Last year, the Pro AV voice was pretty clear: the industry was moving away from isolated hardware decisions and toward networked, software-aware, IT-aligned systems.
AV Technology’s “25 AV/IT Thought Leaders on the State of Networked AV” captured that mood well. The core themes were open standards, interoperability, cloud management, AI-assisted operations, phased modernization, and the continued convergence of AV and IT. In short, the market was saying: stop thinking in boxes, start thinking in platforms.
As we move through 2026, those core themes have hardened. It feels like operating in reality. AVIXA’s 2026 trends coverage points to security, AV/IT/AI convergence, interoperability, sustainability, and immersive displays as defining themes for the year. Futuresource adds an important nuance from ISE 2026: the market is shifting away from hype and moves toward governance, lifecycle management, compliance, and practical deployment.
On Standards
The biggest change in the last six months is that modern networked AV is no longer just about moving signals over IP. It is, noticeably, much more about running AV as an IT-governed service. In the 2025 AV Technology article, thought leaders emphasized open standards such as IPMX and SMPTE ST 2110, cloud-native management, predictive maintenance, and the need to avoid vendor lock-in. In 2026, that has become more concrete. AIMS used ISE 2026 to formally launch IPMX as a certifiable standard, a meaningful step for buyers who want interoperable, standards-led deployments rather than proprietary ecosystems alone.
On Security
Security has also moved up the stack. Last year, security was often discussed as one of many requirements. In 2026, it is closer to a board-level procurement filter. AVIXA explicitly names enhanced security as a top trend, and ISE 2026 launched its first CyberSecurity Summit, reflecting how connected AV systems are now being judged against enterprise expectations for risk, compliance, and resilience. That is a noticeable step-change from last year’s more general “AV meets IT” narrative.
On AI
AI, in a surprise to nobody, has changed, too. Early last year, the conversation at ISE was still full of promise: virtual assistants, smart troubleshooting, predictive maintenance, better user experiences. In 2026, the market tone seems a lot more selective. The industry is moving past broad AI claims and focusing on where AI genuinely improves workflow efficiency, reduces costs, or improves governance.
That is a healthier, more realistic phase for Pro AV. AI is still central, but now the question is less “do you have AI?” and more “where does it save labor, reduce downtime, or improve decision-making"? We see the same happening in broadcast.
On Growth
Another notable shift is commercial discipline. The Pro AV market continues to grow, but the tone is more cautious than celebratory. Growth remains real, but we are navigating a world shaped by tariffs, geopolitics, higher financing costs, and supply-chain uncertainty.
That makes AV in 2026 not just a technology story. It is more of a supply chain story, with the caveat that I am biased, as I work for a switch manufacturer. Memory costs are one example. NAND and DRAM prices have been rising, driven in part by demand for AI infrastructure. The direction of travel is clear: AI is soaking up capacity and keeping upward pressure on memory and storage costs. For Pro AV vendors and integrators, this feeds into endpoint pricing, media processing platforms, compute-heavy collaboration systems, and digital signage players.
On Geopolitics
Geopolitics is also more visible in 2026 than it was at the end of 2025. Trade policy on semiconductors, alongside broader regional instability, is shaping sourcing strategy and risk planning. Disruptions to critical inputs, including materials used in semiconductor manufacturing, add another layer of uncertainty that can ripple through AV supply chains and pricing. Should we worry about this? No, because just like the weather, you can’t influence it. But you should be aware of the repercussions.
On Mergers and Acquisitions
M&A is another signal that the industry is reorganizing around scale, services, and recurring value. Recent acquisitions of manufacturers and regional channel players highlight a clear strategic pattern: buyers want broader, or even global, service footprints, deeper managed services capability, and stronger alignment with workplace transformation and enterprise IT.
So, What is The State of Pro AV in 2026?
It is more networked and more governed. More software-defined, but also more compliance-driven. More AI-aware, but less willing to pay for AI hype. Slightly more open to standards, especially where interoperability reduces lifecycle risk. And it’s more conscious that external forces, from semiconductor pricing to geopolitics, can shape project economics just as much as product innovation can.
