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In this exclusive video interview from InfoComm 2025, WyreStorm’s product development director, Zec Voislav, shares a behind-the-scenes look at its new powerful unified communications solution, as well as the award-winning tools it has in place to help customers get—and keep—its products up and running.

Check out the full video interview below.

Already a familiar name in the AV-over-IP space, WyreStorm’s latest product offering—a solution based around its SW-640 presentation switcher—is poised to become a staple of workplace unified communications.

“We are not just creating a presentation switcher; we are building the whole solution,” Voislav said. “The SW-640L-TX-W has been great; it has been well received by our customers, but now we are bringing in two new cameras and a new camera bridge, so now you can connect to the presentation switcher (SW-640L-TX-W) and connect up to four cameras wirelessly or with a USB-C connection. Meeting rooms with a multi-camera system are really popular these days.”

But between its AI-enabled website and the free, AVIXA-certified WyreStorm Academy, one area of WyreStorm’s business model that will never change is the support it provides its customers.

“On our new support hub website, you can get all the information about how to install our devices, as well as the latest updates, firmware updates—and there is a built-in AI bot if you can’t find what you need,” Voislav said. “Your customer will be much more comfortable installing and programming your devices if you provide a good education.”

Combine that world-class support with products that are easy to use, powerful, and reliable, and it’s no wonder WyreStorm has been a leader in AV distribution for more than 15 years.

“Simple is the key word for our devices,” Voislav said. “We are going in that direction to provide easy configuration. For example, an AV-over-IP system is really complex, but how we did it—you basically answer the questions through our configuration tool, and you'll be ready to go.”

About WyreStorm

WyreStorm stands out for its relentless pursuit of innovation, quality, and accessibility in AV. We engineer powerful yet easy-to-deploy solutions that simplify complex installations, empowering integrators and transforming user experiences across industries. Our technologies in AV signal switching, distribution, and unified communications continue to shape the market, earning global recognition and trust. Beyond manufacturing, we invest in the industry’s future through WyreStorm Academy, providing free education and upskilling for AV professionals worldwide. This year, we’ve expanded our global reach, launched innovative solutions, and remained focused on making AV reliable, approachable, and impactful. Hallmarks of a true Manufacturer of the Year. Find out more here.

Founded in 2017 with a single office and an inherited basic conference room setup—a TV and a plug-in USB camera—private equity group and financial firm Further Global soon realized its limitations as conferencing needs increased and the business grew. After expanding into a second office space in the same building, Further Global set out to create a modern, high-quality conference center and meeting environment that would reflect the firm’s professionalism.

Mitch Pessin, vice president and co-founder of Solarus Technologies, and Kevin Muller, a director from Further Global’s operations team collaborated to design and implement a state-of-the-art AV solution that aligned with the firm’s vision and unique needs. Known for its commitment to custom solutions that cater to the unique needs of each client, Solarus Technologies has been a long-time partner of Yamaha Corporation of America and its Unified Communications division. With guidance from Susan Rullo, chief executive officer of Rullo Technologies, Pessin and Muller were able to provide the right solution.

“Our client required an AV solution that could meet a range of environments, including corporate and team meetings, remote conferences, and live events,” Pessin commented. “While focusing on audio clarity, ease of use, and system flexibility to support various conferencing platforms, Yamaha’s ADECIA solutions were a natural choice.”

The system upgrade for both rooms included a Yamaha RM-CR, a digital signal processor that is central to the room's audio system, managing sound clarity and distribution. RM-CG ceiling microphone arrays were positioned in each room for optimal audio capture, and Yamaha RM-TT tabletop microphones were used as supplemental mics to enhance audio capture, especially for meeting participants sitting farther from the ceiling mics. The tabletop microphones also serve the secondary but important purpose of distributing easily accessible MUTE buttons across the table, and the built-in red and green LEDs in each RM-TT indicate the room’s mute status during a meeting. The system in both rooms also includes a control room computer that can be operated from the conference table using a wireless mouse and keyboard and supports a BYOD setup for users to take advantage of ADECIA’s full audio capabilities.

ADECIA handles all the audio balancing and adjusting automatically, which ensures that no matter where participants are in the room, their voices are picked up clearly at normal conversation volume. “In the AV world, audio quality is critical,” Pessin highlighted. “If the video drops during a Zoom call, but the audio remains, you’re fine. But if you lose audio, you’re kind of sunk.”

Muller added, “Our team has reported a significant improvement in the audio quality of their live events and remote meetings. It’s incredibly user-friendly and adaptable to various audiences and needs. The setup is sleek; it combines a modern and minimalistic design with automated functions so that everything works perfectly with minimal intervention.”

Yamaha’s ADECIA solutions are advanced yet straightforward, and its open architecture is engineered for ultimate adaptability. In Further Global’s application, the ADECIA system integrates with an AVer PTZ310, a 4K Ultra HD resolution pan-tilt-zoom camera with IP-based control. In the smaller conference room, the camera features auto voice tracking, which allows it to automatically follow the voice of the person presenting and zoom in on speakers. The open architecture of ADECIA ensures that its sound system and AVer’s cameras can seamlessly communicate with each other over standard protocols.

“Another key advantage of the ADECIA architecture is that everything is powered over PoE, which greatly streamlined the installation,” Pessin added. “Since one cable carries both the audio signals and power, we could reduce cable clutter and keep the installation much more organized.”

Global’s new system upgrade is designed to be more than just a conference space; it is a shared workspace that reinforces a culture of teamwork. The system’s USB audio capabilities allow for multiple audio inputs, making it easy to switch between sources with the push of a button. Similarly, the HDMI support allows for video to be switched between different sources—like a personal computer or a device at the table—providing quick, seamless transitions for different types of work and collaboration.

With these conference room upgrades, Further Global has two spaces that embody their dedication to quality and forward-thinking. The Yamaha ADECIA system delivers crystal-clear audio and adaptability, turning these rooms into dynamic spaces where both in-person and virtual collaboration flow effortlessly and strengthen client relationships and teamwork.

You're no doubt aware that the business of Yamaha Unified Communications (UC) is now done under the sister company, Yamaha Corporation of America—a shift finalized this past June due to changes in the market. On paper, the liquidation may seem like a major disruption to the status quo. In fact, the change positions the company's unified communications products and solutions for dramatic growth.

Sotaro Nishida, vice president of IT Channel Sales with Yamaha Corporation of America, recently sat down with AV Technology's content director, Cindy Davis to elaborate on the changes afoot. They discussed the status of the UC Pro AV business at Yamaha, where the company is headed regarding UC and Pro AV, and the future of the AV industry.

Setting the Record Straight

Nishida emphasized that working under the Yamaha Corporation of America name when it comes to Yamaha UC and conference solution product offerings, that absolutely nothing has changed. "We want to clarify that we are continuing this business in North America from a position of greater strength." He continued, "Now that the expert team from Yamaha UC has joined Yamaha Corporation of America, we have access to audio experts in different verticals and segments of the market. It's a very exciting time for us to be able to continue serving the same industry with expanded offerings."

Resellers and integrators are now able to seamlessly offer customers a complete solution for conferencing and UC installations. "There are a lot of projects requiring additional audio products or system components such as processors, amplifiers, and speakers to build on a larger scale. Now that we're part of Yamaha Corporation of America, the process is quicker, smoother, and more agile," Nishida said. "We are constantly fine-tuning our offerings and technical resources to be able to offer the services necessary for even the most complex projects."

"We Know How Sound Works"

Nishida credits Yamaha and its position of strength in the UC space as the result of generations of carefully honed and fortified audio technologies that have been applied to a diverse array of products and applications over the years.

"When it comes to eliminating noise or echoes with the signal processing—that comes from a long history," Nishida said. "We invented the digital mixer over 20 years ago, refining how audio is processed in the digital domain. We polished those products by coding the programs, recoding, testing, and trial and error. Because our technology is already so fortified there, we can apply it to our conference solutions very effectively. We can deliver an exceptionally high level of noise and echo cancellation, even if the product or hardware is in a different format. We can implant those programs into our systems in a well-applied way." 

For Yamaha, its acoustic expertise and robust digital signal processing come together in its ADECIA conferencing system, which features auto-tuning. Nishida said, "Because every meeting space is different depending on the material of the wall, ceiling, floor, the size of the room, the distance sound needs to travel, as well as the dynamic range of many acoustic conditions, you'll want a conferencing system to auto-tune the room." He emphasized, "Yamaha has a long history, and we know how sound works."

The Future is Simplified Audio

The teams at Yamaha are looking to leverage newly combined resources to continue growing its conferencing and UC offerings and innovating. Nishida explained that one of the main priorities at Yamaha is applying the existing auto-tuning capabilities of its microphones, speakers, and processors to the emergent area of advanced conference systems. 

"When you have a large enough auditorium, classroom, or meeting space, traditionally, there will be a presenter with a handheld microphone or a wearable microphone. At some point, they'll need to check the battery level and frequency, and then the presenter needs to make sure he takes it off when leaving the room," Nishida said. "An advanced conference system is one where you don't have to worry about any of that. You just come into the room and start to speak at a normal, conversational level. The microphone will automatically pick you up, and you will be heard around the room because the microphones, speakers, processor, and amplifiers are already set up for the space while you can also stream your presentation online to remote participants through the same system."

Nishida continued, "We're getting to a point where our ideas of traditional audio systems are going to change. You don't have to think, 'This is the audio device. This is the microphone. These are the speakers. This is how I should speak. This is how I should sound.' It's going to be very intelligent. That is the future."

Parting Thoughts

Finally, when asked what Yamaha has in store that North American audiences may not be aware of, Nishida was quick to answer: "Network switches. We have a robust lineup of products already working in Pro AV applications. Our local area network switches come from our digital signal processing expertise and spin out of audio products." In addition to microphones, speakers, and processors, the ADECIA system is interconnected with a Dante POE switch. "We already have robust, super high-speed, accurate, and low-latency network switches, and we believe this will be the core of any AV system in the future. We want to strengthen that offering.

When you learn the history, audio, and IP communications have always been working together," Nishida concluded.

Unified communications and video collaboration monitoring solutions company, VisibilityOne recently announced a strategic partnership with global technology company, Stefanini Group. The partnership focuses on delivering cutting-edge monitoring and management services for video collaboration, and fortifying communication infrastructure for businesses worldwide.

VisibilityOne’s cloud-based monitoring solutions feature proactive alerting, and advanced algorithms while being vendor-agnostic. These capabilities empower IT teams with crucial insights into devices and applications, allowing businesses to preemptively tackle issues to ensure uninterrupted communication. In collaboration with Stefanini, VisibilityOne will extend its state-of-the-art video collaboration services to a wider audience. The alliance aims to address the soaring demand for reliable and efficient video conferencing solutions, a trend accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

"VisibilityOne’s mission has always been centered around perfecting collaboration experiences," said Jose De La Paz, CEO of VisibilityOne. “Partnering with Stefanini, a company with an extensive global reach and a shared commitment to innovation, enables us to impact more businesses around the world. Through this partnership, we are positioned to revolutionize the way professionals engage in video collaboration, optimizing efficiency and cost-effectiveness.”

“VisibilityOne is a true pioneer in video collaboration service management, and we’re thrilled to launch a new service offering to our clients through this joint effort,” said Shayne Quaas, director of Innovation & Digital Business at Stefanini. “Innovation is a core part of our identity at Stefanini and this joint venture allows us to expand our existing services as well as form new relationships rooted in digital transformation and co-creation.”

Check out VisibilityOne for a deeper dive into its cutting-edge video collaboration solutions.

While the beauty and grandeur of traditional college campuses make for perfectly posed graduation photos and homecoming memories, they present a distinct challenge for technology managers attempting to upgrade their spaces to the latest technologies. 

As part of their digital transformation, the University of Southern California sought to rethink the educational technologies across the enterprise, transitioning from legacy “black box” AV to network-based and UC-enabled offerings. Installation went flawlessly until the AV/IT team encountered two buildings: Los Angeles historical landmarks, Doheny Memorial Library and Mudd Hall of Philosophy.

The AV/IT Team

“When it came to these two buildings, we had four classrooms, one large auditorium, two lecture halls, a faculty training center, and an executive conference room to upgrade. As a team we all agreed to one non-negotiable: The buildings’ beauty and majesty must take priority,” declared Joe Way, PhD, director of learning environments. “The technology must disappear, but the quality cannot be sacrificed.” This meant ensuring the campus standard of Crestron Flex, Shure MXA, Huddly and AVer cameras, Panasonic projectors, DTEN displays, and their signature custom credenzas by Heckler Design must be integrated as appropriate. USC’s mantra of “standardized by default, custom by exception,” was going to be challenged. “We had to get creative. For example, in Mudd Hall, we reused the same holes from old speaker yokes for new AtlasIED ALA line arrays to avoid having to submit for new permitting with the city. We carved out unused air handler returns to house the main auditorium’s projector, modified an antique hutch to mount a DTEN for a conference room display, and even snaked custom-color network cables with double-stick tape alongside the borders of hand-painted murals—because placing a screw and j-hook into the open ceiling plaster would both be against code and demolish the beautiful aesthetic.”

[ How USC's Joe Way Anticipated the HyFlex Campus Revolution ]

Lex Peters, learning environments CX/UX designer, noted, “Ultimately, it is important to work in harmony with your university’s rich history. It’s not about having the flashiest technology but creating technology that will enhance the space instead of pulling away focus from it.” The team recognized natural aspects to each spaces’ architecture that would allow for the technology to blend in as if the century-old buildings were designed and built with the AV already in mind. An example of this is the faculty training room. Custom display sizes were fit into archways, a 40-foot-long by 9-inch-deep custom wood cabinet was built along the main wall just to house the technology vertically, six Shure MXA 710’s on thin vertical columns were used to get proper coverage, and the team even built the main 20,000-lumen projector into a coffee table.

From an engineering and systems design standpoint, USC’s focus on AV over IP was essential. Rather than worrying about running power, control, and content cabling for each device, a POE device could connect the system together with just one simple Cat-6 cable. 

[ Crestron, Shure Solutions Power HyFlex and Hybrid Learning Spaces at USC ]

Raj Singh, manager, AV/IT design and engineering explained, “The older the building, the harder it is to integrate the technology because you cannot just snake through drywall that isn’t there. Concrete, brick, and etched stone present challenges.” Singh added, “Our emphasis on cloud, server, and IT-based AV over traditional AV infrastructure and components allowed us to minimize and mitigate the aesthetic disruption.” Crestron VC-4, XiO and Fusion Cloud, Dante audio, wireless sharing to cloud-based applications like Zoom, and custom programming allowed for the amount of AV in the rooms to be streamlined. “Once we could get the speakers, microphones, and projectors or displays in place, the remainder of the technology could be housed in only 2 RUs of space,” said Singh.

“I believe the end result with the AV was better than before the upgrade,” suggested Joe Way. “We cannot forget that what we do is an art form, and challenges like these remind us of that. That is when our teams can truly shine.” With these new integrations into historic buildings, the University of Southern California is well prepared to continue its standard of excellence for another century to come.

MORE BEST IN CLASS OF 2022

Best in Class of 2022: Grand Valley State University

Best in Class of 2022: Indiana University

Best in Class of 2022: Iowa State University

Best in Class of 2022: Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, the Heritage College

Best in Class of 2022: Pepperdine University

Best in Class of 2022: University of Guelph

Best in Class of 2022: University of Massachusetts Lowell

Best in Class of 2022: University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Best in Class of 2022: University of North Carolina Wilmington

Best in Class of 2022: University of Southern California

Today, a truly unified communications infrastructure including endpoints, software, and agnostic platforms is essential.  The new role of room scheduling, people counting and device usage, to revamped ideas of unified communications and standardization, and digital signage. What AV/IT solutions are available, and which ones can be migrated to work in the cloud.

+ The new endpoints – all-in-ones, phones and more

+ Managing audio and video in the cloud

+ Ensuring intelligible audio near and far

+ Auto-tracking video cameras

+ Conferencing platforms

+ Collaboration & presentation systems that shine in the cloud

+ AV over IP – the time has come

REGISTER NOW!

Biamp's new Parlé line of audio and video conferencing bars is made up of professional-grade AV conferencing solutions for small to medium-sized rooms. Leveraging Biamp’s 40 years of audiovisual expertise, Parlé conferencing bars combine Beamtracking microphones, smart loudspeakers, advanced signal processing, an optional 4K camera with auto-framing, and Biamp Launch, the company’s automated deployment and tuning technology.

The family of Parlé conferencing bars includes the ABC 2500 Audio Bar, which features Biamp Audio Intelligence to create a premium audio experience: a 27-element microphone array creates three Beamtracking zones that can actively track and intelligently mix conversations from around the room; award-winning echo cancellation and noise reduction algorithms provide extraordinary clarity and quality; and smart speaker technology actively adjusts speaker performance to deliver large room audio from a small room device. Using Biamp Launch, each of these features is automatically tuned to meet the acoustic needs of each meeting room to create an optimal audio experience.

[ Biamp AV Solutions Support Hybrid Learning ]

The VBC 2500 Video Bar adds a state-of-the-art, 4K ePTZ camera featuring Biamp Video Intelligence to deliver auto-framing and auto-focus, which keeps meeting attendees in view, even as they move around the conference room space. For added security, an automatic privacy shutter covers the camera when not in use.

Installation of a Parlé conferencing bar is as simple as plugging one USB cable directly into a UC system for a UC room, or into a Devio SCR-10 for a BYOD room, and pressing the Launch button. This initiates professional-grade deployment and tuning, making it easy to use and deploy.

“The explosion of unified communications deployments across businesses of all sizes has made it essential that all conference rooms are outfitted with high-quality audiovisual technology to ensure the best experience for users — and IT departments are seeking complete meeting room solutions that are easy to set up and simple to use,” said Joe Andrulis, executive vice president of Corporate Development at Biamp. “Parlé conferencing bars are groundbreaking in that they incorporate all of Biamp’s latest innovations in audiovisual technology, ensuring the best possible meeting experience for all participants, as well as an incredibly simple set up process that’s as easy as plugging in one cable and pressing the Launch button. The result is a sleek, all-in-one conferencing bar, offering professional-grade performance unmatched in the market.”

“Biamp remains steadfast in our commitment to making professional-grade AV accessible to more people and more room types,” said Andrulis. “Parlé conferencing bars utilize the technology that our integrators are already familiar with and users love, creating an easy-to-install, cost-effective, single vendor solution for smaller rooms with performance that matches Biamp’s large room solutions. The ease of installation, setup, and maintenance makes Parlé conferencing bars an ideal solution that delivers a premium audiovisual experience for everyone involved.”

[ Biamp Conference Room Bundles Certified for Microsoft Teams ]

Biamp Increases Unified Communications Product Line

On Nov. 4, 2021, Biamp introduced four conferencing and control system solutions. In addition to the Parlé line of audio and video conferencing bars, the introductions included:

Biamp Introduces Vidi Conferencing Cameras   

Biamp New Apprimo Touch 8i Control Panel Strengthens Control Portfolio   

Biamp Launches Impera Line of Control Systems  

In our series of #InfoCommInspo blogs, we’re getting inspired by InfoComm 2021 exhibitors and learning what trends they expect to see at the show—plus a special sneak preview of what they’ll show in their booths.

What about InfoComm inspires you?
David Missall: I look forward to InfoComm every year. It is always time well spent meeting with existing and new customers, talking about upcoming projects and discussing solutions. Not to mention seeing what the latest trends are in our industry. I think this year is of particular importance, because although we have all learned how to operate and collaborate remotely with our customers in the last 18 months, there is no substitute for the higher level of collaboration and critical thinking that takes place in a face-to-face conversation at a trade show booth or business dinner.

What is the most exciting trend you expect to see at the show?
I am really interested in the growth and innovation happening around AV as a Service (AVaaS), also known as managed services. As we look at the increase in hybrid systems for the business and education markets, and campus-wide networked solutions, customers are looking for seamless support from integrators and manufactures alike. Now more than ever it is crucial to preempt the problem before its starts, and these cloud-based managed services platforms are becoming a popular solution for this challenge.

[ Sennheiser Readies Business, Education Solutions for InfoComm 2021 ] 

I am also interested to see what the latest innovations around AI for videoconferencing are. We are seeing more capabilities for remote room management and analytics than ever before. Usage analytics for the classroom and meeting space can help us learn to design a better product from a manufacturing standpoint and design a better room from an Integrator or consultant standpoint, while continuing to make hybrid environments more conducive to collaboration and authentic exchanges for the end user.

How will your solutions inspire integrators?
One of the benefits of Sennheiser’s audio solutions is our brand agnostic approach. We have honed wonderful partnerships with other manufactures and platform providers so that our customers don’t have to rely on one ecosystem, but can scale in any direction as needed. For instance, our TeamConnect Ceiling 2 Microphone (TCC2) is compatible with multiple external DSP and controller manufacturers including, but not limited to, QSC, Extron, Bose, Crestron and 1 Beyond. With this, the TCC2 is also certified for software platforms like Microsoft Teams and Zoom.

[ 6 Reasons You'll Love Sennheiser's Evolution Wireless Digital ] 

How will your solutions inspire tech managers?
Sennheiser is known to be best-in-sound across all product categories, and excellent audio quality is paramount in the hybrid world we work and learn in now. But we don’t stop there, we also make our products as easy as possible to integrate into an AV design and enable monitoring of those devices in real-time over a campus-wide network. Our easy-to-use Sennheiser Control Cockpit Software provides a global overview of all network-enabled Sennheiser compatible devices, from our TeamConnect Ceiling 2 microphone, to our SpeechLine Digital Wireless solutions and more. We have created an ecosystem that can grow and scale with the customers’ needs, giving reliable monitoring and feature access to each device.

To learn more, visit Sennheiser in Booth 3546 at InfoComm 2021.

InfoComm is giving our readers a free Exhibit Hall pass to the show! Use VIP Code “FUTURE” to redeem your free pass. Click here to register.

For the latest show updates, visit our InfoComm 2021 hub.

The What: NanoLumens announced the Q4 2021 availability of its Captivate Series, an all-in-one LED display solution. Captivate is configured to appeal to organizations looking for an easy-to-integrate dvLED product for corporate meeting rooms, houses of worship, higher education facilities, and similar environments.

The What Else: The all-in-one Captivate system eliminates the need for additional components and eases the design and installation costs typically associated with dvLED displays, according to Brice McPheeters, vice president of product and planning for NanoLumens. Captivate is available in 120-, 150-, and 180-inch sizes, all in native HD resolution. Each display comes standard with HDMI inputs and remote control for out-of-the-box operation.

The Captivate Series is ideal for communications and collaboration spaces. Built-in HDMI inputs make integrating common room hub systems fast and easy. Captivate systems may be mounted using the standard wall mount or an optional display stand for mobile applications.

The Bottom Line: NanoLumens has teamed with TD SYNNEX as a distribution partner for the Captivate Series. Captivate Series products are expected to be available to ship in the fourth quarter of 2021.

Enterprise Connect has announced details for its annual conference, which will take place Sept. 27-29 at the Gaylord Palms hotel in Orlando, FL. The program will include access to expert-led conference sessions and keynote presentations from Microsoft, RingCentral, and Zoom. 

For more than 30 years, Enterprise Connect has brought corporate IT decision makers together with industry vendors, analysts, consultants, and channel partners to focus on the issues central to enterprise communications. Over three days, Enterprise Connect offers a conference program that showcases the latest systems, software, services, and applications. 

“We’re excited to return to in-person events,” said Eric Krapf, general manager, Enterprise Connect. “By implementing our AllSecure guidelines, we are committed to delivering a safe event for our community. As always, the Enterprise Connect program will provide in-depth, expert-led content as well as opportunities to network and explore industry technology providers. We look forward to bringing the industry together in-person for the first time in a year and a half. If you are an enterprise communications and collaboration professional, we hope you can join us this fall in Orlando.”

Conference Program 

Nicole Herskowitz, general manager, Microsoft Teams will present the Microsoft keynote address on Sept. 27. Herskowitz is responsible for Microsoft Teams product marketing. Prior to the Teams business, Herskowitz spent over five years leading product and developer audience marketing for Microsoft Azure. She also held leadership roles on the Visual Studio, SharePoint, and Project businesses. During her nearly 20 years at Microsoft, Herskowitz’s responsibilities have included product management, product marketing, and sales strategy and execution functions in both worldwide and European offices. Prior to Microsoft, Herskowitz worked for startup focused on a customer relationship management SaaS solution for small businesses. Herskowitz also worked as a strategy and technology consultant at Arthur Andersen.  

Anand Eswaran, president and chief operating officer, RingCentral will present the RingCentral keynote address on Sept. 28. Eswaran leads product, engineering, sales, marketing, services, customer care, operations, IT, and human resources for the provider of global enterprise cloud communications, collaboration, and contact center solutions. Prior to RingCentral, he led Microsoft Services, industry and digital, customer care, and customer success, a global team of 24,000 professionals. He also held senior management positions at SAP, HP, Vignette (now OpenText), and Braun Consulting (now Fair Isaac). Eswaran is a founding member of the Technology Services Industry Association (TSIA) and served on the executive advisory board for 12 years. 

Harry Moseley, global CIO, Zoom will present the Zoom keynote address on Sept. 28. Moseley brings to Zoom a blend of transformational leadership, disruptive innovation, and corporate growth strategies. As the former CIO and managing director for KPMG, Moseley was responsible for technology and innovation to support the firm's competitive growth. Over five years he identified and replaced legacy technology to dramatically improve productivity, security, and reliability. Before joining KPMG, Moseley served as CIO and Senior Managing Director - Partner for Blackstone, where he led the company's transformation to the world's best digital alternative asset manager. Prior to Blackstone, Moseley was a Managing Director for Credit Suisse, where he served as the CIO of global investment banking, and global co-head of application development/co-CIO of the firm. Before Credit Suisse, Moseley served as CTO and managing director for UBS Americas. 

The conference program will offer more than 40 sessions spanning eight tracks that encompass critical industry topics including: 

• Contact Center and Customer Experience 
• Video/AV Collaboration 
• Collaboration Platforms 
• Practical AI 
• Embedded Communications and APIs 
• Unified Communications and UCaaS 
• Workplace Strategies 
• Management, Networks and Security 

View the complete conference program and register.

Maverick AV Solutions, a specialist business of Tech Data, has announced an agreement with Crestron Electronics to distribute its range of platform-focused unified communication solutions globally. 

The move is designed to meet an ever-growing demand in the enterprise and corporate markets for collaboration solutions in every kind of business environment. This is the only global distribution partnership for the business and will be available, via Maverick AV Solutions, in 16 European territories as well as the U.S. and Canada.

[Crestron Launches Flex Phones for Microsoft Teams]

“Crestron is one of the most well-established brands in the AV market,” said Joel Chimoindes, vice president, Maverick Europe. “Their product ranges for UC and platform-led communications are second to none and they are quickly emerging as leader in hybrid workspaces, with an ecosystem of products for all meeting environments. This collaboration will enable us to make them more accessible to our partners. We take a platform-first approach alongside our integrators and Crestron’s accredited devices will be a great fit for our diverse community of partners.”

The agreement covers the Crestron Flex Enterprise UC products, including Microsoft Teams-certified devices. The range includes video and audio room solutions, audio conferencing, personal communication devices, room booking panels, IoT sensors, and wireless content sharing solutions. Each device can be connected and monitored via its management platform, XiO cloud. Crucially, it includes its best-selling Crestron Mercury Microsoft Teams Room ranges, which are enabling rapid deployment of collaboration spaces globally.

As the Crestron Electronics Enterprise UC portfolio evolves and expands, all these future products will become available to Maverick AV Solutions, including the forthcoming Android-based meeting room solutions for Microsoft Teams.

“We’re delighted to partner with Maverick AV Solutions to expand our reach to a new market of customers,” said Charlie James, director sales WW UC Device Partners at Crestron. “This engagement is a step forward in creating additional channels for enterprises to purchase solutions, and we look forward to offering our enterprise portfolio of select Microsoft Teams-certified devices to a wider audience globally.”

Crestron joins Maverick’s portfolio of smart meeting brands including Logitech, Microsoft, Lenovo, Barco, Samsung, Epson, Vision, LG, NEC, HP, Sharp, and Avocor, available in 18 countries through its specialist teams.

The What: ScreenBeam has released the beta version of ScreenBeam Conference, which adds support for major videoconferencing services to ScreenBeam’s contactless wireless presentation platform. 

The What Else: ScreenBeam Conference is a software-delivered solution now available with every ScreenBeam 1100 Plus wireless display receiver. It allows content on the room display to be shared with remote meeting participants to provide a better collaborative experience between in-room and remote participants. Host devices are automatically connected wirelessly to room cameras, microphones, and soundbars providing flexibility. With ScreenBeam Conference, hosts gain complete control of how they want to run their meeting. Users can override the meeting room system to use their personal choice of videoconferencing tool, as well as launch and drive the UC meeting from their personal device. By building agnostic support for videoconferencing solutions on top of ScreenBeam contactless wireless display, users never touch shared room dongles, cables, or tablets to ensure a safer user experience.

[The Technology Manager's Guide to Collaboration in the Post-COVID World]

ScreenBeam deployment is flexible with HDMI output for wireless connections to room displays, multiple USB ports to connect to room peripherals, and HDMI ingest with auto-switching. Alternatively, ScreenBeam 1100 Plus can connect into a traditional UC room system to provide a contactless wireless presentation experience on any Windows, Apple, or Chrome device.

The Bottom Line: With ScreenBeam Conference, users can host a hybrid meeting using their personal laptop and conferencing client tool of choice while taking full advantage of the room meeting equipment. ScreenBeam Conference is now available at no charge with every ScreenBeam 1100 Plus wireless display receiver and without additional hardware or license fees.

When it comes to innovation, Square practices what it preaches. The fintech giant helped to democratize transactions with the debut of its ubiquitous Square reader and the myriad solutions that have followed. Point of Sale (PoS), hardware, software, apps, services—if it can help a business grow, Square’s got it. The company continues to roll out new tools that harness the potential of the digital revolution and empower businesses in dramatic new ways.

It's therefore no surprise that Square attracts talent who think boldly, not just about today’s problems, but about what’s possible. Laura Talon, one of Square’s senior AV engineers, is such a visionary. With a diverse background, including work in audio production, UX tech at Google, and audiovisual technology at Twilio, Talon is leveraging pro AV systems and tools to help Square’s teams thrive.

[Reimagining Corporate AV]

Addressing the ripple effects of the COVID pandemic, enhancing the remote work experience, combating screen fatigue, and making AV “invisible” are some of the pressing concerns for technologists this year. For Laura Talon and Square’s AV team, it’s game on.

AV Standards

During her tenure as an AV lead at cloud communications company Twilio, Talon realized the vital importance of AV standards. “I was doing their events,” she explained, “all of the break/fix, all of the build-outs for AV—for the company, with 24 offices worldwide at the time.” 

She created standards to help bring efficacy to various AV processes. Rather than an immutable formula, Talon suggests a “skeleton to start with, to hold everything else in place, as well as modular AV standards for rooms that fall outside the standard.”

Whether the standards apply to larger, complex spaces, or smaller rooms in which all-in-one systems might suffice, AV components must always “do their job,” Talon asserted. “That is what we want—AV to work, and to work reliably.”

Building AV systems that perform flawlessly, every time, requires a specific recipe: technical acumen, creative vision, and knowledge of user needs and workflows. Context is key.

“Don’t outsource AV,” Talon warned. More often than not, rooms that were “afterthoughts,” or AV that was procured only because it was cost effective create spaces that “don't sound good,” she said. “They don't look good. They are marginally functional. And half of them are down. You need somebody who is ‘AV invested’ in every company.” 

Expertise Matters

To that end, Talon appreciates Square’s dedication to specialization, with teams organized around areas of expertise and centers of gravity.  

“I strongly feel that AV is not IT,” she said, “and we're usually thrown under IT. At Square, we have what's called Business Technology, within which we have subject matter experts. We have a networking team, a security team, and an awesome AV team. I love it. We don’t expect the IT person to do everything, nor should we.” 

Bye, Boring Conference Room

The industry had been trending away from traditional conference room setups for years. The global pandemic hastened the shift. “Moving forward, we will have a hybrid work model,” Talon said. Last summer, Square announced that Square employees will be able to work from home permanently, even once offices begin to reopen. 

After the dust settles from the Coronavirus crisis, will companies want to pack people into a boardroom again, just like the days of yore? Talon says no: “Companies will want different types of rooms. There’s a focus on incredibly collaborative spaces, and that means more comfortable spaces.” 

Talon emphasized the relationship between the external and internal, noting that our surroundings can influence people in profoundly different ways. 

“At Square, we’re focused on designing more collaborative spaces, with great seating—more like a living room feel—a space where you can be comfortable and enjoy being there,” she said. “You won’t have to feel ‘buttoned up,’ and you're not expected to behave. You're expected to innovate.”

Invisible AV

Talon added that AV should not be a focal point, it should be a tool. “It should be there when necessary,” she opined. “It should be incredibly functional, offer a lot of flexibility and options, and it should be highly collaborative. It should allow for simultaneous whiteboarding, on the same whiteboard, for remote teams and people in the physical [office]. We want to create spaces where people can actually get work done rather than just talk about getting work done.”

AV over IP: A Cleaner Experience

To create spaces that are extremely flexible, ergonomic, and aesthetically appealing, AV-over-IP designs make sense. Talon admittedly loves Genelec. “I have been using their speakers forever, and I think it's the most beautiful reference speaker I've ever used,” she said. “Especially the design capacitor that allows you to get the power you need over IP, which I'm impressed by. I have this thing running off this tiny little Netgear switch, and it's just exactly as I’d expect it to sound—amazing” 

IP-enabled AV solutions like Genelec speakers typify “where we're going,” she said. The AV-over-IP methodology saves money on installation, because you're not running as many cables. It provides a cleaner experience and a cleaner installation. “We want to be able to use AV, but not see it,” she stated. “AV over IP enables this. We can tuck components away and make them as visually unobtrusive as possible. I am also a big fan of cable management,” she enthused.

Human Focused

It’s crucial to “design around users,” Talon emphasized, rather than designing systems in a vacuum or on specs alone. “I love talking with users and understanding their workflows, what they're doing in a room, and actually working with them.” 

For Talon, listening is deeply generative and essential to the work of AV: “A lot of my ideas and innovation comes from listening to users and asking them questions.”

Hybrid Future, But Immersive

Even with a hybrid workforce, we will need AV-rich spaces. Talon strongly dismisses the notion that corporate AV is in danger. “We're still going to need AV, but we have to level the playing field for people working from home. For whiteboarding and other team-focused work, we use various collaboration tools, so everyone—onsite or online—can whiteboard together. I think we’ll continue to see more of that.”

Square is committed to keeping employees safe in the office, so Talon hopes to design AV spaces that allow for social distancing and touchless AV options, like voice control and occupancy sensors, or BYOD personal device control. Single-occupancy, non-bookable spaces for quick meetings, for instance, could be useful. PTZ and auto-tracking cameras will help bridge the onsite teams with remote workers.

Emerging Tech

Square is not deploying VR or AR solutions on the corporate level at the moment, but Talon is personally intrigued by the possibilities for the industry. “Experimentation is important,” she said, suggesting that AV has to adapt to broader trends and innovations. 

What interests Talon about VR conferencing is how it can let employees be themselves—ironic, because virtual reality interactions are wholly digital. Nonetheless, “in a VR conference,” she said, “I can go in there as a seven-foot-tall pink rabbit and still be professional, which thrills me.”

As the world begins to emerge from the Coronavirus pandemic, many people are still feeling “screen fatigue.” Videoconferences can feel monotonous; focused eye contact can indeed be exhausting. Conversely, with VR and AR conferencing, “you could go into an adorable eight-bit environment with a customized town, or you could be in this fully immersive, amazing, beautiful VR space. It’s relaxing and freeing; in general, when people are relaxed they think differently and that promotes innovation.”

Vendor Relationships

As an AV engineer who works with “a variety of integration partners, because they all have specialties,” Talon appreciates the chance to connect with manufacturers directly: “I'm not thrilled with sales pitches, but it is really important to have vendors explain their products, and to interact with the technology before you can say, ‘Okay, this is right for my entire company.’”

AV is For All of Us

Despite commendable efforts to diversify the professional AV industry, women currently comprise less than 20 percent of the workforce. Laura Talon is passionate about making the industry more inclusive.

She also wants to share the virtues of AV with the wider world, particularly underrepresented groups. “Women should know that this is a fun industry to be in,” she said, “and ‘I bet you would be really good at it.’ Every woman I know in this industry is amazing. This work is highly technical, and it’s also very creative too. I can spec speakers, but I also pick colors for speakers. I get to work with design and furniture. AV is so much more than just working on a conference room.”

Margot Douaihy, PhD, teaches at Franklin Pierce University in New Hampshire. 

Launched at ISE 2020, the Bose Videobar VB1 is one of the latest introductions to the growing market for all-in-one communications solutions for small to medium conferencing spaces. Pairing a variety of new technologies with an audio experience one should expect from Bose, the bar has a sleek and modern look that will blend well with any conference room, executive meeting space, or huddle room.

Setup

Right out of the box, the product requires minimal effort to get up and running. Although I did not permanently mount it, the physical installation seems quick and easy. Mounting and cable pathways at the rear of the unit are well placed, allowing for proper cable management and a clean installation. Unlike other products from competitors, the VB1 simplifies the experience with the use of a single cable and connection to the computer. Several other products require both HDMI in and USB, whereas the VB1 utilizes a single USB-C cable. 

The connection is versatile and easily worked with several platforms I tested including Zoom, Teams, and Google. The software for setup is intuitive and easy to understand, while still offering all the options for configuration and remote management. My favorite tool was the downloadable app. I was able to quickly and easily adjust the volume, control the camera (pan/tilt/zoom), and even recall camera presets. The advanced setup and configuration options are vast yet intuitive, which is great to see.

[ Review: Shure Conferencing Audio Ecosystem Review]

Trying it Out

The camera provides a nice field of view and 4K image to clearly capture the room and individuals within. (However, it is unfortunate that most soft conferencing platforms are currently unable to take advantage of the full resolution.) Participants on the far end were able to clearly see the room, whether it had one or several participants. The camera includes auto-framing capability that can be toggled on and off via the remote or app. The framing worked well—better than some software-generated auto-framers—and the ability to easily turn this feature on and off as desired is appealing. Many other cameras I have seen require complex logins or software downloads in order to disable this functionality, if you can even turn if off at all.

The VB1’s audio is top notch. The far end was also able to clearly hear the participants in the space. Whether the room had one or several people, the beam steering technology with six microphone elements allowed for great noise rejection. The one feature everyone expects to be the best from Bose, the speakers, did not disappoint. The speakers performed well during a call, with a connected 3.5 audio cable, for a video presentation, and even streaming audio straight from the Bluetooth connection via my mobile device.

[ Review: ClearOne BMA 360 Review]

Impressions

Perhaps the VB1’s biggest downside also happens to be one of its strengths. Since it uses a singular USB-C 3.1 cable, the cable length from host to device is limited. Although it comes with a fairly long cable and a list of tested USB extenders is available on the website, like most USB devices, the extension may be somewhat limiting. I also wish the unit would charge a laptop directly connected to the unit. CEC control of the display would also benefit many users, and I have a suspicion this may be available in a future update.

Overall, the Bose Videobar VB1 is a premium conferencing device that will work reliably in just about any small- to medium-sized conferencing space. Its excellent audio quality will enhance the user experience of all within the room and for those on the far end of any video call. A product that is easier to use than most, the VB1 brings the quality Bose is known for with a wide variety of features desired by all to the conference room.

Jeremy Caldera, CTS-D, CTS-I is senior vice president at Pearl Technology, a leader in AV and IT services based in Peoria, IL. He sits on the academic advisory board for the Audio Arts & Acoustics Department of Columbia College Chicago, is the former AVIXA CTS certification program chair, and is a recent inductee to the SCN 2021 AV Hall of Fame.

The What: Crestron has announced Crestron Flex Phones, a new portfolio of Microsoft Teams-certified desk phones for organizations seeking a dedicated collaboration experience for their employees. 

[The Integration Guide to Conferencing & Collaboration]

The What Else: The Crestron Flex Phones lineup features one-touch Teams accessibility to offer quick meeting experiences so users can access any meeting, share notes, and collaborate directly from the dedicated Crestron Flex device. By handling all audio, video, and content sharing, the Crestron Flex Phones frees other devices, like a laptop or PC, to be used as productivity tools during a meeting, fostering a collaboration experience that is more fruitful and less frustrating. This minimizes inefficient task switching, streamlines ad hoc communication, and allows users to segment their schedule and workload more effectively. 

Crestron Flex Phones feature oversized touchscreen displays (8- and 10-inch HD options) and omnidirectional microphone array with 360-degree audio pickup, and come in video-enabled versions with 1080p camera or audio-only options. Built-in support for Teams allows users to simply plug the device into a PoE cable, sign in, and get started. Technology managers can scale deployment and management with integrated cloud management and monitoring with Crestron XiO Cloud Service, and embedded occupancy sensors supporting a range of 6.5 feet allow for the capture of meeting-space data and usage analytics.

“With videoconferencing cementing itself as a critical piece of the modern workplace, it’s less practical to task a laptop or a smartphone with hosting video, audio, and call-related content at the same time, especially if a user wants to use that device for note-taking or accessing files,” said Ranjan Singh, EVP, products and technology, Crestron. “In creating Crestron Flex Phones, we’re giving users their other devices back because they will now have a dedicated option to join a Teams call from or transfer a meeting to a second device. Crestron Flex Phones let users seamlessly conference from one device and share content from another—an approach adopted by many workers in today’s hybrid environments.”

The Bottom Line: Crestron Flex Phones combine high-quality audio and videoconferencing capabilities with one-touch connectivity and enterprise-grade security, as well as additional features to help users maximize productivity. They are designed to be deployed in a home or office, at a rotating “hot desk” stations popular in hybrid workplaces, or in conference rooms.

The What: Jabra has unveiled its new PanaCast camera lineup for insight-driven collaboration in the hybrid world: the Jabra PanaCast 50 all-in-one video bar and the Jabra PanaCast 20 personal camera.

The What Else: Jabra PanaCast 50 offers a plug-and-play solution to deliver an advanced immersive and engaging video experience. The PanaCast 50 effectively takes on the role of the "director" of a meeting, intelligently adjusting the video stream to follow the action. This allows Jabra PanaCast 50 to detect active speakers and the flow of conversation for a fully immersive and responsive remote meeting experience. Three 13-megapixel cameras mounted in a multi-camera array create an immersive 180-degree field of view in panoramic 4K that covers the whole room.

[Product Review: Jabra PanaCast]

Jabra PanaCast 50 features nine edge processors, including two state-of-the art edge AI processors, specifically engineered for audio and video. This system architecture enables the video bar to carry out real-time integration of audio, video, and data. The PanaCast 50 also features eight beamforming microphones with precision voice detection backed up with algorithms that remove disruptive noise. Four Jabra-engineered speakers—two 50mm woofers and two 20mm tweeters—in a zero-vibration stereo setup fill the room with clear audio, while the latest two-way audio technology delivers more natural conversations.

[The Technology Manager's Guide to Collaboration in the Post-COVID World]

With the Jabra PanaCast 20, flexible workers can benefit from high-quality, secure video collaboration in a compact, portable, and easy-to-use package. The device features AI managed on-device with edge processing, with advanced experiences generated directly on the device without extra data being sent to the cloud for processing, or the need to install additional software.

The PanaCast 20 delivers 4K Ultra HD Video, HDR video, as well as personalized intelligent zoom, which frames the main user properly, regardless of their environment. It also features automatic lighting correction.

“Extraordinary times call for extraordinary solutions and we believe the new Jabra PanaCast 50 and PanaCast 20 deliver just that," said Aurangzeb Khan, senior vice president of intelligent vision systems at Jabra. "We are happy to present the PanaCast 50, the first video bar to combine world-leading Jabra audio with our unique 180-degree field of view and unique room usage insights, for inclusive, collaborative meetings in the new normal. The time is now to start thinking about future-proofing offices, creating optimal collaboration circumstances for flexible hybrid workers and to ensure maximum productivity as your teams return. We invite businesses, organizations and institutions all around the world to experience audio and video like never before with the Jabra PanaCast intelligent devices.”

The Bottom Line: The Jabra PanaCast range has been engineered to help businesses navigate the new flexible, hybrid way of working by combining immersive vision and video, advanced audio technologies, and cutting-edge artificial intelligence to enhance meetings and collaboration. Both devices are certified for Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and all leading UC platforms.

The Jabra PanaCast 50 will be available beginning June 15, 2021; the PanaCast 20 will be available beginning August 1, 2021.

The Technology Manager's Guide to Collaboration in the Post-COVID World

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Changing Conversations

In a series of webcasts hosted by Future, panels of industry thought leaders gathered to discuss topics germane to the transition to a hybrid workforce. We highlight the most interesting talking points from these conversations.

Touch-Free Teamwork

Since the pandemic hit, the AV/IT industry has been hard at work developing and reengineering products and solutions to enable a touchless environment for when we return. Read case studies and insight from manufacturers on the process of this evolution.

Comprehensive Conferencing

As companies retrofit and design additional meeting room spaces to accommodate the needs of a hybrid workforce, all-in-one solutions are proving highly valuable. Learn from successful implementations and read manufacturers' takes on where this technology is headed.

New Products

A roundup of the latest tools for collaboration in the post-COVID world

Download the Technology Manager's Guide to Collaboration in the Post-COVID World.

Professors strive to engage and inspire students, but sound intelligibility isn’t usually their top priority. Ensuring audio quality is the domain of campus AV specialists, and that task is evolving.

Technology is, by nature, a moving target, but the rapid shift to remote learning in 2020 required many AV stakeholders to rethink classroom audio. The focus has moved to meeting the critical audio needs of teachers and learners on site, in HyFlex (hybrid-flexible) setups, and helping Zoomers hear clearly. New sensibilities and new solutions are needed as virtual learning modalities become commonplace.

Amplify Every Voice

Physical classrooms and online channels present various acoustic challenges, from reflective surfaces to spotty Wi-Fi. To guarantee intelligibility for all students, even those in the virtual back row, tech teams hope to provide consistent audio reinforcement. Audio signals from—and to—remote learners must be pristine to foster a sense of class cohesion.

“You want every student at home to feel like they’re connected, and a lot of that has to do with audio clarity and intelligibility,” said David Missall, technical application engineer manager at Sennheiser.

To track a teacher as they move through a space, or where there is a mix of on-site and mobile participants, a stable system is needed with proper microphone pickup and adaptive echo cancellation that can handle multiple speakers and changing dynamics in a room.

[ Why 2021 Will Be the Year of Touchless Audio ]

Touchless Audio and Beamforming

Ceiling array technologies have been growing in popularity for years, but the pandemic inspired many to take a closer look at smarter arrays and automatic beamforming systems. When installed in ceiling tiles, these audio applications, some equipped with artificial intelligence (AI), provide design flexibility. A touchless system—such as Sennheiser’s TeamConnect Ceiling 2, which features Sennheiser’s patented beamforming technology—also frees the teacher because they “don’t have to always hold a microphone to be heard clearly,” said Missall. “Participants in the classroom can hear interactions from students, wherever they are, in the room and off site.”

Array technology has been a boon for delivering better audio in classrooms by, paradoxically, becoming invisible. Students and teachers can simply “forget about the microphone, because you don’t have to touch it,” Missall said. “You don’t have to worry about turning it on or finding the right levels. You don’t have to think about it. You just talk normally, and wherever you are in the room, you will get picked up.”

Microformat DSPs

Some audio specialists cite new demands for audio digital signal processing (DSP) in classrooms. “As universities continue to rapidly deploy technology into small- and medium-sized classrooms to support UC applications such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams, AV technology managers are looking for audio solutions that are cost-effective, simple to install, and do not take up a lot of space,” said Shaun Robinson, vice president of product management with Xilica.

To integrate everything together, including analog or networked microphones and speakers, along with echo cancellation and other features that improve audio clarity for the remote student, DSPs are seeing significant growth in the education market vertical.

[ Installing AVoIP Systems Today Affords Future Expansion Possibilities ] 

Xilica manufactures networked digital signal processors for live and installed sound. The education sector, generally perceived to be a budget-conscious market, is even more financially prudent during COVID. Robinson is excited about solutions that innovate while also adding value. “We have seen strong growth this past year for our Solaro QR1, a microformat DSP that is very cost-effective and yet quite powerful,” he said. “Unlike a DSP that takes up a full rack space, it has a compact form factor, and yet it’s also modular, so you only pay for [the features] you need.” With a compact chassis that fits in a quarter rack unit, the QR1 features a dual core, 40-bit floating point DSP engine, networked audio, and acoustic echo cancellation capabilities that can support an entire classroom.

Indeed, an uplift for Xilica in 2020 was in university spaces, where the “Solaro QR1 was even installed in ceiling tiles to reach out to analog ceiling microphones, and enable UC platform integration as a simple retrofit in traditional classrooms,” Robinson stated.

DSP with Camera Control

To enhance interactivity for remote students, there is a push to add PTZ and smarter camera control within the DSP to show each person speaking. Missall noted, “We’re seeing multiple cameras in the same room, with wide shots of the classroom as well as close-up coverage of the teacher. If a student raises their hand and starts talking, the camera focuses on them and you can see—and hear—who’s speaking.”

Vendor Investments

An unexpected benefit of the pandemic has been the increased collaboration among audio and control manufacturers. The strategic alliance between Sennheiser and QSC is one example.

Hardware and software vendors are upping their game, too. Zoom Room software audio processing builds in native echo cancellation, noise reduction, and automatic gain control. “If the microphone in use includes built-in audio processing, this setting can be disabled to avoid the Zoom Room audio processing interfering with the built-in audio processing,” according to the company. For a microphone that includes its own audio processing, Zoom users can disable the software audio processing option.

Personal Audio on Campus

BYOD (bring your own device) is another method for providing audio coverage for every teacher and student. Holger Stoltze, director of product management at Yamaha UC, appreciates how a BYOD design and personal microphones let teachers capture their own audio. “It doesn’t matter if it is for remote learning or a mixed environment, teachers need their audio to be captured,” Stoltze said.

He pointed to a Yamaha project in a Japanese school where wireless mics integrate with audio playback and capture in the whole room. Students—at home or on site—can be sure their voices will be clearly heard in larger rooms and via video playback, Stoltze said.

[ How Room Monitoring Can Help Solve Workplace Uncertainty ] 

With ever-changing user needs and school reopenings influenced by fluctuating COVID infection rates, educational audio systems should be scalable and flexible.

Future-Proofing Classrooms

How can institutions stay on budget while also staying relevant for years to come?

Invest in the network and the cloud. With a strong IT infrastructure in place, and cloud-based AV offerings, a BYOD scenario becomes possible. Students can bring their own laptops or iPads, connect into the existing infrastructure, and start collaborating.

The solid IT infrastructure will also prove useful when considering on-ramps and off-ramps for networked audio. Many components can be wired directly in, but for long-distance transmission, more integrators are implementing network-equipped audio for easier ingest and distribution throughout a university.

Vendors are getting more inventive in their approaches. The Beamforming Microphone Array Ceiling Tile (BMA) 360 by ClearOne, for instance, touts deployment ease. Competing products require integrators to program multiple components with different tool sets: “Ethernet switches, ceiling tiles, DSP mixers, and the Dante controller,” according to the company. ClearOne’s single-workflow configuration is provided via ClearOne’s CONSOLE AI software.

Accessibility and ADA

Captioning lectures and observing universal design principles will help make classrooms more accessible and compliant with ADA regulations. Tech teams are also being asked to specify assistive listening and audio solutions for the hearing impaired. According to the World Health Organization, by the year 2050, more than “900 million people will have disabling hearing loss.”

With voice assist via the Wi-Fi network, tech managers won’t need to dispense additional devices. This is one of the ways AV teams can help hearing-impaired students and teachers feel more confident while leveraging the existing infrastructure.

Prioritize Flexibility

Another pandemic takeaway: audio systems must be adaptable.

Classrooms can vary dramatically, even on the same campus; there is no cookie-cutter audio solution. The flexibility of a system like Yamaha’s ADECIA, Stoltze explained, will let users toggle effortlessly from in-room to HyFlex/hybrid and remote applications as needed.

The Yamaha ADECIA suite introduces the RM-CG ceiling microphone and RM-CR room control processor and includes Yamaha’s PoE switches and VXL Series line array speakers. Together, the system supports multi-beam tracking, human voice activity detection, noise reduction algorithms, speaker tracking, adaptive acoustic echo cancellation, and more.

“We believe schools are looking for systems like this because, in the long-term, they will provide cost savings,” Holger said, “and inevitably perform better than tabletop microphones.”

Silver Lining: Audio Matters

Video all too often dominates the AV conversation, but the COVID crisis has foregrounded the need for good classroom audio.

“A silver lining this year is the renewed focus on audio and how important audio is for any type of production, application, or classroom solution,” said Missall.

With the crop of new technologies and modes of implementation, there’s no longer an excuse for “I couldn’t hear,” Holger concluded.

As the spring 2021 semester gets underway, college and university faculty, administrators, AV/IT managers, and instructors are on the offense and ready for any combination of in-class and remote learning that the year ahead might require.

There’s no escaping the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc, with so many suffering great heartache and loss, but some see a silver lining. Randy Tritz, a partner at Shen Milsom & Wilke and managing principal of SM&W Chicago, feels that the digital technology divide has been all but erased. “The predominance of synchronous instruction and learning is giving way to asynchronous learning on a global scale,” Tritz said.

Call it HyFlex, hybrid, remote, or distant, the blended learning environment will be the norm for 2021 and a trend that will most likely carry well into the future. “Technology deployment has taken a whole new meaning in terms of function and application. Planning a class space and curriculum now requires consideration of not only the in-person learner but also the remote learner,” Tritz said. The dynamic class session has become a focus of design trends for consultants and integrators. “The classroom has truly become a room without walls in more than one way, requiring learning environment design to take a much deeper dive into acoustics, lighting, space, and orientation,” he added.

Intuitive

With more technologies deployed and potentially fewer support staff available, hybrid and distance learning models drive home the need for a classroom interface that’s easy to use. “These intuitive controls focus on substantially improving the user experience by customizing the user interface for the instructor, without the complexity that was necessary just a year or two ago,” Tritz said.

[ The Critical Pivot from Classroom to Distance Learning ] 

Unified communications planning in a classroom environment looks extensively at the user interface and the user experience. “This mandates reconsidering control, audio, and video systems as a single function rather than individual components that just happen to work together with significant integration,” Tritz added. “Voice, video, data, analytics, virtualization, and collaboration are being deployed using any platform, including cellular devices, tablets, laptops, etc. Gone are the days of specialized hardware for each aspect of communication.”

Critical Elements

Tritz emphasized the need for enhanced audio systems that allow natural-sounding conversations between local and remote students. “This requires a rethinking of many existing spaces that may have been designed primarily for presentation,” he said.

In addition to audio solutions, Paul Richards, director of marketing at PTZOptics and HuddleCamHD, identified document cameras, webcams, robotic tracking cameras, greenscreens or backdrops, digital displays, whiteboards, and lighting as elements that will remain necessary in the hybrid and distance learning classroom. “Going forward, the technology will no longer be an experiment for instructors but instead a reliable and predictable part of their overall online teaching strategy,” Richards said. “Technologies that ‘just work’ are generally certified for the web collaboration solutions deployed by schools.”

[ Distance Learning Technology Prepares Pepperdine University for Fall 2020 Semester ] 

Richards sees a trend toward incorporating tools that enhance a collaborative experience but stressed the importance of keeping in mind what worked inside classrooms and lecture halls. “Videoconferencing platforms—in group and individual settings—will continue to be an important part of this virtual learning mission,” he said. “Teachers will use more recorded videos, apps for interactive quizzes, and work-sharing, while balancing that technology with structured breaks and personal communication.” A combination of asynchronous and synchronous classes allows for the immediacy of interaction and flexibility for students who need a more on-demand experience.

Flexibility

Vistacom has been installing permanent classroom technology solutions for decades; however, the company is now seeing greater demand for highly customized solutions that meet an institution’s unique hybrid learning requirements.

As the pandemic is not yet in the rearview mirror, there’s still a push for “no-contact” teaching. “Teachers want technology they don’t have to interact with physically but can still share/project their teachings,” said Paris Orrison, engineering manager at Vistacom. “We also see more remote technology classroom setups.”

[ State of the Huddle Space ] 

Since the pandemic started last spring, Vistacom has installed portable cart systems, virtual learning classrooms, hybrid classrooms, studios and podcast suites, and Learning Glass installations. “While extensive hardware was previously required for classrooms, now it’s just a simple application. But with the pandemic still evolving, we’re seeing increasing adoption of technology that doesn’t lock educational institutions into using these applications indefinitely,” Orrison said. “Administrators want technology that can be used when needed and set aside when not.”

One of the most important lessons Vistacom has learned from working with higher ed institutions, specifically with distance learning applications, is that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. “Due to classroom setups, videoconferencing preferences, teaching styles, and hybrid scenarios, each technology solution designed and installed by Vistacom has been highly customized and tailored to the unique needs of the institution, and even the unique needs of specific departments within the university,” added Orrison. “This has allowed our higher ed clients to adopt a technology workflow that makes sense for how they teach and present—also leading to enhanced user adoption by faculty.”

The Studio

“Many schools are taking small conference rooms and turning them into mini video production studios,” added PTZOptics’ Richards. Pennsylvania State University developed the One Button Studio, a simplified video recording setup that can be used by those without video production experience. “However, with the right tools, much of this can be achieved in a home-based setting,” Richards said.

During the past year, several universities have created studios that allow instructors to teach a class within an environment that offers proper lighting, acoustics, cameras, microphones, and a full complement of tools that may not be readily available elsewhere. “However simple it may be, it provides a common space with access to the tools necessary to develop content,” SM&W’s Tritz said. These studios also offer live face-to-face time without in-person contact.

Vistacom has been installing Learning Glass studios, where teachers can walk in and record a lesson that is either streamed live or can be played back on-demand by students. “The Learning Glass has become popular among education institutions because of its unique setup that allows professors to write and demonstrate their lesson on a glass board without having to turn their back to students or the camera,” Orrison said. Learning Glass technology flips writing on the board so it’s not backward for viewers, making everything readable by the camera and recording software.

Also becoming more common are recording studios in which professors can walk in, plug in a thumb drive, press a button, and record a lesson, all without interacting with a production crew. “This ‘one-button’ recording studio is growing in popularity because it’s already set up. When they’re done, the user simply sanitizes that one button,” Orrison said. “We are also installing podcast suites where teachers can record a lesson with high-quality audio for students.”

The What: VisibilityOne software tools enable IT support teams to proactively monitor all of their company’s video meeting solutions and devices in one dashboard. Relevant performance metrics are delivered by VisibilityOne’s intuitive user interface. Critical notifications allow IT teams to resolve critical UCC problems before they impact users, avoiding unnecessary downtime.

The What Else: VisibilityOne recently added a Zoom Desktop Plug-In to streamline its capabilities across cloud-based communications services and give IT support visibility of the end user experience for audio/video collaboration systems. The VisibilityOne plug-in for Zoom Rooms goes beyond APIs that can be obtained from Zoom. To reduce downtime and deliver a powerful support experience, VisibilityOne Zoom Rooms features self-heal and failover when issues are encountered; Preset Fallback, which returns a room to its default settings when the call ends; and the ability to remotely reboot the room’s PC/NUC or Zoom Room app as necessary.

“Our solution prevents unnecessary downtime in video collaboration environments and reduces the engineering costs of supporting the environment,” said Jose De La Paz, VisibilityOne co-founder and CEO. “With VisibilityOne’s cloud-based UI and proactive monitoring platform, IT can take control and proactively support their user base, whether on premise or remote.”

[ Unified Communications Products to Please Integrators ]

[ The Ever-Evolving UC Space ] 

With the goal of providing real-time monitoring and alerts for the entire UC path, VisibilityOne improves last-mile control with live alerts, remote healing, network path view, and testing console. By offering actionable insights into videoconferencing devices, applications, and the operating environment, VisibilityOne reduces the number of helpdesk tickets while ensuring high performance with increased uptime, end user adoption, and satisfaction.

In minutes, an IT team can gain access to an end-to-end solution for real-time problem solving, thus allowing for a predictable conferencing experience.

The Bottom Line: Once installed, the VisibilityOne app securely communicates with existing videoconferencing equipment to gather and consolidate data. The data is then securely delivered to VisibilityOne’s cloud service and displayed via VisibilityOne’s cloud user dashboard for immediate access. For highly sensitive environments demanding zero cloud access, VisibilityOne may be deployed as on on-premise installation, which allows all monitoring services to remain on the client’s internal private network.

VisibilityOne

Nureva has announced that its HDL300 audio conferencing system is now certified as a Microsoft Teams Room device, making it the first microphone and speaker bar to be certified for large meeting spaces, according to the company. 

After undergoing Microsoft’s rigorous testing process, the HDL300 was certified for large meeting spaces up to 15 feet by 28 feet (4.5 by 8.5 meters). Powered by the company’s Microphone Mist technology, the HDL300 system fills a room with 8,192 virtual microphones so in-room participants can move around, maintain physical distance, and still be heard clearly by remote participants. Unlike traditional systems for large spaces, there isn’t a need for a DSP, complex installation, and calibration of multiple components such as table-top pods and ceiling mics.

Related: The Technology Manager's Guide to Audio in the New Era of UC

IT teams can quickly install and set up the HDL300 system in under an hour. The system hangs on a wall with two screws and connects via USB to a computer with Teams software. It calibrates automatically and continuously so the Teams Room is always ready to go—even if it has been reconfigured to accommodate changing uses or distancing protocols.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Teams has become indispensable to a growing number of organizations and education institutions around the globe that have shifted to a hybrid model, where a combination of workers or learners are physically in the same space, alongside those who are remote. Recent data show that daily active Teams users climbed to over 115 million at the end of October, and more than 230,000 education institutions are using Teams for remote and hybrid learning. As those numbers continue to grow, reliable audio conferencing that is easy to implement and manage will continue to be an essential aspect of any IT strategy to support collaboration. The HDL300 provides Teams customers with a new certified device option that is well suited to meet this need.

“As the global adoption of Teams continues to grow, so will the need for reliable audio conferencing solutions that deliver performance without complexity,” said Nancy Knowlton, Nureva’s CEO. “We are thrilled that the HDL300 is the first microphone and speaker bar to be certified for Microsoft Teams in large meeting rooms, demonstrating its unique ability to provide full-room microphone coverage from a single device.”

“The rapid shift to hybrid models of working and learning has created an urgent need for solutions that make it easy to fully support the needs of dispersed teams without compromise,” said Albert Kooiman, Microsoft’s senior director of Microsoft Teams Devices Partner Engineering and Certification. “We were excited to see how Nureva’s HDL300 system delivers the audio performance we demand for certification with a product that is so simple to install and use.”

The proof of concept is here: remote work works.

According to Gartner, 88 percent of global organizations made it mandatory or encouraged their employees to work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some corporations welcomed teams back to reconfigured, socially distanced office spaces over the summer, while tech firms such as Facebook and Google are giving many employees the flexibility to work from home through 2021.

As more people return to offices part-time, full-time, or with hybrid arrangements, what tools and policies will prove to be essential? What lessons have we learned about UCC, AV, and visualization technologies and team morale during the pandemic? How can AV specialists add value on the corporate campus, even as videoconferencing platforms continue to be the default meeting method for geographically separated employees?

New Workflows

Microsoft Teams, Cisco Webex, Zoom, and soft codecs of their ilk had been deployed in the enterprise for many years before the pandemic, but the crisis hastened their proliferation. “There have been various players and peripherals” for some time, according to Akintayo Adewole, CTS, design engineer at Verrex.

The crucial difference in 2020: enterprise technology specialists have had to “stop prophesying and simply make it all work, make it secure, and focus on delivering a better experience,” Adewole said.

Paul Konikowski, CTS-D, agreed. Konikowski—who works for HB Communications, number 13 on SCN's 2020 Top 50 list, as a manager of AV contracting—is currently completing an online Master of Science degree program from the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). He has been tracking the rapid workplace migration to digital communications—and the speed and scope of the shift. He’s observed how the pandemic has spurred a “dramatic adoption of collaboration tools like Microsoft Teams and Zoom,” which is notable “because it has changed our entire workflow,” Konikowski said.

“Persistent Chat Culture”

Videoconferencing soft codecs give employees the continuity of face-to-face meetings. Cloud-based solutions let people collaborate in sync on projects of all sizes. And for chatting, employees are leveraging Slack and tools like it. The result is an agile “persistent chat culture,” Konikowski noted, that keeps teams engaged, either asynchronously or synchronously.

AV specialists can help companies center the persistent chat culture as more workers return to the corporate campus. “People using Zoom and Slack are no longer ‘early adopters,’” Konikowski said, suggesting that workers will want to “seamlessly carry home office methods, tools, and workflows back into their [physical] offices.”

Konikowski pointed to products like large-format displays that will let employees socially distance without missing important information on the screen. Additional displays might be needed to showcase each element of the remote, on-site, and hybrid work ecosystem. Dashboard stats, access to camera feeds, webinars, live tweets, and chat streams are just a few of today’s standard work features. AV specialists can add value in an enterprise project by creatively merging these disparate but important elements.

To that end, Konikowski expects to see more interest in “voice control and solutions like confidence monitors and teleprompters in front of cameras that show the far end participant so more direct eye contact can be made.” These kinds of technologies and designs will meet the needs of today’s workforce and keep pace with changing behavior. Unified communications and collaboration (UCC) tools can create a bridge into hybrid or flex environments.

Prioritizing Health and Safety

Another enterprise trend is the visualization of health and safety information inside the office, according to Konikowski. He cited new protocols pertaining to COVID testing as an example. These measures can make corporate wellness policies more transparent while helping employees feel safe and valued. Open air and natural lighting are also encouraged.

Immersive and Experiential

On the corporate campus, in the home office, or in satellite branches, “people crave being more engaged and collaborative in meetings. Immersive applications can help with that,” said Adewole. Corporations and integrators need to better understand the immersive space, which includes VR (virtual reality), AR (augmented reality), and MR (mixed reality).

Adewole connected advancements in VR technologies to dropping price points for wearables such as headsets, and the implementation of more robust communications infrastructure such as 5G and Starlink. VR has been increasingly popular for gaming during the pandemic and is consequently enabling other emerging applications. Consumers can procure high-quality wireless VR headsets for $300 or less. “People now have more affordable access to this technology. Participation and the development of more immersive business applications is soon to follow,” Adewole predicted.

While some sectors have been slow to invest in XR/MR, a few companies have hit the ground running. Adewole noted that architectural engineering and construction firms (AEC), for instance, can leverage emerging technologies and see immediate benefits. Pair AR or VR with prototyping for a distributed team around the world and “you would be able to take an architectural model and turn it into a more immersive experience for clients. You could walk around in three-dimensional space, mark it up, and annotate, all within a virtual yet photorealistic experience.”

Now apply this creative paradigm to corporate communications and broadcast. High-quality cameras, spatial audio, and immersive storytelling technologies could add value to live events, Adewole suggested. Imagine more experiential shareholder presentations, all-hands meetings, and corporate Facebook Live streams. “It’s time to start thinking bigger and more creatively about this space,” he added.

Advanced Intelligence Built into Devices

Jason Jacoby, CTS, associate with Shen Milsom & Wilke, sees a similar trend with AI on the corporate campus. Indicated by the wider availability of AI-enhanced solutions, and by recent acquisitions, vendors see the value in incorporating AI into AV components. “It’s so exciting to see the industry really trying to expand, going beyond just putting a microphone on a table,” Jacoby said.

He highlighted AI’s benefits, particularly with enterprise audio: “You can define the area in which a specific microphone is listening. AI microphones can track a person around the room. You can put a great soundbar on a wall and stand 15 feet back in that room and the audio is still completely intelligible. This is a great step forward to requiring less physical control touchpoints in rooms.”

Less Equipment in Rooms

“As employees start filtering back into offices, and after the next cycle of refreshes, expect to see less physical equipment in rooms,” according to Jacoby. “We’ve gotten to the point where it is possible in all but the largest of rooms to move just about everything beyond the network and into the cloud, including DSP. You can have very advanced programs on the network without the need for a physical device, and have a mini PC mounted behind the monitor or in a rack down the hall. The foundation of the space is now beyond the local devices, including network switches and routers, and at the software level.”

Purpose-Driven Workspaces

The key in 2021 will be “leading with the use case,” said Frank Padikkala, CTS-D, AV design engineer with Diversified. Focus on creative solutions and “purpose-build rooms guided by the use case,” he stated.

“The design engineer in me appreciates a purpose-built room,” he said. Previously, there may have been an appetite for—or at least a high tolerance for—a generic conference room. Now, Padikkala said, “We are all asking what we’re trying to do in each space—recording, streaming, or remote work, for instance—and then leading with that use case and those user needs.”

AVoIP

IT’s relevance in the pro AV industry is writ large, but the pandemic has laid bare the critical importance of security, data, connectivity, remote access, and network reliability. “It is essential that AV firms continue to level up with IT skills training, cybersecurity, and network expertise,” Padikkala said. “There is still a skills divide.”

[The Integration Guide to AVoIP]

Opex

Another long-term benefit to investing in AV over IP and cloud-based applications is the ability to tap into the opex (operating expense) budget versus capex (capital expense). During cash-strapped times—pandemic and beyond—an opex approach makes logistical sense, Padikkala suggested.

Bringing the Office to You

Padikkala is grateful that the shift to remote working “bridged a gap,” he said. The new world of work relies on technology, but Padikkala also sees it as a “cultural evolution.”

“We all must take a more holistic approach to the idea of work and workspaces.”

Jacoby took that sentiment a step further: “The next level is really about bringing the office to the employees, rather than the other way around.”

IMCCA announced the recipients of the 2020 UC Industry Impact Awards, honoring organizations for their contributions and outstanding support during the pandemic. The winners, as selected by a panel of five independent industry expert judges, were unveiled during the live IMCCA Collaboration Thanksgiving Webcast on November 17, 2020.

“The UC Industry Impact Award honorees pushed the boundaries of UC technology and in so doing profoundly improved the user experience during a monumental shift in organizational structures and processes resulting from the pandemic,” said Carol Zelkin, executive director, IMCCA. “We congratulate all the outstanding nominees and these award recipients, and look forward to their continued contributions which benefit both the general public and the industry.”

Related: 3 Takeaways on the State of Collaboration From IMCCA’s Collaboration Week New York

Nominees for the Industry Impact Awards (all of which can be seen here) were selected by IMCCA executive board and board members. Then, an independent judging panel selected three nominees from each of the categories (Collaboration Platforms; Hardware and Peripherals; Integrators and Service Providers; and Distributors and Miscellaneous Organizations.) The independent judges were Irwin Lazar of Nemertes Research, Blair Pleasant of Commfusion, Dan Ferrisi of Sound and Communications, Roopam Jain of Frost and Sullivan, and Tim Banting of Omdia.

2020 UC Industry Impact Award Winners and Judges’ Criteria

Collaboration Platforms: LogMein / GoToMeeting

The team at GoToSuite / LogMeIn provided free emergency remote work kits for health care providers, educational institutions, municipalities, and non-profit organizations when the pandemic struck, enabling critical work to continue remotely.

Collaboration Platforms: Microsoft Teams

Microsoft not only provided its great Microsoft Teams platform, which seamlessly absorbed the surge in work-from-home employees, in addition it launched a global skills initiative to help people hardest hit by the pandemic by making tools and resources available to learn digital skills.

Collaboration Platforms: Zoom

Deservedly, Zooms led all Industry Impact Nominees with 10 nominations. No other UC firm rose to the challenge of COVID-19 as overwhelmingly as Zoom, becoming a global verb synonymous with video for business, healthcare, education, and religious and social events, and in many cases was provided at no cost for the good of the greater community.

Hardware and Peripherals: Crestron

When the pandemic struck, Crestron designed, built, and shipped an entirely new system to enable collaboration in non-traditional spaces, turning field hospitals, manufacturing floors, and large classrooms into Teams and Zoom rooms overnight.

Hardware and Peripherals: Logitech

Logitech enabled millions of people around the world with its powerful tools, helping them feel part of their work, connected to their loved ones, as normal as possible during the pandemic, and created a program to specifically help educators.

Hardware and Peripherals: Poly

Whether in the school, enterprise, or living room, using Poly's devices during COVID-19 gave people a professional meeting experience without hassle. Its powerful, agnostic AI systems inside a catalog that has the unique breadth to cover all UC needs let users choose the best experience anywhere and at any time. For just one example, its Studio USB’s new rapid automatic tracking mode freed teachers to again walk around a classroom when presenting to remote students.

Integrators and Service Providers: AVI-SPL

AVI-SPL pivoted quickly to provide newly assigned home workers with technology starter kits and dedicated courses on “working remotely” for first timers. The speed and quality of their solution demonstrated an enormous commitment to customer service.

Integrators and Service Providers: Poly

When COVID-19 struck, Poly's Global Services team offered free consulting with UC experts to guide businesses, organizations, and individuals on the best technology to enable remote working, network readiness, and workspace design, empowering everyone to quickly adapt to the new normal. (Poly was the only double award winner, nominated in three categories and winning in two.)

Integrators and Service Providers: Yorktel

Yorktel responded to the pandemic's surge in demand by developing and building hundreds of rapid response carts in a matter of weeks—just one of the steps its pandemic response team took to support thousands of global customers.

Distributors and Miscellaneous Organizations: AtlasIED

Atlas IED provided tens of thousands of medical-grade protective face shields to first responders and those on the front lines, helping ease the crunch for PPE during the pandemic. They manufactured and shipped face shields to almost all 50 US states at no cost.

Distributors and Miscellaneous Organizations: Legrand AV

Legrand converted one of its Indiana production lines during the height of the pandemic to making 1000 masks a day.

The pandemic has mobilized these and many other UC providers to deliver solutions that will help ensure the continuity and growth of UC technology usage, resulting from the work-from-home phenomenon coupled with the need to find alternatives for in-person interactions. Zelkin adds that the UC Industry Impact Awards have been a great opportunity to honor and thank those individuals and organizations who have supported and given visibility to the UC industry’s role in this accomplishment.

“We are fortunate to have such dedicated and innovative players in this industry and we truly appreciate their contributions,” she said. “From individuals such as our own David Danto, IMCCA’s director of emerging technology—who worked tirelessly to drive outreach as the pandemic began—to organizations such as Zoom, whose name has become synonymous with UC technology, our industry is to be commended for the responsible leadership it has shown in helping organizations keep working through this unprecedented situation, and prepare our world for the hybrid working future that’s upon us.”

Salem, OR-based Willamette University, which prides itself on “being a community of collaborative educators,” recently opted for new collaborative technology in its effort to adapt to COVID-19-imposed changes. Prioritizing the health and safety of its staff and students, the school reduced its classroom capacities, modified their layouts to maintain social distance, and expanded its HyFlex learning model. All these efforts required a high reliance on and creative use of technology, especially videoconferencing supported by high-quality audio.

The school has offered flexible learning models for many years, but with the pandemic, it required a greater number of classrooms to adhere to new safety guidelines. To meet this need, former event spaces and a theater were turned into makeshift classrooms. Although these spaces would be temporary, they had to sound just as good as their dedicated classrooms with installed AV systems. With video provided with PTZ cameras, the school sought an equally easy-to-install audio solution to match.

Related: The Technology Manager's Guide to Audio in the New Era of UC

To meet these new needs, Douglas Wenger, manager of technical support services, specified the Yamaha YVC-1000 Microphone and Speaker System based on past experience with the product.. More than five years ago, the school had a student who had utilized a remote transcriber for class that required the audio be picked up and delivered to the transcriber over audio conferencing. Wenger’s AV specialist had discovered the YVC-1000 after attending InfoComm.

The Zoom-certified Yamaha YVC-1000 features a separate intelligent microphone and full-range speaker unit that can be placed close to a display for naturally blended audio and video to facilitate full far-end comprehension. Yamaha's adaptive echo cancellation and other sound processing technologies help enable a stress-free conversation.

“We first tested the YVC-1000 in our shop where we have this big fan,” Wenger said. “When we turn that fan on, it gets really noisy. The YVC-100 cancelled it out. I don't expect a fan right next to a mic to be able to cancel out that level of noise.”

Because the YVC-1000 allows for up to five microphones to be daisy-chained, it’s able to pick up the audio around the room or table. Another benefit is that the technology staff could tailor the number of mics used and where they were laid out within the room to optimize the audio for the room size and shape. The school deployed 36 units across 32 new HyFlex classrooms. Depending on the size of the room, spaces were equipped with three, four, or five microphones. The speakerphone’s scalable architecture made it well suited for turning the former event spaces, as well as a 125-seat theater, into high-quality hybrid classrooms in under an hour. 

“Surprisingly, the theater room, though it’s a large room, sounds amazing,” Wenger said. “We set up four mics in the first row and every other row going up in the center. We were in the back corner of the room talking with our normal voice and the person on the other end was hearing us as clear as could be.”

During a training session for instructors, the system was setup alongside the school’s existing audio conferencing solutions in order for them to learn all the systems at once. The session was in one of the school’s most acoustically challenging buildings. The room features 12-foot-high ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, and no acoustical tiles to help control the reverberation. The YVC-1000’s auto-tuning measures and algorithms were able to analyze the room environment and intelligently tailor the acoustic settings to the optimal level for the room. The automatic system warnings helped to ensure the microphones were well placed for optimal audio quality. 

The professors saw a noticeable difference in audio quality between the YVC-1000 and other products in the room. For the technology staff, its plug-and-play nature and auto tuning allowed them to set up the audio in under 45 minutes and focus more time on setting up the document cameras and PTZ video cameras. 

In addition to natural-sounding audio quality and ease of deployment, the new speakerphones require almost no input from the instructors. For rooms with an in-room PC, they can just get started. If they’re bringing in their own laptop, they simply plug the USB cord of the dock that the YVC-1000 is connected to into their device and they’re ready to launch Zoom.

The YVC-1000 is also capable of being paired with two external speakers and other microphone systems via an input jack. This gives Willamette a scalable design that will allow the school to redeploy the solution when it no longer needs surplus hybrid classrooms. For example, they can install them in Willamette’s conference rooms needing better mic coverage. This is a cost-effective, flexible alternative to installed audio solutions. As a result, the school has a much greater return on investment. 

As increasing priority is placed on audio in the classroom, the YVC-1000 answered the question of how Willamette could help remote students feel as if they’re in class. Although hearing the professor is essential, the arising trend is ensuring far-end participants hear the questions and feedback between students in the classroom. With the YVC-1000 in place, remote students don’t have to worry about ever missing the conversation and professors don’t have to spend time repeating questions to ensure that everyone heard them.

BenQ, the global exclusive distributor of Google Jamboard, is providing the cloud-based display and collaboration tools that career and technical schools need to seamlessly adapt to hybrid and remote learning models. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Georgia Career Institute (GCI) recently installed Google Jamboard 4K UHD all-in-one interactive displays across its three campuses in Georgia and Tennessee. The Jamboard’s integrated Google Workspace, Google Meet videoconferencing application, and cloud-based collaboration tools provide instructors with a user-friendly system for teaching remotely, delivering outstanding virtual vocational preparation to students during the pandemic. 

“Jamboard supports what our teachers already know: Google,” said Lauren Davis, regional director for GCI. “It is not foreign, so they could get started right away without fear of moving into the remote model or creating a bad experience for our students. When you already know Google, the Jamboard makes it very easy to step into a remote learning model.” 

Related: The Technology Manager's Guide to Transformative Classroom Solutions

Using Jamboard’s built-in features and capabilities, GCI was able to create and launch a virtual program for its theory classes in a matter of weeks without introducing new workflows or programs. From the Jamboard, teachers simply log into their Google account to pull up materials within Google Docs, access Gmail, or launch classes in Google Meet. With a tap of the onscreen videoconferencing app or the meeting reminder on their calendar, teachers can get remote classes started easily. Because the display comes built-in with a wide-angle camera, microphone, and speakers, instructors did not have to learn how to operate additional equipment.

Jamboard’s digital whiteboard feature was especially critical for opening up channels of interaction, engagement, and comprehension shown to be pivotal to successful remote learning. Digital whiteboarding allows any student in the Meet to annotate or mark-up materials on screen. With the click of a button, Jamboard users can toggle between the whiteboard, other Google applications, and the call. All sessions as well as any notes written on the board can be saved to Google Classroom. These features benefit in-person practical exercises as well. Users can draw and review saved models and techniques on the screen before beginning hands-on exercises.

In addition to advancing the organization’s learning methods, the displays have solved absenteeism. Before, when a student was absent, instructors would have to work with each individual on makeup content, reteaching the same lesson and gathering all of the data for the student. Now students can view recorded classes in their Google Classroom account. This also has helped solve any COVID-19 quarantine dilemmas because students can pursue their theory classes from home as well as safely attend vendor webinars. 

The organization is exploring how the Jamboards can be used in the future to create a hybrid remote structure, where instructors will teach theory material to students onsite and online simultaneously. This would allow the school to use the same instructor for theory classes across all campuses and to fill instructor positions more easily in cities where it’s harder to find licensed professionals.

“Google Jamboard sparks the real-time collaboration through the cloud that extends the Google Workspace and Classroom experience to new environments and applications,” said Penny Su, business unit director, Google Jamboard and enterprise collaboration solutions for BenQ America Corp. “GCI is a great example of how technical schools can build a flexible yet successful hybrid-remote program that allows students to continue their learning no matter if they’re in the classroom or joining from home.”

The What: TEKVOX has begun shipping the Wunderbar All-in-One Conferencing Bar, featuring a 4K auto-tracking camera, an array microphone, and an audio speaker. 

The What Else: The Wunderbar’s versatile 4K camera dynamically tracks speakers to keep them in frame. It features an ultra-wide field of view for capturing full-room video, and 5x digital zoom for detailed, reliable video. The sophisticated beamforming microphone and full-frequency speakers deliver high-quality audio for superior clarity during videoconferences.

Related: The Technology Manager's Guide to Videoconferencing and Streaming

A single USB 3.0 connection offers convenience and ease of installation. The versatile Wunderbar also includes multiple mounting options and joint HDMI/USB 3.0 outputs for other use cases.

“Every iteration of TEKVOX videoconferencing systems is more integrated and easier to install and use,” said TEKVOX CEO Jim Reinhart. “By combining three incredible technologies in one, the Wunderbar is another step in that direction.”

The Bottom Line: Well suited for small conference rooms or huddle rooms, the Wunderbar can be combined with a PC and display to deliver all the essentials needed for videoconferencing.

The Wunderbar is shipped fully functional, pre-programmed, and rigorously tested. It has an MSRP of $1,325 (dealer $795), and is now shipping.

AV and UC consulting firms Communications Design Associates (CDA) and Telemanagement Resources International (TRI) have announced a partnership to provide high-level expert consultation to enterprise clients and design partners. The firms will leverage their expertise to provide guidance surrounding workplace evolution and technology use beyond re-entry protocol to provide quantifiable future benefits.

Driving this initiative is CDA principal Michael Goldman, a global integration, enterprise AV, UC, and building control and automation solutions expert, and Dr. S. Ann Earon of TRI, a global authority on conferencing and collaborative communications. For over 35 years Dr. Earon has been a well-respected speaker, advisor, and author, having helped many global companies to improve implementation and use of technology, and in turn, increase productivity, revenue, and profits. Joining Goldman’s and Earon’s counsel will be CDA founding principal Stewart Randall, a highly regarded designer and educator known for his expertise in AV, video production, and facility planning. This CDA/TRI alliance represents a deep knowledge base of unquestionable value to companies striving to implement change and realize success beyond initial workplace re-entry moves.

Related: Four Questions with Unified Communications Expert Dr. S. Ann Earon

 “So much emphasis is being placed on the mechanics of returning to work and corporate office re-occupancy right now,” Goldman said. “We see a real need to address returning to work at several additional levels, most importantly relating to user experience, technology adoption, and performance success, long-term. We’re addressing considerations that aren’t part of the initial back-to-work plan, and taking a 360-degree look at the challenges that businesses are facing, and providing forward-looking strategies and solutions through technology and space that will help them to thrive during and after COVID-19.”

CDA/TRI services include facility review, repurposing, and design; enterprise re-entry planning; hybrid strategies and monitoring solutions; best-choice technology recommendations (playbook); and user adoption and training programs. Engagement will be fluid and tailored around the individual needs and goals of each client/end-user entity.

The Vizrt Group has announced that NDI technology now integrates with Microsoft Teams, opening new possibilities for video production workflows. With video dominating communication on a global scale, the addition of NDI to Teams allows for versatile video workflows through a Teams meeting. Broadcast engineers can access the video feed of the Teams meeting participants, the screensharing feed, and Together Mode.

Related: NewTek Debuts TriCaster 2 Elite Video Production Platform

“Microsoft Teams is the forerunner of videoconferencing technology globally,” said Michael Namatinia, president of NDI for the Vizrt Group. “Integrating NDI into Teams dramatically expands the visual storytelling power of the platform. As we all seek to expand and refine our video capabilities, NDI combined with Teams gives storytellers a new frontier of creative possibilities waiting to be explored.”

NDI is the most widely adopted IP-based video delivery standard in the world. The integration of NDI into Teams offers a high quality, seamless transition from any video stream. Single or multiple Teams meeting attendees can be added into any production, each as unique a camera source. 

To equip its campus for the new hybrid education reality, Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA recently outfitted more than 40 classrooms with Nureva HDL300 audio conferencing systems, and an additional 32 systems have been ordered. 

SMARTSolution Technologies, an authorized Nureva dealer, supported the university in its search for an audio conferencing system to help students learn in a hybrid environment, where some students are in the classroom and others are participating in remote learning. Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, Duquesne was using several Nureva systems it purchased in late 2019 and early 2020. Once the need to shift to a hybrid learning model became apparent, the university installed another 37 units specifically for those classrooms. Most recently, Duquesne installed a Dual HDL300 system in a mock courtroom at the School of Law. An additional 32 units have been ordered, with plans for a campus-wide implementation of Nureva audio systems. According to the company, the wall-mounted systems can be installed in less than an hour, making the upgrades quick and easy.

Related: The Technology Manager's Guide to Audio in the New Era of UC

Duquesne’s COVID-19 Master Plan reflects safety measures and protocols that the university has taken to create a structured campus environment that allows for face-to-face and hybrid classes, adapted living conditions, and other necessary changes, while making it possible for students to be on Duquesne’s campus and earn a high-quality education. Since August 2019, prior to COVID-19, academic affairs—which includes faculty and technology teams—has been working to create HyFlex, an educational experience that provides students with both in-class and remote instruction during the fall semester. 

The HDL300 systems are powered by Nureva’s breakthrough Microphone Mist technology, which provides the full-room microphone coverage needed to accommodate the Master Plan’s physical distancing requirements and enable remote students to hear every word and feel engaged in the class. For professors and lecturers, lapel and podium mics are never needed, giving them freedom from the constraints and potential complications of conventional audio-conferencing solutions. And for IT and AV support staff, the system’s continuous autocalibration provides optimal performance no matter how the classroom is configured or how many times the configuration changes. 

“Nureva systems are the perfect solution to accommodate the classroom audio requirements brought on by COVID-19,” said Mitchell Schwartz, SMARTSolution’s CEO. “We were happy to help Duquesne University fulfill that component of their Master Plan.”

“We are thrilled that our audio systems are helping remote students at Duquesne receive the same quality of education as the in-classroom students receive,” said Nancy Knowlton, Nureva’s CEO. “This is a new way of teaching and learning for most universities, and we are delighted that Duquesne continues to deploy our systems across the university.” 

Duquesne University is one of a growing number of postsecondary institutions globally that are broadly deploying Nureva audio systems to meet the needs of hybrid learning models. Nureva audio systems enable these institutions to continue providing a high-quality education to students by delivering advanced full-room audio coverage in classrooms and lecture halls. In-room participants can make full use of their space, and remote students can fully engage and feel like they are in the room with classmates. 

The Technology Manager's Guide to Audio in the New Era of UC

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Small and Portable

From classrooms to office buildings, AV/IT managers have been scrambling to outfit sometimes hundreds of rooms to accommodate new hybrid scenarios. Here are some examples of how to do it successfully.

Spanning the Room

In meeting rooms, most people gather around a table, or sit side-by-side in chairs when needing to fit more people. Today, social distancing has co-workers and students spread throughout the room or across a campus. Specially designed unified communications and audio solutions are needed to help ensure intelligibility. 

Going Big

Since pandemic restrictions began to ease, companies have been creative and thinking outside-the-box when it comes to bringing everyone together, or to be more pointed—outside. When it comes to larger indoor spaces such as lecture halls and auditoriums, thinking outside-the-box is critical to ensure coverage and speech intelligibility.  

Download the Technology Manager's Guide to Audio in the New Era of UC.

The What: QSC has announced a complete portfolio of Microsoft Teams-certified meeting room accessories developed in partnership with Sennheiser and Logitech.

The What Else: The Teams Rooms accessory portfolio centers on the Q-SYS Ecosystem and the Q-SYS 110f Core processor, which combines audio, video, and control capabilities for QSC native or third-party peripherals into a single integrated appliance. Further support is provided by a full line of QSC ENERGY STAR-qualified SPA Series power amplifiers and the complete range of QSC AcousticDesign Series loudspeakers. Q-SYS NS Series network switches designed and manufactured by Dell EMC and pre-configured by QSC can be used to further simplify installation, setup, and management. QSC and Sennheiser have also partnered to include the Teams Rooms-certified Sennheiser TeamConnect Ceiling 2 microphone, including a control plugin for software integration into the Q-SYS Ecosystem.

Related: The Technology Manager's Guide to Conference Rooms

The Q-SYS Ecosystem also provides scalable, standards-based AV infrastructure that simplifies integration with many other Teams Rooms certified accessories, including the Logitech Tap touch controller and Logitech Rally Camera. Full room solutions can now be easily designed and configured to address the unique needs of larger physical spaces including additional processing requirements and more challenging audio/speech/video reinforcement typically required in more complex, high-value, specialized spaces.

“These newly certified solutions give IT and AV Mmanagers the opportunity to extend their Microsoft Teams experience into rooms that traditionally required complicated programming, separate DSP and control integration schemes,” said Jason Moss, VP of alliances and market development, QSC. “We have worked with Microsoft to remove the guesswork out of specialty room design and deployment for Teams Rooms.”

The Bottom Line: These accessories are designed to provide complete room solutions that simplify installation and management for high-value divisible spaces, training rooms, executive boardrooms, and all-hands spaces while delivering a high quality Microsoft Teams experience for end users. 

The What: BenQ has announced that its large-format displays will now deliver solutions with Zoom Video Communications. The large-format displays comprise digital signage and interactive displays. 

The What Else: BenQ digital signage and interactive displays will incorporate Zoom to modernize corporate conference rooms and personal offices for efficient and interactive telecommunication. BenQ displays with Zoom will enable remote screen sharing, content collaboration, and whiteboarding with notes.

Related: The Technology Manager's Guide to Conference Rooms

"Partnerships with technology leaders such as BenQ are key to our mission of delivering high-quality visual communications for the world," said Jeff Smith, head of Zoom Rooms, Zoom Video Communications. "Together, we can help businesses and individuals overcome today's challenges to build toward tomorrow's success."

"BenQ remains highly focused on professional needs of the corporate market," said Conway Lee, president of BenQ Corporation. "Recognizing the dynamic nature of our customers, as well as challenges and opportunities facing the world at large, our displays will incorporate Zoom to provide video conferencing and chat services."

The Bottom Line: The integration with Zoom affirms BenQ's commitment to present and future corporate requirements for visual communication and conferencing. With the new solutions, business owners, SMB presenters, and enterprise IT managers can rely on BenQ to support full interoperability and seamless videoconferencing. Similarly, integrators and solution providers can confidently recommend certified products with the assurance of complete compatibility and communication.

Black Box has announced the Digital Workplace, a service focused on unified communications and collaboration (UCC) in today’s increasingly digital and virtual workplace environments. By adding managed UCC as a service in the cloud to its existing on-premises UCC offering, Black Box addresses companies’ evolving requirements for business continuity and the expanding need to support an increasingly remote, multigenerational, and geographically dispersed workforce.

Related: Black Box Releases Emerald PE IP-Based KVM Extender

The Black Box Digital Workplace solution is delivered in three components: 

• Premises UCC, in which Black Box will work with partners to create a customized UCC solution that meets the customer’s specific business requirements and provides modern, premise-based voice, video, and collaboration solutions.
• Managed UCaaS, a subscription-based UCC service managed by Black Box leveraging cloud offerings from two key partners. UCaaS bundles best-in-class UCaaS solutions together with professional deployment, migration, and support services to help clients move from legacy to modern UCC environments.
• Premises-to-Cloud Upgrade, a service that allows customers to transition to the cloud at their own pace and build in flexibility for future UCC requirements. 

“The pandemic has accelerated many organizations’ adoption of digital workplace solutions and exposed a critical need for effective business continuity in times of crisis,” said Doug Oathout, senior vice president of strategy and partnerships, Black Box. “There’s never been greater demand for solutions that deliver the seamless connectivity and collaboration workers need to be productive, from any location in the world. Black Box is ideally positioned to help customers transition from legacy operations to the new Digital Workplace. Not only are we deeply invested in these types of solutions, but we understand our customers’ current and future needs and have the tools, processes, and expertise to help them be successful in the ‘new normal’ of remote collaboration.”

The What: Crestron is now shipping the next generation of its Crestron Flex videoconferencing platform, which is designed to deliver improved communication, collaboration, and control from anywhere. 

The What Else: The latest products include tabletop conferencing systems for rooms of different sizes, the Flex R-Series, Flex VoIP desk phone, Flex UC Video Conference System Integrator Kit, and more.

Related: The Technology Manager's Guide to Conference Rooms

With Crestron Flex, organizations now have the option to choose either a standard system with single-display support and custom programming or an advanced system with additional functionalities, such as dual-mode technology, intelligent cameras, and dual display support.

The Standard lineup includes:

• MM30 Crestron Flex Compact Tabletop Video Conference System
• B30 Crestron Flex Wall Mount Small Room Video Conference System 
• M50 Crestron Flex Tabletop Medium Room Video Conference System
• M70 Crestron Flex Tabletop Large Room Video Conference System
• C100 Crestron Flex Video Conference System Integrator Kit 
• P100 Crestron Flex VoIP Desk Phone 
• UC-FCB Crestron Flex R-Series Mobile UC System
• UC-FCM Crestron Flex R-Series Plus Mobile UC System

The Advanced lineup includes:

• MX50 Crestron Flex Advanced Tabletop Medium Room Video Conference System
• MX70 Crestron Flex Advanced Tabletop Large Room Video Conference System
• CX100 Crestron Flex UC Video Conference System Integrator Kit 
• UC-FCMX Crestron Flex R-Series Plus Mobile UC System with BYOD Support

The Bottom Line: Crestron Flex delivers native Microsoft Teams or Zoom Rooms software conferencing systems, as well as options with bring-your-own-device (BYOD) support to enhance productivity, from the desktop to the boardroom. As the modern workplace continues to evolve, Crestron is engineering solutions that offer organizations the flexibility to create a room system or add a device in order to equip any space with the tools for dynamic collaboration.

Growth Opportunities in the Global Professional Headset Market, Forecast to 2026—a report by Frost & Sullivan—predicts that the professional headset market will witness robust growth due to the increased popularity of cloud meeting services and remote working practices. 

In 2020, in particular, the demand for professional PC USB and UCC headsets has surged to unprecedented levels to enhance software communications experiences. The global professional headset market is expected to reach $2.94 billion by 2026 from $1.41 billion in 2019, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.1 percent. Similarly, the market is likely to ship 65.7 million units over the forecast period from 22.9 million in 2019 at an impressive CAGR of 16.3 percent.

“The year 2020 will be marked by unprecedented growth of professional headsets due to the COVID-19 pandemic and work-from-home (WFH) requirements,” said Alaa Saayed, Director, information and communication technologies at Frost & Sullivan. “While professional headset vendors have been challenged by supply-chain disruptions during the first half of 2020, Frost & Sullivan expects vendors to successfully cope with backlog issues during the second half of the year.”

[The Integration Guide to Collaboration 2020]

Saayed added: “Sales of RJ9 connectivity-only professional headsets will continue to decline during 2020. However, declines will be less aggressive during this year due to contact centers also provisioning these types of headsets to their home agents.”

To make the most of the growth opportunities, Frost & Sullivan says vendors should continuously look to enhance their value proposition by:

• Partnering with leading and growing brands in the UCC provider space.
• Bundling headset solutions with other audio and video equipment for WFH individuals.
• Enhancing noise-canceling technologies to improve the listening as well as the voice pick-up capability.
• Delivering consumer-like experiences with solutions that can be personalized and customized to each individual’s needs.
• Focusing on addressing the specific needs of different verticals and offer joint Device-as-a-service (DaaS) and Software-as-a-service (SaaS) deals to business customers.

Growth Opportunities in the Global Professional Headset Market, Forecast to 2026 is the latest addition to Frost & Sullivan’s Information and Communication Technologies research and analyses available through the Frost & Sullivan Leadership Council, which helps organizations identify a continuous flow of growth opportunities to succeed in an unpredictable future.

The What: Avocor’s AVW-6555 is now the first Windows collaboration display certified for Microsoft Teams, according to the company. Featuring an interactive display, natural inking, and IoT sensor technologies, the AVW-6555 is also certified for Microsoft Azure IoT. 

The What Else: Users can drive content from a laptop to the display with the Type-C single-cable solution, allowing access to content, control of the integrated camera and far-field mic array for video and audio, as well as providing hardwired Ethernet connection and charging power to the laptop. 

Related: The Technology Manager's Guide to Conference Rooms 

The Windows collaboration display by Avocor was developed in collaboration with Microsoft and is designed to enable teamwork. It offers smooth touch with a finger, even while wearing gloves, or when using the included fine-tipped stylus and eraser. The inking is accurate down to the pixel, and the native 4K resolution optically bonded glass-surfaced display creates lifelike images. Easy access to the full suite of Microsoft 365 productivity tools makes the WCD a room-scale extension of a user’s laptop, empowering people who are in the room, or who are participating online, to share and edit content and engage in creative thinking and problem solving in real-time. 

In addition to being an integrated collaboration tool for teamwork, the Windows collaboration display by Avocor is certified for Azure IoT. Featuring an array of built-in IoT sensors that can connect to Avocor Aquarius Workspace Intelligence, an Avocor subscription service based on Azure, facility managers can utilize the environmental data they collect to make real-time adjustments as well as future room and investment planning. Aquarius Workspace Intelligence software provides real-time analysis of meeting spaces by pulling data from Avocor’s W series collaboration displays and existing Microsoft 365 meeting data to deliver insights through dashboards. By combining sensor data with Microsoft 365 meeting information, Avocor Aquarius enables management to gain insights about meeting room utilization. It also allows for Over The Air (OTA) upgrades and provides the flexible management needed to make important decisions about office facilities and increase room and UC hardware ROI. Avocor will provide access to its Aquarius WSI software for 90 days standard for its W series displays. However, all AVW-6555’s purchased in 2020 will receive an entire year of Aquarius WSI at no charge.

“Avocor and Microsoft share a goal of providing seamless, sophisticated technology to allow companies and their team members to achieve more, from wherever they are working,” said Scott Hix, CEO, Avocor. “As Microsoft Teams is well-established and continues rapid adoption, we’re seeing a market demand for collaboration technology that can support it. Being certified as a Teams device means that we’re enabling seamless communication from a device standpoint, by developing simple and easy-to-set-up solutions that reduce time spent on troubleshooting. From a collaboration standpoint, Avocor is accelerating teamwork and bringing teams together to get more done in the Microsoft ecosystem they already know and use.” 

“We are pleased that Avocor is empowering people and teams by making it easy to come together and collaborate,” said Albert Kooiman, director of Microsoft Teams devices partner engineering and certification, Microsoft Corp. “The Windows collaboration displays from Avocor, now certified for Microsoft Teams, make it easy for individuals to connect their PC and seamlessly share Microsoft 365 and Teams on a room-size display, so everyone in the room and online can work together.”  

The Bottom Line: Designed to enhance collaboration and accelerate teamwork, the Avocor AVW-6555 also provides analysis of meeting space utilization through integrated certified Azure IoT sensors. Well suited for focus rooms, the AVW-6555 provides native integration with Teams video and audio-conferencing capabilities immediately upon connection to a computer with Teams installed.

The 65-inch AVW-6555 Windows collaboration display by Avocor will be available globally in Q3 for $6,999 USD (Americas & APAC), £5,999GBP (UK& Ireland), €6,999 EUR (EMEA).

Extron has partnered with Poly to develop new, scalable integration options for Extron control systems, audio devices, and signal switching for Poly Room Solutions for Microsoft Teams Rooms and Zoom Rooms solutions.

The collaboration aims to help Extron and Poly deliver complete AV and conferencing control across the enterprise. As one of the first integrations, a simple tap on the Poly GC8 touchpanel can manage the meeting experience as well as send commands that trigger automation events for display power, shades, lighting, and more.

Related: The Technology Manager's Guide to Conference Rooms

"We are proud to be the recognized standard room control and room automation partner for Poly," said Casey Hall, vice president of worldwide sales and marketing for Extron. "With this new partnership, our mutual customers will be able to leverage a broad range of Extron audio, video, and control products with both Microsoft and Zoom."

As part of this conferencing, control, and automation ecosystem, Extron also offers a hands-free option using occupancy sensors to turn on displays when participants enter a room and turn them off when the room is empty.

The What: Crestron has unveiled the Crestron Flex MM, a compact audio- and videoconferencing solution and tabletop meeting and collaboration system. 

The What Else: Crestron Flex MM (short for Mercury Mini) is designed to bring quality tabletop videoconferencing to small spaces while delivering one-touch connectivity in a compact footprint. The device features a sleek design with a 40 percent reduction in size over Mercury while preserving the same screen dimensions, making it easier to move from the home office to the workplace.

Related: Crestron on AV in the Post-COVID World

Work from anywhere has become a widely accepted concept and even those returning to an office are redefining collaboration and finding new ways to connect with colleagues, partners, and customers—whether hours away or simply in the office next door. Crestron Flex MM bridges the gap between the home and the office, enabling video meetings, phone calls, and collaborative team sessions anywhere work happens. The system features:

• Native support for Microsoft Teams or Zoom Rooms 
• A consistent user experience with one-touch-to-join meetings
• 7-inch touchscreen
• 10-foot (3-meter) mic pick-up range
• Ultra wide-angle HD camera with 150-degree diagonal field of view
• Enterprise-grade network security
• Ability to remotely provision, control, and manage

“The pandemic has dramatically shifted the way we work and the spaces we work in,” said Andrew Gross, Director, UC Enterprise at Crestron. “Microsoft Teams and Zoom are household names, huddle rooms and conference spaces are being redefined to team units, and our desks are overrun with migratory devices that are never ready for the next video call. Crestron is quickly engineering products to solve these problems. The future of work is in Crestron’s DNA and solutions such as Crestron Flex MM demonstrate our continuous innovation in enterprise technology that allows people to work efficiently and effectively from anywhere.”

The Bottom Line: With native Microsoft Teams or Zoom Rooms software, Crestron Flex MM is well suited for newly converted or dedicated small workspaces both in the corporate office and the home office.

The Crestron Flex MM is slated to begin shipping September 1.

The What: Yamaha Unified Communications and Sharp Business Systems have announced the Remote Concierge Station, which combines Sharp’s 40-inch or 50-inch flat screen and Yamaha’s CS-700 Video Sound Bar in a mobile stand to allow organizations to staff key locations without having an employee on site.

The What Else: Featuring Sharp’s large-format professional display and Yamaha’s CS-700 Video Sound Bar, the Remote Concierge Station is a comprehensive video collaboration solution with natural-sounding audio. It features an adaptive beamforming microphone array for clear conversation, four Yamaha speaker elements to provide high audio intelligibility, and a wide-angle HD camera that captures guests and the room in detail. This allows reception staff to monitor room activity and greet users as they approach. 

Related: Crestron Debuts Flex R-Series Mobile UC System 

Designed for flexibility and ease of use, the station connects to a UC platform via a single USB. The unit is engineered to eliminate inefficiencies of operating disparate video and audio while keeping lobbies, waiting rooms, and reception areas neat and welcoming. The CS-700's integrated network management system also allows IT staff to rapidly deploy and remotely manage each unit, which is helpful for organizations that have multiple CS-700 units installed in reception areas and meeting spaces. 

The Remote Concierge Station comes mounted on a rolling cart that is UL-certified to prevent tipping, allowing organizations to safely move it for use as a mobile conference station. It can also double as an immediate and long-term digital signage solution for greater ROI. For example, it can be used to remind guests of any mask ordinances and best practices. Additionally, as staff return to the office, it can continue to be used to welcome incoming guests with check-in or company information. It also includes a Shuttle NC03 computer mounted on the back of the display, wireless keyboard, power strip, and remote control.

“COVID-19 has highlighted the need for solutions that help public-facing staff have meaningful interaction with customers, patrons, and guests while maintaining social distance,” said Meghan Kennelly, director of global marketing and communications at Yamaha Unified Communications. “The Remote Concierge Station is perfectly suited to meet this new need. Our CS-700 collaboration system has been used for years by businesses all over the world to help users drive professional-quality remote meetings. Now staff will have peace of mind while ensuring that they will be able to see and hear customers just as clearly as if they were talking to them face to face—but they can be safely working from home, in the next room, or even across the country.”

The Bottom Line: As companies return to a new normal, the Remote Concierge Station provides businesses in hospitality, enterprise, education, healthcare, and government industries with a safe way to interact with customers and protect front-desk employees as they interact with the public.

Right now, our industry finds itself in a unique situation, and never before has it held so much potential. Yes, there is no denying there’s a lot going on in the world, but at the intersection of all this activity, we’re seeing the next stage in the evolution of unified communications take root. 

At the very core of all this activity, we’re pressure testing just how flexible the technology is that we bring to markets like business, education, and healthcare. And with this, we’re helping to shape how people are learning, connecting, and doing business. We’re also seeing people approach situations with a greater sense of curiosity and a “let’s-try-it” willingness to experiment and find new ways to getting work done. 

It used to be that phone calls and email were the foundation of our work communication, leaving tech like videoconferencing to move along at a slower adoption rate as most organizations reserved it for specific spaces dedicated to the task. Now that people have spent the last several months adapting to new tools, the use of videoconferencing platforms has become as ubiquitous as phones and email. Increasingly, people are more comfortable jumping on a video call and consider it just as easy as picking up the phone—and it’s a lot quicker than email. 

Many have used FaceTime or similar apps to connect with friends and family from time to time in the past, but it’s the use of video in business—crossing that invisible boundary and giving a glimpse of our lives outside the office and professional settings—that many of us haven’t had the opportunity to embrace until now. And now that it’s happened, there’s no going back.

Want to hear more from Martin Bodley? Join him at the AV/IT Summit.

As we stand at this intersection, one of the greatest drivers changing the way we work is technology. With cameras on every device and unified communication providers continuing to refine their platforms, the introduction of tech like 5G and Starlink broadband will reinforce the flexibility companies are now embracing. In-room video enablement will continue to increase as we reenter the workplace, but we’ll also see more options to connect and collaborate through new form factors like kiosks and self-contained pods.

Whether you’re designing a solution that supports your company’s technology and your knowledge workers, or you’re ensuring your clients are investing in future-flexible solutions, it’s a balancing act to deliver what people want and what businesses need. In the end, it boils down to creating a variety of environments that enable people to stay focused, to connect, and to collaborate so they can work better, wherever. 

Martin Bodley is speaking at the 2020 AV/IT Summit on AV in a Post-COVID-19 World panel. 

Click here to register for free for the Aug. 6 event.

As COVID-19 stay-at-home orders are gradually lifted and states begin to return to some semblance of everyday life, we shouldn’t assume an automatic return of workforces to the office.

Businesses across the globe have learned during the pandemic that their workforce is just as powerful and enabled when working from home, particularly when utilizing technologies such as unified communications (UC) to their fullest effect. Yet because of the circumstances that led us to be remote, setup was generally rushed and managed as an interim arrangement.

With many organizations now making the decision to keep some or all of their staff in a permanent remote-working environment, time and resources must be invested toward building permanent work-from-home setups. 

UC will be key in enabling smooth communications through a variety of technologies that can be implemented easily and quickly. The following considerations will enable an effective, permanent UC remote setup while also keeping staff productive and engaged.

Hardware

When it comes to hardware and the home office, considerations regarding computer and telephone in particular will determine how effectively you can utilize your UC.

With many organizations still deploying desktop phones for every team member, those moving to a permanent home-office setup might consider bringing the desktop home phone with them. This works best when the desktop phone is a VoIP phone, which it most likely will be, and can be connected to an at-home router. 

Alternatively, there’s the option of using a handheld device or desktop application for softphone technology, with the desktop option the most likely scenario.

When it comes to the web conferencing element of UC, having a monitor alongside the laptops many of us have been working on while remote allows us to take notes on one screen and have a webcam running the meeting on the other screen, ensuring team members feel connected with others on the call, while easily taking notes.

Software

A foundational component of successful remote UC implementation is a software program that’s robust and can function over a residential internet connection. Software that’s going to take up a lot of bandwidth requires preparation, and you must consider which type of platform will be best for your UC.

The software you choose should also be collaborative across multiple and varied media. For example, your software should allow for chat, videoconferencing, collaboration, and so on. The solution needs to have a voice aspect to it so that users can make and receive phone calls. It must also allow multiple people to join a conference call regardless of what their internet providers bring to the table. 

Ultimately, be sure to choose a UC platform that’s robust and rich with features. 

Security

From a UC standpoint, security is handled in two ways: through the organization’s VPN in the company secure network and via the vendor that you partner with for the platform.

It’s critical that remote work setups allow for the same level of security that office workers enjoy. As an example, for a medical organization that is setting up staff permanently from home, a HIPAA-compliant platform is essential. 

It's also important to remember that email is considered part of UC, and as UC platforms don’t come with a proactive security education piece—it’s usually an add-on—businesses must think about an additional product that's going to help proactively teach users how to behave securely.

Privacy

From a UC standpoint, we have several ways to manage privacy concerns in a remote-working setup.

A UC compatible headset can help cancel background noise, which is especially useful in the current environment. And by operating from a private space, communications will generally be as clear and crisp as possible.

It’s important to recognize that there are privacy issues that we have to accept, such as background family noise. However, these issues are less important than we originally thought when we first switched to a remote-working setup. 

Shutting Down

 A lot of UC platforms are built in with the ability to move from a desktop, to a cell phone, to a tablet, back to a cell phone—everything's very mobile. What that means is that the platform is working in the background of the phone, and team members are going to feel that constant connection to work. 

Regardless of what UC platform you're utilizing in your business, if you have a service that connects to your mobile device, which is highly likely in a remote working setup, it’s important to have a plan for how to help your users shut down. 

Be sure to empower team members to feel in control of their shutdown for the day. Without this ability, productivity goes down and exhaustion sets in. So, encouraging users to shut down all of these communication platforms or limit the number and type of notifications that they're receiving is a critical element of successful UC home-office setups.

Alysha Forsythe is a product manager at Onepath.

With cleanliness and social distancing top of mind for all organizations preparing to reopen, AV professionals are faced with a unique challenge. Meeting rooms and classrooms have always been high-touch, close-contact environments where equipment like microphones and headsets are innocuously passed from person to person. After COVID-19, such behavior is subject to much more scrutiny and care. 

Not to worry: IT and AV professionals don’t need to add “equipment sterilizer” to their job descriptions as businesses and schools open back up. Thanks to recent innovations in touchless audio, the AV market is well positioned for this new normal. There are plenty of affordable products and even small software upgrades available that can make the transition back to classrooms and offices safe, effective, and seamless through great-sounding touchless audio solutions.

One innovation that will prove increasingly valuable is beamforming microphone technology. To maintain distance between class or meeting participants, these types of microphones automatically track whoever is speaking within a space to effectively capture the speech on a conference call. With this, there is no need to “pass the mic.” Audio is crystal clear for remote participants, and social distancing best practices can easily be met in person.

As COVID-19 fast-tracked the move to remote learning and working, it is more than likely that most organizations will choose to continue allowing participants to join meetings and classes from home. Accordingly, AV and IT professionals should make sure that their audio equipment is compatible across various videoconferencing platforms—whether that is Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or something else that is commonly used at their enterprise. 

A recent report from LoopUp found that people spend 15 minutes on average per conference call troubleshooting audio challenges or dealing with distractions. To enable productive collaboration and great audio quality, it’s important to ensure interoperability in advance. 

Another way to enable touchless audio is via mobile apps. AV and IT professionals should embrace the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) trend at school and work to allow collaboration over Wi-Fi. To minimize the sharing of devices and ease social distancing during lecture halls or seminars, schools in particular can enable high-quality audio streaming via secure apps on students’ smartphones.

For many AV installs, audio has often been an afterthought. As COVID-19 effectively turned how corporations work and how schools teach upside down, audio can no longer be a postscript. Now more than ever, good-quality audio can make or break the end user’s overall experience. It can be the difference between a student’s grade or a successful business proposal. 

As businesses and schools prepare to reopen, audio will be the primary interface for remote or socially distanced classes and meetings. With this, AV and IT pros must embrace new innovations and technologies to ensure their organizations can benefit from high-quality, touchless audio solutions.

David Missall is speaking at the 2020 AV/IT Summit on AV in a Post-COVID-19 World panel. 

It’s time we face the music. The audiovisual integration industry has changed, and things are never going to return to the way they once were. 

COVID-19 was not the culprit. It was just the catalyst. The true culprit was the ever-more powerful, ever-more capable, ever-more portable, ever-more ubiquitous, and ever-more economical, computer.

Though we would prefer not to admit it, computers and software can now accomplish most of what we once needed professionally installed audiovisual systems to deliver. This includes functionality like video and audio conferencing, wireless presentation, multi-source switching, window-processing, live and on-demand video streaming, room control, interactive whiteboarding, and more. We recently witnessed the computer produce entire virtual events like Infocomm 2020 Connected and WolfVision's VCX Conference. Even our shrinking materials lists and scope of work documents from recent years are showing us the writing on the wall (again via our laptop connected to a display). IT departments are choosing computer-centric design approaches over rack-based, proprietary AV systems, and there is no going back.

Want to hear more from Michael Lisi? Join him at the AV/IT Summit.

Not long ago, it was easier for us to make the case for a professionally integrated AV system. We could talk about user adoption, standardization, and our ability to simplify user experiences with button presets on fancy, touchscreen control solutions. We could also talk about the dreadful meeting experiences awaiting those who overestimated the capabilities of low-cost USB peripherals or the dangers of installing “undersized” audiovisual systems in larger meeting spaces. These conversations were frequently effective. Then they were occasionally effective. Then they were rarely effective. Now that COVID-19 has come along and sent everyone home, just forget it.

Why talk about user adoption, standardization, and redefining user experiences when everyone is successfully using their laptops to work and collaborate effectively? Why worry about undersizing AV systems when everyone is working from home and no one seems eager to gather for in-person meetings? Many will argue that this situation is only temporary, that people will eventually return to work and go back to meeting from room to room. This may be true, and for a moment, let’s assume it is. The question remains: what kind of experience will make the most sense for them if/when they return? Should we focus on introducing them to revolutionary new meeting space technology that we installed while they were out, or should we make it easy for them to simply continue using the technology they already mastered? My personal feeling is that the latter solution offers the path of least resistance and the highest likelihood of success.

So where do we go from here? Notice that I did not offer “staying here” as an option. If we want to survive, and even thrive in the months and years ahead, we are going to need to reconsider how we can add value to this new equation. How can we better serve our customers as they continue to embrace and depend on computers for their collaboration needs? I can’t tell you where this path ends (as I’m saving this for the keynote I’m sharing at the 2020 AV/IT Summit), but I can offer a few suggestions for where to begin. 

For those of us who are in this field because we love technology and enjoy keeping up with it as it changes, let’s just consider this another opportunity to do what we love. 

Michael Lisi is speaking at the 2020 AV/IT Summit on AV in a Post-COVID-19 World panel, and is giving the closing keynote address.

Click here to register for free for the Aug. 6 event.

As pretty much all of us have been confined to working and learning from home, getting good audio during online calls and sessions has become an even higher priority. Of course, this isn’t always easy—especially when things like end-to-end network connectivity and Quality of Service (QoS) can vary greatly depending on where far-flung employees and students are located. 

The equipment remote users can also vary in quality, which, of course, affects audio, noted Trent Wagner, audio products manager at QSC. “Most personal devices do not have premium quality microphones, speakers, or cameras—nor are they correctly placed,” he said. “Users will typically turn the volume up on the loudspeakers to compensate for poor levels and intelligibility, which causes a greater opportunity for echo.” He added that the acoustic echo cancellation (AEC) processing incorporated into software-based conference apps doesn’t hold up to what one can achieve with a dedicated, hardware-based digital signal processing (DSP) solution, which also contributes to an audio experience that is less than optimal.

Related: The Technology Manager's Guide to Conference Rooms

With all of this in mind, we asked several audio experts to share how tech managers can help their remote users achieve the best quality audio possible during a time when the ability to participate in AV conferencing sessions is more important than ever. Here is their advice.

On Getting Rid of Echo

Wagner encourages remote users to eliminate the echo path between a laptop’s speakers to its microphone by wearing a headset. He said that a headset equipped with a boom microphone is best suited to this application, because it was designed with remote conferencing in mind. “These headsets often have built-in noise cancellation, which helps decrease outside distractions and increase intelligibility,” he said.

Remote users may also benefit from speakerphones that were designed specifically for remote conferencing applications. “These devices typically offer a plug-and-play interface and have advanced AEC processing and other DSP to maintain consistent levels and increase intelligibility,” Wagner said, adding that some manufacturers offer software for participants’ devices that is intended to improve the overall audio experience.

On Latency

Much to tech managers’ and end users’ chagrin, network delay, packet loss, jitter, and saturated bandwidth all contribute to latent audio. “To help compensate for some of these obstacles, some companies offer algorithms that can predict, adapt to, or ‘fill in’ minor losses or adjust for jitter and reduced bandwidth in real time,” Wagner said. He also noted that some solutions apply artificial intelligence (AI) that streamlines the prediction process, thus enabling them to be more quick to adapt to network conditions.

Then, of course, there is the age-old solution (at least in terms of the internet)—what Reto Brader, CEO of Barix, describes as: “Throw bandwidth at it.” When one has more access to bandwidth, quality goes up and latency decreases. 

Brader acknowledges that this isn’t always within the tech manager’s control. “For a tech manager, it is therefore important to decide which factors are most important to his or her application,” he said. Distance learning, for example, is usually less challenging because the audio signal is traveling from one person (the instructor) to the students. “For example, using an AAC+ encoder and streaming the audio to the audience using an Icecast internet radio service provides high-quality audio at low bandwidth and provides peace of mind because it [is compatible] with every browser,” he said. Panel discussions, however, are trickier, providing more of a chance for latency to occur—especially when participants are dialing in via a browser. “In panel discussions, the tech manager might opt for a solution that requires the listeners to download an app.”

On Room Acoustics

Acoustics can be a problem for remote users working and learning from home, especially if they’re living in cramped quarters. Chris Lyons, senior manager, integrated systems global marketing at Shure, counsels that when possible, users should set up shop in a space that is accommodating, acoustically. “[If you’re working in] your dining room, it might be carpeted, and [therefore] plush and quiet, or it might be the basement, which is a little more reflective and noisy,” he illustrated. “If you can, pick a spot that’s a little quieter and less reflective—more soft surfaces instead of hard surfaces.” 

On Getting Down to Work

Headsets can also help to create an environment that allows users to better focus on their work, Lyons noted. “Either sound-isolating earphones that passively block out the noise, or noise cancellation built into headphones can get rid of a lot of surrounding noise, too, and you can be in your own little bubble inside of your head,” he said. “That can help a lot if you’re working at home and the dishwasher’s going, or the kids are watching TV, or there’s traffic outside, or whatever.” In a multi-function environment, where people are sharing a space that is now being used for both work and life, “suddenly environmental noise can make a big difference.”

On Giving In

Even when tech managers and users do as much as they can to achieve quality audio, there are some days when they find themselves fighting a losing battle. Again, depending on where users are located, they may experience varying degrees of network connectivity, and when it’s a bad day, this usually produces a videoconferencing call that’s out of sync or audio/video signals that simply freeze up. When faced with these issues, Lyons counsels users to turn off the video entirely, which will improve audio quality. “If I have to choose one or the other, I’ll be happy to kill the video and just rely on the audio because that’s what the meeting is really all about anyway,” he said.

More On DSP

While the shift from hardware-based codecs to soft codecs has provided users with greater flexibility, it has also raised some issues. “Soft codecs are brilliant, but at some detriment to audio,” said Nick Pemberton, director of global business development at Xilica, a DSP solutions developer headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. With a professional-grade device attached to the system, DSP can take care of echo cancellation as opposed to the software handling it, making for better audio quality. “If audio is clean and clear, and free from echoes and distortions, it’s much easier for people to spend more time communicating. If audio is bad, that’s when we see communication break down.” 

Lyons argues that while professional DSP solutions may not be a cost-effective solution for home-based users right now, there is a chance that it will become a priority. “As this [work from home] trend continues, maybe we’ll go in that direction,” he said. “I could see audio [becoming] enough of a point of focus that people think: OK, if this is what I’m going to do, how do I make it so good that people don’t even know I’m at home? Right now a lot of people are assuming you’re at home, but it would be great if we could get to the point where between a video background and great audio quality, you can literally be virtually anywhere you want.” 

Carolyn Heinze is a freelance writer/editor.

When the pandemic struck, the move to remote work was swift, but even as more states open up and loosen social distancing restrictions, we will continue to see more companies opt for at least a partial in-person contingency. It is unlikely that we’ll see a major rush back to the office and campus, particularly as the U.S. still faces surging COVID numbers; it is more likely that there will be a shift toward a hybrid work environment that comprises both in-office and virtual/remote students. This isn’t all bad: companies have now figured out how to enable work from home productivity because they were forced to.

This shift to hybrid work means enterprises need solutions to balance collaboration and safety equally, allowing employees to interact and be productive without putting anyone in danger of contracting the virus. This creates a unique opportunity for AV professionals to position their services and AV technology as one way to mitigate this challenge. This includes collaboration and unified communications (UC) solutions, technology platforms that support social distancing, provide important data and analytics, and can be easily added to existing or new systems in spaces of any size or scale. 

The hybrid work environment will force facilities managers to make significant changes to the footprint of offices and public spaces. Collaborative environments that are bigger and support social distancing—think fewer shared desks and more conference and meeting room spaces—will be in demand, but enterprises will need a way to enforce the new rules. Technology can help support social distancing restrictions with features like people counting. 

People-counting is a need-to-have, not just to protect employees from the virus, but also to measure how space is used in our new work environment. AV installers can implement this safety functionality by using the latest unified communications (UC) and collaboration tools, which have cameras that support people counting. 

Want to hear more from Alex Peras? Join him at the AV/IT Summit.

To further promote collaboration, AV professionals can add room video systems that tie into their UC platform. This allows the technology to support everyone in a meeting equally, whether they are in the room or remote: The digital display and UC platforms allow all participants to see each other, while high-quality audio technology (soundbars, microphones, ceiling speakers, tabletop audio devices, etc.) ensures everyone can hear each other clearly.

All technology that goes into a modern office should be designed to also enable remote working as this shift will be dramatic—and can be a huge force for good. In fact, a recent survey from Xerox found that “56 percent of respondents are expanding their technology budgets in anticipation of new requirements stemming from fully remote or hybrid workplace arrangements,” supporting a need for technology that can successfully bridge the gaps that exist between in-person and remote communication.

Another technology for AV professionals to consider is a personal device content-sharing gateway, which allows users to plug in their own devices (laptops, mobile phones, etc.) to share content onto another screen. A personal device content-sharing gateway combines safety and collaboration so that meeting participants don’t have to touch anything that isn’t their own device, which helps prevent the spread of bacteria around a building. Neither do they have to huddle around one person’s laptop in close quarters to review notes or a deck, which promotes social distancing.

Additionally, personal device content-sharing gateways allow people to work off the devices with which they are most comfortable and familiar; they know where their files are, what shortcuts are programmed into the trackpad settings, and so on. Less time is wasted learning how to control and share with new devices on the fly, which helps everyone make the most of the meeting.

It is also important to consider using UC technology that will power these added devices using a strong, reliable, secure, and low-lag network, as well as displays that bring the latest in picture quality to provide a more lifelike experience for virtual users. 

Every company, campus, and organization are in a different place with their return-to-work plans and procedures following the height of the first wave this past spring, and there is no playbook for this new reality. But one thing is for sure: Safety and hygiene now will have to be prioritized just as highly as productivity and collaboration was and will continue to be. AV professionals can use this time to support customers in rethinking their system design and by deploying technologies that meet the needs of the hybrid reality that we are faced with. 

Alex Peras is speaking at the 2020 AV/IT Summit on AV in a Post-COVID-19 World panel. 

Click here to register for free for the Aug. 6 event.

Onepath, a provider of managed technology services for small and midsize businesses (SMBs), has debuted a unified communications service for companies that have an urgent need to support increasingly decentralized employees.

SMBs across industries are facing the challenge of supporting employees who have been forced to work remotely due to coronavirus. And now, with many states and cities reopening and some employees returning to the office, the challenge increases, as companies must find a way to connect workers in a wider variety of locations. SMBs have limited financial and technical resources as compared to larger companies, making them more vulnerable during this transition; over the past few months, many SMBs have had a difficult time providing remote workers the tools they need to be productive. Under “normal” circumstances, a lack of access to basic tools such as fax and phones might stunt an SMB’s growth. In a pandemic, the impact could be devastating.  

Related: Crestron Debuts Flex R-Series Mobile UC System 

To address this need, Onepath is launching Cloud PBX, a unified communications-as-a-service (UCaaS) solution designed specifically for SMBs confronting coronavirus-induced challenges. Onepath Cloud PBX aims to provide everything a worker needs to do her/his job remotely or from the office, including the ability to receive and transfer calls and manage voicemails as if using an office desk phone, secure document sharing and storage, and videoconferencing and screen sharing. Onepath Cloud PBX can be deployed to WFH and office environments in two to three days, is offered in three flavors—Engage, Accelerate, and Optimize—and starts at $15 per user.

“This is all about helping companies adjust to the new normal as far as supporting workers wherever they are,” said Brian Kirsch, SVP at Onepath. “With Cloud PBX, SMBs can get up and running quickly with integrated call, fax, and collaboration capabilities, with zero hardware requirements, and companies can easily add users and sites without needing to purchase additional infrastructure. We think it’s a slam dunk for any SMB, and we look forward to helping companies transition smoothly to the new normal.”

Yamaha Unified Communications’ CS-700 Video Sound Bar is now an integral solution within the new DX-1000 Advanced Virology Testing Platform (AVTP) from Draxxon, a mobile command center equipment manufacturer. Designed to provide an instantaneous response during COVID-19 and similar outbreaks/events, the AVTP is a self-contained, easy-to-operate mobile testing truck. The CS-700 AV collaboration device allows medical personnel working at rapid testing sites to interact with each other inside and outside the unit safely while speeding up setup, operation, and data collection.

Related: The Technology Manager's Guide to Conference Rooms 

“As part of the process for designing our vehicles, we look for reputable systems with simple, one-button operation,” said Tyler Ackerman, Draxxon’s director of business development. “We do a lot of research and development to determine what technology—from the matrix switch, to displays, even down to the cables—works best in this environment. The CS-700 fit this objective perfectly. It delivers great audio and video quality in an all-in-one design that eliminates the configuration and operation of separate webcams, speakers, and microphones.”

Part of Draxxon’s fleet of DX-1000 Unmanned Aircraft System command centers, the AVTP is a multipurpose platform designed to be deployed to the middle of any outbreak or event. Agencies can send healthcare officials to investigate, communicate, and mitigate the problem in the most efficient, safe, and secure environment possible. Once on-site, sample collection and rapid testing can begin within minutes.

The Yamaha CS-700 is integrated into Draxxon’s DX-INTERCHANGE System, which provides video and audio communication between personnel inside and outside the AVTP. Using the unit’s conferencing system at rapid testing sites, personnel are able to effectively work together in real time while maintaining safe social distancing. 

The AVTP features two CS-700 devices: one is installed inside the vehicle, and a second unit is integrated into the vehicle’s rear DX-Outdoor Work Station, which provides medical personnel interacting with the public the same access to information and relevant data provided to personnel working inside. The CS-700 features an adaptive beamforming microphone array for clear conversation even when the vehicle is on and the air conditioning unit is running. Four Yamaha speaker elements provide high audio intelligibility and a wide-angle HD camera allows personnel to see each other—even those working 6 feet apart outside the vehicle. As a result, personnel are able to maintain safe, real-time communication and rapid response that’s critical for testing.

Shure is teaming with Logitech to deliver improved user experiences through video collaboration solutions for meeting rooms of all sizes.

The Logitech Collaboration Program (LCP) is a customer-focused program allowing customers to benefit from enhanced relationships with partners. Customers who purchase Shure’s Microflex Advance Ceiling Array, Table Top Microphone, IntelliMix P300 Audio Conferencing Processor, and Microflex Wireless microphone products, along with select Logitech Video Collaboration products, now receive a solution that is optimized for groups to collaborate anytime.

Related: The Technology Manager's Guide to Conference Rooms 

“Shure and Logitech working together in the videoconferencing space creates exceptional new opportunities for our joint end customers and business partners,” said Chris Merrick, director of global systems marketing at Shure. “This brings together the quality of Shure’s audio ecosystem with the strength of Logitech’s video to provide options for the best virtual conferencing experience.”

The solution provides the same control and user interface regardless of meeting space (ranging from huddle/medium rooms to larger board rooms) combined with Shure audio. More rooms can be deployed more quickly, with consistent audio results from room to room, powered by Shure’s IntelliMix technology. With Steerable Coverage technology—the ceiling array uses Shure's Steerable Coverage with Autofocus technology—eight highly directional pickup lobes capture participant audio from overhead, continually fine tuning the position of each lobe in real time as participants lean back in their chairs or stand up. Other highlights include Shure Audio Encryption, which enhances security and prevents eavesdropping, and Logitech RightSight, which intelligently frames video to everyone at the table. 

Customers will be able to choose from solutions that are scalable from medium-sized to training rooms provided by Shure’s and Logitech's global networks of channel partners. These solutions include the Logitech Rally Camera, and Logitech Tap base solution for Microsoft Teams Rooms or Zoom Rooms paired with Shure’s Microflex Advance Ceiling Array, Table Top Microphone, IntelliMix P300 Audio Conferencing Processor, and Microflex Wireless microphone products.

Both Shure and Logitech products in the solutions are certified by Zoom and Microsoft to provide easy setup and smooth operation.

“We see Shure as the pro AV solution for conference rooms, providing excellent off-the-table and tabletop options for audio,” said Sudeep Trivedi, head of alliances and go-to-market, Logitech Video Collaboration. “By closely collaborating, we are able to offer a better user experience to customers.”

The goal of the partnership is to deliver an exceptional user experience, especially as videoconferencing improves communication and helps build stronger relationships. It is an efficient way to connect people across the world to enhance teamwork, innovation, and information-sharing. Shure’s focus is providing interoperable solutions that are easy to deploy and operate while delivering superior audio.

Extron’s DMP Plus Series Audio DSP Processors are now compliant with key Avaya IX Workplace solutions, helping customers to improve key measures of engagement and productivity with capabilities related to calling, collaboration, and meetings, as well as a range of flexible, connected phones and devices.

“The addition of more Audio DSP Processor models to our family of Avaya-compliant solutions underscores our commitment to providing solid, real-world solutions to our integrators and end users,” said Casey Hall, vice president, worldwide sales and marketing, Extron Electronics. “Our shared customers can be confident that Extron’s VoIP solutions have been engineered and tested for easy integration, and years of reliable and cost-effective use.”

Related: The Technology Manager's Guide to Conference Rooms 

Extron's DMP Plus Series V Model Audio DSP Processors provide local audio solutions for VoIP communications, enabling customers to manage and adjust signal paths from a single window to deliver enhanced sound quality over a number of rooms and call appearances. The DMP 128 Plus, DMP 128 FlexPlus, and DMP 64 Plus V Models are now compliance-tested by Avaya for compatibility with Avaya IX Workplace Calling components, Avaya Aura Communication Manager and Session Manager 8.1, and the Avaya IP Office 11 platform.

“Extron’s new VoIP solutions brings customers a wealth of audio and video solutions that provide conferencing participants with clear, natural communication experiences even in challenging conditions,” said Eric Rossman, vice president, partners, developers and alliances, Avaya. “We are pleased that Extron continues to expand its compliance tested VoIP offerings for our mutual customers.”

Extron is a Technology Partner in the Avaya DevConnect program—an initiative to develop, market, and sell innovative third-party products that interoperate with Avaya technology and extend the value of a company’s investment in its network.

As a Technology Partner, Extron can submit products for compliance testing by Avaya, where a team of DevConnect engineers develops a comprehensive test plan for each application to verify its Avaya compatibility. This enables customers to confidently add best-in-class capabilities to their network without having to replace their existing infrastructure—speeding deployment of new applications and reducing both network complexity and implementation costs.

QSC has joined the Microsoft Teams Device Certification Program and is working toward completing specific solution certifications aimed at further empowering effective meetings and collaboration with Microsoft Teams Rooms and the Q-SYS Ecosystem in larger, more complex room types. 

“The Q-SYS Ecosystem has always provided solutions for audio, video, and control for a multitude of installations and room types; however, it has become critical to our customers to bring the full potential of Microsoft Teams Rooms to these installations,” said Jason Moss, vice president of alliances and market development, QSC. “We are thrilled to work with Microsoft to deliver tremendous customer experiences for Microsoft Teams to high-value spaces like all-hands, divisible, and training rooms along with specific needs for market verticals that require advanced audio, video, and control options.”

Related: The Technology Manager's Guide to Conference Rooms 

“Microsoft Teams Rooms are deployed in an ever-growing variety of meeting spaces,” said Albert Kooiman, director of Microsoft Teams devices partner engineering and certification. “The addition of QSC to the Microsoft Teams Certification Program will enable our mutual customers to create tailored, premium AV experiences powered by Microsoft Teams.”