SCN sat down with integrators and consultants to learn a bit about their InfoComm show priorities: what they want to see, what they hope to achieve, what they think will steal the show, and so on. To start things off, we hear from Julian Phillips, EVP of Whitlock.
What is your number 1 priority (or top priorities) at InfoComm this year?
Facetime with customers. InfoComm is now becoming just as important for customer meetings as it has been for manufacturer meetings.
What do you see as the top areas/categories to focus on for training, whether you are participating or recommending for others.
Training needs to be more horizontal than vertical; typically we have trained on vertical topics such as control systems, networks, video, audio etc.… the growing need is horizontal training i.e. how do I integrate video on an IT network and develop applications which provide powerful analytics for usage and adoption. As our customers demand more solutions rather than products, our training and cross-functional skills need to evolve too.
What technological trends will you be on the lookout for most?
Hardware: 3D simulation, Surface Hub and other “collaboration platforms”, OLED, interactive video walls, 4K video networks. Huddle room technology.
Software/Service: Mobile clients for Video / UC, VCaaS and other cloud solutions, data and analytics tools, software development and APIs
What business or vertical market trends will you be pursuing most?
Technology companies – experience centers, visualization and simulation. Energy – collaboration and data visualization. Higher Ed – collaborative learning. Healthcare – Telemedicine
What specific product categories or service solutions are you most interested in seeing or hearing about?
Cloud, cloud and cloud
