor enthusiastic about the opportunities that lay ahead with PPDS. Philips has always been a brand that leads from the front, and is a company synonymous with quality, innovation and an eye on the future – three invaluable pillars. PPDS’ portfolio is making some big waves in North America and forcing other, arguably more established competitors, to rethink the way they do business.”

Technological Innovations Group (TIG) has appointed Joseph Edwards into the role of Regional Sales Manager in the UK. Reporting to TIG's EMEA Sales Director, Steven Dullaert, Joseph will be responsible for promoting TIG's portfolio of premium brands to both existing and new customers, providing them with a tailored solution to their clients' specific needs.

Steven comments: “We believe Joseph will be a real asset to the TIG team - he is passionate, driven, energetic and knowledgeable, and he brings with him a wealth of experience from his various Sales and Business Development Manager roles in the industry.”

Joseph adds: “I am super ex-

cited to be joining the fantastic TIG team! TIG has excelled in the UK and across the EMEA region, thanks to the unparalleled knowledge of its staff and the excellent customer service it offers. The impressive array of solutions TIG brings to the industry shows the quality of the company, and I am very much looking forward to playing my part in promoting TIG's ecosystem of AV/UC brands.”

Customers are invited to book an appointment with Joseph at TIG's new Experience Space in London, where they can discover more about TIG's ecosystem with in-depth demos of the solutions available.

Peoplewatch Peoplewatch Review

Peoplewatch MAXHUB have announced that Tony McCool has joined the company in a newly created position of Country Manager for MAXHUB UCC solutions.

MAXHUB have announced that Tony McCool has joined the company in a newly created position of Country Manager for MAXHUB UCC solutions. With over 25 years of experience working across the AV industry channel, McCool is an expert in sales leadership and channel development. He has managed high-performing teams within resellers, manufacturers and, most recently, within distribution, working for a leading global distributor.

His recent successes included winning ‘Technology Incubator of the Year’ at the 2020 CRN Channel Awards, and his team were finalists at the AV Awards

in the ‘Channel Team of the Year’ category. McCool will assume overall responsibility for channel development, brand awareness and end-user engagement for MAXHUB’s UCC products, comprising a range of high-quality, innovative camera solutions and speakerphones designed for the modern meetings.

Darren Lin, General Manager for MAXHUB, commented, “The UK has always been a critical market for the growth of MAXHUB across EMEA, and we are thrilled to welcome Tony on board to help us achieve our goals. His wide range of skills makes him the perfect candidate to launch MAXHUB UCC solutions into the UKI market and make MAXHUB a preferred brand of choice for UCC products in the market.”

Pixotope has added three big names to its global leadership team. After a strong year of growth in 2021, the company has established itself as one of the market’s key players, securing talent from some of the biggest technology providers in the world.

Ben Davenport joins Pixotope as VP for Global Marketing, taking charge of Pixotope’s international communications strategy. Ben has established a 20-year career in B2B marketing for the technology, media, and entertainment industries, heading up leadership positions at AmberFin, Dalet Digital Media Systems, and most recently, working as Head of Portfolio & Marketing Strategy for Vidispine at Arvato Systems.

In his new position at Pixotope, Ben comments, “Pixotope meets the demand for real-time engine applications in live broadcast and events more succinctly and effectively than anything else on the market. Studios can unleash the creative potential of their team while tapping into the awesome power of the Unreal Engine. I am excited to be at the forefront of Pixo-

tope’s journey and development – there are big announcements yet to come.”

After seven years as Enterprise Account Manager at Avid, David Cheng has been appointed as VP Sales & Marketing EMEA at Pixotope. In his role at Avid, David focused on the sales of Avid video solutions, connecting and coordinating with some of the biggest international media companies, such as Viacom, Comcast and Discovery. David has also completed leadership positions at TSL Professional Products Ltd and A·R·G ElectroDesign Ltd, helping both companies substantially increase sales and revenue.

David comments, “I’ve worked in and amongst the tech giants of the broadcast and media industries for many years and recognize the huge potential offered by real-time applications in live settings. This made joining Pixotope a ‘no-brainer’ – it’s only going to keep expanding as the industry finds new and creative ways to apply mixed reality technology live. I’m looking forward to joining the team during one of its most exciting developmental stages.”

Additionally, Travis Sims has become Pixotope’s Strategic Account Manager for North Amer-

ica, drawing from a 15-year professional history working at globally renowned technology companies, including RED Digital Cinema, Atomos, and Creative Solutions. Most recently, Travis held the position of Director of Product for Live Production with Teradek, overseeing the development of several major products within the broadcast and streaming market.

Travis adds, “To say Pixotope is growing is an understatement – the company has sustained a long period of expansion that matches the global demand for high-level, virtual production technology. Pixotope takes care of the technology and puts creatives back in control – I can’t wait to join the team and help establish Pixotope as the primary real-time solution for augmented reality and virtual production.”

With these three new hires, Pixotope has increased its global leadership team by 20% in line with its expanding customer base. The company is readying for a big 2022, asserting itself as one of the leading solutions for virtual production and AR.

MAXHUB have announced that Tony McCool has joined the company in a newly created position of Country Manager for MAXHUB UCC solutions.

Exertis has announced the appointment of Cath O’Neill as IT Director, Service Operations.

O’Neill will be responsible for the Service Desk, Desktop Services, Infrastructure Services and the implementation of ITIL standards across Exertis UK. O’Neill is a senior IT leader with over 25 years’ experience of IT Transformation and Service Delivery, having restructured IT service teams and embedded SLA management and ITIL processes.

Joining Exertis from the Odeon Cinema Group, O’Neill was responsible for all aspects of IT Service Delivery keeping cinemas and offices across the UK&I fully operational and able to trade 24x7. O’Neill will report to Liz Greenwood, UK IT Director, and will be based at Exertis’ National Distribution Centre in Burnley.

Liz Greenwood, UK IT Director, says, “I am delighted to welcome Cath to our UK IT team.

The business has experienced significant growth over the past couple of years and Cath will play a lead role in defining a number of upcoming IT projects.”

O’Neill says, “It’s great to be joining Exertis at such an exciting time. Already, everyone has made me feel really welcome which is a great testa-

ment to the culture of the organisation. I’m looking forward to working with my new team and colleagues to deliver positive change and improvements right across the business.”

Exertis has announced the appointment of Cath O’Neill as IT Director, Service Operations.

O’Neill will be responsible for the Service Desk, Desktop Services, Infrastructure Services and the implementation of ITIL standards across Exertis UK.

Pixotope has added three big names to its global leadership team. After a strong year of growth in 2021, the company has established itself as one of the market’s key players, securing talent from some of the biggest technology providers in the world The LED Studio has appointed Larry Zoll as global director of operations. Zoll, who was previously the managing director of technology and innovation at Sensory Interactive, brings over 10 years of experience working with LED technology and 15 years of project managing large real estate installations.

As a self-described futurist, Zoll has an invested interest in the development of functional environments that combine structural builds with advanced technology solutions, having been involved with the most prestigious LED screen installations located in New York’s Times Square.

Larry Zoll, director of global operations at The LED Studio, comments: “The way the team at The LED Studio is designing and building installations is completely different to anything I’ve seen in the market. I will be focused on

developing and growing the team working internationally to offer clients an alternative solution with a proven long-term success rate on a global scale.”

“LED is reaching an incredibly exciting point in the market and it's interesting to see how it's changing the daily lives of the general public and how they interact with their surroundings.

Concentrating solely on LED display technology fascinates me.

There are endless possibilities for clients to make a difference with indoor and outdoor LED, as well as future-proof their technology choices, so I’m looking forward to being part of developing the usage of this platform.”

Rob Bint, CEO at The LED Studio, comments: “Having designed, delivered and maintained 100s of monumental LED projects across the world in retail, sports, hospitality and corporate establishments, we are now entering the next phase of our growth with more global team

appointments.”

“When I first met Larry his passion for technology and problem solving was incredibly refreshing. We’re looking forward to working with new clients who are as enthusiastic about LED and being able to offer our services on a global scale.”

AVIXA has announced that the recipient of the 2021 Mackey Barron Distinguished Achievement Award is the late Fred Bargetzi, former Chief Technology Officer for Crestron. The Mackey Barron Distinguished Achievement Award is the highest honour bestowed on an industry member by AVIXA. The award’s namesake Mackey Barron, founder of HB Communications, spent more than six decades as a pioneer and leader in the pro AV industry.

The 2021 recipient Fred Bargetzi, a 30-year Crestron veteran, was instrumental in guiding the evolution of the pro AV industry into the world of digital transformation and IoT through his leadership and technology invention. When he started his career at Crestron in 1990, the company produced hard-button panels and monochromatic touch panels. Under Bargetzi’s leadership, the control industry blossomed to its current state of control via many devices including personal devices. Bargetzi’s name is on 22 patents that have defined the pro AV industry’s transformation from analogue to digital, such as control via ethernet (e-Control).

“I only experienced Fred from afar. But even in that, his brightness shown clearly across the landscape of our industry,” said David Labuskes, CTS, CAE, RCDD, CEO of AVIXA. “It was easy to see his intellect and innovative contributions to the industry over the course of 30 years. But if you looked deeper, you found the impact of his passion and contributions across an entire generation of thousands of engineers, inventors, and creators. For his contributions in the past and perhaps more importantly the impact that he will have for generations ahead, it is a true honour to present the Mackey Barron Distinguished Achievement Award. I only wish we’d had more time to hear his laughter, experience his energy, and reap the rewards of his generosity.”

Fred Bargetzi’s Mackey Barron Distinguished Achievement Award will be celebrated at InfoComm 2021 in Orlando. During the ceremony, all the winners of AVIXA’s 2021 AV Professional Awards will be revealed. They include the Adele De Berri Pioneers of AV, CTS Holder of the Year, Educator of the Year, Women in AV, Young AV Professional, Event Design of the Year, and Harald Thiel Volunteer of the Year awards.

The LED Studio has appointed Larry Zoll as global director of operations.

4

P27 AV News Npovember 2021

Events

AVIXA announces 2021 AV Professional Awards VR Days coming soon!

During an awards ceremony at InfoComm 2021 on Thurs., Oct. 28, at the Orange County Convention Center, the Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association (AVIXA) announced the winners of the 2021 AV Professional Awards.

The AVIXA Awards recognise outstanding AV professionals for their contributions to the industry. Members of the pro AV industry nominate individuals for the Adele De Berri Pioneers of AV, CTS Holder of the Year, Educator of the Year, Event Design Professional of the Year, Mackey Baron Distinguished Achievement, Women in AV, and Young AV Professional awards. The Harald Thiel Volunteer of the Year Award is bestowed by AVIXA staff.

“The pro AV industry is full of dedicated, passionate, and talented minds,” said David Labuskes, CTS, CAE, RCDD, CEO of AVIXA. “Each year, AVIXA has the privilege of shining a spotlight on individuals that are making strong impacts on their peers, companies, and the industry as a whole. They are inventors, educators, mentors, and leaders. And now I’m honoured to call them AV Professional Award winners.”

Adele De Berri Pioneers of AV Award Cory Schaeffer, QSC, LLC. ry Schaeffer co-founded Listen Technologies in 1998 and was instrumental in growing the company into a leading brand of assistive listening systems. She holds two patents for her contributions to the ListenPoint product line, which revolutionised the concept of a "complete audio infrastructure" system for small to mid-sized rooms.

Schaeffer served a four-year term on AVIXA’s Board of Directors and leads the AVIXA Women’s Council Southern California Group.

CTS Holder of the Year Award Kelly Perkins, Harman Kelly Perkins has built her 15-year career on educating and promoting the audiovisual industry. She earned her CTS in 2009 and launched an internal company training program to facilitate and encourage others to earn their certifications. She is also the architect of NSCA’s Ignite program, which connects students and schools to the AV industry.

CTS Holder of the Year Award Jennifer Goodyer, RTSales, Inc. Jennifer Goodyer is very active with the AVIXA Women’s Council and founded the South Florida AVIXA Women’s Council Local Group as well as its book club. Goodyear serves on the council’s Global Onboarding Committee, and STEM Outreach and marketing sub-committees. Her involvement motivated her to earn her CTS, the first in her company. She then began educating manufacturers on the benefits and spearheaded offering CTS education to their customers and employees.

Educator of the Year Award Chrissy Sara, Sony Electronics Inc. Chrissy Sara is the first woman to conduct AVIXA’s CTS and CTS-I certification courses, She is a spirited instructor and passionate supporter of the CTS program and those in pursuit of it.

A dedicated volunteer, she teaches a CTS study group, providing resources and continuous encouragement.

Event Design Professional of the Year Award Matt Wellen, AV Chicago Matt Wellin’s AV career has spanned more than two decades. Today, as a Project Manager at AV Chicago, he led the 2021 Chicago Neighbourhood Development Awards, a true hybrid event hosted for 50 local attendees and live streamed to thousands.

In this project, Wellin focused on the clients’ desire to not only expand viewership through streaming technologies but to bring a sense of community by organizing live remote watch parties at award-winning locations.

Harald Thiel Volunteer of the Year Award

P28 AV News November 2021

Kristi Ross-Clausen, Arrow Audio Inc. After retiring from a career as a K-12 music/theatre teacher, Kristi Ross-Clausen joined the AV industry as Quality and Customer Advocate for Arrow AV Group. She serves on AVIXA’s Membership Committee, Live Events Council, Live Events Advisory Committee, CTS Item Writing Committee, Women’s Council (Wisconsin co-chair), and is Chair of the CTS Technical Committee.

Harald Thiel Volunteer of the Year Award Juan Jose Vila, Equipson Juan Jose Vila started collaborating with AVIXA in 2016 and helped introduce the association in Spain. He promoted the advantages of CTS certifications and collaborated in the implementation of the AV Technologist (AVT) Challenge throughout the country. He also regularly presents to students on careers in the AV industry as well as supporting many AVIXA initiatives in Iberia and Latin America.

Mackey Baron Distinguished Achievement Award Fred Bargetzi, Crestron Electronics, Inc. (awarded posthumously) Fred Bargetzi, a 30-year Crestron veteran, was instrumental in guiding the evolution of the pro AV industry into the world of digital transformation and IoT through his leadership and technology invention. When he started his career at Crestron in 1990, the company produced hard-button panels and monochromatic touch panels. Under Bargetzi’s leadership, the control industry blossomed to its current state of control via many devices including personal devices. Bargetzi’s name is on 22 patents that have defined the pro AV industry’s transformation from analogue to digital, such as control via ethernet (e-Control).

Attend the best conferences about immersive technologies and learn how they impact our society. Over 5 days, the conferences cover a wide range of topics: Work, life and ethics: How do immersive technologies help us to create a safer, more diverse and prosperous life?

Education, safety and diversity: How does immersive learning really work? What is the psychology behind it? And how do we make sure the virtual itself is a safe, free and diverse space?

Industry, marketing and commerce: How did digital transformation became crucial for companies? Why is it important for governments to identify ways to support XR technologies through policy measures?

Science, research and healthcare: How immersive technologies can help to beat the port-pandemic mental health crisis and fight the projected shortfall of 18 million health workers by 2030?

Arts: How did social VR unlock the potential of cultural heritage, new business models for creators and most importantly storytelling?

Check 2021 hot topics Come in person in Amsterdam or at one of our Global Partner Events or join us online in the Laval Virtual World. Conferences, roundtables, panels, exhibitors presentations, virtual breakout floors, immersive creative demonstrations, networking moments, Citizens' Think Tank, and an Immersive Funding Market. Don't miss our vibrant programme and meet our expert speakers, including: Amber Slooten | Co-founder, The Fabricant

Women in AV Award Brandy Alvarado-Miranda, BAM Marketing Brandy Alvarado-Miranda is the Chair of the AVIXA Women’s Council and began the council’s local groups.

She is passionate about the AV industry and giving women in the industry an equal opportunity at the table. Her inspiration comes from a number of positive mentors she’s had in her career.

Tony Parisi | Global Head of XR Ads, Unity3D

Young AV Professional Award Melissa Baglio, AV Chicago Melissa Baglio began her career touring on Broadway, becoming a master electrician and leading an all-female team. An advocate for industry standards, she has initiated training programs for staff and freelancers. Baglio is motivated by empowering women, introducing young professionals to opportunities in technology, and helping to make the AV industry inclusive and a better environment for people from all backgrounds.

Barco leadership update On 9 November 2021 at 10:30 am CET Barco NV will host a hybrid event dedicated to Barco's leadership update. The event will be hosted by Ms. An Steegen and Mr. Charles Beauduin, coCEO's of Barco NV. The presentation on the leadership update will be followed by a question-and-answer session. If you would like to attend virtually or physically (limited seats due to covid-restrictions & Covid Safe Ticket required), please register by clicking below button.

Upon registration, you will receive a confirmation mail shortly before the event. Note: registration is mandatory for both remote and physical attendance.

Please note that this event will be recorded. By participating, you consent to release and/or publication of the video recordings.

Register here: https://infopages.barco.com/Leadership_update_registration.html

Niki van Sprundel | Immersive media teacher, VRAcademy