On AVoX: Yamaha Unified Communications

Gina Cunsolo, Content Marketing at Yamaha Unified Communications
(Image credit: Getty Images)

AVT Question: Please share insight into the current state of networked AV and control; what you see as barriers to entry; and what advice can you offer on how AV/IT managers can overcome limited resources or a lack of buy-in.

Thought Leader: Gina Cunsolo, Content Marketing at Yamaha Unified Communications

Throughout the years, AV’s shift to the network has been repeatedly met with resistance. Though the benefits to AV over IP or hybrid workflows seem obvious—remote controls, time saved, more capacity for routing—the transition can be tricky. For one, reliability and network security are common concerns among IT managers. 

Finding Dante-enabled products that leverage simple cable Ethernet standards will eliminate frustrating wiring and integration." — Gina Cunsolo, Content Marketing at Yamaha Unified Communications

Many companies must also consider whether an AV-over-IP or AV-over-IT approach could function within their existing environment, or whether it’ll require overhauling their legacy infrastructure. If the latter, then decision-makers must assess a wide number of competing methodologies on how to implement the transition. AV and IT managers quickly realize that a successful switch can be a lengthy process, including staying up to date on the latest industry protocols, establishing standard feature priorities based on projects, choosing the right codec, justifying the cost increase, and establishing a protocol for troubleshooting post-transition.

However, in spite of the barriers to entry, companies are increasingly realizing that the hybrid workflow is making a switch to the network essential for their business. One way that AV and IT managers can overcome limited resources and plan for the future is by looking for new technology that can easily interact with existing older AV gear, such as existing codec, AMPS, USB, and speakers. It’ll also be wise to find solutions that can operate on an organization’s existing IT infrastructure, separate from original AV pathways

Finding Dante-enabled products that leverage simple cable Ethernet standards will eliminate frustrating wiring and integration. Lastly, choosing an all-encompassing solution with a simple setup will require little technical knowledge to deploy and own, resulting in far fewer troubleshooting calls to the IT department.

AV Technology's Thought Leader Series on AVoX

Check out what other industry thought leaders have to say about the state of networked AV. A full list with links can be found at the bottom of the On AVoX, the Intro Article

Cindy Davis
Brand and content director of AV Technology

Cindy Davis is the brand and content director of AV Technology. Davis enjoys exploring the ethos of experiential spaces as well as diving deep into the complex topics that shape the AV/IT industry. In 2012, the TechDecisions brand of content sites she developed for EH Publishing was named one of “10 Great Business Media Websites” by B2B Media Business magazine. For more than 20 years, Davis has developed and delivered multiplatform content for AV/IT B2B and consumer electronics B2C publications, associations, and companies. From 2000 to 2008, Davis was the publisher and editor-in-chief of Electronic House. From 2009 to present, as the principal of CustomMedia.Co, Davis developed content plans and delivered content for associations such as IEEE Standards Association and AVIXA, content marketing for Future Plc, and numerous AV/IT companies. Davis was a critical member of the AVT editorial team when the title won the “Best Media Brand” laurel in the 2018 SIIA Jesse H. Neal Awards. A lifelong New Englander, Davis makes time for coastal hikes with her husband, Gary, and their Vizsla rescue, Dixie, sailing on one of Gloucester’s great schooners, and sampling local IPAs.