Executive Summary

• AV Technology's Cindy Davis shares a 30,000-foot view from her interviews with nearly 20 AV/IT industry experts on the state of AV/IT today.
• Hybrid Migration: Organizations are taking an incremental, vendor-agnostic approach to transition to networked AV/IT environments without disrupting operational continuity or replacing functional legacy hardware.
• Unified Security: AV devices are treated as core network endpoints, requiring robust authentication, encryption, and segmentation to align with broader enterprise IT security standards.
• AI & Cloud Integration: Cloud management and agentic AI are driving operational efficiency by automating routine configurations, facilitating predictive maintenance, and centralizing remote control.
• Links to all the interviews.

After nearly 20 interviews, I am sharing a 30,000-foot view of what I am hearing on the state of AV/IT.

The transition to networked AV/IT environments represents a fundamental shift in how organizations manage communication infrastructure, and industry leaders agree that wholesale replacement of existing systems is rarely the practical path forward. While manufacturers widely offer comprehensive networked suites, the primary barriers to adoption remain consistent across the industry: the necessity of maintaining operational continuity with legacy hardware that has not reached the end of its lifecycle, the complexities of integrating AV into established IT security frameworks, and the resource constraints faced by lean technical teams.

Many experts advocate for an incremental, hybrid approach that treats existing investments as assets rather than obstacles. By leveraging interoperable, vendor-agnostic platforms, organizations can integrate new IP-based technologies alongside legacy equipment, allowing for phased migration on their own schedules rather than forced infrastructure overhauls. This strategy avoids the cost and disruption of a “rip-and-replace” mentality while enabling facilities to scale capabilities as budgets and priorities allow.

Security is no longer viewed as an isolated concern but as an extension of enterprise governance. As AV devices become critical network endpoints, they must adhere to the same authentication, encryption, and segmentation standards as any other IT asset. Manufacturers emphasize that shifting AV traffic to the network offers an opportunity to bring disparate devices under a unified security umbrella, provided that planning begins with security in mind rather than as an afterthought. Many experts note that a dedicated AV network, rather than simply merging everything onto the corporate LAN is often the most effective way to balance high-bandwidth requirements with manageable risk.

AI and cloud technologies are playing pivotal roles in this transition, serving as catalysts for both efficiency and smarter operations. Cloud platforms function as the essential control plane, offering centralized visibility, remote management, and proactive diagnostics that reduce the operational lift for distributed teams. By removing the need for manual, on-site troubleshooting, cloud-native tools allow IT staff to focus on higher-level governance and strategic planning.

Artificial intelligence is evolving from a theoretical concept into a functional tool for automation and intelligence. AI is being utilized to analyze operational data, predict potential failures, and automate routine configuration tasks, reducing the “learning curve” that has historically kept some networked AV out of reach for smaller organizations. The emergence of agentic AI, capable of interpreting intent and interacting with systems through standard interfaces, is beginning to shift the operational model from manual navigation to automated, intent-based management.

The consensus among industry leaders is that the future of professional AV is not defined by the breadth of a manufacturer’s hardware portfolio, but by the intelligence of the ecosystem managing it. Success depends on open architecture and strong partner integrations that allow customers to maximize their current infrastructure investments while progressively layering on the cloud-based management and AI-driven insights that define modern enterprise environments. The goal is a transition that is additive and secure, transforming meeting spaces into intelligent data hubs where technology fades into the background, supporting consistent, high-quality collaboration without requiring constant human intervention.

AVT Question: Please share insights on the ongoing transition to networked AV and the role the cloud and AI play.

Thought Leader: Lital Grossman, Executive Director at OpenCloud AV

Most networked AV today is still siloed by manufacturer: each vendor’s devices report into their own closed cloud, their own app, their own dashboard. IT ends up managing a patchwork of parallel systems instead of one network, which recreates the exact problem networking was supposed to solve.

None of these are solved by adding another closed platform. They’re solved by a common, open layer that any device—old or new, any manufacturer—can plug into on equal terms. That’s the case for open cloud APIs: they let IT apply the same security posture and visibility to AV that it already applies to every other networked endpoint, without forcing anyone to rip out working hardware or bet on one vendor’s ecosystem.

Once that data is flowing through an open, standardized cloud layer, AI becomes practical: predictive maintenance, anomaly detection, and fewer support tickets, because the models can finally see the whole room instead of one brand’s slice of it.

This is the shift OpenAV Cloud exists to drive—not another proprietary platform, but an industry framework so networked AV works for everyone with every system and every vendor.

None of this gets fixed by another closed platform. It gets fixed by an open layer any device, from any manufacturer, can plug into on equal terms. That’s the case for open cloud APIs: one security posture, one set of tools, across every device on the network, regardless of brand or age.

Once that data flows through a common, open cloud layer, AI becomes practical—predictive maintenance, anomaly detection, fewer tickets—because it can finally see the whole room, not one manufacturer’s slice of it.

That’s what OpenAV Cloud is building toward: not another platform, but the framework that makes networked AV work as one system.

AVT Question: Please share insights on the ongoing transition to networked AV and the role the cloud and AI play.

Thought Leader: Richard Jonker, Vice President of Commercial Business Development at NETGEAR Enterprise

The promise of networked AV is compelling, but the transition doesn´t require replacing everything overnight. The biggest challenges are existing infrastructure and security, but neither is a dealbreaker. With the right network strategy, organizations can modernize at their own pace while protecting their existing investments.

Infrastructure first: AV over IP is not simply another IT application. High-bandwidth video, multicast traffic, precise QoS, and predictable latency place demands on the network that typical enterprise traffic does not. Convergence does not mean running AV on the corporate LAN. In almost all deployments, AV should operate on a dedicated network, managed using IT best practices but engineered specifically for real-time media.

Security requires the same discipline as any managed endpoint. As AV systems become connected, they need authentication, encrypted communications, access control, continuous monitoring, and regular firmware updates. A dedicated AV network does not reduce that requirement, but it makes consistent policy enforcement more practical and operational risk easier to contain.

AI and the cloud are accelerating this transition. Cloud platforms provide centralized visibility, remote management and lifecycle monitoring across distributed deployments, reducing operational overhead. Network AI builds on that foundation by finding performance anomalies, simplifying troubleshooting, predicting failures before users notice them, and, increasingly, automating routine management tasks. Together, they allow IT and AV teams to spend less time supporting systems and more time delivering reliable user experiences.

Successful AV/IT convergence is not about merging everything onto one network; it is about applying IT discipline while designing infrastructure that meets the unique requirements of professional AV.

Partnerships and product updates were abound last week in Pro AV. The big news of the week was a personnel change.

Longtime FORTÉ CEO Jeff Stoebner will transition to executive chairman of the board as former CFO Christopher Mounts was tabbed to become the company's next CEO. We broke the news last Tuesday, so you can get all the details in our article by clicking here.

Now, on with the show.

Partnerships

Audiologic Appointed as Authorised Distributor for Lumens

Audiologic was named an authorized distributor of Lumens across the U.K. and Ireland beginning on Oct. 1. Lumens is a specialist manufacturer of PTZ and auto-tracking cameras, voice-tracking, meeting room solutions, and AV over IP infrastructure for corporate, education, government, and civic environments – markets at the core of Audiologic's integrator-focused, project-led business.

The appointment extends Audiologic's premium portfolio into camera and video distribution, complementing brands such as Yamaha, Shure, and Sennheiser, already frequently specified alongside Lumens technology on integrated AV projects.

dBTechnologies USA Strengthens Northeast Presence with Richard Dean Associates

dBTechnologies USA has appointed Richard Dean Associates as its manufacturers’ representative for the six New England states and Upstate New York. The partnership expands the company’s sales and technical presence across the region while providing dealers, integrators, rental companies, consultants and end users with direct access to an experienced local team.

Founded in 1975 by Richard Bazirgan and Dean Goodwin, Richard Dean Associates has represented professional audio and video manufacturers throughout the Northeast for more than five decades. Principal Partners John “JD” Davidson and Bill King purchased the company in 2022 and have continued to build upon its established position in the market.

In addition to sales representation, RDA provides marketing assistance, product training, system-design assistance, technical support, order processing and management, and site and project assessment. The company works with dealers, distributors, rental companies and AV design consultants while also supporting end users through its established dealer network.

LEA Professional Announces Partnership with Adagio Pro

LEA Professional has partnered with Adagio Pro, a Barcelona-based commercial audio distributor. This partnership brings LEA’s extensive technology catalog to customers in Spain.

Adagio Pro is part of Holmusic, a family-owned business with over 50 years of industry experience. This partnership will represent LEA Professional’s Network Connect series of professional amplifiers and companion Dante Connect series featuring Dante and AES67 connectivity. These series enable integrators to utilize cloud-based remote control, monitoring, notifications, and more from any internet-enabled device, allowing them to stay connected anywhere in the world.

Nureva and AudioCodes simplify Teams Rooms with MDEP

Nureva introduced its joint Android platform solution—powered by the Microsoft Device Ecosystem Platform (MDEP)—has received Microsoft Teams Rooms certification for medium-sized spaces. The solution combines the Nureva HDL310 audio conferencing system with the AudioCodes dual-lens RXVCam70PTZ Camera, RXV200-ES Android Intelligent AV Hub, and RX-PAD-ES Meeting Room Controller to deliver a seamless, scalable and easy-to-manage conferencing experience.

The joint solution from Nureva and AudioCodes offers plug and play simplicity without complex DSPs, custom programming, tabletop mics or ceiling microphones. Built on MDEP, the certified solution supports enterprise-grade security and compliance, giving IT teams the ability to manage devices through familiar Microsoft tools. It features full-room audio pickup enabled by Nureva’s patented Microphone Mist technology, which creates a grid of thousands of virtual microphones for clear and consistent coverage throughout the space. With AI-powered camera tracking, a Teams Room AV hub and room controller from AudioCodes, the combined solution ensures natural conversations and inclusive meeting experiences for both in-room and remote participants.

The combination of the RX-PAD-ES controller and RXV200-ES hub simplifies management of the complete room experience, including the HDL310 system. Through the intuitive interface of the RX-PAD-ES controller, users can adjust settings such as volume, mute and microphone gain, prompt calibration and run device updates — eliminating the need for a separate management application. The HDL310 audio system connects directly to the RXV200-ES hub through a USB cable, simplifying deployment with less cabling and fewer network devices to manage.

This joint solution is part of a broader collaboration between AudioCodes and Nureva to deliver best-of-breed room systems for today’s hybrid working and learning environments. It also expands both companies’ ecosystems of reference designs, certifications, platform integrations and management tools.

Symetrix Expands Benelux Distribution with Audio-Technica

Symetrix has expanded its exclusive distribution partnership with Audio-Technica Benelux to include Belgium and Luxembourg. Building on the companies’ existing relationship in the Netherlands, the expanded agreement strengthens Symetrix’s presence and local support across the entire Benelux region.

For nearly 50 years, Symetrix has developed advanced AV and control solutions that help consultants and integrators design and deliver sophisticated systems with confidence. Through the expanded partnership, customers in Belgium and Luxembourg will gain local access to Symetrix’s complete portfolio, including Cognio, the company’s next-generation AV and control ecosystem built around distributed intelligence, inherent scalability, and a software-driven approach to system design and deployment.

Audio-Technica Benelux brings deep regional market expertise, an established network of professional AV partners, and decades of experience representing premium audio brands and technologies. Its local sales and technical teams will provide customers across the region with knowledgeable, responsive support throughout the design, deployment, and ongoing operation of Symetrix systems.

Product Updates

New LYNX Technik Series 5000 Card Provides Frame Sync with Audio and UPXD Processing

LYNX Technik's new PVD 5440 DO combines frame sync, up/down/cross conversion, motion adaptive de-interlacing, and comprehensive audio embedding and de-embedding in a single 12G-SDI Series 5000 card.

At the heart of the PVD 5440 DO is the Up/Down/Cross (UPXD) processing engine, incorporating LYNX Technik’s high-quality, motion-adaptive de-interlacing technology. The de-interlacing process uses motion-adaptive processing followed by diagonal interpolation—delivering clean, detailed images while minimizing common interlacing artifacts. The processing engine also supports conversion between virtually all broadcast formats, including resolution and frame rate conversion. Additional features include crop and zoom, horizontal flip, and a built-in test pattern generator with automatic failover when the input signal is lost. The PVD 5440 DO also provides comprehensive audio processing across 12G-SDI, MADI, and AES.

The PVD 5440 DO provides one 12G-SDI input and four 12G-SDI outputs, with one output configurable as loop-through. Optional fiber connectivity is available through a wide range of SFP modules, and two GPI inputs provide remote control for input switching, video freeze, and more. Configuration, monitoring, and status are managed through LynxCentraal control software.

d&b audiotechnik Introduces System Auralization for ArrayCalc

d&b audiotechnik has added a new software feature, System Auralization, that enables sound professionals to listen to their loudspeaker system design before it is deployed. With System Auralization, d&b adds a new dimension to the workflow, allowing users to hear the direct sound of a system design and assess aspects of system performance that are often easier to evaluate by listening than by studying graphs alone.

System Auralization generates a real-time binaural rendering of the current system configuration. Users can move freely through a virtual venue in first-person mode, listening from different audience positions and exploring how design decisions influence the listening experience across the coverage area. This makes it possible to hear how design choices impact coverage, imaging, and tonal balance across the audience area.

Users can immediately hear the impact of changes to loudspeaker positioning, array geometry, amplifier settings, filters and ArrayProcessing configurations, helping them refine and validate decisions before arriving on site.

Panopto Launches New Features to Enhance Video

Panopto released three new capabilities that help people find answers faster, turn trusted video into active learning, and bring organizational knowledge into the AI tools they already use.

Panopto Folio turns trusted lecture, training, and other Panopto content into an active study partner. Instead of rewatching a full recording to find the part that matters, learners can generate study guides, flashcards, and practice quizzes from that content, or work with an AI tutor grounded in the material itself. AI Search lets people ask questions conversationally across their entire Panopto library and get a synthesized answer with links back to the exact source clip and timestamp, instead of guessing which recording has the answer or scrubbing through hours of footage. And lastly, Panopto's MCP Server connects with approved tools such as Claude, ChatGPT, and Microsoft 365 Copilot directly to knowledge stored in Panopto, so organizations can securely bring that knowledge into the tools their people already use. Panopto's existing permissions and administrative controls carry over, access is read-only, and organizational content is never used to train external AI models. Teams get the flexibility to build without giving up security, permissions, or control.

Verkada Brings Cloud-Managed Control to Enterprise Sound Systems

Verkada launched Verkada Sound Systems, a cloud-managed audio platform that gives enterprises a single interface to manage audio hardware, announcements, and commercially licensed audio across sites. The launch addresses a longstanding AV operations challenge: enterprise sound environments are often assembled from separate components, making remote management and scaling difficult.

Verkada Sound Systems offers two paths to cloud management. New network audio players connect existing third-party speakers and amplifiers to Verkada Command, enabling organizations to modernize existing environments without replacing wiring. Additionally, new Power over Ethernet network speakers connect directly to Command, eliminating the need for dedicated processors, racks, and amplifiers – for simpler deployment.

Through Command, teams can monitor hardware health, stream commercially licensed music through native integrations, and route announcements across an entire organization or down to an individual site, space, or zone. The platform also connects with Verkada Alarms for AI-powered deterrence and Desk Station for one-tap audio control.

AVT Question: Please share insights on the ongoing transition to networked AV and the role the cloud and AI play.

Thought Leader: Omer Brookstein, CEO and co-founder of XYTE

Every AV vendor now claims a comprehensive portfolio. Yet the more consequential shift is beyond AV: enterprise software is being redesigned for agentic AI. Salesforce’s Headless 360 made that direction explicit by opening data and actions to AI agents through machine-readable interfaces, without relying on a screen.

For AV/IT leaders, this reframes the strategic question. The objective is not to select the dashboard that displaces every other dashboard. It is to make a mixed estate accessible to people, enterprise systems, and agents.

That estate will not disappear. Displays, DSPs, cameras, and controllers from multiple manufacturers may retain years of useful life, making wholesale replacement economically unsound and operationally disruptive. Giving agents access also raises the security stakes. An agent observing device health presents a fundamentally different risk from one that can reboot, reconfigure, or provision equipment. Strong identity controls, least-privilege access, approval gates, and audit trails must be built into the architecture.

Cloud provides the shared data and control layer. It can standardize device data, operational history, and available actions across current and legacy systems, allowing organizations to introduce intelligence without tying progress to hardware refresh cycles.

Agentic AI then shifts the operating model from navigation to intent. Teams can ask an agent to identify devices at risk, investigate a recurring room failure, prepare rooms for high-stakes meetings, or recommend the next action. Near-term value lies not in unfettered autonomy, but in governed automation: agents diagnose issues, correlate context, and prepare remediation while people authorize higher-risk actions.

The next leaders in AV will not be distinguished by suite breadth or interface polish. They will make existing infrastructure understandable and safe for enterprise systems and AI agents to act on.

AVT Question: Please share insights on the ongoing transition to networked AV and the role the cloud and AI play.

Thought Leader: Bob Bonniol, Chief Innovation Officer at ACT Entertainment

Many productions—global broadcasts, opening ceremonies, launches watched by billions in real time—don’t get a second take. In those instances, the KPI that matters isn’t brightness or resolution; it’s uptime under nation-state-grade observation. At ACT, we call this “Tier Zero.”

When you’ve got one shot, the conversation about networked AV changes completely. Things we call barriers to entry, security, entrenched infrastructure, and equipment costs aren’t reasons to delay the transition; they are specifications the transition must meet.

Take security, for example: A networked AV system is an IT system, and it should be secured like one. That’s not a burden; it’s an upgrade. The moment video, audio, and control enter ordinary network infrastructure—ST 2110 and IPMX for video, Dante for audio, sACN for lighting—they inherit 30 years of hardened IT discipline: segmentation, authentication, and observability.

The real barrier is AV people learning to think like network engineers and network engineers learning that packet loss happens in front of an audience.

Existing infrastructure is the same story, inverted. Abandoning a working pipeline isn’t trivial, and the standards don’t ask you to do so. Open transport migrates one signal at a time. Solutions like tvONE CALICO video processors and Green Hippo Estuary media controllers already operate natively in ST 2110 environments, forming a fabric that integrates the past rather than replacing it outright.

This is where AI and the cloud stop being buzzwords and start being load-bearing. The cloud takes everything, including rendering, previsualization, and fleet monitoring, out of the building and makes a thousand-node network operable by fewer people. That isn’t a gimmick; it’s how you earn the confidence to trust a network with a one-shot event.

For decades, each discipline had its own infrastructure. Now, everything is data on a shared network. The question is no longer when to migrate; it’s which signal moves first.

AVT Question: Please share insights on the ongoing transition to networked AV and the role the cloud and AI play.

Thought Leader: Andrew Starks, Board Member and Marketing Work Group Chair at AIMS

These days, many vendors talk about offering complete suites of networked AV/IT solutions. For most organizations, however, the real question isn't whether a suite exists; it's whether adopting it means starting over. Security is often the first concern, and for good reason: Networked AV puts audio and video traffic on the same infrastructure that IT teams are already responsible for protecting. Systems that rely on proprietary approaches to identity and access control tend to create more work for IT departments, while those built around established standards for encryption and authentication integrate more easily into existing security frameworks.

Legacy equipment is another factor that’s often overlooked in these conversations. Most facilities have made significant investments in gear that still works perfectly well, and few of them can justify tearing it out on a vendor's timeline rather than their own. Phased migrations, where new IP-based systems coexist with existing equipment, give organizations more room to move at a pace that matches their budget, operational priorities, and risk tolerance.

The real value of this approach becomes even more apparent with the adoption of cloud and AI technologies. Once content moves across standard IP networks instead of dedicated point-to-point connections, distributed production, ground-to-cloud workflows, and AI-assisted capabilities like automated monitoring and quality control become far more practical. These capabilities are still maturing across the industry, but it’s already clear that the organizations best positioned to take advantage of them are those that built flexibility into their infrastructure from the outset.

AVT Question: Please share insights on the ongoing transition to networked AV and the role the cloud and AI play.

Thought Leader: Randy Dickerson, Vertical Account Manager, Broadcast, Sports, and Enterprise at Panasonic

As network AV systems become the industry standard, organizations face a common challenge: how to modernize without disrupting existing operations. A complete tech overhaul isn’t always the solution, and replacing entire ecosystems can be costly and disruptive to existing production workflows. By taking an incremental approach, broadcast teams can integrate IP-based technology alongside legacy hardware-based equipment, extending the value of existing investments and laying the foundation for future growth across network AV.

Live production and broadcast teams require flexibility and adaptability, making AVoIP ecosystems a game changer. With remote management capabilities, teams can create scalable workflows and streamline control of multiple systems from a central management hub. This enables technicians to manage live video streams, audio inputs, and preset AV assets without the need for additional hardware. For teams with existing AV infrastructure, network AV adoption doesn’t have to be all or nothing. With hybrid AVoIP and hardware-based ecosystems, teams can replace outdated equipment as needed, using network solutions to support existing systems—not overtake them. Over time, teams can adapt to operating over IP networks and use the technology to streamline their workflows. For live production and broadcast AV teams, this means saving time, simplifying workflows, and enabling scalable, large-scale operations.

With incremental tech upgrades and the adoption of AVoIP solutions, production teams are never static. Connected ecosystems can simplify software updates, incorporate emerging AI capabilities, and simplify integration with IT workflows, allowing production teams to evolve without sacrificing existing technology and operations.

AVT Question: Please share insights on the ongoing transition to networked AV and the role the cloud and AI play.

Thought Leader: Mark Plummer, Vice President and General Manager, Connected Platforms and Ecosystems at Legrand | AV

While many manufacturers are offering networked AV portfolios, significant structural roadblocks remain to truly integrated AV and IT systems. The hurdles are not limitations of the technology itself, but the challenges of integrating networked AV into established ecosystems.

Security is often cited as the tallest hurdle. AV can no longer operate on an isolated network, yet fully integrating AV endpoints into IT infrastructure introduces additional security considerations and places greater demands on AV/IT teams to vet, deploy, and maintain those devices. The right products make meeting those standards achievable.

Existing infrastructure presents a related challenge. Most legacy IT networks were not designed for multicast or high-bandwidth AVoIP streams, and modernizing them requires capital investment and close collaboration between AV integrators and IT engineers. AV product lifecycles also rarely align across a given installation. Bridging old and new through software-defined control platforms and open standards is essential to moving forward without unrealistic capital expenditure.

Cloud and AI each have a meaningful role in addressing these hurdles. The cloud serves as the operational backbone, enabling efficient monitoring, proactive management, and remote service delivery while reducing dependence on expensive on-premises hardware. The key is a secure cloud architecture with robust provisioning, patching, and access management built in. At Legrand | AV, our Unified Cloud Platform is built around exactly this foundation.

As AI matures, it will evolve into a proactive agent, monitoring ecosystems via the cloud or at the edge, flagging anomalies, anticipating service needs, and enabling intelligent device scheduling. Organizations that invest now in thoughtful infrastructure design and strategic lifecycle management will be best positioned to deliver the responsive, automated AV experiences that define what is next.

AVT Question: Please share insights on the ongoing transition to networked AV and the role the cloud and AI play.

Thought Leader: Joel Mulpeter, Senior Director of Product Marketing at Crestron

Security, existing infrastructure, and major AV equipment that hasn’t reached the end of its lifecycle are all important factors when it comes to making technology decisions to support spaces for today and the future. Security will always be a paramount consideration at the start of any project or technology decision—both now and in the long term—as these technologies extend beyond deployment decisions. Lifecycle then comes into play, as you’ll need support for those products for the entire intended life of the space. This could be anywhere from, say, three years to much longer, but often covers a term of five to eight years beyond deployment. Make-or-break considerations include ensuring one has the right certifications and security patches, and specifying solutions known for their longevity.

AI is helping people better understand their estates and security concerns as we apply these tools across facilities with many spaces. But, AI in the meeting space is also driving these decisions as people look for the latest and greatest meeting room experiences. Specifiers need to ensure people get the most out of their spaces, just as they would at their desktop.

Executive Summary

Risk of Delay: For end-user AV and IT collaboration technology managers, the primary strategic risk of artificial intelligence (AI) is inaction rather than early adoption. Delaying practical AI deployment incurs compounding opportunity costs in organizational learning and workflow transformation.

Focus on Practical Friction, Not AI Hype: Technology managers must separate speculative existential AI debates from immediate workplace challenges, applying available AI capabilities to eliminate friction in collaboration, room scheduling, and user support.

Redesign Workflows for True Transformation: Drawing on the electricity analogy, using AI merely to speed up legacy processes yields incremental efficiency, whereas redesigning workflows around AI capabilities drives fundamental organizational transformation.

Manage the Hidden Risk of Inaction: While the risks of taking action (e.g., product selection error, user rejection) are visible, the risk of waiting is invisible and compounding—costing organizations unaccumulated learning and uncaptured adaptability.

Adopt a Software-Era Foundation Strategy: Organizations must move past static hardware-era purchasing mindsets and choose adaptable cloud and software foundations today that allow continuous evolution alongside maturing AI roadmaps.

It is almost impossible in recent weeks in particular, to have a targeted conversation about a specific AI application without the baggage of much bigger conversations coming into play. Jobs. Human relevance. Safety. Societal disruption. And most recently, even existential risk to humanity itself. That’s before we even begin considering the potentially extraordinary positive capabilities on the horizon.

All those conversations, particularly the difficult ones, matter. We should all have a thoughtful voice in them.

But positive or negative, they largely concern futures that most of us cannot reliably define, let alone individually control or deliver. My worry in this moment is that we cannot allow the scale and emotion of those debates to bleed into the much smaller, but far more practical decisions about what we individually CAN actually pursue and influence with the AI capabilities already in our hands today.

Applied to an end-user AV technology manager, I think that distinction matters enormously.

Deliver Organizational Impact and Outcomes

Your immediate challenge is likely not to resolve the future of artificial intelligence. It is to improve collaboration, remove friction, support users, make better use of space and help people decide, learn and innovate more effectively. Ultimately, it is to deliver the organizational impact and outcomes that collaboration technology has always foundationally existed to serve.

So perhaps, for a moment, we should stop talking about “AI” at all.

Rather, let’s try to just discuss what work we are trying to improve. What frictions are we trying to remove? What valuable capabilities have we historically wanted, but could never justify because some traditional form of constraint made it unviable or impractical?

Only then might we ask whether any of that equation might have changed in an AI age.

Many of us have heard the analogy of AI as the new electricity, and I can’t help but keep coming back to it.

People did not transform their lives because they became enthusiastic adopters of electricity as an abstract and somewhat universally applicable technology. They adopted lighting, refrigeration, appliances, machinery and countless other applications that made useful things newly possible. In industry, simply replacing an old power source with electricity created some value. But the larger transformation came when organizations redesigned factories and workflows around what distributed electric power now enabled.

I think there is a useful lesson in that for us.

Transforming the Workflow with AI

Using AI to make yesterday's workflow faster can absolutely create value. Redesigning the workflow around what AI makes newly possible is where transformation begins.

Consider something as everyday as organizing a meeting.

Particularly in the post-COVID hybrid workplace, we have placed even more logistical work onto a meeting organizer simply trying to bring peers together in person. Having consciously and thoughtfully considered who needs to attend and why, there is huge friction in working through where people will physically be, what room is available, whether it offers the right capability, etc.—let alone what happens when things change in the interim.

Executives typically have EAs to absorb much of that effort and friction. Most of the rest of us do not. So I’m excited as platforms such as Microsoft Places are beginning to address pieces of that problem through more intelligent workforce, workplace, and collaborative workflow coordination. At first glance, the business case is obvious: save somebody ten, twenty, perhaps thirty minutes arranging and managing the logistics of a meeting.

Useful? Absolutely. And that’s primarily the focus of implementation ROI analysis at present.

But I think there is a more important opportunity that sits underneath that efficiency premise.

Every new workflow carries an adoption threshold. The value people believe they will receive has to outweigh not only the practical change effort required, but the cognitive and emotional effort of doing something differently. It’s the “Crossing the Chasm” proposition we all know. If the friction is too high, even objectively better experiences struggle to gain adoption.

Our industry has spent years responding to that reality through simplification and standardization. We reduced choices. Simplified interfaces. Removed capabilities users struggled to understand. We lowered the friction floor largely by reducing the complexity we exposed, often designing toward a lowest common denominator. A significant compromise—even if justifiable—to supporting the diversity premise that gives collaboration so much of its value.

But in this moment, I believe AI potentially gives us a different mechanism.

Intelligence Absorbs Complexity

Rather than removing capability to make an experience manageable, what if intelligence can increasingly absorb complexity on the user's behalf?

Now the meeting example becomes much more interesting.

Yes, an intelligent agent might find the time, the room and the appropriate technical capability. But what if – building upon that new more practical and tactical efficiency foundation - it can also remove enough friction from richer ways of collaborating? That truly transformative new workflow opportunities now themselves become more practical? Premises like identifying and proposing:

• Who should actually be in the room?
• What perspective or experience might be missing?
• What collaborative methodology best fits the intended outcome?
• How should the space or technology respond differently if the purpose is ideation rather than decision-making?
• And what needs to happen to turn conversation into immediate action?

We have always been capable of asking many of those questions. The problem is these are complex and difficult to manage and measure. Applying that level of thought, coordination and facilitation to every meeting would historically have required far more human effort and practical friction than the return could justify.

So most meetings never received it.

That is the equation AI can begin to change.

The transformation opportunity is not simply doing the same work with less effort. It is making valuable new work viable that the old effort equation never practically allowed us to do consistently or at scale.

Efficiency still matters. In fact, I think it may be foundational. But perhaps its greatest value is not the minutes we recover, but in the new foundations it unlocks.

Efficiency Removes Constraints. Transformation Exploits Their Absence.

If collaboration itself, rather than simply collaboration technology, is becoming an increasingly critical driver of organizational innovation and change, that distinction matters enormously. Better access to knowledge, more relevant perspectives, stronger conversations and better decisions can lead to faster learning, greater innovation, greater adaptability and ultimately competitive advantage.

Now the return has the potential to move beyond linear efficiency toward something much more compounding.

[ Check out other insightful collaboration and workplace AI articles from Byron Tarry here. ]

And that is precisely why the risk of “waiting” for bigger AI discussions to progress deserves more attention.

Here’s a different take on that concept. Our organizations and careers have largely been built around managing the visible risk of action. What if I choose the wrong product? What if the platform does not deliver? What if users reject it? What if something better arrives next year?

Those are legitimate questions.

The Risk of Doing Nothing is Always Harder to See.

There is rarely an invoice for value never discovered because we waited. No budget variance captures the capability our teams failed to develop. No project review measures learning we never accumulated, or a collaboration improvement that never had a chance to emerge.

That has always made inertia deceptively comfortable.

While we have spent decades optimising how we manage the risk of action, I think we now need to become much better at considering & managing the risk of inaction.

That does not mean becoming reckless. It means recognizing that risk management can no longer be nearly so synonymous with change avoidance.

Certainly amid an abundance of opportunity sometimes waiting will absolutely be the right answer. Some technologies will be immature. Some risks will be unacceptable. Some opportunities are simply misaligned. Some organizations simply will not yet be ready.

But waiting is not neutral.

If the opportunity we are deferring is merely a small efficiency gain, delay may carry a relatively small cost. But if that efficiency is the first unlock in a chain that enables a better workflow, better collaboration, and ultimately better organizational performance, then the opportunity cost compounds very differently.

And I believe that is where we increasingly sit as an industry.

I recently had a conversation with Sam Kennedy from NetSpeek about the strange relationship our industry has historically had with roadmaps.

In a hardware-centric world, showing customers too much of what was coming next could often create a reason not to buy what existed today. If tomorrow's product offered materially different capability, while today's hardware was largely static and might remain installed for five or seven years, waiting could be entirely rational. Roadmap conversations themselves therefore carried risk.

But I wonder whether we are carrying hardware-era buying instincts into a software-era capability model.

It’s clear that increasingly more of the future will arrive through agile software, cloud platforms, intelligence layers and services layered onto physical foundations already deployed.

That must therefore change the question. Rather than asking "What might I miss if I commit today?", perhaps we should increasingly ask, "What can I choose today to create meaningful value now while also maintaining a credible path toward what comes next?"

In This Moment of Uncertainty, You Cannot Buy the Future.

But you can choose foundations today that give you permission and confidence in a path to evolve into it.

That mindset should influence how we interrogate products, architectures, and partners. Clarity of roadmap should now be seen as an opportunity on all sides to increase confidence in today's decisions, as opposed to exposing a dead end.

This is not about predicting perfectly. It is about maintaining progression when perfect prediction is unavailable.

And that brings me back to where we started.

The current AI conversation is full of questions nobody can answer with confidence. But we cannot allow uncertainty about that future to blind us to the opportunities sitting within reach today, to the leadership we can show, the foundations we can build, and the transformational outcomes we can already begin to pursue.

This does not require us to be optimistic about every possible AI future. Nor does it require us to dismiss its risks. I think it just requires something much more practical: the discipline to separate what is speculative from what is actionable, and to focus our energy where we still have agency.

Today we CAN remove unnecessary friction. We CAN rethink workflows designed around old constraints. We CAN make decisions that preserve a path to tomorrow. And we CAN challenge ourselves as to whether fear of an unknowable future is becoming a misguided justification for preserving a status quo we already know is imperfect.

Because in this moment, standing still is also a bet.

Whenever new technology enters a production environment, the first concern is what it means for the people involved. The assumption tends to be that roles will disappear. In more than 35 years in this industry, that assumption has rarely played out the way people expected.

Understanding the human side of change, including what happens to people and roles, is just as important as understanding the technology. That’s true whether you’re building Pro AV systems, broadcast facilities, or environments where those worlds meet.

Resisting the Shiny Ball

In all kinds of business, change is difficult to manage. In our business, where change is continuous, the real difficulty isn't accepting change—It's recognizing necessity while getting the timing right. I've seen top-of-their-game companies disrupted because they responded too late, and others struggle because they moved too early on technology that wasn't ready. Both are costly, one driven by being too entrenched, the other by chasing what I call the "shiny ball."

There is always a shiny ball, some new technology or methodology that attracts attention because it sounds impressive. People become like moths around a flame.

But very few stop to ask: What is the real use case? How does it affect our customers' business and our industry? How does it mesh with what we actually do? Sometimes a technology won't mesh until other factors come into play—financial, political, or otherwise. Recognizing that takes discipline.

Integrators and consultants sometimes push new systems before they're proven, either to show they’re current or to stand out in a competitive market. While the pressure is understandable, more often than not, it ends with problems for the customer, and the cost of moving too soon can be very high. The instinct should be to stay with what works until the new technology has demonstrated real value, not just shown promise.

In my experience, very few people have the real vision to see when change is actually necessary, rather than merely promising. That distinction is where leadership lives.

Consider robotic cameras. The concern was job losses. For broadcasters, the real motivation was not reducing headcount but getting the same shot, the same way, every time.

When robotics took over, operators didn't disappear. They moved into graphics, editorial roles, and other areas of production. In many cases, automation accelerated career paths rather than ending them.

The same pattern emerged with media asset management. As archives moved from physical vaults to searchable digital systems, the roles changed entirely. Broadcasters needed people who understood data management and file-based workflows. Some even built their own systems, hiring computer science graduates for jobs that had previously been clerical.

Technology didn't necessarily shrink the headcount. It redistributed roles and raised the skill requirements, and the industry had to adapt.

Institutional Knowledge

Most organizations have pockets of knowledge and experience across departments and across individuals. Information exists in people's heads, in databases, and in different systems, but it isn't necessarily stored consistently or connected. When I ask where to find something, the answer often depends on what it is and who I ask.

As organizations grow and adopt more systems—ERP platforms and customer management tools—the fragmentation increases. Identifying what knowledge is essential, deciding how to preserve it, and making it accessible across the organization is difficult. No one has fully solved this, but in a fast-moving environment, you can't afford to ignore it.

One space worth watching is internal AI tools trained on an organization’s own data. Recently, I asked one of these tools a question and got an answer sourced from a completely different department. If AI can bridge knowledge that exists in silos, the implications for how organizations retain and share institutional knowledge are significant.

An agile culture depends on teams collaborating in the moment, whether that's your own team or your clients. That kind of exchange used to happen naturally: swiveling your chair, bouncing an idea off someone nearby. Hybrid work has made it harder. You schedule a call instead, and by the time you connect, the moment has passed.

The instinct now is to schedule a meeting. The better instinct is to just hit the call button. Spontaneous exchange has to be created intentionally. It doesn't happen by accident anymore.

Technology will keep changing. It always has. What matters is the judgment to know when a change is meaningful, the willingness to bring people along with you, and the discipline not to chase the shiny ball. Those are human problems, not technical ones, and getting them right matters as much as the systems themselves.

For a long time, this has been an industry that skews older. We need new blood, not just to teach them but to let them teach us. The younger professionals I've seen coming in lately give me real confidence. They are enthusiastic, willing, and want to do the work. In a dynamic technical environment, that matters.

What to know:

• Current CFO Christopher Mounts will become FORTÉ global CEO on Oct. 1.
• Current CEO, Jeff Stoebner will step into the role of executive chairman.
• Mounts will be replaced by Matt Winger, FORTÉ’s current EVP of finance.

FORTÉ is once again making major Pro AV headlines. The company has named Christopher Mounts global chief executive officer effective October 1, 2026. Mounts succeeds Jeff Stoebner, who has served as CEO since 2009 and will continue as executive chairman for FORTÉ.

[ICYMI: SCN Exclusive Interview with Jeff Stoebner on Vega Global Acquisition]

Mounts, who currently serves as chief financial officer, joined FORTÉ in 2015 as controller and was named CFO in 2019. During his tenure, he has helped strengthen the company’s financial foundation, operational discipline, and systems infrastructure while supporting FORTÉ through significant growth and transformation. As global CEO, Mounts will turn his focus to advancing FORTÉ’s company culture, integrating newly acquired businesses into a unified global organization, and strengthening the systems and capabilities that support continued growth and customer success.

“Chris has been a trusted leader and strategic partner throughout one of the most transformative periods in our company’s 52-year history,” said Stoebner. “He understands our business, our culture and the responsibility we have to our employees and customers. His financial discipline, operational perspective and steady leadership make him the right person to guide FORTÉ into its next chapter. I look forward to supporting him and the business in my role as executive chairman.”

Stoebner joined FORTÉ full time in 1993 and has led the company through a period of dramatic expansion in both the United States and internationally. He was also instrumental in strategically rebranding the company from AVI Systems to FORTÉ. Under his leadership, FORTÉ now serves customers in 22 countries and more than 70 markets worldwide.

Matt Winger, FORTÉ’s current EVP of finance, will become global CFO. Winger, who brings nearly 18 years of expertise, is set to help ensure continuity in FORTÉ’s financial strategy and operating discipline as the company continues to scale globally. His appointment reinforces the company’s commitment to strong financial stewardship, enterprise alignment and continued development of the infrastructure needed to serve customers across a growing global footprint.

“FORTÉ has built a remarkable legacy by staying focused on people, customers and the belief that the right technology can create better outcomes,” said Mounts. “I’m honored to step into this role at such an important time in our company’s history. My priority is to build on our existing foundation by helping FORTÉ teams around the world operate as one company while continuing to invest in the tools, talent and infrastructure our employees need to deliver greater value for customers.”

AVT Question: Please share insights on the ongoing transition to networked AV and the role the cloud and AI play.

Thought Leader: John Kruse, Solutions Engineering Manager at ViewSonic

The networked AV transition is real, and so are the friction points.

Most AV and IT teams agree on the destination: networked, managed, converged infrastructure with centralized visibility and operational efficiency. The goal isn't in dispute; getting there is. The barriers aren't philosophical; they're practical—and they share a common root.

AV teams are running lean. Managing distributed environments with limited staff is exactly why networked AV is appealing. Centralized visibility, remote diagnostics, and streamlined support would meaningfully change what a small team can manage. This desire isn't abstract; it's an operational necessity.

IT teams are running lean for the same reason. Standing up dedicated AV VLANs, configuring custom QoS parameters, and managing security segmentation for devices that may no longer receive firmware updates requires capacity that most IT organizations simply don't have available. The willingness is there; the bandwidth isn't.

Add the capital reality—functional equipment that doesn't justify replacement based on convergence alone—and the picture becomes clear: It's not a lack of vision, but rather a resource constraint operating from both directions simultaneously.

Cloud management and AI are beginning to change the calculus. Remote monitoring, centralized device management, and AI-assisted diagnostics reduce the operational lift once systems are online. The long-term staffing case for networked AV gets stronger every year.

However, the entry point remains the challenge. The same leanness that makes convergence desirable is what makes the transition difficult to initiate. Recognizing that tension honestly is the first step toward planning around it.

Most business leaders don't lack ideas, ambition, or potential. Their challenge is bandwidth, clarity, mastery, and follow through.

Running a business often requires operating across multiple disciplines at once. On any given day, business leaders may need to think like salespeople, project managers, recruiters, marketers, strategists, negotiators, technical experts, mentors, and financial decision-makers. In entrepreneurship, especially in small and midsize businesses, wearing many hats isn't optional. It's part of the job.

The problem is that while business leaders are expected to operate across all these areas, very few have the time to become deeply specialized in each one. There simply are not enough hours in the day to focus deeply on every area or master each discipline while also keeping the business moving forward. This is where the use of GenAI has become surprisingly valuable—not simply as a tool, but as something closer to a business associate.

The 'Someday' Substitute

Most conversations about AI tend to focus on automation, efficiency, loss of authenticity, or fear of replacement. While those discussions may have merit, they often overlook one of the most practical and transformative aspects of AI for business leaders: support, supplemental knowledge, and insight.

While business leaders may wear many hats, AI is uniquely capable of wearing them all in style. When implemented effectively, AI can serve as a mentor, coach, assistant, subject matter expert, sounding board, organizer, and execution partner. Not because it replaces people or expertise, but because it supplements and enhances the areas where many business owners struggle most: time, organization, research, analysis, and the ability to quickly shift between responsibilities.

One of the biggest benefits AI offers is the ability to tackle internal projects that might otherwise never happen. Most businesses have valuable initiatives that are repeatedly pushed aside because they are difficult to justify financially, operationally, or from a staffing perspective.

Whether it is creating operational systems, developing or implementing software tools, enhancing existing processes, refining hiring practices, evolving marketing strategies, establishing or updating a knowledge base, organizing CRM data, or writing internal standards, these projects often sit in the “important but not urgent” category indefinitely. As everyone knows, "someday" doesn't exist on a calendar.

Traditionally, solving these problems required dedicating internal resources that were already overloaded, sacrificing billable client work, or hiring outside specialists at additional cost and risk. AI helps reduce those barriers significantly. It allows projects to move from “good idea” to “valuable initiative” faster and with less friction than would otherwise be possible.

Personnel and Paperwork

Finding the right people is one of the most important and difficult responsibilities of leadership, and recruiting is an area where AI has proven extremely useful. Constructing job descriptions, evaluating applications, comparing candidates, building interview frameworks, and assessing fit all require time and consistency. AI can help organize and structure the hiring process by generating qualifying questions, analyzing responses, and creating interview guides tailored to the specific candidate and the priorities most important for a role.

AI is not making hiring decisions. Personal judgment, experience, interaction, and intuition still matter tremendously. What AI does is save time, provide consistency and organization, and help create a more thoughtful, consistent process.

AI has also proven highly effective at reviewing and evaluating contracts, proposals, and scopes of work. Many business leaders must assess legal language, identify risks, compare terms, validate expectations, and ensure alignment between what is proposed and what can realistically be delivered. AI can summarize documents, surface inconsistencies, flag areas that may require clarification, and provide an additional layer of review before agreements move forward. While it should never replace legal counsel or business judgment, it can significantly improve preparedness, reduce oversight, and help business leaders approach negotiations and decision-making with greater confidence and understanding.

One of the most valuable, and perhaps understated, aspects of AI is its ability to serve as a sounding board and brainstorming partner. Entrepreneurs are visionaries. Big ideas arise frequently but need to be vetted, processed, and defined to enable effective execution. AI provides a place to capture thoughts, explore possibilities, refine concepts, challenge assumptions, and organize ideas before they are lost in the noise of daily business operations.

It isn't a lack of importance that keeps many projects from getting started. What's holding them back is the overwhelming sense of what's involved and the effort required to get started. AI lowers that barrier and provides the confidence to turn what seems unattainable into something achievable. It helps close the gap between intention and execution.

Frictionless Support

Another important realization is that AI enhances confidence and preparedness. A reality of leadership is the constant need to operate outside a primary area of expertise and comfort zone. Business leaders frequently need to make informed decisions on subjects they may only partially understand, including operations, finance, marketing, legal language, software development, or business strategy.

AI does not replace expertise, experience, or understanding, but it dramatically shortens the distance between uncertainty and informed action. It provides context, accelerates research, surfaces key considerations, and helps business leaders ask better questions. In technical industries like AV, where platforms, APIs, products, and client expectations evolve constantly, the ability to adapt quickly has become as valuable as deep specialization.

Perhaps most importantly, AI provides something many business leaders rarely have enough of: frictionless support. There is no need to schedule a meeting, wait for availability, or worry about burdening someone with another question or idea. No matter the task, AI is immediately available.

The use of AI accelerates learning by making information, refinement, and iteration immediately accessible. It allows business leaders to develop working knowledge across more disciplines without the traditional delays of learning. As users become better at asking questions, validating information, refining prompts, and applying insights appropriately, they gain deeper understanding.

That does not mean AI is perfect or that expertise and experience no longer matter. Quite the opposite. AI still requires oversight, verification, judgment, and accountability. Human relationships, emotional intelligence, leadership, and real-world experience remain irreplaceable.

When used thoughtfully, AI can significantly expand what a small business leader or team can accomplish. It provides scalable access to knowledge and skills that once required larger teams or budgets. While some may view AI as a threat, it offers business leaders an opportunity to operate at a level once considered out of reach.

AVT Question: Please share insights on the ongoing transition to networked AV and the role the cloud and AI play.

Thought Leader: Adam Sowers, Senior Manager, Business Development at Sony Electronics

As the industry shifts toward fully networked AV/IT environments, the conversation is no longer centered on hardware alone. Cloud platforms, AI, and software-defined management are critical components of modern AV deployments, helping organizations improve efficiency, scalability, and operational visibility. However, there are still barriers to adoption that must be addressed.

Security remains the primary consideration. Any new solution must align with IT governance requirements, reduce organizational risk, and integrate into existing security frameworks. Organizations must also consider the realities of their installed base, including existing infrastructure investments, legacy systems that have not yet reached end of life, and the operational complexity of adopting new standards while maintaining business continuity.

AI is accelerating this transition by enabling greater automation, predictive analytics, intelligent troubleshooting, content management, and personalized user experiences. From virtual assistants to proactive system monitoring, AI is helping organizations maximize uptime, reduce support burdens, and improve customers’ experiences.

Cloud platforms deliver centralized management, remote visibility, and actionable insights across distributed environments. When combined with content, collaboration, and device management platforms, cloud-based solutions create more consistent, scalable, and repeatable user experiences while reducing operational complexity.

Interoperability is equally important. No organization wants to be locked into a single ecosystem. Success depends on open architecture and strong partner integrations that allow customers to leverage existing investments while adopting new capabilities at their own pace. At Sony, we believe innovation happens through partnership. We continue to work across the AV and IT ecosystem to deliver integrated, end-to-end solutions that simplify customers’ deployment and management.

The transition to networked AV/IT requires thoughtful planning, but the industry direction is clear. Organizations that prioritize security, interoperability, remote management, and operational intelligence are best positioned to modernize their environments and realize the full value of cloud and AI-enabled solutions.

After a month of non-stop headline makers in the Pro AV world, last week was a bit tamer. There were no acquisitions or strategic hires of note... however, there were quite a few partnership and product enhancements to know.

Before we get to that news, Biamp announced the recipients of its 2026 Charitable Giving Grant Program. The initiative celebrates nonprofit organizations that align with the Biamp mission of harnessing audiovisual technology and creativity to enrich lives and strengthen communities.

This year's grant recipients include Youth Music Project; Art & Drama Centre Theatre (ACT); The Texas Supremacy of Music & Arts Conservatory (TSMAC); Ethos Music Center; and p:ear. Each was selected by the Biamp Charitable Leadership Committee and will receive a grant to support the organization's continued efforts to introduce underserved youth to audio engineering, live production, and audiovisual technology through hands-on music and media education. You can find out more about each here.

Now sit back, grab that coffee, and get caught up with your weekly dose of Pro AV Newsmakers.

Partnerships

AVI-SPL Announces Partnership with Matternet 

AVI-SPL has partnered with Matternet, the world's only FAA Type-Certified drone delivery platform, to deploy drone logistics to speed service delivery across metropolitan markets. This comes after the June announcement that AVI-SPL launched an autonomous freight operation.

The partnership pairs AVI-SPL's service, integration, and supply chain network with Matternet's autonomous drone technology to deliver critical equipment and replacement parts to field technicians in minutes, reducing delays in congested urban and suburban areas.

Expected use cases include rapid delivery of critical parts to AVI-SPL installers and technicians working in congested downtown areas, avoiding ground-transportation delays; premium service offerings with faster response times and tighter service-level agreements (SLAs) for customers requiring the highest levels of support; and broader integration across AVI-SPL's supply chain network to reduce road transportation and increase efficiency in dense metropolitan markets.

AtlasIED Partners with M.I. Engineering to Expand APAC Presence

AtlasIED has partnered with M.I. Engineering, a Bangkok, Thailand-based manufacturer’s representative. The partnership aims to expand AtlasIED’s reach across APAC, while broadening M.I. Engineering’s reach by offering access to industry-leading mass notification systems, IP endpoint solutions, and commercial audio technology.

M.I. Engineering has operated as an established commercial audio and AV solutions company since 1990, building decades of trust in the pro audio, installed AV, and live performance markets. The team maintains strong, longstanding relationships with local systems integrators, AV consultants, architects, and venue operators, which will help expand AtlasIED’s reach in the region.

Avocor, Korbyt Form Global Partnership

There's a new digital signage combo in town, as Avocor has formed a strategic partnership with Korbyt. It's the latest in a partnership drive from Avocor, an effort to establish itself in the enterprise, manufacturing, retail, and hospitality sectors. The collaboration strengthens both companies’ capacity to deliver a dynamic digital signage solution across markets.

Korbyt software has been validated on the recently launched Avocor B-Series, which debuted at ISE 2026 and marks Avocor’s move into the business and commercial digital signage display market. Customers already running Korbyt can add B-Series displays to an existing estate without changing platforms, as the Korbyt application can be installed directly on the display’s own Android 14 processor.

In addition to corporate campuses, the companies expect early traction in business-critical settings such as manufacturing and supply chain, where existing joint customers are already asking for real-time data delivered on the floor.

Capital One Arena Taps LG for Major Display Transformation

Monumental Sports & Entertainment named LG Electronics USA the official TV, commercial display, and appliance partner for the reimagined Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. The partnership puts LG display technology behind some of the arena’s biggest visual upgrades, including exterior LED displays, interior LED and TV displays throughout the venue, displays across the new business and conference center, and the LG-powered “Visibowl." which will replace traditional concourse walls with more than 500 feet of immersive digital displays so fans can stay connected to the action as they move through the arena.

The MSE partnership with LG Electronics includes the “LG Collective," a new premium seating destination for Washington Wizards and Washing Capitals games debuting at the start of the 2026–27 season which will become a featured gathering place at the transformed Capital One Arena. Located on the arena’s District Level (former 100 Level), the LG Collective is designed to bring fans and season ticket holders together before, during and after events with views into the bowl and seats connected to the space. The destination will combine an upscale lounge and bar, with all-inclusive food and beverage offerings and integrated club seating with a variety of industry-leading LG innovations creating a dynamic, premium fan experience. The LG Collective will serve as a vibrant gathering place for networking, entertainment and experiencing unforgettable live events.

EAW Names Sound & Sales West as Its Manufacturer’s Rep for Southern California and Southern Nevada

Eastern Acoustic Works has appointed Sound & Sales West (S&S West) as its manufacturer’s representative for Southern California and Southern Nevada. The partnership expands EAW’s sales presence in one of the industry's most influential markets, leveraging S&S West's longstanding dealer relationships and extensive experience in professional audio, video and lighting solutions.

Formerly known as Sound Marketing West, S&S West has served the Southern California and Southern Nevada markets for more than four decades. The company has built its reputation by providing comprehensive sales support and cultivating long-term relationships with systems integrators, consultants, dealers and rental providers throughout the region.

Product Updates

Extron Adds Dynamic Images to Control Systems for Simplified Source Selection

Extron unveiled Dynamic Images, a new Extron control system capability. Extron user interfaces can now display low-frame-rate video directly from NAV Pro AV over IP systems, and soon, Quantum Ultra II videowall processor systems. Confidence preview content is delivered securely to the control interface; with no dedicated preview hardware required, making the feature a cost-effective addition to professional AV systems.

The Dynamic Images feature can also be used to automatically update graphical content on Extron user interfaces, such as logos and other changeable elements. Dynamic Images can retrieve JPEG, PNG, and animated GIF files from web sources and file servers, enabling interface graphics such as logos, channel icons, and status images to be updated without redeploying the GUI file. Dynamic Images is compatible with our latest generation of user interfaces, such as TLP Pro 35 Series touchpanels, Extron Control for Web, and the new Extron Control Pro App.

HIVE Integrates with Nemosphere Sensors and Controllers

HIVE Media Control has announced native integration with Nexmosphere, enabling its Beeblade media players to connect directly with Nexmosphere’s extensive range of sensors and controllers to create responsive, interactive media experiences.

Developed in response to demand from system integrators, the integration expands the options available for bringing interactivity into HIVE-powered installations, allowing physical actions and real-world data to trigger and influence digital content. Nexmosphere develops sensors and controls for interactive digital experiences, spanning technologies including presence and motion detection, RFID, touch and push buttons, object detection, Lift & Learn, weight sensing, and LiDAR.

Through the new integration, Nexmosphere sensors can connect with HIVE via USB or Ethernet, with data from multiple sensors available directly within HIVE’s Dataflow environment. HIVE supports Nexmosphere’s interface boxes and the majority of its sensor portfolio, giving integrators the flexibility to combine different forms of interaction within a single HIVE installation.

NVIDIA Synthetic Video Detector Now Integrates with Dalet Flex

Dalet and NVIDIA are bringing advanced synthetic content detection directly into media workflows. The new capabilities integrate NVIDIA AI models with Dalet Flex, enabling media organizations to identify potentially AI-generated images and video as content enters their operations and incorporate those insights into existing review, approval and governance processes.

The work builds on Dalet’s strategy to bring AI closer to the media itself, embedding intelligence directly into the infrastructure and workflows organizations already use to manage their content. By combining NVIDIA AI models with Dalet Flex and Dalet AI services, organizations can analyze content where their media resides, including on-premises and hybrid environments, while connecting detection insights directly to the operational workflows where decisions are made.

Nureva AI-Powered Room Assistant in Beta

Nureva is bringing AI-powered room intelligence to Nureva audio systems. Room Assistant brings natural language processing to Nureva Console, the device management and monitoring platform for Nureva audio systems, with an interface that helps IT teams interact with Nureva’s knowledge base through text-based chat. Teams managing Nureva devices are offered a faster, easier way to access information and get answers to product-related questions for more efficient room management.

This addition is an important step in the evolution of Nureva Console, moving it beyond cloud-based device management and monitoring to an agent-based intelligent platform for overseeing collaboration spaces. Together, Nureva Console and the Nureva App simplify the full device life cycle—from deployment and setup to daily use, remote management and ongoing support — helping IT teams deliver reliable audio experiences across meeting rooms, classrooms, training spaces and divisible rooms. Now in beta, Room Assistant draws from Nureva’s knowledge base. Further plans for Nureva Console include supporting IT teams with AI-powered room and device data, extending room intelligence into daily use and identifying any issues before they affect meetings and classes.

A corporate town hall wraps up just before noon. By the time employees return to their desks, highlights from the CEO's keynote are already appearing on LinkedIn. A 45-second clip is headed to Instagram Reels, another version has been formatted for YouTube Shorts, and the full presentation is archived for on-demand viewing. The same event may also feed digital signage throughout the building and become part of future recruiting and marketing campaigns.

None of those versions required any additional production. And increasingly, this is becoming the norm.

For decades, Pro AV projects were designed around a single destination, such as a broadcast feed, presentation screen, or perhaps recording for later playback. Today, organizations expect a single production to reach audiences across multiple platforms, many of them consumed on smartphones that are held vertically.

That shift is transforming far more than aspect ratios. According to the 2026 Media Stats report from Iconik by Backlight, vertical publishing grew by 120%, concluding that mobile-first is no longer an "extra" strategy but the priority. While 16:9 remains the dominant format for broadcast, presentations, and large displays, 9:16 has become an increasingly important companion format as organizations recognize that audiences are discovering and consuming more content on mobile devices.

Changing the Conversation

For systems integrators, the conversation has evolved from whether customers should create vertical content to how they can do it more efficiently. "It's a business requirement driven by audience behavior," said Craig Frankenstein, VP of broadcast and connected experiences at FORTÉ. "We have to design solutions that align with how end users consume content."

That observation captures what may be the biggest shift taking place in Pro AV today. The story isn't really about vertical video. It's about changing audience behavior and the production workflows now required to meet those audiences wherever they choose to watch.

Rather than thinking about 9:16 video—and picturing social media influencers creating content for TikTok or Instagram—the industry is facing a much broader reality. Sports organizations, corporations, universities, and houses of worship are all embracing vertical content, because that's where an increasing percentage of their audiences spend their time.

"I don't think the question anymore is whether 9:16 is a trend," said Satoshi Kanemura, president and COO of FOR-A America. "It has already become the primary way many viewers, especially younger audiences, consume video on mobile devices."

The challenge, he said, is that production workflows haven't evolved as quickly as audience expectations. Corporate communications now extend well beyond conference rooms. Executive messages, recruiting videos, product launches, employee communications, and thought leadership content are increasingly expected to perform equally well on widescreen displays and mobile devices.

In addition, sports organizations need highlight clips almost immediately after key plays. Universities rely on vertical content for student recruitment and engagement, while houses of worship use short-form video to connect with younger audiences and extend their reach beyond the sanctuary.

"The common theme is finding your audience," Frankenstein offered. "They're on their phones. The format should be 9:16 to start."

One Production, Multiple Destinations

The most significant change isn't the aspect ratio itself, it's the number of destinations each production now serves. A single event may feed an in-room presentation, livestream, television broadcast, digital signage network, corporate intranet, YouTube channel, Instagram Reels, LinkedIn, TikTok, and on-demand archive.

Five years ago, many organizations treated those as separate projects. Now, they're expected outcomes of a single production. "Today, every venue is effectively expected to produce multiple versions of the same event," Kanemura observed.

Rather than creating separate productions, organizations increasingly want workflows capable of generating both traditional widescreen and vertical content simultaneously. Matt McClain, VP of marketing at Key Code Media, sees that strategy reflected in his own company's content production. Each livestream podcast is repurposed into both traditional 16:9 videos and 9:16 shorts, allowing viewers to discover a topic through short-form content before diving into longer educational discussions.

The approach is paying off. During an internal comparison of NAB Show coverage, the company's 9:16 shorts generated approximately 120% more views than comparable 16:9 videos while producing nearly three times as many monthly impressions.

McClain doesn't view the two formats as competitors. Instead, he describes 9:16 as the top of the content funnel, a discovery platform that leads audiences toward deeper engagement through long-form content.

“A viewer may not have time to watch a five or 10-minute interview clip,” he explained. “However, they may be willing to spend 30-60 seconds learning about a new product or industry trend. That’s why the 16:9 and 9:16 videos are linked to one another, so someone who discovers a topic through a 9:16 short can move into the longer-form 16:9 video using YouTube’s related-video features.”

A Different Role

This evolution is clearly changing the role of the systems integrator. But in what ways? Customers rarely begin conversations by asking for a particular switcher, camera, or graphics platform. Instead, they describe the outcome they want to achieve. "They want the ability to walk into a studio, record once, and publish to multiple destinations," Frankenstein said.

Meeting that expectation requires considerably more planning than simply rotating a camera or adding another output. Room dimensions, camera placement, lighting design, graphics packages, set layouts, display orientation, storage, replay systems, and production workflows all need to accommodate multiple aspect ratios from the very beginning of a project.

Social media teams, once brought into the process after an event had concluded, are increasingly participating in production planning before cameras are ever positioned. "The conversation shifted from 'Should we make 9:16 content?' to 'How do we make vertical content efficiently?'" Frankenstein said.

That question increasingly drives system design. Rather than optimizing for a single output, integrators are designing production environments flexible enough to support traditional broadcast, in-room presentations, streaming platforms, mobile-first content, and future distribution requirements without duplicating equipment or staffing.

Designing Flexibility

The industry's response has been to move vertical production further upstream. Historically, creating 9:16 content was primarily a post-production task. Editors manually reframed shots, repositioned graphics, and exported multiple versions after an event had concluded. Today, those capabilities are increasingly being built directly into professional production systems.

Production switchers, replay systems, graphics platforms, and AI-assisted tools now support simultaneous horizontal and vertical workflows during live production. FOR-A's AiDi system, for example, uses AI to recognize speakers, track movement, and automatically generate natural-looking vertical compositions in real time, rather than simply cropping the center of the frame.

Peter Fitton, senior solutions architect of Ross Video, has also seen customer interest evolve. At InfoComm 2026, he noticed that vertical production was no longer just part of a broader discussion. Instead, it had actually become the discussion.

“It was the first time where I had somebody specifically ask about 9:16 content,” said Fitton. “It was the actual conversation starter. It was what they wanted to come and find out.”

He believes successful projects begin with understanding how customers intend to use their content rather than focusing on individual hardware components. Once those goals are established, cameras, switchers, graphics systems, processors, and displays can be selected as part of a unified workflow.

Different Audiences, Different Formats

Despite the growing momentum behind 9:16, it’s not expected to replace 16:9. Instead, it’s seen as two formats serving different audiences.

Traditional widescreen remains ideal for broadcast, conference rooms, auditoriums, and large-format displays. Vertical excels on smartphones, where audiences increasingly discover, consume, and share content.

"The organizations that are succeeding today aren't choosing one over the other," Frankenstein noted. "They're building workflows, facilities, and technology systems that support both. The future isn’t horizontal or vertical—it’s content and storytelling where the audience determines the delivery format.”

AVT Question: Please share insights on the ongoing transition to networked AV and the role the cloud and AI play.

Thought Leader: Jakub Kolacz, Manager of Product Management Software at Sennheiser

Without centralized visibility into how networked audio devices are behaving across a deployment, AV and IT teams are effectively reactive. Problems surface when users report them—not before. That dynamic is what cloud-based device management is designed to change, and it is where the most meaningful progress in networked audio is happening right now.

When every device across every room and every campus reports into a unified, browser-accessible interface, AV and IT teams gain a shared, real-time view of the entire environment. Firmware alignment can be maintained consistently without technician dispatch. Anomalies can be identified and addressed before they affect a meeting or a class, and configuration changes can be applied at scale rather than room by room. For organizations managing distributed deployments across multiple buildings or campuses, that kind of oversight should be viewed as an operational requirement rather than a convenience.

The longer-term case for cloud management is what these platforms become over time. As they accumulate operational data across deployments, they create the foundation for AI-driven capabilities that can shift teams from reactive troubleshooting toward proactive management. Routine diagnostics, firmware validation, and performance monitoring can move from manual processes toward automated workflows, allowing AV and IT staff to focus on governance and exception handling rather than break-fix cycles.

Critically, none of this requires replacing equipment that still has useful life. Cloud visibility functions as a connective layer above existing infrastructure, allowing organizations to modernize their operational approach without forcing a hardware refresh cycle. That makes the transition financially realistic for a much broader range of organizations and allows migration to happen at a pace that fits both budget and risk tolerance.

AVT Question: Please share insights on the ongoing transition to networked AV and the role the cloud and AI play.

Thought Leader: Sanjay Kulkarni, Vice President of Product at QSC

The convergence of AV and IT is now an operational reality for most organisations. Networked AV architectures offer clear benefits in scalability, manageability and data-driven decision-making, but adoption is rarely as simple as replacing existing systems.

The biggest barriers are often organisational, financial and operational considerations, rather than technical capabilities. Existing AV investments often remain functional and valuable, making upgrades difficult to justify. Security, governance and interoperability have become priorities. As AV systems connect to enterprise networks, they must meet the same standards as any other IT asset.

The most successful transitions are incremental rather than disruptive. Organizations want to modernise at their own pace, extending the life of existing infrastructure while moving toward interoperable, software-centric environments. This shift is driving interest in full-stack AV platforms that bring together devices, software and cloud-based management within a single ecosystem.”

Cloud technologies are accelerating this shift by providing centralised visibility, management and analytics across geographically dispersed spaces. Instead of managing rooms and devices as isolated systems, enterprises can gain a holistic view of performance, utilisation and user experience across their technology estate.

Beyond automating routine administrative tasks, AI technologies can help organizations harness real-time data to improve visibility, generate actionable insights, and support more informed decision-making across connected environments.

At Q-SYS, we’re seeing organisations prioritise flexible, software-centric architectures that help them extend existing investments while creating a path to cloud-enabled management, data-driven insight and evolving intelligent technologies. The same thinking sits behind the high-performance workplace discussion, as AV environments increasingly need to be adaptable, connected and easier to manage over time. Ultimately, the future of AV/IT will be shaped by secure, intelligent ecosystems that can evolve with changing workplace needs.

AVT Question: Please share insights on the ongoing transition to networked AV and the role the cloud and AI play.

Thought Leader: Joe Andrulis, Executive Vice President of Corporate Development at Biamp

The big shift we are seeing as an AV manufacturer relates to how AV solutions are increasingly software-defined. In other words, the days of purpose-built, hardware-heavy systems that required on-site expertise to reconfigure are giving way to software-defined environments where organizations can adapt their AV infrastructure to meet changing needs without touching a rack.

This shift has fundamentally changed the technology requirements for practically all types of environments. Spaces that previously might have only required microphones, loudspeakers, and a projector must now often seamlessly support conferencing platforms, high-quality audio capture, video distribution, and remote collaboration. The result is a growing convergence of technologies that were once managed separately.

To get there, organizations must look at platforms that can bring together digital signal processing, conferencing, room control, amplification, and audio networking within a single ecosystem—often accessed through the cloud.

Control plays a big part in this paradigm shift. Historically, powerful AV control systems came with equally heavy programming requirements, putting them out of reach for organizations without dedicated technical staff. Rather, the shift toward intuitive, no-code platforms means internal teams can now deploy sophisticated automation that end users can manage day-to-day, without ongoing support.

AI is another factor driving this shift. AV systems with embedded AI can respond to the environment automatically, including changes in usage patterns that previously required lots of planning or forethought. These intelligent tools can now continuously adapt to environmental fluctuations, ensuring a smoother and more refined user experience across diverse scenarios.

At the end of the day, this software-defined AV infrastructure is enabling hardware to consolidate, last longer, and provide a greater experience for everyone along the AV value chain.

The first half of this decade reminded us that the quicker we can adapt, the better off we are. AV over IP-based systems aim to speed up this adaptability, making it easier for those charged with managing the tech to respond to how their organizations expand, contract, and evolve.

For Marcus Bengtsson, CTO at Original Syndicate, a communications infrastructure design and integration firm, systems designers should consider implementing an AVoIP backbone in every installation they oversee. He argued that it provides more flexibility, is more scalable, and (in many cases) less expensive than technology that runs on copper wires.

However, this isn’t a blanket argument. There are projects for which AVoIP may not be the best solution, not due to the technology, but because of the people charged with managing it.

“Traditional baseband video is relatively simple to understand: It’s very easy to troubleshoot, it’s very easy to install, and you know very easily when something is wrong,” Bengtsson explained. “The answer to whether AV over IP is a bad idea or a good idea is probably more down to what people in the organization will own the system long-term. Do they have the capabilities of actually troubleshooting or fixing a network that needs to be designed [for] AV over IP?”

Seth Warner, U.S. sales manager at PlexusAV, points to applications for auditoriums, classrooms, command and control centers, divisible spaces, enterprise campuses, houses of worship, training facilities—and any other environment in which sources and displays don’t reside in a single room—as ideal candidates for AVoIP. He said things get interesting when AV is considered part of the system infrastructure.

“Once AV becomes part of the network architecture, the system is no longer limited by fixed matrix switch sizes or rigid cable paths,” Warner noted. Instead, sources can be shared, and the reconfiguration of spaces, when necessary, is much easier. “A system can grow without tearing apart the original design.”

Like Bengtsson, Warner concedes that AVoIP isn’t always the best choice, especially for single-source, one-display spaces that don’t require remote management and won’t be expanding. “The mistake is assuming every AV problem needs a networked AV solution,” he explained. “Sometimes the smart design is the simplest design.” That said, Warner added that companies often miscalculate how quickly their needs will change or if they will eventually need to repurpose or even extend their capacity.

Networks and Segregation

Some applications require that sources move around from space to space; they’re not permanent fixtures in, say, one specific room. An AVoIP infrastructure makes this easy to manage, according to Joe da Silva, VP of marketing at Extron. “Regardless of the venue, configuring multiple CATx drops and network ports in a video VLAN enables simple reconfiguration of sources, encoders, decoders, displays, and spaces,” he said.

For example, both encoders and scaling decoders can live on mobile carts, with or without dedicated sources and displays, and be plugged into any RJ45 port residing on the AV network. He noted that the AES67 protocol lets AV pros achieve accurate, more efficient control and routing to amplifiers, DSPs, and speakers. Additionally, all of this can be setup for ease of use.

1G, 10G, 25G … 100G? While there may be a tendency to make things as fast as possible for upward scalability’s sake, adopting the most powerful tech is not always the wisest approach, according to Bengtsson. More powerful infrastructure may be more affordable, but its installation complexity remains significant—and it may be overkill.

Instead, AV designers and integrators should ask: What does this system need to do? And what audio/video quality is considered good enough? The trick is translating what this means to the end customer. "The challenge lies in quantifying quality in a sense that a person who isn’t necessarily equipped or skilled to do these things themselves has something to relate to,” Bengtsson said.

Brandon White, director of product development at Vanco International, explained that 10G systems are usually specified for larger systems or applications requiring low latency and/or higher resolutions, frame rates, and signal quality. However, there is a price: Switches, cabling, and general infrastructure tend to cost more.

“A 1G system is usually more cost effective and can be a very strong fit for many commercial AV applications,” White said. “Latency on 1G systems has also improved over time, with some solutions now offering very low latency compared to earlier generations.”

One of the first decisions AV designers, integrators, and their clients must make is whether to put AV assets on a converged AV/IT network or keep them separate. Leveraging an existing, converged network can save time as well as capital and operational expense, da Silva noted, but not all codecs behave well in a converged environment. He encourages AV pros to select purpose-built solutions, such as Extron’s PURE3 codec, which was specifically designed for AVoIP systems.

At Original Syndicate, Bengtsson advises segregating AV from IT, even if it does increase costs. He said it provides a clear delineation between who is responsible for what: The AV team oversees the AV communications network while IT oversees theirs, regardless of whether personnel are internal or outsourced. “If you can afford it, it’s always going to be beneficial from a performance point of view, from a long-term maintenance point of view and from an ownership point of view,” he added.

Scalability Considerations

Scalability Considerations Symetrix CEO Mark Graham argues that defining scalability can’t be reduced to counting endpoints. When a system is truly scalable, he explained, it can be expanded without major redesigns, performance compromises, more complex management requirements, and prohibitive costs.

While capacity scaling may make it easier to plan for the future, especially for large projects, organizations risk paying for capacity that they don’t use and locking themselves into an inflexible environment. On the other hand, incremental scaling by design is more adaptable to change, and better suited for phased deployments.

Graham noted that Symetrix’s Cognio platform was built with the latter in mind. “It allows systems to start with what is needed today and expand intelligently over time as requirements become clearer,” he said. “For AV professionals, that matters because most customers cannot define their ultimate system size on day one.”

While scalability should be considered for almost every project, Graham points out that AVoIP platforms should be equally “graceful” in their ability to scale up and scale down. He says this is important in IT-centric environments featuring centralized environments utilizing all-in -one solutions and room kits rather than more bespoke architectures.

“A system that’s truly scalable and incremental is going to completely remove the legacy boundary conditions that have kept those systems out of [these spaces] because they were just too expensive and complex to complete with a room kit,” Graham added. “You can come in and more specifically address customer needs very cost effectively and deliver higher performance.”

At PlexusAV, Warner acknowledged that when designed properly, software-driven AV significantly improves scalability—provided it is open. “If the software layer is closed, overly proprietary, difficult to integrate, or dependent on one manufacturer’s ecosystem, then scalability becomes conditional,” he argued.

While this may not matter right away, it complicates things for customers when they wish to make adjustments down the road. “[A software-driven system] should make the customer’s infrastructure more useful, more transparent, and more adaptable," Warner said. "The best software layer is not just a control surface; it is a bridge between AV, IT, operations, and future applications."

Changing the Matrix Switching Mindset

Designing for AV over IP requires AV professionals who grew up with traditional matrix switchers to think a bit differently. While they may be used to confining systems to a fixed number of inputs and outputs, AVoIP removes these limits. Extron’s Joe da Silva said the company’s NAV System is an example of this latter approach.

“Even with modular matrix products, you build the inputs and outputs in groups, up to the physical limitation of the matrix frame,” da Silva noted. “While these modular matrix configurations afford flexibility and higher bandwidth for switching uncompressed video signals, the tradeoff is understanding the maximum number of inputs and outputs a system might need over its lifetime.

“AV over IP system design trades this design mentality for one where you can add any number of inputs or outputs to a system by adding encoders or decoders,” he continued. “You can even scale your network switch infrastructure if you need more ports over time, delivering virtually unlimited scalability and range.”

AVT Question: Please share insights on the ongoing transition to networked AV and the role the cloud and AI play.

Thought Leader: Petro Shimonishi, Director at Panasonic Projector & Display Americas

Many of today’s production teams across entertainment venues, higher ed, and corporate settings are making the transition to networked AV—but few can justify replacing hardware-based equipment that’s still functioning. Thankfully, a hybrid strategy has emerged, giving AV teams the flexibility to modernize outdated solutions while maintaining existing legacy equipment under one ecosystem.

This happens as the AV industry hits an inflection point: Customers are no longer buying isolated projectors and displays, but are instead investing in connected visual communication platforms. Remote management, interoperability, and real-time operational data have become expectations, and network connectivity now carries IT-grade security requirements, including zero-trust architecture, role-based access, and encrypted signal paths. AI and cloud services are moving past buzzword status too: Predictive maintenance, automatic camera framing, and content intelligence are already easing the load on stretched AV/IT teams, with cloud-to-cloud connectivity letting organizations add these capabilities gradually rather than all at once.

At Panasonic Projector & Display Americas, our goal is to empower innovation without disruption, ensuring AV and IT teams can integrate networked solutions without sacrificing critical time and resources. As modern AV and IT teams continue to work together, we aim to enable integrators to evolve in accordance with their organization’s needs and goals. This means building open APIs and standards-based integration that let AV/IT teams evolve at their own pace, deploying AI and cloud services only where they create measurable value while protecting the equipment already in place. The future of professional AV is not defined by replacing every device on the network; it centers on creating secure, intelligent ecosystems that allow organizations to modernize at their own pace.

Once upon a time, the different parts of an AV system lived happily on their own islands. Audio, video, control, lighting, paging, conferencing, signage—each of these systems had its own space, rules, cabling, and required skill set.

Each department would take care of the specifications, deployment, and operation. If something failed, each team would (or should) know where to look. The problem was usually in the rack or somewhere along a signal path we could physically follow with our eyes and hands. Even when projects became technically sophisticated, there was usually a clear separation between the technologies involved and the teams responsible for them.

That separate, isolated world shaped many of us. But the sea changed.

These systems are no longer just islands. They are now connected to other islands. Sometimes those connections span buildings or campuses. Others span corporate networks, cloud services, remote monitoring platforms, Wi-Fi, security policies, firewalls, VLANs, and teams that do not report to the AV department.

The AV signal is no longer traveling only through AV territory. It is crossing the network sea. And that sea is often owned, managed, protected, and governed by IT.

This is where many AV professionals find themselves today. The challenge is that the water between the islands has become as important as the islands themselves.

As AVoIP technologies have matured and become mainstream, the network has evolved from being a transport mechanism into a critical component of the system itself. The switch is no longer simply moving packets from one place to another; it has become part of the signal path. Decisions made at the infrastructure level can have a direct impact on user experience, reliability, scalability, and ultimately the success or failure of an installation.

Your Own Private Island

Imagine a sea scattered with islands. A dedicated AV network is like a private island.

For many AVoIP systems, this is still the best approach. It provides predictability, reduces variables, and makes troubleshooting cleaner. It also allows the AV team to design a network around the needs of real-time media rather than trying to fit real-time media into a network designed for email, file transfers, cloud applications, printers, and general enterprise traffic.

There is nothing wrong with an island. In fact, some islands should remain islands. The journey really begins when the islands must collaborate—and that's when the sea becomes as important as the island.

A converged network is not one island. It is an archipelago connected by shared waters.

The moment a customer asks for centralized management across multiple buildings, remote monitoring capabilities, integration with enterprise authentication systems, cloud-based services, or the ability to distribute content across a wider organization, the conversation changes. Suddenly, success depends not only on understanding endpoints and signal flows, but also on understanding the infrastructure that connects everything together.

That infrastructure is the sea. Like any sea, it can be calm, predictable, and efficient when properly understood. It can also become challenging when assumptions replace planning.

The question is not whether dedicated or converged networks are "better." That's too simple. The real question is: When should AV stay on its own island, and when does it need to cross the sea?

Swimming Is Not a Strategy

When we start in this industry, most of us are swimmers. But a swimming pool is nothing compared to the open sea. Over the years, I have seen AV professionals "drown" in enterprise environments without sufficient preparation, communication, or understanding of network requirements. This is what happens when you swim unprepared.

In the same metaphor, every certification is a board added to your professional vessel. With one board, you may stay afloat. With several, you can build something that carries you further. And these boards matter most when your system needs to cross the sea.

On a private island, the team knows everything about the system. However, the moment that AV system touches the enterprise network, the conversation changes (or perhaps we should say the tides change).

Now you're an "AV pirate" having to negotiate with the captains of the sea about VLANs, QoS, IGMP, and PTP. That knowledge will help you measure the complexity of the sea and may even help you build a bridge between the islands. That bridge is where many projects succeed or fail.

A certification does not make someone an expert overnight. And it certainly does not replace field experience. However, it helps you bridge knowledge gaps and move toward your goal, wherever that journey takes you. In other words, certification does not sail the ship for you. But it teaches you how to read the water.

There are excellent AV professionals who thrive as islanders. But the next level is the navigator. The navigator understands both the AV island and the IT sea, and knows when an island should remain independent or when it makes sense to cross the sea.

The navigator does not walk into IT conversations with fear or arrogance. They walk in with respect, preparation, and enough knowledge to build trust. That matters because the AV industry is no longer selling isolated boxes. We are delivering experiences that depend on infrastructure, policy, cybersecurity, remote access, monitoring, and lifecycle management.

The more our systems become networked, the more our professionalism will be measured not only by what happens on the island, but by how well we navigate between islands.

Changing Tides

The sea never stays still, and I would argue that another storm is already approaching: the AI revolution.

The boards on your vessel will eventually need reinforcement. The certification you earned years ago may still be valid but no longer sufficient. New routes need to be studied, and some old habits may need to be left behind. That is simply the nature of working in technology.

Continuously refining your knowledge is the only maintenance plan for staying afloat because the sea will not calm down. Customer expectations are already higher. The thin boundaries between AV and IT will continue to crossfade, and crossing the sea is becoming the only way to avoid being stranded.

If you are still swimming, grab your first board. If you are on an AV island, don't forget to prepare your ports for trading with the rest of the world. If your systems need to cross the sea, learn the waters before you launch. And if you are already sailing, do not forget that even the best ships need maintenance.

Our future in AV will not be decided solely by what happens on the islands. Increasingly, it will be decided in the waters between them. The only question now is whether you plan to keep swimming or learn how to sail.

Well, that was a whirlwind of a week in Pro AV headlines. Diversified has a new facility, Dalet has a new CEO, Extron enables 'exceptional energy savings,' and Follow-Me and OWC made acquisition news.

Golden Sea, known for its work in live entertainment technology, has acquired a majority stake in Follow-Me. Follow-Me retains its independent status, while gaining R&D resources and manufacturing capacity to develop and deliver the technological advancements live entertainment demands faster and more broadly.

The alignment of Follow-Me and Golden Sea will span the full production ecosystem of live entertainment, from touring, events, theater, broadcast, themed entertainment and permanent installations. It brings Golden Sea’s entertainment lighting technology expertise and Follow-Me’s intelligent performer tracking systems together. This combination of global reach and specialist depth will scale market penetration and accelerate growth, allowing Follow-Me to make its performer tracking systems accessible to new market segments and a broader range of users.

Elsewhere, Other World Computing (OWC) acquired OpenDrives. The addition of OpenDrives’ solutions expands OWC’s shared storage portfolio reach with the Jellyfish line into enterprise-scale data management, hybrid cloud orchestration, and edge workflows. OpenDrives’ Atlas data storage and management platform has been used by Hollywood studios, post-production houses, and live broadcast networks since 2011, recognized for reliably handling the low-latency, high-throughput performance required for complex, data-intensive creative environments.

In April 2026, the new OpenDrives Edge hybrid cloud-edge performance accelerator was announced, providing widely distributed teams working in edge locations “local speed” data access, without the high costs and complexity involved with traditional hybrid cloud workflows. Evolving customer requirements for infrastructure modernization and their need to bridge ever-expanding data silos, while reducing costs, led to the introduction of the Astraeus cloud-native data services platform, which was released in beta mode for early adopters in late 2025 and will have an updated release in 2027.

Now, get caught up on the week that was in your weekly dose of Pro AV Newsmakers.

People News

Dalet Appoints Brian Doheny as CEO

Dalet has appointed Brian Doheny to the position of chief executive officer (CEO). Doheny joined Dalet as president and chief revenue officer in April 2026. Since joining Dalet, Doheny has led the company’s go-to-market and customer experience organizations, working across the business to bring greater alignment around customer needs and accelerate the delivery of solutions that address their operational priorities.

As CEO, Doheny leads Dalet’s global strategy and operations, building on the company’s longstanding commitment to innovation and customer success while ensuring Dalet continues to anticipate the evolving needs of media organizations and deliver meaningful value to customers.

TransAudio Group Names Stephen Earnest Head of Pro Audio

TransAudio Group has appointed Stephen Earnest as head of pro audio, a newly created position focused on strengthening the company’s technical expertise, dealer support, and strategic direction within the professional audio market.

In his new role, Earnest works closely with TransAudio Group’s dealer network and professional customers, providing application expertise and helping ensure the company’s products are effectively specified, integrated, and supported in demand. He also plays a key role in shaping TransAudio Group’s strategic direction for the pro audio market, including product priorities, emerging market opportunities, and technical initiatives.

Partnerships

Chyron, Haivision Partner to Simplify Camera-to-Cloud Live Production Workflows

Haivision and Chyron announced a technology partnership that simplifies camera-to-cloud live production through an integrated workflow between Haivision's live video contribution ecosystem and Chyron LIVE, the cloud native solution for vision mixing, broadcast-grade graphics, data display, remote commentary, and illustrated replay.

As broadcasters continue to leverage remote and cloud-based production, they are increasingly seeking solutions that are easy to use and seamlessly integrate within their existing workflows. Together, Haivision and Chyron enable broadcasters to capture, transport, and contribute high-quality live video from virtually any location into Chyron LIVE, streamlining live production workflows while delivering the performance, reliability, and ease of use required for professional broadcasting.

Built for sports, news, and live event productions, the integrated workflow combines Haivision's live video contribution products, including Haivision mobile video transmitters (Falkon, Pro, and Air) and Makito video encoders and decoders, with Chyron LIVE, powered by Chyron’s PRIME Platform which is developed natively on AWS. The combined solution enables broadcasters to reliably contribute live video over cellular networks, the internet, satellite, and IP networks directly into cloud-based production workflows.

Macnica, Softron Launch Turnkey 100GbE ST 2110 Bundle for Mac-Based Production

Macnica and Softron Media Services unveiled a turnkey hardware and software bundle for high-performance SMPTE ST 2110 production. Available from Softron as the M|8IP, the bundle combines Macnica's 100GbE MEP100 SmartNIC with eight licenses of Softron MovieRecorder 5, giving broadcasters and media professionals a ready-to-deploy platform for moving real-time video, audio and metadata between macOS applications and standards-based IP networks.

The MEP100 provides hardware-accelerated transport for SMPTE ST 2110 video, audio, and ancillary data, helping offload real-time media movement from the host CPU while maintaining low-latency, frame-accurate performance. Its dual 100GbE interfaces support substantially higher channel density than competing Mac-compatible 100GbE media I/O options, with up to 32 uncompressed HD video streams in and 32 out, depending on format, when installed in a supported Mac Studio configuration.

Softron's M|8IP bundle initially combines the MEP100 with eight MovieRecorder 5 licenses for multichannel ingest. Customers can select firmware for uncompressed ST 2110-20 operation or ST 2110-22 workflows that support Apple ProRes compression. The latter enables compressed and uncompressed video on the same platform and supports high-resolution formats including 8K live immersive video, subject to the selected Mac and connectivity configuration. That flexibility addresses both established broadcast applications and a new generation of experiential production, such as the live immersive sports broadcasts featured by Major League Baseball this fall.

Magewell, Zixi Collaborate on Live Video Over IP Workflow

Zixi and Magewell expanded its collaboration that gives broadcasters and streaming providers a reliable, end-to-end path for live video contribution over public and hybrid IP networks. As live sports, events, and news increasingly move to IP-based contribution, broadcasters need to move pristine video across networks they don't control, without the cost and rigidity of dedicated circuits or satellite. The Magewell and Zixi solution addresses that need by combining compact, cost-effective encoding at the source with error-resilient transport across the last mile and beyond.

Magewell's Ultra Encode family, including the Ultra Encode Plus and Ultra Encode AIO models, encodes HDMI and SDI sources in H.264 or HEVC and streams natively using the Zixi Protocol. Once in flight, the Zixi Protocol dynamically compensates for packet loss, jitter, and latency to protect video quality across unmanaged and congested networks. The encoders can be provisioned and monitored directly from Zixi ZEN Master, giving operators centralized orchestration, real-time telemetry and alerting across large fleets of contribution endpoints.

The integration works end to end. On the receive side, Magewell's Pro Convert IP decoders take incoming Zixi streams and convert them back to SDI or HDMI for monitoring, production and playout, all manageable from ZEN Master. The result is a workflow that scales from a single flypack to hundreds of endpoints. Operators can encode affordably at the source, deliver reliably over any IP network, decode cost-effectively at the destination, and manage the entire estate from a single control plane.

NDI, NVIDIA Partners for Media Production and Distribution

NDI has partnered with NVIDIA AI-powered workflows to enable broadcasters with the ability to create and distribute multilingual content in real-time. Combining NDI-native connectivity with NVIDIA AI for Media, including the NVIDIA LipSync NIM microservice, makes content immediately accessible to audiences in their preferred language, from live events and breaking news to sports, entertainment and corporate communications.

The initiative addresses one of the industry's most significant challenges: the cost and complexity of delivering content across multiple languages. Traditionally, broadcasters create, transport and distribute separate versions of the same content, requiring multiple production, bandwidth and infrastructure for each language, making it difficult to deliver localized content in real-time.

NDI and NVIDIA are working to change that by enabling multiple language experiences to be generated from a common media stream. For broadcasters, this means the same source content can be adapted for different audiences without replicating production operations for every language.

Product Updates

AtlasIED Enhances GLOBALCOM Ecosystem with GCK17

AtlasIED has released GCK17, the latest software head-end powering the GLOBALCOM ecosystem. The update introduces two major advancements for large-scale paging and communication systems: a two-way integration with Sittig Technologies’ PAXGuide platform and Dante signal transport improvements.

The new Sittig PAXGuide integration is particularly advantageous for airports, as it provides gate agents with real-time flight information, including details about gates, airlines, and delays, directly through the touchscreen of the GLOBALCOM microphone station. Boarding calls and manual pages initiated from the GCK microphone station can sync back to PAXGuide, ensuring consistent paging activity throughout the airport. The integration supports Sittig's multilingual and accessibility features.

GCK17 also replaces CobraNet’s signal routing with Dante-based routing, eliminating the need for legacy network hardware in systems that previously relied on CobraNet or CobraNet-to-Dante bridges. This advancement enables more robust and efficient signal transmission, resulting in faster announcement triggering. It bridges previously isolated networks, unlocking seamless communication between systems. AtlasIED has communicated an end-of-life plan for CobraNet products, and GCK17 offers a clear and efficient system-wide upgrade path to Dante. Customers still using the CobraNet legacy system can contact AtlasIED for assistance in designing an upgrade plan.

ENCO Unveils Multilingual Live Captioning Advances and Voice Translation

ENCO has unveiled new multilingual capabilities for its enCaption live captioning systems. The enhancements include automatic language detection and captioning for live multilingual broadcasts and presentations. ENCO’s new multilingual captioning capability automatically detects changes in spoken language and generates captions in the appropriate language in real time, without requiring operators to manually switch languages or reconfigure the system. The technology supports any combination across 50 languages, creating a fluid captioning experience as different speakers and languages move in and out of a live program or presentation.

That brings important new flexibility to multilingual television and AV environments. A live news or sports program, for example, may move naturally between English and Spanish speakers, while an international panel discussion may include participants speaking French, German and other languages. enCaption automatically recognizes each language as it is spoken and captions the content in that same language, allowing the captioning workflow to follow the conversation without operator intervention.

All XPA Ultra FX Amplifier Series Now Feature ECO Standby for Maximum Energy Savings

All Extron XPA Ultra FX Series four and eight-channel multi-zone audio power amplifiers now feature ECO Standby, that works with InstaWake+ to provide exceptional energy savings. Intelligent ECO Standby technology places the amplifier into standby after just a few seconds of inactivity. When in standby, it draws under one watt of power. InstaWake+ returns the amplifier to full power from standby in under 5 milliseconds, ensuring that no audio is cut off. Now Ecofficient Level 4 qualified across all models, the XPA Ultra FX Series offers exceptional energy savings and supports sustainable AV system design and deployment.

Four and eight-channel models are available at 200 or 400 watts per channel. Up to 400 or 800 watts per channel is possible when running at half the channel count. The output mode of each channel can be independently configured between 8 ohm, 4 ohm, 70V, or 100V operation. These Ecofficient Level 4 qualified amplifiers provide AV professionals with a range of highly efficient products that maximize power savings in their system designs.

Several Q-SYS Devices for Pro AV Certified for Zoom Rooms

The Q-SYS RoomSuite Modular System, the NC-90-G2 network camera and the Q-SYS VisionSuite VSA-100 AI Accelerator are now certified Pro AV devices for Zoom Rooms. The Q-SYS RoomSuite Modular System supports fast, standardized setup for medium to large collaboration spaces. Now certified for Zoom Rooms, Q-SYS RoomSuite Modular System offers a highly consolidated dedicated combo processor/switch/AV bridge/video switch alongside its tableside I/O expander. The system can be used with Zoom certified peripherals including Q-SYS NL Series loudspeakers, NM-T1 tabletop microphones, and NC Series cameras, as well as certified for Zoom Rooms partner ceiling microphones. Q-SYS RoomSuite Modular System also features a web-based workflow for intuitive configuration and deployment, and it connects to Q-SYS Reflect for cloud monitoring and management of all your Q-SYS systems alongside Zoom Device Manager.

The Q-SYS NC-90-G2 joins the list of NC Series cameras certified for Zoom Rooms, with advanced video features including Active Speaker Framing and auto-framing. Certification of the Q-SYS VisionSuite VSA-100 AI Accelerator for Zoom Rooms adds AI-driven room automation and dynamic, autonomous camera framing to the Q-SYS portfolio of certified for Zoom Rooms solutions.

Company News

ADI Expands C4Yourself for 2026

ADI is expanding C4Yourself for 2026. Running throughout October, C4Yourself has become ADI's flagship annual consumer engagement initiative for the Control4 Certified Showroom Dealer community, helping participating dealers generate qualified leads, increase showroom traffic and demonstrate the value of professionally installed smart living solutions. For 2026, the company has expanded the program with new marketing resources, enhanced dealer support and the latest Control4 X4 experience, continuing ADI's commitment to helping partners grow their businesses.

The 2026 campaign builds on last year's program, which attracted 110 participating dealers worldwide, generated more than 300 homeowner RSVPs, and nearly 4,000 visits to participating dealer microsites. The strong response demonstrated the value of coordinated consumer marketing programs that connect homeowners with local Control4 Certified Showrooms while helping dealers build stronger sales pipelines.

Diversified Opens New Jersey Facility

Diversified is consolidating its four existing New Jersey locations into a new facility in Newark. The move represents a significant investment in Diversified’s operations and infrastructure, creating a centralized hub designed to support the company’s continued growth.

Spanning more than 100,000 square feet, the facility will include warehouse and office space, systems fabrication and testing facilities, 3D printing capabilities, studio space, and client experience areas. The new facility will consolidate key functions currently spread across four New Jersey locations, providing a more integrated environment for associates and project delivery. Diversified expects the Newark facility to be fully operational by the end of October.

L-Acoustics Achieves B Corp Certification

L-Acoustics has achieved B Corp Certification, awarded by the non-profit B Lab to companies independently verified against rigorous global standards of governance, transparency, and social and environmental performance. Certified through B Lab’s Large Enterprise and Multinational pathway, built for companies with complex, multi-site operations, the certification covers the entire L-Acoustics Group across all 13 sites worldwide. Encouraging other pro audio manufacturers to join them, L-Acoustics joins a broader community of more than 10,000 Certified B Corporations in over 100 countries, including more than 640 in France.

“We are proud to reach a new milestone in our sustainability journey,” says Hervé Guillaume, chief executive officer of L-Acoustics Group. “This certification positions L-Acoustics among the pioneers of the professional audio industry in social, environmental and governance performance, placing the company in the same global community as brands like Patagonia that have long put purpose at the center of their business. It recognizes the progress, commitment and daily work of teams across the company, and it is a commitment to a more sustainable future for live entertainment.”

Mo-Sys Completes Reorganization

Mo-Sys has completed a business restructuring, which has included a move to a new facility in Canada Water. A key part of the new organization is the promotion of Selin Kemal to the new role of managing director. The move to the Canada Water building has allowed Mo-Sys to fulfill a long-held ambition, the creation of a hybrid presentation theatre using the best of modern technology, including Mo-Sys robotics and virtual production, as a flexible host venue. The flagship space, which has room for up to 120 delegates as well as comprehensive production equipment will be used for high-impact corporate communications, live events and global broadcast.

“We are moving forward with renewed strength and clear ambition," said new managing director Kemal. "That means maintaining our reputation as the most innovative developer of technologies in our sector and delivering the key products that power the creative drive, wherever it comes from. In our new home we can showcase all of our unique products in a practical environment that delivers real benefit for our corporate neighbors, and our film and television users around the world.”

AVT Question: Please share insights on the ongoing transition to networked AV and the role the cloud and AI play.

Thought Leader: Yannic Laleeuwe, Marketing Director, Meeting Experience at Barco ClickShare

For years, AV and IT leaders have focused on integration. The priority was to connect devices, platforms, and spaces into one coherent environment. In many organizations, that foundation is now largely in place. The next challenge is making meeting rooms intelligent enough to support AI-driven collaboration.

Hybrid work has reshaped expectations. People move between home, office, and travel, expecting meeting experiences to move with them. But many meeting spaces still rely on fixed setups and fragmented technology that slow people down rather than support them.

At the same time, collaboration platforms continue to evolve. AI is already embedded into daily workflows, helping teams capture decisions, generate insights, and stay aligned. In Microsoft Teams, for example, Copilot can use meeting speech-to-text and transcription data to surface discussion points, summarize conversations, and suggest follow-up actions. These experiences, however, are only as good as the meeting input behind them. Garbled audio, a camera that misses half the room, or a five-minute scramble to connect a laptop don’t just frustrate people in the meeting; they also degrade the transcript Copilot is working from.

This is where AV/IT is being redefined. It is no longer only about connecting hardware; it is about enabling collaboration that is simple enough that people use it without thinking, and consistent enough that AI can trust what it captures. Simplicity, interoperability, and security are expectations. As technology fades into the background, the focus shifts to uptime, room visibility, performance, and the quality of the meeting experience itself.

The meeting room is no longer just a place where work happens; it is where the quality of collaboration begins. When that experience is easy to start, reliable, and inclusive, it gives AI the right foundation to deliver real value across platforms like Microsoft Teams and Copilot. The organizations that move early will not just run better meetings; they will build smarter ways of working across the entire business.

AVT Question: Please share insights on the ongoing transition to networked AV and the role the cloud and AI play.

Thought Leader: Jonathan Mangall, Managing Director, EMEA at Utelogy

At Utelogy, we’re seeing a fundamental shift in how organizations approach AV. The conversation has moved beyond deploying technology to managing it as part of the wider enterprise IT ecosystem. Networked AV, cloud technologies, and AI are transforming operations, but successful adoption depends on helping organizations evolve without disrupting the investments they've already made.

Legacy infrastructure remains a key challenge. Most organizations operate multi-vendor AV environments with years of useful life remaining, making rip-and-replace impractical and cost-prohibitive. That's why Utelogy champions an open, vendor-agnostic platform that unifies, monitors, and manages existing AV while protecting previous capital investments.

Security is equally critical. As AV devices become enterprise network endpoints, they must meet the same governance, authentication, and compliance standards as every other connected IT asset. Utelogy’s enterprise-grade security and integration with existing IT workflows are fundamental to ensuring AV can be managed with the same confidence as the rest of the technology estate.

Cloud is accelerating this transformation by providing centralized visibility, remote management, and the scalability needed to support global deployments. Whether organizations choose cloud, hybrid, or on-premises, flexibility is essential to meet operational and regulatory requirements.

AI is now taking enterprise AV management to the next level. We see AI as an enabler rather than a replacement for IT teams. By analyzing operational data, identifying anomalies, predicting potential issues, and automating routine tasks, AI allows organizations to move from reactive support to proactive, intelligent operations that improve user experiences while reducing operational overhead.

The future of AV/IT isn't defined by the hardware, but by how intelligently it's managed. By combining open integration, cloud-native management, and AI-driven automation, Utelogy helps customers maximize current investments while preparing for autonomous AV operations.

AVT Question: Please share insights on the ongoing transition to networked AV and the role the cloud and AI play.

Thought Leader: Josh Blalock, Global Director, Alliances & Engagement at Shure

The conversation around AI has matured. A year ago, everyone was talking about AI theoretically. Today, the real question is whether the infrastructure underneath it is actually ready to support the outcomes organizations expect, and if their AI roadmap matches their business roadmap.

As more companies rely on AI to summarize meetings, assign actions, automate workflows, and collaborate with agents, good enough isn’t good enough anymore. Every meeting is creating data that those systems depend on. If the audio isn’t captured accurately or your collaboration environment is fragmented across disconnected platforms, those small gaps become much bigger problems once AI agents start making decisions from that information.

Organizations shouldn’t think about meeting rooms as just places where conversations happen; they should be thought of as spaces where business data is generated, and decisions are taken. The same way organizations wouldn’t accept missing records in CRM or gaps in email history, the same should apply to incomplete or inaccurate meeting data.

The cloud plays a critical role by giving IT teams centralized visibility and management across their collaboration environments, while AI unlocks new ways to turn meeting content into action.

But neither delivers value without a strong foundation. The organizations that will benefit most are those that build an ecosystem that captures the highest-quality data from the very beginning. That’s what enables AI to deliver meaningful business outcomes.

The Pro AV industry does not have a shortage of management platforms. It has a shortage of agreement about what the word “management” means.

One vendor may be describing a dashboard that shows whether devices are online. Another may offer a cloud portal for configuring rooms. A third may monitor equipment from many manufacturers. A fourth may claim it can diagnose problems and fix them automatically.

For buyers, the challenge is determining what each platform can see, what it can reach, what it can change, what it can fix, and how much proof exists that those capabilities work in real environments.

A modern collaboration room may depend on a cloud meeting service, room compute, identity, cameras, audio, displays, scheduling panels, sensors, control systems, network switches, firmware, and several vendor clouds. Everything may be functioning as designed, yet the room can still fail. The meeting platform may know that the room application is running, but not that someone unplugged the camera. The camera portal may know it is online, but not that the display is on the wrong input.

Most buyers are not really shopping for another dashboard. They want fewer failed meetings, fewer manual room checks, faster diagnosis, fewer escalations between AV and IT, and fewer occasions when someone must visit a room just to reboot something. A platform should therefore be evaluated by the work it removes, not by the number of screens it adds.

Start with the problem you need to solve.

A company with hundreds of nearly identical rooms from one vendor has a different requirement from a university with classrooms containing equipment from many manufacturers. An integrator supporting multiple clients also has a different operating model from an enterprise managing one global estate.

There is no universally correct platform because there is no universal collaboration environment.

The first question should not be, “Which platform manages the most things?” It should be, “Which part of our environment is unmanaged, difficult to support, or consuming too much labor?”

Use the onion to understand the market.

A blank capability rings (or onion) diagram is a useful way to compare platforms without turning the exercise into a vendor ranking. Each ring represents a broader level of scope.

At the center are tools that primarily monitor a vendor’s own devices. These may provide inventory, online or offline status, firmware information, configuration, and basic alerts. They are often narrow but can also be mature and extremely useful.

The next ring adds visibility into adjacent parts of the room. A platform may begin with its own devices but also see the meeting service, peripherals, room compute, displays, or other nearby components. It is still operating from a defined ecosystem, but it understands more of the room.

Broad multi-vendor room or estate monitoring is represented by the third ring. These platforms aim to provide one operational view across equipment from many manufacturers, different room types, and possibly multiple sites or customers.

Finally, the outer ring adds diagnosis and remediation. At this level, the platform should do more than report that something is wrong. It should help determine why the failure occurred, recommend or perform corrective action, and provide evidence that the issue was resolved.

The farther out a platform sits, the broader its claimed scope. But broader does not automatically mean better.

Breadth is not the same as depth.

While a broad, multi-vendor platform may support more products than a vendor-native platform, that doesn't mean it supports each one as comprehensively. A company standardized almost entirely on one manufacturer may receive deeper control from that manufacturer’s own portal than from a broader platform in an outer ring.

The native platform may understand the hardware, software, firmware, cloud service, configuration model, diagnostics, and support process in far greater detail. An independent platform may tell you something about 20 manufacturers. A vendor-native platform may tell you considerably more about one.

That is the central tradeoff between breadth and depth.

Neither approach is automatically superior. This is also why the idea of a perfect “single pane of glass” is misleading. Most organizations will continue to use overlapping tools because different platforms understand different parts of the room more deeply.

Age, maturity, and scope are separate.

The onion chart shows functional scope, but it does not show product maturity. A platform can be narrow and highly proven. It can be broad and lightly validated. It can also be relatively new while offering advanced automation that older platforms do not yet provide.

An older platform may have years of deployments, reference customers, established support processes, and a long integration history without leading in modern automation. A newer platform may be built around current cloud, API, and AI models without yet being ready for enterprise-wide deployment.

Buyers should ask for supported-device lists, integration documentation, reference deployments, release histories, and specific remediation examples. They should also ask which capabilities are fully productized and which still depend on custom coding, professional services, or roadmap promises.

Monitoring, management, and remediation are different.

The market becomes confusing because vendors use similar words for different capabilities. Monitoring means the system can see that something is happening, such as a device being offline, disconnected, or out of date. Management means the platform can change something. It may update firmware, alter a setting, restart a service, or schedule an action.

Remote control means a technician can reach the system and perform an action manually. Remediation means the platform can correct the underlying problem. Autonomous remediation means it can diagnose and fix certain defined problems without waiting for an operator.

Those distinctions matter. An alert is not a fix. Opening a ticket is not remediation. Giving a technician remote access is not automation. Reporting that a room is unhealthy does not mean the platform knows why.

How the platform connects matters.

A management platform cannot control what it cannot reach. Its connection architecture has a major effect on what it can actually do.

Cloud-to-cloud connections are usually easier to deploy, but the platform can use only the information and controls exposed by the other vendor’s API. Other products use a local gateway, virtual machine, collector, or appliance to communicate with devices behind the enterprise firewall. This can provide deeper access, but it creates security and maintenance questions.

Direct device access may enable stronger control and remediation, but buyers need to understand how credentials are stored, how access is logged, how permissions are revoked, and what prevents an automated action from affecting the wrong system.

When a vendor says its platform can automatically fix a room, ask exactly how it reaches the failing component, what permissions it uses, which actions require approval, and what guardrails are available to limit the automation.

AI is moving the market from alerts to action.

AI will quickly become standard language in this category. Nearly every management vendor will claim intelligent analysis, natural-language interaction, automated troubleshooting, or agentic operation.

The useful question is not whether the platform uses AI—it's what the AI accomplishes. Does it summarize alarms or identify root cause? Does it recommend an action or execute one? Can administrators limit the actions it may take? Is every action logged and reversible?

Automation can reduce support workloads when the problem is familiar and the corrective action is predictable. But uncontrolled automation can turn one room failure into a larger outage. Autonomous remediation has value only when it is bounded, auditable, and proven.

You will probably need more than one platform.

The AV/UC management market is not converging around one master dashboard. It is developing into overlapping control planes.

Vendor-native portals will remain important because they provide deep device-level control. Collaboration-service consoles will remain important because they understand their own clients, policies, accounts, and service health. Integrator and managed-service tools will remain important for ticketing, escalation, remote support, and multi-customer operations. Broader estate platforms may sit above or alongside these tools, correlating information across systems and helping support teams understand the room as a complete operating environment.

The goal should not necessarily be eliminating every existing console. It should be closing the gaps between them. The best platform is not automatically the one in the outermost onion ring; it's the one that matches the organization’s device mix, standardization strategy, support model, security requirements, and tolerance for automation.

The winning platforms will not be the ones with the broadest dashboard claims. They will be the ones that reduce manual checks, shorten troubleshooting, prevent unnecessary truck rolls, and prove that problems were corrected before the next person walked into the room.

AVT Question: Please share insights on the ongoing transition to networked AV and the role the cloud and AI play.

Thought Leader: Wylie Dunham, Senior Network Engineer and AVoIP Product Manager at Atlona

The continued growth of uncompressed AVoIP technologies such as SDVoE, along with many upcoming IPMX implementations, is placing greater emphasis on multi-gigabit network infrastructure. These technologies deliver high image quality, ultra-low latency, and predictable performance, making them ideal for demanding applications. However, many implementations also rely on 10GbE connectivity at the edge and higher-capacity network uplinks. For many organizations, the challenge is no longer the AV technology itself, but the cost and complexity of extending high-bandwidth network infrastructure to every endpoint.

At the same time, enterprise network investments are being driven by priorities well beyond AV. Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 access points, cloud services, and increasing user density continue to shape infrastructure planning and budgeting. While MultiGig switching is becoming more common, it is typically deployed where those demands exist, with most access ports throughout the enterprise still operating at 1GbE. As a result, AV projects must increasingly align with existing IT strategies rather than expecting networks to be redesigned around video distribution. When these technologies are deployed, they are often isolated, not leveraging the AV everywhere feature of networked AV due to capacity requirements from the network edge through the core.

This raises an important question for the industry: Does every deployment require an uncompressed 10Gb stream? Answers depend entirely on the application. Mission-critical environments such as command and control, medical visualization, and live production may justify the investment in uncompressed transport. Meeting rooms, classrooms, digital signage, hospitality, and corporate communications often have different priorities, where scalability, infrastructure efficiency, and total cost of ownership can edge out the need for absolute minimum latency. As AVoIP continues to evolve, selecting the right transport technology should be driven by application requirements—not the assumption that every deployment demands the highest-available-bandwidth solution.

AVT Question: Please share insights on the ongoing transition to networked AV and the role the cloud and AI play.

Thought Leader: Steven Barlow, President of DVIGear

Every vendor claims a full networked AV/IT suite. The real question is, how do you get there without ripping out equipment that still has years of life left, and without opening new security holes? The ideal approach is a transition that's additive rather than wholesale. DisplayNet uses standards-based, uncompressed distribution that can run over the IP network you already operate, coexisting with the matrix switchers and endpoints already in place—so you can migrate on your own schedule instead of someone else's, extending the infrastructure you own rather than replacing it.

On security, putting AV on IP isn't a new attack surface to fear; it's the opportunity to bring AV under the same enterprise governance—segmentation, authentication, monitoring—that already protects everything else. Uncompressed, deterministic signals stay on premises where real-time video belongs. That also defines the cloud's role: Latency keeps the pixels local, so the cloud handles the control plane of orchestration, monitoring, and configuration.

The most stubborn barrier has always been expertise. Operating AV-over-IP has meant mastering proprietary APIs and control syntax. DisplayNet Connect for AI Agents removes that bottleneck. As the first AV-over-IP system with native Model Context Protocol support, it's directly controllable by Claude, OpenAI Codex, Gemini CLI, or any MCP-compatible agent. A technology manager states intent in plain language and the system configures itself, compressing what once took days of custom development into minutes.

The winning transition is incremental, secures itself with the IT stack you already trust, and uses AI to erase the learning curve that kept networked AV out of reach.

SCN's own James Careless has published ERROR 404: Armageddon Not Found, a darkly comic technological satire about artificial intelligence, bureaucracy, human ego, and what happens when a machine follows the rules more faithfully than we do.

At the Pentagon, systems technician Chloe Ramirez has a problem. The world is sliding toward nuclear war, an angry general wants to launch a tactical strike—and the most advanced military AI ever built has just locked him out because his password expired.

In Moscow, Dmitri Sokolov is having an equally bad day. Russia’s own command AI is demanding obsolete requisition forms, resurrecting Soviet safety regulations, and forcing his general to watch an unskippable forklift-training video.

Neither system is broken.

They are doing exactly what they were designed to do: preserve the nation, obey the rules, and reduce catastrophic risk.

As military leaders search for increasingly desperate ways around them, Chloe and Dmitri discover that the most powerful weapons on Earth may have met their match—not in another superpower, but in compliance procedures, liability clauses, forgotten regulations, and two exhausted IT technicians who understand the machines better than the people commanding them.

ERROR 404: Armageddon Not Found is available on Amazon.

It was another busy week in Pro AV. AVIXA announced scholarship winners, Shure welcomed a new sales channel leader, Almo Pro AV is heading North for its fall E4 Experience Tour, and LG has a new partnership.

[SCN Top 50 2026: Enter Today!]

Four people on the move, seven partnerships you should know about, company announcements, and product enhancements dominated last week's news cycle. Sit back and get caught up in this week's Pro AV Newsmakers.

People News

Advanced Systems Group Adds Mark Vinten to Audio Team

Advanced Systems Group(ASG) welcomed Mark Vinten as senior account executive on its expanding Audio and Post Production team. In his new role, Vinten helps grow ASG's business by fortifying relationships with existing clients and developing new opportunities throughout Southern California.

Before joining ASG, Vinten spent 10 years with Evertz, where he advanced from service technician to director of West Coast sales and service. His career spans professional recording, broadcast technology, manufacturing, and systems integration. His range of experience gives him a unique perspective on media workflows and enables him to help clients see beyond individual products to how each part of a facility works together.

Grass Valley Appoints Ronny Van Geel as VP Cameras

Grass Valley has appointed Ronny Van Geel as VP, cameras, bringing more than 25 years of experience in camera technology, product management, strategy, and media production workflows to the role. He is focused on connecting the camera team’s deep technical expertise with the realities of modern production, and on turning that understanding into products that give operators, creatives and production teams more freedom and confidence in how they work.

Van Geel has worked across the camera business from both technical and product perspectives, most recently as director of product marketing at Grass Valley. He now returns to the camera organization with a broad understanding of how production is changing and what that means for the people working with these systems every day.

Keith Bountom Joins PrimeTime

PrimeTime Lighting Systems welcomed Keith Bountom as sales executive. Bountom focuses on building relationships with customers, chief engineers, lighting directors, dealers, systems integrators, and industry professionals while helping them identify professional lighting solutions for broadcast, video streaming, production, corporate, and other studio applications.

“PrimeTime has an impressive lineup of studio lighting products,” said Bountom. “What really stands out to me is the combination of professional light quality, rugged construction and innovative features like passive cooling and VariWhite. These are products designed for the demands of real-world studios, and I’m excited to help customers find the right lighting solution for their specific needs.”

Shure Appoints Monique Rezaei as Sales Channel Leader in North America

Shure has appointed Monique Rezaei as senior director, channel sales, North America. In this role, Rezaei leads Shure’s North American channel sales organization, helping strengthen partner engagement and drive growth as the convergence of AV, collaboration, and IT continues to reshape the industry.

Rezaei brings more than two decades of leadership experience spanning channel sales, strategic alliances, partner ecosystem development, and go-to-market strategy. She has helped organizations build high-performing partner programs, drive transformational growth initiatives, and strengthen collaboration across AV, IT, and unified communications markets. She is focusing on advancing Shure’s channel strategy, supporting partners’ evolving business needs, and identifying new opportunities to create value for customers across North America.

Partnerships

Arkona Partners with BFE for Arkona-Branded Control Panels

Arkona technologies GmbH has announced a new OEM partnership with BFE Studio und Medien Systeme GmbH. The partnership will allow arkona to offer arkona-branded control panels for their SDI-IP routing systems.

The agreement follows increasing demand from end users for arkona-labeled control panels as the company's EASY-IP concept has gained traction in the market. Since introducing EASY-IP, a solution which helps broadcasters make the transition from SDI to IP-based production facilities, arkona has attracted significant interest from broadcasters building larger SDI-IP routers, creating a need for comprehensive control solutions, both software and hardware-based.

Future Ready Solutions Announces Partnership with Lowell Manufacturing

Future Ready Solutions has formed a strategic partnership with Lowell Manufacturing to serve the custom installation market across the United States. Effective immediately, Future Ready Solutions has been appointed master distributor of Lowell AV racks, cable management, connectivity, power, and audio reinforcement products for audiovisual resellers, strategic buying groups, and Pro AV industry organizations.

Founded in St. Louis in 1947 by Ben and Dorothy Lowell, Lowell Manufacturing is a third-generation, family-led manufacturer of AV Racks and professional audio and AV infrastructure solutions. Based in Pacific, MO, the company produces more than 1,000 products across its equipment rack, power distribution and audio product lines. Lowell combines a long history of patented product innovation with advanced robotic manufacturing, powder-coating capabilities and domestic production of many power products to deliver practical, installer-focused solutions for professional AV system integration.

GUDE, Lightware Collaborate on Automation Platform

GUDE Systems' smart PDUs now integrate into Lightware’s LARA (Lightware Advanced Room Automation) platform. With the new GUDE driver module, AV equipment and smart power distribution can now be managed together via unified automation workflows—configured directly within the LARA environment.

GUDE’s “Expert Power Control” series can be managed directly through LARA, making energy management part of the same automation logic as AV device control. For system integrators and AV professionals, this means simplified deployment, operation, and maintenance. Features include unified control environment, automated Power Management, remote reboots, and faster commissioning.

LEA Professional Partners with Atlantic Integrated

LEA Professional has partnered with Rockleigh, NJ-based manufacturer’s representative Atlantic Integrated. This partnership brings LEA’s extensive technology catalog to customers in the New York metropolitan area.

With extensive experience in the custom installation and integration business, the Atlantic Integrated team will represent LEA’s Network Connect series of professional amplifiers and companion Dante Connect series featuring Dante and AES67 connectivity.

LG and Marriott Enhance Hospitality and the Guest Experience 

Marriott International and LG Electronics announced a long-term strategic collaboration focused on enhancing the guest experience, beginning with a cloud platform for guest room entertainment and technology. Marriott plans to adopt the jointly developed platform across its participating hotel portfolio, bringing a modern approach to in-room entertainment and laying the foundation for device management and connected guest experiences across Marriott properties.

Given Marriott's long-standing relationship with LG, the company was selected to expand its work with the hotel company to support its hospitality tech ecosystem, starting with an innovative guest room entertainment and technology platform for next-generation guest experiences. Marriott is shaping the platform around guest experience, property operations, and enterprise integration needs, while LG is co-developing the platform, device management, and technical support behind it.

Beyond enhancing the guest room experience, the platform provides Marriott with a centralized enterprise management environment for its in-room technology. Marriott associate teams will now have the ability to monitor device health, performance, and status across individual guest room televisions, entire hotel properties, specific brands or groups of hotels, and even its broader property portfolio. This centralized approach enables faster issue identification, more efficient content and application updates, and improved operational visibility across Marriott's global hospitality network.

Telestream and NVIDIA Bring AI-Powered Upscaling into Vantage Workflows

Telestream announced advanced AI video enhancement capabilities powered by NVIDIA in Telestream Vantage, expanding upon Telestream’s existing practical AI capabilities embedded across the media pipeline. Vantage Super Resolution will be one of the first solutions developed through the collaboration.

Built on the NVIDIA Video Effects SDK, part of the NVIDIA AI for Media collection, the new capability brings AI-powered super resolution directly into Vantage as a transcoder option, allowing media companies to automatically upscale legacy SD and HD content into modern HD, 4K, and UHD deliverables without leaving the workflow. The integration is designed to help broadcasters, sports organizations, post-production teams, and content owners modernize archive libraries by improving the visual quality of the content, qualify older assets for today’s distribution requirements, and turn dormant content into new revenue opportunities.

Zixi and Ateme Deepen Strategic Alliance

Zixi and Ateme have expanded their strategic partnership to help broadcasters and content owners accelerate the transition from satellite to resilient IP and cloud-based workflows. By combining Zixi’s software-defined transport platform with Ateme’s video processing and delivery solutions, the companies are evolving their long-standing relationship into a jointly engineered, co-marketed collaboration focused on premium live event contribution and distribution.

As broadcasters and content owners face rising satellite costs, shrinking transponder availability, and mounting pressure to deliver premium live experiences at scale, the combination of Ateme's encoding efficiency and Zixi's reliable, protocol-agnostic IP transport layer gives customers a proven, end-to-end alternative that spans contribution, distribution, and delivery across on-premises, hybrid, and fully cloud environments.

Company News

AIMS Announces Certification of 14 Additional IPMX Products

The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) announced the results of its second IPMX Product Certification Test Event, held August 24-28 at European Broadcasting Union (EBU) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Eight manufacturers submitted 14 products for testing, and all 14 were officially certified to the IPMX standard, qualifying them to carry the IPMX branding and signaling verified compliance with published transport, control and interoperability requirements.

The EBU serves as the independent certification authority for IPMX and conducted the testing at its Geneva facility, while AIMS administers the certification program overall. This event, the second since the program's inaugural session in January 2026 that certified 48 products from 10 manufacturers, was open to AIMS, VSF and AMWA member companies and continues the shift from informal plugfests to a formal, repeatable certification process, giving integrators and end users an independent basis for verifying IPMX interoperability.

Following rigorous testing, solutions from Bridge Technologies, Cobalt Digital, EvertzAV, ITDev, intoPIX, Matrox Video, Macnica, and PlexusAV successfully passed certification. Testing covered the baseline IPMX requirements along with uncompressed video and audio, the JPEG XS profile, the JPEG XS TDC profile mode, and the HKEP and PEP capabilities. Certified products and their tested capabilities are listed in the IPMX certification registry at registry.ipmx.io/registry.

Almo Pro AV Brings the E4 Experience Back This Fall

Almo Pro AV is taking the E4 Experience back on the road this fall, stopping in Dallas on September 15 and Boston on October 15. Billed as the Pro AV industry’s original traveling regional event for integrators, consultants, IT Managers, and end users, the E4 Experience is a customizable day-long format designed to give local attendees endless networking opportunities, a showroom of newly launched products, AVIXA-credited CTS RU education, and practical, optimizable tips and tools that can be immediately implemented.

“As humans, we know that nothing replaces the impact of face-to-face experiences,” explained Greg O’Rourke, director of tradeshows and events for Almo Pro AV. “Industry professionals who attend an E4 Experience can expect to spend time with technical and service professionals, shake hands, catch up and network in our ‘family-like’ professional atmosphere. Following an E4 Experience, attendees should be able to immediately utilize the information and relationships they gain in a way that is both practical and profitable for them.”

Get the full agenda for Dallas and Boston by clicking here!

EN 54 Certification Extends the L-Acoustics Ecosystem to Voice Alarm Applications

Sports venues have long run two audio systems in parallel: one for the announcer, the playlist, and the halftime show, and a second, specified against EN 54, for evacuation. That has required two sets of loudspeakers in the same concourse, two sets of electronics, two maintenance contracts. For L-Acoustics systems, that duplication is no longer necessary.

L-Acoustics has attained EN 54 certification across a growing portfolio of loudspeakers, amplified controllers and network products, to EN 54-24 for loudspeakers forming part of a voice alarm system and to EN 54-16 for voice alarm control and indicating equipment. The enclosures and electronics that the industry specifies for concert-grade sound reinforcement now also hold the certification required for life safety announcements. EN 54-16 certification covers the LA7.16i, LA1.16i, LA4X and LA2Xi amplified controllers, as well as the LC16D network audio converter and the LS10 Milan-AVB switch when integrated into the PAVA Facilities VACIE rack. Amplification, processing, monitoring and fault reporting therefore stay within the same platform that drives the entertainment system.

Products Enhancements

Canon U.S.A.'s upcoming firmware updates for its PTZ lineup will deliver new advanced functionality and improved performance. The new array of firmware updates for Canon’s 4K remote PTZ camera systems improve convenience and efficiency across a wide range of shooting needs and applications, from live events, news production, reality television, houses of worship, and much more. All Canon IP-enabled PTZ cameras, including the CR-N700, CR-N500, CR-N400, CR-N350, CR-N300, CR-N100 and CR-X300, as well as the RC-IP1000 controller are receiving updates for performance and feature improvements. Select PTZ cameras are receiving significant new features that include On-board recording and Face Registration Auto Tracking for enhanced workflows and maximum creative control.

FOR-A expanded its viztrick AiDi into an overarching AI technology brand encompassing two dedicated products: Go Vertical! AiDi and AiDi Sports Hub. Developed by Nippon TV and delivered globally by FOR-A, viztrick AiDi brings advanced AI capabilities directly into live production workflows, with on-device processing designed to deliver the speed and responsiveness live content demands. The new product structure makes it easier for broadcasters, sports producers, and other content creators to choose the AI tools that fit their needs. Go Vertical! AiDi addresses the growing demand for mobile-first video delivered in a 9:16 format, while AiDi Sports Hub applies AI to create more engaging live coverage with tools that provide additional context.

Haivision's Makito ONE video transport platform, the company’s low latency, dual channel multi‑codec encoder/decoder designed for pristine 4K, HD, and high dynamic range (HDR) broadcast contribution, now supports live video contribution over bonded cellular networks through seamless integration with the CellLink 5G external modem and antenna array. Commonly used as a low latency contribution encoder over Ethernet-connected networks, Makito ONE is now reported to be the first device of its kind to also leverage cellular connectivity for contribution, all from a single hardware blade. This gives broadcasters maximum flexibility and additional resiliency from diverse network options, ensuring the best video quality for live productions in remote, mobile, and unpredictable network environments.

QuickLink expanded its StudioEdge remote contribution platform, introducing new support for WhatsApp and Cisco Webex, along with enhanced integration for Microsoft Teams. These updates further strengthen StudioEdge as a unified, multi‑platform solution for connecting remote guests, experts, and contributors into professional production environments.

The AV Sales Index (AVI-S) for July leveled back out at 52.7. While still showing expansion, growth is slower than a year ago when the AVI-S was at 57.1. Rising costs and inflation have kept the summer builds for sectors like education slower than years past.

July activity reflected steady expansion across workplace technology, digital signage, immersive experiences, networked AV, and strategic acquisitions. Overall, the month points to a Pro AV market pursuing practical growth while continuing to navigate broader economic pressures, including trade tensions, supply chain disruptions, energy cost increases, and geopolitical uncertainty.

The July AV Employment Index (AVI-E) remained in slight expansion at 51.8. While a few survey respondents are experiencing hiring freezes, others are struggling to find enough talented employees, causing current employees to feel overworked. The latest official U.S. labor data show soft job growth but a still-stable unemployment rate, with weaker participation suggesting some cooling in labor market momentum.

“Our order books are full. We’re having trouble completing all our projects because we don’t have enough staff," shared an AV integrator in Europe. "It’s difficult to find well-trained staff in the AV industry. We’re managing by planning projects efficiently and trying to arrange later installation dates with our customers.”

The Pro AV Business Index report is derived from a monthly survey of the AVIXA Insights Community, a research community of industry members that tracks business trends in commercial AV. The report comprises two diffusion indexes: the AV Sales Index (AVI-S) and the AV Employment Index (AVI-E). In each case, an index above 50 indicates an increase in sales or employment activity.

Visit www.avixa.org/AVindex to access the free monthly Pro-AV Business Index reports and learn more about the methodology. For more information about joining the AVIXA Insights Community, visit www.avixa.org/AVIP.

As residential integrators gather this week at CEDIA Expo, manufacturers are helping them expand their potential business opportunities into light commercial work. And that line between consumer and commercial products? It’s never been more blurred.

Noah Meicler, president of DreamWall, is seeing significant overlap between the residential and commercial AV markets. “Technologies once reserved for large commercial environments are increasingly finding their way into luxury homes, while residential expectations for exceptional design, simplicity, and ease of use are influencing commercial projects as well,” he explained.

Marc Bertrand, chief strategy officer for Theory Audio Design and Pro Audio Technology, has observed a consistent element of light commercial work through residential channels for decades. Light commercial trends tend to be project-based, Bertrand said, so the product areas follow the projects.

“The growth is mainly driven by client relationships, customer referrals, and trust,” Bertrand added. “There are some integrators and dealers in the CI channel that are strategically building their commercial departments, which then propels them into more commercial opportunities.”

Just Video Walls is still focused heavily on the residential market, but Skyler Meek, chief marketing officer, said video walls are showing the most overlap between markets. In fact, many of the company’s residential dealers are brought into commercial projects by their homeowner clients.

“The video wall market really developed first in the commercial world, so residential is just now seeing the boom,” Meek explained. “What’s interesting is that the requirements are starting to converge, too. Residential clients want the scale, brightness, reliability, and performance that historically drove commercial video wall adoption—but they expect it to be packaged in a way that belongs in a luxury home. Meanwhile, commercial clients are increasingly concerned with aesthetics, design, and creating an experience rather than simply putting a big display on a wall.”

As to what’s driving the product overlap, Meek looks to customer expectations. “A homeowner who has an incredible AV experience at home expects the technology in their office to work just as seamlessly. And a client who sees an enormous dvLED display in a hospitality or entertainment environment starts asking, ‘Why can’t I have that at home?’” he argued. “At the same time, integrators are looking for new categories where they can bring meaningful value and protect their margins. That creates a natural opportunity for residential integrators to follow their existing clients into commercial projects and vice versa.”

For DreamWall, Meicler said the crossover between markets is a natural fit. “The same core MicroLED technology can serve a home theater, outdoor entertainment area, corporate boardroom, hospitality environment, retail space, or large-scale commercial installation. What changes is how we engineer and configure the solution for each specific application,” he added.

Meek agreed that MicroLED is a “really natural” crossover product. “Whether it’s a luxury residence, sports bar, boardroom, nightclub, or hospitality space, the fundamental ask is becoming very similar: Give me a massive, beautiful image without forcing the room to compromise around the display.”

However, the challenge is expertise. “Products like MicroLED can cross markets very easily,” Meek said, “but designing, specifying, installing, and supporting them correctly still requires specialized knowledge. I think manufacturers who can remove that complexity for the integrator are going to play a big role in accelerating the crossover.”

As far as balancing the aesthetic needs of the residential space with the performance requirements of the commercial space, Meicler doesn’t want customers to have to choose. “A display can deliver incredible visual impact without overpowering the room,” he noted. “That’s one of the biggest advantages of dvLED. We can create seamless displays in a wide range of sizes, resolutions, and configurations that integrate naturally into the architecture, rather than forcing the space to accommodate a traditional display.”

“This is a no-brainer for us,” Bertrand said, “because balancing the aesthetic needs of resi with the performance requirements of commercial is exactly how Theory was conceived. You won’t find two sets of products in our catalog; every Theory speaker is specifically designed to address the needs of both segments.”

Meek said certainty is more important than either aesthetics or performance requirements. “None of the things on a spec sheet matter if the wrong product shows up, the wall isn’t designed or installed correctly, or there isn’t a real plan for commissioning, service, and long-term support,” he argued. “That’s especially true with MicroLED, because there are so many places where a project can go sideways before the wall ever turns on. “So, for us, whether it’s residential or commercial, the goal is to remove as much uncertainty as possible.”

School is back in session (down here in South Florida, at least), which means the window for summer vacation has come and gone. I hope you had a chance to get away and do whatever it is you do to take a break. My family went on Star of the Seas, a massive Royal Caribbean vessel, for a seven-night cruising adventure.

I treated myself to the Diet Coke drink package (they call it a soda package, but who are we kidding) and upgraded my family to the "fun drink" package, which included coffee-based concoctions and alcohol-free mixed drinks. Diet Coke is enough fun for me. Then, I loaded up a Jack Reacher novel on the Kindle, grabbed some flip flops, found some stretchy shorts (a must when ice cream is available before, during, and after every meal), and set sail on the high seas.

While I have grown to appreciate cruising, here's the thing: I'm not particularly good at sitting still. Plus, if my headshot doesn't give it away, I come from a long line of melanin-challenged folk, so tanning is never an agenda item, even with the excessive supply of sunscreen I packed.

So, to keep myself from bouncing off the walls of our cabin, I filled my time with activities. I swam with dolphins. I watched multiple comedy shows and duelling piano performances. I walked around ports of call and purchased T-shirts that later shrunk in the dryer. I even worked out in a huge gym surrounded by people who didn't look like they only work out on vacation.

And, of course, I started making mental notes of all the Pro AV on the ship. It wasn't exactly a scavenger hunt; like so many entertainment venues, Star of the Seas was loaded with gear. From speakers around the pool deck (I see you, DAS Audio) to a mini-ribbon display above the escalators directing you to the gangplank and your next port excursion, the presence of our industry was practically unavoidable.

Beyond the extensive Samsung digital menu boards and digital signage displays, there were some unique visuals as well. For example, the outside wall of the comedy club had multiple screens mimicking the look of windows showing a stylized animated silhouette of a comedian working a crowd. It was a very eye-catching effect.

Then there was Absolute Zero, the onboard arena for an ice skating show. Our cruise happened to be during the last match of the World Cup. The ship has a sports bar, but it wasn't big enough to accommodate the hundreds of passengers who wanted to watch it in a communal setting. So, Royal Caribbean used the venue's projector mapping technology to create a "pitch" theme on the ice, and shared the game on the big screen that usually provides background graphics for the show. Talk about setting the mood.

The Royal Theater was its own special Pro AV candy store. The two-deck space in the forward section of the ship hosted several shows during the cruise, but none more spectacular than a full production of Back to the Future: The Musical. We're talking a flying DeLorean and an array of video walls used for backgrounds, special effects, and more.

During a Q&A session with members of the cast and crew, I was told the production requires about 70 live mics for the musicians and cast—there's a lot of Shure headworn mics on stage, but a few Shure wireless handhelds show up for "performances" of songs like "Johnny B. Goode" during the show. And the front-of-house setup was built around a DiGiCo SD7 digital mixing console. Sorry, they didn't share all their secrets, so I don't know how they made the car fly. Maybe next summer…

Systems Contractor News is now accepting entries for the SCN Top 50 Systems Integrators 2026. Our rankings showcase some of the top Pro AV integrators and offer a better understanding of our industry. The results will be published in the December 2026 issue of SCN, and will include information about managed services (new for this year). Submit your form here.

Thank you in advance for helping us provide an industry snapshot for our readers. Deadline is Monday, October 5, so enter today.

The following statement was provided by d&b audiotechnick.

With profound sadness, d&b audiotechnik announces the passing of Larry Italia who served as president and CEO of d&b audiotechnik Americas from 2018 until his retirement at the end of 2025. Italia passed peacefully at his home following a brief illness.

A veteran of the professional audio community, Italia was instrumental in guiding d&b audiotechnik Americas through a period of significant growth and leading the organization through the challenges of the global pandemic. Prior to joining d&b audiotechnik, Italia served as VP of integration at Sound Image and held positions in sales and management at Yamaha before rising to VP of Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems. A staunch supporter of his friends and family, Italia cared deeply about everyone who was in his circle and a part of his team and his influence and impact on the business of professional audio will be felt for years to come.

Italia is survived by his wife, family and close members of the professional audio community, many of whom he considered part of his family. The professional audio community has lost a true champion, and Italia will be deeply missed.

It was another busy week in Pro AV. Riedel Communications has a new CEO; Neat and Peerless-AV expand their leadership positions; a slew of manufacturers made new partnerships; and then, of course, was FORTÉ and D-Tools.

D-Tools started a busy Tuesday by announcing its merger with Portal.io. The merger creates a stronger technology partner for commercial integrators by bringing together complementary strengths. Want more details? Dig in here with our full coverage.

Later that same night, SCN had the inside scoop, breaking the big news that FORTÉ acquired Vega Global. Fresh off its split from GPA, FORTÉ chairman and CEO Jeff Stoebner sat down with us to discuss what was behind the strategic acquisition. Spoiler alert, it wasn't simply expansion for the sake of expansion. Learn more in our exclusive interview here.

Now, on with the show.

People News

Neat Deepens Leadership Bench for Global Expansion

Neat has appointed Sandeep Mehra as SVP and general manager of International. In this key executive role, Mehra drives market expansion, commercial execution, and strategic partner ecosystems across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific regions.

A 20-year industry veteran across SaaS, video collaboration, and enterprise technology, Mehra has scaled businesses from early-stage startups to multi-billion-dollar global operations. He spent over a decade at Cisco in senior leadership roles spanning sales, engineering, and go-to-market. His tenure included serving as managing director for APAC collaboration sales, VP of customer experience across ASEAN and Korea, and global GM for video devices out of Oslo, where he launched a suite of innovative products covering work-from-home solutions and Intelligent Spaces. Early in his career, Mehra co-founded India’s pioneer conferencing company, which was acquired by Webex; he later served as an executive leader at Moxtra.

Peerless-AV Appoints Rob McKenna as National Account Manager for CI, Retail, and eCommerce

Peerless-AV has announced the expansion of its CI, retail, and ecommerce team with the appointment of Rob McKenna as national account manager McKenna brings 37 years of consumer electronics industry experience to the role, further strengthening Peerless-AV's growth strategy across key commercial and residential channels.

McKenna joins Peerless-AV with an extensive track record of building high-value retail and custom business throughout the CI channel at known organizations. In his new role, McKenna is responsible for managing and expanding key account relationships across custom integration, retail, and eCommerce channels. His appointment reflects Peerless-AV's continued commitment to strengthening its partnerships and accelerating digital growth in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

Riedel Evolves Leadership and Global Go-to-Market Organization

Riedel Communications is strengthening its leadership and global go-to-market structure for 2027. Lutz Rathmann will become chief executive officer (CEO) of Riedel Communications, assuming overall responsibility for the product division and managed technology division. At the same time, Anthony Zuyderhoff will take on the role of chief commercial officer (CCO), leading the company’s newly unified global go-to-market organization. Jan Eveleens, currently CEO of the product division, will retire at the end of 2026 following a long and successful career in the broadcast industry. The new setup brings the product division and managed technology division into closer alignment, combining Riedel’s product development and live-production expertise more closely.

The new setup brings the product division and managed technology division into closer alignment, combining Riedel’s product development and live-production expertise more closely. Both divisions will retain their respective teams, expertise, and market focus while collaborating more closely across the business. At the same time, Riedel will connect its customer-facing sales, service, support, and marketing functions through a shared go-to-market leadership, enabling a more coordinated and consistent approach to customers and partners.

Before returning to lead Managed Technology in 2020, Rathmann had already held senior roles at Riedel, including Vice Director Global Events and Head of Project Management. Since then, he has strategically expanded the business, developed new opportunities and partnerships, and advanced the solution portfolio for international event and live productions. Together with Jan Eveleens, he has also driven closer collaboration between Managed Technology and the Product Division—laying the groundwork for bringing both areas even closer together under his leadership.

Zuyderhoff, currently Executive Director Global Sales, will assume leadership of the new go-to-market organization and bring Riedel’s primary customer-facing functions under a shared direction. The new setup is designed to make collaboration more seamless, accelerate decision-making, and strengthen how Riedel supports customers and partners across products and services.

Whitwam AVI appoints Jack Baker as Operations and Project Manager

Whitwam AVI is continuing to strengthen its operations with the appointment of Jack Baker as operations and project manager. Having spent the past three years as maintenance manager, Baker brings an in-depth understanding of the business and its clients. In his new role, he is developing tools and processes to improve onboarding, renewals, and contract management, while supporting colleagues and removing barriers to support consistent, scalable delivery.


He has held engineering roles at Virgin Media and Ultra Electronics, as well as aboard several mega-yachts, giving him extensive experience of complex, high-pressure technical environments.

Partnerships

Absen, Polywall Announce Strategic Technology Partnership

Polywall and Absen announced a strategic technology partnership. The collaboration delivers solutions that provide organizations with a seamless, high-performance foundation for their command and control environments.

The partnership addresses the growing demand for sophisticated, reliable visualization solutions in network operations centers (NOCs), security operations centers (SOCs), transportation hubs, utilities, and public safety facilities. By combining Polywall control room software platform with Absen's LED displays, enterprise customers get a unified ecosystem that enhances operational efficiency, situational awareness, and decision-making.

The joint solution has already been successfully deployed in complex operational environments, including high-profile government and financial sector projects . At the heart of the partnership is a commitment to interoperability, with both companies' technologies tested and validated to ensure optimal performance and reliability in 24/7 operational settings.

AIMS Welcomes Bolin Technology and ITDev as Newest Members

The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) today announced that ITDev and Bolin Technology have joined the organization as its newest members. The additions bring a professional PTZ camera and AV over IP hardware manufacturer and a FPGA design and IP licensing specialist into the alliance, further broadening the range of expertise represented among AIMS members as adoption of IPMX and SMPTE ST 2110-based standards continues to expand across broadcast and Pro AV.

Bolin Technology designs professional PTZ cameras and AV over IP solutions built for real-world production environments. ITDev and Bolin Technology join a growing roster of broadcast and Pro AV companies working within AIMS to advance IPMX and support the industry's transition from proprietary, point-to-point systems to open, standards-based IP media networking.

AISpeech Appoints Empire PRO as U.S. Distribution Partner

AISpeech has appointed Empire PRO as its U.S. distribution partner to support its continued growth in North America. Under the agreement, Empire PRO will help bring AISpeech products to dealers, integrators, consultants, and end users across the United States, supported by regional inventory, order fulfillment, technical assistance, and customer service for the Pro AV channel.

Empire PRO is a professional audio, video, and lighting distributor based in the Los Angeles area. The company serves dealers, systems integrators, consultants, and technology partners with access to leading AV brands, in-house inventory, logistics support, technical resources, and full-system solution support.

Almo Pro AV Partners with Audio-Technica 

Almo Pro AV and Audio-Technica have jointly announced that Audio-Technica’s flagship D50 Digital UHF Wireless System is now available for order through Almo Pro AV. For integrators, the partnership offers much more than just access to a new wireless platform. Almo Pro AV’s in-house audio team also provides technical and business development support, while LinkLab Services can help with everything from system design and programming to commissioning and labor. Together, these resources give integrators a way to move from product selection to project deployment with expert support at every stage.

As wireless systems become increasingly integrated into commercial AV networks, RF reliability, scalability, and ease of deployment are critical considerations for integrators. The D50 is designed specifically for these demanding environments. The system uses antenna summing and Maximal Ratio Combining (MRC) technology to improve RF stability across the available UHF frequency range. Its high-density capabilities allow integrators to deploy more wireless microphones in environments where RF spectrum is limited. Dante networking also simplifies system integration by allowing multiple channels of digital audio to travel over a single network cable. For integrators, that can mean less cabling, easier troubleshooting and potentially lower installation labor.

AtlasIED Partners With PT Hikari Indo Sarana

AtlasIED announced its partnership with PT Hikari Indo Sarana, a Jakarta, Indonesia-based distributor. The partnership aims to expand AtlasIED’s APAC reach.

Hikari Indo Sarana has over 25 years of industry experience and has consistently held its highly respected position since its inception in 2001. The company is known as a top-quality project supplier and system integrator. Hikari Indo Sarana specializes in the hospitality, office, data center, and industrial sectors.

INFiLED Appoints UC Technology Partners for the Northeast United States

INFiLED has appointed UC Technology Partners as its representative firm for the Northeast United States, extending the LED display manufacturer’s reach into one of the country’s densest commercial AV markets. The appointment forms part of a wider expansion of INFiLED’s North American channel strategy, through which the company is building a network of regional representative firms to bring its sales and support capability closer to integrators and end users.

Founded in 2024 and based in Connecticut, UC Technology Partners is an AV and IT sales and marketing organization representing manufacturers in the unified communications and commercial AV sectors. The Northeast-based firm covers nine states: New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Maine, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Vermont, and Rhode Island. Its founders, Aaron Chisena and Rob Leclerc, bring more than five decades of combined experience earned working directly with manufacturers, integrators, service providers, and end users.

TRENDnet Partners with Hiperwall

TRENDnet and Hiperwall announced a new partnership that makes select TRENDnet managed switches compatible with Hiperwall technology. This collaboration gives users better networking infrastructure options for demanding AV over IP and video wall installations.

The new compatibility enables businesses and organizations of all sizes to deploy Hiperwall-powered video wall systems using certified TRENDnet managed switches. This delivers the network performance and reliability required for high-end visualization environments across a wide range of applications and industries.

Click here for a full list of TRENDnet managed switches now certified for compatibility with the Hiperwall video platform.

Company News

Reinforcing its commitment to helping customers build recurring revenue through a growing portfolio of services, ADI has redesigned its Parasol experience within its 1Plan platform, providing custom integrators with a single place to design, sell, activate and manage recurring services. The update brings Parasol into the 1Plan platform alongside ARCC, ADI's cloud-based network management service. Customers can now access Parasol and ARCC through a single portal, simplifying access to recurring services. They also benefit from modernized business administration capabilities, including more streamlined credit card management, granularity for user management and permissions, enhanced notification management, and centralized end-customer contact management.

AVer Information introduced its Try & Buy Program, an evaluation initiative that allows organizations to test eligible AVer products in their own environments before making a purchasing decision. Designed to simplify the technology evaluation process, the program provides customers with up to 60 days to assess AVer solutions within their existing meeting rooms, classrooms and professional AV environments.

PPDS announced the evolution of its EcoDesign learnings, wrapped together with its ‘future proof product thinking’, to become ReDesign. Alongside the new naming, the company has extended the circular design approach that enabled the EPEAT Climate+ Gold rated Philips Signage 3650 EcoDesign, applying it to the development of new products. This philosophy reinforces PPDS’ long term commitment to sustainability, circularity, and social responsibility, embedded through every stage of its product lifecycles. The reimagined ReDesign philosophy is built around six core principles: reduce, reuse, repair, refurbish, recycle, reinvent.

Product News

Biamp announced that its Kleeo Desk Manager is now Zoom Certified for Workspace Reservation. This certification enables organizations to provide employees with a unified, streamlined desk booking experience directly within Zoom Workspace Reservation, bringing the power of Kleeo to the collaboration tools their teams already use.

Blackwire Designs has announced a full catalog integration into Specifi, the all-in-one business management platform built for AV integrators. This integration allows custom integrators to feature, specify, and quote Blackwire products across their entire workflow, from Specifi-built integrator websites to final client proposals. Authorized Blackwire dealers using Specifi can effortlessly pull accurate product data, specifications, live pricing, and high-resolution imagery directly into client-facing proposals, technical documents, and the client portal, eliminating manual data entry.

Boland Communications introduced a new SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its full range of professional 4K HDR monitors. Featuring integrated 25GbE connectivity and SMPTE ST 2022-7 protection, the option brings resilient UHD monitoring directly to IP-based production environments without requiring external ST 2110-to-SDI gateways. The integrated design reduces the switch ports, gateways, transceivers, cabling, rack space, and power required for monitor walls, production control rooms, master control facilities, mobile production units, and other multidisplay environments. Removing external conversion equipment also simplifies installation and maintenance while reducing system complexity and potential points of failure.

Carousel has unveiled enhancements to its integration with the Amazon Signage Stick. Carousel Cloud's latest update introduces several key feature enhancements that streamline digital signage operations across Amazon Signage OS devices. The Carousel dashboard now supports over-the-air updates, flagging when Carousel app or Amazon Signage OS updates are available and allowing operators to launch them together manually or schedule them to install automatically overnight. Energy efficiency is improved through an updated Power Save feature, which uses Amazon Signage's HDMI-CEC display control to automatically switch compatible HDMI displays on and off at scheduled times. Furthermore, content display reliability is enhanced via Amazon Signage's OS-level rotation APIs, keeping settings fixed across reboots to ensure proper portrait and inverted-landscape playback for all content, including YouTube. To provide deeper device visibility, Carousel now reliably identifies specific Amazon Signage Stick models by reading their model identifiers directly through APIs, while regular resource monitoring tracks CPU, memory, disk usage, and overall health to give operators a clear view of each player's operational status.

Almost 20 years ago, when I was deeply invested in the sustainability proposition and the emerging world of green building, I read a book with a title that is difficult to ignore for anyone in the AV integration space: Broken Buildings, Busted Budgets.

Written by Barry LePatner, the book examined why construction projects so often produced familiar poor outcomes: cost overruns, delays, disputes, compromised results, and frustrated owners. Sound familiar?

The book was published in 2007, long before the current AI moment, and certainly was not about hybrid work, intelligent buildings, adaptive collaboration environments, or the future of the modern workplace.

Yet what it triggered in me at the time has stayed with me since, and feels even more relevant today. The way we go about building something is as important as the thing we intend to build.

When a process is fragmented, information is incomplete, incentives are misaligned, and accountability is divided, disappointing outcomes should not always be treated as isolated failures. They may actually be the predictable product of the system used to create them.

That principle has particular relevance for the AV and collaboration industry because we have long occupied an unusual position between two worlds. Our value is increasingly shaped by the digital environment: software, platforms, data, user experience, and now intelligence. Yet our systems and delivery model remain highly embedded within the physical environment, dependent upon walls, ceilings, furniture, cabling, acoustics, lighting, power, and construction schedules.

Despite years of discussion about AV and IT convergence, the physical side of that equation has continued to dominate how our environments are delivered. AV is still largely funded, designed, procured, installed, commissioned, and handed over through workflows inherited from a project-centric construction model.

That model was/is not designed around the continuous adaptability, shared outcomes, and ongoing learning realities of today. It was designed to define what largely static physical structures would be built, divide that answer into scopes, allocate risk, control change, and eventually reach completion. Because AV was so closely integrated into that process, we inherited much of the same inertia, fragmentation, and accountability challenges.

Interconnected Environments

As collaboration outcomes become more dependent on the speed and agility of digital capability, what was once an awkward tension risks becoming a foundational constraint.

The workplace is becoming one interconnected environment, whether our organizational structures are ready for it or not. Physical space, workplace applications, collaboration platforms, occupancy data, identity, employee experience, organizational policy, and eventually AI-enabled contextual intelligence are all becoming increasingly interdependent.

That means more stakeholders in the build process, greater consequence to the decisions each makes, more complexity across the lifecycle, and much less certainty about what future users and workflows will require.

In other words, we are taking a delivery model that was already struggling with fragmentation, information asymmetry, and divided accountability, then asking it to absorb more participants, faster change, greater integration, and far less visibility into the future.

The book does not provide a contemporary blueprint for solving that challenge. But it offers a valuable diagnosis of the familiar model we still work within, and an invitation to recognize why simply forcing more technology and complexity into it will not produce a fundamentally different outcome.

That is why the traditional reliance on defining project-centric scope upfront deserves much greater scrutiny.

Rethinking Scope

Our procurement models typically begin by trying to define the answer. Requirements are established, translated into specifications, divided between disciplines, priced, contracted, and then managed against the original definition. Commercial accountability depends upon the assumption that the intended result can be understood with enough confidence at the beginning.

For physical construction, much of that discipline will always be necessary. Buildings require plans, budgets, sequencing, code compliance, and contractual clarity.

But the modern workplace presents a different challenge. Organizations are still being asked to define long-term requirements when their visibility into future need is shrinking. AI is changing interfaces, workflows, support models, collaboration patterns, and the role of the workplace itself. Capabilities that might seem experimental if not futuristic when a project begins may become commonplace before the initial deployment reaches completion.

The more intelligent and adaptive the workplace becomes, the less credible it is to believe that all meaningful value can be specified at the outset.

That does not mean scope disappears. It means scope cannot continue to be treated as a complete and static answer.

A tightly defined scope may provide immediate commercial certainty while simultaneously constraining future opportunity. It can reward delivery of what was understood yesterday while leaving no one responsible for what becomes possible tomorrow. The conventional process seeks to eliminate uncertainty, yet the future workplace must embrace the opportunity of uncertainty and a capacity to learn and adapt to whatever the future holds.

There are no quick or easy answers to this new reality. But I believe there are two practical directions end-user leaders can begin pursuing today: reconsider how the workplace itself is designed, and challenge whether the procurement and accountability models around it are capable of supporting that design.

A Layered Approach to Design

The first direction begins with recognizing that the workplace is not a single system operating to a single lifecycle. It is an interconnected environment spanning infrastructure, hardware, digital capability, and contextual intelligence. Each layer changes at a different speed and should be considered accordingly.

The infrastructure layer includes the structure, power, pathways, network cabling, acoustics, mounting provisions, furniture, environmental systems, and other relatively permanent characteristics of the space. It moves slowly, lasts a long time, and is disruptive and expensive to change. Its role should be to provide a resilient foundation without unnecessarily predetermining what must sit above it.

The hardware layer includes cameras, microphones, displays, loudspeakers, sensors, control devices, local compute, networking equipment, and other physical technology endpoints. Hardware may be digitally upgradeable, but it remains constrained by its processing power, memory, optics, connectivity, inputs, outputs, sensors, and physical architecture.

The digital layer is the software and data environment that activates and connects that hardware. It includes operating software, collaboration platforms, applications, control logic, identity, APIs, integrations, analytics, cloud services, and management platforms. This is where capability becomes far more agile, but only to the extent that the infrastructure and hardware beneath it allow.

Finally, the emerging contextual intelligence layer interprets who is gathering, why they are gathering, what they are trying to achieve, what has happened previously, which constraints or preferences matter, and how the environment might respond. It connects real-time signals, organizational knowledge, history, individual needs, and human purpose to create a more relevant and adaptive experience.

The practical principle is that each slower-moving layer should create permission for the faster-moving layer above it to evolve, rather than predetermining its limits.

That offers end-user leaders a different way to think about scope today. Does the largely static infrastructure simply support the current equipment list, or does it preserve future flexibility? Does the hardware only meet today’s specification, or can it support new software capabilities as they emerge? Is the digital architecture open and integrated enough to enable future intelligence? Are we imagining contextual experiences while making foundational decisions that may prevent them?

These are not abstract future questions. They belong in current design and governance conversations.

Moving Toward Shared Accountability

But layered design alone is not enough. A workplace may be architected for evolution and still be pulled back toward a static answer by the procurement model through which it is delivered.

That is the second practical direction for change.

A process built around tightly defined upfront scope, fragmented contracts, lowest initial cost, and responsibility that largely ends at handover will naturally reinforce the very outcomes we are trying to move beyond. It encourages each participant to optimize their own deliverable, even when the employee ultimately experiences the result as one integrated workplace.

Specification accountability remains necessary, but it is no longer sufficient. The future workplace requires greater shared accountability for how the combined environment performs, adapts, and creates value across its lifecycle.

That does not mean every partner can guarantee every workplace outcome. Collaboration quality, employee behaviour, organizational culture, and business performance will never sit entirely within the control of an architect, consultant, integrator, or technology provider.

But partners can be held accountable for their contribution to those outcomes. They can help establish the original assumptions, identify how their decisions enable or constrain the intended experience, remain involved in measuring performance, and participate in refining the environment as needs and capabilities change.

That is very different from completing a project, signing off the scope, and transferring responsibility to an operational team. It treats the workplace not as a static collection of assets, but as an organizational capability that should improve over time.

Many AV and workplace technology leaders may reasonably feel they have limited authority over these wider processes. Construction may sit with real estate. Procurement may be centralized. Workplace policy may belong to HR. AI governance may reside elsewhere in the enterprise.

But leadership has rarely been defined by remaining comfortably within an established lane. It often begins with recognizing that the existing lanes no longer serve an outcome for which you carry some responsibility.

Catalyzing Integrated Processes

This is not about AV leaders claiming ownership of the entire workplace. It is about becoming catalysts for a more integrated process: connecting physical decisions to future digital consequences, bringing the right stakeholders together before major constraints are locked in, and asking how success will be judged across the lifecycle rather than only at commissioning.

It means pursuing two connected propositions.

Design the workplace for evolution.

Procure the partnerships and accountability that allow it to evolve.

Broken Buildings, Busted Budgets was a catalyst for this reflection because it challenged the idea that flawed outcomes are always caused by the failure of individual participants. Sometimes capable people working within a flawed structure will continue to produce flawed outcomes.

For the collaboration industry, that is not only a lesson from the past. It is a warning about the future.

We cannot seek to procure tomorrow’s intelligent workplace through yesterday’s construction workflow.

We may not yet know the specific technologies, capabilities, or experiences that will define that future. But we do not need to wait for those answers before beginning the work. The practical path available today is to rethink the foundations we design and the models through which we procure, operate, and remain accountable for them, so that future change becomes something the workplace is prepared to embrace rather than something it is structured to resist.

Today, a Pro AV integrator that started in a small city in North Dakota back in 1974 has expanded its global footprint in a big way. FORTÉ, which recently announced plans to separate from GPA at the end of the year, has acquired Vega Global, a systems integrator with a significant presence across the APAC region.

FORTÉ acquired the international company through Chicago-based Baird Capital, which acquired a majority stake in Vega back in 2020. Terms of the acquisition between the two private companies were not disclosed. Jeff Stoebner, chairman and CEO of FORTÉ, told SCN that while the company remains committed to its local and regional customers, this move "accelerates our ambition of being as close to our global customers as possible."

With the acquisition, FORTÉ now has team members in more than 20 countries and offers AV solutions and managed services in more than 70 major markets. Based in Minneapolis, FORTÉ is already established in Germany, Ireland, Mexico, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, in addition to 42 office locations in the United States. Now, it adds offices in Australia, Mainland China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Macau, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam.

Vega brings more than 750 employees to FORTÉ, growing the company's workforce by roughly 50%. According to Stoebner, plans call for adding more technicians to Vega operations in the near future. "I'm excited about growing a global brand," he added.

Eventually, Vega will adopt the FORTÉ brand. However, Stoebner expects it will likely take close to a year to change the name. During the transition, it will be known as Vega Global, A FORTÉ Company. Steven Medeiros, who currently leads Vega, will remain with the company as CEO of FORTÉ Asia.

Stoebner said FORTÉ specifically targeted Vega because the company is "growing nicely in a market that is growing nicely." He said the APAC region will generate close to $200 million in Pro AV business this year, and Vega has been growing at a rate of 14% CAGR.

When it comes to multinational customers, Stoebner said the questions are less about the technology or even the price. Instead, it's about coverage. "We're working to build the answer for that type of customer, the global customer," he said.

While cloud-based solutions and AI are certainly impacting Pro AV deployments, Stoebner argued most of the customer investment is still in hardware. "There's a physical nature to what we do," he explained. "There's a lot of hardware … and that hardware requires technicians to integrate and support. What’s been true for a long time is you have to have people, trucks, and tools as close to the customer as possible."

With the Vega acquisition, FORTÉ is building a model where it can better manage the quality of its global delivery of services. Stoebner said the company learned a lot from its partnership with GPA over the past six years—but now it's focused on applying that knowledge and investing in its own infrastructure.

"We want to enhance the customer experience end-to-end under the FORTÉ brand," Stoebner added. "This acquisition is not the end of our journey, but it is another important milestone."

Quick view:

• The merger brings together two software platforms, offering a complete portfolio that covers every business stage. The company will maintain all three existing products—Portal.io for quick client-facing proposals, D-Tools Cloud for end-to-end operational management, and D-Tools System Integrator (SI) for large-scale enterprise deployments.
• Integrators will see no immediate changes to their everyday workflows, software access, pricing terms, or support teams.
• By merging their massive manufacturer and distributor data repositories, the combined company creates a comprehensive product catalog and shared AI innovation.

D-Tools and Portal.io have merged, a move that unites two widely used software platforms serving commercial, residential, and security AV professionals. Together, the companies give integrators a portfolio of purpose-built products that scale with their business, from proposal through enterprise deployment.

[Diversified's New Global Managed Services Practice, and More People Movers and Partnerships]

For nearly three decades, D-Tools has been an anchor platform for the integration industry, building the breadth and scale integration businesses need to bring structure, accuracy, and control to their operations across sales, system design, engineering, project management, and procurement. Portal.io has spent 15 years understanding how dealers sell and turning that insight into an intuitive proposal and catalog experience.

The two companies have been partners for more than a decade, since Portal.io’s managed product catalog was first integrated into D-Tools SI. Bringing the organizations together reflects a recognition that integrators are better served by one team investing in the tools they depend on every day than by two teams solving the same problems twice. The acquisition was announced in August.

For customers, there is no forced migration and no plans to end-of-life any product currently offered. Rather than force every customer into a single system, D-Tools and Portal.io will continue to support each platform while working with integrators to match the right software to their needs.

G Paul Hess continues as CEO, while Kirk Chisholm, founder and CEO of Portal.io, joins as chief product officer, with responsibility for product vision and strategy across the portfolio. Josh Willits, Portal.io’s COO, will serve as head of Portal.io, continuing to lead the Portal business unit.

"Putting our two teams together is a real chance to shape where this industry goes and to build what dealers have always wanted," Chisholm said. "In a world of AI, an integrator should be able to run their entire business on software that is powerful, beautiful, and intuitive all at once. If you had to handpick two companies to deliver on that, it would be D-Tools and Portal.io. That is the company I want to build, and it is why I am excited to take on product for the combined organization.”

SCN: How long have you been with this company, and what are your responsibilities?

Curtis Heath: I have been with Guitar Center for almost five years. My responsibility is to lead our B2B platform, which includes Audio Visual Design Group (AVDG), Guitar Center Professional (GC Pro), and Custom House at Guitar Center, bringing together Pro AV, pro audio, systems integration, managed services, and high-end music solutions for corporate, education, hospitality, houses of worship, venue, stadium, and entertainment clients.

SCN: Does your integrator business, AVDG, have any overlap with your music-based brands?

CH: Yes, but the overlap is strategic rather than transactional. AVDG is a true Pro AV integrator focused on complex systems integration, corporate AV, higher education, healthcare, stadiums, and large-scale environments. GC Pro and Custom House are more rooted in pro audio, music gear, studios, venues, artist relations (artists, engineers, producers, etc.), and entertainment spaces. Where the overlap becomes powerful is when a client needs more than one capability. A stadium, for example, may need integrated AV infrastructure from AVDG, musical instruments and backline from Guitar Center, and high-end audio or artist-facing support from Custom House. That combination is very unique in the marketplace.

SCN: As an integrator, how do you find that sweet spot between technology and simplicity for corporate AV?

CH: The sweet spot starts with people. In my opinion, talent and culture are the real differentiators in any AV company. The gear matters, but the gear is secondary to the people designing it, engineering it, installing it, programming it, supporting it, and helping the client understand how to use it. In corporate AV, the goal is not to impress the client with complexity. The goal is to create rooms, systems, and experiences that feel intuitive, reliable, and consistent. The best corporate AV environments are often the ones where the technology almost disappears. That only happens when you have a team culture that is focused on listening first to the client's needs and goals, solving the actual business problem, and thinking through the experience from the client’s point of view.

SCN: Which markets are showing the most growth?

CH: We are seeing strong momentum in corporate, higher education, healthcare, legal, stadiums and venue work, and AI-related clients. Corporate AV continues to evolve as companies rethink collaboration spaces, executive briefing centers, hybrid meeting environments, and return-to-office expectations. Higher education remains a strong vertical because campuses are continuously modernizing. Stadiums and entertainment venues are also showing real growth because venues are no longer just designed around one primary event. The AI vertical (our largest) is especially interesting. They need AV environments that can keep pace with their growth, and they often value partners who can move with urgency while still maintaining discipline and quality.

SCN: How important is AVaaS to AVDG, and is demand increasing for managed services?

CH: AVaaS is important, and I do believe it will continue to become more relevant in our industry. That said, the reality is that many clients still budget and operate through a traditional CapEx model, especially when it comes to larger AV investments. That makes AVaaS a real opportunity, but also one that will take time to fully mature. We are seeing momentum, but education is still a big part of the process. For AVDG, the direction is clear: We want AVaaS to work, and we believe it can create value for both the client and the integrator. But we also have to meet clients where they are today.

SCN: How is AVDG helping its clients with cybersecurity?

CH: Cybersecurity has become critical. AV systems are no longer isolated pieces of hardware sitting in a room. They are networked systems, often connected to enterprise infrastructure, cloud platforms, user devices, cameras, microphones, control systems, and remote management tools. That means AV integrators have to think more like technology partners. We need to work closely with the client’s IT and security teams, follow network standards, document systems properly, and make sure the solutions we deploy do not create unnecessary risk. AVDG helps clients by designing with security in mind from the beginning. The best cybersecurity approach is not something added at the end of a project. It has to be part of the design, deployment, and support model.

SCN: Do AVDG’s customers have a clear vision for how they want to use AI in their projects?

CH: Some do, but many are still trying to define what practical AI means inside their environments. There is a lot of excitement around AI, but the clearest use cases right now tend to be around productivity, automation, analytics, meeting intelligence, support, and better user experiences. In Pro AV, I think the near-term value of AI is less about a futuristic concept and more about solving real problems. Can AI help improve meeting summaries? Can it optimize room usage? Can it support predictive maintenance? The customers who are most advanced are not asking for AI just to say they have AI. They are asking how it can improve workflow, reduce friction, increase uptime, and create better experiences. That is where the conversation becomes much more meaningful.

SCN: You recently held your inaugural Resonate technology expo in Nashville. What made you decide to produce the show?

CH: We created Resonate because we saw an opportunity to bring the full Guitar Center Business Solutions ecosystem to life in one place. Nashville was the right place to do it. It is Music City, but it is also a growing business, entertainment, hospitality, education, and technology market. We wanted clients, vendors, consultants, educators, artists, and internal teams to experience how these worlds connect. The goal was not just to create a trade show. The goal was to create a platform for connection, education, technology, music, and business development.

SCN: Was Resonate a success, and can we expect to see more tech expos in the future?

CH: For a first-time event, it validated the idea that there is real value in bringing Pro AV, pro audio, music, vendors, clients, and thought leadership together under one roof. What made it successful was not only the attendance or vendor participation, but the conversations it created. It helped clients better understand the depth of Guitar Center Business Solutions. I do expect Resonate to continue. We will keep learning, refining the format, and making sure it delivers value. The opportunity is to build it into a recurring platform that supports the industry, our clients, our partners, and the broader Guitar Center mission.

Unlike the first two weeks of August, there was not a flood of acquisitions this week. That didn't mean there wasn't an abundance of new hires, promotions, strategic partnerships, and more company announcements you needed to know.

[SCN Top AV Consultants 2026]

So, sit back and get caught up with this week's Pro AV Newsmakers.

PEOPLE MOVERS

Almo Pro AV Expands Leadership Team

Almo Pro AV expanded its leadership team with two internal promotions and one executive appointment. The leadership advancements include Jane Tran, VP of growth marketing; Liz Wheeler, director of business development; and James Salter, VP of vendor marketing.

Tran leads Almo Pro AV's marketing strategy to help attract new customers while strengthening existing relationships. Working closely with the company's sales and marketing teams, she oversees demand generation initiatives and digital marketing efforts that help manufacturer partners and customers drive growth. Tran brings nearly 20 years of experience building brands and helping technology organizations grow across multiple industries.

Wheeler leads a team of business development managers and helps shape the strategic direction of the company's business development organization. Working across multiple areas of the business, she collaborates with manufacturer partners, sales leadership and key stakeholders to strengthen relationships and expand opportunities throughout the channel. Recognized for her strategic insight and collaborative leadership, Wheeler has been a key contributor to Almo Pro AV's success for more than a decade and will play an important role in the continued evolution of the company's business development strategy.

Salter brings more than 20 years of experience in the Pro AV and technology industries. In this new role, Salter leads the company's vendor marketing group, working closely with manufacturer partners to strengthen strategic relationships. He is an accomplished marketing leader, having successfully led global teams and scalable programs that delivered measurable business results. Previously with Microsoft, AVer, and Canon, Salter brings deep expertise in partner marketing across Pro AV, cloud, cybersecurity, IoT, enterprise software and other emerging technologies.

Pieter Claes Joins AtlasIED

AtlasIED has appointed Pieter Claes as director of sales-EMEA. In this role, Claes assists with AtlasIED’s footprint expansion in EMEA by strengthening relationships with local customers, channel partners, and sales representatives across the region. He also collaborates with AtlasIED’s sales team, independent manufacturer representatives, and key channel partners to strengthen relationships, expand market opportunities, and drive growth across strategically targeted verticals.

Claes joins AtlasIED with more than 15 years of experience in professional AV sales and channel development. Most recently, he served as regional sales director at Biamp, where he worked closely with customers, partners, and integrators.

CODA Audio USA Adds to Technical Team

CODA Audio USA has added three new technical team members who will offer support in the areas of pre-sale support, system design, and commissioning. The new additions to the team will provide a strong support base of expertise and experience across the network.

New York City-based Brad Ward joins CODA Audio USA as a freelance design consultant, bringing vast experience as a sound designer and AV consultant. He specializes in the design and engineering of high performance sound systems for theatre, music, and immersive environments worldwide.

Ward is joined by Houston-based founder and CTO of MultiPoint Integrated Technologies, Michael Mordente, who has enjoyed 3-plus years in the professional audio space, including large scale stadium and arena touring, system design and install, consulting, training and R&D. Completing the trio is New Jersey-based Shil Patel, a systems design engineer specializing in large-scale professional audio and integrated AV systems for houses of worship, institutional, and commercial environments. The founder of system integrators Omni Technology,

Diversified Expands Global Services Strategy 

Diversified has added a new Global Managed Services Practice, bringing together the company’s proven managed services capabilities into one organization. Rob Mello has joined Diversified as VP-global managed services to lead the new practice.

The practice will focus on three main priorities: delivering consistent quality at a global scale, creating long-term client value, and driving intelligent service operations. Mello brings more than two decades of experience building and scaling technology-enabled services for global organizations, including NTT DATA, Orange Business Services, and IBM. Across his career, he has created new practices, launched differentiated service offerings and led complex transformation initiatives that aligned technology, operations, and commercial strategy. A patent holder and author, Mello has a proven record of turning innovation into scalable capabilities and measurable business value.

Partnerships, Announcements, and More Company News

ADI Launches Inaugural Control4 NEXT Conference for Certified Technicians

ADI is launching its Control4 NEXT, a three-day education and training conference created for Control4 Certified Technicians. As part of ADI’s continued investment in the long-term success of the Control4 platform and its authorized dealer community, the event will provide attendees with advanced technical education, hands-on product training, and direct access to the teams shaping the future of Control4.

Scheduled for October 20-22 in San Antonio, TX, Control4 NEXT reflects ADI's continued commitment to innovation, technical excellence, and customer success. Designed to become an annual gathering for the Control4 professional community, the conference will bring together advanced training, direct collaboration with engineering and product teams, and advanced previews of future innovations across the Control4 platform.

More than a training event, Control4 NEXT is designed to strengthen connections across the Control4 ecosystem, giving integrators an opportunity to learn, collaborate, share best practices and explore new opportunities for business growth.

frame:work Becomes a Member-Based Organization

frame:work, the community for live pixel people that has been organizing conferences, meetups, and the New Talent List through countless volunteered hours since 2019, today announces the next step: a professional society for community, by community. The new framework.video website is live and membership is open.

“This is a genuinely exciting next chapter for frame:work," said SCN Hall of Famer and board member, Sarah Cox. "Membership is open, it's open at every stage of a career, and that part matters. Growth was never the number. It's whether people feel they belong here and can contribute and feel that what they know is worth sharing or help someone looking for advice. Everyone has something to teach and something to learn, and membership is how we make room for that support and growth across our pixel community.”

Humly Strengthens German Market Presence

Humly has strengthened its presence in Germany through a new distribution partnership with DELO Computer GmbH. The agreement expands access to Humly's workplace hardware and software ecosystem while providing customers and reseller partners across Germany with enhanced local product availability, technical expertise and responsive customer support.

As an official distribution partner, DELO Computer will help strengthen Humly's market visibility throughout Germany while ensuring products are readily available through local sales channels. The partnership also enables faster response times, localized technical support and stronger engagement with resellers and customers across one of Europe's largest workplace technology markets. Building on DELO Computer's established expertise in modern workplace technologies, the companies will work together to help organizations create more transparent, productive and people-centered work environments.

Syntegra Brings LEA Professional to Bulgaria

LEA Professional announced a partnership with Syntegra, a Sofia, Bulgaria-based commercial AV distributor. This partnership will connect the Bulgarian AV industry with LEA Professional’s extensive technology catalog.

With nearly 40 years of combined experience in the AV industry, the Syntegra team is perfectly positioned to assist LEA’s footprint expansion in Europe. Through this partnership, Syntegra will represent LEA Professional’s Network Connect series of professional amplifiers, as well as the companion Dante Connect series, which features Dante and AES67 connectivity.

SFM Named Master Distributor for DJI Enterprise in Canada

SFM was appointment master distributor with the civilian drones and aerial imaging technology company, DJI Enterprise. The agreement gives SFM direct access to distribute DJI Enterprise's complete portfolio—including drone platforms, payload and sensor accessories, docking and automation software, and enterprise data management tools.

SFM will be supported by DJI Enterprise with pre and post-sale technical guidance, deployment assistance, and training for its partner base. The solutions are aimed at organizations that need faster, safer, and more accurate ways to collect data, spanning fields such as public safety, geospatial, energy and utilities, and oil and gas.

Uniguest Renames Tripleplay, eStream and pCare under Hub Brand

Uniguest has renamed three of its flagship technology platforms as part of a strategic move to bring its core portfolio together under the Hub brand. Tripleplay is now Hub AV, eStream is now Hub Media, and pCare is now Hub IPS. The Tripleplay, eStream, and pCare brand names will be retired, with the platforms moving forward as Hub AV, Hub Media and Hub IPS respectively. Together with the existing Hub Digital Engagement Platform, the renamed solutions create a unified family of Hub platforms spanning Uniguest’s key markets and applications.

The move follows the successful relaunch of Otrum as Hub at ISE 2025 and represents the next stage in Uniguest’s strategy to create a clearer and more cohesive identity across its technology portfolio. While the names are changing, the underlying platforms are not. Customers will continue to use the same technology, supported by the same teams, expertise and product roadmaps.

Under the new naming structure:

• Hub AV, formerly Tripleplay, provides IPTV, digital signage and video distribution technology for enterprise, hospitality, sports, corporate and other professional environments.
• Hub Media, formerly eStream, provides media management, enterprise video and content delivery capabilities.
• Hub IPS, formerly pCare, delivers interactive patient experiences for healthcare providers.
• Hub, Uniguest’s Digital Engagement Platform, provides a unified platform for managing and delivering digital experiences across hospitality and other environments.

In an ongoing effort to improve situational awareness during active incidents, accelerate emergency response, and strengthen investigative capabilities, a growing number of law enforcement agencies across the United States are investing in real-time crime centers (RTCCs). These centralized operations hubs, now serving communities ranging from large metropolitan areas to small municipalities, are redefining how police departments manage information, coordinate resources, and respond to unfolding events.

Regardless of size or budget, the core mission of every RTCC remains the same: Improve public safety by reducing response times, increasing operational efficiency, and enabling officers to make better‑informed decisions in real time. According to the National Real‑Time Crime Center Association, more than 300 RTCCs are currently in operation nationwide, with a reported 148% increase in adoption of centralized monitoring technologies between 2020-2024.

At its core, an RTCC is a centralized, technology‑driven hub within a police department that aggregates and analyzes live data feeds to provide immediate, actionable intelligence to officers in the field. These feeds typically include surveillance cameras, 911 call data, license plate readers (LPRs), body‑worn cameras, drone footage, and other sensor‑based systems. In many cases, this information can be shared across jurisdictions or accessed remotely, extending the reach of the center well beyond a single physical location.

By consolidating disparate sources of data into a single operational picture, RTCCs allow analysts and dispatchers to monitor incidents as they unfold, identify suspects more quickly, and relay critical information directly to responding officers. This real‑time visibility has proven invaluable during high‑risk incidents, major crimes, and large‑scale public events, where seconds can make a measurable difference.

Big City Benchmark

One of the earliest and most advanced examples of an RTCC is operated by the New York City Police Department. Launched in 2005, the city’s multi‑million‑dollar RTCC was among the first of its kind in the nation and remains a benchmark for large‑scale deployments.

Operating 24/7, the center provides data‑driven support to officers across all 77 precincts serving a population of approximately 8.5 million residents. Thousands of surveillance cameras feed into the system, along with facial recognition tools, LPRs, gunshot detection sensors, and social media analysis platforms. Together, these technologies enable analysts to generate instant intelligence for detectives and officers at crime scenes.

A key component of the NYC RTCC is the Domain Awareness System (DAS), a Microsoft‑developed platform that integrates CCTV cameras, radiological sensors, and other data sources into a unified interface. DAS applies artificial intelligence to tasks such as facial recognition, predictive analytics, and gunshot detection—using acoustic sensors commonly known as ShotSpotter—to help locate incidents quickly and accurately. Officers in the field can access DAS and 911 data through handheld devices, ensuring that intelligence reaches decision makers without delay.

Smaller Success

At the opposite end of the spectrum is the Warner Robins Police Department in Georgia, which serves a community of approximately 90,000 residents. The city unveiled its own RTCC at the Law Enforcement Center, creating a modern hub for technology‑driven policing tailored to a mid‑sized municipality.

Staffed by two to three personnel from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day, the 900-square-foot center integrates live traffic cameras, LPRs, public safety databases, and communication systems to support coordinated responses to incidents as they occur.

“We looked at how we could improve our operations,” said Captain Eric Gossman. “And we identified a shortcoming of utilizing technology to improve our workflow.”

Inspired by a visit to Georgia Tech’s operations center, Gossman recognized the potential of centralized monitoring to transform how the department handled critical situations. The department partnered with Solutionz, under the supervision of senior account manager Heather Kireta, to bring the concept to life.

The project involved approximately $257,000 in renovations and technology upgrades, including the installation of Haivision Command 360 video wall solution featuring a large, central LG LCD display. Two staffed workstations equipped with desktop monitors sit in front of the wall, and multiple BYOD inputs are available for flexibility.

“With the Haivision system we can view up to 16 4K streams of high‑resolution video at the same time,” Gossman explained. “At a desktop, I might only be able to monitor two streams. This allows us to see everything at once. For an agency of our size, it’s perfect.”

Measurable Improvements

Since the RTCC became operational, Warner Robins has seen measurable improvements in response times and officer safety. By providing officers with greater awareness of what they may encounter before arriving on scene, the center has helped reduce uncertainty during critical calls.

“We’ve had two homicides that the center helped close that might not have been resolved as quickly otherwise,” Gossman said. “We’re now looking to integrate Drone as First Responder (DFR) technology, which will be operated from this center. At that point, we’ll be running 24/7.”

According to Kireta, once the project was approved, implementation took approximately three months after construction was completed. The scope included running nearly 2,000 feet of Cat 6 cabling to connect the RTCC to the department’s central IT closet, installing the video wall, and deploying two 24/7-rated desks provided by Fountainhead Control Rooms, with fully networked personal computers and videoconferencing capabilities.

“The department wanted multiple wall displays where operators could view different content simultaneously,” Kireta explained. “We designed a system that brought all those feeds together and significantly improved their ability to respond to incidents.”

The Haivision Command 360 platform’s software and hardware components can connect to cable TV boxes, encoders, decoders, and other sources, allowing disparate feeds to be managed through a single interface. Operators can drag, drop, and manipulate content on the video wall with ease, while built‑in KVM functionality enables seamless control of multiple systems. LG LCD displays with ultra‑thin bezels were selected to create a clean, continuous video wall appearance.

Integration and Infrastructure

As RTCC adoption accelerates, manufacturers of control room technologies are developing solutions specifically designed to meet the needs of public safety environments. For example, RGB Spectrum offers a portfolio of multiview and control technologies tailored to operations centers. According to Dan Marcus, VP of business development, the RTCC market has expanded far beyond its early adopters.

“It used to be that large cities were the first to deploy crime centers,” Marcus said. “Now we’re seeing them everywhere. They’re evolving alongside technologies like drones, wearable cameras, and mobile devices that support first responders.”

RGB’s offerings include the Zio video over IP platform, video wall processors, KVM over IP systems, and its IPX Flyaway Kit for portable command and control applications. What differentiates the company’s approach, Marcus explained, is tight integration.

“The multiview processor is part of the matrix,” he explained. “There aren’t external boxes converting IP streams back into HDMI. It’s a hybrid IP solution that can also accept baseband inputs, with all processing handled within the Zio platform.”

This hybrid approach allows operators to manage multiple local inputs with minimal latency, an essential requirement for real‑time monitoring of video sources at different resolutions. “A lot of times, it’s a trade‑off between fidelity and latency,” Marcus added. “Lower latency generally requires more bandwidth, so agencies must decide how important video quality is to their mission.”

Redundancy and Reliability

Another major player in the RTCC space is Extron. In 2025, the company worked with systems integrator North Carolina Sound to upgrade the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center in Bolivia, NC. The project transformed an existing call center into a modern RTCC serving as the primary link between the public and emergency services.

While the original AV system was functional, it lacked redundancy, meaning a single component failure could bring operations to a halt. The upgraded system was designed to deliver optimal signal integrity, true redundancy, and failsafe operation for the center’s 911 workstations, centralized dispatch system, and specialized communications equipment.

Operators manage emergency calls through a computer‑aided dispatch system, with sources displayed on a Planar Clarity G2 video wall, individual workstations, and an adjacent conference room. Extron’s XTP modular matrix system provides centralized switching and distribution, while the NAV Pro AV over IP system links the 911 center with a conference room and a backup emergency operations center.

“The key to an efficient control room workflow is the harmonious integration of every system element,” said Joe da Silva, Extron VP of marketing. “Our goal is always to ensure a flawless operational experience for the end user.”

Monitoring the Situation

Modern RTCCs centers are typically built around a combination of dvLED and LCD video wall systems, which are supported by large-format displays and operator desktop monitors. Touch-enabled displays that support interactive workflows, annotation, and real-time collaboration are also widely used at operator positions to enhance control, navigation, and user interaction with critical systems.

“Direct-view LED is rapidly becoming the preferred solution for primary visualization walls due to its seamless design, high brightness, and scalability,” said Greg Fechner, sales director for state and local government at Planar. “These attributes allow agencies to display multiple data sources clearly across large environments where visibility from any position in the room is critical. LCD video walls remain a strong option, particularly in applications requiring very high pixel density or where budget considerations are a factor.”

Since its inception, the Chattanooga Police Department (CPD) Real Time Intelligence Center (RTIC) has used Planar’s Clarity Matrix LCD video wall system. As the number of integrated camera systems grew, and additional technologies and data sources were added, the department upgraded to a nearly 36x7-foot Clarity Matrix G3.

The system serves as the central visualization platform, supporting monitoring of thousands of live camera feeds. This includes fixed cameras, body cameras, and other real-time data sources, providing officers and analysts with a unified operational picture. When an incident is not in progress, the video wall serves as a collaborative tool that supports CPD’s ongoing intelligence work.

“At the end of the day, command centers require a complete ecosystem of display technologies that perform without compromise,” said Fechner. “Planar delivers that ecosystem with the reliability, clarity, and long-term support these mission-critical environments demand, while also helping agencies standardize on a single manufacturer to simplify deployment, streamline support, and ensure consistency across their operations.”

Whether deployed in a city of millions or a town of fewer than 100,000 residents, RTCCs have proven their value for modern policing. As AI, facial recognition, drones, and predictive analytics continue to mature, these centers will become even more capable and effective.

At Warner Robins, the results are already clear. “We always try to stay one step ahead of criminals,” Gossman said. “This crime center has helped reduce our response‑to‑call times and close cases faster. It’s been a big win for our department—and I’m sure for many others across the country as well.”

Need more command and control insights? Get your free copy of SCN's Integration Guide to Command and Control.

Executive Summary

• Physical spaces are becoming connected environments that integrate touchpoints into a seamless customer journey.
• This "Connected Customer Experience" turns locations into strategic assets that shape perceptions and strengthen relationships.
• Future competitive advantage depends on intelligently integrating technology to create memorable experiences and drive sustainable growth.

For decades, organizations have invested heavily in making digital experiences smarter. Websites became interactive. Mobile apps became personalized. Loyalty programs became data-driven. Artificial intelligence is accelerating every aspect of customer engagement.

Today, an equally important transformation is underway, not on our screens but inside the physical places where customers shop, dine, stay, relax, and receive care.

Restaurants, hotels, retailers, medical practices, spas, fitness centers, and other customer-facing businesses are no longer simply physical locations. They are becoming digitally intelligent, connected environments capable of communicating, personalizing, measuring, and continuously improving the customer experience.

I believe this transformation will define the next era of customer engagement.

For years, businesses managed the customer journey in pieces. Marketing attracted customers before the visit. Operations owned the experience during the visit. Loyalty programs worked to bring customers back afterward. Each stage evolved independently because the technologies supporting them evolved independently.

Customers, however, never experienced those divisions. They experienced one relationship with one brand. The disconnect was never in the customer journey; it was in the technology behind it.

That limitation is finally disappearing. Cloud platforms, APIs, AI and intelligent integrations now make it possible to connect systems that once operated in isolation. For the first time, physical spaces themselves can participate intelligently in building customer relationships.

This is what I call the Connected Customer Experience.

A Connected Customer Experience is created when a digitally intelligent physical environment connects every customer touchpoint before, during, and after the visit into one seamless, measurable journey that consistently reinforces the brand, strengthens customer relationships, builds loyalty, and drives long-term business growth.

Music, messaging, signage, loyalty, AI, and analytics are no longer separate technologies. Together, they become one coordinated, strategically managed experience that customers remember and return for.

Where Brands Are Built

The Connected Customer Experience comes to life in the moments that matter most. A guest walks into a restaurant expecting more than a good meal. A traveler enters a hotel looking for comfort and confidence. A shopper steps into a retail store hoping to discover something new. A patient arrives at a medical practice seeking reassurance and trust. A guest enters a spa expecting relaxation and renewal. In every case, the customer isn't simply purchasing a product or service. They're experiencing a brand.

For decades, those physical environments remained largely passive. Music played in the background. Digital displays communicated information. Loyalty programs lived inside mobile apps. Customer messaging occurred before or after the visit. Each element served a purpose but rarely worked together as part of a unified strategy.

Today, that's changing. Physical spaces are no longer just places where transactions occur. They are becoming intelligent, connected environments that help shape perceptions, strengthen relationships, and actively reinforce the brand at every stage of the customer journey.

The next competitive advantage won't come from simply deploying more technology. It will come from transforming physical spaces into strategic, brand-building environments that create stronger customer experiences, deepen loyalty and drive sustainable business growth.

The Opportunity for Customer-Facing Businesses

Restaurants, hotels, retailers, healthcare providers, spas, fitness centers, and other customer-facing organizations all face the same opportunity: transforming physical spaces into connected customer experiences that consistently express the brand while strengthening loyalty and supporting long-term growth.

For companies operating in this space, the opportunity is increasingly about connecting technologies that have traditionally been managed separately. Branded music and AI-powered messaging can shape how a physical space sounds and feels, while integrations with loyalty programs and digital signage platforms can bring those touchpoints together into a single connected experience. The broader goal is not simply to connect technologies, but to help organizations create experiences customers remember, relationships customers value, and brands they choose repeatedly.

The Next Competitive Advantage

The Connected Customer Experience is not another technology trend. It is a new blueprint for customer-facing businesses.

Organizations won't distinguish themselves by deploying more technology than their competitors. They'll distinguish themselves by connecting technology more intelligently to create physical environments that actively build brands, deepen customer loyalty, and drive sustainable business growth.

That future is no longer theoretical. It's already taking shape, one connected customer experience at a time.

We are living in an immersive world, with audio systems becoming more focused and digital content getting more realistic. Displays and video walls are getting larger and more defined as well, which means knowing what is behind that display is more important than ever.

From lobbies to control rooms to retail and hospitality spaces, dvLED has moved from novelty to expectation. "Here's a truth every integrator learns fast," Robert Meiner, technical sales engineer, Peerless-AV added. "The structure behind the wall determines whether an installation looks flawless on day one and stays flawless for years."

All-in-One or Bust?

One of the big questions for integrators today revolves around the simplicity of installation. Is there a one-size-fits-all approach to supporting dvLED displays and video walls? Are all-in-one solutions now the go-to?

Unfortunately, there is no one answer, as several factors play a role in the decision. The larger and heavier a display installation, the more necessary a custom solution becomes. The structure of the build, whether it's a wall or a floor, may not be suitable for the ease of installation provided by an all-in-one system, thus requiring a customized approach.

However, according to John Kozlowsky, channel manager at Absen, all-in-one solutions are becoming increasingly popular for dvLED projects on a smaller scale in corporate boardrooms, conference rooms, classrooms, and retail environments where requirements are relatively straightforward and timelines may be tight. Many manufacturers keep all-in-one systems in stock, which make them ready to ship quickly. They simplify installations because everything is preconfigured, including the number of panels, modules, cables, processors, and mounting hardware.

Meiner agreed. The market is moving toward consolidation, he explained, which means clients want fewer vendors, faster timelines, and a single point of accountability. All-in-one solutions answer all three.

For example, the Refinio Media Wall by Peerless-AV, a turnkey dvLED display solution for high-end meeting spaces, consolidates the display, mounting structure, and essential supporting technologies into one engineered system, significantly reducing pre-installation room preparation, shortens installation timelines, and helps lower overall project costs.

"The practical impact is real," Meiner said. "Less time on site. Fewer surprises. A more predictable bill of materials. For small and midsize integration teams especially, that efficiency translates directly into margin and the ability to take on more projects without expanding crews."

Planning and Precision Required

According to Justin Spangler, senior director of service and support at Planar, one of the biggest misconceptions about dvLED is that it's simply another display that mounts to a wall. The reality is that successful LED installations require an exceptional level of planning and precision.

"Challenges often include structural engineering, wall flatness, mounting tolerances measured in fractions of an inch, power and signal coordination, environmental conditions, logistics, and coordinating multiple construction trades," Spangler added. "Even small installation inaccuracies can affect panel alignment, image uniformity, and long-term reliability."

Much like mounting options are not the same, neither are the walls upon which they are mounted. "Most 'display problems' are actually structure problems," Meiner offered. "Solve the mounting layer correctly and the majority of these headaches simply do not materialize."

This presents the biggest challenge in mounting systems, as not all walls are perfectly flat—and the larger the wall gets, the larger the chance of inconsistencies throughout. Kozlowsky said sometimes mounting 3/4-inch plywood to a wall can create a suitable surface for installation, while other situations call for a custom mounting system to achieve the flattest possible surface.

Kozlowsky and Meiner agree that adequate access behind a video wall or display is a must. Many all-in-one systems are installed by lowering the display panels onto a wall-mounted bracket, Kozlowsky explained, so clearance must be available above the recess to allow the display to be installed properly.

LEDs also generate quite a bit of heat. Per Meiner, a mount that ignores airflow or buries access points creates long-term maintenance headaches. Sufficient space also needs to be considered for cable management, processors, and other serviceable components.

Unfortunately, as Meiner pointed out, service access is one of the most overlooked specification decisions in any dvLED video wall project. Front-serviceable designs, he offered, allow a technician to remove and replace an individual cabinet from the face of the wall, usually with magnetic or mechanical pull tools. Rear-serviceable designs require working space behind the array and suit applications with a dedicated service corridor or freestanding structure.

"The best practice is simple," he concluded. "Decide on the service strategy at the design stage, not after the wall is built. Match the substructure to the access you will realistically have in that room. The right mounting system makes panel replacement a quick, low-stress swap rather than a disruptive operation, and that directly protects the client's uptime and your service reputation."

The Pro AV industry loves standardization, which is yet another challenge to dvLED installations: There are none. At least just yet.

"We’re much closer than just a couple years ago," explained David Albright, senior product manager, video wall mounts and services, Legrand|AV, Chief. "The challenge has never been simply attaching a display to the wall. It’s creating a mounting system that’s flexible enough to accommodate the differences between cabinet designs while delivering the precision alignment adjustments required for today’s fine pixel pitch microLED displays."

Tools of the Trade

These challenges reinforce why specialized installation expertise matters. According to Spangler, Planar acts as an extension of the integrator's team from project conception through final commissioning.

The company's Professional Services organization focuses exclusively on LED display deployments, and that commitment extends well beyond installation. Planar provides comprehensive post-installation support through technical support, field service, preventative maintenance, replacement part management, repair services, and its Planar Care maintenance program.

"Our collaboration begins well before the first panel is installed through design reviews, site readiness assessments, constructability evaluations, installation planning, logistics coordination, and dedicated project management," Spangler said. "Several members of our Project Management Office hold Project Management Professional [PMP] certifications, bringing proven project management methodologies to complex deployments."

Chief's TiLED Universal Wall Mount solutions are another way to simplify dvLED installations. Albright said the mount is compatible with more than 95% of interlocking dvLED cabinets from virtually every major display manufacturer including Absen, Barco, Hikvision, INFiLED, LG, LianTronics, Philips, Planar, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, Unilumin, and many others.

While Chief offers display-specific TiLED mounts, its TiLED Universal systems give integrators a single common dvLED mounting platform that works across nearly every project. This simplifies specification, inventory, and installation because integrators can standardize on one solution instead of relying on multiple manufacturer-specific products.

Peerless-AV unleashed the Refinio Media Wall at ISE 2026, but its SEAMLESS dvLED mounting systems have long been a "go-to" for integrators. "Unlike LCD video walls, dvLED arrays leave nothing to hide behind," Meiner said. "There are no bezels to mask a misaligned tile. A fraction of a millimeter of variance between cabinets shows up as a visible seam or shadow line the moment content plays. Peerless-AV’s SEAMLESS dvLED mounting systems are engineered for exactly this challenge.

"The Connect Series is built to the precise specifications of major panel manufacturers, so cabinets land where they should with the alignment tolerances dvLED demands," he continued. "Features like fine micro-adjustment, integrated cable management, and serviceable access are not extras. They are what separates a clean install from a callback."

Other manufacturers, such as Mount-It! PRO, are continuing to reinvent wall mount solutions for modern day installation. Its Zaxxis Micro dvLED video wall mount, which was unveiled at InfoComm 2026, offers precise Z-axis depth control in a 43mm profile. Meanwhile, Absen's all-in-one Saturn Series features rear-serviceable modules and power boxes, and can transform into several configurations like curves, cylinders, and arcs.

Whether you go all-in-one or a customized fit, careful planning of dvLED and LED walls and displays is more important now than ever before. Working with manufacturers from planning and through the lifespan of the wall, whether it is with their online tools or after-installation care, dodges many of the pitfalls behind the display. If challenges are addressed and installations are done correctly, the dvLED video wall will shine and bring awe to visitors, while the support system remains the unsung hero.

The history of projection technology is, in many ways, a history of trade-offs. Greater brightness often meant larger systems. Wider color gamut came at the expense of cost or gradation. For decades, manufacturers have optimized individual components in isolation, repeatedly encountering the same limits.

Visual compromises can pull audiences out of the experience, diminishing the sense of immersion that today’s environments demand. The pressure is on for projection technology to deliver the engaging, high-quality immersive experiences audiences crave.

Projection tech has always evolved, but the latest advancements mark a distinction in the industry’s ability to create truly vivid, lifelike, and colorful activations. Let’s explore how VIVID PRIME, a new approach to RGB laser light source technology, uniquely solves this challenge.

A System-Level Approach

One of the tradeoffs to the ease and cost-effectiveness of 1-DLP projection is the "rainbow effect," brief flashes of spectral color at the edges of bright objects, most visible when the eye scans across a high-contrast scene like white subtitles against a black background. This occurs because a single DMD chip can only display one color at a time. Therefore, it cycles through red, green, and blue subframes at high speed.

Under typical viewing conditions, the eye blends these into a full-color image, but certain viewing scenarios can make the individual subframes more noticeable. As a result, audiences may notice distracting flashes of color during fast eye movement, particularly in dark or high-contrast environments.

The intuitive solution is to increase subframe speed, since shorter color segments reduce visual separation during eye movement. However, higher switching speeds can introduce gradation loss and visible dither noise patterns, creating a different kind of artifact. Solving the rainbow effect without introducing these secondary issues requires precise coordination between the light source and DMD sequencing.

Seeing the negative impact the rainbow effect has on both the audience and operator experience, we chose to solve for this challenge with our new VIVID PRIME technology. Rather than advancing individual components independently, it takes a system-level approach, integrating the optical design, light source architecture, and DMD drive circuitry into a unified system.

The result is a projection technology that resolves long-standing conflicts between image quality parameters—not by managing trade-offs more efficiently, but by engineering around them at a system level. Its light source architecture delivers color switching speeds more than five times faster than conventional systems, dramatically increasing the subframe rate.

At the same time, a proprietary DMD sequencing approach, developed in collaboration with Texas Instruments (TI), helps preserve gradation and minimize visual anomalies at these higher speeds. By aligning these elements, VIVID PRIME reduces the visibility of the rainbow effect while maintaining overall image fidelity.

Fortunately, the same architecture that minimizes the rainbow effect also addresses a set of technical challenges that have long constrained what projection, even pure RGB, can deliver in demanding environments. This includes camera color shift, speckle noise, and the inherent tension between wide color gamut and smooth gradation reproduction. A comprehensive projection system where each element contributes to performance allows improvements to build on one another within a unified design.

An Impact on Experiences

This level of coordinated performance is particularly valuable in applications where multiple image quality factors come into play simultaneously, settings where no single compromise is acceptable and where image performance is highly visible.

Museums and cultural institutions: Exhibition environments increasingly rely on projection for both interpretive display and artistic installation. Galleries and museums need advanced projection tech to achieve accurate, stable color reproduction as well as artifact-free imagery at extended viewing distances.

Themed entertainment and immersive environments: Projection mapping and immersive installations place intense demands on image consistency, often requiring multiple projectors to operate for long periods and at close viewing distances. In these settings, even minor visual inconsistencies can break immersion. High-performance projectors with a compact form factor support easier integration in these constrained spaces.

Corporate and large-venue presentation: In a single day, a large-venue system might shift from a product launch video to a dark-room executive presentation. Each demands a slightly different visual priority. Rather than forcing trade-offs between these modes, RGB laser light source technology helps maintain consistency across them, so content changes feel intentional.

Simulation and visualization: In simulation environments, projection quality shapes decision-making. A military defense member in a simulated training environment relies on subtle visual cues as scenes evolve while projection reliability determines someone’s next swing in a golf simulator. Speckle suppression and gradation fidelity speak directly to these needs.

Broadcast and live production: On a concert stage, projection is often doing double duty—enhancing the in-person experience while also becoming part of the televised frame. What looks vibrant in the room still must translate through a camera sensor and broadcast feed.

Solving for the rainbow effect requires more than a collection of features. It demands a unified engineering approach that emerges from the same integrated system design.

For integrators and end users evaluating projection technology for demanding applications, the development of RGB laser light-source technology represents a meaningful step forward in designing and delivering projection performance.

The new hires and promotions kept rolling at an increased pace last week. There were also plenty of noteworthy partnerships formed. But before we get to that, there were a trio of big stories from FORTÉ, LED Studio, and Uniguest.

GPA and FORTÉ have agreed to conclude their current partnership at the end of to pursue their respective strategic priorities and growth initiatives. The two have been in a strategic alliance since 2020, which has contributed to the successful delivery of AV projects and programs designed to enhance communication and collaboration for customers worldwide. However, both companies agreed future strategies are best advanced independently. Mark J. Pescatore spoke to Jeff Stoebner, chairman and CEO of FORTÉ, for more. You can read it here.

The very next day, Uniguest acquired Visix to enhance its workplace and campus engagement strategy. You can get all the details here.

Lastly, LED Studio North America has rebranded to VOD North America. Per a company release, this transition formalizes a deep operational partnership with global LED display manufacturer VOD Visual to significantly scale manufacturing, engineering, and localized support across the region.

The rebrand introduces greater operational agility to meet surging North American demand. The expansion is anchored by 56,000 square feet of new infrastructure, featuring a primary operation facility and product showroom in Sacramento, CA, alongside a dedicated secondary showroom in San Antonio, TX. The Sacramento hub will also house advanced engineering resources and a dedicated domestic RMA repair and service center designed to significantly reduce turnaround times and streamline post-sale support for North American clients.

Now, get caught up on the Pro AV week that was.

People News

Advanced Systems Group Appoints Eran Binyamin Zeitoun as Senior Technical Program Manager

Advanced Systems Group (ASG) appointed Eran Binyamin Zeitoun as senior technical program manager. Zeitoun will help lead a new ASG business initiative focused on enterprise media asset management and storage systems, newsroom computer systems (NRCS), and media infrastructure solutions for broadcasters and media organizations.

Zeitoun provides technical strategies, solution architecture, program management, and client engagement to help organizations design and deploy scalable, future-ready media workflows. Zeitoun joins ASG after a distinguished 27-year career with Dalet Digital Media Systems, where he most recently served as senior infrastructure and solution architect. During his tenure, he designed and validated enterprise media and IT solutions for leading broadcasters and media organizations worldwide, served as the highest technical escalation point for complex issues, and worked closely with engineering, professional services, support, and project teams to ensure successful implementations and rapid issue resolution.

Audio Engineering Society Announces Results of 2026 Elections

The Audio Engineering Society has announced the results of its 2026 Board of Directors and Board of Governors elections. The Society’s membership has elected David v.R. Bowles as President-Elect, as well as several new Governors and Regional Vice Presidents.

In the AES Elections for the Board of Governors (BoG), the following have been elected as regional Vice Presidents: Malik Williams, Vice President: Eastern Region, USA/Canada; Jess Berg, Vice President: Western Region, USA/Canada; and Merlijn van Veen, Vice President: Northern Region, Europe. Additionally, newly elected as at-large Governors are Helen Caddes, Ivo Marković and Angela Piva. Valerie Tyler has been re-elected as Secretary.

Save for the president-elect, each newly elected individual will serve a two-year term. Bowles will serve on the AES Board of Directors as president-elect in 2027, in 2028 as president, in 2029 as past president, followed by two years as a Governor. All those newly elected will begin their terms on January 1, 2027.

The 2027 Audio Engineering Society Board of Directors will be led by president Cesar Lamschtein, past president Brecht De Man, and Bowles. Joining them in key officer roles are secretary Valerie Tyler and treasurer Jayant Datta, alongside director Agnieszka Roginska. One additional director will be elected by the Board of Governors within the next 60 days.

In addition to the directors, the AES 2027 Board of Governors features regional VPs Masataka Nakahara (Asia-Pacific), Merlijn van Veen (Northern Europe), Piotr Majdak (Central Europe), Huseyin Hacihabiboglu (Southern Europe/Middle East/Africa), Ezequiel Morfi (Latin America), Malik Williams (Eastern USA/Canada), Kelvin Grimble (Central USA/Canada), and Jess Berg (Western USA/Canada). The Board is completed by governors Jamie Baker, Fariuska Lira Barully, Leslie Gaston-Bird, Helen Caddes, Gary Gottlieb, Ivo Marković, Angela Piva, and Bernarda Ubidia.

Celestion Appoints Torben Müller as Business Development Manager

Celestion appointed Torben Müller to the position of business development manager. In his new role, Müller’s primary focus is identifying, exploring, and developing new opportunities for growth alongside Celestion’s valued customers and partners. He is also responsible for serving many of Celestion’s international distributors, plus several key OEMs across both the pro audio and guitar sides of the business.

Müller joins Celestion with an extensive background in the music instrument and professional audio industries. He initially taught music at a grammar school before transitioning to the music technology industry. He spent more than a decade in sales and promotion at Tube Amp Doctor (TAD) known for premium-quality valves for guitar amplifiers. His tenure at TAD, which also serves as Celestion's German distributor, provided an opportunity for Müller to gain a deep understanding of Celestion’s products and customers.

DPA Microphones Appoints Raul Contreras as West Coast Regional Sales Manager

DPA Microphones welcomes Raul Contreras as its new West Coast regional sales manager. In this role, Contreras oversees sales and customer relationships throughout the Western United States, supporting DPA Microphones, Austrian Audio, and Wisycom, while working closely with dealers, distributors, and end users to further strengthen the company’s presence across the region.

Contreras, who steps into the role following the retirement of industry veteran John Root, brings more than 15 years of experience in driving business growth, strategic partnerships, and brand development across the pro audio, music technology and consumer product industries. Throughout his career, Contreras has held leadership positions with respected global brands, including Native Instruments, Monster Energy, and HOTPIT Autofest. It was in these positions that he built strong relationships with channel partners, developed go-to-market strategies, and led initiatives that expanded market presence and revenue across North America and Latin America.

RCF USA appoints Michael Curtis as Product Specialist and System Engineer

RCF USA appointed Michael Curtis as product specialist and system engineer, further strengthening the company’s technical support and customer education initiatives throughout North America. In his new role, Curtis provides loudspeaker system design and application support for RCF’s growing network of consultants, integrators and sales partners while also leading the development of technical training, educational content and customer-focused resources across the company’s professional audio portfolio.

Zixi Appoints Alyson Stewart as Senior Director of Sales

Zixi has appointed Alyson Stewart as senior director of sales. In her new role, Stewart drives direct sales and partnerships, deepening Zixi’s relationships with broadcasters, media companies, and enterprise clients as the company continues to expand its footprint across the media and entertainment industry.

Stewart is responsible for growing new business across Zixi’s direct sales channel, strengthening go-to-market partnerships, and supporting customers as they transition live video workflows from legacy infrastructure to scalable, IP-based delivery.

Partnerships

Bogen Communications Joins the Partner Alliance for Safer Schools

Bogen Communications has joined the growing list of PASS Partners, a coalition focused on improving safety and security in educational environments through industry collaboration and guidance. The approval highlights Bogen Communications’ investment in the education industry and positions the company within a network of manufacturers, consultants, and public safety professionals focused on standardizing school safety practices.

PASS develops School Safety and Security Guidelines that provide a tiered framework for assessing risk and implementing protective measures across K-12 facilities. The guidelines are widely referenced by school administrators, design consultants and integrators when planning and upgrading safety infrastructure.

By supporting PASS, Bogen Communications gains direct visibility into evolving school safety requirements and the opportunity to contribute to discussions that shape how communication systems are specified and deployed in educational settings. Bogen Communications' engagement allows the company to align its product development and system design with frameworks already used by decision-makers in the field.

CODA Audio USA Appoints Five New Rep Firms

CODA Audio USA continues its rapid expansion in the United States with the appointment of five new rep firms to significantly increase the company’s reach in the United States professional audio market. The new firms add to CODA Audio USA’s existing network of representation, bringing on board yet more experience and expertise to propel the brand forwards.

MultiPoint Integrated Technologies will represent CODA in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Delaware, Washington DC, Maryland, Western Pennsylvania, and Virginia Beach, whilst Frequency Sales will take care of Illinois and Wisconsin. UC Technology Partners will take the reins in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Upstate New York, with Caliber Sales looking after Florida. Completing the new lineup is Bassett Sales Corporation who will operate in Hawaii, Northern California, and Northern Nevada.

Sennheiser Becomes Official Sound Provider of Formula E

Formula E and Sennheiser announced a multi-year partnership under which Sennheiser will become Formula E’s official sound provider. The collaboration will see the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship integrate Sennheiser’s professional audio solutions and pioneering AMBEO immersive audio technology across the global series, creating new ways for fans to experience the excitement, energy and emotion of electric racing.

As the first all-electric FIA World Championship, Formula E continues to lead the way in sport-tech innovation. Through this partnership, Formula E and Sennheiser will explore how advanced audio capture and encoding workflows can create more immersive experiences for viewers watching on any device. By partnering with Sennheiser, the series aims to set a new global benchmark for live sports broadcasting and fan engagement, utilizing Sennheiser’s expertise to capture the unique, high-performance soundscapes of the GEN4 era.

Company News

AtlasIED’s German Experience Center Holds Grand Opening

AtlasIED hosted a multi-day grand opening event at its new Warendorf, Germany experience center and showroom. The opening included hands-on training and product demos for a wide range of European distributors and integrators, as well as a reception and celebration to commemorate the event.

The experience center is designed as a collaborative hub for distributors, system integrators, consultants, and end users to gain hands-on experience with the company's solutions. During the opening event, attendees participated in live product demonstrations, project presentations, and interactive training sessions. They also had opportunities to directly access and program the Atmosphere platform.

In addition to manufacturer-led courses, AtlasIED is expanding its curriculum to include specialized instruction for third-party technologies, such as EASE and Dante, while a dedicated seminar room supports small-group, software-focused training sessions.

Custom Channels Introduces Next-Generation Customer Portal

Custom Channels has rolled out its completely reimagined customer portal, giving businesses a more powerful and intuitive way to manage branded music and messaging across every location, from a single storefront to hundreds of sites nationwide.

As physical spaces become increasingly connected and digitally intelligent, organizations need more than music management tools. They need the flexibility to deliver consistent, brand-building customer experiences while responding to local opportunities and customer preferences. Developed in direct response to customer feedback, the new portal enables businesses to do exactly that through a single, scalable platform.

Designed to support organizations of every size, the new portal scales effortlessly from a single location to regional operations and national enterprise deployments. Customers no longer need different management tools as their businesses grow. The same intuitive platform supports every stage of expansion while preserving a consistent brand experience.

Hosa Technology Launches Pro Access

Hosa Technology has introduced Pro Access, a purchasing program that gives qualified professionals direct access to Hosa's catalog of interconnects, adapters, and patch solutions at professional pricing.

Hosa makes the cables, adapters, and patch solutions behind the final connections in an AV system, at the rack and at the endpoint. The catalog spans more than 1,200 SKUs across Euroblock, Cat6, HDMI, fiber optic, DMX, AES/EBU, and analog audio, from mic lines to speaker runs. Pro Access gives qualified professionals the Hosa catalog at pro pricing, with no minimums, quotas, or purchase commitments.

The program is open to businesses of any size—from independent contractors to full integration firms. Applicants complete a one-time business verification, then order online or by phone in any quantity.

Shure Secures Sustainability in AV Certification

Shure is now officially SAVe Certified at the corporate level. Twenty-one Shure Associates, representing a broad cross-section of company operations, participated in the SAVe Certification process, which involves an educational program, workshop, and planning session. The certification program is designed to help organizations develop action plans to advance the 2030 SDGs.

SAVe provides a vehicle for the AV industry to achieve sustainable development and serves as a bridge to other industries, NGOs and partner organizations who share the conviction that we must take urgent action to preserve the health of our planet, communities, and people.

SAVe initiatives include SAVe Certification, a process by which organizations can develop an action plan to advance the SDGs; SAVe: A Second Life, a program designed to reduce e-waste by giving AV equipment a second life at the end of its first one; and SAVe Sustainable Manufacturers Council, which seeks to provide AV manufacturers the information, tools and leadership necessary to accelerate the sector’s transition to a more sustainable future.

Oh no, not another article about AI, you may be thinking. But this time, we're addressing where cloud computing and AI converge, and what that means for us as system integrators in the Pro AV space in our mission to provide the best service to our clients.

First, some definitions so we’re all speaking the same language. The classical definition of cloud is a method of doing compute. Cloud refers to a group of computers working in concert, and that term has been around long before Amazon or Google existed. For systems integrators today, it’s important to return to that classical definition, because cloud means a group of computers working in a coordinated way that could be on premise, in a co-location, in a client's data center, or in a public hyperscaler or a neoscaler (tailored equipment and software to a particular clients' needs).

In the classic sense of cloud compute, up until now we’ve been talking about methods for transforming signal workflows and workloads from dedicated hardware to software running in compute. As the capabilities of compute have continued to evolve and we’ve moved to software-defined infrastructures, we could be running them in a hyperscaler, on our client's premises, or in a third-party data center.

This opens the door for us to begin to add services that would not be possible in a traditional SDI, HDMI, or NDI-based hardware environment—and where the application of AI is both useful to our clients and commercially viable today. Much of what is written about AI is still very forward facing. However, today we see applications that we can install for our clients in useful ways.

AI Tech Deployable Today

This is a turning point in the system integration world. Previously, much of our talk about what AI might or might not do has been very specific to a vendor embedding a technology in a device, such as tracking a speaker with a camera. But, today, via the work that NVIDIA and others have done, we have practical applications that can run in real-time systems to assist our clients now. These applications are not only useful to our clients but create recurring revenue for us and help spread the cost as an OpEx load.

Of the low hanging fruit today are tools for closed captioning, translation, and localization. All of us who’ve installed systems for multinational corporations have been grappling with these topics for decades, starting as requirements around captioning, then translation and localization. AI technology has matured to the point where it is now deployable in our clients’ spaces running on local hardware, which eliminates many of the security concerns that previously existed.

Through the NVIDIA Holoscan for Media initiative, AI modules called NVIDIA NIM (NVIDIA Inference Microservices) are being deployed that provide containers to self-host microservices for customized AI models across clouds, data centers, and RTX AI compute. Holoscan for Media was built to enable multi-vendor applications with compressed and uncompressed media support through ST 2110 and other interfaces.

When we started our work in partnership with NVIDIA on Holoscan for Media, we had a much larger vision for replacing hardware systems with completely software-defined workflows in mind. But in today's hyper-inflated compute cost environment, that's not as practical as we and the market expected it to be. It doesn’t mean that the concept of using modular software-defined products in our real-time production and AV worlds is off the table. It just means, as always, using the right tool for the right job at the right cost.

We cannot solve the issue of translating a CEO’s speech into multiple languages in a video switcher, video router, or any other part of the video ecosystem, but we can solve that by running AI on prem for our clients. At the 2026 NAB Show, NVIDIA demonstrated the ability to translate a commentator into three different languages, closed caption those languages, and adjust the lip sync so that each language looked natural. All running a set of NIMs in a scaled Holoscan for Media environment on a single computer in real time. These are the beginnings of applications we’ll see throughout this year that are practical, deployable, and will fit within our clients’ budgets and cost structures.

Stay Aware of What's Available

What is that going to look like for system contractors as we go to sell these products and services to our clients? It's going to break down into multiple parts, as every system does.

First and foremost, we're going to need to learn the services that are available today to sell to our clients, and that will include understanding who the vendors are, what the risks of deploying those vendors are, and what the business models look like. This is the same as all products we’ve deployed throughout our careers.

Some of the AI-enabled applications becoming available in our real-time production world include the ability to use AI to upconvert material with greater quality than any previous technology provided. And AI provides a more nuanced set of tools for automatically reframing 9:16 for vertical streaming. In terms of audio, Ross Video showed a widely deployed AI audio mixing tool at NAB called Lama, which provides sophisticated audio mixing with less user interaction. These are tools that can be deployed in real time, on-prem client facilities today.

As this year progresses, we’ll see more products coming into general availability. These are continuous opportunities for us to help our clients evolve their systems and workflows, and provide better capabilities at lower operational costs.

A Sea Change for Integrators

How does this work in today's on-prem systems? It means you’ll be configuring and installing compute, either individual computers or small clusters in our client spaces, where we have traditionally put other devices, such as video switchers and other products that have evolved to become computer based. It also means that these systems are going to need real-time audio and video I/O.

It will be important to understand the signal flow in your existing system that you're adding these capabilities to, so the compute systems you’re building can be configured optimally. Is it SDI? Is it NDI? Is it HDMI?

This is where we take a different approach to the marketplace, because now we’re looking at augmenting existing on-prem, real-time systems with small clouds of compute within the existing environment. We’re bending the compute to fit the existing environment, as opposed to bending the workflow to fit the compute. This is a sea change in opportunities for system integrators—it brings these sophisticated capabilities into a place that doesn't require a major pivot in operations.

What do you need to do to get ready for this? As we begin to deploy this into our client sites, the most important set of skills for integration firms is that we have staff trained and ready to deploy virtualized and containerized applications on premise. Most traditional AV integrators have not had to do this previously.

The skills you will require will depend on your vendor partners. Some may choose to run their products in virtualized Windows environments using Hyper-V, others may choose Docker or Kubernetes environments. All of these are related but require different certifications and skills.

Then, of course, there will be the specific training on each vendor, how their product deploys, and how we train our customers to use it. These are skills we’re all familiar with and have been doing for many years.

This is the first time since I’ve written this column where I can say that everything we're talking about this quarter are things you can deploy for your clients next week. I encourage you to seek out vendors, learn the marketplace, and understand these ecosystems, as they will be highly valuable to our clients in the near term.