AV News November 2022

Registration for ISE 2023 now open

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Following a successful show earlier this year, registration is now open for Integrated Sys tems Europe (ISE 2023). The show will be a launchpad for a wealth of new technology, and offers a thought-provoking con ference programme, and head line keynote sessions through out the week. What’s more, with just under four months until opening day, ISE 2023 already has over 52,000 sqm of space booked - over 30% more than the exhibitor space in 2022.

ISE brings together the core sectors that make up the glob al AV and systems integration industry. So far, over 700 com panies are already committed to exhibiting, and alongside long-standing flagship exhib itors, ISE 2023 will play host to several new brands making their debut. Mike Blackman, Integrated Systems Events Managing Director, stated: “We can’t wait to return to Barcelo na with ISE 2023. This year’s show exceeded expectations, and we are looking forward to a

bigger and even better event at the Fira Barcelona Gran Via in January 2023. We already have a great show floor packed with industry-leading brands and we’re working hard to ensure that, yet again, ISE goes above and beyond expectations.”

ISE 2023 will showcase the world’s leading technology in novators and solution providers which include industry-leading brands such as Absen, Black magic Design, Barco, Christie, Crestron, Google, KNX, Lang, LG, Logitech, Panasonic, Sam sung, Shure, Sony and many more, all providing visitors with plenty of reasons to visit the show. To make navigation of the show floor easier, exhibits are set across six Technology Zones:

• Unified Communications & Education Technology (Hall 2)

• Residential & Smart Building (Hall 2)

• Multi Technology (Halls 3 & 5)

• Audio (Hall 7) and NEW Au dio Demo Suites (Hall 8)

• Digital Signage & DooH (Hall

• Lighting & Staging (Hall 7)

The popular ISE Conference Programme returns in 2023 with a new home. The pro gramme of conferences and summits will take place in the modern, purpose-built con ference rooms in the CC4 and CC5 areas on the upper level of the Fira Gran Via. The schedule includes an informative pro gramme of Spanish-language content covering all aspects of the pro AV and systems integra tion industry as well as sessions to cover thought-provoking is sues, market trends and inspi rational keynote speakers. Visitors to the show can book hotels quickly and easily as ISE has once again partnered with travel specialist bnet work to provide a wide range of choices for accommodation in Barcelona. Visit the website https://isehotels.bnetwork.com/ and search options via price, distance from venue, traveller rating etc.

Tech Data and SYNNEX merge

Tech Data and SYNNEX merge Tech Data and SYNNEX have merged to create a leading global distributor and solutions aggregator for the IT ecosys tem, TD SYNNEX. “We have been operating throughout Eu rope under the name Tech Data — A TD SYNNEX Company. We are excited to share that from October 17th 2022, we will align our European business entities to our global brand,

meaning that Tech Data in Eu rope will be known as TD SYN NEX from that day on. In addi tion to changing our logo and brand identity, we will also be renaming our legal entities to reflect the TD SYNNEX brand and changing email addresses to show the @tdsynnex.com do main.”

“We know that changing our company brand and legal en tity names means that you will

Maverick AV Solutions

need to make some operational changes too, such as chang ing our name in your systems, adapting to email addresses, or incorporating our new logo on collateral or documenta tion. We also know that these changes may take some time to implement so we want to give you advance notice so that you can prepare and also let us know if you have question or concerns.”

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Remote education: life be yond the pandemic ?

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Remember the education market before Coronavirus? Remote ed ucation was usually discussed in terms of a cost-effective means of sharing resources. And now?

DTEN to certify devices for Microsoft Teams

DTEN has announced an in tention to pursue Certified for Microsoft Teams designation on its most-popular collaboration devices. Certification for Mic rosoft Teams will help DTEN to meet the fast-growing demand for high-quality, immersive video conferencing resources

requiring their technology to be flexible to meet the needs of hybrid work and learning.

Certified for Microsoft Teams ensures DTEN as a single ven dor provider of hardware, sup port, and device management optimized with the custom er’s collaboration platform of

ognized for all-in-one designs and intuitive experiences. Touch-enabled capabilities and AI-enhancement technol ogy further elevate the user experience. The company’s in novations have recently been recognized with international

worldwide, including more than 270 million Microsoft Teams users.

“As DTEN solutions are in creasingly more recognized in the marketplace, demand has steadily grown for cross-plat form solutions,” says Wei Liu, the company’s founder and CEO. “To better serve our cus tomers and advance solutions for the hybrid workplace, we are entering the process to cer tify select DTEN devices for Mi crosoft Teams.”

More than ever, customers are

choice. DTEN is currently in the process of pursuing Mic rosoft Teams certification for the upcoming DTEN D7X allin-one device for Teams Rooms on Android. The company will in short order also seek certi fication for Teams Rooms on Windows, as well as for Teams display devices.

DTEN is known in the market place for delivering high-qual ity, video-first solutions, rec

and industry awards, including Good Design, RedDot, AV Na tion, and Enterprise Connect. “DTEN is built on the funda mental idea that collaboration should always be natural, im mersive and meaningful,” Liu concludes. “We are pleased our signature DTEN experience will be available to more users than ever.”

‘Big Data’ is one of those terms, like the ‘metaverse’, that many people think they have a grasp of but without being completely sure. How ‘big’ for example is ‘big’?

DTEN has announced an intention to pursue Certified for Microsoft Teams designation on its most-popular collaboration devices.

Metaverse experience for UK World Cup viewers

Amdocs has released research findings that give a modern look at consumer expectations around major sporting events like the World Cup. The World Cup 2022 Viewing Report, conducted by Dynata and com missioned by Amdocs, sur veyed UK viewers who plan to watch this year’s World Cup. It found that viewers are largely ready for a new era of amazing interactive entertainment offer ings and are willing to pay for digital products and services that make their experience more enjoyable. However, not having access to viewing the World Cup, coupled with ques tions around network reliabili ty, could hinder this evolution. Research findings include:

•When asked if they would be willing to pay extra for an unlimited World Cup-specific mobile data package to stream matches at 5G speeds with no delays or loss of connectivity, 48% were interested.

•While most (73%) viewers plan to watch the World Cup on live public TV, 44% of millen nials and 38% of Gen-Z plan to stream games. Notably, view ers under 40 plan to watch the games on social media chan nels, with millennials leading this trend (28%) followed by Gen-Z (27%).

•While 78% of fans are confi dent in their home connectiv

ity to support their World Cup viewing, confidence drops to 57% when it comes to their mobile network. Accessibility is also a concern, with 18% of total respondents stating they don’t have access to all games from their TV provider.

•Almost two-thirds (62%) of viewers expressed interest in using the metaverse to be part of a virtual stadium where they could watch sporting events with other fans as if they were there. Gen-Z (42%) and millen nials (39%) are the most inter ested, while a quarter (25%) of Gen-X respondents were.

•Beyond the metaverse, view ers have a growing desire for more interactive experiences like 360-degree live video of the game (30%), interactive in-game challenges (25%) and AR/VR experiences (24%).

Anthony Goonetilleke, Group President of Technology and Head of Strategy at Amdocs said: “As 5G availability ex pands, we expect to see more service providers creating unique “experience packages” beyond generic 5G speed across all offerings—for instance, a connection specifically for the metaverse or augmented reality sports, and more – even pack aged with hardware or other physical goods that enable or complement the experience. As experiences become more a

la carte, there is a need for a new kind of approach that can be fine-tuned and uniquely tai lored to end-users. This flexibil ity will be essential for players in an increasingly digital world, including next-generation en tertainment experiences made possible by a reliable network.”

Raman Abrol, General Man ager at Amdocs and CEO of Vubiquity, added: “These find ings show that consumers now have new, specific criteria that determine value from their ser vice and content providers, and they want new ways to engage.

It also opens opportunities to rethink how services can be bundled; they can be powered by a diverse ecosystem of part ners that delivers best-in-class offerings like 360 video, re al-time insights and metaverse experiences. This approach is essential to get right because opportunities to personalise the viewing experience will continue to grow, creating more options, and potential complications, as consumers try to manage their offerings.”

The World Cup 2022 Viewing Report is based on a Septem ber 2022 survey from Dynata, which targeted 1,000 UK con sumers who planned to watch the 2022 World Cup.

UK workers waste 40 hours every year on tech set-up

New research from MAXHUB reveals that nearly three fifths (59%) of employees admit it takes them up to ten minutes to set up virtual video confer encing technology as needed when working in the office. Surprisingly, 18–24-year-olds struggled the most to get the tech set up with 78% taking up to ten minutes, dropping to 57% of 55–64-year-olds taking the same amount of time. With over a third of Brits (34%) hav ing up to five meetings every week that require video-confer encing technology, a potential 200 minutes every month or 40 hours a year are being wasted on tech set-up alone; costing businesses time and money.

Nearly a quarter (23%) of UK workers also admitted to feel ing excluded when joining a vir tual work meeting remotely be cause of the technology being used. This increased to 27% in the 18–24-year-old age range, as the new working generation seem to be particularly impact ed by the challenges of hybrid working.

“The way we work has evolved massively in the last few years and its evident that hybrid working is here to stay. Howev er, many businesses have not enhanced their audio-visual (AV) equipment at the same pace to meet new hybrid work

ing requirements, despite the breadth of high quality, afford able video conferencing tech nology that has been brought to market. Employees expect their employers to provide them with the correct hybrid working equipment to best undertake their roles and ensure they are able to feel as engaged and in volved in meetings as possible, with collaboration being a par ticular point of importance,” said Tony McCool, UK & Ireland Sales Manager at MAXHUB. “It is crucial that all businesses carefully assess their AV needs and the design of AV within meeting spaces, as when cor rectly undertaken, it can help employees feel empowered in their work, and in turn, drive improved performances and productivity across the busi ness.”

Despite hybrid working mak ing meetings more accessible for many, challenges remain in terms of implementation. 28% of workers do not feel that their company has the correct hybrid working technology in place to support them in doing their job to the highest standard. This lack of technology negatively impacts employee’s ability to collaborate with remote work ers, connect with those in the office when working remotely, and interact with their col

leagues as they would in per son.

In fact, nearly half (48%) ranked easy to use and us er-friendly technology as their top priority when it came to us ing in-office video conferencing technology to collaborate with colleagues in a hybrid capac ity. A further 37% of employ ees highlighted a good quality microphone as essential so that everyone in the room can be heard equally, and anoth er 37% named the ability to plug your laptop in and start a meeting immediately, with no hassle, as crucial for hybrid working success.

It therefore is no surprise to see that over half (54%) of UK workers state that having the correct technology provided by a company is a consideration for them when looking for a job. This rises to nearly three-quar ters (74%) of 18-24-year-olds, many of whom are likely to be looking for their first profes sional roles, showing just how important hybrid working tech nology is in the fight for talent.

INSERT PIC with caption: New research from MAXHUB reveals that nearly three fifths (59%) of employees admit it takes them up to ten minutes to set up virtual video confer encing technology as needed when working in the office

PMA reveals Top-Selling Projectors in August

PMA Research has posted highlights from their most re cent Projector Tracking Service results to the “Top-Selling Pro jectors” area of their website. For more than 25 years now, PMA Research has collect ed monthly sell-through data from leading U.S. projector dealers, retailers, web resellers and distributors. Their Track ing Service family of monthly reports offer timely data and analysis on unit sales, true volume-weighted street prices, and inventories of projectors for these channels.

Each month, PMA Research posts their “Top 5” Projector Lists for the following catego ries:

•Installation Projectors with Interchangeable Lenses – This “Top 5″ list is compiled from PMA’s monthly Distributor Pro jector Tracking Service panel, which is made up of IT, Pro AV, and CEDIA distributors. For the installation/interchangeable lens projector segment, Sony had the two best-selling models in August, with Epson following with a trio of top-sellers.

Here are the top five models from August in this segment:

•Sony VPL-FHZ85

•Sony VPL-FHZ80

•Epson EB-PU1006

•Epson EB-PU1007

•Epson EB-PU1008

•Laser Projectors (Normal/ Semi-Throw) with 5,000 and

Higher Lumens – This “Top 5 list is compiled from PMA’s monthly Pro AV Projector Tracking Service panel, which is made up of Pro AV dealers and systems integrators. In the +5000-lumen, laser-phosphor projector segment, Sony took the first and fourth spots in August, and Epson rounded out this list with the second, third and fifth best-selling models on this list. .

Here are the top five models from August in this segment:

•Sony VPL-PHZ50

•Epson PowerLite L530U

•Epson PowerLite L630U

•Sony VPL-PHZ60

•Epson EB-PU1007

•4K UHD and 4K Support

Home Entertainment Projectors -- This “Top 5″ list is compiled from PMA’s monthly Retail Pro jector Tracking Service panel, which is made up of U.S. retail ers, web resellers, and custom installers. For 4K UHD and 4K Support home entertainment projector sales, ViewSonic had the best-selling model in Au gust, followed by LG. Optoma secured the final three spots on this home entertainment list. Here are the top five models from August in this segment:

•ViewSonic PX701-4K

•LG HU810P

•Optoma UHD38

•Optoma UHD35

•Optoma UHD55

The World Cup 2022 Viewing Report, conducted by Dynata and commissioned by Amdocs, surveyed UK viewers who plan to watch this year’s World Cup. It found that viewers are largely ready for a new era of amazing interactive entertainment offerings and are willing to pay for digital products and services that make their experience more enjoyable

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Christie laser projectors transform a forest in Shanghai

Titled Oriens Lumina, it is Shanghai’s first forest-themed immersive night tourism venue and a new addition to the Lu mina series of enchanted night walks developed by Montre al-based multimedia entertain ment studio Moment Factory in collaboration with Deng Yu (Shanghai) Culture Commu nication Co., Ltd, an interdis ciplinary content production firm specializing in integrating art and technology. The site is operated by Shanghai Huansen Culture Development Co., Ltd and is expected to be officially opened to the public in Novem ber after more than a year in the making.

Covering an area of approx imately 80,000 square me

laser projectors, with their long-lasting laser illumination, compact footprint, quiet opera tion and omnidirectional capa bilities, are well-suited to bring the immersive environments of Oriens Lumina to life,” says Yueyi Wu, representative for Eastern China, Zhongqing Yingye Group. “We are pleased that the amazing projections blended beautifully with nature and will enable visitors to en joy an exciting, interactive and emotional experience.”

Minfeng Zhang, project co ordinator of Oriens Lumina, added, “We are delighted to bring visitors on an exploratory journey where they can expe rience various types of illumi nations, including projection

delivered spectacular visuals and aesthetics that enable vis itors to be fully immersed in a mythical world within a forest landscape. We’re proud to be a part of this world-class cultural tourism project, and are grate ful to Zhongqing Yingye Group for completing this landmark project with our laser projectors that are perfect for demanding, high-usage outdoor applica tions.”

Featuring an IP5X-sealed, sol id-state laser light source in a robust chassis, the 31,500-lu men Crimson WU31 provides years of reliable and virtually maintenance-free operation with its long-life laser light source that offers up to 20,000 hours to 50% brightness. With

Exertis brings Microsoft 365 backup to UK

Exertis has partnered with CT4 to distribute their SaaS (Soft ware as a Service) solutions in the UK. CT4 offers data protec tion services to simplify data control and safety process es. The Australian firm have expanded their distribution efforts, most recently with Ex ertis. CT4’s Cirrus backup soft ware – a trusted, cost-effective Microsoft 365 backup solution – makes CT4 a reliable provider of protection for clients’ data from accidental deletion or ran somware. As remote working increases, it is important for businesses to ensure their 365 data is backed up and protect ed from ever more sophisticat ed attack vectors.

Exertis Cloud Services Direc tor, Rik Hubbard, said: “We are thrilled to be distributing CT4’s data backup services. The Cirrus Backup service forms a key part of helping our partners protect their cus

tomers’ Microsoft 365 data against accidental loss or ma licious actors. The All You Can Eat value of the service makes this a simple bolt on to any user licence.” Founder of CT4, Dan Pearson, said: “CT4 is very pleased to announce that we are now in partnership with Exertis to make Cirrus available to resellers across the UK. Cir rus provides an affordable and effective automated back-up of all Microsoft 365 data, one of the most used business tools in the world. The relationship with Exertis UK is a further step in our mission to become a global leader in delivering solutions to the data control challenges faced by modern businesses.”

Founder of CT4, Dan Pearson: “CT4 is very pleased to an nounce that we are now in part nership with Exertis to make Cirrus available to resellers across the UK. Cirrus provides an affordable and effective au tomated back-up of all Microsoft 365 data.”

Gira wins at Smart Building Award

Gira, one of the world’s leading full-range suppliers of intelli gent system solutions for build ing management, has been recognised at this year’s Smart Building Awards, winning Best Multi Dwelling Unit in collab oration with system integrator, Marquee Home Limited.

Established in 2018, the Smart Building Awards aim to deliver the most representative, inclu sive and up-to-date initiative in the AV/Install world, maintain ing the recognised brand and seal of industry approval for years to come.

tres (861,113 square feet), Oriens Lumina is inspired by “The Classic of Mountains and Seas”, an ancient book about mythic geography and beasts, and the Chinese yin and yang theory of the five elements. It combines digital projections, lighting, animation, sound and special effects to transform the woodland adjacent to Jiukeshu Future Art Center into an inno vative and artful venue that de livers a dream-like, multi-sen sory experience for visitors. The digital projections are accomplished by a fleet of Christie 3DLP® and 1DLP la ser projectors comprising the Crimson WU31, 4K10-HS, DWU1612-HS and DWU1082GS deployed across all five themed zones to present an ar ray of vivid and lifelike visuals. The projectors were supplied by Christie’s trusted partner, Zhongqing Yingye Group, which also provided on-site technical support for this project.

Christie 3DLP and 1DLP laser projectors are deployed across Oriens Lumina’s five themed zones, including a luminous pathway where visitors can en counter the nine-coloured deer: “Christie’s high performance and reliable 3DLP and 1DLP

mapping, that are used to de liver engaging stories depicted in ‘The Classic of Mountains and Seas’. Combined with music and sound effects, visi tors can better appreciate the natural landscape that has been infused with regional heritage and ancient mythol ogy.” Visitors can explore the five themed zones at their own pace, namely “Many Moons”, “Woodland Maze”, “Magnet ic Storm”, “Hidden Temple” and “Magnolia Renaissance”, which symbolize the five pri mary energy elements of water, fire, earth, gold and wood. The projectors are installed discretely among the foliage and fitted in weatherproof en closures to protect them from inclement weather. Bright and bold images are displayed on large translucent screens set up between the trees to pro vide maximum visual impact. Visitors can admire spectacular projected visuals throughout the hour-long night walk in the woodland April Qin, senior director of sales for China, Enterprise, Christie, commented, “By uti lizing a range of cutting-edge technologies such as laser projection, Oriens Lumina has

key features such as Christie BoldColor Technology for en hanced colour performance and ultra-fast Christie TruLife electronics, the Crimson WU31 is the go-to solution for de manding, large venue events and applications. Christie’s HS Series and GS Series 1DLP laser projectors offer long-last ing laser illumination and rich features that meet the needs of a wide range of applications. Some models are also compat ible with Christie Mystique, an automated camera-based align ment and recalibration solu tion. Christie 1DLP laser pro jectors are the perfect choice for night tourism, museums, planetariums, training and con ferences, education, themed entertainment and live events.

A panel of independent judges evaluated the nominees and named Gira/Marquee Home the winners of Best Multi Dwelling Unit category, for the luxurious Essoldo House project in Lon don, where Gira products were specified.

Essoldo House is part of a res idential and retail prime loca tion in Kings Road, Chelsea and

consists of 11 apartments. Be hind the scenes, a user-friend ly Gira KNX system works in tandem with the Gira X1 mini server and the Gira S1, remote access module to ensure equal ly smooth and secure network ing and control wherever the homeowner is. The switches and socket outlets of the Gira E2 design line in stainless steel also match the high-quality el egance of the interior in a spe cial building – truly London’s finest – and all Gira products were installed by specialist system integrator Marquee Home Limited, part of the Gira System Integrator Partner Pro gram.

Gira representatives, Hüseyin Musalar, Regional & Smart Sales Manager and Ash Smith, Controls Manager at Wand sworth Electricals - the home of Gira in the UK - received the award on behalf of Gira with Paul Endersby, Managing Di

rector at Marquee Homes also in attendance. This followed a gala dinner on 14th September after the first day of the eager ly anticipated EI Live! Industry event.

“We are absolutely delighted to offer practical and intuitive solutions for today’s global luxurious city living from sock ets and switches to the latest smart home servers which will take care of everything from lighting and heating to securi ty. Our award-winning Design Lines are specially designed to give interior designers and architects the ultimate in flex ibility and functionality when it comes to providing the essen tials in terms of controls and power points” says Gira.

Gira representatives, Hüseyin Musalar, Regional & Smart Sales Manager and Ash Smith, Controls Manager at Wandsworth Electricals being presented with the Multi Dwelling Unit Award on behalf of Gira with Paul Endersby of Marquee Homes.

Oriens Lumina showcases an array of exciting projections accomplished by Christie laser projection (Photos: Zhongqing Yingye Group).

EAV Group acquires Audiologic

Audiologic has been acquired by EAV Group, an alliance of leading value-add distributors of professional AV products and services, headquartered in Germany. Founded in 2004, Audiologic has seen consistent growth since its inception. Recently celebrating its 18th anniversary, the brand has ex panded both its brand partners and employees, continuing to strengthen its position in the UK AV market. Over those 18 years, Audiologic has built an industry leading reputation with its customers, in not only dis tributing AV products, but sup plying every aspect of a project: delivering first class design, product selection, commis sioning, service, support, and after sales. In an ever-evolving marketplace, the value-add business model has never been more important.

EAV Group, serving until re cently the Benelux and DACH territories exclusively, special ises in the distribution of pro fessional AV products, sharing many of the unique values of its recently acquired partner. Both

companies drive their business on their vision to deliver con sultative sales and service led competences. EAV Group, like Audiologic, also offers dedicat ed training academies, mar keting expertise and excellent relationship management with manufacturers, integrators and dealers.

Andy Lewis, Managing Direc tor, Audiologic comments: “Leading our businesses on the same values and approach to the marketplace means the acquisition of Audiologic by EAV Group is an exciting and natural next step that strength ens our ability to develop and grow. Audiologic is a company that has worked hard to de velop a family ethos, and that will remain through the acqui sition process and beyond, as we welcome EAV Group to our business, and enter a new and exciting chapter. What Matt and Simon have achieved to date is exceptional. The entire Audiologic family wishes them all the best for the future and are in no doubt that Audiologic is in the safest hands with EAV

Group going forward.” EAV Group and Audiologic place a priority on an experi enced team of engineers, sales teams and project experts, dedicated to supporting its customers where potentially complex audio deployments are underway. The acquisition will support Audiologic, who were advised on the transaction by corporate finance advisor BCMS, as it continues to edu cate, provide access and con tinue to commission some of the world's best-in-class audio brands.

Sam Brandon, Group CEO, EAV Group adds: “We’re delight ed to welcome Audiologic into our growing family of AV pro fessionals across Europe. As a technically focussed, value-add distributor, the mission of the company perfectly aligns with our core values. Andy and the team have worked tirelessly to develop the brands they repre sent across the UK & Ireland, and we look forward to continu ing that growth with their loyal customers and suppliers in the years to come.”

Genelec Stockholm and Helsinki experience centres

Genelec has added Stockholm and Helsinki to its global net work of experience centres. By visiting these new facilities, customers will receive expert personal advice on Genelec loudspeaker solutions, and en joy an exceptionally high-qual ity critical listening environ ment, from stereo to immersive.

The new Nordic locations join existing Genelec experience centres in Europe, America and Asia - all of which share the same mission of helping customers to understand and experience the finest in sound reproduction.

Genelec has long and close connections with both Stock holm and Helsinki, each of which is a thriving cultural hub with a strong identity and so phisticated audio community. The company has developed its own teams in both cities over many years – and the two new experience centres further heighten Genelec’s commit ment to social responsibility, by supporting each city’s unique cultural heritage.

Hosted by Erik Skanderbeck and Patrick Lundin from Genelec’s Swedish team, the Stockholm experience centre is based near the city centre on the former site of the legendary Park Studios complex. Skan derbeck and Lundin oversaw the upgrading of the infrastruc ture and the modernisation of the IT/AV technology through out, plus the installation of energy-saving smart building technology to deliver sustain ability and flexibility in plan ning.

The Stockholm location is di vided into 5 distinct zones, including the flagship 7.1.4 immersive Boman Room, the stereo environments of the Saltgruvan and Berg Rooms, the large Live Room, and the

Lobby Area for AV system demonstrations. The rooms are equipped throughout with a wide selection of Genelec smart active loudspeakers and subwoofers, all optimised us ing GLM calibration software. Additionally, the Lobby Area features a selection of Genelec

including the 1234A main stu dio loudspeaker models. As in Stockholm, the Helsinki loudspeaker systems are all calibrated with GLM software, and a variety of sound sources allows visitors to audition the loudspeakers with a choice of commercial content or

Smart IP and 4000 series in stallation loudspeakers. A huge variety of sound sources, from DAWs to streaming devices and music servers, allows custom ers to audition the systems in the most appropriate and con venient way.

Overseen by Genelec’s Anders Nyman, the Helsinki Experi ence Centre is centrally locat ed in the beautiful 19th cen tury building that also hosts Genelec’s Helsinki offices and Artist Room. The Helsinki facil ity offers two critical listening spaces – one with a 7.1.4 im mersive system based around The Ones three-way coaxial studio loudspeakers, and the other featuring a wide selection of stereo solutions, up to and

their own individual projects.

Genelec’s Nordic Sales Direc tor Mikko Tuomi comments: “These Nordic experience cen tres offer customers the per fect opportunity to audition our loudspeaker systems in a con trolled, high quality listening environment, and get expert personal advice in a relaxed and peaceful atmosphere. We’ve particularly seen a rapid increase in customers wanting to experience immersive au dio and learn more about the opportunities it presents, so these facilities complement our dealer’s efforts, bringing us even closer to our local cus tomers through education and the appreciation of fine audio performance.”

Avaya and Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise strategic partnership

AVYA and Alcatel-Lucent Enter prise have announced the next phase of their strategic part nership that will enable global enterprises to innovate more easily without the need for operationally disruptive tech nology replacement initiatives.

Building on the existing part nership, which sees ALE offer Avaya OneCloud CCaaS to its customers and Avaya offer ALE Digital Age Networking solu tions to its clients, both compa nies continue to progress on the integration of their solutions to build unique market value prop ositions.

This integration is key to en able both ALE and Avaya cus tomers to innovate using an expanding, increasingly rich and complementary set of ca pabilities from either company and painlessly roll them out.

“Our common objective is to support our customers in their digital transformation, provid ing all the capabilities needed

to make everything connect.

Looking to the future, we are collaborating to deliver new value and services to our re spective customers thanks to the tailored vertical solutions we are building together,” said Rukmini Glanard, EVP Global Sales, Services and Marketing at Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise.

Nidal Abou-Ltaif, President, Avaya International, added:

“Our customers want innova tion, but they want that inno vation to come over the top of their IT infrastructures – typi cally over the cloud. They don’t want any costly or time-con suming disruption underneath.

Through the integration of our technology with ALE’s, and through the strength of our col lective global customer base, we’re in a unique position to provide that innovation without disruption.”

AOPEN appoints Maverick AV Solutions Benelux

AOPEN and Maverick AV Solu tions Benelux, the AV special ized division of Tech Data, announced a new business co operation for Benelux market. With this partnership, Maverick strengthens its position in digi tal signage with quality AOPEN hardware. From this moment onward, several AOPEN digital signage players and All-in-One devices are available at Tech Data through the Maverick AV Solutions Benelux.

According to research, the digital signage market is pro jected to reach $14220 mil lion by 2026, from $9604.6 million in 2019 at a CAGR of 5.7% during the forecast period 2021 – 2026. As the digital signage market grows, AOPEN and Maverick grow with it. Many AOPEN partners are already available via TD Maver ick, strengthening both AOPEN and Mavericks position in the Benelux market to deliver qual ity digital signage solutions.

‘’AOPEN has been in the digi tal signage market for 25 years now. With this vast experience and broad network of partners, we are very excited about our newest partner in Maverick AV Solutions Benelux. Mavericks' portfolio in digital signage is strengthened with AOPEN hardware and the collaboration holds future potential for smart meeting and smart learning applications’’, says Erik Siera, Sales Manager BNLX, Nordics & MEA at AOPEN

‘“Maverick AV Solutions is recognized across Europe as expert and leader in Smart Signage solutions. Smart Sig nage is a pillar for us as well as Smart Meeting and Smart Learning. Our mission is to pro vide the best-in-class AV solu tions in each environment. We are proud of our new business relationship with AOPEN that is well known in the market for the quality and reliability of this media players that are

With this partnership, Maverick strengthens its position in digital sig nage with quality AOPEN hardware.

core in the content manage ment every time we are in front of a Digital Signage project, it doesn’t matter if we are talking about a small or global roll out, AOPEN has the right solution to make the content simply well managed.” Comments Wouter Dierinck, Director Maverick AV Solutions Benelux.

Tech Data Maverick will enrich its portfolio with the AOPEN dig ital signage players DE3650-S, the DE3650 and the DEX5750 in multiple SKU’s. These mod els are all fanless, powerful and

suitable for Windows and Linux operating systems, ideal 24/7 enterprise solutions for digital signage, building automation, surveillance, process control and more. This distribution agreement is an extension of the already existing agree ments in France and Spain.

Sam Brandon, Group CEO, EAV Group: “We’re delighted to welcome Audiologic into our growing family of AV professionals across Europe”.

Genelec has added Stockholm and Helsinki to its global network of experience centres

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Vestel Visual Solutions partnership with Telelogos

Vestel Visual Solutions has announced a new global part nership with leading content management software provider, Telelogos, which enables Vestel System-on -Chip (SoC) displays to deliver an all-in-one enter prise-grade digital communica tions solution. Vestel, as a certi fied Telelogos partner, can now simplify content management, accelerate deployment and boost the display performance with Telelogos-powered signage displays.

This seamless integration with Telelogos Media4Display - a special solution that natively integrates with device manage ment software, ensures trans formative support for the Vestel Entry+, Prime+ and Extreme+ Series. Encompassing a variety of 32-inch – 98-inch screen sizes, the compatible ranges can be used in most verticals, covering multiple market re quirements.

Of the partnership, Barı Ökes li, Vestel Deputy General Man ager of Product Management, commented: “The impact of this integration is far-reaching, making it easier for customers to scale up projects quickly, securely and cost-efficiently, without the need for investment in any additional hardware, or software. From set up and in stallation right the way through to content distribution, screen management and performance, Telelogos-powered Vestel SoC displays can offer much more support, improving digital com munications outcomes, as well as the overall end user experi ence.”

Christophe Billaud, Telelogos Managing Director, said: “Telel ogos is proud to have added the new range of Vestel SoC displays as a certified choice for our in tegrator partners and clients. As we’re constantly supporting our partners and customers in all business sectors, and across digital signage projects of var ious sizes, it’s always a prior ity for us to be able to advise them concerning their choice of hardware, offering them a large range of options for their projects. We’ve worked hand in hand with Vestel to optimise our digital signage and also our device management software

solutions to ensure seamless integration, thus providing the maximum in terms of features and functions from both the hardware and the software on board the SoC displays”.

Whether for large-scale rollouts in multi-national organisations, franchises or schools, the inte gration saves time, money and resource, allowing for remote device management, and con tent management of Vestel SoC displays. Reducing the risk of human error, and associated

play solution ensures that both the user experience and display performance can also be im proved continuously, with the help of everything from remote diagnostics to playback ana lytics reports. Together with Telelogos, Vestel SoC displays can deliver powerful marketing and information campaigns. High-impact multimedia as sets are easy to upload, sched ule and distribute to specific screens, or network-wide, ei ther on-site or remotely from

Avocor expands into a new category of displays

Avocor has announced the launch of the L Series, a new range of Ultrawide 21:9 dis plays. With two models avail able in the range (touch and non-touch), the L series has been designed to meet the dis tinct challenges facing hybrid working in the modern work space. The emergence of new user experiences expanded interfaces, and infinite canvas solutions from various collab oration providers have created greater demand for expanded visual display solutions that enable their 21:9 screen ratio design elements. Solutions like Microsoft Teams Room new Front Row experi ence utilize the 21:9 ratio to deliver a more holistic meeting experience by using the ad ditional screen real estate to serve up new video layouts and non-verbal components avail able within their room applica tion. “Our vision for the L Se

will start to accelerate and that demand for reliable brands offering superior, high-quality performance will increase.”

The L Series comprises two 105” displays, each beautifully designed in brushed alumin ium to perfectly complement even the most prestigious corporate environment. Each version delivers stunning 5K image resolution and graphics, increasing image detail and drawing accuracy. This incred ible capability is combined with the unique 21:9 aspect ratio to give additional screen width and hugely increase each display’s usable area. Thin, chemically strengthened glass with an anti-reflection and an ti-fingerprint coating is optical ly bonded directly to the LCD to give the best colour and con trast reproduction possible.

The L Series represents Avo cor’s continued focus on en abling collaborative environ

ogy and physical design offers Avocor’s customers and part ners a foundational solution ready to take on the burgeoning area of Ultrawide application design. Avocor will showcase the L series at ISE 2023 with product shipping by Q1 2023.

cost-and time implications, the Telelogos-powered Vestel screens are easy to pre-config ure automatically online, and then send out with enforced management to ensure a con sistent plug and play user expe rience, straight out of the box.

From the Telelogos content management platform, IT ad ministrative teams are able to integrate back-office sys tems, as well as install corpo rate-owned web applications to provide, organisation-wide, uniform, real-time access to all the data that matters. For industry applications, such as café and bar chains, pric ing can be extracted directly from back-office systems to display on-screen, updating in real-time whenever there is a price change. In addition to this, the remote management of display settings, such as screen brightness and volume makes it easy to optimise per formance for specific on-site environments.

To maximise the return on in vestment, the integrated dis

any location.

Additionally, with support for ultra-crisp 4K HDR video and 500 and 700-nit brightness, Vestel SoC display ranges can also offer ultra-engaging and immersive viewing with high haze panels in a wide range of screen sizes. For next-genera tion experiential retail, that can provide more targeted, and per sonalised in-store shopping ex periences, Telelogos APIs and Vestel displays work together to deliver relevant event-triggered content. Web triggers can be developed to launch custom ised content to the screens any time a particular custom er interaction takes place, or whenever there is a weather change. To further facilitate the running of large-scale net works, the Vestel SoC screens themselves are designed with enterprise-grade support, coming with 24/7 and 16/7 operation, as well as features, such as IP5X certification for dust-protection and support for 30 degrees of tilt.

PPDS confirms commitment to Chromecast built-in

PPDS has confirmed its longterm strategic commitment for the inclusion of Chromecast built-in wireless streaming technology on all current and future Google certified, Philips MediaSuite hospitality TVs, as global sales are projected to surge to 300,000 before the year end.

Part of its deepening strategic partnership with Google across its evolving portfolio of Android powered solutions, including digital signage, interactive displays and hospitality and business TVs, today’s import

ant announcement reinforces Philips MediaSuite’s position as the world’s first and only current dedicated hospitality TV to feature a secure Chrome cast built-in solution, designed specifically for the hotel room experience. PPDS’ commit ment to Chromecast built-in has been welcomed by hote liers and hospitality integra tors globally following Google’s announcement, made on 22 September, that it will discon tinue its third generation exter nal Chromecast – a unit that is functionally equivalent to the

Chromecast built-in to Philips MediaSuite TVs.

An integral part of PPDS’ strat egy in putting guests in control of their in-room entertainment experience, while bringing extensive back-end features, capabilities (including person alisation) and cost efficiencies to hoteliers, the inclusion of Chromecast built-in on Philips MediaSuite TVs has been a key differentiator in the market, quickly positioning it as the TV

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ries was to expand our display portfolio in a format to include options that offer a much richer and more engaging experience, perfect for hybrid working,” says Scott Hix, CEO of Avocor. “As UC platforms continue to develop their proposition, we expect that the requirement for Ultrawide visual displays

ments with state-of-the-art display solutions purpose-built to activate features designed for new hybrid workspace ex periences. The physical design aesthetic of the new L Series sets itself apart from other products in the Ultrawide dis play category. This unique com bination of embedded technol

Vestel, as a certified Telelogos partner, can now simplify content man agement, accelerate deployment and boost the display performance with Telelogos-powered signage displays

Avocor has announced the launch of the L Series, a new range of Ultrawide 21:9 displays. With two models available in the range (touch and non-touch), the L series has been designed to meet the distinct challeng es facing hybrid working in the modern workspace.

PPDS confirms commitment to Chromecast built-in

of choice for many of the world’s leading hotel groups. Global sales of Philips MediaSuite are set to exceed 300,000 by the end of this year, with the series now a firmly established mar ket leader in a growing num ber of European countries, and with North American sales also growing exponentially since the series become available last year. Philips MediaSuite TVs, and the Philips B-Line display,

tel and its guests. Our goal is to support hoteliers in ensuring all expectations are achieved or surpassed, and Chromecast plays an important role in this being achieved.

“In our recent PPDS Guest Be haviour Survey, we found that 71 per cent of hotel guests turn on the TV in their hotel room.

If the features and functionality on that TV don’t mirror or ex ceed those achieved at home,

Utelogy announces partnership with EOS IT Solutions

Utelogy Corporation has an nounced its partnership with EOS IT Solutions, a global technology and logistics com pany, providing collaboration and IT support services through forward-thinking solutions in 175+ countries. The Utelogy and EOS partnership plays a key role in providing Collabo ration and business IT Support services to some of the world’s largest industry leaders, deliv ering forward-thinking solu tions based on multi-domain architecture. By leveraging the power of the Utelogy platform as part of the EOS Care Sup port package, customers will receive an enhanced service

offering through preventative maintenance and proactive monitoring.

“EOS is thrilled to enhance our customer service portfolio by partnering with Utelogy. As global customer AV/VC environ ments evolve, Utelogy enables holistic support and manage ment tools for even the most complex cross-vendor event space. Automation is more im portant than ever for our cus tomers, and with U-Automate, centralized teams immediately receive global room insights, with options to take action.

“Many of our customers today have inherited VC environments that are not only multi-plat

form, but multi-vendor, across buildings and geographies. While EOS helps to unify end user experiences in their work places, Utelogy quickly brings the visibility they have been crying out for,” explains Niall Kearney, CTO at EOS IT Solu tions.

Utelogy’s software-driven plat form delivers the most com prehensive range of analytics by managing all aspects of an organizations AV and Unified Communications estate. In partnering with EOS’s managed service offering, the solution can increase ROI and reduce the total cost of ownership, transforming how users deploy

AV/UC assets, and the way us age data is gathered, analyzed, and turned into usable insights for future planning and budget ing.

“This strategic partnership with EOS gives us the opportunity to further expand into new mar kets to provide enterprises with the tools they need to support their complex and multi-ven dor environments,” said Kevin Morrison, CEO at Utelogy. “The Utelogy software coupled with EOS’s customer service offer ing will provide measurable and actionable results deliver ing a better experience for our customers.”

DisplayNote sees 100% growth as it solves hybrid meeting challenges

DisplayNote has announced that Launcher, its popular call and app launcher for meeting rooms, has achieved 100% year-on-year increase in sales. This significant growth reflects the evolving nature of hybrid working and the increased de mand for remote collaboration and video conferencing in teroperability.

communications and create a better meeting room experi ence for all staff.

which also comes with Chrome cast built-in as standard, have also become a popular choice in student accommodation, meeting rooms and corporate huddle spaces, bars and restau rants, to name just a few.

Hailed by many as ‘game changer’ for hospitality at launch in 2019, the inclusion of Chromecast built-in on all Philips MediaSuite TVs re mains the complete integrated entertainment and interactive service proposition, allowing guests to seamlessly replicate – and even enhance – the way they consume their content at home, inside their hotel room.

At the touch of a button, guests can wirelessly cast movies, TV shows, music, photos, and even presentations, stored or acces sible via their own personal smart device (mobile, laptop, tablet), directly to the TV, in up to 4K resolution. There are now over 10,000+ apps to choose from, including Apple TV+, Dis ney+, HBO Max, Netflix, Spotify and YouTube, with new services able to be added remotely as and when they become avail able. This ensures Philips Me diaSuite TVs are set to keep pace with guest demands into the future.

With Philips MediaSuite TVs designed for professional use, the Chromecast built-in solu tion also benefits from profes sional grade security, with con nections to the device severed, and all data, such as account login information, immediately cleared and logged out upon checkout. Jeroen Verhaeghe, Global Business Development Director for Hospitality at PPDS, and the innovator behind Philips MediaSuite, comment ed: “Philips MediaSuite TVs have been designed exclusively around the in-room hotel room experience, understanding and providing the solutions required and craved after by both the ho

then the experience is imme diately compromised. Philips MediaSuite raised the bar and changed the perception of ho tel TVs, the services they can provide, and how they can be used to enhance the overall guest experience. With the cur rent evolution of Chromecast dongles not a fit for use with in the hospitality industry, we are honoured that Philips Me diaSuite is now the preferred choice for hotels and business es looking to offer Chrome cast built-in to enhance their guests’ experiences.”

Jan van Hecke, Global Prod uct Manager Professional TV at PPDS added: “Rather than an add-on service, we literally built Chromecast into our TVs –a first for any professional TV in this space, providing a unique and seamlessly accessible solu tion to meet guests’ entertain ment needs. This is, of course, backed with a level of security that is not easily achievable with external dongles, for add ed peace of mind. Chromecast built-in remains an integral part of our overall hospitality proposition, to bring ever-evolv ing, home-away-from-home ex periences into hotel rooms and we’re delighted to confirm our long-term commitment to this technology with Google.”

Launcher works with Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Webex, Blue Jeans, GoToMeeting, and Goo gle Meet - meaning companies aren’t locked into one UC ven dor when it comes to starting calls in meeting spaces.

The Northern Irish company has experienced great success with the call and app Launch er across both the public and private sectors. The product is currently used by the likes of Etsy, Johnson and Johnson, WHO, and Greater Manchester Combined Authority, to improve

“We're seeing more demand for flexibility and accessibil ity in the meeting spaces,” comments Ed Morgan, Dis playNote’s COO. “Employees became familiar with launch ing calls from lots of different providers from their laptops during the pandemic, and they want the same experience now they're back in the office. As a result, organisations are think ing seriously about how they can facilitate a better employ ee experience in these spaces, without compromising on secu rity - and Launcher helps them achieve this.”

To support this demand, Dis playNote has also developed a new Partnership Programme to provide Channel Partners with a valuable package of benefits and resources. New partners

B-Tech and Neomounts back Global Mounts Group

B-Tech AV Mounts and Neo mounts have joined forces. To gether, they aim to accelerate growth by further strengthening international markets and cre ating beneficial synergies. The newly formed Global Mounts Group is an all-round mounting specialist, with an extensive portfolio and worldwide distri bution network. By sharing and further developing expertise, the two companies will become the strongest partner in AV and IT mounting systems. A true one-stop-shop for every mount ing solution. Both B-Tech and Neomounts will continue to operate independently under our own brands, identities, and

management.

Neomounts (formerly known as Newstar) is a growing pres ence, primarily in IT but also in AV markets, active in both Business to Business and Busi ness to Consumer channels. B-Tech’s speciality is in profes sional AV, having grown to be one of the top mounting brands in this field. When it comes to geographical distribution, the two companies also comple ment each other. Neomounts’ focus is on Europe whilst B-Tech has built a strong net work and reputation throughout EMEA, Asia and more recent ly in North America. As part of Global Mounts Group, the

Exertis Enterprise adds NGX Storage

NGX Storage is the latest ven dor to be added to Exertis En terprise’s portfolio, bringing a unified storage space offering of up to 20 petabytes under a single namespace, to business es throughout the EMEA re gion. NGX eliminates the need for multiple systems for differ ent workloads. With NGX, the same system can be used for multiple protocols – block, file and object – as well as across a wide range of performance requirements. These include

demanding transactional work loads that are extremely per formance-sensitive, to archival applications that are highly sensitive to density and cost. For businesses, NGX’s pre dictive analytics capabilities protect protocols from crashes and other issues through con tinuous automatic inspections for system errors. NGX Support Portal uses AI/ML to provide in sights, guidance, and actions, so businesses can easily im prove system availability, secu

rity, and performance. Beyhan Çalıkan, Founder and CEO at NGX Storage, said: “Exertis has a great track record of storage solutions sales and delivery. Partnering with Exertis will al low us to reach the large dis tribution network of Exertis and present our next generation technologies to its customer base. Our collaboration will push the digital transformation boundaries with NGX Storage's scalable, flexible and high-per formance solutions to meet the

companies can share each oth er’s distribution networks and strengthen their global pres ence. Integrated warehouses will help secure availability and optimise logistics. In addition, the combination will gain great er financial strength to meet the further growth ambitions of both companies.

Neomounts Managing Direc tor Dick van Baarlen will lead Global Mounts Group as CEO: “Both Neomounts and B-Tech are growing and making signif icant progress. The companies complement each other seam lessly on crucial themes. To gether we are even more pow erful, especially when it comes

challenging business require ments of enterprises.”

Jason Daly, Technology Special ist at Exertis Enterprise, said: “Leveraging NGX’s unique soft ware technology allows Exertis Enterprise to bring new levels of innovation and value to the enterprise storage market. Fea turing industry-leading hard ware technology, NGX Storage offers customers extreme per formance and scalability during this time of unprecedented growth, whilst allowing custom

PPDS has confirmed its long-term strategic commitment for the in clusion of Chromecast built-in wireless streaming technology on all current and future Google certified, Philips MediaSuite hospitality TVs

DisplayNote has announced that Launcher, its popular call and app launcher for meeting rooms, has achieved 100% year-on-year in crease in sales will be joining DisplayNote’s list of existing OEM partners, which includes global brands

C

CollabTouch – new from Avocor

Avocor has announced the launch of its new CollabTouch interactive room collaboration solution. CollabTouch fuses the interactive power of Avocor E and G series displays with the collaborative strength of Logi tech meeting room peripherals. The result is an all-in-one tech nology solution that delivers equitable, interactive, virtual meeting experiences regardless of room sizes.

“The current popularity of hy brid working has made team collaboration the foundation of ongoing business success,” says Dana Corey, SVP and GM at Avocor. “For this reason, hav ing a meeting room equipped to deliver a great experience for remote and in-person at tendees is essential for full par

offers the flexibility to tailor display installation to the spec ifications of each room. That commitment to customisation powers CollabTouch and en ables teams to take a nimbler approach to set up meeting spaces. The freedom to repur pose gear and swap compo nents without replacing the en tire room kit extends the value of Avocor and Logitech’s joint solution. And because a single cable powers CollabTouch, the solution can be easily deployed in a wide range of spaces. This allows end-users to migrate, re arrange, or modify hardware to make the most of any space.

“It’s challenging to make brainstorming equitable for everyone when a significant portion of the team is remote,”

or Logitech Rally Bar Mini for small/medium rooms. Rally Bar and Rally Bar Mini are allin-one video bars that easily attach and connect to the Av ocor display via a proprietary, unified cable, including HDMI, USB and Ethernet connectivity, and mount to the CollabTouch display. The joint solution sup ports all popular UC platforms.

Smallest Sony projectors offer optimal image quality in bright rooms

ticipant engagement. Our new CollabTouch solution powered by Logitech video collaboration room kits makes choosing the right hardware simple – the in dividual packages can be cus tomized to any environment, and each works seamlessly with the software application of choice.”

While current all-in-one dis play solutions can be tempting, they can also be limiting, lack the best performance possible, and, as one size, doesn’t always fit all. Together, Avocor and Logitech’s modular interactive video collaboration solution

said Sudeep Trivedi, Head of Alliances and Go-to-market at Logitech. “Our integra tion with CollabTouch offers a flexible and simple solution to address this need, and our long-standing partnership with Avocor simplifies the use and deployment of interactive col laboration solutions in meeting spaces.”

Organisations can select from seven room configurations, de pending on room size. Each configuration is supported with an Avocor E or G Series display and includes a Logitech Rally Bar for medium/large rooms

Designed for deployment at scale, Logitech’s Rally Bar and Rally Bar Mini feature optical zoom and an AI Viewfinder to deliver fluid, 4k cinematic vid eo in small, medium, and large rooms. Users also benefit from advanced audio engineering that provides robust, room-fill ing sound and AI sound op timization that ensures every voice is heard.

Sony has announced the world’s smallest WUXGA 3LCD laser projectors, the VPL-PHZ61 and VPL-PHZ51. Which com bine advanced operational ca pabilities with high brightness and flexible installation. This is said to make them a reli able option for a wide range of corporate, education, museum and entertainment simulation applications. The VPL-PHZ61 and VPL-PHZ51 are compact and easy to install on ceilings in meeting rooms and class rooms with a +55% vertical shift, the widest in fixed lens models. Both sophisticated in design, both models boast im

quality of the imagery, regard less of whether it's pictures, graphs or text. Additionally, the projectors require no converter when being used with other 4K equipment to simultaneously project 4K content and support the ‘Deep Colour’ of HDMI and the HDCP2.3. The projectors' new Reality Text feature im proves text-based presentation materials by providing clearer letters and lines with enhanced legibility.

The projectors also feature advanced Intelligent Settings, which offer optimisation based on usage environment. The addition of customised Bright

these asks, which is why we’ve built upon our existing legacy in developing feature-rich laser projectors, to provide compact and advanced projectors to the market. These projectors really are world-class in their tech nology, quality, and design,” said Robert Meakin, European Product Manager, Professional Displays & Solutions.

SET as a boxout: VPL-PHZ61 and VPL-PHZ51: additional features

•Auto Light Output – By util ising the ambient light sensor, the brightness of the projector is automatically controlled at night to save power consump

RightSight 2

auto-framing technology of fers multiple viewing options to highlight the active speak er or capture everyone in the room, creating a more equi table meeting experience for everyone in the meeting. Easy to use and easy to install, Av ocor CollabTouch and Logitech Video Collaboration provide an exceptional out-of-the-box col laboration solution suitable for every meeting room. Shipping dates are set for end of October in the US and end of November in UK and Europe.

pressive high brightness – the VPL-PHZ61 at 6,400 lumens (7,000 lumen centre) and the VPL-PHZ51 at 5,300 lumens (5,800 lumen centre) – and project crystal clear images, even in a well-lit meeting room or lecture theatre to enhance the collaboration and commu nication of users. With the incorporation of So ny's Reality Creation real-time signal processing, mapping and analysis technology, the projectors produce crisp and clear pictures, for effective presentation and display. Both new models support 4K60P input for compatibility with 4K video sources. This is further amplified by Reality Creation's ability to enhance the over all sharpness, resolution, and

Optoma expands professional laser projector range

Optoma has announced two new additions to its range of DuraCore laser ProScene pro jectors for the professional in stallation market, the ZU820T and ZU725T. Featuring pow erful 8800 lumens and 7800 lumens respectively, the Op toma ZU820T and ZU725T WUXGA projectors are the latest additions to Optoma’s ProScene line-up, joining the ZU920T and the award-win ning ZU920TST projectors. The ZU725T and ZU820T offer the features and benefits of its predecessors, including high brightness, colour precision, and quiet operation, along with 4K and HDR compatibility. As a

mid-range solution, these pro jectors are ideal for a variety of professional environments and applications, including hous es of worships, entertainment, immersive installations, digital signage, projection mapping and simulation.

With an impressive 3,000,000:1 contrast ratio, the ZU820T and ZU725T produce lifelike visuals with rich detail and vivid colours. Engineered with DuraCore technology, these laser projec tors also feature dust-resistant IP5X certified optical engines for 24/7 operation, offering true maintenance-free projec tion for up to 30,000 hours of powerful performance in Eco

View functionality enables co lours to accurately maintain their contrast and vivacity, even in brightly lit rooms. The new Ambiance feature automatical ly measures the room's bright ness using an ambient light sensor, and further calibrates the Bright View, colour gain and Reality Creation settings accordingly. Additionally, the new models use a new filter material which requires no fil ter cleaning for meeting room and classroom use*2.

“Many of our customers strug gle to find display solutions that provide both exceptional high brightness and sophisticated features that can enhance their content and overall user expe rience. We don’t want our cus tomer to compromise on any of

tion •Auto Power On – New Auto Power On feature that turns the projector on when video signal is sensed and Auto Input Se lect that automatically changes the input when video signal is sensed

•Data cloning function – allows users to copy any settings on one projector to all subsequent projectors using a USB device

•Maintenance – Makes it eas ier for users to remove the fil ter and to know when the filter needs cleaning with a new sen sor.

The VPL-PHZ61 & VPL-PHZ51 will be available in early 2023.

mode. Flexibility and reliability are front and centre with a ful ly motorised zoom, focus, and lens shift for seamless setups.

Additionally, with built-in edge blending, warping, four-corner correction, as well as horizontal and vertical keystone correc tion, the ZU820T and ZU725T are fully equipped to accom modate even the most complex installations.

“Improving upon the ZU720T, the addition of the ZU725T and the ZU820T to our Pro

CollabTouch fuses the interactive power of Avocor E and G series displays with the collaborative strength of Logitech meeting room peripherals.

Sony has announced the world’s smallest WUXGA 3LCD laser projectors, the VPL-PHZ61 and VPL-PHZ51

Optoma has announced two new additions to its range of DuraCore laser ProScene projectors for the pro fessional installation market, the ZU820T and ZU725T.

APPEARANCE

FLOATING TOOL BAR

NEW PORTS AND ACCESSIBILITY

MULTI-TOUCH

A VERSATILE SOLUTION

WIRELESS DISPLAY MIRRORING

GENEE CONTROL

Optoma expands professional laser projector range

Scene family fills a gap in the market for mid-range WUXGA projectors that provide remark able flexibility at an affordable price,” said Simon Jonas, com mercial category manager at Optoma. “We’re thrilled to offer our end-users a complete lineup of high brightness, com pact, WUXGA laser projectors to address their installation and performance needs.”

SET as a boxout: Optoma ZU820T and ZU725T key features

1.•Resolution: WUXGA (1920 x 1200)

•Brightness: 8800 lumens / 7800 lumens

•Contrast ratio: 3,000,000:1

•Colour: 4K and HDR compat ibility

•Throw Ratio: 1.25-2.1

•Light Source: DuraCore laser with up to 30,000 hours of op eration (Eco mode)

2.•Horizontal and vertical key stone correction, four corner correction, and built-in edge blending and warping

•Motorised 1.6X zoom, focus, and lens shift

•I/Os: 2x HDMI in/ 1 HDMI out, HDBaseT, VGA, 3D Sync in and out, 12V trigger, LAN, RS-232 control and 2x 10W speakers with audio in/out

A value-added solution, the Op toma Management Suite (OMS) is available on the ZU820T and ZU725T, offering IT adminis trators and technicians a real time remote platform to moni tor, manage, and diagnose mul tiple displays simultaneously.

OMS enables technicians to check the status and make configurations to optimize performance and broadcast emergency messages, alerts, or announcements across on-site displays.

Vision launches pop-out videowall mount

Vision has launched the VFMVW6X4/2, its second-genera tion pop-out videowall mount which now comes almost fully assembled and has new fea tures to speed up installation and fine-tuning. Micro adjust ment is quick and easy thanks to the full-service videowall mount’s scissor mechanism

install process with this new version of our videowall mount, and is a real workhorse, suit able for the majority of videow alls.”

The heavy-duty mount supports large flat panel displays up to 70kg in weight, sized 45-85inch with rear VESA mount points up to 600 x 400. It

LED Studio launches the fine-pixel pitch LED V-Poster

LED Studio has launched the V-Poster, the first all-in-one freestanding digital poster dis play on wheels. It features a cable-free design to seamlessly transform a single display in stallation into a large-scale and mobile video wall. At 1800mm x 600mm and with an ultra slim profile of 25mm, the V-Poster is available in 1.8mm and 2.5mm pixel pitches, ide al for close-proximity viewing within retail, digital signage and wayfinding applications.

The V-Poster promises a turnkey solution with virtually no setup required. The V-Poster can be installed in a single formation or a multiple display configura tion for a seamless freestand ing video wall, with optional wheels. The cable-free design with hot-swappable modules allows for rapid installation and servicing and promises simple connectivity between multiple displays without additional wir ing. The V-Poster includes an embedded audio system, WiFi and USB connectivity, a built-

tachable wheels to provide maximum flexibility for screen positioning.

Rob Bint, Founder and CEO at The LED Studio, comments: “The V-Poster will present businesses with a digital dis play option that will allow visual marketing teams to de vise more creative installations whilst providing companies with a better return on invest ment. LCDs have previously taken precedence for many verticals, especially in retail, due to lower costs and sim ple installation. However, the V-Poster now competes on a similar level with the addition al benefits of a long-life span, serviceable panels, lower power consumption, higher bright ness, and better colour unifor mity. The V-Poster is the first of our new line of LED displays, making LED display technology more accessible for businesses looking to increase their cus tomer experience.”

with side-to-side, up-and-down and in-and-out fine-tuning. Once correctly positioned, the unit can be locked to prevent accidental pop-out.

A kick stand has been built-in to allow easy maintenance ac cess to the rear of the display (for connectivity access, for example). Thumbscrews are used wherever possible and the only tool required is a hex key or a hex bit for a drill, which to makes screw removal and tightening a breeze. “We know installers are frustrated by painful, fiddly and time-con suming videowall installation,” explains Vision’s Managing Di rector Stuart Lockhart, “so we have designed a mount that simplifies and accelerates the

supports both landscape and portrait installation. The Vision VFM-VW6X4/2 is in stock now and available from Visions net work of channel partners. Like all Vision products, it comes with a Vision Lifetime Warranty for ultimate peace of mind for installer and client alike.

in media player for straight forward content streaming and scaling, and wireless control via a cloud-based app. Content can be managed with a native content management system or a third-party platform. With the latest GOB technolo gy, the display is highly dura ble and is impact-, water- and dust-resistant with an IP54 rating. It also features a pro prietary epoxy coating that in creases the contrast ratios for more vibrant and immersive image reproduction. The dis play is fully front-serviceable and is supplied with a mobile freestanding mount with de

ViewSonic industry-first foldable 135” all-inone LED display

ViewSonic Corp. has intro duced an industry-first 135” Allin-One Direct View LED Dis play Solution Kit with a fold able screen. The foldable de sign significantly reduces the packaging size by nearly 50%, compared to the previous gen eration, offering greater conve nience for transportation. With pre-assembled systems and a

built-in motorised stand, this solution kit is ready for instant use, perfect for events, exhibi tions or any short-term usage.

“In advancing our All-in-One LED Display Solution Kit se ries, we’ve taken the latest generation to new heights by extending the foldable concept to the extra-large display, add ing tremendous convenience

for various business uses,” said Dean Tsai, General Manager of Projector and LED Display Business Unit at ViewSonic.

“With a folding 135” large screen, the new solution kit delivers stunning audio-visuals with greater mobility and low ered shipping cost. It can be widely used in the rental business, hospitality, or

other industries. By improving the flexibility of our solution, we hope to assist customers to achieve their business goals.“

The new All-in-One LED Dis play Solution Kit is optimised for better mobility and conve

Vision has launched the VFM-VW6X4/2, its second-generation pop-out videowall mount which now comes almost fully assembled and has new features to speed up installation and fine-tuning

LED Studio has launched the V-Poster, the first all-in-one free standing digital poster display on wheels.

ViewSonic industry-first foldable 135” all-in-one LED display

nience in delivery. Thanks to the folding feature, the 135” LED display can easily fit into both traditional freight eleva tors and large passenger el evators. The packaging size of the movable flight case is also reduced by almost 50% compared to its previous gen eration, reducing the shipping cost significantly.

The solution kit is pre-assem bled with LED modules, cab inets, a system control box, and a motorised floor stand, all fitting into a moveable flight case. Once unboxed, the solu tion kit can be set up in just 10 minutes, saving time and effort for installation. Moreover, with just a press of the control but tons, the stand height can be adjusted to a maximum range of 65 cm effortlessly, and three heights can be set as preferenc es for convenient recurring use. With the 360° silent wheels, the display can be moved freely from one place to another.

The 135” Direct View LED Display Solution Kit offers an engaging seamless visual ex perience. The 1080p Full HD screen, which has 5mm fra meless edges, delivers vivid ul tra-large visuals without image grids, and its adjustable bright

ness of up to 600 nits allows the image to be seen clearly at any time. Meanwhile, incred ible audio from dual Harman Kardon speakers helps engage the audience with an immer sive audio-visual experience. Suitable for museums and art exhibitions that demand high quality performances, as well as luxurious reception rooms, auditoriums, or other large ven ues.

The All-in-One LED Display Solution Kit is designed with a user-centric perspective in mind, integrating the LED modules, image stitching, pow er supply, and control systems into one device, offering intui tive installation and operation. It also boasts worry-free main tenance by supporting swappa ble modules, control systems, and full-front servicing using an electric vacuum suction tool. For real-time content shar ing, the new solution kit comes with Wi-Fi connectivity to cast from mobile devices intuitively. It also supports multi-content display functions including Pic ture-in-Picture mode which can display two different contents on the main screen and in an inset window; Picture-by-Pic ture mode allows up to four

different inputs on one screen simultaneously. These modes bring flexible display applica tions during demonstrations in exhibitions, video conferences, or online collaborations.

Sharp/NEC and Hiperwall partner on Hiperwall 8.0

Sharp NEC Display Solutions Europe is partnering with Hip erwall, Inc. on the launch of a new version of Hiperwall’s powerful, hardware-agnostic video wall control software. One of the most value-adding upgrades to the company’s software to date, Hiperwall 8.0 unlocks powerful features which significantly improve content integrity, system per formance, and content sharing.

through its display, projection and dvLED solutions.

Hiperwall version 8.0 is a com plete set of applications for designing and operating any visual canvas like LED or video wall systems for informed deci sion-making. The new version adds video wall zone control, high frame rate 4K content support and simplified content sharing between systems. Fea tures include Zone Control and

group of several smaller video wall areas. The feature is ideal for maintaining order within a control room, especially during mission-critical operations: it enables only designated oper ators to access, share content to and manipulate their as signed zone of the video wall.

Combined with a HiperOperator license, users can remotely ac cess and share content to their assigned zone from any Win

while still enabling global con tent changes. This will add to the useability of a large wall in all application areas,” said Stephen Wair, Business Seg ment Lead for Control Rooms at Sharp NEC Display Solutions Europe.

Many government agencies, se curity operations centres and network operations centres have complex network security re quirements in place which can

required sources. “HiperCast is now extended so that chosen sources can be pulled from, or pushed to a second Hiperwall system. This greatly enhanc es the ability to use a second Hiperwall system as a DR (Di saster Recover) site on a shortor long-term basis,” continued Stephen Wair.

tion, as well as the addition of source capture up to 4K60 now allows Hiperwall to be used to show standard sources from the smallest low frame rate to 4K sources at 60 frames,” con cluded Stephen Wair.

By combining the Hiperwall software’s power and flexibil ity with Sharp/NEC’s solution quality and expertise, custom ers get the insight and accu racy they need for informed decision-making. As a strategic partner, Sharp/NEC will offer Hiperwall software version 8.0 to its channel partner network

Permissions: HiperZones allow video wall administrators to maintain integrity of displayed content by reducing the possi bility of unwanted interference by users. With HiperZones, admins gain the ability to de fine multiple access-controlled zones on a single video wall –turning one video wall into a

dows PC or tablet. Admins with full permissions can access all areas, move objects between them, and take over the entire wall when necessary.

“The newly created HiperZones addon is a terrific new feature allowing operators to man age specific areas of the wall and not overwrite other areas,

be challenging and compromis ing to network security integrity.

The new version of Hiperwall software adds HiperCast Pull, a solution that simplifies Hip erCast configurations, making it capable of sharing content between an organisation’s var ious Hiperwall-powered video walls – without any network or server changes. Via a ‘HiperCast Pull’ button, users can access a menu of in-network video walls to connect to and select their

The new HiperSource Stream er+ technology enables users to maximise the visualisation capabilities of Hiperwall Certi fied HiperView PCs from Sene ca, and modern UHD displays are now supporting seamless output of 4K content at 60 frames per second. Due to the upgraded foundational tech nology on which HiperSource Streamer+ is based, content streams are more efficient than ever, allowing Hiperwall video walls to support more simulta neous content streams from a single HiperSource Streamer PC. With version 8.0, Hiperwall also introduces HiperView+, a no-cost license upgrade for customers with HiperView PCs equipped with NVIDIA graph ics cards. Based on HiperView Quantum technology – the same technology Hiperwall developed for seamless direct view LED video performance across multiple video wall controllers – HiperView+ de livers high-performance con tent drawing and synchronised video decoding, enhancing Hi perView PC performance and video playback capabilities. Support for Intel-based graph ics is in development. “With content becoming more di verse and increasing in resolu

ViewSonic Corp. has introduced an industry-first 135” Allin-One Direct View LED Display Solution Kit with a foldable screen.

One of the most value-adding upgrades to the company’s software to date, Hiperwall 8.0 unlocks powerful features which significantly improve content integrity, system performance and content sharing.

Top tips to achieving collaboration equity

The term ‘Collaboration Equity’ is a phrase that is being used a lot in the AV space right now, but what does it actually mean? Nia Celestin, Global Head of Marketing at DTEN explains:

• Ensuring every meeting participant, regardless of where they are, has an equal presence in the new hybrid office/ hybrid classroom.

• Ensuring that remote participants can connect and collaborate as effectively remotely as they would in person.

By addressing both these you will create a culture of fairness, engagement and increased productivity. However, this might be easier said than done! Achieving true Collaboration Equity in to day’s hybrid world can be complex – requiring management, com mitment, diligence, and empathy. Not to mention that smart and interactive technology is also required.

To get you started, here are three tips to achieving collaboration equity in your organization:

• Build a plan. Develop the structure, policies, and procedures to enable inclusion, engagement, and participation across your entire organization.

• Re-imagine workspaces. Ensure your physical environment is optimised to be able to host hybrid meetings and collaboration.

• Invest in Technology. Technology is key to achieve true collabora tion equity across all work locations: in-office, hybrid, and remote.

3.Invest in technology

Achieving true collaboration equity in today’s hybrid world, of course, requires the right technology. With so many options on the market, it can be difficult to determine which is worth the investment and which is best to suit your needs, both now and in the future.

Sound and picture quality are at the forefront in selecting video conference equipment. Everyone in-office and remotely should be able to see and be seen, hear and be heard, equally. Features such as Zoom Smart Gallery, also take this one step further by allowing all participants in the room to be presented in individual video tiles.

Similarly, an interactive, touch-enabled whiteboard – equally ac cessible to in-room and remote participants – provides a shared focal point for collaboration.

As you evaluate video and collaboration platforms and hardware, you should consider these three things:

1. Build s plan

During the pandemic, businesses had to react fast which meant often processes didn’t exist, decisions were made based on the immediate needs, and technology was purchased based on what you could get your hands on. Fast forward to today, now knowing that hybrid work is here to stay, we have more time to consider our long-term approach to hybrid collaboration and to build a solid plan to achieve true collaboration equity.

2. Re-imagine workspaces

Traditional meeting rooms where in-office participants are sat round a table facing one another may have been effective when everyone was in the office. But since the pandemic was a catalyst for remote work and hybrid meetings, gone are the days where long boardroom tables with remote participants ‘out of the circle’ are the hub of creativity and team collaboration.

Unfortunately, the physical space and meeting room layout is of ten the last consideration for collaboration equity. However, to successfully achieve collaboration equity it is essential that you create an environment where everyone has a seat at the hybrid table. A more flexible space will allow remote attendees to be

Firstly, your plan needs to define what you want to achieve, detail action items, and create milestones. This planning process should involve remote and hybrid workers, so their individual needs are well-represented.

As part of this plan will be communication, it is important not to assume everyone on your team will understand the importance of collaboration equity. Reiterate the benefits to both individuals and to the team at large.

front and center with everyone else – and help eliminate ‘proximity bias.’

Re-imaging workspaces – including clear sightlines, modular fur niture, and moveable boundaries – are critical for collaboration equity success. A short-list of physical space considerations in cludes agility of space, allowing teams to dynamically shape meet ings based on the type of interaction; flexibility of furniture and equipment to move for changing scenarios; adaptability to ensure a balance of shared and private spaces; and responsibility to en sure all team members have equal access to essential collabora tion tools regardless of location.

• Does the technology provide a consistent user experience regard less of where users are located?

• Will it ensure equal access and presentation with its collabora tion tools?

• And is the solution simple to use, easy to manage and flexible enough to meet the variable needs of your workspaces?

This should be considered across the board, for each meeting space and for remote employees’ home workspaces. Remote work ers can get access to the same top-quality technology as in-office counterparts; full-featured, individual desktop solutions are readi ly available and more affordable than ever.

Most importantly, think about the user experience and strive for consistency of experience between home and office solutions to reduce user frustration and the need for technical support. Collab oration equity also needs everyone to be able to use the technology easily so try and avoid complex solutions and look for equipment that offers natural and intuitive experiences.

Tracking your success

Lastly, once you have begun your journey towards true collabora tion equity, there are several ways you can track your progress. Qualitatively, you should see greater participation and interaction among your team. Quantitatively, you can create and monitor en gagement measures, conduct employee surveys and more longterm measures would include monitoring retention and produc tivity.

Nia Celestin, Global Head of Marketing at DTEN

At DTEN, we see collaboration equity as addressing 2 key challenges

Let’s explore what each one of these mean further:

As part of this plan will be communication, it is important not to assume everyone on your team will understand the importance of collaboration equity.

Achieving true collaboration equity in today’s hybrid world, of course, requires the right technology.

NewTek launches the NDI PTZ3 UHD camera

NewTek has enhanced its PTZ family of cameras by introduc ing the expertly engineered PTZ3 UHD. The PTZ3 UHD is the only 4Kp60 camera on the market that offers both professional audio and ul

anced audio directly from the camera into the NDI network, so the audio maintains the highest fidelity for customers and integrators.

To ensure users deliver high-quality images and vid

PPDS new 32:9 Philips S-Line digital signage ‘stretch’ series

PPDS has announced the de but of Philips S-Line – a series of stretched digital signage displays, bringing new creative possibilities for high-impact installations in space-limited environments. First teased on the Philips stand during ISE 2022 and available now for or der in the UK and Ireland, the brand new 37” Philips S-Line series (37BDL3050S) adds a new dimension to PPDS’ ev er-evolving and expanding dig ital signage and dvLED portfo lio, with this latest evolution featuring a highly unique and eye-catching, ultra-wide 32:9 aspect ratio (928.5 x 282.3 x 48.7 mm).

guaranteed to make a wide im pression. At just 7.76 kg, the displays can also be mounted in a broader range of spaces, including on temporary walls, such as those used on kiosks and in concessions and pop ups within shopping malls.

Built with flexibility in mind, and to remove current mar ketplace limitations, Philips S-Line displays can be in stalled as a standalone solution or seamlessly daisy chained using PPDS’ versatile HMDI linking technology, as part of a multi-display setup for more creative yet compact designs.

For tiled setups, simply connect

directly to the display. And featuring an integrated media player, content can be creat ed and easily scheduled via a USB and internal memory, helping to ensure displays re main active at all times, even in the event of a network out age. Philips S-Line displays wake from standby to play the content you want, and then re turn to standby once playback is done. Philips S-Line will also soon be compatible with PPDS’ evolutionary cloud platform PPDS Wave, adding even more advanced remote management capabilities, whether the dis plays are in single or multiple

clearest and most vibrant con tent, coupled with effortless control and management capa bilities, Philips S-Line, literally stretches out the opportunities for retailers, public venues and transportation hubs to deliver innovative ways of communi cating with their customers and standing out in the crowd.”

tra-high-definition video – all built on the unshakeable foun dation of NDI. The PTZ3 UHD allows video professionals, technology managers, and sys tem designers to elevate video production by easily bringing 4Kp60 UHD video and profes sional audio, combined with control and tally, by using the network and simultaneously streamlining integration and installation by incorporating power over Ethernet (PoE).

"We understand the importance of and need for quality audio in any production workflow. By adding professional audio to the PTZ3 UHD – we combine the might of ultra-high-defini tion video and enhanced audio connectivity making it easier than ever to put this exception al camera into any production workflow,” comments Will Wa ters, VP Product Management, NewTek. For the first time in a UHD camera from NewTek, Professional XLR audio input seamlessly runs with equip ment such as microphones, mixers, amplifiers, and sound boards. The Professional XLR integration offers clean, bal

eo, the PTZ3 UHD takes pan/ tilt/zoom quality to a new level with improved movement be tween camera presets. Ease-in and ease-out movements deliv er seamless, smooth transitions for a natural, superior quality production without jittery or stuttering movements. No oth er camera on the market offers this level of simplicity and con trol. Whether it's using a single cable for audio and video, PTZ control, tally and PoE for power or connecting via NDI, NewTek PTZ Cameras simply appear on the network and can immedi ately be built into any workflow with ease. Constructed with NDI at its core, the PTZ3 UHD guarantees the tightest inte gration with any NewTek live production system and any NDI workflow – offering professional audio, pristine 4Kp60 and in finite production possibilities. NewTek PTZ3 UHD is available now and is priced at $3,995 USMSRP - International pric ing may vary.

Built for 24/7 operation, offer ing uncompromising reliability, and equipped with a power ful 700cd/m² high-brightness (1920x540), Philips S-Line is the ideal solution for a variety of industries and uses, includ ing public venues, transpor tation, restaurants and retail. Complimenting PPDS’ exist ing digital signage range, the S-Line’s stretched design and narrow bezel frame (12.4mm T/B, 10.5mm R/L) opens a multitude of opportunities, with customers able to be de liver crystal clear, high-impact content in spaces where tradi tional digital signage may not be suitable due to size con straints.

Portrait or landscape mount able, Philips S-Line can trans form almost any surface – in cluding over shelving, above busy order points, in trans port hubs and in other narrow spaces – into a hive of digital activity that demands to be seen. From general communi cations that include branding, marketing, area/exhibition in formation and timetables, to wayfinding, menu boards and many more, Philips S-Line is

two or more displays using a single external player. Mirroring PPDS’ other premium digital signage, interactive displays, dvLED and professional TVs, Philips S-Line comes equipped with an extensive range of outof-the-box solutions to ensure seamless integration and al most instant setup.

Running on Android 8, Philips S-Line is optimised for native Android apps, with users able to install their desired apps

locations across the world.

Martijn van der Woude, Head of Global Business Develop ment and Marketing at PPDS, commented: “We are delight ed to introduce our brand-new Philips S-line series, add ing new opportunities for our partners and their customers to bring their digital content and creative ambitions to life. With a unique and unmissa ble 32:9 aspect ratio design, a high brightness screen for the

ViewSonic unveils 34” Ultra-Wide curved ELITE gaming monitors

ViewSonic Corp has announced two new ultra-wide 34-inch curved ELITE gaming monitors - the premium ELITE XG341C2K equipped with Mini-LED technology, and the hyper-re sponsive ELITE XG340C-2K. With a maximised visual scope, both monitors offer truly im mersive gameplays and fill ev ery part of peripheral vision for more encompassing visual ex periences. “We are excited to have the brand-new ultra-wide 34-inch curved models as part of our collection. These new models offer truly immersive gameplay to envelop the play er,” said Oscar Lin, General Manager of the Monitor Busi ness Unit at ViewSonic. “With the introduction of ViewSonic Gaming, we continue to diver sify our product offerings. We are committed to using the most advanced technology to deliver gamers' best visual and speed experience worldwide” With the curved ultra-wide screen real estate, users can focus on obliterating their foes without excessive head-turn ing. The new models bring a

larger field of view and fill ev ery part of the users’ peripheral vision for greater realism and depth perception. Both moni tors boast the latest HDMI 2.1, which supports up to 10K vid eo resolution and 48Gbps data transfer speed for a decrease in screen tearing and stuttering.

Rigged with AMD FreeSync Premium Pro’s adaptive sync technology, these displays de liver awe-inspiring graphics that are ideal for esports and professional gamers.

Supported by Mini-LED back light technology and an optimal curve of 1500R, the ELITE XG341C-2K delivers more vivid colours and deeper contrast for more impressive levels of de tails even in fastpaced games. It features a peak brightness of 1400 nits that brings every scene to life and draws gamers right into the heart of the ac tion. Equipped with an over clockable refresh rate of 200Hz and 1ms (MPRT) response time, gamers can gain the up per hand with lag-and-blur-free motions and real-time reflexes at the highest visual settings.

The ELITE XG340C-2K boasts a curvature of 1000R to make sure every point onscreen is aligned to the gamer’s eye for fuller immersion. Bless ed with a blazing fast 180Hz (overclocked) refresh rate and superbly swift 1ms (MPRT) re sponse time, gamers are able to defeat the opposition with instant reactions without lag and motion blur. The monitor is the perfect platform for elevat ed gaming.

ViewSonic Corp has announced two new ultra-wide 34-inch curved ELITE gaming monitorsthe premium ELITE XG341C-2K equipped with Mini-LED technol ogy, and the hyper-responsive ELITE XG340C-2K

Key Features of ELITE XG341C-2K

• 34” 2K UWQHD IPS display with the curvature of 1500R

• Mini-LED technology with 1,152 zones

• Refresh rate of 165Hz (overclock to 200Hz)

• Response time of 1ms (MPRT)

• VESA DisplayHDR 1400

•AMD FreeSync™ Premium Pro

• HDMI 2.1 and USB Type-C with a power delivery of 90W

Key Features of ELITE XG340C-2K

• 34” 2K UWQHD IPS display with the curvature of 1000R

• AMD FreeSync™ Premium Pro

• Refresh rate of 165Hz (overclock to 180Hz)

• Response time of 1ms (MPRT)

• VESA® DisplayHDR™ 400

• HDMI 2.1 and USB Type-C with a power delivery of 65W

PPDS has announced the debut of Philips S-Line – a series of stretched digital signage dis plays, bringing new creative possibilities for high-impact in stallations in space-limited envi ronments.

Huge Innlights LED wall for avatars

Passers-by move in front of an impressively large LED screen that is 18 meters wide and 4 meters high. All body move ments are mirrored by cartoon style avatars. The more people interact with the video wall, the easier it is to understand Telekom's motto: The Telekom avatars were displayed with a width of around 5,000 pixels and a height of a good 1,000 pixels. This was made possi ble on an InnScreen R3 LED wall, which was installed by Innlights Displaysolutions from Wuppertal for the four-day campaign on Düsseldorf's Kö at Corneliusplatz.

In order for the movements and faces of passers-by to be reflected in the avatars in real time, the two Düsseldorf-based companies DO IT! and Capture Media provided a total of three stereoscopic cameras. These were integrated into the LED wall by the executing technolo gy company Innlights Displays olutions with special brackets, manufactured using 3D print ing.

Innlights took over the pro cessed real-time image signals from Capture Media for signal processing using the Barco e2 and its proprietary InnVision SCXR video controller for the pixel-precise display of the LED wall. As a full-service technol ogy partner, Innlights also pro vided the statics of the LED wall, including building ap plications, the layer substruc ture and on-site logistics with construction site closure and construction with heavy lifting equipment. Innlights and its technicians were constantly on site for the project for four days, and security was also on duty at night. Since everything ran smoothly throughout the entire duration of the project, the Innlights OB van did not have to resort to the backup technology running in parallel.

Passers-by move in front of an impressively large LED screen that is 18 meters wide and 4 meters high. All body movements are mirrored by cartoon style av atars.

PPDS confirms commitment to Chromecast built in

PPDS has confirmed its longterm strategic commitment for the inclusion of Chromecast built-in wireless streaming technology on all current and future Google certified, Philips MediaSuite hospitality TVs, as global sales are projected to surge to 300,000 before the year end. Part of its deepening strategic partnership with Goo gle across its evolving portfolio of Android powered solutions, including digital signage, inter active displays and hospitality and business TVs, this import ant announcement reinforces

experience.

PPDS’ commitment to Chrome cast built-in has been wel comed by hoteliers and hos pitality integrators globally following Google’s announce ment, that it will discontinue its third generation external Chromecast – a unit that is functionally equivalent to the Chromecast built-in to Philips MediaSuite TVs. An integral part of PPDS’ strategy in put ting guests in control of their in-room entertainment experi ence, while bringing extensive back-end features, capabilities

sitioning it as the TV of choice for many of the world’s leading hotel groups.

Global sales of Philips Me diaSuite are set to exceed 300,000 by the end of this year, with the series now a firmly established market lead er in a growing number of Eu ropean countries*, and with North American sales also growing exponentially since the series become available last year. Philips MediaSuite TVs, and the Philips B-Line display, which also comes with Chromecast built-in as

entertainment and interactive service proposition, allowing guests to seamlessly replicate – and even enhance – the way they consume their content at home, inside their hotel room.

At the touch of a button, guests can wirelessly cast movies, TV shows, music, photos, and even presentations, stored or accessible via their own per sonal smart device (mobile, laptop, tablet), directly to the TV, in up to 4K resolution. There are now over 10,000+ apps to choose from, including Apple TV+, Disney+, HBO Max,

sional grade security, with con nections to the device severed, and all data, such as account login information, immediately cleared and logged out upon checkout.

Jeroen Verhaeghe, Global Busi ness Development Director for Hospitality at PPDS, and the innovator behind Philips Me diaSuite, commented: “Philips MediaSuite TVs have been de signed exclusively around the in-room hotel room experience, understanding and providing the solutions required and craved after by both the hotel and its guests. Our goal is to support hoteliers in ensuring all expectations are achieved or surpassed, and Chromecast plays an important role in this being achieved. “In our recent PPDS Guest Behaviour Survey, we found that 71 per cent of hotel guests turn on the TV in their hotel room. If the features and functionality on that TV don’t mirror or exceed those achieved at home, then the ex perience is immediately com promised. Philips MediaSuite raised the bar and changed the perception of hotel TVs, the services they can provide, and how they can be used to enhance the overall guest expe rience. With the current evolu tion of Chromecast dongles not a fit for use within the hospi tality industry, we are honoured that Philips MediaSuite is now the preferred choice for hotels and businesses looking to offer Chromecast built-in to enhance their guests’ experiences.”

that is not easily achievable with external dongles, for add ed peace of mind. Chromecast built-in remains an integral part of our overall hospitality proposition, to bring ever-evolv ing, home-away-from-home ex periences into hotel rooms and we’re delighted to confirm our long-term commitment to this technology with Google.”

PPDS has confirmed its long-term strategic commitment for the inclu sion of Chromecast built-in wireless streaming technology on all cur rent and future Google certified, Philips MediaSuite hospitality TVs.

Philips MediaSuite’s position as the world’s first and only current dedicated hospitality TV to feature a secure Chrome cast built-in solution, designed specifically for the hotel room

(including personalisation) and cost efficiencies to hoteliers, the inclusion of Chromecast built-in on Philips MediaSuite TVs has been a key differenti ator in the market, quickly po

standard, have also become a popular choice in student ac commodation, meeting rooms and corporate huddle spaces, bars and restaurants, to name just a few. Hailed by many as ‘game changer’ for hospitality at launch in 2019, the inclu sion of Chromecast built-in on all Philips MediaSuite TVs re mains the complete integrated

Netflix, Spotify and YouTube, with new services able to be added remotely as and when they become available. This ensures Philips MediaSuite TVs are set to keep pace with guest demands into the future. With Philips MediaSuite TVs designed for professional use, the Chromecast built-in solu tion also benefits from profes

Jan van Hecke, Global Prod uct Manager Professional TV at PPDS added: “Rather than an add-on service, we literally built Chromecast into our TVs –a first for any professional TV in this space, providing a unique and seamlessly accessible solu tion to meet guests’ entertain ment needs. This is, of course, backed with a level of security

Big data and AV

‘Big Data’ is one of those terms, like the ‘metaverse’, that many people think they have a grasp of but without being completely sure. How ‘big’ for example is ‘big’? And when you have access to all this data, what can you do with it? And has it got any relevance to AV solutions and installations? Bryan Denyer finds out.

So let’s start from first principles: what is big data, and how big is big? Easy. According to Oracle Cloud, big data is data that con tains greater variety, arriving in increasing volumes and with more velocity. This is also known as the three Vs. So simply put, big data involves larger, more complex data sets, especially from new data sources. The data sets in question are so voluminous that tra ditional data processing software just can’t manage them. On the plus side, these massive volumes of data can be used to address business problems data owners wouldn’t have been able to tackle then before.

The three V’s

Back to the three V’s, what are the characteristics of these data sets?

•Volume - with big data, high volumes of low-density, unstruc tured data have to be processed. This can be data of unknown value, such as Twitter data feeds, clickstreams on a web page or a mobile app, or sensor-enabled equipment. For some organisations, this might be tens of terabytes of data. For others, it may be hun dreds of petabytes.

•Velocity - is the fast rate at which data is received and (maybe) acted on. Normally, the highest velocity of data streams directly into memory versus being written to disk. Some internet-enabled smart products operate in real time or near real time and will re quire real-time evaluation and action.

•Variety - refers to the many types of data that are available. Tra ditional data types were structured and fit neatly in a relational database. With the rise of big data, data comes in new unstruc tured data types. Unstructured data types, such as text, audio, and video, require additional pre-processing to derive meaning and support metadata.

Three becomes five

Incidentally, recently our three Vs have become five, adding val ue and veracity. Is widely understood to be valuable but only if its truthful. Data collected at source. particularly if uncorrupted. Is particularly valuable. Think for example of the big technology companies. A large part of the value they offer is derived from their data, which they’re constantly analysing to develop new products.

Today, data storage is cheap as is computing power to conduct analyses. By rationalising the cost of data collection increasing the volume of big data collection, so the whole process is now cheaper and more accessible, with the added benefit generating more ac curate and precise business decisions. In fact, Big data offers an entire discovery process generating insightful analysis, informed assumptions and accurate predictions of behaviour.

With the advent of the Internet of Things (IoT), with more objects and devices are connected to the internet, gathering data on cus tomer usage patterns and product performance. The emergence of machine learning has produced still more data.

Consequently, big data has come far but its usefulness is only just beginning. Cloud computing has expanded big data possibilities even further. The cloud offers truly elastic scalability, where devel opers can simply spin up ad hoc clusters to test a subset of data. Graph databases are becoming increasingly important, with their ability to display massive amounts of data in a way that makes analytics fast and comprehensive.

Big Data for marketeers

Gartner recently quoted the example of the Domino’s Pizza project to move away from its one size fits all couponing strategy, which saw the chain analysed data from more than 10,000 locations and tied sales to coupon redemptions by individual shoppers. As a result, the pizza chain began issuing personalized coupons for its customers’ favourite pizzas. This shows how Big Data is already being applied in marketing and customer experience. Big data is not a single technology or a shortlist of vendors. It’s a loose collec tion of evolving tools and techniques that Gartner defines as “high volume, velocity and/or variety of information assets that demand new, innovative forms of processing for enhanced decision mak ing, business insights or process optimization.”

Enterprise data is traditionally stored in relational databases which are structured in tables that can join with other tables in a care fully defined way. Big data strains this approach because there is too much data to fit easily into big enterprise databases and many uses require faster processing and analysis. Big data storage dif fers significantly from relational databases because it stores data that has not been mapped to a particular format or structure. By not being contained to such structure, the data is available much more rapidly for use.

Processing Big Data means collecting and moving it into storage or other systems in an organized way. Big data needs to be dis

tributed across a number of different hardware locations and is generally not in a predefined format so it requires its own approach to processing.Batch processing is working with data that sits in a constellation of database clusters which are spread across hun dreds or thousands of different pieces of hardware. There are a number of frameworks to execute batch processing of data includ ing MapReduce and Spark. Real-time processing works on data that is “in motion,” potentially at or near the point of data capture. Think of a marketer being able to process behaviour data from a website visitor in the moment to serve that same visitor relevant ads, promotions or content throughout his or her site visit. Adoption of specialized Big Data tools is still nascent (below 5% according to 2014 Gartner survey data). Yet many analytics techniques can and do make use of Big Data stores, generally by transforming the data into structured formats first. One area of growing interest in Big Data analysis is machine learning, which uses software to find patterns within large amounts of data in ways that don’t rely on explicit programming and can surpass human capabilities.

Big Data and AV

Big data makes it possible for customers to gain more complete answers simply because they have more information. More com plete answers mean more confidence in the data - which can lead to a completely different approach to tackling problems. As the interface between the commissioning client and the target popu lation, AV solutions can play a pivotal role in Big Data collection.

Examples include, understanding how to filter web logs to under stand ecommerce behaviour, deriving sentiment from social media and customer support interactions and understanding statistical correlation methods and their relevance for customer, product, manufacturing, and engineering data.

Sensors are connected through gateways, which enable them to relay the collected data to a server in the cloud. From there, the information is transmitted to a computer or cell phone so custom ers have instant access to all monitored activities taking place.

IoT data collection is the increasingly common process of using sensors to track the conditions of physical things. Devices and technology connected over the Internet of Things (IoT) can moni tor and measure data in real time. The data is transmitted, stored, and can be retrieved at any time.

Bid Data in GENEVA

Towards the end of 2021, we reported on GENEVA - a Digital Signage content management software from the Spanish compa ny ICON Multimedia. It is a comprehensive solution that allows the automation and management of multimedia content for a full network of multiple display points within a Digital Signage en vironment. AV News’ Rita Balestrazzi talked to Alberto Herrero, GENEVA International Business Manager at GENEVA.

“The great potential of GENEVA is its total adaptability to the needs of each customer, in addition to incorporating sophisticated systems of Big Data and Machine Learning that allow us to pro vide intelligence to our solutions, becoming an essential tool to implement great marketing strategies, as well as to promote an innovative brand image”

Herrero discussed the partnership between GENEVA and Vestel Group. It arose from the need to integrate our Digital Signage solu tion and all its functionalities with their SoC (System on Chip) technology, in order to meet the needs of our customers, backed by a guarantee of uninterrupted operation. Safe & Tech solutions is a new range of Smart Tech solutions that we have launched to ensure health and safety against COVID-19. We have adapted our software offering different modules of greater utility for different sectors. In this way, it is possible to integrate into a GENEVA Dig ital Signage system a capacity control solution, with the aim of knowing the occupation of the establishment in real time, or a bio metric system for facial or body recognition, capable of alerting if any user does not respect the established health regulations such as the use of masks or social distance. These solutions combine the latest technology in Digital Signage with advanced systems of Artificial Intelligence (AI), audience measurement and Big Data, allowing the extraction of very relevant information that can be applicable for the elaboration of commercial and marketing strat egies.

Safe & Tech solutions are also compatible with SoC from Vestel. With a great advantage: the combination of hardware and software can be easily reusable for other Digital Signage functionalities, once these applications are no longer useful.

The role of sensors

With a sensor, a machine observes the environment and informa tion can be collected. A sensor measures a physical quantity and converts it into a signal. Sensors translate measurements from the real world into data for the digital domain. Sensors are limited in range. They do not measure farther than about 70 feet (21 meters). They also do not measure at very high repetition rates. Due to speed of sound limitations the fastest rate

is 200 Hz at a max distance of about 24 inches. A further limita tion is that they do not work as accurately in vapour environments that change the speed of sound from that of air.

Ultrasonic sensors use sound waves to detect objects. The working involves a short ultrasonic sound wave being transmitted towards the target. The target reflects back the wave which confirms the presence of the object. These sensors can measure the distance of the object from the sensor.

Sensor data is the output of a device that detects and responds to some type of input from the physical environment. The output may be used to provide information or input to another system or to guide a process. Sensors can be used to detect just about any physical element. Sensors collect data on the physical environ ment. For example, measuring things like device status, tempera ture, location, or air.

Gartner concludes that Big Data technology and techniques are still in their infancy but the advantages of more accurate, and often more timely, information represent a considerable boost for decision makers. The integration of Big Data capabilities into AV solutions is inevitable.

Using big data?

Visualising big data and its analysis is increasingly important skill for decision support. Many decision makers are not able to look at raw data numbers and pickup trends in a single glance. Humans tend to be visual learners and that is why big data visu alization is a key aspect of AV for decision support. Organizations gathers large amounts of data from web services, mobile apps, customer interactions and sensors. Big data visualization is the presentation of this data in a graphical format, which makes it easier to understand and interpret.

Data visualization is used to communicate complex data in the simplest way. This helps decision-makers to view their data in different ways, which can ultimately help them find patterns and correlations that were previously unnoticed. The more data you have, the more crucial big data visualization becomes. A visual isation solution supports viewing large amounts of data, consoli dation, highlighting trends, spotting unexpected correlations and making quicker and better decisions.

“Big data visualization gives users the ability to review a large amount of data and draw insights much more quickly than the alternative of looking over raw data figures and spreadsheets. In the modern business world, strategic decisions need to be made at a moment’s notice. Data visualization helps leaders make quick, sound decisions based on reliable data.”

“Capturing trends with your data is extremely important in the data-driven world we live in today. Time-sequence data is very proficient at capturing trends, but the problem is it can be very hard for humans to spot trends in the data, especially when they are subtle or nuanced. Employing big data visualization tech niques makes it easy to spot trends in the data”, says Jonathan Tarud of Koombea.

In summary, one of the biggest benefits of data visualization is that it helps leaders and organizations to make better, quicker decisions. Information can be processed by the mind faster, and big data visualization can help highlight data points and relation ships that are not immediately obvious from the raw numbers. Visual stimuli are very powerful. Using big data visualization to make a point is very persuasive.

Immersive

ISE is the world’s leading show for professional audiovisual integration. Discover the latest AV solutions that deliver unforgettable experiences.

A joint venture partnership of

M/S Viking Glory chooses L-Acoustics for audio Maritime

Owned and operated by Viking Line Abp, Viking Glory is the latest addition to Viking Line’s fleet and commenced her daily voyages between Stockholm, Mariehamn and Turku. Built at Xiamen Shipbuilding Indus try’s shipyard in China, Viking Glory features many advanced, innovative technologies that make her one of the most en vironmentally friendly vessels in the world. Also on board is the state-of-the-art L-Acoustics sound system that augments the experience of travelling through some of the world’s most magnificent archipelagos by offering an unparalleled son ic experience.

“We were thrilled when Viking Line got in touch with us about supplying an audio system for their new vessel,” says Jorma Tikka, Intersonic’s Sales Man ager. “Along with advanced technology, delicious food and friendly service, the team want ed world-class entertainment, which is what Viking Line is known for and which is also why they got in touch with In tersonic!”

The Intersonic team worked closely with Viking Line’s AV Manager Tuomas Sointula and Project Manager Aki Parkkila to design the L-Acoustics sound system that would provide per fectly balanced and evenly dis tributed audio across eight ar

eas of the ship: the Vista Room Club, Vista Lounge, Torget, Algoth’s Bar, Kobba Restaurant and Bar, Fyren private restau rant, Market and Conference.

The Vista Room Club & Lounge, referred by the Viking Line team as ‘your living room onboard’, is a space to enjoy beautiful sun sets and sunrises through tall convex windows that extend from floor to ceiling. After dusk, the brightest stars of the enter tainment sky take the stage at Vista Room Club, with four A15 Wide, an A10 Wide, two X8, 17 5XT and four KS21 subs, pow ered by seven LA4X amplified controllers, offering a top qual ity live music experience. The audio at the Vista Lounge area is served by two L-Acoustics X8 cabinets as well as an SB15m high-power ultra-compact sub woofer, powered by two LA4X. Torget is Viking Glory’s social hub where guests can share bubbly toasts before midnight or set up coffee meetups in the morning, all the while en joying the spectacle of the sea outside large windows, as well as a gigantic LED screen po sitioned in the centre of the space and extending over two floors. The sound is delivered by L-Acoustics X8 sound sys tem, which offers exceptional coverage capability throughout the entire space in an aesthet ically pleasing package. The

entire audio set-up comprises eight X8, three 5XT, and four Syva SUB speakers, all pow ered by four LA4X.In Algoth Niska’s bar, named after the famous Finnish adventurer, guests can enjoy an extensive menu of cocktails and tune into the atmosphere thanks to the L-Acoustics X8 speakers and SB15m subs.

When hunger starts biting, Vi king Glory has plenty of food options on offer – all served up with great audio. The relaxed atmosphere of the bistro-style restaurant, Kobba, is comple mented with discreet X8 cab inets, whilst the Fyren private restaurant can be booked for breakfast or dinner for up to 12 people and has four 5XT, de livering captivating audio that complements the unbeatable views of the archipelago. Mar ket is another option for those looking to enter the tasty world of the Baltic Sea's first shop ping hall. Featuring multiple food stalls offering interna tional cuisines and delicacies baked in the ship's own bakery, the space enjoys perfect acous tic coverage delivered by eight carefully distributed 5XT.

Finally, Viking Glory’s brandnew conference facilities fea ture 14 flexible conference rooms that can accommodate up to 400 people and all fea ture cutting-edge technological

Manufacturing TeamViewer and Hyundai accelerate innovation in a smart factory

TeamViewer has announced a partnership with global mobil ity solutions provider Hyundai Motor Company to digitalise business operations and man ufacturing processes for Hyun dai Motor Group Innovation Center in Singapore (HMGICS). TeamViewer and Hyundai Mo tor Company will cooperate to maximise digitalisation bene fits in HMGICS’ smart factory using TeamViewer’s Augmented Reality (AR) platform, which includes Mixed Reality (MR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities.

The platform will support as sembly, maintenance, quality management, logistics, client experience projects and work force training. The two compa nies will conduct joint research and development (R&D) activi ties in AR-powered smart facto ry operations, immersive digital experience for frontline workers and AI support for a future au tomotive factory. Overall, the partnership will drive increased productivity, accuracy, speed, and safety of frontline produc tion workers. To leverage these benefits for the industry, the two parties will also pursue global joint marketing of smart factory and enterprise AR tech nology.

“We are pleased to have Team Viewer as a key technology partner for digital transforma tion in building a smart facto

ry,” said Hong Bum Jung, Chief Executive Officer of HMGICS.

“Developing an intelligent manufacturing platform is an important part of Hyundai's strategy to lead the future mo bility industry. We are contin uously innovating the overall mobility value chain, which includes presenting a vision for a future mobility smart factory. We expect the partnership will further accelerate our transi tion to smart factory and en hance its efficiency.”

Sojung Lee, President of Team Viewer Asia Pacific, said: “We are excited to collaborate with Hyundai Motor Company in digi talising manufacturing process

like TeamViewer Frontline that helps optimising manual work processes in industrial environ ments. Our collaboration with Hyundai Motor Company will further solidify our position as an enterprise software provider with specialised solutions for the manufacturing industry and it will strengthen our role as a leading player in the Industrial Metaverse space.”

HMGICS, Hyundai Motor Group’s test bed and a global open innovation hub, aims to develop new electric vehicle (EV) business models, forge in novative mobility partnerships, produce mobility products, including EVs, and verify the

solutions, which also include a top-class sound system deliv ered by 12 X8 cabinets and two SB15m subs, amplified by two LA4X. Intersonic’s system de signer Pauli Molnár comments that he deployed an L-Acous tics P1 processor and M1 soft ware to calibrate and tune the system.

“I have used the M1/P1 system for all my calibrations since it became available. The tun ing workflow is a bit different compared to previous methods, but once you get the hang of it

you won’t look back. The entire journey from using L-Acoustics Soundvision, with its quality indicators and Autosolvers, to M1 and all the tools available in Network Manager, is now all part of the integrated service that L-Acoustics delivers and which we find exceptional!” ex claims Molnár.

“We are very pleased to bring the industry-renowned L-Acoustics sound signature to the Viking Glory, making it the first ship in Viking Line’s fleet to have an L-Acoustics sound

system integrated throughout the entire vessel,” concludes Tuomas Sointula. “The sound quality of the system matches the highest standard of this ship’s facilities and is so ver satile. Whether you want to en joy your favourite tunes at the restaurant and bar, organise a conference or dance until dawn at the club, L-Acoustics brings a new level of audio experience which is all part of Viking Line’s promise to deliver the travel ex perience of tomorrow.”

Music Billie Eilish: world tour with URSA Broadcast G2 cameras

Blackmagic Design has an nounced that the Billie Eilish: Happier Than Ever world tour has implemented a multicam era live production workflow from Blackmagic Design. Vid eo production specialist Vis

streamed the singer songwrit er's headline set to the festi val's YouTube channels.

While venues differ each night, the core production setup re mains the same essentially and includes six Blackmagic

cam system. “All of the camer as around the stage are on rail cam systems from Blackcam. Storytelling is vital, and so by extension, is the need for con sistency. Those positions are all remotely operated from dedi

TeamViewer has announced a partnership with global mobility solu tions provider Hyundai Motor Company to digitalise business opera tions and manufacturing processes for Hyundai Motor Group Innova tion Center in Singapore (HMGICS).

es and building an automotive factory of the future. As digital transformation has accelerat ed on the shopfloor, there is a growing need for AR solutions

Group’s intelligent manufac turing platform to revolution ise the overall mobility value chain.

Blackmagic Design has announced that the Billie Eilish: Happier Than Ever world tour has implemented a multicamera live production workflow from Blackmagic Design

a Vis, led by Stuart Merser, has embarked on a year long tour spanning 43 dates that included a live performance at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. In addition to the on-stage visuals, Vis A Vis also

URSA Broadcast G2 cameras with SMPTE fibre chains. Sev eral smaller camera systems complement this, including a Blackmagic Micro Studio Cam era 4K with a detached fibre back solution rigged on a Pole

cated stations featuring Smart View 4K and SmartScope Duo 4K preview monitors, allowing the operators to view their TX (transmission) and returns,”

Owned and operated by Viking Line Abp, Viking Glory is the latest addition to Viking Line’s fleet and com menced her daily voyages between Stockholm, Mariehamn and Turku

says Merser.

The main production desk is built on the ATEM Constellation 8K live production switcher with an ATEM 2 M/E Advanced Panel for hardware control.

Signal management relies on a Smart Videohub 12G 40x40 router with multiple HyperDeck Studio HD Mini recorders. The engineering rack also features a Teranex AV standards converter for up, down and cross conver sions.

As part of the tour video pack age, Merser specified the use of 5mm LED panels from PRG. “I didn't want this to be project ed,” he explains. “We've got 16x9 side screens on either side of the stage, with portrait screens on stage and a cen tral LED wall, which means we can feed live IMAG to ev ery surface.” When it came to planning for Coachella, much of the tour's video elements were adapted to the festival stage. According to Merser, “That included incorporating disguise xR and Notch Blocks to create stunning and dynamic backdrops for Billie to perform against.”

Vis A Vis also had to cater to special guest appearances and a live stream on YouTube. As a result, two additional URSA Broadcast G2 cameras and a dedicated production desk for the stream were incorporated.

“Having to cater for wide shots in the live stream, I had a sec ond desk put next to me running an ATEM Production Studio 4K so I could throw in wides on the stream cut,” explains Merser. Many artists, including Billie, go straight to their Instagram after the show finishes explains Merser. “And more often than not, if I get any feedback, it's from a clip they've watched on social media,” he concludes.

“With fans filming the screens and sharing that content to so cial media, it is vital more than ever that what we produce is the best possible quality, re gardless of how or where fans will consume it.”

Education

Application News

disguise powers Ed Sheeran’s ‘Mathematics World Tour 2022’

Ed Sheeran has embarked on his “Mathematics World Tour 2022”, the singer-songwrit er’s first in-the-round stadium show, being simultaneously massive in scale as well as upclose-and-personal for fans. Sheeran’s ‘Mathematics World Tour’ is playing 74 stadium dates from March 2022 in Lon don through to March 2023 in Perth, Australia in support of his latest studio album, =. Af ter encouraging Sheeran to per form in the round since 2015, Production Designer Mark Cunniffe was able to deliver an innovative stage design featur ing an extensive array of Notch video content allowing every one in-the-round to get close to Sheeran’s solo performance.

Cunniffe created a cable net system to support the in-theround show, a costly and com plex engineering approach sel dom used in the touring world. After making sure the logistics and the business model worked, Cunniffe used VR to show the promoters how the show would look. Much to promoters’ and audiences' delight, the innova tive stage design had no sight line issues and no seat kills. Cunniffe’s goal was to make Sheeran, a solo performer with a guitar, accessible to a stadi um audience. Performing in the round achieved that, but fans can still be quite a distance from the stage. To combat this, Cunniffe relied on extensive use of IMAG content to help bridge that gap with Notch content driven by a disguise gx 2c me dia server. Using both Notch and disguise media servers on past Sheeran tours, Cunniffe was confident that they could help him deliver his vision.

Cunniffe designed the show around a massive 360º halo video display board that moves up and down above a revolving central stage. Six double-sided IMAG screens, shaped like gui tar picks, are suspended from masts encircling the stage to give everyone in the audience a chance to see Sheeran close

up. Twotrucks Productions and Evoke Studios designed the bold graphical content, which includes Notch effects that influence the IMAG itself. Cun niffe’s biggest challenge was

of pixels. Thanks to disguise’s r21 software update, Cunniffe has also seen a marked ap preciation in processing and frame drop. The background removal tool also works very

“I have been using disguise media servers for over 10 years and have a strong relationship with disguise. For me, the most important thing is the support. If a tour is going to play 30

staging requirements for an in-the-round show, Cunniffe re ports that the artist nailed his performance in rehearsals. The first live show proved that the staging worked for the audience too with fans able to see the dy namic content from every seat in the house. For Cunniffe, it felt as if the weight of the world was lifted from his shoulders. With this, a global must-see show was born. Supporting an innovative production design in-the-round with guitar picks and IMAG screens, disguise gx 2c delivered an array of bold vi suals created by Evoke Studios in Notch – highlighting Sheer an’s setlist and connecting to every fan in the stadium.

networking and distributing the show’s large amount of video on the processors. Latency is always a critical issue but us ing the disguise gx 2c on both Sheeran’s “Divide” tour and the current “Mathematics” tour resolves this.

Prior experience with disguise media servers led Cunniffe to select the gx 2c for the tour. The gx 2c’s seven 4K outputs with backups are required to reliably push a massive number

well for certain tracks, and the AR performance of the RTX graphics cards gets the job done. Cunniffe also made use of disguise’s premium support solution, with bene fits including warranties and worldwide server cover, which ensured that whatever the cir cumstance, the team had the necessary equipment to de liver their project on time and with confidence, anywhere in the world.

countries and 200 shows, you need it to work and you need the support. That’s why we opted for the premium sup port package from disguise, which has been a huge help and made me support disguise products as much as I have over the past decade.” (Mark Cunniffe, Production Designer, Ed Sheeran Mathematics World Tour 2022.)

After initially being unsure how Sheeran would cope with the

TrilbyTV highlights digital signage in Brentwood School

TrilbyTV has released a video highlighting how Brentwood School in Essex have trans formed the way that they com municate with their students. The video explores how simple the IT department found set ting up and passing ownership to different digital leaders – empowering students and showing what goes on across the school.

“When we looked at TrilbyTV, it was very much user focused and for us as an IT department all we had to do was set it up, get it working and then hand it over to the users. Our sixth form team are able to take charge of the notices that go out to our sixth form students, the same in music and sport

and drama.” (Sarb Singh, IT Manager at Brentwood School) TrilbyTV identified Brentwood as the perfect candidate for the video as they have grown their signage to 23 screens around their site. Brentwood, whose school values are ‘Vir tue, Learning and Manners’, created the perfect gateway for celebrating success amongst stakeholders, whilst also show casing a wide variety of content including images from trips, social media feeds of current events and up-to-date menus.

By adding an extra layer of vi sual communication around the site and giving everyone the opportunity to create, it has generated a real sense of pride amongst the wider community.

Headmaster Michael Bond also joins Sarb in explaining how vi sual communication is vital in an education setting and how the digital signage software has helped Brentwood achieve its communication goals. To take a look at how TrilbyTV trans formed Brentwood School’s digital signage head over to https://www.trilbytv.co.uk/go/ brentwood-video/

TrilbyTV has released a video high lighting how Brentwood School in Essex have transformed the way that they communicate with their students.

Ed Sheeran has embarked on his “Mathematics World Tour 2022”, the singer-songwriter’s first in-theround stadium show, being simultaneously massive in scale as well as up-close-and-personal for fans.

Medical

PPDS donates 2 x Philips 4K UHD displays to eye care charity

PPDS has initiated a life-chang ing partnership with leading international charity, Eye Care Foundation, which has seen the donation of two 4K UHD Philips professional displays, used to help prevent avoidable blindness and other serious eye conditions in Vietnam. The donation forms part of PPDS’ focus on supporting charities that bring positive change glob ally, as well as the recently an nounced launch of TPV Cares – a brand-new foundation that harnesses the talents of PPDS, TP Vision, MMD Monitors and Displays and AOC teams and technologies to help and sup port to people and communities in more than 200 countries.

The Eye Care Foundation is an inspiring international chari ty, founded in Amsterdam and active in countries in Asia (in cluding Nepal, Vietnam, Cam bodia, Laos) and Africa (Tan zania). Born out of the need to help provide and establish

good and affordable eye care in developing countries, the Eye Care Foundation is completely focused on helping those for whom good medical care is inaccessible or unaffordable to prevent and cure avoidable blindness and visual impair ment.

Training those who are on the ground providing eye care in the countries in which the Eye Care Foundation operates is a fundamental requirement for the charity. One such project is in Vietnam, where commu nity health workers are being trained to increase access to eye care services, contributing to the reduction of avoidable blindness in Vinh Long prov ince. Professional displays fa cilitate this training, enabling the teams to show affected eyes and how they may be treated – super-sized and in high resolution.

Two Philips professional dis plays – a 65” and a 43” Q-Line

– were selected, shipped and installed in the Vinh Long Eye Hospital in Vietnam, one for use in the treatment rooms for training and for reviewing im ages with patients, and another

for use in the bustling recep tion area. Both displays allow the Vinh Long team to educate and inform on the importance of early intervention in eye is sues, using video, imagery and

static content

Björn Stenvers, Director of Eye Care Foundation commented:

“The biggest challenge is to find enough resources to sta bilise the growth of vision loss

Retail Footasylum installs innovative ‘high bright’ Philips LED displays

Leeds-based digital out-ofhome (DOOH) display special ist UX Global - a certified PPDS Platinum Partner for Philips professional displays - has com pleted the first UK installation of the brand-new Philips higher brightness 7000 Series dvLED screen technology. The 3.5m x 3.75m large format LED digital display screen was installed on the High Street-facing wall of UX Global’s retail client, Foot asylum’s, newly refurbished Cabot Circus store in Bristol.

The Philips P.3 high bright 7000 Series LED is the display manufacturer’s most energy ef ficient and cost-effective solu tion ever. In response to the challenge of the site being in direct sunlight and in a con fined space, UX Global’s expert digital signage team worked with PPDS to recommend the Philips professional display, because of its capability to de liver clarity and performance in even the most challenging lighting conditions, and for its flat design.

UX Global carried out the in stallation works over two con secutive nights so that trading and the smooth running of the store was unaffected. A light sensor was also installed to al

ter the brightness of the huge LED display screen so that it is suitable and comfortable for viewing in both sunny pe riods and overnight, with add ed energy saving benefits. The hard-working LED window dis play is complemented by a 2x3 55" Philips X-Line videowall, nine 32" Philips D-Lines and one 55" Philips D-Line. reflect Footasylum’s innovative ethos. Alistair Wright, Managing Director at UX Global, com mented: “The quality of the new Philips high bright LED technology installed at the Bristol store has proven to be an immediate success for Foot asylum, punching through the reflective glass and creating an attention-grabbing first impres sion to draw customers into the store. The bold choice to utilise this new technology has helped to maximise return on invest ment from the refurbishment. It is this kind of unrestricted creativity in any size, shape or location while maintaining the highest visual quality that makes LED so appealing and we are confident this latest in stallation will stand the test of time for some years to come.”

Established in 2005, Footasy lum has made a name for itself

as one of UK’s the leading re tailers of fashion streetwear and sportswear with a young, trend-conscious customer base. Footasylum works with UX Global to create exciting, memorable, immersive digital in-store experiences, which showcase the brands on offer. Previously, this has included the implementation of a com pletely flexible cloud-based digital display content man agement system (CMS) from NowSignage across all 60 Foot asylum stores in the UK, and the provision of additional 4K displays and signage licenses. Lee Rudd, Philips LED Busi ness Manager in the UK, add ed: “We are delighted to see the launch of this vibrant new LED range in the UK with UX Global. Versatility, safety, ef ficiency and resilience are all built in with the Philips 7000 Series LED display and this high bright range brings added opportunity for stores to surprise and delight their customers with mesmerising masterpieces in store windows and lighter areas, extending brand experiences and attract ing footfall. We look forward to Footasylum reaping the results from this fantastic display.”

Bespoke imageHOLDERS kiosks for Paddy Power

imageHOLDERS’ bespoke ki osk technology has helped Paddy Power bridge the gap between online and in-store betting, with newinteractive po dium designs encouraging and optimising customer engage ment. The new kiosk designs have an Elo 32in colour screen that offer Paddy Power custom ers a visually engaging array of features previously only avail able online. Along with core sporting information, the kiosk serves up data segmented by price, stats, markets, tipsters and visualised form.

The screen is mounted at a comfortable height for custom ers while standing, with a large enough display and viewing an gle for multiple people to easily see it at the same time. In this way the imageHOLDERS kiosk is a digital evolution of the classic form guide pinned to the shop wall, but providing a world of richer, more engaging information. Reclaiming that wall space is a bonus, too.

Paddy Power has been an im ageHOLDERS customer since 2015, with the two brands col laborating on an ever-evolving

range of retail solutions for the bookmakers’ 600+ retail shops.

Pete Thompson, Vice President of Sales at imageHOLDERs, says: “We have always enjoyed working with the team at Paddy Power and have collaborated on some fascinating and challeng ing projects over the last few years. This project was no dif ferent. The concept of creating a new podium kiosk style with a large format screen was some thing I knew we could develop; the key was to create something aesthetically complimentary to the interior of a Paddy Power

shop, while remaining engag ing and comfortable for users. The solution we created is a real head-turner and I am de lighted that the feedback from customers and the internal team at Paddy Power has been so positive.”

Being bespoke, the image HOLDERS solution can contin ue to be tailored to add further functionality and fresh user experiences, all contributing to its ultimate value. For exam ple, a new concept is currently under development that inte grates a writing shelf, integrat

ed NFC reader and thermal re ceipt printer, allowing patrons to simply log into their account via an NFC membership card and print a betting slip. Ex isting units can be upgraded to this new specification. Ian Quinlan, Technical Field Ser vices Manager at Paddy Power, adds: “Every one of our 620 stores will now have at least one imageHOLDERS product. This latest concept is being tri alled in our new store openings and we’ll continue to monitor performance as we open shops in Q4 2022 and Q1 2023.”

worldwide. The displays from PPDS have allowed us to train and empower the local team at Vinh Long Hospital, with the aim of educating patients on the importance of seeking eye care earlier, helping to prevent sight loss.”

High impact displays delivering premium quality, colour, and resolution to enable the Vinh Long team to show imagery and treatments clearly.

Multi-purpose functionality: Displays selected and posi tioned to flex with the needs of the hospital – delivering edu cation, information, and enter tainment.

PPDS has initiated a life-chang ing partnership with leading international charity, Eye Care Foundation, which has seen the donation of two 4K UHD Philips professional displays, used to help prevent avoidable blindness and other serious eye conditions in Vietnam.

Leeds-based digital out-of-home (DOOH) display specialist UX Global - a certified PPDS Platinum Partner for Philips professional displays - has completed the first UK installation of the brand-new Philips higher brightness 7000 Series dvLED screen technology.

imageHOLDERS’ bespoke kiosk technology has helped Paddy Power

10 questions for 10 years

Saskia Josephine interviews

DisplayNote’s CEO, Paul Brown

If you haven’t heard, this year DisplayNote celebrates its 10th anni versary. We wanted to delve a bit deeper into DisplayNote’s origins by hearing from Founder and CEO Paul Brown. In this interview, Paul re flects on his experiences of creating a tech start-up, how the company has evolved over the last 10 years, the challenges and lessons he’s faced along the way, and what he hopes the future holds.

AVN:

Firstly, how did DisplayNote come about a decade ago?

PB: I’d been working in the education technology space for a number of years, and at the time, the industry was undergoing quite a few changes. There had been the transition from tradi tional blackboards to whiteboards, to interactive whiteboards, and then to interactive projectors. The industry was beginning to talk about bringing your own device to classrooms, later to be known as BYOD. Devices like iPads had become more readily available and affordable. This is when interactivity between the front of the classroom display and the personal device became a bit of a hot topic, which sparked my interest.

AVN: What do you see as the company's biggest achievements?

PB: Coming from Northern Ireland, I think it’s often in our nature to be modest and play things down. But as a small country, I think Northern Ireland has always done some really incredible things in terms of our technology successes.

As a company, we’ve achieved some great success with blue chip companies where we've licensed our software across the globe, from companies in China to Japan and North America. We’ve also seen year-on-year revenue growth since we started in 2012. In fact, we haven’t had a year where we’ve taken a dip, and I very much credit this to the adaptability of the team and the durability of our technology. We’re always looking to innovate and adapt to market conditions or new opportunities that might exist within adjacent markets.

AVN: How has the company transformed since that time?

PB: At the start, we focused on the tech that shared content from the interactive whiteboard to students’ devices. However, iPads and personal devices in the classroom didn’t take off quite as quickly as we had predicted. There were restrictions from both a budgetary and pedagogical perspective over what devices were going to be used and how. But we found we were being asked more and more about sharing content up to the front of the classroom. And so, we naturally evolved from making collaborative edtech solutions to being more involved in the wireless presentation space and looking at it from a software perspective.

A big change for us was when display manufacturers started to incorporate intelligence into the screens in the form of computing functionality; you were no longer just connecting your device to a screen - the display at the front of a classroom was becoming a collaborative device rather than just a display device.

Another pivotal point for the business was when we began to em bed our software onto the display devices. I think that's when we saw the real step change for the business, and our growth was accelerated.

PB: I've gained a lot of experience over the last 10 years, particu larly when it comes to leadership. Financing, a company's lifecy cle, and building a culture have all been part of this. I’m certainly not the finished article by any means; just ask my colleagues...

Some of the successes we’ve had with new products have been particularly rewarding. I love being customer-focused - so seeing people's eyes light up and feeling like you’re making a difference is hard to replace. Meaningful customer feedback from a happy customer often has the most personal significance and sense of reward for me.

DisplayNote evolved at that time through discussions with teach ers and the wider technology industry. I think, as would be the case for most startups, the risk was not acting upon an oppor tunity. I said, okay, there's an opportunity here; let's go and do something different.

AVN: Do you have any personal highlights that stand out over the last 10 years?

DisplayNote’s CEO, Paul Brown

AVN:

Do you have any personal highlights that stand out over the last 10 years?

PB: I've gained a lot of experience over the last 10 years, particu larly when it comes to leadership. Financing, a company's lifecy cle, and building a culture have all been part of this. I’m certainly not the finished article by any means; just ask my colleagues...

Some of the successes we’ve had with new products have been particularly rewarding. I love being customer-focused - so seeing people's eyes light up and feeling like you’re making a difference is hard to replace. Meaningful customer feedback from a happy customer often has the most personal significance and sense of reward for me.

AVN: What have been some of the toughest challenges you’ve faced along the way?

PB: Being in the tech industry, the landscape changes at a rapid pace, and we’re always thinking about what’s next. And although we’ve grown each year, there have been times when that growth has been a challenge to achieve. Certainly, in the early days, the challenge was thinking about growth, product-market fit, and fi nance.

Today, the challenges are not wholly different, but just on a differ ent scale. Often, the toughest aspect is the handling your own and others' expectations, it can feel lonely at times. And the sleepless nights that I am sure many leaders experience…I feel fortunate to have a strong team around me, advisors, and a wife who is a professional counsellor!

AVN:

Where do you see DisplayNote going in the next 10 years?

PB: We’re currently recognised as a player in the audiovisual in dustry wherein we embed our software on display devices. I’d like us to broaden out and have relevance in the workforce to employ ees on their devices, improving the whole connectivity experience. I do see us being more of an enterprise-focused company going forward, although our roots in education technology will still re main a core part of our business.

As we grow, it’s also important to me that we maintain the culture of the company and that it still remains a great place to work. What the next 10 years looks like, I don't know. I tend to think more in two-year periods. Maybe that's short-sighted, but given the industry that we're in, a lot of things can change quite quickly, and remaining adaptable is important.

AVN:

Tell us something people might not know about you…

PB: I recently got my motorbike license (which I think was in part due to the feeling of being confined as a result of covid), so I’ve enjoyed touring around Scotland and parts of Europe over the last year in my spare time - it’s actually allowed me to reconnect with an old school friend.

AVN:

What is the most significant lesson you’ve learned?

PB: Two weeks never actually means two weeks.

AVN:

How would you describe the company in a sentence?

PB: We create connected experiences for the world's presenters, educators, and learners.

AVN: If you weren’t the CEO of DisplayNote, what do you think you’d be doing?

PB: That’s a good question. I don’t think I’d be working for some one else. I’d probably be involved in some other business. At one point in my early career; I almost joined the police as I was always fascinated with crime and criminology. Thankfully, I remain on the right side of the law - even though I’ve never really been one for following rules.

Remote education: life beyond the pandemic ?

Remember the education market before Coronavirus? Remote edu cation was usually discussed in terms of a cost-effective means of sharing resources, like specialist teaching; a way of broadening the curriculum without all the costs implications; and a set of techniques for taking education outside the classroom. Then came the pandemic, and remote education became a primary means of keeping the kids safe while continuing their education. Now, with the return to school, has the opportunity to adopt remote education been lost?

Remote education as a primary means of delivering education at all levels has always been contentious. Having a daughter who completed an entire degree course entirely online I can give a personal statement to the effect that remote education dies not deliver an entirely satisfactory experience. At the school level the government seems to concur: “The priority should always be for schools to deliver high-quality face-to-face education to all pupils.

Remote education should only ever be considered as a short-term measure and as a last resort where in person attendance is not possible,” government guidance effective as late as 29 March 2022.

“Attendance is mandatory for all pupils of compulsory school age. Schools should consider providing remote education to pupils in circumstances when in-person attendance is either not possible or contrary to government guidance.

This might include:

•occasions when school leaders decide that it is not possible for their setting to open safely, or that opening would contradict guid ance from local or central government

•occasions when individual pupils, for a limited duration, are un able to physically attend their school but are able to continue learning, for example pupils with an infectious illness

•In these circumstances pupils should have access to remote ed ucation as soon as reasonably practicable, though in proportion to the length of absence and disruption to their learning.

•Where needed, you should consider providing remote education equivalent in length to the core teaching pupils would receive in school and including recorded or live direct teaching time, as well as time for pupils to complete tasks and assignments inde pendently.

Good practice

Where remote education falls within government guidelines: “Good practice is considered to be:

•3 hours a day on average across the cohort for key stage 1, with less for younger children

•4 hours a day for key stage 2

•5 hours a day for key stages 3 and 4

So hat is the extent of remote education, but what about the con tent?

“Online video lessons do not necessarily need to be recorded by teaching staff at the school. High quality lessons developed by external providers can be provided instead of school led video con tent. Schools will already have remote education plans in place that have worked for them when face to face education has not been possible. You can continue to use established remote edu cation plans with which staff, pupils and parents and carers are familiar.

Where applicable, continuing to use the digital platform for re mote education provision that has been used consistently across the school to allow interaction, assessment and feedback and make sure staff continue to be trained and confident in its use.

Continuing to overcome barriers to digital access where possible for pupils by, for example:

•distributing school-owned laptops accompanied by a user agree ment or contract if possible

•securing appropriate internet connectivity solutions where pos sible

•providing printed resources, such as textbooks and workbooks, to structure learning, supplemented with other forms of communica tion to keep pupils on track or answer questions about work

•having systems for checking, daily, whether pupils learning re motely are engaging with their work, and work with families to rapidly identify effective solutions where engagement is a concern •identifying a named senior leader with overarching responsibility for the quality and delivery of remote education if schools feel this will be useful.

When teaching pupils remotely, schools should continue to con sider how to transfer into remote education what we already know about effective teaching in the live classroom. This should include opportunities for regular feedback and interaction with teachers and peers during the school day. Schools should consider this guidance in relation to the pupil’s age, stage of development or special educational needs, for example where this would place significant demands on parents’ help or support.

Pupils with SEND

One of the particular issues here is that the school population is not homogeneous, and one size definitely does not fit all. “If pu pils with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) are not able to be in school and require remote education their teachers are best placed to know how the pupil’s needs can be most effec tively met to ensure they continue to make progress. We recognise that some pupils with SEND may not be able to access remote ed ucation without adult support. Schools should work collaboratively with families and put in place reasonable adjustments so that pu pils with SEND can successfully access remote education.”

‘Safe’ remote education

Remember, the primary justification for remote education, in the view of the government keeping children safe from the pandemic. The government is fully aware that substituting one potential harm could result in another: “Keeping children safe online is essential. The guidance on safeguarding and remote education provides the information on what education settings should be doing to protect your pupils and students online. The guidance includes a collec tion of resources which includes support for:

•safe remote education

•virtual lessons

•live streaming

The government has identified a number of independent sources of advice for the education community which it has adopted as policy.

Industry reaction

The industry response to the publication of government com ments on remote education has been universally supportive: For example Jim Wallis, Head of UKI, at Promethean UKI comments: “The rapid shift to remote teaching highlighted the importance of socialisation and collaboration in student progression. Aside from the fact that students learn best in the classroom, where they can effectively interact with the teacher and their peers, it also supports their social and emotional development. This aspect of learning cannot be replicated remotely.”

Wallis does acknowledge, however, that remote education does have a role beyond the pandemic: “While classroom-based les son delivery remains the gold standard, remote learning is be coming more commonplace for schools and academies who are looking for ways to make courses more accessible or financially viable. This is especially true for sixth forms. We’re increasingly seeing multi-academy trusts using interactive panels as a solution

“The priority should always be for schools to deliver high-quality face-to-face education to all pupils.” Jim Wallis, Head of UKI, at Promethean UKI: “The rapid shift to remote teaching highlighted the importance of socialisation and collabora tion in student progression.”

ViewSonic recognises that a teacher’s responsibilities begin and end at the classroom door: “There are several ViewSonic Education solutions that assist both teachers and administrative staff with running and managing classes.”

to support teaching in multiple locations. Leveraging interactive panel functionality and connectivity, MATs can create a central hub where one teacher delivers course content to students across multiple sites. This is usually when there isn’t sufficient demand for a course to be viable at one site, but there is enough demand when combining student interest from across an entire trust.”

Broader role of remote education

This is reminiscent of arguments being discussed in the pre-pan demic days of 2018 / 2019 and it is important for the AV and education communities that the broader remote education contin ues to develop. Wallis continues: “With this type of remote set-up, most of the curriculum is delivered remotely. In our experience, the teacher will typically host the lesson on the ActivPanel using Microsoft Teams or Google Meet, then use the Screen Share app to connect student devices. The lesson is then broadcast using a webcam, enabling the students to engage with content via Screen Share while watching the broadcast. Crucially, these regular re mote sessions are often consolidated by a termly meet up in per son. This allows the class to get together in person and enables peer to peer learning opportunities.”

This requirement to meet in person underlines the importance of the complete education experience, which is not limited to the technology installed: “Onpremise infrastructure is increasingly the exception rather than the rule. Schools and academies have em braced the benefits of the cloud, and if they haven’t already made the move, have plans in place to do so. In addition to the security, environmental, and efficiency benefits it affords, the continued evolution of hardware solutions that interface with the cloud is also helping drive ICT strategies. Take the Promethean ActivPanel, for example. Connecting directly to cloud-based applications, it simplifies the user experience and makes it easier for teachers to save and access lesson materials”, says Wallis

Market developments

Following a short period that saw a number of AV manufacturers step back the education market, on the grounds that ‘education pricing’ wasn’t as profitable as ‘commercial’, the tide seems to have turned. Doug Remington General Manager of EMEA, at DTEN is one of the newer vendors attracted by the education market: “Although most educational institutes are encouraging students to return to in-person learning this academic year, at DTEN we still see a transition in higher education colleges and universities to enable the facilities and technology to support a hybrid approach to learning. We have recently worked with significant numbers of universities across Europe and the Middle East to video enable classrooms to allow students to consume the same shared content, get involved in the same group collaboration and experience the same level of teaching as they would if they were physically in the room. A good example is Bielefeld University in Germany where

DTEN worked closely with our channel partners Vistafon to deliver a complete solution to the university”.

Remington continues: “As this demand for enhancing learning us ing technology involving AV, Video conferencing and collaboration, this means that there is still a significant opportunity for AV sup pliers. However we do see the demands of the customer evolving. Education establishments want technology that is extremely easy to use, intuitive and easy to manage and they are demanding in stallations that reduce complexity for the users and facilities and IT teams that manage the systems.”

“Investing in the right technology can open new opportunities for education establishments. Geographic reach becomes a problem of the past as industry leading courses become far more accessi ble, attracting students dispersed across the globe. Along with in creasing the reach and volume of students, this opens the door to new subjects and qualifications as subject matter experts, teach ers and lecturers can be virtually brought in when required.”

Commitment

ViewSonic is another vendor making a commitment to the edu

cation market. Monica Sun, Director of the Presentation Group at ViewSonic, says: “Technological progress over the past few years has given rise to new forms of education. As the pan demic abates and people's lives return to normal, educational models that combine school and home learning has become the norm. Innovative models have emerged that integrate online and physical classrooms, as well as synchronous and asynchronous teaching. These models ensure that education transcends the physical barriers of the classroom, and that learning is never interrupted. ViewSonic, the leading global provider of visual and educational solutions, has overcome major challenges to create a hybrid teaching classroom – a solution that considers the over all teaching environment, the needs of teachers, as well as the requirements for actual courses. The solution enables teachers to simultaneously teach on-site and remotely, successfully tran scending the limitations of physical classrooms.”

ViewSonic has created a range of education specific solutions which they believe best suit today’s market: “The hybrid teaching classroom uses the ViewBoard interactive display, the myView Board digital whiteboarding solution, and other hardware equip ment and software solutions allow teachers simultaneously see students in the classroom and students participating remotely and can synchronously distance learning with the ability to talk directly to students. The teacher can thus focus more on the course or activity and maintain a high level of interactivity with the students. In a virtualized classroom, teachers and students can take advantage of easy-to-use video connections for discus sions and collaboration. With the help of a wide range of tools, the platform delivers a fun, interactive, and efficient virtual learning experience.”

ViewSonic recognises that a teacher’s responsibilities begin and end at the classroom door: “There are several ViewSonic Ed ucation solutions that assist both teachers and administrative staff with running and managing classes. When teaching in a hybrid setting, the myViewBoard Whiteboard ensures that stu dents both learning in-class and remotely can participate in the lesson. Students, regardless of where they are, can share their screen and throw images, videos, and other documents onto the digital whiteboard. Furthermore, when a teacher to asks a ques tion verbally or in written form, the Pop Quiz function invites stu dents to submit their answers from their own devices. Students attending the class in-person can submit their answers onto the ViewBoard, whereas students tuning into the class remotely can also participate using a QR code to submit their answers. View Sonic Originals is a huge collection of interactive media made for digital whiteboards. They provide educators with ready-made digital content for lesson, so that lessons are easier to plan and prepare with a vast collection of interactive media created for all age groups, subjects, and teaching styles within a user-friendly database.”

“On the other hand, myViewBoard manager is a an intuitive onestop web dashboard for managing, troubleshooting, and optimis ing displays. In a case study, Nexus International School in Sin gapore, which runs almost 100 ViewBoard interactive displays in 79 classrooms over 12 floors to build a digital learning setup for a more immersive learning environment. However, handling the sheer number of devices across the large campus was no easy feat; a system of management was needed. Nexus utilized and adapted myViewBoard Manager to centrally manage the View

Boards, solves 90% of interactive display technical issues. This improved their maintenance and operation efficiency, while reduc ing labour and energy consumption at the same time”

Sun continues: “With the widespread use of remote and hybrid learning, education and events are therefore more accessible to students and instructors regardless of where they are. In a pioneer project, ViewSonic launch a training and certification program, ViewSonic Teacher Certification Program, to improve teachers’ dig ital teaching ability. Teachers who were previously unable to be certified, either due to accessibility or location are given an oppor tunity to become certified ViewSonic instructors.”#

Future visions

Kevin Chu, Director of UNIVERSE Business Unit at ViewSonic ex

What is remote education?

Remote education: a broad term encompassing any learning that hap pens outside of the classroom, with the teacher not present in the same location as the pupils:

1: Remote education is a way of delivering the curriculum

Remote education is a means, not an end. The aim of education is to deliver a high-quality curriculum so that pupils know more and remember more. Remote education is one way of doing so. This means that everything we know about what a quality curriculum looks like still applies. The remote education curriculum needs to be aligned to the classroom curriculum as much as possible. And, just like the classroom curriculum, it needs to be carefully sequenced and ensure that pupils obtain the building blocks they need to move on to the next step. Curricular goals should be made as explicit remotely as they would be in the classroom.

Remote education is not the same as digital education. Some times, it may be more effective to deliver remote education through worksheets or a textbook. All schools/colleges should have access to a digital platform so they can provide online education where that is the most appropriate method.

A good textbook can provide the curriculum content and sequenc ing pupils need. It can also be easier to access for some pupils. However, when using textbooks or worksheets it is still important to make sure that teachers can provide feedback and assess learn ing. Any worksheets should be aligned with the curriculum and provide meaningful work.

2: Keep it simple

Our brains don’t learn differently using remote education, so ev erything we know about cognitive science and learning still ap plies. We don’t have to make huge changes to the way we teach. We also don’t need to overcomplicate resources with too many graphics and illustrations that don’t add to content. When using digital remote education, the platform we use shouldn’t be too complicated to use. Just as we don’t need ‘all-singing, all-dancing’ lessons in the classroom, remote education often benefits from a straightforward and easy-to-use interface. Simple graphics that highlight the key concepts and features we want to teach can be most effective.

More important is attention to the key elements of effective teach ing. For example, it’s useful to provide pupils with an overview of the bigger picture and where a specific lesson or activity sits with in a sequence of lessons or activities. It’s also vital to have clear and high expectations and to communicate these to pupils. Just as in the classroom, most pupils will be novices in what we are teach ing them. We can’t expect them to be able to discover new content for themselves through tasks, projects and internet searching. There are of course some things that need more careful consider ation when teaching remotely. For example, when using recorded lessons, clarity of explanations becomes even more important as

plains: “Technological innovation reflects society’s ever-changing needs. In recent years, globalisation and the digital age made it easy for us to connect and exchange information with people from across the world in an instant. Then the pandemic pushed us to reimagine the way we communicate and interact with each other, especially in the educational space. Video conferencing platforms are the go-to for schools when shifting to online learn ing. When using such platforms, student engagement is low, and teachers find it difficult to gage whether students are following along or not.”

“To resolve these issues, ViewSonic introduced UNIVERSE by ViewSonic, a virtual 3D learning platform that moves online and remote learning from 2D, unidirectional flow to a 3D immersive environment. UNIVERSE combines the best of in-person and vir tual learning experiences with a focus on facilitating meaning

ful interactions within the community. Combined with intuitive controls and diverse tools, teachers can engage students in dis cussions and group collaboration, and gain feedback in real-time. Students can express themselves and interact with peers through personalized avatars. UNIVERSE aims to foster a sense of belong ing for both teachers and students when classes cannot be togeth er in the same physical space.”

What is clear is that remote learning has layers of potential yet to be realised, with untapped scope for engagement and self-expres sion. Even the missing elements of social interaction are not be yond the realms of the new xR technologies ultimately appearing in education.

we can’t as easily correct misunderstandings or misconceptions. As it’s harder for pupils to concentrate when being taught remote ly, it’s often a good idea to divide content into smaller chunks. Short presentations or modelling of new content can be followed by exercises or retrieval practice.

3: Focus on the basics

We will often need to adapt our subject curriculum when moving to remote education, for example because some topics are hard to teach remotely. When we do this, we need to focus on the basics: Beware of offering too much new subject matter at once. Make sure key building blocks have been understood fully first. We need to assess pupils’ knowledge to determine this.

4: Feedback, retrieval practice and assessment are import ant

Learning isn’t fundamentally different when done remotely. Feed back and assessment are still as important as in the classroom. It can be harder to deliver immediate feedback to pupils remotely than in the classroom, but teachers have found some clever ways to do this.

Peer interactions can provide motivation and improve learning outcomes. It’s therefore worth considering enabling these through, for example, chat groups or video-linking functions. They will also help pupils maintain their social skills.

It is important for teachers to stay in regular contact with pupils. If necessary, they can even do this by using technology to automate communication. Some teachers have set up automated check-in emails to pupils to identify where they are with set tasks. This also gives a perception that teachers are ‘watching’ while pupils learning remotely.

Assessment is built into some online platforms and most text books. Low-stakes quizzes can be built in to remote education, as can written assignments and retrieval practice activities. It can be helpful to make sure pupils are ‘warmed up’ and ‘readied’ for content through an introductory task or scene-setting. Pupils can then be invited to re-visit and process the main content further in an additional task or later lesson through retrieval practice.

5: The medium matters

Quality of teaching is far more important than how lessons are de livered. But there is some evidence that the medium does matter, especially in digital remote education. Pupils tend to spend longer accessing a remote lesson when they are using a laptop than when using a phone (tablets are in between).

This means that we need to think carefully about whether pupils have access to the right kind of device when we’re using digital re mote education. If they don’t, and we can’t provide enough devic es, it might be better to consider non-digital approaches as well. When using digital remote education, we often rely on internet access. Again, we need to consider whether pupils have this and what we can provide if they don’t. The Department for Education provides support on internet access, and on setting up a digital education platform.

6: Engagement matters, but is only the start

It’s harder to engage and motivate pupils remotely than when they are in the classroom. There are more distractions, and as a teacher you’re not physically present to manage the situation. Communi cating and working with parents, without putting an unreasonable burden on them, can help support home learning. A lot of atten tion has been paid to ways in which online education can be made more engaging. For example, we can make sure different types of tasks and activities are alternated, or build in rewards and incen tives to make learning more ‘game-like’

While it is important to engage pupils, this is only a precondition for learning, not the thing itself. There is only so much a teacher can do to engage pupils remotely. We therefore need to make sure that efforts to engage don’t distract us from teaching the curricu lum. We also need to check whether pupils have actually learned the content we want them to through assessment.

Engagement increases when pupils feel part of the school or col lege community. Whole-school digital assemblies and feedback, for example through newsletters to pupils and parents, can help them feel part of the community even when learning remotely.

Peoplewatch

Signagelive has announced plans to accelerate its rapid growth trajectory in Europe with the appointment of influential industry veteran and respected senior executive, Frank Larsen. The new role will see Larsen assume responsibility for sales and business development in all territories in the region, excluding the UK and Ireland.

In a digital signage career that has spanned nearly three decades, the recent Executive MBA graduate brings a wealth of experience, having held high-profile senior management and board-level po sitions for multiple global software solutions companies. “This is a challenge I really look forward to taking on,'' said Larsen. “To join one of the top global software solutions companies at such an exciting time, when the industry has undergone incredible trans formation and expansion, is a great privilege.”

“Under the leadership of CEO Jason Cremins, a respected and trusted industry leader, Signagelive has built up an unmatched proven track record of success over the course of its long twentyfive-year history. It’s a company I can feel proud to be part of, and for which I believe that, given the scope and flexibility of this role, I can make a real difference.” “Signagelive is”, Larsen continued, “already immensely successful in the UK, and Ireland, as well as the US and Asia, but in Europe, there is considerable oppor tunity for exponential growth., which I intend to unlock. While the markets within mainland Europe are diverse, Signagelive has the breadth of cutting-edge and enterprise-grade functionality re quired to fulfil the full spectrum of market needs.”

The emerging eco-consciousness of the digital signage industry is also, according to Larsen, another reason why Signagelive has such potential: “The transition to greener digital signage is some thing about which I’m both personally and professionally passion ate. With Signagelive, screens can be used for virtually any digital communications, making this cloud-based platform a future-proof

Berlin, which included a Clear-Com system. “We are so pleased to have Andreas on board,” said Ernie Addow, Senior Global Ap plications Engineering Manager. “His experience, as well as his prior familiarity with Clear-Com equipment and other intercom systems, make him a great asset. He is a skilled engineer and excellent problem solver, and we are confident in his ability to support our growing user base. Andreas will be based in Germany and will cover the DACH region, as well as Europe at large.”

Andreas was attracted to Clear-Com largely because of the wide variety of applications and industries for which the company de velops technology. He is particularly eager to explore applications beyond broadcast, theatre, and live events, and to observe how the workflows in these industries differ from one another. “I am thrilled to have a chance to work for one of the market leaders in comms worldwide,” said Andreas. “I am looking forward to explor ing new intercom applications and supporting Clear-Com custom ers in their endeavours.”

Andreas holds an Advanced Technical College Certificate from the State Technical College in Bamberg, Germany, and lives in a vil lage close to Bamberg, in the Bavaria region. In his spare time, he likes to travel, play basketball and badminton, and “fiddle” with computers and cars.

Zero Density has announced the hire of Sergio Amuchastegui as Regional Sales Manager for Latin America and the Caribbean. Amuchastegui will oversee Zero Density’s continued growth in the region as virtual sets, AR and XR applications become more pop ular with major LATAM broadcasters. “Today, broadcasters don’t just need to bring viewers accurate, up-to-date information. They also need that information to stand out,” says Ula Kaçmaz, VP of Sales and Marketing of Zero Density. “With Sergio at the helm, we’re confident we can bring more cutting-edge storytelling tools to broadcasters across Latin America, helping them take their pro duction to another level. Whether it’s for a virtual studio, augment ed reality project, LED production or a hybrid setup, our photoreal graphics technology will enable anyone to tell more engaging sto ries than ever before.”

An industry vet with over 25 years of experience, Amuchastegui is an expert in real-time graphics workflows. Starting as a Post-Pro duction Operator at Mexican broadcaster Televisa, he managed the design, creation and execution of on-air graphics among other re sponsibilities. Next, he progressed into senior sales management roles within companies including Brainstorm Multimedia, Chyron and ATOMOS, where he drove strategic accounts in LATAM. As Regional Sales Manager for Latin America and the Caribbean at Zero Density, Amuchastegui will now continue to leverage his ex pertise by expanding the company’s presence in the region. He will also be responsible for supporting Zero Density’s regional partner network in LATAM.

Zero Density has announced the hire of Sergio Amuchastegui as Re gional Sales Manager for Latin America and the Caribbean.

solution that’s set to add value to the increasingly mandatory sus tainable development goals of companies.” Already in the process of being on-boarded from where he will be based in Copenhagen, Denmark, Larsen is, according to Jason Cremins, Signagelive Chief Executive Officer, the ideal candidate for this important leadership role: “I have known Frank for many years, as we got to know each other during his time in the digital signage industry. I have always been impressed by Frank's calm, friendly and incredibly knowl edgeable approach to building business and relationships. We had kept in touch and discussed the opportunity to work together when he completed his MBA. As we look to take the next step in our global growth, I am delighted that Frank will be leading our expan sion in mainland Europe and the wider EMEA region.”

Clear-Com is pleased to announce the appointment of Andreas Schick to the applications engineering team in EMEA. Andreas holds the title of Applications Engineer II and brings 10+ years of professional experience in the AV industry to his role at ClearCom.

Andreas previously worked as a commissioning engineer at Salz brenner, a Germany-based systems contractor for AV and media technology. His role allowed him the opportunity to work at a num ber of venues around the world, including music and production theatres, state parliaments, and even the Sydney Opera House. Notably, he helped implement a new stage management and au dio system in the Bolshoi Academic State Theatre in Moscow, as well as the stage management system for the State Opera of

Technological Innovations Group (TIG) welcomes Zunaid Shaik Mahomed as its new Sales Engineer for Crestron in South Africa. Zunaid joins the commercial sales team, bring ing with him a wealth of tech nical knowledge, leadership and customer engagement skills. On his appointment, he comments: “My number one priority is always the client. I strive to ensure communica tion is crystal clear as I guide you through the troubleshoot ing process, and I ask spe cific questions to ensure the right solution is found for your unique needs. I love work ing hard to help people feel comfortable, by narrating the actions I take. My passion lies in creating rock solid relation ships and delivering success ful projects!”. Zunaid will be working closely with Rupert Denoon, Region al Sales Director for Africa. Rupert adds: “We're excited to have Zunaid's enthusiasm on the team, his can-do atti tude and his competence to learn quickly. Customers will benefit from his disciplined working style and determined approach to finding solutions. We are thrilled to welcome him to the team.”

Xytech has launched its new Media Operations Platform for con tent producers across media, broadcast and technology compa nies. With new executive leadership and strategic direction, Xy tech’s Media Operations Platform provides one command center for all media, broadcast and production teams to create and deliv er content, orchestrate people, resources and facilities, and plan logistics on time, on schedule and on budget. With the explosion of content creation across both traditional and nontraditional me dia organizations, there’s an accelerated need for media teams to have a single platform to manage all the people, equipment and assets required for production. The Xytech Media Operations Plat form provides the most comprehensive set of solutions to address each entities’ specific business needs, while also maintaining the ability to integrate natively with an infinite number of solutions. The Xytech Media Operations Platform provides a centralized com mand center to schedule, manage, store and account for Media Transmission, Personnel Management, Media Asset Management, Resource Management and Media Workflow. “When listening to our customers, we heard the need for a deeply integrated, compre hensive solution that manages their entire media lifecycle. We are excited to share that the Xytech Media Operations Platform does just this. Not only has consumption increased through the growth in the number of traditional outlets that many of the industry’s tools were built to serve, but it has also increased exponentially due to the types of industries using video content and the plat forms delivering it,” said Keith Buckley, Xytech's CEO. “Xytech is uniquely positioned to help companies of all sizes and calibers get an end-to-end view of the media production process.”

Signagelive has announced plans to accelerate its rapid growth tra jectory in Europe with the appointment of influential industry veteran and respected senior executive, Frank Larsen.

Clear-Com is pleased to announce the appointment of Andreas Schick to the applications engineering team in EMEA.

Technological Innovations Group (TIG) welcomes Zunaid Shaik Mahomed as its new Sales Engineer for Crestron in South Africa.

Peoplewatch

Earlier this year, Xytech announced its new CEO, Keith Buckley, who has more than 30 years of experience in the media industry. Following this news, Xytech has expanded its executive team to include four new members. David White has been named Xytech’s Chief Product Officer. White brings more than 25 years of expe rience leading product teams in enterprise software, delivering innovative deployment of automation to help creative profession als collaborate better, work faster and deliver high-quality results.

Michael Boch has been appointed Xytech’s Chief Financial Officer. Boch, who has 30-plus years of experience in finance, started his career at public accounting firm KPMG and later transitioned into the private sector. For the last 20 years, Boch has worked primarily for high-growth software technology companies.

Shyna Zhang has been named Chief Marketing Officer. Zhang has a background in helping grow businesses across segments, geog raphies and industries. She previously has built marketing teams at companies like Marketo and Microsoft. Melinda Chudleigh has been hired as Xytech’s SVP of People. With nearly 20 years of experience in HR, Chudleigh has a strong human resources back ground with broad global experience. With more than 400 global customers — including CBS, FOX and Sony — running their op erations through the Xytech Media Operations Platfor, Xytech is uniquely positioned to expand to address additional technical and business needs as the media operations landscape continues to evolve.

Pufferfish has made its third high-profile appointment in four months amid ambitious growth plans. Brian Henderson is joining the company as Chief Operating Officer, having previously been Group Chief Information Officer at UK media giant, DC Thomson. He brings more than 35 years’ experience in business, technolo gy, and operations across multiple industries, including nearly 15 years with the UK’s leading mutual insurer, Royal London. Hen derson’s appointment comes after the arrivals of former Disney executive Garry Sinclair as Head of Creative in September, and technology industry leader Elaine Van Der Berg as CEO in May. Pufferfish, which boasts a prestigious client list including Micro soft, NASA, BBC, and IBM, is currently looking to raise £600,000 to help fund a new phase of growth to capitalise on increasing global demand for multi-sensory and immersive, audio-visual experiences. Its interactive, innovative display technologies, in cluding the recently launched PufferTouch3 and PufferSphere, continue to break new ground, appealing to a broad range of in dustries, including corporate communications, education, science and research, museums, visitor attractions and immersive art ex hibitions.

AtlasIED has expanded its engineering team with the hiring of Kim Porter who will serve as Director of Mechanical Engineering. Porter is the latest addition to AtlasIED and will help design and deliver the company’s new audio and security hardware products. With more than 20 years’ experience in mechanical engineering, product design, and leadership, Porter is responsible for creat ing and managing new product conceptualization. Reporting to Vice President of Engineering, Simon Broadley, she will be in strumental in leading AtlasIED’s mechanical engineering team as they focus on new product development. “I’ve known Kim for a number of years and she is one of the finest engineers I’ve worked with in my career,” said Simon Broadley, Vice President of Engi neering. “She has deep experience in the overall product process and knows what it takes to take new products from conception to development to delivery. She is an exceptional talent, and we look forward to her leadership in helping us advance and grow our product portfolio.”

In addition to many years in the commercial audio industry, Por ter has designed and led engineering for hundreds of products and earned more than 25 patents during her career. She found ed the product engineering consulting firm, HatchOne, where she executed over 50 product development programs for a variety of companies that needed engineering expertise. Porter has served as Advanced Product Engineer for a small team of NIKE top prod uct creators charged with pioneering new processes, materials and technologies for future product use. She began her career at ILC Dover as a Mechanical and Project Engineer where she designed concepts for the next generation Shuttle Space Suit gloves.

“I am excited to join AtlasIED at such a pivotal time for the com pany and the industry,” Porter said. “AtlasIED has an incredible roadmap of new products that will address customer challenges such as creating more enjoyable experiences and improving safe ty. I look forward to helping design and bring these products to market.”

Earlier this year, Xytech announced its new CEO, Keith Buckley, who has more than 30 years of experience in the media industry. Following this news, Xytech has expanded its executive team to include four new members.

Lightware Visual Engineering has announced Roger Takacs as Vice President of Education. Takacs will play an instrumental role in developing and growing business in the education channel. Takacs has more than 20 years of success in sales and executing strategic initiatives across several key verticals, including education. Takacs has worked with many industry-leading manufacturers, including Crestron, Atlona and Custom Display Solutions, and integration companies, such as CompView, MCSi and The Intellisys Group. He has a passion for technology and explaining complex technol ogies in a manner that is easy to understand, and holds an MBA from Thunderbird, The American Graduate School of International Management, and a double Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Politics from the University of California, Santa Cruz. In addition to his successful professional career, Takacs is an active volunteer for the Boys and Girls Club and Little League International. “We continue to expand our team with many of the industry’s most widely respected professionals,” said Jason Tirado, president of Lightware Visual Engineering. “We are focused on building rela tionships with customers, consultants and integrators and demon strating our confidence in Lightware’s innovative solutions. We are thrilled to welcome Roger to our team as we invest in the educa tion channel. We firmly believe that AV technology should support the learning process instead of causing unnecessary distraction. We continue to develop solutions to tackle the unique challenges that teachers and students face in any classroom.”

Takacs added, “I'm excited to join a fast-growing company that is focused on open architecture audio visual solutions as well as the much-needed USB switching solutions for today's conferencing needs. In today's era of supply chain issues with control manufac turers, it's nice to be able to offer solutions that will work with any control platform on the market today.” Lightware’s latest hire is the next strategic step in expanding on specific verticals the pro fessional AV industry supports. Lightware is focused on building classrooms of the future. Lightware offers intuitive and automat ed room control solutions for educational institutions that allow teachers to access and control their classroom’s AV equipment to engage with their students seamlessly.

Henderson said: “Pufferfish delivers unforgettable experiences. Its impressive global client list is a testament to the products it delivers and joining the company at this stage in its journey is ex tremely exciting. I’m only a matter of days into the role and I can already see endless opportunities for the company. My immediate focus is on improving the supply chain, production, and product development practices. I will be working with the team to ensure we’re delivering new products and scaling operations effectively to take advantage of the growing market.”

Elaine Van Der Berg, CEO, said: “Our ongoing product develop ment and innovation means we deliver the best spherical touch technology in the world, demonstrated by our levels of client sat isfaction, and repeat business. But we know there’s more to do to reach our full potential and scale. Brian is a highly welcome addition to the Pufferfish team. His invaluable skillset and experi ence will help drive our expansion and further enhance Pufferfish’s reputation as a global leader in a rapidly developing market.”

Collabtech has appointed Nick Dwyer as GM North America as the company strengthens its regional leadership teams. As the mar ket continues to develop, Collabtech has recognised the need to devise and deliver targeted regional services that inform and sup port the delivery of global collaboration initiatives throughout The Americas, EMEA and APAC. Nick is experienced in working with start-up businesses and initiating rapid growth through process development, system implementation and strategic recruitment to ensure the best personnel for the future vision of the organisation. His experience spans the diverse worlds of software, fintech and digital marketing, working on an international scale.

In his role at Collabtech, Nick will be continuing to grow and struc ture operations in The Americas and will be supporting the devel opment of the company’s digital workflow solutions portfolio. Nick Dwyer, GM North America at Collabtech Group explains: “Tech nology as a sector is one that is always evolving and moving for wards and I am excited to be on this journey with Collabtech. The specific space in which we operate had a mission critical role to play over the last two years as the world turned to unified commu nications through the pandemic. Working with this talented and experienced team, we will continue to strengthen our solutions and grow the services that we offer, both regionally and globally.”

Jon Sidwick, President for Collabtech Group comments: “We are

Lightware Visual Engineering has announced Roger Takacs as Vice President of Education.

Pufferfish has made its third high-profile appointment in four months amid ambitious growth plans. Brian Henderson is joining the company as Chief Operating Officer, having previously been Group Chief Infor mation Officer at UK media giant, DC Thomson.

AtlasIED, a global electronics manufacturer providing comprehensive audio, communications, and security solutions for commercial mar kets, expanded its engineering team with the hiring of Kim Porter who will serve as Director of Mechanical Engineering.

Peoplewatch

maintaining our global approach and honing our expertise in our key regions to help our diverse audiences accelerate collaboration and implement digital workflows in the modern workplace. This dedicated market development accounts for regional variations in adoption and process. With his understanding and experiencing of The Americas, Nick will be a great addition to our team”.

Collabtech has appointed Nick Dwyer as GM North America as the company strengthens its regional leadership teams.

business has grown significantly and we will continue to feed this growth with further additions of talent and capacity to continue scaling. - Pete, Mark and Andrew bring many years’ experience which will take us to the next level of growth.”

the maturity of teams. With Myriam, we have the right leader in place to continue elevating our workforce to the next phase so that this unique team keeps serving our clients and addressing their evolving needs in the best possible way.”

Myriam Hoste said: "Belonging to the MEDIAGENIX family feels like a perfect match for me. MEDIAGENIX is a company that com bines growth ambitions with a warm people culture. At the same time, we are going through some interesting business and organi zational transformations. I see my role as a key player in blending our people promises and employee experiences with a culture of value creation for the customer and delivering sustainable results. We have great organizational principles in place, such as our agile way of working and our unique distributed leadership model. Now we are at a perfect time to further mature these principles. I am looking forward to leveraging my passion for people, my coaching skills to support leaders and teams, my broad international HR experience, and my high energy level to make it a success!"

Densitron has announced three new appointments to its leadership team to further accelerate growth in the broadcast vertical. The new appointments are Pete Semerak as SVP Product, Densitron; Mark Price as SVP Densitron Broadcast Sales; and Andrew Pons, who be comes VP Marketing, Densitron Broadcast.

Densitron has announced three new appointments to its leader ship team to further accelerate growth in the broadcast vertical. The new appointments are Pete Semerak as SVP Product, Densi tron; Mark Price as SVP Densitron Broadcast Sales; and Andrew Pons, who becomes VP Marketing, Densitron Broadcast.

Semerak brings to his role at Densitron more than 30 years’ expe rience in broadcast media and computing. For more than 8 years he was Senior Director, Broadcast Engineering and Operations at Avid, whilst his recent long association with Grass Valley saw him serve variously as Vice President R&D - Digital Media & Workflow, Vice President - News Business Unit, and Vice President - Native Apps.

“I am absolutely delighted to be joining Densitron at a point when the company is so evidently going from strength to strength,” says Semerak. “Densitron is uniquely positioned to design and build hardware for broadcast manufacturers, allowing them to focus their engineering efforts on the move to cloud-based software. In addition, our Intelligent Display System (IDS) broadcast control solution is in a unique position to unify the control of equipment right across the broadcast workflow. I am excited about the poten tial to further grow and enhance the product range and ensure that even more broadcast manufacturers and end users can enjoy the benefits of Densitron developed hardware and software.”

With a strong track record of leadership roles in Sales and Oper ations in sectors including Payments Technology and Logistics, Price brings a broad base of commercial experience to his po sition as SVP Densitron Broadcast Sales. Most recently, he was the managing director for EMEA & Americas at the leading cash management solutions provider Consillion. “I believe in growing businesses through the development of customer centric propo sitions promoted through strong customer relationships. This is entirely consistent with the culture at Densitron” says Price. “As Pete points out, Densitron is already in the very strong position of having a highly successful and popular product range. With the extra capacity I bring to the team we have the opportunity to en sure that as many broadcast manufacturers as possible are liberat ed from the development and management of complex broadcast hardware and as many studios can benefit from our unified control system as possible.”

Completing the trio of new appointments is Andrew Pons as VP Marketing, Densitron Broadcast. He brings to the role more than 20 years’ experience of international marketing in broadcast and communications technology, including stints at RCT - Remote Camera Technologies (Director of Marketing) and VideoSys Broad cast (Marketing and Business Development Director). Most re cently, he served as EMEA Marketing Specialist at Adtran, which is a leading global provider of networking and communications equipment.

“Having worked in the broadcast & media industry for over 20 years, I have watched Densitron’s development with interest, and in particular noted its increased profile and customer reach fol lowing the acquisition of Intelligent Display System (IDS), devel opment of patented technologies and launch of the ODM+ out sourced product development offering” says Pons. “I am delighted to be joining the company at such a significant point in its expan sion and look forward to continuing and enhancing Densitron’s brand value to the global market broadcast marketplace”

Simon Jones, CEO of Densitron, comments: “Hot on the heels of Densitron’s successful appearance at IBC 2022, I am delighted to confirm three major additions to our team. To their respective product, sales and marketing sides of the business, our broadcast

Jamie Gomez has been appointed to the position of Global Mar keting Manager for Martin Audio and Optimal Audio. Jamie moves to his new position from within the wider Focusrite Group, where he was GMM for Focusrite Pro. A marketing professional with a strong audio background who specialises in brand development and digital marketing, Jamie spent time with Pioneer PRO AU DIO developing an in-depth understand of sound reinforcement, before his move into the world of networked audio, recording and post-production at Focusrite PRO.

Jamie Gomez comments: “The opportunity to return to the world of sound reinforcement and loudspeakers with not one, but two exceptional brands, is a unique and irresistible challenge, and one which I’m very excited to take on. With Optimal Audio, the chance to work on what is effectively an exciting start-up brand with an innovative edge in the commercial sector, dovetails brilliantly with the Martin Audio side of the role. An established market-leader like Martin Audio demands a different approach, but I’m looking forward to sharing my ideas and helping to maintain the brand’s position at the top of the professional audio sector.”

James King, Marketing Director for Optimal Audio and Martin Au dio adds: “One of the many advantages of being part of the wider Focusrite Group is that we have been able to present opportunities across the brands for its employees to progress. Jamie is another great example of that, and I couldn’t be happier that he has joined the team. He has a bold outlook towards marketing that I know will go a long way to accelerating the rise of the fledgling Optimal Audio brand as well helping to freshen and further the more estab lished Martin Audio.”

MEDIAGENIX has announced that Myriam Hoste has joined the MEDIA GENIX leadership team as Chief People Officer.

MEDIAGENIX has announced that Myriam Hoste has joined the MEDIAGENIX leadership team as Chief People Officer. Myriam Hoste brings considerable experience in all aspects needed to el evate an already innovative, agile organization to the next phase. Myriam Hoste has been working on the People side of organiza tions for the past 20 years. She has a background in Social Law and has worked with multinationals and technology organizations, such as Mondelez, Cartamundi, and Cisco. Most recently, Myriam was the global HR lead for a number of business units in Barco, including the software business unit. In this role, Myriam dealt with agile transformation and organizational transformation. Fabrice Maquignon, MEDIAGENIX CEO, said: “Myriam brings great value to our organization as she has considerable experience with high-growth organizations, international development, agile organizational and cultural transformation, and M&A. This is of great value to our chosen path and organizational principles. Our agile organization is designed to adapt and evolve continuously, with distributed leadership that fosters autonomy and leverages

Peerless-AV has announced the appointment of Rémi Escobar, Channel Account Manager, France. Rémi joins the growing Ex port Sales Team, increasing the headcount in France to three and bringing with him extensive experience in key account manage ment, strong integrator and resellers connections, as well as indepth knowledge of Peerless-AV products to be able to hit the ground running in the region.

For over ten years, he held a business development role within Sidev, one of the largest AV distributors in France and part of the Midwich Group, working with leading brands including Peer less-AV. Based in Lyon, the second largest metropolitan area in France, Rémi will be responsible for strengthening sales impact by developing and maintaining a consistently high level of company representation within key accounts and prospects.

“Hiring Rémi is a strategic move to gain further brand strength and increase adoption of our core and emerging products in France; a market seeing year on year growth and huge opportunity for our dvLED mount offering in particular,” said Keith Dutch, Managing Director – EMEA, Peerless-AV. “Rémi is a great fit for our existing sales team with his combined knowledge, skillset, experience and results-driven mindset.”

Rémi holds a BTEC Higher National Diploma in Business and en joys travelling and sports in his personal time. Commenting on his role, Rémi said, “Peerless-AV is a highly respected and growing global AV brand. With my channel connections and experience of working with the sales team while in my distribution role, I feel I can start at full speed and look forward to exciting times ahead.”

Jamie Gomez has been appointed to the position of Global Marketing Manager for Martin Audio and Optimal Audio.

Peerless-AV has announced the appointment of Rémi Escobar, Chan nel Account Manager, France.

Legamaster Loop Room booking system.

Exciting news! We can announce that Legamaster has just launched the new Loop Room booking system display in the UK. The Legamaster Loop Room booking system makes it easy to meet. Over the past few years, we have seen rapid changes in where we work and how we interact. We no longer work in the office full-time, but rather choose a hybrid model where our working location is based on activities.

The office is, for many of us, mainly a ‘social hub’, where we meet and collaborate. This leads to new demands regarding office spac es. Personal office space decreases, while collaborative space in creases. We have more spontaneous, ad hoc meetings - and there is more demand for different types of collaborative spaces. With the Loop Meeting Room Panel it’s easier than ever to manage and make use of meeting room facilities.

Return to the office

Just as many are now returning to the office, one of the biggest frustrations after commuting into work is to find no meeting rooms available.

The new Legamaster Loop Room Booking panel puts a stop to this as you can simply book via Microsoft Office 365 / Teams / Google Docs. Going forward, you can remotely schedule your meeting and choose the room available easily with little or no training.

Once in the office, meeting or training rooms with the Legamaster Loop panel outside give a clear indication of availability through a “traffic light” system. The LED surround gives out colours de pending on room status.

Red means it’s booked, Amber – the meeting has only 10 minutes to go – time for a coffee or water maybe, and finally Green – it’s good to go as it’s free. It also has a touchscreen so you can access the booking calendar to see how long the room is booked and book the next available room or slot – whether it’s on the same floor or different location. Plus, you can end the meeting early making the room Green and available for the next user.

Complete system.

This means that Legamaster now has a complete system for mak ing hybrid working more effective. It offers the displays – Evolve interactive displays range from 55” to 86”, Discover professional displays up to 98”, and now the room booking system – Loop, as well as all the accessories the customer could need including: a 4K conferencing camera, i5 and i7 OPS PCs plus one designed for Teams use and mobile stands.

One of the top UK bank’s facilities director remarked, “every meeting room going forward must have an interactive collabora tion display AND a room booking panel”. This way the company can be more efficient with its meeting spaces and allow for key members of staff to join meetings whether they are in the office or not. The workspace must be organised and fluid so that facilities use is maximised. If employees cannot pre-book rooms, chaos will follow.

What can you do with Legamaster Loop Room Booking:

• Book your room via your desktop remotely or directly on the panel

• Find a free meeting room immediately via colour indication –traffic light system

• Book other rooms that are available

• Free up the room if the meeting ends early

• Extend your booking if the room is available

• Set a timeframe for confirmation of the start of a meeting to avoid waste of space

The 10-inch touch panels are easily mounted on any wall with a VESA standard mount or with 3M double-sided tape on glass.

Loop Meeting Room Panel functions

• Make it easy to manage your rooms

• Report issues with room equipment

• Integrate with sensors to show room air quality - CO2, temp, humidity etc.

• Centralized configuration and management console.

• Clean room notification ensures that meeting rooms are clean according to company policies.

Find out more

Legamaster Loop room booking system is available now for demon strations and will be on show during the Legamaster roadshow in November and December.

If you are interested in the Legamaster roadshow then please use the contact details here: Get in touch with us now for a no obliga tion trial of the Legamaster Loop room booking system or for our Legamaster vehicle to visit you. Email us at infouk@legamaster. com or call 01727-846688.

About Legamaster

Legamaster is the visual communication division of Edding AG, the leading German manufacturer of high-quality marking and writing instruments. For many years Legamaster has been actively adapting its range to the latest communication technology trends and developments. Edding and Legamaster are both successful businesses for over 65 years. They share a strong and loyal cus tomer base in both education and corporate markets.

This long-term investment by the parent company Edding AG, shows how much they value the UK market and mirrors their suc

cessful growth strategy in other European countries. Another part of this investment is the addition of new product ranges including Loop room booking system.

Legamaster has a unique 360-degree approach to communication and presentation such that its two tribes of Legamaster electronic and Legamaster traditional work closer than ever together. They can provide all the necessary solutions for any teaching space and collaboration room, making presentation more effective.