26 BUSINESS FEATURE: VIDEO COMMUNICATIONS environments,” says Couzins. “So where IT lacks appreciation for the ‘physical’ space and Facilities lacks the ‘technical’ understanding, AV integrators are well placed in their ability to deliver standard technologies into non-standard spaces.”
‘Certain types of traditional AV equipment are currently going through deep changes’ Samuel Recine, Matrox
Making margin While there may not be complete agreement on the current state of the market, it is clear the current period of flux has forced integrators to adapt. Does this mean many will look to target larger-scale projects that provide the opportunity to make more margin? “Margin is a direct function of value and there is no shortage of value that can be provided by good AV integrators,” states Recine. “The interoperability of low-bitrate products with so many other communications and knowledgeworker productivity suites means no shortage of work for installers personalising these experiences for their AV customers.” Pure AV’s Truswell believes that the nature of the hardware in many of these installations tends to be less margin-rich, but also believes there are opportunities for integrators: “While the in-room set-up is perhaps less complex, the variety of devices and room types deployed means that the overall estate in these organisations is becoming more complicated. At the same time, business owners are demanding greater visibility of the usage and performance of the different room spaces. These factors create an opportunity in the areas of control, management and measurement of installations. “As an integrator, the introduction of services to enable the centralised management and control of the estate over the IT network starts to build value back into the solution. If you can then extend those capabilities into the service wraparound you offer the client, the rewards for both customer and integrator go beyond any potential loss in hardware value.” While large-scale rollouts have become more commonplace as businesses standardise AV technology across offices, Couzins explains: “Volume is important but it is the service that will hold us in good stead. Whilst AV integration is still a large part of our business, we believe our portfolio of services enables our clients to leverage more value out of their AV investments and maximise availability and
productivity to their end-users – and those services now represent a large portion of our business.”
Growth opportunities With the changes seen in the video communications marketplace, what are the technologies that are providing good business for integrators? “Technologies that integrate content delivery with IP networks to enhance an organisation’s operation and communications provide integrators with real opportunities for growth,” comments Colin Farquhar, founder and CEO of Exterity. “By 2020, the digital signage industry is predicted to be worth more than £15 billion, and increasingly it is becoming a core component of an organisation’s overall unified communications strategy. “The future for digital IP video and signage within the workplace looks likely to remain vibrant, as organisations start to explore higher resolutions and dynamic content based on realtime events. Another area that is evolving is the use of end-to-end encryption to ensure that copyrighted and company-sensitive content is stored and delivered in a secure fashion. The video revolution in the workplace still has plenty of room to grow.” Recine has words of warning and encouragement: “AV integrators showing up with new versions of the old story – even those veiled as AV over IP but offering the same old limited reach and proprietary technologies – are not substantially participating in the large economies of IPTV, digital signage, and lecture capture and video management, all of which are low-bitrate applications using video standards born from the IT world, like H.264. The integrators that are demonstrating value in personalising these user experiences and/or integrating control for new products with AV processors and other thirdparty hardware and software are extremely busy. All of the aforementioned markets have new growth opportunities and are still expanding significantly.” Truswell believes the spread of apps like FaceTime and WhatsApp and the increased usage of video calls on personal devices means that people are now more comfortable with video comms. He continues: “Also, across business and education, there is increased requirement to make more content available to more people in more locations.” And in terms of technology areas, “UC, streaming and lecture capture can be deployed to offer businesses and institutions increased flexibility both in the usage and space and in the way that people work and communicate. I see this as a requirement that will only continue to grow as pressures on
April 2018
available space, environmental impact and more effective communication remain and intensify. The ability to solve these problems will place integrators in a strong position for future growth and opportunity.” But given the current speed of change, which technologies are likely to remain profitable? “Integrators that make alliances with top software suites from all these critical workflows stand a better chance to smooth out their participation in various projects on an ongoing basis,” notes Recine. “There are also skills and best practices to pick up from working in all these areas. Integrators should begin to be familiar with certain products that can span different specialised software worlds and develop a deep expertise in these products’ libraries for integration into customer environments.” So which technologies are a good bet for integrators to expand into? Farquhar cautions: “Before deciding to ‘expand into’ one of these new technology areas, it is vital that the integrators begin to build in-house skills in the networking, IT and content management areas.” Recine adds: “Having the skills and knowledge of AV processors and other legacy equipment in conjunction with modern products based on IP is a strong blend with plenty of appeal in the marketplace.”
‘The video revolution in the workplace still has plenty of room to grow’ Colin Farquhar, Exterity
While there’s a level of uncertainty surrounding the technologies that will remain in demand and those that will emerge, there is no doubt that integrators have a continuing role to play. Saville’s Willie concludes: “More than ever, AV integration specialists such as Saville are called on to help organisations really harness the power of software-based video and collaboration environments to deliver real business benefits and drive return on investments. Without this, software-based video clients are little more than a way of contacting one individual and the collaborative benefit of bringing multiple people and teams together is lost.”
www.avmi.com www.exterity.com www.matrox.com www.pureav.co.uk www.saville-av.com