Yamaha Unified Communications (Stands 11-F120 and 11-G120) will showcase its meeting space product portfolio at Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2019, February 5–8. Attendees can experience Yamaha UC's lineup of purpose-built UC solutions that address the full range of collaboration use cases.

"Clear, natural audio is fundamental to a satisfying and productive meeting, but as customers demand the flexibility to collaborate anywhere, integrators and technology managers are challenged with UC solutions that fit these environments," said Philip Stanley, director of EMEA, Yamaha UC. "At ISE 2019, we're showing how Yamaha UC solutions enhance the user experience. Visitors will see vignettes reflective of today's meeting spaces, from the home office, an open office, and huddle room, all the way up to a large conference or multipurpose room and boardroom."

Home Office or Open Workspace

More and more people are meeting remotely or working wherever is most convenient, redefining users' expectations and conferencing requirements. At ISE 2019, Yamaha UC will showcase the YVC-200 Portable USB + Bluetooth Speakerphone, designed to provide high-performance audio that goes everywhere with the user. The compact device leverages Yamaha's audio technology to boost productivity when meeting remotely or in an open workspace. It is integrated with Yamaha's sound processing technologies, including adaptive echo cancellation (AEC) and human voice activity detection, which focuses on speech rather than background noise. The unit features an intelligent microphone and delivers full-duplex conversation without sound dropouts, even when multiple people are speaking at once.

Huddle Room

At ISE 2019, Yamaha UC will showcase the Yamaha CS-700 Video Sound Collaboration System for huddle rooms. Designed for the highest quality user experience, it optimizes audio, video, and collaboration capabilities in a smart wall-mounted unit. It features an adaptive beamforming microphone array, four Yamaha speaker elements, and a wide-angle HD camera for the far-end participants to see everyone in clear detail. Users can connect to an organization's chosen UC platform using a single USB, eliminating the frustrations and inefficiencies of operating disparate video, audio, and collaboration components. In addition, the CS-700's integrated network management system allows IT staff to deploy and remotely manage each unit from one location, increasing service response and efficiency.

Large Conference Room or Multipurpose Room

When team members are located all over the world, high-quality audio is the first priority. Going beyond the traditional speakerphone, the Yamaha YVC-1000 conference phone enhances audio for medium to large conference spaces and multipurpose meeting rooms. It features a separate microphone and full-range speaker unit that can be placed close to the video display, so audio and video from the remote location blend more naturally for faster comprehension. It can support two external speakers and up to five daisy-chained microphones and is capable of being paired with other microphone systems via an input jack for increased scalability in larger meeting rooms. Its auto-tune setup also allows participants to get started quickly with audio optimized to the room conditions. Yamaha's AEC and other sound processing technologies facilitate stress-free conversation.

Boardroom

The use of UC applications is reaching into boardrooms, requiring equipment that can support these platforms while delivering reliable, high-quality audio that ensures effective communication. At ISE 2019, visitors can see Yamaha’s ready-to-install professional audio system that is designed to enable participants to use their preferred UC application and collaborate with clarity while streamlining systems and installation efficiencies. The system comprises an eight-channel Revolabs Executive Elite wireless microphone package, two VXL1-16P Power over Ethernet (PoE), Dante-enabled speaker arrays with wall volume controller, a digital signal processor, a five-port PoE switch, Dante AVIO USB adapter, and cabling. Connected to an organization's chosen UC platform through a single USB cable, it utilizes Yamaha's AEC algorithms and dynamic microphone mixing technology to deliver high-quality audio throughout the room.

NSCA, a not-for-profit association representing the commercial low-voltage electronic systems industry, announced the election of a new president to its executive committee, as well as many other leadership changes and the addition of two new officers to its Board of Directors for 2018-2019.

Josh Shanahan, president and CEO at Sport View Technologies and current NSCA vice president, will assume the role of NSCA Board of Directors president on July 1, 2018.

“NSCA members are facing a tremendous amount of competition and change,” said Shanahan. “I’m hoping to help NSCA remain extremely relevant to its members as we provide products, resources, and advisors that can help them navigate their way to success.”

Shanahan replaces Kelly McCarthy, president and CEO at Genesis Integration, whose two-year term as president ends on June 30, 2018. McCarthy will serve as the executive committee’s immediate past president, replacing Michael Hester of Beacon Communications. Hester will continue to serve NSCA by joining its Leadership Development Committee, helping weigh in on long-range planning decisions.

Mike Boettcher, CEO at Advanced AV and current NSCA secretary, will become NSCA vice president; Dave Ferlino, regional operations manager at Whitlock and current NSCA treasurer, will become NSCA secretary. Current board member Anne Sellers, managing principal at Sensory Technologies, will now serve as NSCA treasurer.

In addition, the following professionals will join the NSCA Board of Directors and begin their three-year terms on July 1, 2018:

• Tim Hennen, president of sales and engineering, IVCi
• Dan Schmidtendorff, president and CEO, Communication Company

Tim Hennen manages IVCi’s enterprise sales and sales support departments, and is also the company’s AV solutions design leader and spokesperson. In 1999, he was instrumental in creating IVCi’s award-winning AV integration department.

Dan Schmidtendorff has been with Communication Company since 1996, starting out as a design engineer. In 2006, he purchased the business with partner Barry Schleiger. Since that time, the company has grown from 12 employees to more than 40.

Hennen and Schmidtendorff join the following board members who continue their terms from last year:

• Ray Bailey, president, Lone Star Communications
• Dale Bottcher, executive vice president, AVI-SPL
• Brad Caron, president and owner, SIGNET Electronic Systems
• Christina De Bono, President, ClearTech Media

Rob Simopoulos’ three-year board term ends on June 30, 2018. As cofounder of cybersecurity firm Defendify, Simopoulos will continue to serve NSCA as part of the Business Accelerator program.

“The NSCA Board of Directors for 2018-2019 represent the diversity of our membership very well when it comes to managed services, company size and location, and the types of industry challenges they face,” said Chuck Wilson, NSCA executive director. “Josh Shanahan is becoming NSCA president at a crucial time. As a result, NSCA will be well positioned to expand its offerings for integrators and manufacturers as their needs change along with the industry.”

Yamaha Unified Communications announced the debut of a professional audio conferencing solution specifically engineered for seamless and easy installation out of the box into boardrooms and large conference rooms utilizing UC applications. Available only in North America, the Yamaha YAI-1 Conference Ensemble is a preconfigured USB audio system that achieves audio in and audio out for an organization's chosen UC platform.

"All organizations are moving toward UC applications — even in larger conferencing spaces. While these solutions provide a great way to communicate, they don't include the equipment or USB audio inputs and outputs necessary to maintain consistent, professional-grade communication throughout a meeting," said Phil Marechal, vice president of business development and product management, Yamaha Unified Communications. "The Yamaha YAI-1 Conference Ensemble meets the toughest audio expectations within these rooms, with all the required components to achieve best audio capture and best audio output while maximizing installation and configuration efficiencies."

The ready-to-install professional audio system comprises an eight-channel Executive Elite wireless microphone package, two VXL 1-16 PoE speaker arrays, a preconfigured digital signal processor, a five-port PoE switch, Dante AVIO USB adapter, and cabling. Once set up, the Yamaha YAI-1 Conference Ensemble is ready to connect to an organization's chosen UC platform through a single USB cable, such as Skype for Business, Cisco Webex, GoToConference, Zoom, BlueJeans, Amazon Chime and many others. The bundle includes two 16-element PoE powered line array speakers that deliver high-quality audio throughout the room and a wireless microphone system that enables flexible, superior audio capture and stress-free conversation. The system is available in two microphone options: an eight-gooseneck microphone package for boardrooms, or seven table-top microphones and one wearable microphone for presentation flexibility in conference rooms.

Utilizing Yamaha's advanced audio engineering expertise, the system features adaptive AEC algorithms and dynamic microphone mixing technology that drives the best-in-class audio experience and allows enterprise IT departments to enhance the AV offering in the room with a professional, easy-to-install system.

The Yamaha YAI-1 Conference Ensemble expands Yamaha's family of UC solutions. From home offices, huddle rooms, medium to large conference rooms and boardrooms, Yamaha Unified Communications devices satisfy the critical requirement of pristine audio for virtual meetings. The company's YVC-200, YVC-300, YVC-1000, FLX UC 500, FLX UC 1000, and FLX UC 1500 conference phones, along with the CS-700 Video Sound Bar, feature powerful, high-fidelity audio capabilities that combine loudspeaker, microphones, and audio technology such as acoustic echo cancellation, ultrawide frequency response, and full duplex support. The result is incredibly clear-sounding audio for video- and audio-conferencing, softphone calls, or webinars with USB ports that make it easy to connect to any PC, Mac, or Chromebook and improve users' communications experience for whichever collaboration software they use, no matter the room size.

Yamaha will showcase the conference solution at InfoComm 2018 booth N1227.

Prysm has unveiled the Prysm Laser Phosphor Display (LPD) 6K Series. These interactive, large-format, single-panel displays represent a significant improvement over the company’s previous technology, with panoramic images uninterrupted by seams or bezels. The displays are shatter-resistant, flexible, and can even be rolled up for transport.

The LPD 6K is available in two sizes—135 inches and 190 inches—and can display content in both 4K and 6K resolution.

“Our LPD 6K is extremely versatile,” said Hannah Grap, vice president of marketing at Prysm. “We’re introducing a digital signage solution, a broadcasting solution, and the ability to create up-close and one-on-one interactive experiences right next to the video wall.”

Initially created as a means to work in tandem with Prysm software, the screen is compatible with the Prysm digital workplace platform for interactive operation.

“Most of our implementations go back to the need of video content sharing,” Grap said. “Whether that is in a boardroom or an experience center, we have quite a few customers using it in that high-versatility space.”

The LPD screen is touted to use 20 percent less energy than the standard LCD screen, making it extremely energy efficient; according to the company, its power consumption similar to a commercial coffee maker. The screen itself does not require a separate cooling system and 96 percent of materials used in the production of the screen are recyclable.

With a contrast ratio of 80,000 to 1, the LPD features a wide color gamut and is Rec. 709 compliant, for a better reproduction of a wider range of colors. The screen’s 178-degree viewing angle makes it possible to have several spectators viewing the screen from varying angles and positions. “Theres not a bad view in the house,” Grap said.

Prysm first introduced LPD technology in 2010, and its screens have been successfully deployed as digital signage solutions in retail stores, consulting firms, and medical manufacturing innovation centers seeking to implement an interactive and innovative experience for clientele and employees. The LPD 6K Series is positioned to deliver enhanced performance to these sectors, as well as reach into new markets.

“On the screening side we’ve thought of offering implementation to small theaters for the consumer who needs this, even for executives in Hollywood,” said Roger Hijjar, founder and CTO of Prysm. “Because, again, it’s projection capable; you can have the lights on and watch things. It doesn’t have to be in interactive in every venue.”

Overall, Prysm believes the versatility and efficiency of the LPD 6K will make it a viable alternative to competing large-format alternatives on the market.

“The key takeaway is when companies are looking at a solution like Prysms LPD compared to an LCD or LED, they don’t have to make compromises,” Grap said. “Whether that is the bezels, the fill factor to create that experience from a distance or up close, the cost per square meter, or the high contrast ratio. Prysm ticks all of those boxes, where as with competing solutions you’re only going to get one or two of these things.”

The LPD 6K is currently in general availability and shipping to partners and customers.