AVT Question: Please share insights and trends on AV/IT in the cloud, including the benefits and cautions.
Thought Leader: Shannon Byrne, Vice President of Marketing at NETGEAR Enterpris
The professional AV industry is experiencing its most significant transformation in decades. The shift from hardware-centric, proprietary systems to cloud-managed, software-defined infrastructure is fundamentally changing how AV systems are designed, deployed, and operated—and the pace of that change is accelerating.
For AV and IT teams, the benefits are real and substantial. Remote management eliminates the need for most routine on-site visits. Centralized visibility across distributed installations turns proactive maintenance into standard practice. Auto-discovery and intelligent configuration compress commissioning timelines from days to hours. And the shift from capital expenditure to an operational expense model gives organizations greater financial flexibility, allowing them to scale capacity as needed rather than front-load infrastructure investments.
The future of AV is cloud-managed and software-defined: Getting there strategically is what separates the organizations that benefit most from those that struggle.
Shannon Byrne, Vice President of Marketing at NETGEAR Enterprise
Perhaps most importantly, cloud-managed AV is finally closing the gap between AV and IT. IT teams gain the management consistency they expect from modern infrastructure, and AV professionals retain the specialized performance their applications demand.
But the opportunity comes with real risks. Cloud readiness is not automatic. Organizations must honestly assess whether their devices, networks, and internet bandwidth are prepared for cloud-dependent workflows, particularly with high-resolution video. Cloud storage costs can also surprise teams accustomed to the economics of local infrastructure. Security architecture requires deliberate design—not an afterthought.
The organizations navigating this transition most successfully treat it as both a technical and a business decision. They ask hard questions about readiness, total cost, and value rather than simply following industry momentum.
The future of AV is cloud-managed and software-defined: Getting there strategically is what separates the organizations that benefit most from those that struggle.
