AV Technology - Manager's Guide - Oct 2026 by publications

THE TECHNOLOGY MANAGER’S GUIDE

OCTOBER 2026

ULTIMATE IN COLLABORATION PLUS: 31 INDUSTRY LEADERS ON COLLABORATION, CULTURE, AND AI 7 CASE STUDIES TAKE COLLABORATION TO THE NEXT LEVEL 36 PRODUCTS THAT SEE, HEAR, LISTEN, AND CONNECT 1 AV/IT TEAM TRANSFORMS AN ENTIRE COLLEGE CAMPUS

Pro BRAVIA BZ-P Series: Performance Without Compromise Sony introduces the new Pro BRAVIA BZ-P Series, a lineup of 16 professional displays designed to deliver outstanding picture quality, flexibility, and efficiency for modern commercial environments. Available in 43” to 85” sizes, the series features Deep Black Non-Glare technology that reduces reflections while maintaining vivid contrast and visibility, even in bright spaces. Sony’s AI-powered XR processing enables the displays to produce vivid color, sharp detail, and remarkably lifelike images. Designed with integrators in mind, the BZ-P Series offers a slimmer profile, flexible mounting options, a built-in System on a Chip (SoC) for digital signage, and seamless integration with Sony’s Device Management Platform. . Explore Pro BRAVIA BZ-P Series >

© 2026 Sony Electronics Inc. All rights reserved. Features and specifications are subject to change without notice. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Sony and the Sony logo are trademarks of Sony Corporation.

THE TECHNOLOGY MANAGER’S GUIDE

OCTOBER 2026

ClearLED

IN THIS ISSUE

Editor’s Note...........................................................................................................04 Cindy Davis is focusing on outcomes.

AV/IT Team...............................................................................................................06 Flexible, future-ready learning environments are at the heart of the University of Lincoln’s recent AV transformation, improving hybrid teaching, accessibility, and ease of use for the entire campus community.

Sennheiser

Thought Leaders.................................................................................................12 We asked 31 leading voices across the AV/IT industry to reflect on two fundamental questions: What does it really take to foster productive collaboration, and how is AI reshaping modern meeting environments?

Case-in-Point .........................................................................................................26 Millions of Pixels Make the Unreal, Real | An AV Powerhouse Modernizes Training | Video Walls Support a Reimagined Headquarters | Social Work Students Put on Interactive Showcase | Visualization Platform Modernizes Traffic Control | Workplace Collaboration Now Smooth Sailing | Hospitality and Education AV at Its Finest

Products That See, Hear, Connect ......................................................40

Biamp

Intelligent automation, 4K PTZ cameras, digital UHF wireless systems, dvLED displays, ceiling array microphones, matrix switchers, video bars, MTR solutions, video distribution, laser projectors, communication systems, audio devices, BYOD presentation, all‑in‑one collaboration, cloud platforms, control panels, distributed workflow solutions, video bridges, and many more! COVER IMAGE COURTESY OF CRESTRON

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FOLLOW US twitter.com/AVTechnologyMag CONTENT Brand and Content Director, Cindy Davis, cindy.davis@futurenet.com Contributing Writer, Macy O’Hearn Graphic Designers, Sam Richwood, Robert Crossland Production Managers Heather Tatrow, Nicole Schilling

EDITOR’S NOTE

OUTCOMES by Cindy Davis

ADVERTISING SALES Managing Vice President of Sales, B2B Tech Adam Goldstein, adam.goldstein@futurenet.com, Janis Crowley, janis.crowley@futurenet.com, Debbie Rosenthal, debbie.rosenthal@futurenet.com, Zahra Majma, zahra.majma@futurenet.com, SUBSCRIBER CUSTOMER SERVICE To subscribe to AV Technology or Future’s other AV industry brands, go to https://www.smartbrief.com/subscribe LICENSING/REPRINTS/PERMISSIONS AVTechnology is available for licensing. Contact the Licensing team to discuss partnership opportunities. licensing@futurenet.com MANAGEMENT SVP, MD, B2B Amanda Darman-Allen VP, Market Lead, Carmel King MD, Content, AV, Anthony Savona VP, Global Head of Sales, B2B, Dena Malouf Managing VP of Sales, B2B Tech Adam Goldstein VP, Global Head of Strategy & Ops, B2B Allison Markert, VP, Product & Marketing, B2B Andrew Buchholz

BY COMPARISON, THE PAST FIVE YEARS

THE AV/IT EVOLUTION

have seen more significant changes in work-

“Central to this evolution is the convergence of

place collaboration than in the past 25. I

previously siloed technologies into a synchro-

believe that in the coming year, the past five

nized, unified ecosystem,” said Joe Andrulis,

years will be eclipsed by the implementation

executive vice president of corporate develop-

and use of artificial intelligence in meeting and

ment at Biamp.

collaboration spaces throughout the workplace—wherever it is that you work. In the end, the success of new technology

vice president of marketing at Extron, “The simplic-

implementations will be measured by whether

ity of walking into a room and using a single USB-C

positive human and business outcomes are

connection for video, audio, data and power helps

realized.

make collaboration more intuitive and accessible.”

To get a pulse on where things stand, we

Kevin Christopherson, director of product

asked experts across the AV/IT industry to re-

marketing for the hardware portfolio at Sharp

flect on two fundamental questions: What does

Business USA, said, “Ultimately, the value of a

it really take to foster productive collaboration,

display solution is measured not only by what

and how is AI reshaping modern meeting

people see, but by how it performs and how

environments?

effectively it helps them communicate, collaborate, and achieve better business outcomes.”

Head of Production US & UK Mark Constance Head of Design, B2B Nicole Cobban FUTURE US, INC. 130 West 42nd Street, 7th Floor New York NY 10036

Accommodating many meeting space scenarios requires a holistic approach, argues Joe da Silva,

CULTURE, EQUITY, AND INVISIBILITY

Trent Slyter, national sales director for pro

A central thread in these responses is that

AV sales at Absen, added, “Whether teams are

effective collaboration is fundamentally a

reviewing presentations, analyzing data or walk-

cultural commitment. Ken Kobayashi, business

ing through plans, content must render clearly

manager of remote cameras at Sony, said, “To

for everyone relying on it.”

significantly enhance collaboration productivity All contents ©2026 Future US, Inc. or published under licence. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used, stored, transmitted or reproduced in any way without the prior written permission of the publisher. Future Publishing Limited (company number 2008885) is registered in England and Wales. Registered office: Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All information contained in this publication is for information only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. Future cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such information. You are advised to contact manufacturers and retailers directly with regard to the price of products/services referred to in this publication. Apps and websites mentioned in this publication are not under our control. We are not responsible for their contents or any other changes or updates to them. This magazine is fully independent and not affiliated in any way with the companies mentioned herein. If you submit material to us, you warrant that you own the material and/or have the necessary rights/permissions to supply the material and you automatically grant Future and its licensees a licence to publish your submission in whole or in part in any/all issues and/or editions of publications, in any format published worldwide and on associated websites, social media channels and associated products. Any material you submit is sent at your own risk and, although every care is taken, neither Future nor its employees, agents, subcontractors or licensees shall be liable for loss or damage. We assume all unsolicited material is for publication unless otherwise stated, and reserve the right to edit, amend, adapt all submissions.

within an organization, it is essential not only

THE ROLE OF AI

to clarify and align on overarching goals and

“Artificial intelligence will accelerate the [AV

methodologies, but also to cultivate a foun-

over IP] evolution,” said Yannic Laleeuwe, mar-

dational culture of mutual understanding and

keting director for meeting experience at Barco

respect among team members.”

ClickShare. “As AI-powered collaboration tools

Josh Blalock, director of collaboration

become more common, the quality, reliability

ecosystem and engagement at Shure, add-

and manageability of the meeting environment

ed, “Technology may be advanced, but for

will matter even more. Reliable room technol-

employees it should feel invisible. Thoughtful

ogy and actionable room data will provide the

room design and consistent standards make

foundation for intelligent collaboration that

that possible.” Donald Trinh, sales engineering

delivers real business value,” she added.

manager for North America at Hall Research,

The following reflects something I often say,

agreed. “If someone walks into the room and

but John Kruse, solutions engineering manager

doesn’t know how to start a meeting, share

from ViewSonic, said it more succinctly: “AI en-

content, or communicate with someone re-

hances a signal; it doesn’t create one. Garbage

motely, then we’ve missed the point.”

in is still garbage out.”

AV/IT TEAM

Flexible, future-ready learning environments are at the heart of one university’s recent AV transformation, improving hybrid teaching, accessibility, and ease of use for the entire campus community.

Photography courtesy of Sennheiser

Student Centered Collaboration E

Jason Ramsden is the AV design lead and deputy AV manager at the University of Lincoln.

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Caleb Connors is the digital audio visual technology manager at the University of Lincoln.

stablished in 1996, the University of Lincoln has built a reputation as one of the UK’s most dynamic modern universities, combining a city-center campus at Brayford Pool with a strong focus on industry collaboration, teaching excellence, and student experience. As the university has continued to evolve, its AV team has focused on developing learning spaces that support a broad range of teaching styles and access requirements. The university recently completed a major campus-wide AV upgrade, deploying a Sennheiser ecosystem that includes 172 TeamConnect Ceiling 2 (TCC 2) microphones across 80 seminar rooms, 12 lecture theaters, and a range of boardrooms and professional services spaces—alongside TeamConnect Ceiling Medium (TCC M), SpeechLine Digital Wireless (SL DW), and MobileConnect solutions. At the core of the project was a simple but transformative question: What do the people

The TCC 2’s TruVoicelift and Advanced Exclusion Zone features help mask unwanted noise and address the challenging room acoustics of larger lecture rooms.

actually using these rooms need? Rather than beginning with technical specifications, the university approached the project from the perspective of lecturers and students, focusing on workflow, usability, and accessibility. CORRECTING AN IMBALANCE “The idea was to design and enhance our rooms from a user perspective rather than a technological perspective,” Jason Ramsden, AV design lead and deputy AV manager at the University of Lincoln explained. “How does the user journey in that room work? What does that workflow feel like? We have moved microphones into the infrastructure of the building, so lecturers don’t have to think about the setup or the use case.” Installation was carried out primarily by the university’s long-standing AV partner, Pure AV, with recent additions completed by Snellings Business Systems following a new tender process.

“We’ve had really strong support from both our integration partners and the manufacturers,” Caleb Connors, digital audio visual technology manager at the University of Lincoln said. “Having a team that understands what you’re trying to achieve makes a huge difference when you’re rolling something out at this scale.” The need for change was highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic, when hybrid teaching became essential and the imbalance between in-room and remote learning experiences became more apparent. Handheld and lapel microphones captured the lecturer effectively, but student contributions, questions, and discussion were often lost to remote participants. Portable microphones also introduced practical challenges, from being left uncharged or misplaced to being used incorrectly. “Lecturers are experts in their subject—not

in AV systems,” Ramsden said. “All we want them to do is turn the system on and log in. Everything else should just work.” Following extensive evaluation, the university selected Sennheiser’s TeamConnect Ceiling Solutions. The AV team assessed a range of ceiling microphone technologies and found that Sennheiser’s adaptive beamforming delivered the most consistent results in real-world teaching environments. The decision was also supported by the university’s long-standing experience with SL DW systems. “We’d been using SpeechLine for a long time, so we already trusted the performance,” Ramsden explained. “That familiarity gave us confidence when we started looking at ceilingbased solutions.” In seminar rooms and standard teaching spaces, the move to TCC 2 and TCC M has enabled a fundamentally different approach. Audio capture is no longer dependent on user

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MobileConnect enhances accessibility and inclusion by allowing students to connect using their own devices and headphones.

interaction, allowing academics to walk into a room and teach in the way that best suits the session. Full-room coverage supports hybrid teaching, while more focused zones allow for traditional lecture delivery and collaborative discussion. “We’ve had to be flexible with how we deploy and use the technology,” Connors said. “It’s not about forcing a solution into a space; it’s about shaping it so it works for how people actually teach and interact.” EXCLUSION AND INCLUSION The university has found TruVoicelift and Advanced Exclusion Zones especially valuable. Available with both TCC 2 and TCC M, TruVoicelift allows lecturers to move freely and speak naturally without requiring a handheld or body-worn microphone, while exclusion zones help mask unwanted noise and address challenging room acoustics. “We’re using TruVoicelift in our larger lecture

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rooms and it feels really natural in those spaces,” Ramsden continued. “The exclusion zones are fantastic, especially when we look at the nature of our rooms acoustically. No rooms, we would say, are acoustically perfect. They’re all full of unique challenges, and being able to shape how the system behaves has been vital.” The flexibility of the TeamConnect Ceiling Solutions also supports changing room layouts and evolving teaching practices. If a room needs to be reconfigured, the AV team can adjust zones and exclusion zones without major infrastructure changes. “There’s flexibility in the technology,” Ramsden said. “If we need to reconfigure a room, the beamforming makes it easy. The TCC 2 lends itself to the kind of dynamic shifting we’re currently seeing in higher education, allowing us to support rooms regardless of how they are used moving forward.” Sennheiser Control Cockpit provides centralized monitoring and management across

The exclusion zones are fantastic, especially when we look at the nature of our rooms acoustically. — Jason Ramsden, AV design lead and deputy AV manager at the University of Lincoln.

the deployment, giving the AV team visibility and control over devices at scale. “It’s essential at this scale,” Ramsden said. “Being able to see what’s happening across all devices and respond quickly has made the system much more manageable.” SL DW continues to play an important role in the university’s 12 lecture theaters, which are used for teaching, events, and presentations. In these larger and mixed-use spaces, handheld and bodypack microphones remain useful, particularly when academics need additional control. “Our SpeechLine systems are predominantly used in our lecture theaters,” Ramsden noted. “There will be situations where the feel of a handheld mic or a bodypack is preferred. If academics are losing control of the room in a healthy debate or conversation, they can refocus attention by speaking into one of the SpeechLine microphones.” Camera tracking adds another layer of automation. In smaller seminar rooms, TCC 2 microphones are paired with Huddly cameras, whose onboard AI manages framing automatically. In larger lecture theatres, EVA camera systems use microphone data to track speakers and questioners, creating a more natural and engaging experience for remote participants. Room control is handled via Extron. “Sometimes a really clever tech solution can become a barrier to what you want to deliver,” Ramsden added. “Even with guides and training resources, it can feel uninviting, so we decided to automate as much as we could. When our staff and visitors enter the room, the AV can take care of itself.” The university has also deployed Sennheiser MobileConnect in four spaces as part of a broader focus on accessibility and inclusion. The solution allows students to connect using their own devices and headphones, creating a more personalized listening experience. “The beauty of MobileConnect is that it is not just an assistive listening platform,” Ramsden said. “It opens up a whole world of support to students with additional learning needs. Some neurodivergent students can become overwhelmed in loud or crowded spaces, but with MobileConnect they can step out of the room and remain part of the session. That made the product really attractive, because we could add equity and value into our spaces for everybody.”

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SpeechLine Digital is used in all 12 lecture theaters at the university, where handheld and bodypack microphones remain useful and control is essential.

A SOUND PARTNERSHIP For the AV team, the deployment has improved consistency across campus and reduced support interventions. “The installation has increased the consistency of microphone use across the campus,” Ramsden explained. “There has also been a reduction in our support interventions for microphone-related callouts, because everything is now part of the infrastructure and takes care of its own workflow.” Connors added: “It’s taken a lot of pressure off the team. We’re not constantly reacting to issues; we can focus on improving the spaces instead.” The success of a deployment at this scale also depends on strong relationships between the university, its integration

partners, internal teams, and manufacturers. “We are meeting very strict deadlines because if we don’t meet them, then teaching is affected,” Connors said. “As a team, we’ve been lucky with our integrators—both Pure AV and Snellings—because we are able to understand each other. It is imperative to have good relationships not just with our vendors, but with all the teams we work with internally.” “The nice thing we have with Sennheiser is that we’ve got people in the company that we trust,” Ramsden concluded. “We can have an honest conversation about the limitations of products, so if we come up with an idea, I’m confident that we’re not just going to be told it will work just to sell us another mic. Those personal relationships are really important to us.”

PRODUCTIVE OUTCOMES By Cindy Davis and Macy O’Hearn

e asked leading voices across the AV/ IT industry to reflect on two fundamental questions: What does it really take to foster productive collaboration, and how is AI reshaping modern meeting environments? A clear story emerged: real collaboration isn’t achieved by simply buying more gear. It lives at the intersection of humancentric workplace culture, invisible user experiences, flexible network architecture, and targeted, practical AI.

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Photo courtesy of ClearLED

THOUGHT LEADERS

JOSH BLALOCK Director of Collaboration Ecosystem and Engagement Shure Productive collaboration depends on people, processes, and technology working together, whether in a conference room or a home office. Organizations investing in digital workplace technologies are under pressure to demonstrate measurable business value. IDC found that 71 percent of organizations say collaboration is the key accelerator for ROI on core technology investments, including AI and cloud. The goal is an environment where employees can connect easily, make decisions quickly, and trust the tools they rely on. That trust starts with reliability. Meetings should start on time, audio and video should work consistently, and collaboration tools should integrate across platforms and workflows. AI can help streamline supporting tasks such as transcription, summarization, and content discovery. But AI is only as good as what it hears. Muffled audio from the far end of the table or a remote participant’s laptop yields a flawed transcript and a summary no one trusts. That is why the room itself must become part of the AI workflow. In-room intelligence suppresses background noise, frames the speaker, and gives AI more accurate information. Technology may be advanced, but for employees it should feel invisible. Thoughtful room design and consistent standards make that possible. IDC reports that 44 percent of employees link the quality of communication and collaboration to their productivity. Measurement should go beyond licenses and rooms deployed to track meeting success rates, time to join, device uptime, and support volume. Strong governance builds security, identity management, and data retention into the environment from the start, which matters more as AI processes what’s said in meetings. A culture of trust anchors all of it. Employees adopt tools that they understand, and leaders keep investing in collaboration they can measure.

KEN KOBAYASHI Business Manager, Remote Cameras Sony Electronics To significantly enhance collaboration productivity within an organization, it is essential not only to clarify and align on overarching goals and methodologies, but also to cultivate a foundational culture of mutual understanding and respect among team members. In today’s rapidly evolving era of technological advancement, a key driver of sustainable success is the strategic and timely integration of appropriate technology into the right operational contexts. However, a common challenge in modern workplaces is that not all meeting participants possess advanced technical literacy or digital fluency. Consequently, the role of AI has become increasingly paramount, serving as a vital bridge to augment human knowledge and mitigate the operational effort required for daily tasks. By effectively leveraging enterprise AI tools, even individuals who completely lack specialized technical expertise can seamlessly orchestrate high-level administrative and analytical workflows and equipment. Specifically, today, AI is already empowering users to automatically schedule meetings based on optimal participant availability, systematically structure comprehensive agendas, and optimize real-time time allocation during sessions. AI has been built into Sony’s PTZ cameras for multiple generations to automatically focus, frame, and track speakers without manual intervention, fostering a more dynamic and immersive presentation experience in-person and virtually. Additionally, Sony’s cameras use AI to support sports modes optimized for following fast-paced action, as well as lead room effect for creating a buffer as the camera anticipates where the subject is moving. Ultimately, democratizing these advanced capabilities through AI ensures that technology acts as an enabler of productivity rather than a barrier, allowing teams to focus on strategic execution.

JOE ANDRULIS Executive Vice President of Corporate Development Biamp Creating productive collaboration environments for participants near and far requires shifting from rigid, hardware-heavy architectures toward agile, software-defined AV systems. Decoupling core capabilities from purpose-built hardware allows organizations to adapt spaces dynamically without physically reconfiguring equipment racks. Central to this evolution is the convergence of previously siloed technologies into a synchronized, unified ecosystem. Conferencing, remote collaboration, high-quality audio capture, audio networking, video distribution, digital signal processing (DSP), amplification, and room control now work together seamlessly, delivering reliable, consistent performance across physical meeting rooms and remote collaboration endpoints alike. Beyond technical infrastructure, cultivating a successful collaboration culture demands technology that people comfortably embrace across the organization. Intuitive, no-code control platforms remove operational friction, empowering internal teams to deploy sophisticated room automation easily while enabling end users to manage meetings independently without relying on continuous technical support. Backed by cloud access, enterprise organizations gain centralized management to smoothly integrate, update, and scale software-defined capabilities, ensuring collaboration environments remain adaptable as organizational needs evolve. AI is also enabling greater collaboration across the AV value chain. Embedded AI provides the intelligence required to continuously respond to dynamic environmental changes and changing usage patterns. Rather than requiring ongoing manual adjustments, intelligent automation continuously adapts system performance to shifting acoustic conditions and varied collaboration scenarios, ensuring a smoother, more equitable experience for participants both near and far. By uniting software-defined flexibility, accessible no-code control, centralized cloud access, and adaptive AI, organizations establish highly productive, resilient collaboration environments built for genuine connection and seamless interaction across any distance.

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DONALD TRINH Sales Engineering Manager, N. America Hall Research After years of working in AV, one thing I’ve learned is that the best collaboration experience is usually the one nobody has to think about. We can design an incredibly sophisticated meeting space, but if someone walks into the room and doesn’t know how to start a meeting, share content, or communicate with someone remotely, then we’ve missed the point. Good collaboration starts with the user experience. People shouldn’t need to understand the technology behind the room; they should just be able to walk in and work. The meeting room is no longer just a physical room; someone may be sitting at the conference table while others are joining from home, an airport, or halfway around the world. Everyone should still feel like they are part of the same conversation. AI is going to play a big role in making that experience better. We’re already seeing AI help with things like camera framing, audio optimization, transcription, meeting summaries, and identifying action items. However, what interests me most is where it goes next. AI has the potential to make the technology itself more aware of what users are trying to accomplish and automatically remove many of the technical barriers we deal with today. The future isn’t about putting more technology in front of people; it’s about making the technology smart enough to get out of their way.

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KEVIN CHRISTOPHERSON Director of Product Marketing, Hardware Portfolio Sharp Business USA Productive collaboration environments start with the right combination of people, culture, technology, and purpose. At the center of these environments are display solutions that connect people, communicate ideas, and help teams work more effectively, whether they are in the same room or collaborating remotely. From personal workspaces and huddle rooms to boardrooms and training environments, display solutions must be matched to the application and the way people work. Largeformat displays, projectors, interactive whiteboards, and high-performance dvLED solutions transform how teams present information, visualize complex data, brainstorm, and make decisions. Equally important are image quality, consistent performance, and long-term reliability. Professional environments demand displays engineered to deliver exceptional visual experiences day after day, with the dependability organizations need to minimize downtime and protect their technology investments. A consistent, intuitive user experience is also essential. Display solutions should be easy to connect, operate, and manage, integrating seamlessly with collaboration platforms, cameras, audio systems, and video conferencing technologies. When technology works well together, users can focus on collaboration rather than troubleshooting. AI is further expanding the role of display solutions in modern workplaces. Intelligent camera framing, live transcription and translation, and AI-generated meeting summaries are making collaboration more efficient. Display solutions provide the visual foundation for these capabilities, helping participants engage, share content, interpret complex information, and turn discussions into actionable outcomes. Ultimately, the value of a display solution is measured not only by what people see, but by how it performs and how effectively it helps them communicate, collaborate, and achieve better business outcomes. As workplaces evolve, display solutions will remain essential to creating connected, intelligent, and productive environments—both on-site and remote.

TRENT SLYTER National Sales Director, Pro AV Sales Absen As organizations collaborate across offices and remote locations, AV/IT teams face a recurring challenge: making sure every participant—in the room or not—has equal access to the content and the conversation. The physical meeting room may be where a discussion originates, but it shouldn’t determine who can follow it. Displays are a critical piece of that infrastructure. Whether teams are reviewing presentations, analyzing data, or walking through plans, content must render clearly for everyone relying on it. Screen size, placement, viewing distance, and legibility aren’t just design choices; they’re functional requirements that determine whether a meeting works for remote participants. Designing for near and far collaboration means engineering for both experiences simultaneously. Shared content should hold up at any viewing distance, and the visual system should support the meeting rather than introduce friction. A boardroom, a huddle space, and a training room each carry different technical requirements—pixel pitch, brightness, viewing angle—so display specs should be driven by the room’s size, purpose, and actual use case rather than a one-size-fitsall standard. A display is also only one layer of the system. Audio, conferencing platforms, room layout, and network infrastructure all affect participation. The integration challenge is bringing these pieces together so remote participants aren’t just observing a meeting; they’re contributing to it in real time. For AV/IT teams, the opportunity extends beyond specifying individual devices. It’s about architecting the full visual environment to support communication across locations— evaluating how display technology, signal distribution, and room design work together as one system. Effective collaboration was never about physical proximity; it’s about engineering a clear, consistent experience for every participant, regardless of where they’re sitting.

JOHN KRUSE Solutions Engineering Manager ViewSonic For a few years, the collaboration industry optimized almost exclusively for the remote participant. From bandwidth management to AI-enhanced audio, virtual backgrounds, and noise suppression, the focus was on making the person at home look and sound acceptable to the room. That calculus has shifted. Return-to-office and hybrid policies have refilled conference rooms across every sector. The in-room experience is now carrying more weight than it has since 2019, and it’s being judged against a standard most rooms weren’t built to meet. That standard was set at home. Years of high-quality consumer displays with HDR, ambient light sensing, and antiglare coatings gave participants a reference point they didn’t have before. They know what a good picture looks like. They brought that expectation back into the room with them.

“AI enhances a signal; it doesn’t create one. Garbage in is still garbage out.” — John Kruse, Solutions Engineering Manager ViewSonic

A person with a 98-inch 4K HDR display in their living room doesn’t walk into a 20-seat conference room and find a 75-inch display impressive. They find it insufficient. AI is helping close some gaps. Automatic camera framing, audio enhancement, and noise suppression are now table stakes. Cisco, Jabra, Neat, Yealink, and Q-SYS are all accelerating in-room hardware investment for good reason. But AI enhances a signal; it doesn’t create one.

Garbage in is still garbage out. The proliferation of large-format dvLED in commercial spaces is a direct response to this dynamic. When fixed-panel form factors can no longer fill the room—literally or experientially— the architecture has to change. The display is where the in-room experience lands for every participant, every meeting, every day. The room is back, but the question is whether the technology in it is ready to meet the moment.

JOE DA SILVA Vice President of Marketing Extron Creating productive collaboration environments takes more than deploying Unified Communications (UC) systems and technology into AV spaces. UC systems are great at oneto-one or one-to-many collaboration, but are often challenged when users want to share cameras, microphones, and other technology while collaborating with remote participants. Accommodating these scenarios requires a holistic approach that considers both inperson and remote access to technologies to create an environment that supports a range of collaboration needs. The simplicity of walking into a room and using a single USB-C connection for video, audio, data, and power helps make collaboration more intuitive and accessible. All laptops, cameras, microphones, displays, and speakers must be seamlessly connected, switched, and extended across the space to support effective collaboration. In addition, Bluetooth connectivity can bring audio from a mobile device into the room through a Dante audio network. This should be accomplished while keeping systems intuitive as well as easy to deploy and maintain, both in the room and throughout buildings, campuses, or entire enterprises. Effective collaboration systems also require planning and can benefit from manufacturers’ educational resources to help design collaboration systems for USB-C and other technologies. The process begins with a thorough assessment of user needs, selection of the best AV and UC technology to meet those needs, and implementation of solutions with intuitive user interfaces that enable users of varying skill levels to operate the system with minimal training. Finally, it’s critical to plan for future change and incorporate your organization’s expectations and budget for ongoing equipment upgrades, service, and support as appropriate. These systems aren’t one-size-fits-all, but are purpose-built to meet your organization’s needs while maintaining quality, reliability, and usability.

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DAVID MISSALL Senior Advisor, Technical Application Engineering and Education Sennheiser Productive collaboration starts with equity. Whether a participant sits at the head of the table, joins from a home office, or attends a lecture from another campus, each person should be able to hear, be heard, and contribute on equal footing. When remote attendees struggle to follow a conversation, they disengage and the meeting loses the value of their input. For AV and IT managers, that makes intelligibility the foundation of any collaboration strategy. Culture matters as much as hardware, with people working together more freely in spaces that promote intuitive ease of use and are consistent from room to room. Creating a campus-wide ethos where a faculty member that can walk into any classroom and start a hybrid session without calling support is more likely to see the technology used to its full potential. To that end, standardized room designs, interoperable systems, and centralized device management help organizations deliver that consistency across a building or an entire campus, while freeing support teams to focus on planning rather than troubleshooting. With AI, this shift is accelerating in two directions. In the room, intelligent audio and video processing handle tasks that once required manual adjustment, such as steering microphone pickup toward active talkers, suppressing background noise, and framing whoever is speaking. Automatic room calibration is also emerging, compensating for each space’s acoustics so audio sounds consistent across a multi-room deployment and setup takes less time. Beyond the room, AI-powered transcription, meeting summaries, and real-time translation turn conversations into searchable, actionable records. Each of these tools depends on clean source audio, since a transcript is only as accurate as the speech captured, making quality microphone pickup essential as AI features become standard across a campus. The most effective collaboration environments will be those where technology recedes into the background. When AI handles the mechanics, participants near and far can focus on the ideas being shared.

YANNIC LALEEUWE Marketing Director, Meeting Experience Barco ClickShare The collaboration industry is entering a new phase of maturity. The organizations that thrive will be those that stop treating meeting rooms as operational overhead and start viewing them as business-critical infrastructure. For AV integrators, the opportunity is to help customers create meeting spaces that are easy to use, manageable, and ready for the future of work. The modern meeting room is no longer just physical space in the office; it sits at the heart of how people connect, make decisions, and boost productivity. Its growing business importance is pushing organizations to manage room technology with the same discipline they already apply to laptops, servers, and other connected assets. This shift is also bringing AV and IT closer together. In a hybrid world, the meeting room sits at the intersection of people, platforms, data, and business decisions, making it far too important to remain unmanaged. Today’s collaboration environments are modular, software defined, and data enabled. They require monitoring, security updates, performance management, and lifecycle planning. What was once treated as standalone AV equipment is now becoming part of the wider enterprise technology stack. For AV integrators, this evolution creates a significant opportunity. Success is no longer measured solely by delivering high-quality audio and video. Customers now expect solutions that are secure, scalable, remotely manageable, and aligned with broader IT governance frameworks. The adoption of AV over IP and centralized management platforms reflects this wider shift towards managing workplace technology through an IT lens. Artificial intelligence will accelerate this evolution. As AI-powered collaboration tools become more common, the quality, reliability, and manageability of the meeting environment will matter even more. Reliable room technology and actionable room data will provide the foundation for intelligent collaboration that delivers real business value.

EFFI GOLDSTEIN President HDBaseT Alliance A new shift is reshaping collaboration technology: the move from multi-box architectures to integrated products. As organizations continue investing in hybrid environments, the demand for seamless collaboration experiences is driving manufacturers to rethink how these systems are built. Today, many collaboration systems still rely on complex underlying infrastructure. Connecting cameras, displays, touch controllers, and compute devices often requires external extenders, converters, receivers, and power supplies. While effective, these modular approaches increase installation complexity, add maintenance overhead, and introduce additional potential failure points. However, integrated products, enabled by technologies such as HDBaseT, will increasingly shape how collaboration systems are designed, deployed, and managed. By integrating long-reach connectivity

“Today, many collaboration systems still rely on complex underlying infrastructure.” — Effi Goldstein, President, HDBaseT Alliance directly into video-conferencing peripherals, manufacturers can deliver uncompromised high-performance while eliminating the need for external TX/RX pairs and additional equipment. HDBaseT technology transports video, audio, USB, power, and control over a single cable, simplifying system architecture while supporting the flexible collaboration experiences modern workplaces demand. Integrated products increase reliability and robustness by reducing the number of cables, interfaces, and connections that can become potential failure points. Streamlined management and maintenance further benefit integrators and IT teams with fewer devices to deploy, monitor, troubleshoot, and support.

Beyond enhancing performance and operational benefits, these embedded products also enable significant cost reduction. Fewer external components means reduced hardware requirements, simplified installation, and lowered ongoing maintenance costs: It’s a win-win. The industry has seen this transition before. HDBaseT helped transform projector connectivity by embedding long-reach connectivity directly into projectors, eliminating external receiver boxes while simplifying deployment and improving reliability. Today, the same evolution is taking shape across collaboration devices, helping manufacturers build simpler, more reliable, and future-ready meeting solutions.

MIKE BERGERON Senior Product Manager, Live Production Systems and Video Production Panasonic Productive collaboration starts with making it easy for everyone to see, hear, and contribute, whether they’re in the room or joining remotely. A camera that misses the speaker or audio that leaves remote participants struggling to follow can quickly undermine a meeting. Technology should remove those obstacles, and meeting leaders should make space for everyone to participate. In corporate and higher education settings, networked AV helps cameras, microphones, and displays work together over a shared network. AV and IT teams can manage equipment centrally, troubleshoot issues, and provide consistent controls across rooms. For participants, that means less time figuring out how to start a meeting and more time discussing the work. AI is helping improve both the meeting experience and the effort required to support it. For example, webcams have traditionally been used to capture meetings, providing remote team members with a wide-angle, fixed view of the conference room. Today’s PTZ cameras, equipped with auto-tracking and AI-enhanced features, can adjust the frame to capture who is speaking in real-time. The result is a more connected experience for remote participants, and a more accurate and dynamic video recording for future playback. Behind the scenes, AVoIP ecosystems allow AV/IT teams to streamline control of camera and audio inputs and manage solutions from a centralized control hub. New AI tools automate certain functions, leaving more time and energy for teams to collaborate and focus on the creative aspects of a project. By combining networked AV with AIdriven capabilities, organizations can simplify operations, strengthen collaboration between AV/IT teams, and create more seamless, immersive experiences for participants both in the room and on the screen.

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GREG BARIBAULT Vice President of Product & Portfolio Management, HP Collaboration Solutions Virtual collaboration has transformed how we work and learn, connecting employees, students and educators across distances. Yet as corporate and higher education environments continue investing in collaboration technology, should we be treating every meeting the same way? A routine team check-in or faculty meeting may work perfectly fine over traditional video calls, but a job interview, student mentorship session or strategic business discussion requires building trust, interpreting subtle cues, and feeling genuinely connected. This is particularly important in recruiting, where personal connection can influence how candidates and employers evaluate each other. Bain & Company recently piloted immersive video collaboration for candidate interviews, finding that greater visibility into body language and eye contact helped interviewers feel more confident assessing talent remotely. For businesses evaluating prospective employees and universities preparing students for their careers, this shows the importance of meaningful virtual interactions. AI is helping make these experiences possible. Advances in intelligent imaging, spatial audio and immersive video can create more natural conversations. Early Google research found that participants recalled 28% more information following immersive conversations compared with traditional video calls, highlighting the meaningful benefits of more engaging virtual experiences. For corporate and higher education AV/IT leaders, it’s not about replacing every video call with immersive technology but recognizing when greater presence can make a meaningful difference. Ultimately, productive collaboration requires more than reliable technology. It means designing experiences around the people involved, ensuring distance doesn’t diminish the connections that drive learning, innovation and professional growth.

HOLGER REISINGER Senior Vice President of Video Solutions Jabra As AI becomes a standard part of workplace meetings, enterprises need to rethink what it means to be AI-ready. Jabra research found that 75 percent of workers have tried AI meeting tools, but fewer than one in three use them regularly. Poor audio, unclear conversations, and inconsistent meeting experiences can limit AI’s value. AI is only as effective as the environment feeding it. That means looking at the entire collaboration stack, from the meeting platform to room systems, cameras, microphones, acoustics, lighting, network performance, and interoperability. Each of these inputs are essential to the data layer that AI relies on to understand what was said, who said it, and what decisions were made. This becomes even more critical in hybrid work. When participants are joining from different environments, everyone needs to be equally visible, audible, and represented in the conversation. Three in four workers experience technical issues during hybrid meetings, costing nearly 11 minutes per meeting. When meeting participants can’t clearly hear or see one another, AI can’t capture the full context of the conversation. Even with the right infrastructure in place, meeting practices still matter. Clear agendas, fewer interruptions, deliberate participation, and explicit decisions make it easier for both people and AI to capture the context and outcomes of a conversation. Nearly six in 10 meetings require follow-up discussions or additional work to clarify decisions and next steps, highlighting how much productivity can be lost when meetings lack clarity. The organizations that get the most from meeting AI will be those that treat meeting quality as an AI-readiness issue, combining the right technology with better meeting practices to create collaboration that is clear, inclusive, and actionable.

KERI MANASA Strategic Account Director, Commercial Retail and Corporate Legrand | AV Collaboration is no longer a place; it is the expectation that a meeting will work the moment someone walks in or logs on, wherever they sit. That expectation shapes culture as much as any policy does. Productive collaboration starts with equity. When remote participants can see, hear, and contribute as easily as those in the room—with clear audio, well-framed video, and tools that feel familiar from the desk to the conference room—teams stop sorting themselves into “present” and “joining.” Consistency builds confidence, and confident teams collaborate more openly. Culture also depends on reliability. Nothing erodes trust in a space faster than a meeting that begins with troubleshooting. That is why remote monitoring and management has become part of the collaboration conversation—not just an IT concern. Usage data adds to this by showing how rooms are really used, so organizations can standardize what works across locations. This is where AI is earning its place. In the meeting itself, it supports the transcription, translation, and intelligent framing that keep everyone included. Behind the scenes, it is just as valuable, analyzing device health and usage, flagging issues early, and guiding faster fixes. The best applications do not add complexity; they remove obstacles and return time to the conversation. Technology should serve the culture of collaboration—not compete with it. When the tools fade into the background, people come forward.

“Technology should serve the culture of collaboration—not compete with it.” — Keri Manasa. Strategic Account Director, Commercial Retail and Corporate Legrand | AV

“Plan the network for the meeting AI you will run in three years—not the calls you run today.” — Richard Jonker, Vice President of Commercial Business Development NETGEAR

RICHARD JONKER Vice President of Commercial Business Development NETGEAR Productive collaboration starts with a simple standard: Everyone has the same experience, whether they are in the room or joining from another continent. That is a culture decision before it is a technology one. The teams that get it right treat remote participants as full participants and design the workplace with them in mind. The technology has to back that up, and people generally overlook the underlying network. Every camera, microphone, display, and codec in a meeting space depends on it. When video stutters or audio lags, people stop trusting the space and move elsewhere. The best collaboration spaces are the ones where nobody thinks about the infrastructure; it simply becomes invisible. AI is helpful, preserving and summarizing what was said, and by whom—but it is raising the stakes. Auto-framing, noise suppression, live transcription, translation, and meeting summaries all add processing and data movement to every session. That’s worth planning for on the access and permissions side too—not just the bandwidth side. Rooms are doing more, with more devices, at a higher quality. AV and IT teams still need to manage them without a specialist on site. AI earns its place when it takes work off people: capturing notes, surfacing action items, helping a remote colleague keep up with a fast conversation, and building an accessible knowledge base. This frees attention for the people and the decision in front of them. My advice to integrators and IT teams is to build the foundation first. Plan the network for the meeting AI you will run in three years—not the calls you run today. AI features will keep arriving, and the rooms that absorb them well will be built on a scalable infrastructure.

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PETRO SHIMONISHI Director Panasonic Projector & Display Americas The most effective collaboration technology is the technology people don’t have to think about. When technology works well, it fades into the background, allowing people to focus on the conversation and decisions taking place—not on how to connect, share content, or manage the room. Creating these environments requires more than adding individual technologies. Organizations are increasingly looking to connected AV ecosystems that can create consistent, flexible experiences across different spaces and modes of collaboration. A meeting room might need to support a presentation one hour, an immersive training session the next, and an interactive working session after that. Technology should make those transitions feel seamless. Panasonic’s joint development with Artome, the PT-VMZ-AVCART, is one example, offering a mobile AV platform compatible with both Panasonic VMZ and VMQ Series projectors to deliver high-quality audiovisual experiences wherever they’re needed. AI is accelerating the ability for technology to work quietly in the background. Beyond helping AV/IT teams monitor systems and predict potential maintenance issues, AI can automate routine tasks, surface relevant information, and make connected environments more responsive. The goal isn’t to put AI at the center of every meeting; it’s to use AI behind the scenes to reduce friction and make increasingly sophisticated AV environments easier to manage and more intuitive to use. As collaboration becomes more flexible, the technology supporting it should become less noticeable. The future of collaboration is not about creating rooms filled with more things; it’s about creating experiences where the right technology is there when people need it.

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“AI is accelerating the ability for technology to work quietly in the background.” — Petro Shimonishi, Director Panasonic Projector & Display Americas

“A room’s purpose should guide its design, from seating and sightlines to acoustics, ambient light, display placement, and the needs of remote participants.” — Remi Del Mar, Group Product Manager Epson America

REMI DEL MAR Group Product Manager Epson America The future of collaboration begins with a human question: How do we create a space where people can contribute naturally, whether they are together in a room or joining from across the world? That question should shape design from the start. AV cannot be an afterthought added after decisions about architecture, furniture, lighting, and network infrastructure are already made. A room’s purpose should guide its design, from seating and sightlines to acoustics, ambient light, display placement, and the needs of remote participants. AI can make this planning process more intentional. For IT managers and AV integrators, AI-assisted tools may help visualize a room around the experience it needs to deliver, identify potential constraints earlier, and inform decisions about display size, placement, and technology integration. The opportunity is to move beyond asking what equipment fits in a room and instead ask what will help people see, hear, share, and participate most effectively. The display remains central to that experience. It must be large, clear, and flexible enough to bring shared content, people, notes, and collaboration tools into a common view. Projection can be especially valuable where scalable image size and room flexibility matter. AI and connected technologies can also reduce friction behind the scenes. They may support proactive monitoring, remote diagnostics, more efficient power use, and better insight into how rooms and technology are being used. That gives IT teams more time to focus on enabling people rather than resolving avoidable issues. For participants, AI can support more organic meetings through real-time translation, voice control, automated notes, and summaries. The goal is not more technology for its own sake; it is technology that quietly removes barriers so collaboration feels equitable, intuitive, and human—and bridges the gap across distances.

CARA SHANNON Senior Manager of Product Marketing Crestron Today, there is an expectation that everyone can clearly see, hear, and engage with a meeting, whether they’re participating live, joining remotely, or reviewing it later. AI is increasingly helping extend that experience beyond the meeting itself through capabilities like transcription, translation, summarization, and meeting insights. You need intelligent video to capture the conversation as it flows around the room, and intelligent audio to generate accurate outputs, too. This is a similar situation to what happened right after the pandemic ended: The expectation of quality video calls extended from the individual laptop up to those highimpact spaces like executive boardrooms, and then trickled back down to smaller huddle rooms and the like. Today, meeting attendees want a consistent AI output experience, whether they’re joining a meeting remotely or in person. To meet those expectations, the right peripherals are a must: quality cameras, mics, speakers, and so on. The next step becomes ensuring that you’ve got the right compute solution acting as an effective, optimized hub for all those devices. In smaller spaces, an all-in-one video bar might suffice, but as you outfit larger rooms, a centralized, modular solution with the processing power to handle everything becomes the best option. In the best-case scenario, that solution should be very easy to deploy repeatedly (and quickly) and manage at scale, as those specifiers who need these kinds of systems are often outfitting entire campuses or enterprises.

JONATHAN BOUTIN Director of Marketing Humly For me, productive hybrid collaboration starts with thinking about the person who isn’t in the room: Can they follow the conversation and contribute as easily as everyone around the table? It’s easy to forget about them when most of the team is sitting together. A lot comes down to getting the basics right. Finding a room, booking it and joining a meeting should be straightforward, whichever office you’re in. We’ve all been in meetings where the first ten minutes disappear into getting connected or finding the right space. Then there’s how we work together: Share an agenda, write down decisions, make sure people know what happens next, and give people room to contribute outside the meeting. We don’t all need to be on another call to move something forward. Leaders have a responsibility here too. Protect focus time, bring remote colleagues into the discussion, and recognize what people deliver. The office should earn the commute by giving people a good reason to come together. With AI, there’s already a mountain of tools out there. For me, the interesting part is bringing workplace data including booking information, occupancy, and device data together in one system. That gives you a much better picture of what’s actually happening. You can then use the AI tool you prefer to explore that information and get insights you can base decisions on: Are the right spaces available? Where are people running into problems? What would help? That’s where I see the value: understanding the workplace better and making practical changes that help people work together.

NATHAN COUTINHO Global Head of Strategic Partner Relations and Market Insights Logitech To create productive collaboration near and far, technology, physical spaces, and human habits must work in lockstep. In Logitech’s global study, The Workplace Equation, 94% of organizations reported workplace experience failures, with technical friction wasting a median of 12.2 minutes per meeting. Reducing that downtime requires a foundation of tech parity along with crucial cultural shifts. From a technology standpoint, distance should be invisible. Workplace equity relies on smart auto-framing cameras and eye-level displays so remote participants maintain equal visual presence. Intelligent microphone arrays and AI-powered noise suppression ensure clear communication, while one-touch join and consistent room interfaces remove setup friction entirely. But technology alone cannot fix a fragmented environment. First, organizations must escape the “late-tech trap”. Only 24% of companies involve IT and AV teams before space planning begins. Aligning IT, HR, and Real Estate prior to finalizing floor plans can prevent acoustic failures and costly retrofits. Second, organizations must unify ownership. Though 81% of HR, 76% of IT, and 72% of Real Estate leaders each claim they own the workplace experience, rarely is there a single cross functional roadmap. Getting everyone on the same page is an important first step toward truly productive collaboration environments. AI’s role in modern meetings can’t be overstated. From AI-powered audio and video features making the meetings more engaging, to the systems that use environmental sensor data for intelligent space planning, AI will only become more fundamental to our everyday lives, in and out of the workplace.

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FRANK WEISHAUPT Chief Executive Officer Owl Labs Productive collaboration depends on whether people can contribute fully, wherever they’re working. That requires technology that’s easy to use and a culture that gives remote and in-person employees an equal opportunity to participate. Meeting leaders need to make space for people joining remotely, establish a clear purpose for each meeting, and be intentional about when a live conversation is needed. Our 2026 State of Hybrid Work Report shows how much room there is to improve: 64 percent of workers report being unable to hear everyone in hybrid meetings, and 58 percent report difficulty contributing to the conversation. Those barriers affect people’s ability to share ideas and help make decisions. Addressing those barriers starts with making meeting rooms easier to use. Employees should be able to walk into a room, connect with colleagues, and focus on the discussion. Clear audio, a good view of participants and shared content, and straightforward controls help keep attention on the work AI can support that experience through transcription, summaries, and automated camera framing, reducing administrative work and making conversations easier to follow. It’s also changing how people participate: Our report found that 45 percent of employees have been or plan to be “phantom attendees,” accepting an invitation and catching up later through notes, recordings, or AI summaries. That should prompt leaders to distinguish between discussions that need active participation and updates people can review on their own time. The goal is to use AI so people can give their attention to conversations where their judgment and participation matter.

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ANDY TEOH Head of Global Product Management AVer Information Productive collaboration starts with a simple expectation that every participant, whether in the room or joining remotely, should be seen, heard, and able to contribute equally. In practice, that means closing the gaps that remote participants notice most, including unclear audio, poor views of the speaker, and content that is hard to follow. In-room users need a simple way to start a meeting without relying on someone who knows the system. Consistency is the foundation. When rooms behave predictably, people stop thinking about the technology and start focusing on the conversation. That requires standardized room designs, simple controls, and platforms that IT teams can deploy, manage, and support at scale. AI is fundamentally transforming how modern meeting rooms function, starting with how the meeting itself is directed. Instead of simply keeping participants in frame, AI actively directs the meeting itself. By pairing voice tracking and human detection with multiple cameras, AI selects the best front-facing view of the active speaker and prepares clean camera cuts for remote viewers. The impact extends behind the scenes as well. Behind the scenes, guided setup tools use AI to detect seating, map microphone placements, and generate initial camera presets. This helps IT teams easily scale and replicate successful room configurations across an enterprise. AI is also making room booking more intelligent, with AI agents able to guide employee groups to appropriately sized meeting rooms, verify that there are enough chairs, and automatically handle the booking. The result is collaboration that feels natural for everyone involved, which is the goal behind AVer’s approach to intelligent meeting spaces.

JONATHAN MANGNALL Managing Director Utelogy Productive collaboration starts with a simple goal: Everyone should be able to contribute fully, whether they are in the room or joining remotely. That means reliable audio and video, spaces suited to different types of work, and technology that feels consistent and easy to use. It also means creating a culture where remote participants are included in the conversation, people feel comfortable speaking up, and teams agree on how they will work together. The meeting experience also depends on what happens behind the scenes. Across AV and UC environments, AI and automation are helping organizations move from reactive ticket handling towards proactive service management. By identifying recurring issues and patterns across rooms and devices, teams can address problems earlier, reduce unnecessary alerts, and give support staff more time to focus on the issues that matter. Good data is essential to making that useful. At Utelogy, the telemetry, events, and operational signals collected across collaboration environments provide a foundation for spotting patterns and driving meaningful automation. The more complete, structured, and trusted that data is, the more effectively AI can turn it into practical insight. But technology alone does not create better collaboration. People need to understand how AI supports them, trust the information it provides, and feel involved as ways of working change. Adoption is as much a cultural challenge as a technical one. When organizations bring those elements together, AI can make meetings more dependable and support teams more effectively, wherever people work.

ANDREW GILDIN Vice President of Global Partners and Sales, India and APAC Korbyt Productive collaboration starts with a simple test: Do all employees get a consistent experience, whether they’re in the room or joining from somewhere else? Hybrid work makes this a requirement, and the right tech stack is how you deliver it. Increasingly, that stack runs on AI, which can either cut through the noise or add to it. Earlier this year, we partnered with Reworked to study how employees experience workplace communication, including where AI helps collaboration and where it gets in the way. A few findings stood out: Hybrid employees are more than twice as likely as in-office colleagues to say that staying informed has become harder. Half of workers say clear operational updates help them feel connected—more so than recognition does. Additionally, 72 percent value workplace screens because they inform without interrupting. The culture that supports collaboration respects people’s attention: fewer, clearer messages—each on the right channel—so employees aren’t left sorting signal from noise. Sometimes the best use of AI is when employees don’t even realize it’s there. In meetings, AI automatically filters out noise and frames whoever is speaking. Employees want that same restraint everywhere else. In our research, 92 percent say AI should cut information overload—not add to it—and nearly half question a message’s accuracy when they suspect AI wrote it. That points to quieter uses, including curating content for the right screen, helping someone book the right space, or recovering a failed display before anyone files a ticket. Any use of AI still needs human oversight, allowing it to work as a co-pilot rather than an autopilot. AI should take on the routine work so people can focus on what adds value: solving problems, making decisions, and working with each other. Ultimately, people—not platforms—belong at the center of collaboration.

“Ultimately, people—not platforms—belong at the center of collaboration.” — Andrew Gildin, Vice President of Global Partners and Sales, India and APAC Korbyt

“Participants shouldn’t need to think about how many devices are connected or where a signal is travelling” — Tibor Fejes, Product Specialist Team Lead Lightware HQ

TIBOR FEJES Product Specialist Team Lead Lightware HQ Modern meeting environments bring together people in the room with participants joining remotely, therefore the experience needs to work equally well for everyone. At the same time, AI is becoming an increasingly important part of these spaces, with intelligent cameras and microphones, automated transcription, and meeting summaries becoming commonplace. For this to work, the AV infrastructure needs to provide a reliable foundation. Connecting a laptop via USB-C and sharing content should be straightforward, while cameras, microphones, and displays need to work effortlessly for local participants. Solutions such as Lightware’s Taurus UCX bring USB-C connectivity, host switching, and peripheral connectivity together, while AV-over-IP platforms such as Gemini GVN can extend video and USB across multiple endpoints and rooms. The challenge for system designers is to accommodate increasingly sophisticated meeting spaces while keeping the experience simple for users. Participants shouldn’t need to think about how many devices are connected or where a signal is travelling; they should be able to concentrate on the conversation rather than what is happening behind the scenes. AI adds another consideration. As more meeting functions depend on intelligent processing, crystal-clear audio, sharp video, and reliable data become paramount. Tools such as Lightware’s USB20 1GbE Configurator and Lightware Device Controller (LDC) help integrators identify potential connectivity and topology issues before they affect the user experience. AI might be changing what is possible in meeting rooms, but it still depends on getting the fundamentals right first. Ultimately, effective collaboration environments need to work seamlessly and consistently for near and far participants while remaining almost invisible. Integrators need to design with flexibility, scalability, and simplicity in mind, leaving enough room to adapt as devices, room configurations, and AI capabilities continue to evolve.

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NANCY KNOWLTON Chief Executive Officer Nureva Collaboration has become one of the most celebrated concepts in education and business. Yet, while we spend considerable time asking people to collaborate, we spend surprisingly little time teaching them how to do so. We all agree that effective collaboration leads to better outcomes, but it rarely happens by accident. By taking steps to ensure the right environment, tools, processes, and habits are in place, you can create a strong collaborative culture. First, provide the right environment. Collaboration spaces, whether classrooms, meeting rooms, or home offices, should be equipped with tools that are intuitive, reliable, and proven to help people work together effectively. When the technology runs smoothly, people can focus on ideas rather than troubleshooting. Second, make preparation a prerequisite. Effective collaboration begins before people meet. Clear agendas, defined objectives, and appropriate background materials help participants arrive ready to contribute. Organizations should recognize that preparation requires time and space for individuals to think, research, and develop ideas. Third, teach collaboration as a skill. Learning and development specialists, facilitators, and other experts can help organizations select tools, establish processes, and coach teams on how to work together productively. Like any skill, collaboration improves with practice and support. Fourth, create processes that encourage collaboration. Clear approaches for sharing information, making decisions, and working across teams will reduce friction and introduce consistency. Finally, celebrate successful collaborative efforts. Highlight examples where people worked together to solve problems, create new ideas, or improve outcomes. Collaboration, like any habit, grows stronger through positive reinforcement. Collaboration is not simply what happens when people gather in a room or join a video call; it’s a skill that can be taught, a process that can be improved, and a habit that can be reinforced. The organizations that recognize this are the ones most likely to achieve more together.

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“Collaboration is not simply what happens when people gather in a room or join a video call; it’s a skill that can be taught, a process that can be improved, and a habit that can be reinforced.” — Nancy Knowlton, Chief Executive Officer Nureva

“The best collaboration environments are the ones users barely have to think about; they simply work, wherever the participants happen to be.” — Vincent Philippo, Executive Director of International Sales WyreStorm

VINCENT PHILIPPO Executive Director of International Sales WyreStorm Productive collaboration is less about where people are and more about whether everyone can participate equally. For AV/IT teams, that means designing environments where joining a meeting, sharing content, and contributing to the conversation feels consistent whether someone is in the room, working from home, or joining from another office. The technology should support that experience without becoming the focus of it. A strong collaboration culture also depends on simplicity and reliability. If users need training every time they enter a different room, and remote participants regularly struggle to see, hear, or contribute, then the technology is creating friction rather than removing it. Standardized room experiences, intuitive controls, and dependable audio and video go a long way toward making collaboration feel natural. AI is starting to improve that experience by helping systems respond more intelligently to what is happening in the room. Features such as speaker tracking, auto-framing, transcription, meeting summaries, and intelligent noise management can reduce manual intervention and help remote participants feel more connected to the conversation. But AI should support the meeting—not dominate it. The goal is not to add technology for the sake of it; it is to remove small barriers, reduce cognitive load, and give people more space to focus on each other. The best collaboration environments are the ones users barely have to think about; they simply work, wherever the participants happen to be.

ARIEL MARCUS Chief Technology Officer MSolutions As a chief technology officer and product designer, I believe the most productive meetings are those where nobody thinks about the technology: Everyone can hear and be heard clearly, content sharing is effortless, and conversations flow naturally between people in the room and colleagues joining remotely. When technology works as intended, participants can focus entirely on collaboration. Achieving that simplicity requires careful design behind the scenes. Audio, video, connectivity, and control systems must work together seamlessly. However, equipment that functions perfectly can still deliver a poor user experience. The meeting room fails the business when someone struggles to adjust the volume or share content. That’s why I see continuous monitoring and diagnostics as part of the design responsibility. Support teams need visibility into device health, connection integrity, and actual meeting. Detecting degraded audio, disruptive delays, or connection problems should trigger a prompt response, with remote intervention where possible to restore the experience and minimize disruption. Artificial intelligence will increasingly strengthen this approach. AI-driven analytics can help identify performance patterns, recognize recurring faults, and potentially predict failures before users experience disruptions. Rather than simply reacting when someone reports a problem, support teams can move toward proactive maintenance that keeps collaboration spaces consistently available. There is also a cultural dimension to this evolution. Hybrid collaboration succeeds when remote participants enjoy the same opportunity to contribute as their in-office colleagues. Reliable technology helps establish that equality by removing the technical frustrations that interrupt conversations and discourage participation. Ultimately, the goal isn’t to make meeting rooms more technologically impressive; it’s to make technology virtually invisible, supported by intelligent monitoring and responsive service that allow people to collaborate naturally, wherever they happen to work.

SCOTT FRESHMAN Chief Operating Officer Visionary The most productive collaboration spaces share one quality, which is allowing people to connect and start working without friction. In conference rooms, boardrooms, and classrooms, the most common barrier is not the quality of the room’s cameras or displays but the moment someone tries to connect a laptop. Searching for the right adapter, installing drivers, or waiting for IT support delays meetings and discourages people from using the room’s technology at all. As bring-your-own-device (BYOD) meetings become standard, users expect to plug in and immediately access the room’s cameras, microphones, speakers, and displays through the soft codec they already use, whether that is Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Webex. That connection matters just as much to the people joining remotely. When a presenter’s laptop is tied directly into the room’s audio and video, remote participants see shared content clearly, hear every voice in the room, and can take part in the conversation as easily as those at the table. For integrators and IT teams, simplicity at the table has to match the simplicity behind the wall. Consolidating extenders, switchers, and audio interfaces reduces cabling, points of failure, and support calls while making room designs easier to standardize across a campus or enterprise. Visionary designed its XB5 USB-C conferencing bridge with this balance in mind. One cable carries video, audio, network connectivity, and charging, so users can plug in a personal laptop and start their meeting without installing software. Behind the scenes, the bridge connects to the room’s networked audio and AV-over-IP systems, giving integrators a cleaner system to deploy and support. The result is a room where any participant can connect, collaborate, and be heard within seconds.

TOMER MANN Chief Revenue Officer 22Miles Collaboration doesn’t begin when someone joins a meeting; it begins with the infrastructure that helps people find each other, access information, and use the workplace. Room boards, digital signage, interactive kiosks, desktops, and mobile devices all shape that experience. They should work together, with consistent information across every location. Fragmented systems create friction. If a booking platform shows one room status and the display outside the door shows another, employees lose time and confidence in the technology. Connecting space booking, real-time room information, and dynamic wayfinding through a single source of truth makes the workplace easier to navigate. Extending those experiences across screens brings workplace coordination tools beyond the desktop and into the spaces where people need them. The same approach applies to communications culture. Departments need the ability to share relevant updates without routing every change through a central design or IT team. Distributed content ownership, supported by shared templates, role-based permissions, and approval workflows, gives employees a voice while maintaining enterprise-wide governance. Central oversight should enable participation—not become a bottleneck. AI makes this model more practical at scale. Teams can generate editable visual content from plain-language prompts and convert floor plans into wayfinding maps, reducing the specialist work required to keep workplace experiences current. Human review and clear publishing controls remain essential. For technology managers, the opportunity is to build a unified visual experience that connects the systems employees already use with the physical workplace. That foundation supports collaboration across locations and gives teams more capacity to improve the experience as workplace needs evolve.

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CASE IN-POINT MILLIONS OF PIXELS MAKE THE UNREAL, REAL The Reality Emulator at the Bristol Digital Futures Institute (BDFI), University of Bristol, UK is revolutionizing the way researchers explore, predict, and plan for the future. Powered by a bespoke, cutting-edge display infrastructure, the room-sized immersive environment enables users to physically step inside complex datasets, simulations, and virtual worlds in a way that traditional flat screens cannot replicate. From first responders preparing for tomorrow’s emergencies, to researchers working towards safer cities and architects shaping the urban landscape, the space delivers a seamless visual experience beyond conventional display capabilities. The team at the BDFI sought to create an immersive and interactive visual emulator that would enable users to explore and visualize ideas across a wide range of research applications. This presented a fundamental engineering challenge: Traditional LED systems are typically designed around flat, independent display surfaces, but this project required a continuous, room-scale environment that would allow researchers to walk, collaborate, and interact in the space without any visual interruptions. The display also needed to balance two different use cases: curved sections to fill users’ peripheral vision and heighten immersion, alongside flat sections that could present engineering data accurately without distorting models. The solution, therefore, required a different approach to display design. Working alongside

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immersive visualization specialist Mechdyne, ClearLED engineered an integrated architectural system that made this experience possible. The cabinet geometry, structural engineering, image processing, and immersive visuals were considered altogether from the outset, with Mechdyne defining the wider system architecture and ClearLED specifying the display technology needed to meet the project’s performance requirements. Central to the Reality Emulator’s design is a bespoke ClearLED Ribbon Series Indoor LED platform, a 31-million-pixel curved LED wall. Overcoming the limitations of conventional large-format LED systems, the display incorporates a mosaic of 1,562 smaller modules which bend and flex, allowing the wall to form a smooth, continuous curve that follows the precise shape of the space. The result is an immersive display with no visible edges, flat planes, or seams—all while maintaining pixel-perfect alignment and structural integrity. The flexible 1.2mm pixel pitch also made it possible to create the project’s unusual egg-shaped geometry, which could not have been achieved using standard dvLED panels. “We decided ClearLED was the best supplier for this project because of the quality and reliability of the technology,” Richard Cashmore, sales chief of staff at Mechdyne Corporation shared. “The display uses flexible LED in an unusual configuration, and you simply can’t achieve that

with normal dvLED panels. We’ve worked with ClearLED for a number of years, we trust them, and we know they deliver what they say they’re going to do.” With the space designed for users to stand just a few feet from the LED wall, achieving both exceptional image quality and convincing depth perception was also critical to the design. To ensure this, the LED display system features a 7680Hz ultra-high PWM refresh rate, delivering exceptional image stability, reduced flicker, and superior performance. It also operates at 120Hz, enabling high-definition 3D viewing through synchronized shutter glasses. When users enter the space, this configuration delivers 60Hz independently to each eye, creating a sense of true depth in every direction. Combined with eye tracking, motion tracking, and live game-engine rendering, the system allows users to experience and respond to digital content in a more natural, spatially aware way. Additionally, The 1.2mm glue-on-board (GOB) flip-chip design generates less heat, is more energy efficient, and increases color range and accuracy compared with general Surface-Mounted Device (SMD) LED display technology. A GOB protection layer was also added to the display modules, ensuring the screen was dust and water resistant. Rather than treating the LED hardware, display software, processing, and architectural design as separate components, ClearLED and Mechdyne worked together to engineer a unified system

Photographs courtesy of ClearLED

to bring the space to life. The system was fully assembled and factory tested in Mechdyne’s Iowa technology center before being shipped to Bristol, helping to reduce on-site installation time and ensure the different technologies worked together before delivery. Behind the scenes, a high-performance computing platform performs the complex digital-twin calculations, while a graphics cluster renders and drives the visual output on the LED display. This approach enabled the physical display infrastructure and the advanced visual technology to function seamlessly together, spearheading the next generation of immersive digital experiences. “The first time I heard about this project, I was very excited, as it’s a vision we have had for years,” Gus Hadaya, president and chief executive officer of ClearLED said. “When you’re sitting in the middle of the room, you have to be immersed in the environment; the screen has to disappear. When I walked into the finished space, it felt real.” Since its completion, the Reality Emulator has become a vital component of the University of Bristol’s digital research facility. The installation is now being used regularly for a variety of activities, including research around game-engine technology and AI, where experiences can respond dynamically rather than following a fixed, pre-programmed outcome. “We wanted to take people into new places, new situations—potentially dangerous situations

that you wouldn’t be able to put human participants into. The possibilities really are endless,” Doctor Richard Cole, senior lecturer in digital futures at the University of Bristol explained. “This environment is influencing how I think and how I go onto scope projects, to imagine new ways of using technology. It’s an inspirational space to be working next to and within.” It demonstrates just what can be achieved when advanced audio-visual software and custom display engineering come together, offering a scalable solution for future research facilities, simulation centers, museums, commercial experience centers, entertainment environments, and public engagement spaces. “This was a special project because it demonstrates ClearLED’s engineering team’s R&D capability and our ability to understand the user’s needs,” Jin Fan, founder of ClearLED said. “ClearLED is traditionally known for large architectural customization displays, but this project also demonstrates the display quality we can deliver. It pushed our team to test and verify what was possible.” “Projects like the Reality Emulator reflect our specialty at ClearLED: delivering important and impactful projects,” Edward Gasper, regional manager at ClearLED added. “We’re excited about the opportunities ahead in the UK and look forward to bringing more landmark projects to life in the country.”

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AN AV POWERHOUSE MODERNIZES TRAINING Crestron is one of the most recognized names in workplace collaboration technology and building automation, with products powering boardrooms, lecture halls, courtrooms, and major-league stadiums worldwide. At its headquarters in Rockleigh, New Jersey, the company operates the Crestron Technical Institute (CTI), a hands-on facility where integrators and engineers learn to install, configure, and deploy Crestron systems. When a refresh approached to replace outdated displays and aging mounts, the new training environment needed to show what a modern AV deployment can deliver. With the Chief Tempo Flat Panel In-Wall Mount System at its center, it also became something Crestron hadn’t fully anticipated: a room where the technology itself is part of the lesson. The training rooms were last updated about ten years ago, with two 86-inch displays and two 65-inch screens on traditional articulating mounts. The next chapter of CTI’s interactive courses would demand more. The plan called for five 98-inch LG CreateBoard touchscreens supporting simultaneous multi-touch input. At that size and weight, articulating mounts weren’t up to the job, and any flex degrades the touch experience. Two more requirements shaped the install. Crestron wanted its DM NVX AV-overIP solutions visible to students, staged in dedicated accessory boxes beside each screen, which meant an unconventional three-box configuration at every position. The team also needed easy serviceability: flush and professional from the front, with quick access from behind. “When you’re training the people who install AV systems for a living, the room itself sets the standard,” Alex Villiard, principal infrastructure engineer, training at Crestron said. “We needed mounting that could handle 98-inch touch panels without any movement, support a custom layout that put the infrastructure on display, and let us get in and out for service without turning it into a project.” Chief’s Tempo Flat Panel In-Wall Mount System was selected for all ten display positions. It keeps large displays tight to the wall,

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and adjustments happen without disassembly. “The room they walk into should reflect our standards, and it does now,” Villiard added. “The touch experience is exactly what it should be, the infrastructure is visible and purposeful, and we can service everything without taking the room offline.” The Chief Tempo system doesn’t call attention to itself, which is the point. It lets the displays perform as designed, keeps the infrastructure accessible, and gave the team the flexibility to build a layout that serves a real instructional goal. “Tempo was the right fit because it solved three distinct problems at once: stability for large-format touch displays, serviceability for a high-use environment, and the flexibility to support a custom layout that served a real instructional purpose,” Dorian Haro, product manager at Legrand | AV said. “That’s the kind of deployment Chief is built for.”

Photographs courtesy of Crestron

eliminates flex during touch interaction, and provides service access without removing the display. Using the system’s flexibility, the team staged the DM NVX solutions in accessory boxes outside the display footprint, keeping the wall clean while putting Crestron’s own equipment front and center. “We needed three distinct boxes per display position—all flush, all aligned, all accessible from behind—and Tempo made that possible without compromising the stability we required for touch,” Villiard noted. “The end result looks like it was always meant to be that way.” Five 98-inch interactive displays now line the walls, enabling collaborative exercises where several students work on the same surface at once. The visible DM NVX platform sparks conversation, with students asking about the hardware in front of them and gaining hands-on context for systems they’ll specify in the field. Service access is built into the mount, so updates

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VIDEO WALLS SUPPORT A REIMAGINED HEADQUARTERS Founded in 1937 and headquartered in East Lansing, Michigan State University Federal Credit Union (MSUFCU) is the largest universitybased credit union in the world. The memberowned financial institution serves over 397,000 members, including students, alumni, and communities across Michigan and beyond. In the years following the pandemic, as many people continued working remotely or in hybrid arrangements, MSUFCU recognized the need to encourage employees to return to the office and strengthen connectivity across the organization. With a vision of creating a more dynamic and welcoming space that encourages collaboration and productivity, the company set out to reimagine its work environment. The goal was to balance openness with privacy while also prioritizing employee wellbeing. MSUFCU retained Michigan-based NBS Commercial Interiors, an architecture, furniture, and technology integrator that creates cohesive, inspiring workplaces. Acting on MSUFCU’s vision, NBS implemented a holistic renovation across the company’s multi-level headquarters, resulting in a revitalized space that empowers

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people to work how and where they function best. Every element of the office was thoughtfully designed to elevate the employee experience, blending hospitality-inspired amenities with modern workplace strategies. Technology integration played a key role in driving collaboration and keeping employees connected. NBS assembled a team of strategic partners to build an intuitive and consistent technology ecosystem designed to bring people together. In addition to Logitech video conferencing systems and T1V ThinkHub collaboration software, a total of 18 Planar LED video walls were selected for the updated office. The full deployment of Planar display technologies—one of the largest installations within a single building—includes a nearly 16-foot-wide, 7-foot-high (8x6) DirectLight Pro Series LED video wall with a 1.2mm pixel pitch; a nearly 12-foot-wide, 4.5-foot-high (6x4) DirectLight Pro Series LED video wall with a 0.9mm pixel pitch; a 14-foot-wide, 8-foot-high DirectLight Pro Complete 198-inch Double Full HD LED video wall; three nearly 20-foot-wide, 6-foot-high (10x5) LED video walls with 1.5mm

Photographs courtesy of Planar

pixel pitches; three 14-foot-wide, 8-foot-high 198-inch LED video walls; three 10-foot-wide, 6-foot-high 137-inch LED video walls; two 15-footwide, 8.5-foot-high 207-inch LED video walls with 1.2mm pixel pitches; and four 11-foot-wide, 6-foot-high 153-inch LED video walls with 1.2mm pixel pitches. The Planar LED video walls support collaboration and data-driven decision-making in MSUFCU’s most important spaces, from executive boardrooms and community areas to conference and training rooms. “The solution had to be impactful, reliable and scalable, making Planar the clear choice,” Zac Sepanik, general manager of audiovisual solutions with NBS said. “Planar video walls deliver stunning visuals that present data, branding, and real-time updates with exceptional clarity and brilliant color accuracy. By standardizing Planar for all large-format displays, MSUFCU has created an immersive environment that enhances communication for employees, members, and guests alike.” Together, the integrated solutions from Planar, Logitech, and T1V demonstrate how strong technology partnerships can help organizations create more productive workplaces that also reflect their culture and mission. “The result is technology that’s effortless and integrated into spaces to empower people to do their best work,” Sepanik said.

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SOCIAL WORK STUDENTS PUT ON INTERACTIVE SHOWCASE Rider University is a small private university in Lawrence Township, New Jersey made up of the Norm Brodsky College of Business, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences/ Westminster Choir College, and the College of Education and Human Services. With an enrollment of just under 3,000 full-time undergraduates, the university has a 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio. As graduation day approached for the inaugural class of the Bachelor of Social Work program at Rider University, students began preparing for their capstone project: a cumulative showcase of their work. Their professor reached out to Jaimie Dubuque, learning technology administrator at Rider University to assist with technology to support the event. “The initial request was for basic monitors to display student work,” Dubuque said. “I saw this as an opportunity to show what we could do with technology to expand the students’ capabilities and make this a more meaningful event.” Dubuque’s vision for the showcase featured enhanced student content presented on ViewSonic touch displays to deliver an interactive, gallery-like experience. “I was assessing an amazing touchscreen monitor on loan from ViewSonic which I recognized would be a fantastic educational tool,” she said. “It was a perfect fit for adding interactivity and engagement to the showcase.” Dubuque was likewise looking at a 65-inch ViewSonic ViewBoard interactive display for

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a library project. While ultimately too big for that need, she saw that it was perfect for interactive group work and presentations. She then suggested the idea of creating student websites, which could be navigated using ViewSonic touchscreen monitors, and could serve as living documents as students progressed through their careers. “For these tech tools to best enhance learning it was important that they weren’t just using them as glorified monitors,” she said. “Our goal is to use these tools for collaborative learning. To achieve this, the content they presented, and how they presented it, mattered.” The final steps in bringing the vision to life were working with ViewSonic to obtain the necessary equipment, and meeting with students over Zoom to run a crash course on building free Wix sites. To kick off the event, students delivered formal presentations that were easily seen from any vantage point thanks to the large, vivid 65-inch ViewSonic ViewBoard display. Next, participants spent time at student stations, where they smoothly navigated through their websites. “The ViewSonic technology was very intuitive and easy to work with,” Dubuque said. “This enabled a smooth transition from formal presentation to interactive portfolio exploration.” Setup was a breeze, according to Dubuque, thanks to ViewSonic’s detailed guidance

Photographs courtesy of ViewSonic

and outstanding product. The ViewSonic 24-inch touch displays provided easy USB-C connectivity along with touch support for numerous operating systems. The stand’s ergonomic, dual-hinge design with screen tilt allowed for easy viewing and interaction. “From setup to operation to the final breakdown, everything went quickly,” she said. “This was an important part of making the showcase a success, because we had a relatively tight event timeline, which ViewSonic was able to accommodate through listening and responding to our needs.” The team was thrilled to see their vision come to life. “The interactive setup allowed students and attendees to gather around the work, engaging with both the content and each other in a natural, seamless way,” Dubuque said. “From our team’s perspective, this was a strong example of technology supporting experiential

learning in a meaningful way.” That success was echoed by all stakeholders involved in the project. “The interactive displays allowed students to authentically share their growth, transforming academic milestones into a compelling narrative that brings their professional journey to life,” Doctor Irma Sandoval-Arocho, social work program director commented. “The interactive nature of these presentations also successfully captured the essence of social work education and its role in preparing competent generalist social workers.” She continued, “Use of the interactive displays was intuitive for students and as a result, there was visible ease of use that contributed to their sense of confidence in presenting.” This sentiment was underscored by one of the participating students, who said, “I’m so glad this was a capstone project instead of a paper.”

Sari Alshiekh, associate chief information officer added, “It was great to see the vision come to life in such a student-centered way. Our collaboration moved us beyond simply ‘using screens’ to creating an engaging, interactive environment that supported both learning and presenting.” Dubuque said that it couldn’t have happened without the outstanding support from ViewSonic, which ensured that all the details were taken care of—down to every accessory needed to make the setup a success. “The entire collaboration process with ViewSonic, from start to finish, prioritized the student experience, and served as a clear example that ViewSonic values its partnerships and the learning community at large,” she concluded. “We look forward to an ongoing partnership and bringing more tech-enabled experiential learning to our students.”

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VISUALIZATION PLATFORM MODERNIZES TRAFFIC CONTROL Klaipėdos Paslaugos, the organization responsible for public transportation services throughout the city of Klaipėda, Lithuania and its surrounding suburban areas, sought to modernize its traffic coordination center with a reliable and scalable visualization platform. As the city’s transportation network continued to evolve, the organization required a modern control room solution capable of supporting multiple high-resolution data sources while delivering uninterrupted 24/7 performance. The existing system had become increasingly limited in its ability to accommodate growing operational requirements. It lacked flexibility, supported lower resolutions, and struggled to efficiently manage multiple simultaneous information feeds. Klaipėdos Paslaugos needed a future-ready platform that would improve real-time monitoring of traffic and public transport operations, enhance visualization of operational data, simplify content management and control room operations, and provide the reliability and scalability needed to support future growth. The project presented several technical and operational challenges that needed to be addressed without disrupting ongoing transportation management activities. These included integration with existing IT and traffic management systems; continuous 24/7 operation in a mission-critical environment; simultaneous handling of multiple highresolution sources; low-latency signal distribution across large video walls; limited space and infrastructure within the control room; and creation of an intuitive, centralized operator interface. The solution needed to provide seamless access to a wide range of operational information while maintaining reliability and ease of use. Audiotonas, one of the Baltic region’s leading audiovisual systems integrators serving enterprise, government, education, entertainment, and broadcast markets took on the challenge of delivering a centralized video wall solution. Matrox Video technology powered the deployment. The deployment comprised a 15-display

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Photographs courtesy of Matrox Video

(3×5) primary video wall, two secondary four-display (2×2) video walls, and two spare displays available for rapid replacement. The system processes and distributes a variety of signal sources, including workstation outputs and external operational data feeds, allowing operators to visualize traffic flow, public transportation status, surveillance information, and other mission-critical data in real time. Matrox Video technology was integrated into the control room environment to create a centralized monitoring platform. Video signals are delivered through a combination of direct connections and AV-over-extension technologies, while Matrox MuraControl provides centralized management and content control. Audiotonas selected Matrox Video based on its experience with previous visualization and control room deployments. The platform had demonstrated reliable long-term performance

and integration flexibility while meeting the project’s requirements for multi-display management, high-resolution video processing, low-latency performance, scalability, and 24/7 operation. “This project enabled the customer to significantly improve real-time visibility and operational efficiency in their traffic management processes,” Justinas, technical sales engineer at Audiotonas said. “By leveraging Matrox Video technology, we delivered a reliable and scalable control room solution tailored to the customer’s needs. The collaboration with Matrox Video ensured a smooth implementation and highperformance result.” The new control room infrastructure has significantly enhanced the operational capabilities of Klaipėdos Paslaugos, providing a reliable platform for monitoring traffic conditions and public transportation operations

across the city. With centralized control and improved visualization capabilities, operators can display and manage multiple highresolution sources simultaneously, creating a comprehensive real-time view of transportation networks and critical operational data. Compared to the previous installation, the solution delivers greater system stability, improved flexibility in content layout and display management, and simplified day-today operation. The enhanced visibility into traffic and transport activities has helped improve operational awareness and response times, enabling operators to make faster, more informed decisions. The scalable architecture also ensures the organization is well positioned to accommodate future growth and evolving transportation management requirements while maintaining dependable 24/7 performance.

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WORKPLACE COLLABORATION NOW SMOOTH SAILING Today’s workplace is more fluid than ever. Teams gather in person one hour, collaborate with colleagues across continents the next, and often need meeting spaces that can change just as quickly as the agenda itself. At its Pune office in India, SailPoint Technologies has embraced that flexibility, creating an intelligent collaboration environment powered by Kramer that supports meetings of different sizes and formats. Founded in 2005, SailPoint Technologies is a global leader in enterprise identity security, helping organizations protect digital identities across increasingly complex IT environments. With collaboration playing an important role in its global operations, SailPoint required meeting spaces that could adapt easily to different needs while providing a consistent experience for both in-room and remote participants. At the heart of the project was a common but complex AV challenge: enabling two neighboring meeting rooms to operate independently for everyday meetings, while also allowing them to become one larger space for executive presentations, training sessions, and town hall events. When the rooms are combined, the audio, video, USB, and control environment also needs to work as one. When separated, each room needs to return to independent operation—without users having to manually reconfigure the technology. SailPoint partnered with SRSG Broadcast India Pvt. Ltd. to design and deliver a fully integrated Kramer solution combining professional audio, 4K video distribution, wireless collaboration, USB connectivity, and centralized room control within a dedicated AV network. At the touch of a button, users can select the required room configuration, with the underlying AV systems working together to support the selected environment. The result is a consistent experience whether the space is being used for a small team meeting, hybrid collaboration, or a larger company event. At the core of the video architecture is the Kramer VS-66H2 matrix switcher, providing flexible routing of multiple video sources to

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displays across the rooms. Kramer SWT322-HU-WP-T wall plates provide USB-C and HDMI connectivity for laptops, while Kramer VIA Connect3 enables wireless presentation and collaboration. This gives employees the flexibility to connect and share content in the way that best suits the meeting. For long-distance signal distribution, Kramer EXT3-TR and TP-583R HDBaseT solutions transport 4K60 video and control signals over structured cabling, with USB extension provided by the EXT3-TR, creating a reliable infrastructure capable of supporting the different room configurations. Professional audio was an equally important part of the design, particularly when the spaces are used for hybrid meetings. Dual Kramer DSP-62-AEC digital signal processors provide acoustic echo cancellation, automatic microphone mixing, and noise suppression, with dedicated processing logic supporting both independent and combined room configurations. Audio is amplified through the Kramer PA-240Z and distributed through ceiling loudspeakers, providing consistent coverage across the spaces and supporting clear communication between in-room and remote participants. Hybrid collaboration is further simplified through the Kramer SWT3-41-U, which enables cameras, microphones, and other USB peripherals to be shared between the rooms. This removes the need to manually reconnect USB equipment when the room configuration changes and supports BYOD workflows across conferencing platforms such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom. Bringing the complete environment together is the Kramer KC-Virtual Brain1, coordinating video routing, audio processing, USB management, and room-combine functionality through a centralized control platform. Kramer RC-308 wall controllers provide straightforward one-touch operation for everyday users, while an Apple iPad interface provides access to additional controls when required. Users can select Room 1, Room 2 or Combined mode, with the system coordinating

Photographs courtesy of Kramer

the required AV functions behind the scenes. This reduces the complexity typically associated with divisible meeting spaces and enables users to focus on the meeting rather than the technology supporting it. “This project demonstrates how intelligent system design and the Kramer ecosystem can transform modern meeting environments into flexible, high-performance collaboration spaces,” Ashish Papadkar, IT support specialist at SRSG Broadcast India Pvt. Ltd. said. “The seamless room management and centralized control architecture give SailPoint the operational simplicity and enterprise-grade reliability needed to support different meeting formats.” For SailPoint’s IT team, the unified architecture also simplifies the environment that needs to be supported. A dedicated AV network provides a segregated infrastructure for the collaboration technology, while the integrated approach makes ongoing maintenance and future expansion easier to manage. The result is a flexible collaboration environment designed to adapt from everyday meetings to hybrid sessions, training, and larger events without requiring users to think about the technology behind it. Whether the rooms operate independently or as one combined space, the same Kramer infrastructure supports consistent video, audio, USB connectivity, and control.

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Photographs courtesy of WyreStorm

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HOSPITALITY AND EDUCATION AV AT THEIR FINEST Abu Dhabi Hospitality Academy – Les Roches opened in September 2024 through a partnership between the Department of Culture and Tourism of Abu Dhabi and Les Roches. The academy combines Swiss hospitality education with Emirati heritage, with a focus on developing the next generation of hospitality leaders. Located in Abu Dhabi, the academy occupies a newly developed four-story building dedicated entirely to hospitality education. The technology environment had to be designed from the ground up as part of a wider development. Advanced Integration Technologies (AIT), a leading Pro AV integrator in the UAE, was responsible for delivering a variety of integrated and interconnected technologies across the building, with WyreStorm selected for key areas where reliability, ease of use, and long-term flexibility were especially important. As a brand-new development, the academy had no existing AV infrastructure in place. AIT therefore had to design and deliver the system from the ground up, working within a tight timeline and with very little room for trial and error. The technology needed to be reliable from day one, easy for users to operate, and flexible enough to support very different environments. AIT approached the project by looking at how each space would be used rather than applying the same AV setup everywhere. One of the key areas was the academy’s podcast studio, which was designed to support interviews and curriculum-related content creation by both students and teaching staff. The studio includes Canon cameras, Shure microphones, and other professional production equipment, with WyreStorm extension and matrix switching technology forming part of the supporting AV infrastructure. Reliability was especially important in this space. During recording or production, the technology needed to work consistently in the background without interrupting the session or slowing users down. WyreStorm’s role was therefore focused on providing a dependable signal path and switching infrastructure behind the production environment. In the academy’s boardrooms and meeting spaces, the priority was simplicity. Employees and executives wanted a plug-and-play experience without downloading software or going through

a complicated setup process before a meeting could begin. WyreStorm presentation switching, wireless presentation, and video collaboration solutions were integrated with the Crestron control system and room cameras to create a more straightforward user experience. The aim was simple: Users should be able to enter the room, connect, and start working without needing technical support in a fully integrated futuristic AV space. For a busy education and corporate environment, that ease of use was just as important as the underlying technical capability. The completed installation gives Abu Dhabi Hospitality Academy – Les Roches a modern AV environment built around the way its key production and collaboration spaces are actually used. “We had a very clear requirement on this project: The technology had to be reliable, easy to use and ready from day one,” Sayed Yammine, general manager of Advanced Integration Technologies said. “The solution gave us the confidence to deliver that across very different spaces, from the podcast studio to the boardrooms and meeting areas. The overall result has been excellent, and we are extremely satisfied with how the solution has performed.” The success of the project comes down to matching the technology to the way each space is actually used. In the podcast studio, that meant dependable infrastructure behind the production workflow. In the meeting spaces, it meant making presentation and collaboration as straightforward as possible. For the academy, the result is technology that supports the work happening in each room without getting in the way of it.

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PRODUCTS THAT MATTER

SEE, HEAR, CONNECT

Workplace Control

BIAMP’S WORKPLACE CONTROL is a new intelligent AV automation platform that delivers a rare combination of simplicity, flexibility, and power in a single control solution. Built on the Biamp Workplace platform and running natively on TesiraFORTÉ X Series DSP hardware, Workplace Control empowers integrators and end users to create sophisticated, event-driven automation without complex programming. Easily discover Biamp devices, drag and drop them into a design with simple panel layouts, and generate a complete control configuration in minutes. It offers an intuitive no-code design workflow, transforming AV systems into intelligent, automated environments. In-room control is accessed via Apprimo Touch panels.

biamp.com

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2 4

3 2

4K PTZ Cameras

The latest SONY 4K PTZ CAMERAS, including the BRC-AM7, SRG-A40, SRG-A12, and upcoming SRG-AS10, incorporate AI technology. This enables PTZ auto-framing for smooth, natural capture; Ball Sports (Basketball) Mode for automated capture of indoor basketball games; automatic framing including support for multiple people; as well as facial recognition capabilities. Paired with high image quality, sensitivity even in low-light environments, options for 4K 60p, robust protocol support, and flexible installation and capture, Sony’s AI-enabled PTZ cameras require less manual input and support while accommodating a range of different corporate, education, and live production applications and needs.

pro.sony

KLCOB V2 Series

D50

ABSEN’S KLCOB V2 SERIES is a COB LED display designed for professional AV environments, including boardrooms, meeting spaces, and collaborative settings. Flip-chip COB and HBB common cathode technologies help manage heat while delivering a seamless visual experience. With a 15,000:1 contrast ratio, 160-degree viewing angles, and pixel pitches from 0.78mm to 1.56mm, the series supports clear, detailed content for presentations, data sharing, and group discussions. Its lightweight design, measuring just 39.3mm thick, allows for flexible installation. Front maintenance, excellent flatness, wet-cleaning support, and dual backup power and signal help simplify upkeep and support reliable operation.

AUDIO-TECHNICA’S D50 DIGITAL UHF WIRELESS SYSTEM draws on decades of digital wireless expertise. The D50 was purpose-built to meet the true needs of integrators and users. We held nothing back in designing this system, combining the best aspects of our existing models with useful technological advances to create a multichannel wireless system that leads its class in sound quality, RF stability, operational versatility, and value. Boasting an expansive bandwidth (up to 244 MHz, depending on region) in the all-important TV broadcast range, D50 wireless allows for secure, flexible channel planning wherever the system is deployed, even in the most complex RF environments.

absen.com

audio-technica.com

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CP-PVOT-C1622

CAPTIVATE’S CP-PVOT-C1622 is a 4K dual-camera solution designed to create more natural, engaging video experiences in meeting rooms, classrooms, and collaboration spaces. Its dual-camera design combines a wide room view with intelligent PTZ tracking, allowing the camera to automatically follow speakers or presenters while maintaining awareness of the full space. AI-powered features including speaker tracking, presenter tracking, and auto-framing help remote participants clearly see who is speaking without manual camera control. With NDI support, the CP-PVOT-C1622 can also distribute video across the network, expanding its use into training, streaming, production, and other networked video applications.

hallresearch.com

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LD-A1381F DvLED Display

SHARP’S LD-A1381F DVLED DISPLAY is a 1.5mm-pixel-pitch, 138-inch Full HD All-inOne display designed for organizations that need dependable visual communication, practical deployment, and professional image quality with a quick setup. LD-A1381F packages the viewing surface, processing, audio, and core collaboration features into a streamlined solution that reduces system complexity. Part of the Sharp A Series, it supports crisp, large-scale content for boardrooms, lobbies, command environments, higher education, branded experiences, and public venues. The large canvas helps presentations, video, and data-driven content feel immersive and easy to follow.

business.sharpusa.com

MXA925 Ceiling Array Microphone

SHURE’S MXA925 CEILING ARRAY MICROPHONE marks 10 years of Microflex Advance innovation, delivering premium audio capture for today’s smart workplaces. Built to perform in challenging acoustic environments, it reduces background noise and room reverberation so every participant can hear the conversation more clearly. Certified for Microsoft Teams and Zoom, the MXA925 also supports the growing use of AI-powered collaboration tools by improving speech intelligibility. It’s the next step in Shure’s commitment to providing audio that supports AI-assisted collaboration, delivering reliable and consistent audio that overcomes real-world meeting room challenges.

shure.com

DTP3 CrossPoint 42 USB

EXTRON’S DTP3 CROSSPOINT 42 USB is a compact 4x2 matrix switcher that supports USB 10Gbps data at the local USB-C host port and four-port hub, plus host switching and USB 2 data extension. It incorporates Extron-exclusive Vector 4K scaling technology capable of 4K/60 4:4:4 and features USB-C and HDMI inputs, HDMI outputs, and a DTP3 output for extending video, embedded audio, USB data, power, and control signals. It delivers fast and reliable AV switching in professional environments. Additional features include 100W USB-C device charging, audio de-embedding, seamless transitions, and logo keying.

extron.com

Expanded ClickShare Hub Portfolio

BARCO’S EXPANDED CLICKSHARE HUB PORTFOLIO for Microsoft Teams Rooms bundles around the manufacturer’s modular wireless conferencing system for effortless hybrid meetings. The portfolio includes solutions for a range of meeting spaces, from small rooms with the ClickShare Hub Core and Logitech MeetUp2 or Sennheiser TeamConnect Bar S, to medium rooms with ClickShare Hub Pro and Sennheiser TeamConnect Bar M. For small to medium-sized spaces, ClickShare Hub Pro is also available with Huddly C1. Each bundle combines native Microsoft Teams Rooms experiences, wireless 4K content sharing, enterprise-grade security, and simple, engaging collaboration for every participant.

barco.com

LS740-4K Laser

10 Projector

VIEWSONIC’S LS740-4K LASER PROJECTOR is a high-performance, low-maintenance projector that can be used in various environments. It delivers 5,000 ANSI lumens at 4K UHD resolution and is powered by the latest laser phosphor technology, providing up to 30,000 hours of maintenance-free operation. A dedicated Golf Mode optimizes color accuracy to make fairways and putting surfaces look lifelike. It features a 1.6x optical zoom for placement flexibility while 360-degree projection supports a variety of installations. The LS740-4K comes with an IP6X-rated sealed optical engine that blocks dust to ensure consistent image quality without the need for a filter.

viewsonic.com

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13 12 11

TeamConnect

11 ListenTALK

12 Ceiling M Plus

13 Collab Compute

AMPETRONIC | LISTEN TECHNOLOGIES’ LISTENTALK is a two-way communication system ideal for multiple applications and venues, including assistive listening, guided tours, training, group communication, language interpretation, and more. ListenTALK enhances audio in any setting and helps overcome the challenges distance, noise, and hearing loss pose to clear communication to increase inclusion and provide more engaging experiences. The ListenTALK system features small transceivers (combination transmitters/ receivers), accompanied by venue-provided or users’ own headphones or earbuds with built-in mic. Users press and hold a button on the transceiver to speak to the leader or the group. Neck loops are available for individuals with telecoil-equipped hearing aids and cochlear implants.

SENNHEISER’S TEAMCONNECT CEILING M PLUS (TCC M Plus) is a ceiling array microphone engineered for medium and large flexible collaboration and learning spaces. Building on the proven TCC M platform, TCC M Plus introduces PartnerLink, a scalable integration framework that brings TCC M Plus natively into partner platform workflows, eliminating separate plugins and Dante configuration. Launching with Q-SYS Designer with extension to additional platforms over time, PartnerLink dramatically reduces setup complexity and engineering time. An optimized dynamic beamformer delivers enhanced speech intelligibility and improved camera tracking accuracy at distance, while enhanced exclusion zones give integrators precise control over unwanted audio sources. Dante encryption secures the audio stream end to end.

CRESTRON’S COLLAB COMPUTE is the next-generation standard for enabling hybrid meetings across the Crestron portfolio. Delivering the performance and reliability required for modern collaboration spaces, the Collab Compute takes a thoughtful and mechanical approach for fast, clean deployments that IT teams can standardize and scale across any space. Collab Compute features purpose-built I/O to support professional AV integration with multiple displays, cameras, and audio devices, in addition to supporting BYOD presentation and conferencing over USB-C with the Crestron 80 Series touch screens. AI-ready with Intel Core Ultra processors for future-ready meeting experiences, the Collab Compute is the core for bringing consistency, connectivity, and performance to every space.

listentech.com

sennheiser.com

crestron.com

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Planar UltraRes

RoomSuite

Unified Cloud

14 L Series

15 Collaboration Bar

16 Platform

PLANAR’S ULTRARES L SERIES Full HD resolution all-in-one MicroLED and LED displays combine Planar’s best-in-class LCD features with award-winning fine-pixelpitch LED technology. As an ideal replacement to classroom projection, the easy-touse display features on-board processing, audio, 10-point IR touch technology for enhanced collaboration, as well as multiple inputs to support simultaneous viewing of up to four content sources. Customers benefit from 109-, 122-, and 136-inch sizes and wall-mount or rolling floor stand options for permanent or mobile installation needs. The display can be quickly assembled with only two people and powered using a single 110V cable.

The Q-SYS ROOMSUITE COLLABORATION BAR BY QSC is a Windows‑based, all‑in‑one collaboration device designed for simple configuration and deployment across standardized, repeatable meeting spaces. It integrates audio, video, compute, and control into a single solution, reducing system complexity while delivering a consistent collaboration experience. The system features four high‑resolution 50MP cameras, a 16‑element microphone array, and integrated loudspeakers. It ships with a dedicated 10.9‑inch touchscreen controller for intuitive meeting and device control out of the box, supporting Microsoft Teams Rooms environments. Designed as part of the Q‑SYS Full Stack AV Platform, the Collaboration Bar extends collaboration solutions across the modern high‑performance workplace and connects to Q‑SYS Reflect, a cloud‑based platform for monitoring and managing Q‑SYS systems.

LEGRAND | AV’S UNIFIED CLOUD PLATFORM, powered by Xyte, brings remote monitoring and management for supported devices and systems into one AI-powered, vendor-agnostic experience. Evolved from RackLink Cloud, it includes Xyte’s AI Teammate for context-aware diagnostics and guided troubleshooting—plus event-driven automation for power cycles, alerts, and remediation. Real-time and historical analytics cover device performance, usage, and energy consumption. The platform connects alongside Crestron XiO and Q-SYS Reflect, integrates with Zoom Rooms and Microsoft Teams Rooms, and sends AV incidents into tools such as ServiceNow, Jira, and Slack. It is hosted on AWS with data encrypted in transit and at rest.

planar.com

legrandav.com

qsys.com

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18 17

PowerLite 870E Ultra-Short-Throw Laser Projector

EPSON’S POWERLITE 870E ULTRA-SHORTTHROW LASER PROJECTOR is designed for classrooms and meeting spaces where scale and clarity define the experience. It delivers 3-chip 3LCD color and 4Ke detail at twice the resolution of Full HD, with 5,000 lumens of color and white brightness for easy reading in well-lit rooms. Versatile projection technology supports display sizes up to 180 inches, expanding what one image can cover across meeting rooms and lecture halls. Native Apple AirPlay and secure Miracast link up to 50 devices, while a lamp-free laser light source runs up to 30,000 hours.

epson.com

18 Humly Sense

19 HU Product Line

HUMLY SENSE BY HUMLY is a software-sensing gateway built into Humly Control Panel that establishes an open API channel of communication between other open devices. Humly Sense can receive and process data from any open device upon triggering its API, empowering new automated features in Humly products that help organizations build smarter, healthier, and more efficient workspaces. For example, Humly Sense enables real-time presentations of occupancy tracking and environmental monitoring information. Those readings populate on the backlit LED displays of Humly Booking Device and Humly Room Display, the company’s two award-winning premium hardware products, and dynamically update as conditions change.

KRAMER’S HU PRODUCT LINE was designed to deliver flexible, modular connectivity built for BYOD and hybrid workflows, enabling integrators to design modern meeting rooms, classrooms, and collaboration spaces with greater simplicity and confidence. Beyond the existing SWT3-31HU and SWT3-31-HU-TR switchers, Kramer has expanded the HU offering with the introduction of the SWT3-21-HU-TR and MTX3-42-HU. Marking a major step forward in Kramer’s AVSM offering, HU products bring together HDMI, USB-C, and USB connectivity in a single, unified product line, designed for today’s hybrid meeting and learning spaces. HU products deliver one of the most comprehensive and versatile switching and extending offerings in the industry, covering USB-C charging, 4K video, data, power, and device connectivity.

humly.com

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kramerav.com

20 21

CV625 PTZ/POV

Certified Microsoft

20 Camera

21 PanaCast U30

22 Teams Rooms Solution

MARSHALL ELECTRONICS’ CV625 PTZ/ POV CAMERA, featuring a dual sensor and dual lens, streamlines collaboration and presentation capture in corporate and higher education environments. It combines a 25x optical zoom PTZ camera with a panoramic POV camera to capture presenter close-ups and wide room views simultaneously, with picture-in-picture output options. Additionally, its intelligent auto-tracking smoothly follows presenters while maintaining awareness of other people in the room to support natural, engaging presentations and lectures. It delivers video up to UHD 4K at 60fps, along with HDMI, 3G-SDI, Ethernet, and USB 3.0 connectivity, making it a versatile solution for meeting rooms, lecture halls, and hybrid collaboration spaces.

JABRA’S PANACAST U30 is a premium BYOD video bar designed for flexible, plugand-play collaboration in small rooms. Combining intelligent video technology, professional audio and simplified deployment in a compact device, it delivers a simple, affordable way to equip more small rooms for high-quality hybrid meetings. The device is optimized for small spaces through a wide 120-degree field of view. Premium features like Intelligent Zoom and Dynamic Composition automatically follow the conversation, and a built-in speaker and six microphones deliver full-duplex, room-filling audio. A single USB-C cable enables simple BYOD workflows, and onboarding wallpaper provides on-screen guidance for faster meeting starts.

NUREVA AND AUDIOCODES’ CERTIFIED MICROSOFT TEAMS ROOMS SOLUTION combines the Nureva HDL310 audio conferencing system with the AudioCodes RXVCam70 dual-lens PTZ camera, RXV200-ES Android Intelligent AV hub, and RX-PAD-ES meeting room controller. It allows users to equip Microsoft Teams Rooms with reliable audio, intelligent video, and simple room control—without tabletop or ceiling microphones, complex DSPs, or custom programming. Built on the Microsoft Device Ecosystem Platform (MDEP), it delivers full-room microphone pickup, intelligent camera tracking, and intuitive device control. Nureva’s patented Microphone Mist technology creates thousands of virtual microphones, while AudioCodes devices streamline management for a seamless, scalable Teams Room experience.

marshall-usa.com

jabra.com

nureva.com

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Logitech Rally Bar 2

LOGITECH RALLY BAR 2 is the next-generation video bar for medium to large meeting rooms that combines all-in-one simplicity with stunning video and studio-quality audio. Brilliant wide-angle optics and a 1” image sensor work hand in hand with advanced AI-powered framing modes to ensure you get the best view of everyone in the room. Featuring a sleek, low-profile design, it takes minutes to install and moments to manage. Get room health and utilization insights with the embedded occupancy sensors. With next-generation processing power, this device excels today and is engineered to future-proof your video rooms for tomorrow’s AI-driven meeting experiences.

logitech.com

EVSW4K41 Wireless Collaboration Switcher

VANCO’S EVSW4K41 WIRELESS COLLABORATION SWITCHER simplifies conference room and presentation workflows by giving users wired and wireless ways to share content to one display. This 4K 4x1 multi-format switcher supports AirPlay and Miracast for BYOD wireless sharing, along with two HDMI inputs and one USB-C input for 4K video, USB data, and up to 60W charging. Designed for collaboration spaces, it supports HDMI 2.0b, 4K@60Hz, 4:4:4, HDR, and HDCP 2.2. Built-in audio de-embedding, USB host/device connectivity, auto-switching, Smart EDID, and CEC/RS232 display control help integrators create streamlined meeting-room systems.

vanco1.com

Wireless Collaboration

25 Hub

LIBERTY’S WIRELESS COLLABORATION HUB reimagines collaboration by combining wireless presentation and conferencing into a single, intuitive platform that makes sharing, connecting, and meeting effortless. Designed for conference rooms, classrooms, training spaces, and modern hybrid environments, it eliminates the cable clutter, compatibility issues, and complexity that often prevent seamless collaboration. What sets the Wireless Collaboration Hub apart is its unique dual-connectivity approach. Users can instantly share content through native AirPlay and Miracast support, while the included USB-C conferencing puck provides a secure, plug-and-play experience for guests and enterprise users. This hybrid model delivers exceptional flexibility, reliability, and compatibility across virtually any device.

libertyonline.com

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27 Utelogy Workspace

26 CIP 5

27 Management Platform 28 The Mobile

CREST AUDIO’S CIP 5 brings professional sound performance and intelligent connectivity to modern installations. Designed for audio-over-IP (Dante or AES 67) networks, the CIP 5 is ideal for hospitality, retail, corporate, and educational applications. Featuring a 5.25-inch woofer and 0.78-inch high-frequency driver, this compact wallmount loudspeaker delivers clear, balanced audio for commercial environments. Powered by PoE++ technology, the CIP 5 combines integrated amplification, digital audio transmission, and power delivery through a single Ethernet connection, simplifying installation and reducing cabling requirements.

The UTELOGY WORKSPACE MANAGEMENT PLATFORM helps organizations monitor, manage, and optimize AV and unified communications technology across their estate. Its vendor-agnostic approach brings mixedbrand devices and meeting spaces into a single view, giving IT and AV teams greater visibility and control. Real-time monitoring, remote support, and intelligent automation help identify issues, reduce manual tasks, and keep rooms ready for use. Actionable insights support better decisions on technology performance, utilization, and energy consumption. From individual offices to global deployments, Utelogy enables more reliable meeting experiences, more efficient support, and scalable operations, helping organizations maximize their workplace technology investment.

peaveycommercialaudio.com

utelogy.com

ASHTON BENTLEY’S THE MOBILE extends enterprise-grade collaboration beyond fixed meeting and educational spaces, delivering high-performance AV wherever it’s needed without compromising on standards or the user experience. From video conferencing to presentations and agile breakout sessions, The Mobile—designed to accommodate all leading display brands, from single displays of 55 to 65 inches up to large-format displays of 86 to 110 inches—provides a premium meeting experience without the complexity or permanence of traditional AV installations. Designed for seamless integration with your preferred display and VC platform, it supports scalable, enterprise-ready deployment. Built on the same design-led ethos as our room systems, it’s purpose-built to perform, and designed to impress.

ashtonbentley.com

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29 CAM-0402-NDI-BRG

30 MS-RSE-G

31 Meeting Owl 5 Pro

WYRESTORM’S CAM-0402-NDI-BRG is a 4K multi-camera video bridge designed for conferencing, streaming, recording, and hybrid collaboration. It combines up to eight video sources, including HDMI, USB, and network-based NDI streams, into a unified output over USB, HDMI, or NDI. Multiview support allows up to four sources on screen at once, while plug-andplay UVC/UAC compatibility makes it easy to use with platforms including Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Meet, OBS, and vMix. Native Microsoft Teams integration also enables source switching directly within a live Teams meeting, helping simplify multi-camera collaboration environments.

MSOLUTIONS’ MS-RSE-G brings centralized monitoring and control to distributed AV environments through a compact, secure mediation device. Measuring just 60x37x23mm, the solution bridges IP networks and legacy RS-232 equipment, allowing IT and AV teams to remotely monitor and manage connected systems across meeting rooms, campuses, and enterprise facilities. Supporting RS-232, USB-A and IP interfaces, the MS-RSE-G enables secure communication through encrypted SSH connections while simplifying integration with existing infrastructure. Its discreet footprint allows flexible installation near connected equipment, helping organizations improve system visibility, streamline troubleshooting, and reduce the need for onsite technical intervention.

OWL LABS’ MEETING OWL 5 PRO is a 360-degree camera, microphone, and speaker system designed to support hybrid collaboration across enterprise and small business environments. The all-in-one, center-of-table device combines video, audio, and connectivity into a single solution, reducing the need for multiple components and offering flexible meeting room technology across any room type. The device’s intelligent video and audio automatically captures participants and highlights speakers in real time, creating a more natural meeting experience for remote attendees. Five configurable meeting modes let teams adapt the experience for presentations, casual check-ins, and larger collaborative meetings. The device also supports wired and wireless multi-device pairing, enabling expanded coverage in larger spaces while maintaining a consistent user experience.

wyrestorm.com

m4sol.com

owllabs.com

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34 32

10G Xstream

AV EXTENDERS’ 10G XSTREAM platform delivers ultra-high-performance AV-over-IP transport over standard network infrastructure. Supporting visually lossless 4K video distribution with low latency and enterprise-grade scalability, 10G Xstream enables organizations to build large-scale AV networks capable of supporting demanding applications including digital signage, collaboration spaces, command centers, and higher education environments. Designed for interoperability and simplified deployment, the platform provides the bandwidth and flexibility required for next-generation AV ecosystems while leveraging existing IT infrastructure. The result is a powerful, future-ready solution that bridges the gap between AV performance and network scalability.

avextenders.com

Aetria Control Room Management Platform

DATAPATH’S AETRIA CONTROL ROOM MANAGEMENT PLATFORM—with its secure, multi-site connectivity—is one of the year’s most significant control room innovations. Powered by the Secure Streaming Gateway (SSG), Aetria enables operators to securely share, monitor and manage sources across multiple control rooms in real time, regardless of location. This allows geographically dispersed teams to collaborate more effectively, improve situational awareness and make faster operational decisions from a single, unified environment. Combining secure source sharing, centralized management, and intuitive operation, Aetria is helping redefine how modern organizations connect and operate distributed control rooms.

34 Zavus AIO JUPITER’S ZAVUS AIO brings the stunning visual impact of MicroLED into a sleek, allin-one display designed for modern collaboration spaces. Available in 4K and 1080p configurations, Zavus AIO delivers vibrant colors, deep contrast, and exceptional clarity through advanced COB MicroLED technology. With ADA-compliant wall or cart mounting options, optional touch capability, and a streamlined installation process, it is built for enterprise, education, and control room environments alike. Zavus AIO combines premium image quality with ease of deployment, giving organizations a powerful new way to communicate, collaborate, and engage.

jupiter.com

datapath-us.com

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36 HP Dimension with

35 Google Beam

36 StudioEdge

HP DIMENSION WITH GOOGLE BEAM brings lifelike 3D collaboration to corporate and higher education environments, helping people connect more naturally across distances. Combining a large display, advanced camera system and spatial audio, the solution enables natural eye contact and immersive conversations without specialized headsets. For universities, this technology presents opportunities to strengthen connections between students, faculty and industry professionals, from remote mentorship and career development to collaborative research and recruiting. By making virtual interactions feel closer to in-person experiences, HP Dimension with Google Beam helps institutions and organizations create more meaningful connections when physical presence isn’t possible.

QUICKLINK’S STUDIOEDGE is a professional remote contribution platform designed to bring broadcast‑quality audio and video from everyday communication tools into production environments. It supports major conferencing platforms including Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and the newly added Cisco Webex and WhatsApp, providing discrete, reliable feeds for live or recorded workflows using familiar, everyday communication tools and applications. Also featuring strengthened Microsoft Teams capabilities, added multi‑caller support, join notifications, active speaker and screen‑sharing functionality, as well as compatibility with Teams Rooms, StudioEdge has been made even more flexible for modern production teams.

hp.com

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quicklink.tv

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