AV Technology - Technology Manager's Guide to BYOD, M & You - October 2023 by Future PLC

THE TECHNOLOGY MANAGER’S GUIDE

OCTOBER 2023

BYOD, M & YOU PLUS: 39 AV/IT THOUGHT LEADERS ON THE STATE OF COLLABORATION AV/IT TEAMS WHO PRIORITIZE THE “WE” IN WORK AND THE UC IN FUN 42 AV/IT PRODUCTS THAT ENABLE COLLABORATION IN THE HYBRID WORKPLACE 5 CASE STUDIES DEMONSTRATE HOW THE NEAR AND VERY FAR MAKE IT WORK

THE TECHNOLOGY MANAGER’S GUIDE

OCTOBER 2023

Photo: Mersive

IN THIS ISSUE

Editor’s Note...............................................................................04 If workers are only going into the office three days of the week, then where is everyone going?

Photo: Crrestron

AV/IT Team..................................................................................06

WeWork Team: Implementing a frictionless, global collaboration solution at WeWork was a true team effort. Mattel Team: From Barbie to Hot Wheels, customer presentations and corporate productions at Mattel are all about education, engagement, and collaboration.

Thought Leaders .......................................................................16 We asked 39 experts from across the AV/IT industry who are part of developing solutions to consider the elements that make up a successful collaboration environment—near and far

Case-in-Point ..............................................................................34 A Quiet Environment for Private Conversation | Making the Dream Work with Teams | Giving Back Through Collaboration | A 360-Degree Business Approach | Boosting Efficiency and Reducing Costs Photo: Vaddio

42 Cover Image: Getty Images

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Products That Mattter ............................................................44 Forty-two products that enable collaboration, content sharing, intelligible audio and clear visuals.

FOLLOW US twitter.com/AVTechnologyMag CONTENT VP/Content Creation, Anthony Savona Brand and Content Director, Cindy Davis, cindy.davis@futurenet.com Contributing Writer, Macy O’Hearn Group Art Director, Nicole Cobban Design Director, Sam Richwood Production Managers Heather Tatrow, Nicole Schilling ADVERTISING SALES

EDITOR’S NOTE

WHERE IS EVERYONE GOING? by Cindy Davis

Managing Vice President of Sales, B2B Tech Adam Goldstein, adam.goldstein@futurenet.com, 212-378-0465

I’VE WORKED FROM HOME FOR EIGHT

research firm IDC to conduct a global study

Janis Crowley, janis.crowley@futurenet.com,

YEARS, and I sure don’t miss the several

on the challenges facing businesses in the age

hours per day wasted on commuting. It wasn’t

of hybrid work. Notably, over 50 percent of

productive work time, and it certainly was not

respondents said they were pushing for a return

contributing to quality of life. An average of

to office, mainly to improve corporate identity

845-678-3752

three hours per day (15 hours per week) that, I’d

and enhance collaboration. Despite the push

SUBSCRIBER CUSTOMER SERVICE

be no worse off than if I had my head in a vise.

for a complete RTO, 98 percent of respondents

Recently, on several occasions, I’ve needed

said they recognize the importance of hybrid

to drive during rush hour (which now averages

meetings. As a result, organizations are urging

845-414-6791 Debbie Rosenthal, debbie.rosenthal@futurenet.com, 212-378-0473 Zahra Majma, zahra.majma@futurenet.com,

To subscribe to AV Technology or Future’s other AV industry brands, go to https://www.smartbrief.com/subscribe LICENSING/REPRINTS/PERMISSIONS

around three hours), both into Boston and

employees to go to the office a fixed number

team to discuss partnership opportunities.

retracing my old commute to the west of the

of days per week, yet on any given day, many

licensing@futurenet.com

city. The traffic was as bad, if not worse, than

staff will still be working from home. This sparks

MANAGEMENT

when I worked in the office. By all the stats

a need for off-the-shelf audio technology to

SVP Wealth, B2B and Events, Sarah Rees

AVTechnology is available for licensing. Contact the Licensing

I have read and interviews I’ve conducted,

improve meeting experiences. This equipment

Managing Vice President of Sales, B2B Tech, Adam Goldstein

workers only go into the office on an average

is often only “good enough” and doesn’t address

Head of Production US & UK, Mark Constance

of three out of five days a week. So, where are

the root of the issue—that employees are

all these people going?

unable to communicate effectively.

Managing Director, B2B Tech & Entertainment Brands, Carmel King

Head of Design, Rodney Dive FUTURE US, INC. 130 West 42nd Street, 7th Floor New York NY 10036

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Chief Executive Officer Jon Steinberg Non-Executive Chairman Richard Huntingford Chief Financial and Strategy Officer Penny Ladkin-Brand

Tel +44 (0)1225 442 244

Interviews or meetings I was part of conducted

Vanessa Jensen, senior specialist of market

pre-2020 were mostly by phone or an audio-

development at Shure, said, “With the right

conferencing platform. For me, Zoom (and other

technology, organizations can improve the

platforms) has been the greatest innovation since

hybrid work experience. With appropriate

sliced bread. It makes me feel more connected to

technology for meeting rooms as well as remote

the people I am speaking with because I can see

work environments, employees can participate

expressions, intensity, and smiling faces. Frankly,

regardless of location, improving overall morale

I don’t care if there is an occasional barking dog

and satisfaction.”

or children in the background. If that’s the new work environment, then so be it. As a remote worker, what is not great is when

“Businesses now understand the reality that modern AV and IT technologies are required to ensure productivity and success,” said Adam

videoconference or collaboration sessions

Griffin, the director of sales and business

with corporate offices aren’t set up with the

development in North America at Atlona. “AV

proper audio, video, or content sharing to

systems have become the heart of the office,

be productive. Three years ago, we weren’t

and the technology elements that drive the

prepared. Today, manufacturers are delivering

hybrid office are generally familiar to the

AI-enabled cameras and microphones, content

workforce.”

sharing and recording solutions, and so much

The following from Lee Binschus, key account

more to make the near and far collaboration as

manager at Absen, sums this up most succinctly,

much like being in one room as possible. Let’s

“Productive collaboration thrives on a customer-

make this happen.

focused culture, strong communication, and

Shure recently commissioned market

effective leadership.”

AV/IT TEAM

Collaboration Begins with “We” Implementing a frictionless, global collaboration solution at WeWork was a true team effort. The result? An optimized inperson workplace experience across hundreds of locations.

eWork builds coworking spaces where people and companies come together, get inspired, and do their best work. Since opening its first location in New York City in 2010, WeWork has grown into a global network of more than 500 workspaces in 39 countries that empower tomorrow’s world at work. With spaces that combine thoughtful design and technology, WeWork required frictionless, user-friendly collaboration systems designed for a wide range of working styles. Mersive’s Solstice platform not only met that requirement, offering nearly instantaneous sharing and collaboration, but allowed WeWork to integrate their booking systems with Mersive’s Dynamic Digital Signage for a better user experience, more cost-efficient use of WeWork spaces, and the opportunity to tap into new sources of revenue. PLATFORM-AGNOSTIC COLLABORATION “We give our members the ability to collaborate, connecting their computers, phones, iPads, or

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other devices to room displays. With the previous hardware-based solution, cables and dongles were often misplaced…and TVs were getting damaged. Because the more hands you put on the equipment, the more likely it is to get broken. We needed a platform-agnostic solution where people could wirelessly share their screen to the TV without having to touch equipment,” Jacob Robinson, director of Engineering at WeWork said. Most importantly, it all had to be scalable and easy to manage. Robinson and the team at WeWork surveyed the competitive landscape and did their due diligence to research and test systems, including Mersive’s Solstice collaboration platform. WeWork’s AV Architecture team learned about Solstice in 2015. According to Robinson, competing solutions they tested were limiting; had “clunkier” software that needed more permissions; required additional hardware such as dongles, hubs, and switchers; and were generally more difficult to install by comparison.

Photos: Courtesy of Mersive

By AV Technology Staffi

Jacob Robinson is the director of Engineering at WeWork.

Robinson explained that WeWork began deploying Mersive Solstice in 2017. “The main thing that attracted us to the Mersive Solstice collaboration platform was its reliability. With competing solutions, we had to constantly reboot, the uptime on the devices wasn’t good, and the devices were not as modern as what Mersive was offering for essentially the same price or less.” He continued, “In terms of collaboration, you can install the application on any operating system or share your screen from any device, whether it’s AirPlay, Android, or anything you use.” STREAMLINED POD DEPLOYMENT Before deploying Mersive Solstice company wide, WeWork put the solution through its paces, installing it at a few sites and spending several months evaluating it before ramping up. “Once we vetted Solstice, it was deployed quickly. We were buying Solstice Pods several thousand at a time. To date we’ve purchased around 15,000 Pods.” With that many Pods over 500 locations, the solution had to be extremely reliable, scalable, easy to deploy, and easy to manage. “From a sheer manpower perspective, deploying any solution site by site is time-consuming and a huge task,” Robinson said. Solstice Cloud makes deploying new Pods simple. WeWork can simply plug the device in, register it to Solstice Cloud with the serial number, and the Pod comes online. WeWork can also manage its thousands of Pods from Solstice Cloud. For example, they can see in a moment’s notice if a Pod is down. They can also leverage configuration templates and schedule updates or change digital signage. Rich analytics let them collect data from spaces and use those insights to optimize room use. “You can now deploy Pods from anywhere,” Robinson said. “Solstice Cloud has been a big time saver for us when it comes to installing Solstice Pods.” Mersive’s Solstice collaboration platform not only met WeWorks’ needs for wireless and platform-agnostic sharing with simple deployment via Solstice Cloud, but it also helped WeWork solve for cumbersome security warnings. Typically when users try to connect their devices to screen-share in any collaboration platform, they get a warning screen that said their connection might not be secure. This is not normally a huge imposition, but across thousands of devices shared by WeWork customers all over the world, messages add up

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The wireless, platform-agnostic Solstice collaboration solution allows users to seamlessly share their screen to the TV without having to touch equipment.

to generate support calls and can negatively affect the overall user experience. As of the Solstice 6 release, however, users can share via any web browser by navigating to Share.Mersive.com and security certificates are automatically loaded. WeWork has even customized their member experience by implementing their own URL for members to use. This easy way of sharing allows users to wirelessly and securely share content through their browser of choice without having to download and install an app to their personal device. “This immediately gives you the ability to start showing your screen, minimizing the barriers to sharing and maximizing the experience,” Robinson said. “At WeWork where people are paying for the room by time, we have to get people sharing as quickly as possible, so webbased sharing is a game-changer for us.” REDUCING CONFERENCE ROOM “SQUATTERS” Because space and time are at the core of WeWork’s product offering, better management of both helps the company succeed. Mersive’s Solstice platform has always offered the ability

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“We had motion sensors developed to work with the Solstice platform, so that if movement is detected in the room, the screen can display a welcome message." —Jacob Robinson

for companies to customize displays’ splash screens. WeWork required additional digital signage customization capabilities—like making the background a video, moving text around, and implementing room responsiveness features. Mersive worked directly with WeWork to develop a Dynamic Digital Signage feature in the Solstice platform that is endlessly customizable because it’s a hosted web page. This feature is available to all Solstice customers. “We had motion sensors developed to work with the Solstice platform, so that if movement is detected in the room, the screen can display a welcome message,” Robinson explained. “If the room is not booked, we leverage Solstice’s calendar API so that a screen will pop up that informs the person in the room they need to book it in order to use it. This helps WeWork make more efficient use of space and reduce conference room ‘squatters’ where people are using rooms without booking.” “I feel like we’re really pushing the boundaries of what digital signage can do with Mersive, and it’s making the experience for our members as good as it can be by giving them a fully customized WeWork experience,” Robinson added. “Since

When thousands of devices need deployment across hundreds of locations, simplicity is key: WeWork can plug a new Pod in, register it to Solstice Cloud, and it comes online.

we’ve deployed digital signage in this way, we have seen a dramatic increase in positive experience reported. Complaints have gone down, tickets have gone down…it’s a great improvement.” Of course, with 15,000 devices, WeWork inevitably needs some support. “Mersive has always been really, really good about understanding what the issue is and getting to the bottom of it. In terms of quality assurance, they do extensive testing on their software before they release it, which may make the software releases take longer, but it also means that the software we’re getting is always going to work. They’re very receptive and are diligent with any sort of bugs or feature requests.” IT TAKES A TEAM Throughout the entire specification, deployment, and evolution of WeWork’s Mersive Solstice solution, collaboration remained at the heart of it

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all, both in design and execution. Robinson works closely with Marko Markovic, WeWork senior Software Engineering manager, who develops and supports calendar service integration and WeWork internal support portals between the WeWork booking system and Solstice Pod. Ben Gartenstein, WeWork Infrastructure engineer, is also a crucial part of the team. He develops and supports calendar service integration, development and support of automated DNS assignment per device using the screen.tv domain, motion sensor data collection and analysis, creation and deployment of media, and support for various other Solstice features. “We always have careful consideration for highly scalable solutions due to all of the sites that we support. This is true for new development as well as supporting existing infrastructure, which means we build custom tools to deploy and manage our fleet,” Robinson

said. “Our team is successful because they have mixed experience in software, network, and AV engineering.” WeWork also works with a wide variety of integrators in various locations, including companies like USIS, Maxus, ComNet, Wachter, Gibson, GlobalCom, IES, WBE, Integrity, ASD, BlueWave, Americom, and EquipBureau. “Each integrator is a slightly different experience, but for the most part the experience working with AV teams has been positive,” Robinson said. In the end, Mersive delivered a collaboration solution that could be templated, easy to deploy, and used on a massive global scale. WeWork harnesses that solution in locations all over the world to build an in-person workplace experience that not only optimizes room bookings, but helps to inspire its members with true collaboration every day.

AV/IT TEAM

Creating a Unified Communications Experience From Barbie to Hot Wheels, customer presentations and corporate productions at Mattel are all about education, engagement, and collaboration. Photos: Clear-Com

By AV Technology Staff

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remier toy brand Mattel turned to Clear-Com to create a cohesive and robust voice communications solution for its corporate video production team to stay continually connected. For Mattel, its customer presentations and corporate productions are all about education, engagement, and collaboration. With a mission to create innovative products and experiences that inspire and entertain, Mattel has a sophisticated corporate video production unit to capture its audience’s attention and tell its products’ stories—from webinars to toy demos, sales presentations, and investor pitches. These types of corporate communications and live events allow Mattel to adapt its message in a compelling way. Mattel’s senior AV technician and audio engineer, Jose Robles is no stranger to overcoming the challenges of event production and has regularly assembled the solutions needed to make a customer event, live sporting event, or concert come together seamlessly. A POSITIVE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE For the process to remain unified and consistently deliver a positive customer experience, Robles trusts Clear-Com. Robles tests the system constantly as a fail-proof communication tool for his AV production and corporate team. “Clear-Com offered us a network-friendly communications system to tie our six studios and our main corporate tower together— an extensive infrastructure that we need to keep connected,” Robles said. “We host many live event presentations with broadcast quality content and technology, bringing people together from all over the world, and have created an environment for high-value production and presentations. That’s why we opted for the Arcadia IP platform and FreeSpeak II technology—it’s perfect for our corporate AV over IP environment that requires a large deployment of wireless users across multiple locations. We often must expand our communications to multiple venues and integrate outside participants or remote members of our production team. By using our existing IP network, we can quickly and reliably expand our intercom system.”

Mattel’s senior AV technician and audio engineer, Jose Robles tests the system constantly as a fail-proof communication tool for his AV production and corporate team.

IP CONNECTIVITY Clear-Com’s Arcadia Central Station is Mattel’s central communications hub that delivers a

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workflow platform helping the company deliver engaging brand experiences for its customers, including the likes of Disney, Amazon, Costco, and more. Arcadia is tied into network switches, utilizes Clear-Com’s LQ Series of IP connectivity interfaces, and supports third-party Dante devices. Together, this has created a smart IP communications solution across the entire Mattel comms infrastructure. Robles and his AV team can now manage all communications from a single location, without the need to have matrixed intercom systems at different ends of the network connections. The Clear-Com configuration software ensures the AV team can quickly set up users or troubleshoot without sending an on-site team to one of the production studios. Plus, the system can be easily expanded by adding more transceivers and beltpacks. “We also added fiber throughout our buildings, which combined with our Arcadia IP intercom system has been a game-changer,” Robles added. “This is helping us futureproof our infrastructure against increased video bandwidth, allowing us to transmit more data, audio, and video. I can simply patch any channel with another building now through fiber. Plus, we can transmit our content and communicate effectively during our productions over longer distances than ever before, and without signal interference. All ideal for our campus-wide AV systems, conferences, and presentations.” From pre-production to each corporate production, dependable and coordinated communications are a priority for Mattel. “Clear, instant, and direct communication between the camera crew, producer, lighting crew, floor manager, and the rest of our team in any of our live productions is critical to ensure everything is working smoothly,” Robles continued. “It’s an immediate connection, so our team can talk and listen in real-time with their hands-free.” HYBRID MODEL The pandemic showed Mattel that remote was becoming the new reality, and today its production team is using a hybrid model that works well for them. During the pandemic, Mattel’s corporate productions and customer presentations continued during a period when many companies ceased operations. With the assistance of Clear-Com’s IP capabilities, the company provided remote access and comms for their technical team and customers to participate and interact in productions

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Using Dynamic Digital Signage, emergency notifications and other relevant messaging can be broadcast to the entire campus community at a moment’s notice.

All from Mattel's central control room, intercom channels can be finetuned, the gain adjusted to improve the sound for comms users, and troubleshoot with audio engineers in another building.

Mattel opted for Clear-Com's Arcadia IP platform and FreeSpeak II technology for its corporate AV over IP environment that requires a large deployment of wireless users across multiple locations.

regardless of their location. This exercise proved that remote production and all the essential team communications around it could work well. Robles added, “We’re just providing our team with the right tools to perform their job offsite, and they’ve all really embraced this IP-centric approach.” COMMUNICATIONS GLUE Mattel also opted for Agent-IC mobile app licenses, which add intercom functionality on mobile devices. This app connects to Mattel’s network, allowing remote production team members access to its intercom channels. “It’s been like communications glue for our team, and we were able to maintain our usual workflow seamlessly. Agent-IC is a vital part of the success of our productions as it provides an intercom panel on a mobile device, giving our remote team the communications connectivity they need,”

Robles continued, “I really love the combination of Clear-Com technology—the wired and wireless options plus Agent-IC. It’s really helped remove a lot of the unnecessary back-and-forth emails that can waste time and energy for our production team as conversations are now in real-time. From a technical standpoint, I can fine-tune the intercom channels, adjust the gain to improve the sound for comms users, and troubleshoot with audio engineers in another building, all from my central control room.” For Mattel, the benefits of effective production communications include increased engagement with its B2B customers, effective sales and marketing, and enhanced internal communications. “Clear-Com Arcadia, FreeSpeak II, and Agent-IC have really supported us in our customer engagement strategies, taking our video productions to the next level,” Robles concluded.

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THOUGHT LEADERS

ON BYOX By Cindy Davis and Macy O’Hearn

uring the past three years, employees have grown

accustomed to using their own devices in the comfort of their own homes for at least part of the work week. In response, organizations are seeking hybrid technologies to create a workplace experience that entices employees to return to the office and is easy to use. Bring your own device, meeting, or even yourself is still being played out. And so, this month, we asked experts from across the AV/IT industry who are part of developing solutions to consider the elements that make up a successful collaboration environment—near and far.

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ADAM GRIFFIN Director of Sales and Business Development, North America Atlona The back-to-office versus remote work discussion has reached a fever pitch in the corporate world. We see more companies issuing back-to-office mandates of four to five days a week, however the thirst for a true hybrid work model and the flexibility that comes with it remains strong among workers and even managers. For enterprise businesses that embrace the latter, the allure of remote days among the workforce has transitioned into a recruiting tool for enterprise. These businesses also now understand the reality that modern AV and IT technologies are required to ensure productivity and success. AV systems have become the heart of the office, and the technology elements that drive the hybrid office are generally familiar to the workforce. We see more automated technologies inside meeting spaces, from occupancy sensors to wireless presentation switchers, that reliably bring presentations and entire rooms to life. We see control technologies that are easier to use, and not terribly different from the home automation systems people use to control HVAC, lighting, and security, whether from a touch panel or their mobile phones. As these rooms come to life on campus, they also come alive for remote workers dialing in from their home office or a coffee shop. These workers can clearly see and hear people who are physically in the room with ease, thanks to the video cameras, ceiling speaker systems, and signal extenders that bring content directly to their distant locations. For large corporate campuses, AV-over-IP technologies have also increased the flexibility of how that content can be shared across different spaces. All of this adds up to a collaborative workflow that brings the hybrid workforce together in a productive manner.

LEE BINSCHUS Key Account Manager Absen Early in my professional career, I received some advice on leadership that results in the best-run companies in the world: Treat your colleagues like customers. Act as if Accounting is a customer of Purchasing, who is a customer of Warehousing, and this will facilitate a cooperative mindset. Communication is key, especially for remote work. Digital tools will bridge gaps. And finally, leadership matters; the right people should become involved at the right times. In short, productive collaboration thrives on a customer-focused culture, strong communication, and effective leadership.

Photo: Getty Images

VANESSA JENSEN Senior Specialist, Market Development Shure Around the world, organizations are grappling with how to create effective hybrid working environments for their employees. Whether an employee is signing on to a meeting from the office or home, all employees should have equal ability to contribute and collaborate. Shure recently commissioned market research firm IDC to conduct a global study on the challenges facing businesses in the age of hybrid work. Notably, over 50 percent of respondents said they were pushing for a return to office, mainly to improve corporate identity and enhance collaboration. Despite the push for a complete RTO, 98 percent of respondents said they recognize the importance of hybrid meetings. As a result, organizations are urging employees to go to the office a fixed number of days per week, yet on any given day, many staff will still be working from home. This sparks a need for off-the-shelf audio technology to improve meeting experiences. This equipment is often only “good enough” and doesn’t address the root of the issue—that employees are unable to effectively communicate. This tells us there is a disconnect between how organizations think they can improve communication and the methods they need to implement to actualize an effective hybrid working environment. When employees are urged to effectively communicate and collaborate, yet not given the tools to do so, frustration arises. This can lead to poor performance within an organization, with employees unable to do their best work. With the right technology, organizations can improve the hybrid work experience. With appropriate technology for meeting rooms as well as remote work environments, employees can participate regardless of location, improving overall morale and satisfaction. According to the research, organizations who invest in high-quality audio see a significant impact on meeting effectiveness, improving employee motivation, productivity, well-being and happiness, as well as agility and decisionmaking.

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ROBERT MAYS Associate Product Marketing Manager C2G It’s important to consider not only the vast rate at which collaboration is happening, but also the more intensive and complex signals it requires, as well as the impact from a connectivity standpoint. Connectivity must support the full range of collaborative environments as well as their signals, from those joining at a personal workstation up to large conference rooms and lecture halls. The problem is traditional connectivity has a length limitation. One solution is active connectivity, which leverages a chipset that is capable of pushing that signal further and much more efficiently. A smaller conference room can typically be supported by standard active connectivity cables. Larger boardrooms, classrooms, and lecture halls, however, will need longer extensions over category cables, which can support and overcome many distance limitations. An HDBaseT extender, for example, allows traditional 4K HDMI length limitations of 30 to 35 feet, to go up to 328 feet when a CAT cable is inserted into the equation. This also provides the infrastructure to connect and transmit signals beyond video, namely, audio, power, and data. It also empowers technology professionals to control a smart board or projector from anywhere. When you want to extend signals even further, then you’re looking at HDMI-overIP technology, which will support multiple sources and multiple receivers or displays.

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MARK BONIFACIO Director, Business Management, Professional Display Solutions Sony Electronics After several years of identifying and refining the ways in which technology can enhance our operations, especially in remote and hybrid environments, the biggest takeaway for creating a productive collaboration environment lies in the ability to create a sense of meeting equity. The goal is for everyone working or learning together— whether in person or remotely, together or separately—to feel connected in the same way. All stakeholders have an opportunity to see and hear from others and, in turn, be seen and heard and have access to the same tools and information. Technology and video conferencing have helped elevate this notion and get us much closer to this ideal, however, there is still work to be done. As we work towards more meaningful meeting equity, we’re also prioritizing engaging audiovisual experiences in a more practical way. With this, inclusive collaboration rooms built upon intelligible audio and video are becoming a popular option in place of traditional board rooms. As collaboration spaces grow, we’re seeing an increased adoption of Microsoft Teams Rooms or Zoom Rooms. With this comes a shift to the 21:9 aspect ratio, which is further accommodated through options such as Microsoft Front Row which provides simultaneous access to people, chats, and content for an enhanced, easier-to-use, and more lifelike experience. As dvLED prices continue to decrease, more applications can take advantage of these displays and use them with wider aspect ratios, enabling immersive vantage points for all participants. These new technology-driven spaces for combining in-person and virtual participants are helping usher in a new era of real-time collaboration from virtually anywhere, saving time, enhancing productivity, increasing interactivity, and providing a better sense of inclusion for all parties.

SONIA OCHANI Business Insights Manager, Business Communications Sennheiser Meeting rooms and classrooms are constantly evolving with the latest AV solutions, driven by the demands of modern organizations and their hybrid workforce. With new AV advancements rolling out every day, it’s important to not lose track of the key for a successful collaboration space: audio functionality. During hybrid meetings, it’s especially important to have a secure audio system because teams need it to communicate and collaborate seamlessly. Both working and learning environments require standardized solutions with highquality audio and intelligibility to provide successful engagements. To execute, organizations must invest in solutions that accommodate all collaboration spaces, such as small- or medium-sized conference rooms and lecture halls with custom solutions that feature voice lift, mobile-activated listening, or talk-back features for large spaces and/or hearing-impaired participants. A productive collaboration environment is one where a participant’s location does not interfere with the outcome of the conversation, because everyone can hear what is happening and equally be heard. One element that supports productive collaboration environments is voice lift. AV solutions with features like voice lift and beamforming allow speakers and/or participants to amplify their speech throughout the conference room and provide the speaker with mobility to move about the meeting space without needing a physical microphone in hand or attached to their body. Another element that supports productive collaboration is mobile-activated listening and talk-back features. Technology that empowers all participants to engage in meeting spaces not only boosts collaboration, but it allows those who are hearing impaired to participate and feel included. And finally, to ensure consistent audio quality, AI-driven audio calibration optimizes sound settings based on the room’s acoustics, which helps stabilize the different environments a meeting can take place.

KEN EAGLE Chief Executive Officer Hall Technologies Whether you’re working in a physical office space or remotely from the comfort of your home, building a productive collaboration ecosystem is essential. One crucial element that often goes unnoticed but plays a pivotal role in this equation is audiovisual (AV) signal distribution. As an AV signal distribution manufacturer, we understand the significance of seamless communication and collaboration, both near and far. The foundation of any productive collaboration environment is a reliable AV signal distribution system. This includes the seamless transmission of audio, video, and data across various devices and locations. High-definition video conferencing, crystalclear audio, and lag-free screen sharing are all non-negotiable components of collaboration. Investing in technology ensures that teams can communicate effectively and without disruption, whether they’re in the same room or on

“Every organization is unique, and collaboration needs can change over time.” —Ken Eagle Chief Executive Officer, Hall Technologies different continents. Every organization is unique, and collaboration needs can change over time. A productive collaboration environment should be flexible and scalable to adapt to these evolving requirements. AV signal distribution systems should accommodate both current and future needs, making it easy to add new endpoints or upgrade equipment as necessary. Collaboration is not limited to traditional video conferencing anymore. It encompasses various tools and platforms, including messaging apps, project management software, and document sharing platforms. An effective collaboration environment seamlessly integrates with these technologies, allowing

teams to access and share information effortlessly. This integration fosters a culture of efficiency and productivity. Downtime can be disastrous for collaboration efforts. To ensure uninterrupted communication, AV signal distribution systems should be reliable and incorporate redundancy measures. Redundancy ensures that even in the event of a component failure, the system can continue functioning, minimizing disruptions and downtime. By focusing on high-quality AV signal distribution and fostering a culture of open communication, inclusivity, and skill development, organizations can create collaborative ecosystems that drive productivity.

SAM RECINE Vice President, Global Strategic Partnerships Matrox Video In developed economies, approximately 80 percent of labor is employed in services industries, while industry and agriculture combined employ the remaining 20 percent of workers. Today’s services market comprises increasingly hyper-structured, hyperspecialized, and time-sensitive functions. Organizations and individuals that can harness structure, discipline, and the ability to work towards delayed or abstract rewards are advantaged. Almost 50 percent of workers today consider themselves digital natives and this number is expected to increase to 75 percent in the next five years. Sharing information and experiences to improve both effectiveness and quality of work-life are moving in tandem with these labor force facts. Unified communications and collaboration combine enterprise communication with real-time and asynchronous cooperation capabilities. The enabling role of technology products and services in this picture is to offer a mixture of friction removal for organizations to use any of the necessary mixtures of product types and different brands required to accomplish their goals, while also continuing to evolve new mixtures of reach and performance capabilities that are less rigid and more adaptive. Remote work is a prime example of bringing the work to where the people are instead of strictly the people to where the work is. And this needs to be accomplished against a more tense trade war and cybersecurity climate. Standards and open specifications try to keep pace with these realities. Oftentimes, new workflows are proven with proprietary implementations. But, in the long run, these walled gardens are often untenable as the market seeks to achieve supply chain security, system flexibility, management of cap-ex and op-ex, scalability, and resilience in order to maximize organizational outcomes. In AV/IT, it is healthy to see the emergence of things like IPMX, ST 2110, AES67, and NMOS aimed directly at these problems.

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PETRO SHIMONISHI Director of Pro AV Systems and Connected Ecosystems Panasonic Connect It’s hard to remember a time when remote and hybrid work wasn’t the norm. Days spent in your cubicle, the early morning commute—there’s a lot not to miss. However, two components have been challenging to replicate in the remote world: connection and collaboration. While 98 percent of employees prefer to work remotely at least part of the time, 53 percent say they don’t feel as connected to their coworkers. Collaboration and connection are the building blocks of quality work and employee culture, and directly correlate to recruitment and retention. To ensure success on the remote and hybrid trajectory, this challenge needs to be addressed. Audiovisual technologies—from projectors to cameras to microphones—are the key piece. PTZ cameras are must-haves when bridging the in-person and remote gap. Beyond meeting the obvious need for crisp and clear imagery, PTZs utilize artificial intelligence to identify, track, and record speakers as they move throughout the room, without manual operation. Just like how our head moves when talking to someone in person, the camera does the hard neck work, helping remote participants seamlessly follow the flow of the speaker. For in-person teams, projection technology lets presenters show high-definition images that keep audience members engaged. They’re also extremely beneficial in creating vibrant environments for corporate events, which we know is crucial to creating employee connections. Visual elements are important to collaboration, as is audio. Ceiling microphones can automatically adjust based on where speakers are located. So long are the days of leaning forward on the conference room table to make sure you’re heard. Teams can also wirelessly connect ceiling microphones to their PTZ cameras so auto-tracking visuals align with speaker audio. Ultimately, this technology lets remote attendees clearly hear individual in-person speakers, ensuring they’re able to equally absorb and contribute key information.

JOHN HENKEL Director of Product Marketing NETGEAR With hybrid work here to stay, AV (and IT) managers are tasked with maneuvering a new set of challenges by creating an environment that provides equivalent experiences and opportunities. Now more than ever, constituents have diverse requirements to achieve a productive collaboration environment—going beyond the traditional onsite AV installs. I’d recommend having a good plan ahead of time when upgrading or developing a new AV install, as it will determine the products and systems that best meet your needs—ultimately setting you and your team up for success. First, know who the products will service; a mobile workforce, in-office desk dwellers, and remote offices will all have different needs and network challenges. Second, think about the types of facilities your install will be supporting, whether that is multiple conference rooms, individual PCs, and/or an auditorium. Third, understand the type of content that will need to be supported— anything from Zoom calls to full-scale multimedia broadcast or streamed productions. Fourth, determine the way your network will be managed, either by onsite staff or through an offsite VAR/integrator. Lastly, think beyond the AV components when planning your install. Wi-Fi is just as important to seamless collaboration and can be an easy addition to any plan. It’s vital to pick the right partner to help guide you through every step. With the help of complimentary planning services, Pro AV and Pro Wi-Fi configuration becomes a much less daunting task. This support will help you streamline the selection and implementation process, and gain an understanding of your tech, helping mitigate any potential threats to productivity down the line. Different collaborative environments will require thoughtfully planned and curated systems. By having the right configuration ahead of time, you will ensure your team is equipped with the best tools for creating a productive environment, eliminating typical IT issues and allowing everyone to focus on the work at hand.

NANCY KNOWLTON Chief Executive Officer Nureva There’s an old expression that says, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.” You might think that this is an apt expression today when so many people have declared that they never want to go to the office again, preferring instead to work at home. Bit by bit, the evidence is emerging that this may not be optimal for organizations where face-to-face collaboration and engagement offers specific benefits. One area that deserves deeper consideration is young staff members who are early in their careers. I’ve heard their commentary about being digital natives, meaning they can work from home very effectively. I have no issue conceding the digital natives’ part, but what’s missing in the analysis is the chance encounters, the opportunity to ask questions immediately, and the learning by osmosis that comes from in-person work. There is a tremendous amount of mentoring and guidance that comes from

“Almost anything can be managed when the work and relationship foundations are strong.” —Nancy Knowlton Chief Executive Officer Nureva

proximity. While I may not formally mentor someone, words of encouragement and a shared lunch can go a long way to building social and cultural capital that will retain, motivate, and develop young workers. When life happens and someone needs to stay home with a cold, there’s a strong working bond that can carry through virtual meetings. Almost anything can be managed when the work and relationship foundations are strong. This does, of course, mean that

everyone needs to have communication and collaboration tools at their fingertips. And the organization needs to have not just the technology in the office that makes the remote experience productive, but they need the concrete skills around engaging remote participants to get the best from them as well. It turns out that there is something to leading staff—to giving them opportunities to learn and grow, as well as the tools for needed flexibility.

EFFI GOLDSTEIN President HDBaseT Alliance Creating productive collaborative environments using Pro AV solutions requires a holistic approach to planning that takes both technical and human aspects into consideration. Of course, the capabilities of the AV equipment that users will use to connect and communicate with are always at the top of the to-do list, along with choosing an infrastructure that is versatile, scalable, and can be easily upgraded and advanced to keep up with our industry’s rapidly evolving technologies. However, one of the more overlooked and perhaps equally crucial factors is exploring the overall user journey, from the time they enter the environment, either in-person or remotely, to the moment that they leave it. AV/IT managers need to put themselves in their users’ place and really think about what they are expecting, how they are going to use what’s been made available to them, and what challenges they may face. Often, it’s not about picking the perceived best equipment, but rather the best equipment for your particular company or organization. The more focus, attention, and emphasis that is put on both these user interfaces and the overall user experience, the greater chance AV/IT managers have of creating entire systems that stakeholders will be more motivated to leverage to their full potential, thus allowing them to enjoy more equitable interactions.

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JOSH BLALOCK Chief Video Evangelist Jabra At a basic level, a team’s success or failure to create a productive and collaborative environment heavily depends on the support of leadership. Teams do well when executives invest in them. Today, the way we collaborate with one another has been challenged through an increase in online and hybrid meetings. In order to make sure everyone is connected and can perform at their best, employees must be equipped with the right tools and empowered to navigate this new virtual-first world of work. Access to technology is paramount in this regard. But not all technology is equal, and without the right devices—from headsets and speakers to video tools—employees can quickly fall behind and feel left out. It’s essential that leaders give employees the tools they need to succeed and allow them to use devices that best suit their needs. This will instill trust, empower employees to collaborate with teammates, and allow them to put their best foot forward. In fact, Jabra research found that 46 percent of employees agree that colleagues appear more competent and trustworthy when they use video during meetings. At the same time, supplying teams with innovative meeting technologies is only half the battle. To welcome them to a new era of meetings, leaders need to provide employees with comprehensive training, guidance, and support on how to adapt to hybrid meetings. Of course, there will still be challenges on the path to inclusive and productive work, but technology and knowledge will help employees evolve to meet the moment now and in the future.

DAVID ALBRIGHT Senior Business Development Manager, Hybrid Collaboration and Learning Legrand | AV Productive collaboration environments need to be easy to deploy, easy to use, and easy to connect. Today’s meeting rooms must be optimized for both the people in the space and those connecting to it remotely, so that all users can be seen and be heard. Designing hybrid meeting environments that best allow everyone in the meeting, regardless of location, to feel seen and heard is critical to successful collaboration. As enterprises and other organizations look at investments focused on encouraging people back into the office, the benefits of this new collaboration paradigm are compelling and create more productive office environments. On a practical level, this means re-thinking how AV technology is installed in the room to provide flexibility for various meeting modes. Lighting, acoustics, and connectivity all affect the experience users have when they enter a space, and critically enhance the experience of those connecting remotely. The user experience needs to be seamless with minimal friction for those using the meeting space, and consistent from room to room for ease of use, or else the meeting spaces will go under utilized and the in-office culture will suffer. Prime examples of all this technology working together are Microsoft’s Signature Teams Rooms environments, which enhance meeting room design to create the best Teams Room experience for all. Signature Teams Rooms focus those in the room around a large display surface—ideally a 21:9 aspect ratio display or screen to optimize screen real estate for content, individual attendee video feeds, chat, and more—and around cameras, speakers, and microphones so that in-person attendees are easily seen and heard by remote attendees. When all this is considered and our meeting spaces are enhanced for hybrid work, we enable a more equitable and productive environment for all.

ANGELA COMITINI Director of Alliances GTM Q-SYS For years, studies have proven that our environments directly influence how we feel, work, and perform. However, as the workplace continues to evolve—and hybrid, remote, and flexible working strategies become the new norm—the way we structure collaborative settings must also adapt. In a world defined by distributed teams and diversity, meeting rooms and domains for synchronized work must now focus on inclusivity, empowering teams to communicate and share ideas in an immersive, engaging format. Frost & Sullivan, in studying the evolving workplace, found that a new type of work space has begun to emerge in the modern world—encompassed by advanced audiovisual and control platforms, and capable of giving teams access to more powerful interactions. A new category of meeting room has arrived: the high-impact space. The high-impact space

“Deploying the right technology solutions allows for creativity and knowledge to flow naturally, leading to significant improvements in employee engagement and productivity.” —Angela Comitini Director of Alliances GTM Q-SYS transforms the traditional meeting space. With the right solutions, companies can transform underused rooms into inclusive, peoplecentric, and engaging environments that support exciting, collaborative work. Designing these meeting spaces means looking beyond the size or shape of the meeting room and thinking about the goals the environment aims to achieve. For instance, working hand-in-hand with the champions of hybrid work at Microsoft, Q-SYS is working to equip Signature Microsoft Teams Rooms, which are designed to cultivate high-impact work. Focusing on creating a more inclusive experience for every employee,

Q-SYS allows companies to design meeting rooms and collaborative spaces to empower and engage staff members. High-impact meeting room technologies support companies in addressing collaboration challenges such as delivering an elevated and seamless in-room experience, while also taking advantage of opportunities related to the future of work. Deploying the right technology solutions not only allows companies to reconnect and reengage with employees, but it allows for creativity and knowledge to flow naturally, leading to significant improvements in employee engagement and productivity.

KURT DEYOUNG Chief Revenue Officer Nanolumens Organizations are grappling with the challenges of facilitating effective collaboration across vast geographic distances, often involving an abundance of devices, operating systems, and software applications. This complexity has paved the way for Unified Communications and Collaboration (UCC) technology. Visual technologies like dvLED play a critical role in creating productive collaboration environments both near and far. UCC technology serves as a bridge, bringing together various communication tools and collaboration solutions into a seamless and user-friendly interface. With ultra-wide, 21:9 aspect ratio displays, UCC creates a more natural and immersive visual experience. Human peripheral vision spans up to 210 degrees horizontally, and ultrawide screens like Microsoft Teams Front Row (MTR) are perfectly suited for delivering engaging content. Traditional meetings often take place at long boardroom tables, fostering a linear interaction. However, the use of ultra-wide displays can mimic this setup, providing an enriched user experience and higher customer satisfaction. Wider displays enable presenters to engage with whiteboards and notepads while incorporating touch functionality. In corporate and broadcast settings, this means clearer visuals with approximately 33 percent more pixels, ensuring effortless viewing of reports and presentations. UCC facilitates collaboration among workers located in different parts of the world, using diverse devices, within a unified digital space. UCC seamlessly integrates with popular applications like MTR and Zoom, enabling teams to collaborate on documents, provide quick feedback, and efficiently manage tasks and projects. dvLED is uniquely positioned in this environment to provide seamless viewing angles that make collaborations more meaningful and productive.

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MAUREEN SCHMIDT Vice President of North America Sales Avocor The biggest shakeup happening in the workplace right now is between staff working fully remotely and a hybrid return to the physical office. The media is reporting pushback from remote workers across the U.S., who are accustomed to working at home and who can’t easily travel to an office two or three times a week. While organizations determine their hybrid working policies, the good news is that high-performing hardware and software technologies already exist to support teams that are remote, hybrid, in office, or all of these things. And technology is where workplace culture investment needs to be prioritized. Investing in the right tools can support and replicate the workplace for remote and hybrid staff. One solution is interactive collaboration displays, such as those we develop here at Avocor, that connect remote and in-person devices. We also partnered with Google Workspace back in 2021 to create Google Meet Series One by Avocor—two products designed to provide a complete hybrid solution for the over 6 million businesses using Google Meet. Desk 27 is a personal, 27-inch QHD resolution touchscreen which also acts as a desk monitor, laptop docking station, and digital whiteboard. Board 65 is a 65-inch interactive touch display for small-to-medium collaboration spaces. Meeting participants can quickly connect their laptops via USB-C for power, device control, and instant content sharing. Series One offers an enterprise-wide, standard-issue technology. It provides employees with the same high-quality experience and security, whether they are joining a meeting from home, the office, or the meeting room itself.

JOE ANDRULIS Executive Vice President of Corporate Development Biamp Both workers and managers agree that enabling hybrid work scenarios represents the best method of ensuring productive work environments for the greatest number of employees. This was a key insight resulting from a recent survey completed by Biamp. We asked 2,400 survey respondents from across the globe about individual work preferences, and distinguished between those considered “end users” and those who are “decision makers.” In response, organizations must find and implement solutions that balance the needs of those in the office and elsewhere, creating working environments that are hybrid but equal. Chief among those solutions is effective hybrid conferencing technology for collaboration. To achieve equality, end users highlighted several key factors to a successful hybrid video conferencing meeting. First, meetings should be quick and easy—they should start without delay. Second, great sound trumps video; video conferencing solutions need great sound to be effective, even more so than video. Third, after quality sound, end users expect quality video. Fourth, in addition to being easy to set up, the software and hardware must be easy to operate during the meeting. And finally, end users also want the remote attendees to feel just as involved as those in the office conference room. To address these pain points, organizations must continue investing in audiovisual conferencing technology that is not only easy to use, but provides quality sound and video no matter where attendees are located. That means providing the necessary tools for effective meetings in the office, and ensuring that people located elsewhere can be involved seamlessly. At the end of the day, most end-user and decision-maker respondents see the office as a main space for getting work done, but it’s up to business leaders to create and transform the office environment into spaces that reflect the realities and requirements of working from anywhere.

ANDY RHODES Division President, Hybrid Systems HP As more people return to the office, seamlessly transitioning between locations is more important than ever. HP’s recently launched Work Relationship Index reveals that today’s knowledge workers want a say in the technology and tools their employers provide, expecting them to work together effortlessly. Establishing a productive collaboration environment for employees, regardless of location, involves a comprehensive approach that includes effective leadership and the right technology. Effective leadership is crucial for making employees feel connected and included in a flexible work environment. Inclusive cultures can be cultivated through regular check-ins, team-building activities, and feedback sessions. By prioritizing work outcomes and meaningful connections, organizations can foster a collaborative and

“Organizations that adopt thoughtful, inclusivity-focused strategies can harness the strengths of both remote and in-office work.” —Andy Rhodes Division President, Hybrid Systems HP

results-driven atmosphere. Secondly, companies can significantly influence employees’ experiences and interactions at work by investing in devices and solutions that enable seamless collaboration, immersive meeting experiences, and efficient workspaces. For example, equipping employees with the right technology can help take collaboration to the next level, ensuring every participant in a meeting, no matter their location, can be seen

and heard equally. This empowers individuals to contribute effectively to meetings and fosters a sense of belonging within the team. While flexible work models may sometimes create divisions within teams, organizations that adopt thoughtful, inclusivity-focused strategies can harness the strengths of both remote and in-office work. This approach fosters an environment where employees feel valued, heard, and empowered to contribute to their fullest potential.

ADAM SHULMAN Product Lead, Installed Systems Business Bose Professional As organizations around the world navigate the hybrid work style, the goal is to create an environment where productivity remains strong while supporting work-life balance for employees. Key to this is ensuring that the technology—whether hardware or software— enables efficient, productive communications, regardless of a room’s size or configuration, or participants’ locations. Incorporating technology that provides flexibility—from a variety of room types and sizes to the capabilities offered—continues to be a critical component in creating an environment that supports a culture of productivity. Hybrid meetings take place everywhere in the workplace—not just in purpose-built conference rooms. Video conferencing has become a staple of doing business, and the power this provides lies in how it allows people from around the globe to meet, collaborate, and conduct business at a rapid pace. Ultimately, the goal is to create an environment and culture where the meeting experience is equitable for everyone involved, whether that person is remote or in the office. Technology that provides flexibility supports a variety of work styles and expectations— whether people want to bring their own device to a meeting or use a variety of conferencing platforms on in-room tech. But while video conferencing technology is rapidly advancing, it may never be truly identical to a fully in-person meeting. Therefore, hybrid meetings will continue to require a culture of flexibility from both inperson and remote participants to provide the most productive and equitable experience for everyone.

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CHRIS MERTENS Vice President of U.S. Sales, B2B Displays Samsung Electronics America Hybrid work and learning environments are commonplace now and will likely stick around for years. In fact, Gartner predicts that by 2024, meetings will drop from 60 percent in person to 25 percent in person. In this new world of hybrid collaboration, businesses, schools, and government agencies need technologies that provide seamless connectivity and ease of use. Solutions should empower individuals to connect and collaborate from their devices and interact with the same content, regardless of location. For instance, an internet-enabled, interactive whiteboard offers multiple connectivity options for remote and in-person participants to share content, edit documents, and make annotations. Individuals in the same room can screencast from their phone, laptop, or tablet and write directly on the board, with their notes reflected in real time for people joining remotely. Likewise, remote participants can mirror their screens and interact with content using the same collaboration features as those physically in the room. In a university setting, such connectivity enriches the hybrid learning experience and ensures every student can fully participate during lectures. Ease of use is important for fostering creative collaboration. For example, technologies should make saving important information and ideas easy during group discussions. Live recordings and transcription software can help capture entire brainstorming sessions. Suppose a group uses an interactive display to take notes and organize their thoughts. In that case, users should be able to take a screenshot or screen recording, save it digitally, and share it with all participants after the meeting. When collaboration technology is easy and intuitive, teams can worry less about the technical aspects of working together and focus on bringing their best ideas forward. Effective collaboration tools are ultimately designed for simplicity. They help everyone stay connected, maintain strong peer relationships, and spark new thinking.

JEREMY MEYER Co-Owner CableEZ In today’s digital age, audiovisual cables are the unsung heroes behind the scenes, facilitating seamless communication and connecting devices over vast distances. Collaboration has become a cornerstone of success for businesses across industries. Whether it’s team members working together in the same office, colleagues scattered across different locations, or students in a mix of learning ecosystems—creating productive collaboration environments is essential for achieving organizational goals. Audiovisual cable management is at the heart of ensuring seamless connectivity in modern collaboration environments. From HDMI and USB cables to network and power cables, proper cable management helps eliminate clutter and confusion, allowing teams to focus on their tasks without the distraction of tangled wires. By investing in high-quality cable management solutions, organizations can ensure that all necessary connections are readily available, reducing downtime and frustration. Likewise, clear communication is paramount in collaborative environments. To achieve this, organizations need to invest in high-quality audio and visual equipment. This includes microphones, speakers, cameras, and displays that deliver crisp, clear sound and visuals. Properly managing cables for these devices ensures that they function optimally, eliminating audio or visual disruptions during meetings and presentations. Creating a culture of collaboration is equally vital to fostering productive environments, whether team members are working in the same office or remotely. Collaboration environments should be adaptable to changing needs and circumstances. Employees should have the tools and autonomy to work effectively from different locations, enabling them to balance work and personal life. Seamless connectivity, ergonomic design, high-quality equipment, and collaboration software are the tangible elements that support collaboration. By investing in collaboration, organizations can create environments that empower teams to work together seamlessly, whether they are in proximity or far apart.

LAUREN SIMMEN Director, Product Marketing Crestron There’s a concept that we’ve been discussing— both internally and with our partners—when it comes to hybrid work: When meetings are handled effectively, it reduces the space between collaborators. Take, for example, an all-virtual meeting with a dozen attendees. “Sidebars,” or small conversations conducted by two or three collaborators that are undertaken apart from the larger group, are essentially impossible. Such an occurrence would be extremely disruptive. However, that kind of thing is pretty common in environments where some portion of the attendees are in the same room together. As those sidebars occur, that creates a greater “collaborative distance” between the other meeting attendees, both in room and remote. Let’s now consider the same group using, as an example, Crestron’s Sightline experience along with the right room design. Multiple displays are around the room, and several cameras are tracking individuals as they speak—framing each talker as the conversation progresses. One part of the composite image is a wide shot of the entire room, for context; everyone can see and be seen on every display. Additionally, imagine the attendees are seated at a half-moon-shaped table so that every individual can make eye contact, both live and virtually. As we begin to imagine that scenario, it becomes next to impossible for any subset of the group to break away and create distance between themselves and the rest of the group. Everyone is represented on each display equally—we call it “equal-pixel real estate”— and those potential sidebar conversations are now introduced into the larger group, which keeps everyone properly engaged. That’s really at the heart of what we’re striving to achieve with our hybrid work solutions.

“When meetings are handled effectively, it reduces the space between collaborators.” —Lauren Simmen Director, Product Marketing Crestron

“Creating a dynamic space for professionals to share ideas through an expansive canvas, projectors can almost mirror the feeling of being together in a room.” —Remi Del Mar Senior Product Manager, Digital Experiences Epson America

REMI DEL MAR Senior Product Manager, Digital Experiences Epson America With more employees in office this year, it is important for companies to invest and provide the right tools to create a successful work environment, allowing both in-person and remote employees to feel part of a collaborative and productive environment. As managers readjust their work structures by allowing both in-person and work-from-home office days, there are key elements businesses can implement to foster connection and a positive culture. One of the most important aspects of ensuring collaboration is investing in the space and proper technology that will empower team members to participate, whether near or far. When it comes to enhancing contemporary meeting spaces for optimal collaboration, it is imperative that all elements, including technology and the room itself, work cohesively. Ensuring that meetings focus on the task at hand and not the software or devices running them, technology in these spaces is becoming more intuitive to better integrate as one complete ecosystem. Every part is working together to create a seamless hybrid experience, from the moment someone walks in the room to the end of the meeting. On the display front in particular, projectors are redefining the way we connect in hybrid meetings. Projectors offer a versatile solution with flexibility and scalability to accommodate various environments and, unlike flat panels, projectors are not confined by a frame. With integrated interactive tools and third-party apps for employees to utilize, projectors enhance team interaction, whether physically present or working elsewhere. Projectors also allow ultra-wide viewing when presenting, ensuring that everyone can participate and no content is sacrificed. Creating a dynamic space for professionals to share ideas through an expansive canvas, projectors can almost mirror the feeling of being together in a room. By utilizing the proper technology that aligns with a meeting room design and needs, managers will be better equipped to elevate collaboration and productivity in today’s hybrid work environments. O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3 | avne two rk.co m

TOMER MANN Chief Revenue Officer 22Miles As corporate decisionmakers strive to bring their employees back to the office and adjust for long-term hybrid work, they increasingly recognize the importance of upgrading their visual communication and collaboration platforms. An effective content management system (CMS) helps create productive collaboration environments for modern workforces in several ways. First, it allows companies to remediate communication challenges by providing a consistent, omnichannel content management and distribution platform. This keeps employees informed about essential workplace updates and details they need to move projects forward and collaborate easily and productively, regardless of location. With templates and branding tools, a CMS also makes it simple for administrators to customize the look and feel of various communication tools such as signs, kiosks, and video walls. This ensures that content remains consistent across the facility, enabling messages to be received loudly and clearly and keeping team members on the same page. An intelligent CMS can also support collaboration by alleviating fragmentation. A reliable CMS will have native APIs that enable seamless communication between various systems, such as Google Workspace, Zoom, Cisco WebEx, and Microsoft Teams. This integration simplifies room booking, space utilization, and organization, increasing productivity and improving team safety. By integrating with centralized business apps, a CMS keeps teams updated on new information and facilitates coordination for in-person or virtual meetings. The most advanced CMS platforms can even help you ensure help desk resources are readily available if users run into trouble. A CMS with Microsoft Teams Room or WebEx device takeover capabilities can distribute howto guides and troubleshooting documentation directly to collaboration devices as a screensaver—and even allows users to issue troubleshooting tickets directly from the device if they can’t self-service.

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CHRIS KOPIN Executive Vice President of Technology Kramer US Good collaboration technology should almost help us forget we’re using technology at all, whether we’re near or far. The aim is for a remote call to simulate sitting around a cozy setting with friends; the experience must feel equal to all, so we need to bridge technological gaps to bring people closer together, even when they’re far apart. Wireless fluidity is key in a near environment. Even if you have 20 people in a room, wireless presentation systems allow attendees to walk, talk, and seamlessly present their screens without having to worry about wires, layout, or network disruptions. Meanwhile, far environments require more attitudinal adjustments; in the absence of body language, crystal-clear collaboration devices that enable real, human connections are crucial for clarity. For a creative, engaging environment, highdefinition displays are a must-have, especially when paired with a fast, powerful network with reinforced wireless capabilities and encryption that ensures privacy and cybersecurity. In addition, unified communications software connects users from multiple platforms, such as Microsoft Teams Rooms or Zoom, for more inclusive, immersive audiovisual experiences. At Kramer, we’re seeing more customers move towards standardization by reducing the number of connector formats, including the widespread use of USB-C. By replacing equipment that uses incompatible display ports, impactful collaboration can be achieved by connecting even more people. Connections can be boosted further by choosing manufacturers that build end-user-centric products on future-proofed open designs and architectures. Inclusivity and efficiency are the most important challenges for meetings. As technology becomes more affordable and advanced with higher-resolution video signals, faster refresh rates, speedier USBs, and so forth, it’s vital to work with a technology partner that offers end-to-end solutions. Only then can you ensure your end users have the latest collaboration equipment to engage effectively.

STEVE ALEXANDER General Manager Lightware Technology adoption is one of the biggest challenges to creating a productive collaboration environment. The bring-your-own-device (BYOD) model became an industry staple as the first wave of smartphones entered the workforce. Although BYOD enables employees to use devices they know and love, it can be complicated for enterprises to provide a seamless user experience in corporate environments. Employees, business travelers, and students accessing a BYOD network expect a seamless and secure connection. The effectiveness of a network integration will affect the bottom line of business related to security, productivity, satisfaction, and retention. Despite the widespread availability of many BYOD devices that enable collaboration, the results often fall short. For BYOD to succeed, there needs to be a reliable, flexible structure to ensure seamless connectivity. To reduce technical complexity and compatibility issues—and as a result, reduce barriers to adoption—introducing an all-in-one device approach allows for greater flexibility, scalability, and interoperability. Lightware’s Taurus platform enables users to easily share their content, switch hosts, and control their meeting room easily and intuitively. The Taurus platform eliminates the frustration and delays caused by interoperability, tangled cables, and dozens of connected devices. It allows users to combine video, audio, and Ethernet signals into one single cable to provide a seamless and simplified user experience. Users connect their USB-C cable to a Taurus device to share content and control the meeting room. In meeting rooms, there are many times that the USB camera/mic, speakers, and displays are dedicated to the room. People are bringing their own laptop devices to host meetings and share content, but they want to use the dedicated USB camera/mic speaker and displays in the room. The Taurus platform allows seamless connectivity across various video conferencing applications. It simplifies switching between video conference sources depending on the needs of a meeting.

CODY CROSSLAND Vice President, Sales and Marketing Blackwire Designs In today’s interconnected world, a solid network infrastructure is the lifeblood of productive collaboration. Whether you’re working side by side or across continents, the ability to communicate seamlessly is paramount. This is where investment in strong network solutions can shine, providing users with the foundation for efficient teamwork. Close proximity collaboration becomes a breeze with enterprise-grade network solutions. It facilitates quick file sharing, real-time updates, and uninterrupted video conferencing, ensuring face-to-face interactions are not hindered by technical glitches. A strong network empowers teams to work harmoniously—confident that they will be able to rely on the network when they need it most. This can go far beyond local collaboration. It eradicates geographical barriers, connecting remote teams as if they were in the same room. This level of connectivity enhances productivity, allowing your organization to tap into talent and resources worldwide. Strong networks also enable companies to harness the power of collaborative tools, cloud platforms, and project management systems. This promotes seamless information sharing, idea exchange, and timely decision making. With this infrastructure, users can bridge physical divides and create cohesive collaboration environments that transcend borders. In essence, a well-deployed and supported network isn’t just about connectivity; it’s about empowering an organization to thrive in a globalized world. Whether a team is working from the same office or scattered across the planet, a high-speed, high-quality network ensures that companies have the reliable, high-performance network they need to drive productivity, innovation, and success.

“A well-deployed and supported network isn’t just about connectivity; it’s about empowering an organization to thrive in a globalized world.” —Cody Crossland Vice President, Sales and Marketing Blackwire Designs

“It is essential to include every team member in all forms of communication, no matter the size of the project, company, or business.” —Megan Zeller Senior Director of Business Development Peerless-AV

MEGAN ZELLER Senior Director of Business Development Peerless-AV Creating a productive collaborative environment is essential to any professional working space. Our installation team at Peerless-AV has had the opportunity to work with a variety of different installers and companies across a multitude of industries and have quickly learned how important elements, such as open communication and adaptability, are to the overall success of a project. Whether partnering with a client on a large-scale external project or daily internal communication with team members, an environment that promotes open communication is key. It is essential to include every team member in all forms of communication, no matter the size of the project, company, or business. From weekly meetings to ongoing email communication, including all team members on these forms of communication will ensure transparency and help inspire creativity, collaboration, and support across the board. Another element of a collaborative work environment is adaptability. Every project or business faces its own unique set of unforeseen circumstances and when these hiccups arise, adaptability is key. By being flexible, your team can quickly prioritize and problem solve efficiently. Last summer, our installation team worked with Ideum to deliver a dynamic digital backdrop for the Jackie Robinson Museum’s archival footage. The original estimate for the display mount failed to consider the added complexities needed for the project and, therefore, did not support the display correctly. Our team worked meticulously to deliver a solution that met the client’s vision while being mechanically robust, fixing the issue and bringing that vision to life. At Peerless-AV, we pride ourselves on creating an open and productive work environment. These factors are an integral part of our service to our clients and our overall success as a company.

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BILL HENSLEY Head of RTI Global and Blustream U.S. Marketing For the hybrid workforce, the question is how to reuse former office and meeting spaces to create an efficient, flexible environment that encourages collaboration. That means enabling employees to plug in for that efficient, quick meeting without occupying 100 square feet that remains unused most of the time. This can be done with simple control solutions that don’t require completely rewiring the network. An in-wall interface can provide a way for employees to quickly perform myriad functions at the touch of a button, such as room scheduling, firing up the display, dimming the lights, lowering the shades, or whatever else is needed to set up a meeting space. They’ll also need to be able to share content via a comprehensive audio, video, and collaboration ecosystem built specifically for the new hybrid workplace. The goal is that no matter what device or video conferencing platform is used, it’s effortless and intuitive to meet and share content—over wire or wirelessly. A fully integrated solution will be at the heart of this hybrid office transformation. It will pair simple control with a video sound bar or multi-format presentation switcher to deliver a great experience for everybody in the meeting— both in the room and remote.

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SREENI GARLAPATI Senior Vice President Software, Customer Support and Success, and Chief Information Officer Prysm Systems Companies can harness purpose-built technology to create spaces that promote collaboration experiences. Rather than traditional, static meetings, today’s visual content collaboration technology should promote engagement, decision making, and innovation. Companies need to consider a few key features, including the tactile quality, meaning how the technology feels and responds to interaction; image quality from varying distances; space utilization and limitations to viewing angles; and barriers that could interrupt the user experience such as viewing angles or interactivity. Prysm Systems fuels a new approach to collaboration and communication. It enables business professionals and creatives to work together to solve problems, be innovative, and think outside the box. Rather than a static presentation, teams can fuel their creativity in a new and exciting way. As soon as employees enter a meeting space, they are enveloped by the experiential design of Prysm Systems’ LPD displays that reach up to 225 inches in width. Combining its interactive capabilities with 6K video, viewers and participants experience high-quality content and engaging functionality with these displays. Prysm Systems provides the most memorable and meaningful experience for an audience. It empowers customers to demonstrate their innovations, services, and solutions in an impactful way through dynamic brand experiences and storytelling. As a result, companies can engage customers, partners, and prospects with a meaningful experience. The single-panel interactive digital canvas allows the audience to visualize and interact with live data, images, videos, browsers, and whiteboards, whether they are in the room or working remotely through cloud hosting. The large-format displays eliminate common barriers of collaboration by enabling up to 32 points of touch. Remote participants can add input virtually and collaborate synchronously with in-person participants. Prysm Systems Solutions expands the in-room experience with a flexible video conferencing system for third-party applications, including cloud storage drives and video conferencing solutions.

JUSTIN KENNINGTON President SDVoE Alliance Collaboration culture is at the core of every successful company. Teams need the latest collaboration tools to perform their best work. Specific to in-person collaboration, BYOD is a popular collaboration trend that enables employees to use devices they know and love. Still, it can be complicated for enterprises to provide a seamless user experience in corporate environments. Employees, business travelers, and students accessing a BYOD network expect a seamless and secure connection. It’s imperative that audiovisual technology provides simplified, interoperable, and safe user experience to ensure high levels of adoption and engagement. For BYOD to succeed, there needs to be a reliable, flexible structure to ensure seamless connectivity and eliminate traditional barriers to adoption. The SDVoE Alliance and its members empower unparalleled interoperability, performance, and security for BYOD environments. A host of SDVoE members, including Aurora Multimedia’s IPX-UC1 ULTRA, which was recently honored with SDVoE Alliance’s Members Choice Award for Product Innovation, promotes the future of enterprise connectivity and BYOD models by providing a flexible solution for meeting room connectivity. The SDVoE Alliance and its members offer a versatile solution designed to significantly enhance the flexibility of any meeting room by allowing participants to quickly bring their own devices to a meeting and utilize room peripherals and traditional third-party video conferencing applications. The SDVoE Alliance continues to collaborate with its members to design and manufacture solutions that support the future of enterprise connectivity. Together, the SDVoE Alliance unites ecosystem partners, including AV equipment manufacturers, AV software developers, switch manufacturers, chipset designers, technology providers, and system integrators under a single banner to foster collaboration and empower interoperability for a global customer base.

BRANDON WHITE Director of Product Development Vanco The key to productive collaboration is empowering every member of the team to contribute to meaningful goals. There’s no “technology recipe” for accomplishing that; every team and organization is different. In a high-performing collaborative culture, technology managers and other business leaders constantly evaluate and update their strategy to ensure that the organization’s leading priorities are properly resourced in terms of tools and personnel. Productive collaboration requires organization-wide alignment on goals. Without that, people may be working together, busily doing something that doesn’t advance any meaningful organization priorities. Management must also understand the workforce really well. Who works well together? What are their strengths and weaknesses? What are their communication styles? Managers with a clear vision of priorities and strong insights into their teams’ work styles and capabilities will be able to build teams that complement each other in focused pursuit of the organization’s most important goals. These lean, intentionally designed teams must be equipped with the proper communication tools. Do they work best by bouncing ideas off each other in person? They’ll need BYOD content sharing and switching capabilities in on-site meeting spaces. Are some of them hybrid or remote? You’ll want high-quality video conferencing devices that make them feel included. Are some members of the team neurodiverse, or speakers of a different primary language? Then perhaps most meetings should take place using a video conferencing platform with builtin AI transcription and summary capabilities. For larger enterprises, as well as organizations with a high degree of turnover, technology managers must build flexibility into their technology stack. You can’t dictate how people are going to collaborate most effectively, but you can offer a curated set of options that allows teams to choose the modes that work best for them.

“You can’t dictate how people are going to collaborate most effectively, but you can offer a curated set of options that allows teams to choose the modes that work best for them.” —Brandon White Director of Product Development Vanco

“To facilitate better communication, sharing, and collaboration, it is important for businesses to foster inclusivity.” —Jeff Muto Product Marketing Director ViewSonic

JEFF MUTO Product Marketing Director ViewSonic The Pro AV industry is at the forefront of providing collaborative and inclusive meeting environments for the workplace with remote, hybrid and in-person setups. Productive collaboration with meeting inclusivity and equity can be developed through technology, so that everyone is included as well as seen, heard, and understood. To facilitate better communication, sharing, and collaboration, it is important for businesses to foster inclusivity. This is where the Pro AV integrator can integrate the right technology and leverage tools to not only reinforce a stronger workforce, but make it more inclusive, regardless of location, background, ability, or orientation. Businesses need effective tools to ensure their employees can do the work. Displays, advanced audio, connectivity options, an agnostic operating system, interactive whiteboarding, and screen sharing/casting software allow everyone to be engaged, contribute, and feel connected. Inclusive technologies can streamline communication, boost collaboration, and ensure a wide range of teams are included, regardless of location. One important tool is a large-format interactive display that can be used with video conferencing and whiteboarding software. Investments need to be made in technologies that bring teams together. This can include video conferencing software, interactive large-format displays, docking station monitors, and portable monitors. There are several different collaboration tools on the market that enable companies to support their employees’ different work styles. Integrators can also assist when their clients want to design work spaces for maximum collaboration. Large conference rooms should feature the right digital tools, while smaller rooms for impromptu meetings should have the connectivity and devices for both on-site and remote employees.

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TREY HICKS Chief Operating Officer Visix The importance of collaboration has increased as businesses move forward with hybrid work models. While collaboration traditionally happened inside the meeting space with all parties present, we’re now seeing a blend of in-person and virtual participants. Because teams are scattered, it’s essential that the collaborative process be supported by clear, concise, and timely information that’s delivered to everyone simultaneously, wherever they’re working. This is why digital signage networks have evolved to become essential components of today’s collaborative process. In the corporate vertical, many think of digital signage as a screen by the elevator, in the lobby, or in the break room. These are indeed important locations to ensure important messages reach employees as they move about the building. However, in today’s modern office, every screen—whether on site, on a desk, or in someone’s hand—can be a digital sign. Collaboration requires strong communication within and between groups to ensure success in the hybrid world. Digital signage brings team members closer together because the technology now stretches far beyond the obvious locations. It extends to websites, intranets, mobile devices, and even soft codec conferencing systems, reaching people whether they work at their office desks, at home, or on the road. Essentially, any screen in the business’ orbit can be converted to a digital sign to ensure that the entire staff can receive and access important information. Once important details are disseminated and absorbed, the collaborative process, of course, relies on having a place to gather. Businesses today are revamping spaces to accommodate teams that need to collaborate from different locations, whether planned in advance or spontaneous. Smart booking systems are therefore essential to bringing the collaborative process to life. While calendars and room signs are still valuable, platforms that allow walk-up reservations for spontaneous collaboration sessions, as well as bookings by remote employees, are critical to the modern collaboration process.

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JOE DA SILVA Vice President of Marketing Extron An effective collaborative environment is crucial to innovation and the creative process. These environments are increasingly using technology to transcend isolated, brick-and-mortar rooms and bring together varying groups, ideas, and perspectives. Unified Communications (UC) systems such as Microsoft Teams Rooms and Zoom Rooms have empowered users to share content with local participants on the room’s display and extend collaboration to remote teams and customers. Productive collaborative spaces should be equipped with cameras and microphones to enable remote participants to both see and hear local users as they communicate and share content. Dedicated UC spaces, such as Teams and Zoom Rooms using a dedicated room computer, have addressed this need for some time. However, meeting facilitators are increasingly seeking the flexibility to run UC meetings from their own laptops, while holding on to the ability to utilize the room’s cameras and microphones. This seamless experience is made possible with Bring Your Own Meeting (BYOM) rooms, which are collaborative spaces for local and remote users that avoid the more complicated room setups that use dedicated computers, switching, and control equipment. Instead, they utilize collaboration switchers that combine traditional AV switching with USB switching, offering connections for local laptops and the room’s USB devices, including cameras, microphones, and other AV equipment. The use of USB-C connections further streamlines collaboration by using a single cable to connect a laptop to the room’s display, link to local USB devices, and control power. These collaborative spaces provide a userfriendly, single connection that empowers meeting hosts to connect, start a UC meeting, and include remote attendees, ensuring an effective collaboration experience in which everyone can participate. The use of the latest technology to make collaborative spaces more streamlined and powerful enhances these rooms’ accessibility and efficiency, bringing together physical and virtual teams to be more creative, innovative, and productive.

NICOLE CORBIN Vice President, Business Operations Utelogy Fostering productive collaboration environments at the workplace, both locally and globally, has never been more pivotal. Regardless of whether the office is full-time remote, hybrid, or fully on site, one clear aspect emerges: Collaboration is integral to a stellar total experience (TX). All recent studies point toward collaboration being an essential factor for increasing productivity, reducing project completion times, and enhancing employee engagement. Professionals are approaching the workplace with evolved expectations for how they envision the office environment and the role of technology in it. IT departments have been pushed into this new era of change as well. Shrinking budgets have led to fewer in-house resources, challenging these teams to allocate their limited assets in a more targeted and efficient manner. The modern workplace has witnessed the rise of platforms such as Teams, Zoom, Cisco, and Google Meet—all of which play pivotal roles within the hybrid workspace. These platforms have transformed how we connect, facilitating seamless collaboration across continents and time zones. Businesses globally have scrambled to retrofit their workspaces with the latest technology, both in terms of hardware and software, and so to support this new era of hybrid and remote working, the onus of managing these environments has fallen on organizations’ IT teams. In this evolving landscape, it’s essential that IT departments are equipped with robust tools to streamline and optimize their operations. This is where platforms like Utelogy come into play. By transitioning IT from a reactive stance to a proactive one, Utelogy offers unparalleled insights into the connected estate. Its device-agnostic nature ensures seamless integration across myriad tools and platforms, while its analytics capabilities provide invaluable data, empowering businesses to make informed decisions. Further enhancing its value proposition is its remote management and control functionalities. This not only simplifies day-to-day operations, but also ensures that collaboration remains unhindered, reinforcing the very essence of a connected, hybrid workplace.

ANNA KOZEL Vice President of Marketing VuWall As a solution provider specializing in control room environments, VuWall considers several key elements when assisting customers in creating a productive collaboration environment within a control room and its auxiliary spaces, both on premise and remotely. This involves a combination of organizational culture and access to collaborative technology. In control rooms, collaboration is important for displaying and sharing visual information across teams, especially in scenarios where visual data or real-time information needs to be shared and analyzed. In an organization that has multiple locations or teams working remotely, remote monitoring capabilities are essential for managing displays and content to establish a collaborative visual experience across different physical locations. Key considerations include, first, establishing clear and accessible communication channels. This includes guidelines and tools for sharing visual information. Second, establish user rights protocols that define who can share what with whom and where. Third, invest in robust technology infrastructure to support both on-premise and remote collaboration. This includes secure networks with VPN for remote access. Fourth, select a centralized video wall management and KVM platform that uses AV-over-IP technology to easily share sources or video wall content with displays and video walls throughout a facility, as well as multi-campus facilities. A centralized platform is beneficial for IT administrators and support teams, especially in environments with a large number of displays or complex AV setups. Next, consider IP KVM technology that can enable control room operators to share information with each other and the video wall. And finally, consider a video wall management platform that can integrate or incorporate third-party communication tools within the same platform, such as Microsoft Teams or video conferencing technology. These guidelines are helping organizations create environments that foster productive collaboration, whether teams are working in proximity or across different locations. Regularly reassessing and adapting strategies to evolving circumstances and technology advancements is essential for long-term success.

“Regularly reassessing and adapting strategies to evolving circumstances and technology advancements is essential for long-term success.” —Anna Kozel Vice President of Marketing VuWall

“Incorporating a few non-traditional meeting spaces will allow employees to find the space that suits their needs.” —Balazs Boldog

BALAZS BOLDOG Field Sales Engineer Yamaha UC The modern workspace has evolved considerably in the last few years. Trends initially set into motion several years prior to the pandemic had to be implemented almost overnight. Effective unified communications went from a necessary convenience to being essential for companies to survive. Many of these changes will be with us from here on out—for example, remote work. So, what are the ways we can bring out the very best experience, both near and far end? People want options. Not everyone wants a meeting in a fishbowl. Incorporating a few non-traditional meeting spaces will allow employees to find the space that suits their needs. Ease of use and seamless function are paramount to all conferencing, and with the excellent conferencing solutions available now, there is no reason your meetings shouldn’t look and sound fantastic. Conferencing solutions should be based on employee needs and the clientele who will be interacting with them. For example, in an open-office-type meeting space where those participants will be surrounded by colleagues in other meetings, an easily deployed all-in-one video bar is an ideal solution, as it allows you to limit the audio pick-up to just your participants while ignoring those seated close by. You will also want to make sure that audio levels are adjusted to be only as loud as necessary. Again, newer solutions will allow for automatic volume adjustment. This is a very useful feature of some solutions on the market, as it results in a quieter workspace. To get the most out of these solutions, remember the ABC’s of absorption, blocking, and coverage. A nice complement of acoustic panels or fabrics will lower the overall sound; blocking sound with partitions or doors, if possible, will also allow newer conferencing technologies to work more effectively; and the addition of sound masking will help keep conversations private and people outside the conversation free from distraction.

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CASE-IN-POINT A QUIET ENVIRONMENT FOR PRIVATE CONVERSATION General Electric Credit Union (GECU) has always been committed to providing exceptional banking experiences to its members. During a recent initiative called “Voice of the Member,” the credit union learned members wanted more privacy during transactions, especially during sensitive conversations with personal tellers at their Interactive Teller Machines (ITMs), which had been in use since 2019. ITMs are similar to traditional teller lines in that members communicate with a live teller, but the tellers appear on a video screen—and their voices are usually amplified through built-in speakers. With multiple ITMs per location, the ITMs created a loud environment. Although the ITMs are equipped with handset receivers for private conversations, the use of them has been practically nonexistent since the pandemic. “More privacy at our branch lobby ITMs is feedback that we received a lot of. The ITMs are just like being in a traditional teller line; you talk to a live teller and they reply, but the video teller’s voice at the ITM is amplified and the default external speakers can create a loud environment. The teller’s voice can be clearly heard by others in the branch,” Van Williams, GECU’s ITM specialist, who drove the Holosonics integration, said. To address these issues, GECU turned to Holosonics Audio Spotlight speakers, which create a highly focused sound beam that can be directed to a specific area, allowing for private conversations. The directional sound of the speakers ensures that only the intended listener at each ITM position hears their respective audio feed—without any noticeable bleed from station to station—while the surrounding area remains quiet, creating a more peaceful and confidential environment. “The ITMs are equipped with handsets that members can use to communicate with our video tellers for privacy but, once COVID came to town the use of those handsets was next to none,” Williams said, “So, keeping the Voice of the Member in mind, I looked for another solution to bring privacy at the ITMs for our members. In brainstorming, I recalled seeing directional speakers in a museum once and I wondered if those could work with ITMs, so I started my search on the internet and even called around to local audio companies. The directional speakers I was initially finding on

the internet seemed to have the technology I was searching for but not the look; they all looked like a dome or a lamp shade, and I didn’t want our members to feel like they were going to be standing under a hair dryer.” GECU selected its Highland Heights branch in Kentucky as the pilot location for the Audio Spotlight speakers last fall, and the feedback from members was overwhelmingly positive. The directed sound technology solved the privacy issue, and the audio came through more clearly. The credit union uses the popular NCR SelfServ 80 Series ITMs, and the existing splits/feeds of audio signal flow were not disturbed when the internal speakers were replaced. Off-the-shelf NCR harness adapters provided simple plugand-play integration, ensuring the redistributed audio feed to the Audio Spotlights maintained ADA compliance while enhancing the accessibility of the machines for its members. Williams was impressed by the inherently touchless nature of the Audio Spotlight technology, which limited the need for the handsets and made the ITMs more hygienic. He also liked the thin, flat appearance of the speakers, as well as how the technology integrated seamlessly and unobtrusively into the lobby environment. “The Audio Spotlight has been a great success, so we are now looking to retrofit all our lobby ITMs with this technology within the next two to three years or sooner,” Williams said. “With any new, future branch openings, we will most certainly be implementing the Audio Spotlight speakers.”

Photos: Holosonics

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MAKING THE DREAM WORK WITH TEAMS As Microsoft continues to innovate for the hybrid workforce, they are creating a new vision for flexible collaboration workspaces that goes beyond the software. They wanted to create a meeting environment that enhanced both the inroom and remote experience. To implement this vision, either for new construction or retrofits, they had to develop new equipment and standards. This involved changes to the room layout, furniture, audio-visual equipment, and Microsoft Teams. The end result has been a series of Signature Microsoft Teams Rooms that are being deployed across the company to create more meeting spaces that interconnect conferencing and the physical environment. In two of these Microsoft Teams Rooms, Legrand was on hand to supply everything but the display and camera. In the first room, the Medium Signature Teams Room, Middle Atlantic’s Forum Collaboration Suite takes center stage. The Forum Display Stand is robust enough to support the Jupiter Pana 105, a hefty 105-inch ultrawide 21:9 aspect ratio display, and it provides ample storage space for AV and IT components. The acoustic display shroud, along with acoustic solutions on the wall from Focal Point, work together to achieve the best possible audio experience for remote and inperson attendees while also providing a cohesive aesthetic with the room’s interior design. Another key component, the Forum Arc Tables, work to reorient the entire conferencing experience. Rather than people sitting around a table with a display at one end, the arc tables align everyone in the room toward the camera and display for a more equitable and improved collaboration environment. Chief’s Voyager Cart integrates a Microsoft Surface Hub that can be moved anywhere in the room for complete collaboration flexibility to support a larger group or a quick in-person impromptu brainstorm session. The Voyager Cart’s sleek aesthetic fits with modern office space design and can be installed in portrait or landscape orientation. Wiremold’s dash Power Towers and a dash Desktop Power Center with configurable modules connect users with power, charging, and data. The dash line of configurable power solutions offers a new level of customization. Dash expands beyond the standard offering and can be

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Photos: Legrand | AV

customized at the factory level to meet the specific needs of any commercial environment. For further flexibility, an Evolution Series 8-inch Recessed Poke-Thru device provides convenient access to power, communications, and audio/ video services recessed below floor level. Power to the system is provided by a Middle Atlantic NEXSYS PDU with surge protection, designed for the exacting requirements of AV components. The second room is the Surface Hub Room. To outfit this focus-sized space, Chief’s ExtraLarge Electric Height Adjustable Floor Support Mount ensures the 85-inch Microsoft Surface Hub display is accessible to all with a 26-inch range of vertical lift. The office design trend of exposed structure ceilings and open plan furniture has unintentionally created acoustic challenges. Speech legibility must be addressed during Teams calls to create equity between in-person

and remote attendees. Focal Point Acoustic Solutions reduce sound reverberation in the room. This optimizes the audio experience for video conferencing so everyone can be heard, while also visually unifying the AV equipment with the entirety of the room. A 38-inch counter-height Forum Arc Table provides a work surface for three participants who can choose to sit or stand. This also allowed the specifiers to add a seated front row to accommodate up to six people in the room. Wiremold dash Power Towers supply convenient access to power and charging in a slim, modern design that blends in with the surroundings. As the sole provider of most of the equipment in these rooms, Legrand representatives worked closely with Microsoft to identify the best solutions for these spaces. Other rooms developed at Microsoft in

this project included Da-Lite 21:9 ultrawide projection screens to take full advantage of Teams Front Row functionality. These rooms represent ideal meeting spaces enhanced for hybrid experiences, and they can be easily deployed at scale around the world with Microsoft and Legrand. Floor-supported display mounting and storage solutions from Chief and Middle Atlantic save significant time across rollouts by eliminating the need for wall inspection and remediation to handle heavy interactive displays. Along with market-leading products, Legrand offers a truly global scale to support Microsoft facilities around the world, enabling room specifications and availability of products anywhere that Microsoft operates. This partnership and global reach is equally valuable to Microsoft’s customers that are similarly working to specify and mass deploy Teams Rooms around the world.

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GIVING BACK THROUGH COLLABORATION

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DC Central Kitchen (DCCK) is an iconic nonprofit organization and social enterprise founded in 1989 to combat hunger and poverty through job training and creation. Every year, hundreds of individuals who have faced barriers to employment, including re-entering citizens, people in recovery, and Opportunity Youth, enroll in the organization’s Culinary Job Training program, a 14-week program accredited by the American Culinary Federation, that provides fundamental culinary and robust life skills. “DC Central Kitchen aims to help and educate individuals who face barriers to

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employment. Crestron technology has opened new opportunities for our volunteers and peers to further their careers while improving our operations,” Andy Finke, chief operating officer, DC Central Kitchen said. DC Central Kitchen recently moved to the Michael R. Klein Center for Jobs and Justice, a larger facility, as its previous building was overcrowded; spaces were constantly double booked, and modern technology was needed to run the organization successfully. To serve the community even further and increase the number of organizations they could support, DCCK needed larger spaces and better

solutions to support their needs. For the new 36,000-square-foot facility, DC Central Kitchen teamed up with technology integrator One Source Systems to select a control system for this project. With their knowledge of the organization, One Source Systems were delighted to work with DCCK and turned to Crestron technology to help support the multiple elements the space would demand. It was important for DCCK that the technology was easy to use and reliable, as many volunteers use the facility. The Klein Center features a blend of function and design that caters to the

Photos: Crestron

organization’s needs and equips staff to be successful. There is a fast-casual cafe run by graduates of the DCCK culinary program that includes speakers and digital menu boards managed by a Crestron system to ensure all items are clearly seen for purchase and all orders are heard. Two video walls occupy space in The Klein Center: the first is front and center as guests walk in to showcase donors, and the other is in The Hub, which is utilized for large community engagement events and staff meals. The building also features a media studio with the ability to broadcast and stream to any audience using a Crestron backbone for support. This room requires specific scenes to be set, empowering users who are unfamiliar with the technology to be prepared and control the room with the touch of a button. Crestron AirMedia conferencing technology is attached to each TV onsite. There are eight rooms, including two boardrooms, volunteer rooms, and a training room where any user can walk in, plug in their laptop using HDMI connectivity, and collaborate seamlessly with a group. DCCK uses this for live editing, where everyone can have input and see what is happening on the screen. The rooms where volunteers prep food and help serve meals are also equipped with video conferencing, speakers, and touch screens. Being involved with schools and

corner stores in the DC region, DCCK relies on videoconferencing technology to communicate with those entities about when to deliver the prepared food and fresh produce. DC Central Kitchen uses Crestron room scheduling throughout their office space to book meetings for a set amount of time. The room scheduling panels reduce double booking mishaps throughout the office by indicating when a meeting room is in use or open. On the backend, the IT team utilizes the Crestron XiO Cloud technology operations management platform to gather data on which rooms are occupied and used more frequently. XiO Cloud technology is also used to manage and monitor each platform remotely and ensure everything is updated. Crestron VC-4 software-based control platform operates multiple rooms over the network from one centralized location. For One Source Systems, leveraging VC-4 streamlined the deployment by allowing a single program to be deployed across multiple rooms. Implementing technology throughout the new building has allowed DCCK staff, students, and volunteers to make a greater impact on the communities it serves. DCCK often hires graduates of the program for full-time positions, and the larger spaces and increased presence of technology have set the organization up for success.

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BOOSTING EFFICIENCY AND REDUCING COSTS NWN Carousel is a leading Cloud Communications Service Provider (CCSP) focused on transforming the customer and employee hybrid work experience for commercial, enterprise, and public sector organizations. With over 5,000 customers throughout the U.S., NWN Carousel provides integrated unified communications, security, contact center, managed devices, visual collaboration, and advanced technology solutions. When he joined NWN Carousel (then Carousel Industries), account executive Roger Burgdolf set out to help ensure that his client, a worldwide name in automaking, was getting the best product, price, warranty, and service for their display needs. Initially, the car company installed ViewSonic commercial displays in its smaller

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conference rooms. Later—after a review of major manufacturers—ViewSonic once again prevailed, and the company installed ViewSonic ViewBoard interactive displays in its larger meeting spaces. “Everyone found the ViewSonic ViewBoard displays powerful and easy to use,” Burgdolf said. “But the final deciding factor was ViewSonic’s ability to meet my client’s need for the solution to work with its specialized software. The other potential display company pretty much said, ‘you get what you get.’ ViewSonic, on the other hand, was enthusiastic about tackling the challenge, and quickly had a resolution. This once again showed my client the kind of company ViewSonic is to work with.” ViewSonic ViewBoard interactive displays became the company’s standard, with around

1,000 installed over several years for lobbies, training rooms, and manufacturing plants, in addition to meeting rooms. The auto maker has further standardized on ViewSonic desktop displays for employee workspaces, after ViewSonic offered to package two displays together to reduce waste. Recently, as with other large multinational brands, cybersecurity had become a pressing concern. To address these issues, the auto company was building out space for a cybersecurity command center. The initial plan was to install an array of commercial LCD displays. Burgdolf convinced his client to look at a relative newcomer on the market—directview LED technology, which ViewSonic offered in several sizes, up to a massive 216-inches of

Photos: ViewSonic

seamless screen. In terms of looks, these displays clearly outshone stacked LCD displays with visible bezel lines. At about a third of the depth, the directview LED displays delivered an ultra-slim look; the frame was barely visible. The practical benefits further set the technology apart. “I was particularly pleased with the all-in-one aspect of the ViewSonic direct-view LED displays,” Burgdolf said. “It’s a completely preconfigured solution with a powerful embedded operating system, so virtually all the customer would need to do is plug it in.” With the versatility to display content from multiple sources, it was an ideal fit for a command center. Users could also share content from mobile devices using the included ViewSonic

ViewBoard Cast software. The integrated OS looked and functioned like a familiar PC environment, which would make it easy and intuitive for users to install apps, access the internet, play multimedia, and connect wirelessly. The team ultimately purchased the ViewSonic model LD163-181, a 163-inch Full-HD direct-view LED display. Installation took around six hours— far less than it would have taken to install an LCD wall of similar size. The IT team responsible for maintenance was happy to see the front placement of the LED panels in action; clearly this display would be easier and less time consuming to maintain than a video wall. Each time the auto maker considered a new display product category, said Burgdolf, ViewSonic came through for them. The initial

national corporate accounts program offered specific benefits that the company was seeking, like an extended warranty. When the automaker needed to replace end-of-life desktops, they were looking to increase efficiency while reducing both costs and waste. Summing up his experience with ViewSonic, Burgdolf said that when it comes to service and support, ViewSonic is second to none. “When I call them, they pick up the phone, or call right back. The big-brand manufacturer that the car company used to use for their conference rooms often would never respond,” Burgdolf said. “Everyone I’ve ever worked with at ViewSonic cares, from sales and tech staff through service, support, and the shipping department.”

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Avex, Inc. has been a leading company in the Japanese music scene and entertainment market for over thirty years. Since its founding in 1988, Avex has developed a 360-degree business approach that includes: artist, model, and talent management; animation and video business; and digital platform service. Today, more than 1,400 employees continue to create an unmatched, collaborative music culture. In 2022, Avex moved its headquarters from Aoyama, Tokyo, to AzabuJuban, a trendy but laid-back area boasting a plethora of shops and restaurants. Avex’s manager of General Affairs Group, Tatsuomi Hosoya, led the relocation project, communicating very high expectations for what they would achieve through this relocation. “We wanted to bring back and foster the natural creativity of new ideas and the energy and vitality we previously experienced through face-to-face interactions, which became difficult to recreate under the pandemic limitations where telecommuting was the norm,” he explained. “Our goal was to create richer, more valuable incidental communication not only in the conference rooms, but also in the cafeteria and open office spaces.” To realize this, Hosoya knew both video and audio quality played a key role in capturing and delivering information in a way that felt natural and effortless. To realize these new plans and ideas required numerous internal and external meetings. While Google Meet was used as the main unified communications platform, Avex wanted a highly flexible bring your own meeting (BYOM) room environment to seamlessly integrate with other UC platforms that may be preferred by external parties, such as Zoom and Teams. In addition to seamless onsite screen sharing, it was important that peoples’ voices sounded like the people speaking and facial expressions were easy to read, ensuring clearer understanding by everyone involved. The Bose Professional Videobar VB1 and Barco ClickShare collaboration solution was installed in small, medium, and private executive meeting spaces. The ClickShare button plugs into a USB port on the meeting participant’s laptop, enabling wireless screensharing to monitors in the room, while the Videobar VB1 provides the convenience of an allin-one USB video conferencing experience—including Bose Professional quality audio and a 4K ultra-HD camera. The same system can be used in any room, making operation consistent and creating an environment that is intuitive, easy, and stress-free for anyone to operate. Noriomi Kusakabe of Gakki Onkyo, Ltd., who supported the system installation, commented on the reasoning behind choosing the solution. “If the microphones, loudspeakers, and cameras are separate products, the connection becomes complicated and confusing,” he explained. “The Bose Professional Videobar

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VB1 is all-in-one, and with ClickShare, all you have to do is connect a single button and the VB1 is recognized without any additional operation. Considering the variety of various UC platforms, we wanted the convenience of an AV solution that sounded and looked great and made screen sharing easy, regardless of the platform used.” After receiving a proposal from Gakki Onkyo, Hosoya recalled the reasons for ultimately selecting Bose Professional’s flagship Videobar, “When I first learned about the VB1, my impression was that it was just perfect. Not only in terms of price and functionality, but also in terms of Bose Professional brand credibility and quality. Sound is very important to a company like ours that makes music for a living. People inside and outside the company look to see which manufacturers’ products Avex is using—even the conference room system—and Bose Professional was the right choice.” Hosoya added, “We’ve also had the confidence of having Bose Professional systems in our studios and other facilities for a long time. So we knew adding a Bose Professional conferencing solution to our meetings rooms would deliver the quality we needed and expected.” The Bose Professional Videobar VB1 and Barco ClickShare proved to be a perfect fit for the new office environment. Avex has further strengthened its internal and external collaboration with a simple, smoothly integrated communication solution. Little by little, the live entertainment and music industry are coming back to life, and people are once again sharing and enjoying music together. Avex is committed to creating a strong connection between entertainment and people through their mission to deliver inspiration and empathy to the world via diverse talents and supporting their creativity. With the new conferencing solutions, the company leverages superior audio and video—now both in the studios and office.

Photos: Bose Professional

A 360-DEGREE BUSINESS APPROACH

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PRODUCTS THAT MATTER

PRODUCTS THAT ENABLE COLLABORATION 1

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Microflex Advance MXA902 Integrated Conferencing Ceiling Array

Shure’s Microflex Advance MXA902 Integrated Conferencing Ceiling Array is the world’s first conferencing ceiling array microphone with integrated loudspeaker and IntelliMix DSP for small- and mediumsized meeting rooms. Unlike wall-mounted soundbar devices, the MXA902’s ceilingmounted array mic and loudspeaker provide more consistent sound quality, delivering audio equity for both in-room and far-end meeting participants. For IT managers and AV professionals seeking reliable audio solutions that are easy to configure out of the box, it delivers premium audio capture and reproduction with minimal setup required. The MXA902 is a bold new solution that delivers microphone, loudspeaker, and DSP technology in one device.

shure.com

Audio Spotlight X-Series Directional Speakers

Holosonics’ Audio Spotlight X-Series Directional Speakers create sound in a narrow beam precise enough for a single listener, eliminating unnecessary noise, sound bleed, or the need for headphones/ headsets—even in open, shared spaces. Featuring a built-in amplifier/processor and flexible IO, the product is compatible with any line-level audio feed, and also includes an output for daisy chaining multiple speakers to extend the focused sound field for larger groups. The flagship AS-24iX model conveniently replaces a standard 2-by-2-foot ceiling tile without any additional hardware, making it an excellent choice for conference rooms and collaboration spaces. Max output is 95dB SPL @ 1kHz, with a level reduction greater than 90 percent a single step outside the direct beam.

holosonics.com

4K SRG-A40 and SRG-A12 PTZ Cameras

Sony’s 4K SRG-A40 and SRG-A12 PTZ Cameras with built-in AI analytics automatically and consistently track—as well as naturally frame—presenters, regardless of movement or posture, for seamless content creation and control without operating a computer. The new PTZ Auto Framing technology features automatic operation for quick object tracking and rediscovery, as well as multiple Auto Framing options. Highlights of the cameras include image quality with automation, the flexibility of IP, powerful zoom, remote control, and easy configuration and operation. They are ideal for use in education, corporate, medical, government, broadcast, and faith applications, as well as for live events.

pro.sony

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AT-OME-MS42 4x2 Matrix Switcher

Atlona’s AT-OME-MS42 4x2 Matrix Switcher delivers exceptional performance and value for 4K/UHD presentation and video conferencing applications in smallto-medium AV environments, including meeting rooms, conference rooms, and lecture halls. The OME-MS42 combines the benefits of auto-switching for USB-C, HDMI, and DisplayPort, plus integrated display control and USB extension, offering flexible capabilities for 4K presentation and software video conferencing applications. Selectable AV switching modes across HDBaseT and HDMI outputs enable simple configuration and effortless ease of use tailored to a specific application. When used with the OME-EX-RX receiver or OME-SR21 scaling receiver, the OME-MS42 can be remotely powered over HDBaseT.

atlona.com

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C2G30055 HDMI HDBaseT and USB-B to A and RS232 Over Cat Extender

PT-REQ12 1-Chip DLP 4K Laser Projector

C2G’s C2G30055 HDMI HDBaseT and USB-B to A and RS232 Over Cat Extender (18Gbps) is an ideal solution where USB must be extended alongside HDMI video and audio to interactive displays, or any installation that goes beyond the length limitations of standard HDMI and USB cabling. It extends a 4K HDMI source up to 328 feet to a 4K display without signal loss using a single Cat-6a Ethernet cable. It supports 5Play, including the combined delivery of uncompressed, UHD digital video and audio; Ethernet; control signals; USB 2.0; and up to 100W of power through a single, 328-foot (100m) Cat-6a cable.

Panasonic PT-REQ12 1-Chip DLP 4K Laser Projector delivers the next-generation of exceptional, highly engaging projections with up to 12,000lm brightness, 4K resolution, and 240 Hz projection capability. As the corporate world seeks new engagement and collaboration opportunities, workplaces are looking for AV technology that captivates audiences with exceptional, elevated levels of experiences. To keep participants focused on the meeting—not the tech—the projector features a new cabinet design for maintenance-free operation, removing the potential of collaboration mishaps or distractions.

legrandav.com

panasonic.com

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Legrand | AV and Microsoft Hybrid Teams Room Spaces

Legrand | AV and Microsoft Hybrid Teams Room Spaces redefine hybrid conferencing environments. These immersive spaces prioritize inclusivity for both in-person and remote participants. Achieving this required new standards and equipment affecting room layouts, furniture, and audio-visual components. Legrand’s diverse offerings in AV, electrical, lighting and acoustics made them a pivotal collaborator. Highlights include Middle Atlantic and Chief’s AV solutions that optimize camera angles and display mobility, Legrand’s adaptable furniture and power solutions, and Focal Point’s acoustic panels—enhancing both room acoustics and aesthetics. Together, they create scalable, inviting Teams Rooms spaces that fulfill Microsoft’s vision for immersive hybrid Teams meetings.

HT-RANGER

Voyager Mobile Cart

Hall Technologies’ HT-RANGER is a collaboration presentation switcher used for meeting room or workgroup collaboration. It has two wired video inputs, HDMI and USB-C with a maximum timing of 4K@30Hz 4:4:4, and a Wi-Fi casting allowing it to work as a BYOD receiver. The built-in Wi-Fi module and offers multiple connection options, including AirPlay, Miracast, Smart View, HTVoyager and physical HDMI and USB-C ports. Connecting to it using any of these methods can project the video from the connected device to the connected display, in either full-screen mode or dual-view mode. The HT-RANGER includes multiple features such as automatic signal switching, CEC, Guide Screen, and OSD display.

Chief’s Voyager Mobile Cart mobilizes conferencing and collaboration with style. It is a compact display solution for flexible conferencing and collaboration in work and education spaces. Built-in cable management and small device storage create attractive AV installations. Its slim footprint invites users to easily step up to interactive displays and move freely around the cart. A sleek design promotes accessibility and effortless movement, promoting creativity for all. Camera and speaker mounts for the new Voyager Mobile Cart integrate with a wide range of technologies from Vaddio, Logitech, Poly, Google, and others to support meeting platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and more.

halltechav.com

legrandav.com

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Captivate Series

3G Ultra 707WP2 Thin Wallplate Transmitter

Nanolumens’ Captivate Series is aimed at simplifying installation and easing user control. It was designed and intended for any organization looking for an easy-to-integrate dvLED solution for corporate meeting rooms, houses of worship, higher education facilities, and much more. Captivate is a complete solution that eliminates the need for additional components and eases the design and installation costs typically associated with dvLED displays. The series is available in four unique sizes. The 120, 150, and 180 inch are available in full HD resolution and the new 165” is in full 4K UHD, for exceptional visual performance, brightness, and clarity.

Just Add Power’s 3G Ultra 707WP2 Thin Wallplate Transmitter fits into a two-gang construction box and provides HDMI input to any Just Add Power video distribution system. The 707WP2 encodes a 4K or lower-resolution source device into an IP signal and sends it over the network with ultra-low latency and instant switching; along with many other 4K system-wide features from the 3G Ultra product line. It supports multi-channel including highresolution digital audio formats and it is available to order in black, white, or custom colors. Mix-and-match with any 3G Ultra or 2G Omega models to distribute any source to any zone.

nanolumens.com

justaddpower.com

MVC Series Microsoft Teams Rooms System

Yealink’s 3rd-Gen MVC Series Microsoft Teams (MTR) Rooms System collaborate with Microsoft in integrating AI technologies like voice control, identity recognition, and transcription into video conferencing. Together, these technologies elevate collaboration to a whole new level of equity. With Copilot Integration, voice commands initiate and end the meetings, freeing participants’ hands. Voice and facial recognition identify and displays participant names in meetings and on realtime transcriptions. Whether through MultiStream People Feed (for regular meeting rooms) or Multi-Camera Intelliframe (for larger spaces), the system adeptly tracks the latest four active speakers, promoting seamless and natural conversations.

yealink.com

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Forum Collaboration Suite

Middle Atlantic’s Forum Display Suite is designed for workspaces when hybrid collaboration is necessary. The Display Stand, with a free-standing or floor-to-wall mounted version in dark or light design, includes a Chief Fusion mount that supports single displays up to a 100 inches, dual displays up to 75 inches, and 21:9 ultra-wide aspect ratio displays like the Jupiter Pana Series up to 105 inches. The Forum Table options are a perfect accompaniment to the Forum Display Stand for flexible hybrid video conferencing scenarios. The three- and fiveperson Angle Table is perfect for meetings with mostly in-person attendees while the three-person Arc Table or two-person Rectangle Table is perfect for meetings with mostly remote attendees.

legrandav.com

HDL410 Audio Conferencing System Camera Zones Feature

Nureva’s HDL410 Audio Conferencing System Camera Zones Feature integrates unique sound location data with the INOGENI CAM230 multi-camera selector to automatically switch camera views in Microsoft Teams and Zoom using any USB or HDMI camera, including the Nureva CV30. Setup is quick, with only a few minutes needed to define up to three zones that are each mapped to a camera and its view of the room. During a meeting or class, sound location data is used to automatically activate the camera that is mapped to the zone where someone is speaking, making it easier for remote participants to follow the conversation. The new feature will be available in December 2023.

15 IntelliSHOT-M ePTZ Camera Vaddio’s IntelliSHOT-M ePTZ Camera is certified for Microsoft Teams. With 30x zoom and Vaddio’s advanced IntelliFrame technology, the IntelliSHOT-M camera is ideal for auto-tracking presenters in boardrooms or perfectly framing a group of coworkers in larger conference rooms. Pro AV Integrators can customize the IntelliSHOT-M camera’s settings based on the room conditions and user’s preferences, making it a versatile and user-friendly option for any video conferencing or collaboration setup. IntelliSHOT-M provides a consistent, repeatable, and high-quality Microsoft Teams experience unmatched by other cameras.

legrandav.com

nureva.com

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Yamaha MTX Universal Driver

Blackwire Designs’ Yamaha MTX Universal Driver allows installers to utilize both the Yamaha MTX3 and MTX5-D audio processors with Control4 systems. The easy-toinstall driver controls an MTX processor like any other audio matrix and is the only solution that includes a customizable mixer interface enabling end users to control the level and mix of each input across multiple zone outputs. The MTX driver includes customizable UI buttons and support for both stereo and mono inputs and zones. In Control4 Composer, system designers can customize buttons with colors and graphics for easy identification, with custom sliders to quickly set input levels and mute statuses. The driver works with current Control4 OS versions 3.1.3 and up as well as Control4 T4 touch screens, iPad, and Android interfaces.

blackwiredesigns.com

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ConvertIP

Matrox Video’s ConvertIP was built for signal management—including two-way, high-density ST 2110-to-HDMI/SDI monitoring and conversion. Users can reduce the cost of ownership, ease switching requirements, and gain baseband monitoring flexibility and redundancy with Matrox ConvertIP. Thanks to the new daisy chaining feature in ConvertIP Version 2.0, users can even send multiple streams through one connection and display any stream on any connected monitor. These fanless, NMOS-aware devices are 4Kand IPMX-ready, support both ST 2110-20 uncompressed and ST 2110-22 compressed JPEG XS workflows, and include PoE+ for easy integration.

video.matrox.com

UTB Contour 21:9 Ultra-Wide Format Fixed-Frame Screens

Ultra-wide screens like Da-Lite’s UTB Contour 21:9 Ultra-Wide Format FixedFrame Screens are quickly becoming the standard for displaying hybrid video conferencing solutions, where all attendees, whether they are in person or virtual, are equitably seen and heard. They can be paired with the popular Microsoft Teams Room to demonstrate a more immersive and equitable meeting experience for end users. The UTB Contour’s ultra-thin bezel frame and low profile are designed to look like a large flat panel. The brand offers a complete line of electric and fixed-frame screens in 21:9 ultra-wide format standard part numbers.

legrandav.com

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X 120Hz 5K 19 Pana Pro Series

20 Zone Wireless 2

21 ModPower System

Jupiter Systems’ Pana X 120Hz 5K Pro Series is the next generation of 5K ultrawide 21:9 aspect ratio LCD displays from Jupiter Systems. The Pana X uses Quantum Dot Mini-LED technology, making it the most technologically advanced ultrawide LCD in the market. Compared to Jupiter’s current generation of Pana displays, Pana X models comprise a range of sizes in thin-profile touch or nontouch 5K 120Hz LCDs, each with optically bonded, tempered, anti-glare, edge-to-edge glass; identical frame-less design; identical back; identical depth dimension; and identical ports at exact locations. The bezel-less, glass-to-edge, super-low-profile frames are ADA compliant, with a 78mm total depth.

Logitech’s Zone Wireless 2 is the brand’s top-of-the-line, AI-powered headset for two-way noise-free calls that is certified for business and built for power users wherever and however they work. The headset elevates call clarity and collaboration with AI far-end and ambient noise suppression, noise-canceling mics, hybrid ANC, AI-based voice detection, and premium personalized sound. Because Zone Wireless 2 was created using Design for Sustainability principles, the headset’s product life can be extended with replaceable battery and ear pads. The headset also reflects 20 percent PCR plastic, low carbon aluminum, responsible packaging, and is carbon neutral.

Wiremold’s ModPower System provides a safe and convenient modular power solution for flexible commercial interior spaces. Connect up to six power units together to create a code compliant modular system of power for training spaces, meeting rooms, and other collaborative zones. Get direct point-of-use access to power and charging; ModPower can be installed both in surface and on surface to fit your space’s unique needs. Wiremold ModPower is a flexible power system with damage-free installation, sleek design in white and magnesium finishes, and compliance with UL Spill Water and FCC standards.

jupiter.com

logitech.com

legrandav.com

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PowerShareX Adaptable Power Amplifiers

Bose Professional’s PowerShareX Adaptable Power Amplifiers are an ideal match for Bose Professional sound systems. Onboard DSP gives you instant access to optimized loudspeaker presets. ControlSpace Designer software allows for quick configuration. And proven Powersoft technology ensures you put every watt to work. Choose from three models: PSX1204D, PSX2404D, and PSX4804D. Each networkable, four-channel amp offers innovative power-sharing flexibility, peak power capability, Dante connectivity, and much more—all in a spacesaving 1RU design. And easy integration with Bose Professional DSPs, loudspeakers, and the entire ControlSpace ecosystem makes design, configuration, installation, and operation much simpler—so you can get the job done and move on to the next.

boseprofessional.com

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Samsung Interactive Display

VP2021 4K Wireless Presentation Switch with Quad View

Samsung’s Interactive Display (model WAC) is built on the Android Operating System, offering an intuitive user interface that energizes collaboration right out of the box. Available in 65-, 75- and 85-inch models, the display is an all-in-one collaboration hub that elevates teamwork through simple and seamless connectivity. In classrooms, educators and students can wirelessly connect their devices to the display and interact with content, creating an immersive learning environment. The display also allows the sharing of up to nine screens for maximum productivity. An innovative, multi-touch capability enables up to 20 users to write and draw on the board simultaneously.

ATEN Technology’s VP2021 4K Wireless Presentation Switch with Quad View contains various features that make it a perfect collaboration terminal. Four sources can connect to a meeting through one of the different ways: via the ATEN wireless presentation app, a web browser, AirPlay, or Google Cast. Content can be displayed in full screen, side by side, or quad view. Then, up to eight attendees can join the meeting remotely through its wireless connection or 20 attendees via LAN connection in the same network environment. The VP2021 supports collaboration tools, such as annotation, whiteboard on screen, and screen capturing to take video conferencing and digital learning experiences to the next level.

samsung.com

aten.com

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25 DIALOG UVHF

26 Google Meet Series One

27 MAX Connect

ClearOne’s DIALOG UVHF, with Powerover-Ethernet and Dante technology, offers a wireless microphone system that can address audio pickup needs for rooms of any size. With 350 available frequencies across 160 MHz of RF range, the system eliminates any interference or connectivity issues. With five lavalier, lanyard, and headset-type body microphones; two handheld microphones; a boundary microphone; and three gooseneck microphones for podium use, the DIALOG UVHF provides integrators, room designers and meeting hosts with unmatched flexibility. DIALOG UVHF is the only system with a wireless access point delivering antenna redundancy and diversity, with dual antennas to maintain audio quality.

Designed in partnership with Google Workspace, Avocor’s Google Meet Series One comprises two all-in-one video conferencing and digital whiteboarding devices—Google Meet Series One Desk 27 and Board 65. It is a responsive solution designed to meet the practical needs of a fully hybrid workforce at home, at the desktop, and in the board room, including the over 6 million businesses that use Google Workspace. Desk 27 is a sleek personal 27-inch QHD resolution touchscreen which doubles as a desk monitor, laptop docking station, and digital whiteboard. Board 65 is a 65-inch interactive touch display for small-tomedium collaboration spaces, and it is ADAcompliant. Meeting participants can quickly connect their laptops via USB-C for power, device control, and instant content sharing.

Biamp’s MAX Connect offers the same comprehensive experience that users have come to love in dedicated UC conference rooms, now within bring-your-own-meeting (BYOM) collaboration spaces. MAX Connect enables users to walk into any room, with any device, and join a meeting instantly using any video collaboration experience, including UC platforms or messaging apps. It is the first and only seamless BYOM collaboration experience: from joining a meeting, to sharing content, to adding remote participants, to controlling room AV, MAX Connect offers the same experience for all meeting participants and makes it easy for IT to manage and deploy.

clearone.com

biamp.com

avocor.com

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VC-TR30 AI Auto Tracking PTZ

Lumens’ VC-TR30 AI Auto Tracking PTZ Camera is perfect for use in meeting rooms and presentations because of its intelligent auto-tracking and auto-framing modes. Both enable hands-off video capture, with the camera following a presenter or framing the shot around delegates present in the room. The VC-TR30 features advanced gesture control. When the presenter raises their hands, the tracking target will switch automatically. You can also manually change the tracked subject by selecting the individual via the web interface.

mylumens.com

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Gang Cable 29 Double Management System

30 Crestron Sightline

CableEZ’s Double Gang Cable Management System eliminates AV cabling frustrations in classrooms, boardrooms, conference rooms, huddle spaces and anywhere else users need to interface with cabling. It provides a clean, secure, dependable, and trouble-free connection point for end users. CableEZ eliminates access to the cable connection point, resulting in the cable that is always connected and working; the user simply unwinds the cable and uses it. It also provides a dramatically cleaner cabling environment by providing integrated storage space for the cable. CableEZ is compatible with any type of cable from HDMI, USB, data, even microphone cables.

Crestron’s Sightline makes it easier for attendees to engage in the flow of the meeting and follow the in-room dialog as the conversation moves from person to person. The solution displays a view of the entire room while simultaneously framing individual speakers using intelligent cameras and AI-driven video software for remote participants. Sightline technology removes the cognitive element of knowing where to look by having the video of remote participants in the line of sight for in-person attendees. Sightline increases visibility of remote attendees and improves natural interaction for all participants to in-person cues or non-verbal body language.

cableez.com

crestron.com

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PowerLite 810E 3LCD Lamp-Free Laser Display

Epson’s PowerLite 810E 3LCD ExtremeShort-Throw Lamp-Free Laser Display with 4K Enhancement offers significant innovations to meet display needs for corporation, education, immersive experiences, and more. Incorporating a new cooling system and revitalized platform with 3-chip, 3LCD technology and 5,000 lumens it delivers sharp, bright images up to 160 inches sitting inches from the wall. Offering a virtually maintenance-free laser light source, various aspect ratios from standard 16:9 to super-wide 21:9, along with quality built-in sound, digital zoom, and the new Epson Setting Assist app, it makes setup simple and integration easier for fleet management, image alignment, and casting.

epson.com

SW-100-08P 8-Port Unmanaged PoE+ Switch

EVSW4K41 4K 4x1 Multi-Format Collaboration Switcher

Luxul’s SW-100-08P 8-Port Unmanaged PoE+ Switch provides eight PoE+ capable ports of Gb Ethernet connectivity with a total power budget of 92 watts. It is an excellent choice for expanding your network when using PoE-enabled devices such as IP cameras, wireless access points, AV-over-IP devices, and control panels and easily fits into the widest range of environments. The durable metal case includes rubber feet and keyhole features for surface mounting options. Use the SW-100-08P to provide power and network to multiple PoE devices when space is limited, like behind TVs or monitors in small conference rooms or classrooms.

The Evolution by Vanco EVSW4K41 4K 4x1 Multi-Format Collaboration Switcher is the ideal BYOD content sharing solution. It supports wireless display sharing with Miracast or Airplay, and also has two HDMI inputs and a USB Type-C input. Users can share 4K, 4:4:4 video with HDR 10 or Dolby Vision from practically any computer, tablet, or mobile device without having to juggle dongles or wrestle with software. EVSW4K41 is video conference ready as well, with a soft codec, two USB type-B ports for host connection, and two USB type-A ports for directly connecting peripherals such as cameras, microphones, or keyboards.

legrandav.com

vanco1.com

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ViewBoard IFP62 Series

ViewSonic’s ViewBoard IFP62 Series facilitates collaboration and innovation. Designed to help teams connect, collaborate, and create, the IFP62 series of nextgeneration digital whiteboards deliver the features and functionality needed to move ideas forward. With a bezel-less projected capacitive (PCAP) touchscreen and native 4K Ultra HD resolution, IFP62 displays come with a USB-C connection for a one-cable solution, a built-in microphone array with echo cancellation, and noise reduction technology. Software includes ViewSonic Manager for updates and monitoring. myViewBoard digital whiteboarding software, and ViewBoard Cast for streaming and sharing content.

viewsonic.com

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Choros AR Space Booking Platform

Visix’s Choros AR Space Booking Platform supplants room signs by offering schedule display and robust booking features via native AR support on smartphones, saving the considerable cost and installation workload of room sign deployments. With no app to download or website to log in to, it speeds up booking and simplifies user adoption. Users simply scan a QR code mounted near a shared space to see if it’s available, see upcoming reservations, book the space, find other available spaces and more. Administration is handled in a userfriendly cloud dashboard.

visix.com

CS-800 and CS-500 Video Collaboration Systems

Yamaha UC’s CS-800 and CS-500 Video Collaboration Systems combine state-ofthe-art audio processing technology with the latest in intelligent video technology to automatically identify the conference space and the meeting participants. Yamaha’s signature technology, SoundCap Eye, combines video information with audio information to capture the speakers’ voices. The newly developed Hexa-Microphone not only discovers speakers but also eliminates distracting noises and sounds in the same vicinity. Together, the two technologies provide a frictionless and superior conferencing experience by automatically adjusting audio and video to each unique setting.

europe.yamaha.com

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UCS 303 Three-Input 4K60 Collaboration & Presentation Switcher

Extron’s UCS 303 Three-Input 4K60 Collaboration and Presentation Switcher is designed to meet the unique needs of Unified Communications meeting spaces. Three inputs support the connection of USB-C, HDMI, and DisplayPort sources, while five USB device ports connect to peripherals such as USB cameras and microphones at data rates up to 10 Gbps. The USB-C input supports video/audio, USB data, and 60W of power to charge a laptop. With the UCS 303, your meeting space can integrate your room’s USB cameras and microphones with users’ portable laptops into UC meetings.

extron.com

AMF41W 4K Advanced Wireless Presentation

Blustream’s AMF41W 4K Advanced Wireless Presentation Switch is packed with options to intuitively support meeting participants to connect with a room’s presentation gear from their favorite device. The ultimate BYOD solution, it features four HDMI, AirPlay, and Miracast inputs to a single HDMI output; an onboard Wi-Fi hotspot; a multi-viewing capability with configurable screen layouts; and support for seven concurrent video signals from seven users who can share the screen during a single session. The result is meetings that can get started quickly and feature a dynamic view of content shared from multiple collaborators.

blustream-us.com

4K UHD 39 LK935 Laser Projector BenQ’s LK935 4K UHD Laser Projector is purpose-built for the hybrid 21:9 meeting environment. The 5,500-lumen LK935 delivers the full richness, clarity, and accuracy of the complex content—chat boxes, video, images, graphs, and more— that make up hybrid meetings and video conferences today. It doesn’t simply fill the screen but enhances teamwork and collaboration with the high quality that meeting applications using the 21:9 format demand, such as Microsoft Teams Front Row, with a super-dense 1,149 PPI, Rec. 709 color accuracy, conferencing color modes, and HDR support.

benq.com

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Content Manager

KX4 Touchpanel with Built-In Processor

TRx Centralized Video Wall Management Platform

22Miles’ Content Manager offers streamlined design, control, and deployment across an entire visual communications ecosystem—whether a project has five screens or 5,000. It is easy to create personalized and interactive experiences with Content Manager. The Smart Template Center features over 1,000 customizable templates, AI-driven design recommendations, and rapid editing tools. The platform includes drag-anddrop widgets and features the industry’s deepest stack of third-party APIs, with native integrations for collaboration, space management, AI-assisted wayfinding and more. Content Manager is compatible with most new and existing hardware, making it an ideal solution for new deployments and retrofits.

RTI Control’s KX4 Touchpanel with Built-In Processor simplifies single-room commercial installations that require both on-wall control and processing power to control multiple devices. The KX4 combines a 4-inch capacitive touchscreen and fivebutton interface with a control processor for fast and cost-effective installations in all single-room environments. Available as either a standalone solution or as secondary processing in larger configurations, the builtin control processor maximizes integration with connected devices thanks to such robust capabilities as support for twoway drivers and the RTiPanel Mobile App. The 4-inch, high-resolution touch display complements the five configurable hard buttons that can be customized with RTI’s Laser Shark engraving.

VuWall’s TRx Centralized Video Wall Management Platform combines AVover-IP distribution, advanced video wall management, and KVM control. Ideal for centralized control of video walls of any size throughout rooms, floors, and campuses, TRx simplifies complex AV-over-IP projects with a single easy-to-use interface to configure, manage and distribute virtually any source to any display with drag-anddrop operations and no programming. TRx enhances communication with seamless collaboration in mission-critical environments. TRx features a control panel designer, extensive API, advanced security with user rights management, and an interoperable design that facilitates deployments and operations in multi-brand environments.

22miles.com

rticontrol.com

vuwall.com

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