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Volume 10, Issue 14 — July 25, 2012
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InfoComm 2012: The Year of Conferencing
By Gary Kayye
rAVe Founder Although we gave our Best of InfoComm 2012 Best New Technology Award to HDBaseT technology, if there was an omnipresent theme at this year's show, it was Unified Communications (UC). To be perfectly honest, UC's been around as an acronym for years – and it's become one of those buzz-worthy terms that marketing and PR folks love trying to incorporate into all sorts of new product announcements to get the exposure for it – remember "multimedia" in the early 2000s?
Wikipedia defines Unified Communications as "the integration of real-time communication services such as instant messaging (chat), presence information, telephony (including IP telephony), video conferencing, data sharing (including web connected electronic whiteboards aka interactive whiteboards), call control and speech recognition with non-real-time communication services such as unified messaging (integrated voicemail, e-mail, SMS and fax). UC is not necessarily a single product, but a set of products that provides a consistent unified user interface and user experience across multiple devices and media types. There have been attempts at creating a single product solution; however, the most popular solution is dependent on multiple products."
That's a perfect definition of it and, yes, this is perfectly positioned to be dominated by the AV market.
And thanks to companies like Polycom, Microsoft, Juniper Networks and Logitech/LifeSize — the original founding members of the Unified Communications Interoperability Forum (UCIF) back in 2010 — UC is a standard that means that all UC-products will work and play together.
And, now we're sitting on the cusp of an explosive few years of conferencing technology integration. Everything's lining up:
1. Networking gear is getting cheap: The explosive growth of the networking hardware market and inexpensive access to cheap Megabit and soon Gigabit level routing and distribution will make for simple, UC product integration. You see, back when the videoconferencing market first debuts in AV some 15 years ago, it was not only iffy hardware performance, at best, but it was connected to a horribly unreliable network — both ISDN and T1 crap. Although the phone companies were providing us these huge data pipes, even they couldn't keep them up and running reliably — and that was assuming they could even figure out how to install them. So, we, the AV'ers, were left to figure it all out and it was not only an expensive proposition, but most VTC installs seemed to never end — you'd receive calls over and over again from clients who couldn't figure out why it wasn't working. But now it's all IP based — a system with rules and protocols that is, for the most part, amazingly reliable.
2. Wireless, wireless everywhere: The world's going wireless. And, from what we can see so far, everything works well together. A MAC and a PC can be on the same network and exchange files flawlessly. You can even build networks with both Cisco and NetGear stuff and it'll work just fine. And, with access points galore being put installed over the place, we'll soon be in a world that's always connected — heck, thanks to 3G and 4G technology, we're already always connected — albeit not at the level of reliability we'd want for supporting VTC systems. But, soon we will. Thanks to technologies like WiMAX and 4G LTE, we're well on our way to having fast, reliable wireless bandwidth that'll support VTC stuff with no problems. And, who's best positioned to put it in? AV'ers of course.
3. Killer hardware: Not only was this the largest turnout of UC manufacturers ever at an InfoComm, but the products they presented were also incredible. Obviously Polycom and Cisco had great shows and great products, but companies like Vidyo, Revolabs and BlueJeans should also be on your radar when picking UC tools to integrate over the coming months and years. In fact, we added a UC section to our InfoComm portal this year where we posted all the UC product videos we shot (over 90): https://www.ravepubs.com/index.php?option=com_ravevideo&view=single&Itemid=646
4. Microsoft Lync: Microsoft Lync is an enterprise-ready unified communications platform. With Lync, users can keep track of their contacts’ availability; send an IM; start or join an audio, video or web conference; or make a phone call—all through a familiar interface. Lync is built to fully integrate with Microsoft Office. The Microsoft Lync 2010 desktop client is available for Windows and for Mac and mobile versions are available for Windows Phone, iPhone/iPad, and Android devices. And, it's all coming to AV thanks to the fact that a lot of companies are deciding to make their UC gear work and play well with MS Lync. Polycom certainly gets kudos from me being the first to join the Lync protocol, but I think everyone will, eventually. It will become the standard for all UC, all VTC, all audio conferences and, eventually, all phone telephony too (remember who owns Skype?).
So, what are you waiting for? This isn't the early 2000s — this new round of VTC stuff is not only more reliable and better supported than ever before, but it's way, way more profitable — because it just works. Whether you just have a client that just wants talking-head conferencing or a full Telepresence Collaboration Suite, it's all waiting for the AV market to jump back in. But do it NOW — we don't want the IT market to steal this out from under us. It's a perfect opportunity to drive you into offering more IT-based products and solutions.
Gary Kayye is the founder of rAVe [Publications]. Reach him at gary@ravepubs.com
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Know When to Hold
By Joel Rollins
rAVe Columnist One of the real tricks in business is to know when to hold. When to stay with a service or product offering from a vendor, when to hold your own pricing, when to keep (or make changes in) what you offer to your clients. It is especially hard in our business, being driven by technology that changes so rapidly that printed catalogs and literature are almost impossible to maintain up to date.
Probably the most difficult leap is to make changes when a product or service is on top of the market. We have a tendency to try to ride our trick ponies just a little too long, to try to milk the market cow just one more time (and, apparently, to hold onto metaphors for just one use too many, if you're me).
There are, however, certain signs that foretell the need to break some new ground. I watch for them in my largest vendors and service suppliers, and, when I am feeling particularly honest, in me and my company.
Here are just a few.
"Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad"
The very definition of crazy is that somebody sees a different world around himself than anybody else does. In our business, I define this as the ability to deny or discount market forces, as if we are plugging our ears and chanting "nyah, nyah, nyah, I can't hear you" as loud as we can. Compare this to salespeople who have made their living selling expensive desktop videoconferencing systems, denying that Skype is having an impact. Or staging salespeople who think that when the recession is over, public events are going back to exactly the way they used to be. The most difficult part of success is remaining objective, it seems.
"Pride goeth before a fall"
One of the most profound statements from the Old Testament, this one actually dates back a lot further than that, to the earliest Greek tragedies (and we know it is true, as the Greeks are having an economic tragedy of their own right now). Market leaders tend to become complacent and practice this one. The best example I can think of, currently, is RIM, who brought us the Blackberry (or “Crackberry”). When faced with the onslaught of the iPhone, their co-CEO actually said: "There may be 300,000 apps for the iPhone and iPad, but the only app you really need is the browser.” –Jim Balsillie, November 2010
"In the real world, Goliath always wins"
In the software world, there has been no Goliath like Microsoft. And yet, that very market dominance can lead to being blindsided by new products or new thinking, and I can think of no better example than these kinds of statements: “Right now — well, let’s take phones first. Right now we’re selling millions and millions and millions of phones a year. Apple is selling zero phones a year. In six months they’ll have the most expensive phone, by far ever in the marketplace and let’s see. You know what’s so special…?” –Steve Ballmer, January 2007
"It's a floor wax AND a dessert topping!"
Remember this from Saturday Night Live? This is the fallacy that our product or service fits all market niches, if you just look at it the right way (tilt your head, close one eye and squint). We get this way when we’ve developed a product, put a lot of time and effort into it, and try to deny market forces that ask for something else, even part of the time. You will see it in vendors that, rather than expanding their product line, try to re-define all market demands into what they already have.
"The future is NOT now."
We use this one when a competitor brings out something innovative. One of the market leaders whose various divisions have practiced this was Sony in the ‘80s and ‘90s, who always seemed to discount being behind the curve in data projection because the market was of course going to buy theirs whenever it finally became available, and led those of us in that market to say their name stood for "Soon, Only Not Yet." Despite the numbers, they seemed to believe that the market was going to swing to their product whenever they decided to finally come out with it. They were wrong.
The ancient Greeks referred to the tendency to become overconfident as “hubris.” Currently, we often refer to it as having your head in an inconvenient anatomical location. Either way, it can be an uncomfortable position to be in when the market surprises you that it has a mind of its own.
rAVe Rental [and Staging] contributor Joel R. Rollins, CTS, is general manager of Everett Hall Associates, Inc. and is well known throughout the professional AV industry for his contributions to industry training and his extensive background in AV rental, staging and installation. Joel can be reached at joelrollins@mac.com |
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AV People: Dave Bright of Kramer Electronics
By Molly Stillman
Director of Marketing and New Business Development On June 13th, 2012, Dave Bright and his wife Debbie celebrated 36 years of marriage. Wedding anniversaries have always fallen at a, well, busy time of year for Dave… the InfoComm show. Every few years or so, Debbie flies out to Vegas to spend time with Dave during the show and their anniversary.
However, most friends and colleagues of Dave would never have known that just 18 years earlier, things were a lot different for Dave and Debbie.
Eighteen years ago, while running Mitsubishi’s ProAV division, Dave’s wife Debbie was diagnosed with breast cancer. At the time, their children were 8 and 10 years old.
Doctors told Debbie that her diagnosis was a textbook case and everything would be just fine. Debbie was being treated at New York Hospital and Cornell Medical Center by the best doctors in the world. In fact, Debbie was being treated in the same hospital, at the same time, by the SAME doctor as Jackie Onassis. So yeah, you could say they had the best doctor in the world.
Everything went as expected. No chemo was needed; no surgery was needed — only some radiation. Shortly thereafter, Debbie was cancer free and back to life as normal.
Four years later, things were a different story.
Debbie was diagnosed with breast cancer. Again. And this time it wasn’t textbook.
Dave had just left Mitsubishi to start Kramer U.S. He had a little office with two other employees. And his wife was diagnosed with cancer again.
“It was pretty tough going back and forth to the doctors and second opinions and all that stress,” said Dave. “I had a couple really good people working for me at the time and people in place to take care of things — so it made things much easier for me to be able to work, take care of my kids, and ultimately, Debbie.”
The doctors told Debbie her chances of survival were low — really low. With regular chemotherapy, her prognosis was about a 15 to 20 percent chance of five-year survival. With a relatively new, and extremely risky, stem cell transplant, the doctors felt odds could go up to 30 percent. 30 percent to survive five more years at the age of 45.
With the exception of a few close family members, Dave and Debbie kept the severity of the diagnosis very private. Very few people even new Debbie was sick let alone how sick. Their own children didn’t even know how sick she was.
“It was a really scary time,” recalled Dave. “We decided, however, that with her chances of survival being so low, we opted to go for the extreme and risky court — the stem cell transplant and high dose chemo. That course, in and of itself, almost killed her.”
“It was a conscious decision to not let people know how serious Debbie’s prognosis was,” said Dave. “Debbie had to rely on me, but we knew we had the best doctors doing everything they could. Everyone else had so much going on and our kids were so young, that this was the last thing we wanted to lay on them.”
Debbie was quarantined for a month. Only Dave could visit her. After doctors performed the stem cell transplant and blood transfusions, any germs could have killed her, even a common cold.
The treatment worked. It did take several months before she was home and Debbie still had to endure months of chemo and a double mastectomy, but a miracle happened. Not long after her treatment, stem cell transplant, and double mastectomy — Debbie was cancer free. Fourteen years later, Debbie is still cancer free.
Understandably, the whole ordeal was very difficult for Dave and Debbie. “It completely affected our lives, but a lot of good came from the situation, also,” said Dave. “Since then, Debbie has mentored other women through the process. She kept copious notes of everything — how she felt, what medicines she took, side effects, second opinions. The works. And she remains dedicated to charitable organizations like St. Jude’s and Susan G. Komen.”
As a family, the Brights have also learned to take everything in stride and not to sweat the small stuff. “It was such a hectic period of time that I learned what mattered. And I couldn’t allow myself to get stressed out over my personal life for both my kids sake and my new business. And vice versa,” said Dave. “My wife and kids needed me. And my company needed me. And hopefully as Kramer has grown, I’ve hired people with that same mentality. Therefore, I think we’re a laid back, easy going company who cares about the lives of our employees and our customers. And I think that’s one of the reasons we’re growing so fast. We’re very open and service oriented. I like to think people like to do business with us.”
Dave calls the Kramer employees a big family. They take care of and serve each other. They work well together. They coordinate surprises for each other.
In fact, on Dave and Debbie’s 25th wedding anniversary, not too long after Debbie’s second fight with cancer, Debbie flew out to spend time with Dave at InfoComm for their anniversary.
Well, Clint Hoffman about 20 other Kramer staff members, including people from all over the world, organized a vow renewal ceremony for Dave and Debbie, at the Graceland Chapel in Las Vegas. In front of their work family, Debbie was escorted down the aisle by a short, 98-pound Elvis. That short, 98-pound Elvis sang their vows and asked, “Do you Debbie, take this hunka hunka burnin’ love, Dave, to be your lawfully wedded husband?”
And Dave said yes — over and over again, he said yes to the woman he loves and that he had been through so much with.
Everyone was left “Crying in the Chapel” — but for good reason.
And that is what it’s all about.
Dave and Debbie want to encourage everyone to support breast cancer research. Medical treatments have come so far since Debbie’s experience and advances are happening every day. It’s working. To find a charity so you can help support breast cancer research, visit http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=content.view&cpid=497
Molly Stillman is the director of marketing and new business development for rAVe [Publications]. Reach her at molly@ravepubs.com
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Share Article Back to Top 2012 Best of InfoComm Awards | Best Overall New Product: Polycom's CX7000. We're giving this award this year to a conferencing product. Why? Well, go back and read Gary's editorial above — this is the perfect year for this year's Best Overall New Product Award to go to a conferencing product. Here's the rAVe NOW video we shot of it at InfoComm and here's more information on Polycom's partnership with Microsoft Lync. | | Most Creative New Product: InFocus Video Phone | | Best Booth (tie): - Chief. We think Chief had the best booth at the show. It was well laid out, inviting and even when full of people, never crowded. And, to top it off, they had a hot dog eating contest — you can watch it here.
- Kramer Electronics. We also loved Kramer's new retro-inspired, white, open-concept booth design.
| | | Best New Video Product: Panasonic's PT-RZ470 and PT-RZ370 Series. These LED-Laser hybrid projectors are lamp-free and also HDBaseT, an industry first. Click here to see the rAVe NOW video we shot of it. | | Best New Audio Product: SoundTube's IP-Based (using CobraNet) Distributed Audio System. Click here to see the rAVe NOW video we shot of it. | | Best New AV Cart or Mount: Da-Lite's CT-TS32. Click here to see our news story on it. |
| Best New Monitor Mount: Premier Mount's LCD Slider. Click here to see a rAVe NOW video we shot of it. | | Best Document Camera: WolfVision's VZ-C3D 3D Visualizer. Click here to see a rAVe NOW video we shot of it. | | Best New Product for K-12 Education Market: Penveu. Click here to see a rAVe NOW video we shot of it. | | Best New Product for Higher Ed Market (tie):
- Christie's Updated M-Series. Click here to see a rAVe NOW video we shot of it.
- Epson Pro Z Projector Line. Click here to see a rAVe NOW video we shot of it.
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| | Best New Classroom Projector: BenQ Laser Projector. Click here to see a rAVe NOW video we shot of it. | | Best New Meeting Room Projector: Sony E200 Series. Click here to see a rAVe NOW video we shot of it. | | Best New Rental and Staging Projector: Digital Projection's Updated TITAN WUXGA 330 (Upgraded to Pro Series 3) . Click here to see a rAVe NOW video we shot of it. | | Best New Rental and Staging Product: Gear Box Pro's Cable Cube. Click here to see a rAVe NOW vide we shot of it. | | Best New Flat Screen Display (tie):
- NEC SuperSlim OPS LED 24/7 Display. Click here to see a rAVe NOW video we shot of it.
- Mitsubishi's Laser LED Display. Click here to see a rAVe NOW video we shot of it.
| | | Best New ProAV Speakers: Sievers Audio's Flat Panel Sound Reinforcement Speakers. Click here to see a rAVe NOW video we shot of it. | | Best New Presentation System Product: Perceptive Pixel's Multi-Touch Displays. Click here to see the rAVe NOW video we shot of them. | | Best New Control System Hardware Product: AMX's Modero X Series Touch Panels. Click here to see a rAVe NOW video we shot of them. | | Best New Control System Software Product: Jupiter Systems' Canvas. Click here to see a rAVe NOW video we shot of it. | | Best New Videoconferencing Product: Polycom's RealPresence Mobile Video Collaboration Platform. Click here to see a rAVe NOW video we shot of it. | | Best Audio Conferencing Product (tie):
- Revolabs FLX: Click here for more information on FLX.
- Polycom SoundStructure: Click here to see a rAVe NOW video we shot of it.
| | | Best New Screen Product: Da-Lite's IDEA Screen. Click here to see a rAVe NOW video we shot of it. | | Best New Rack/Furniture Product: Middle Atlantic's Reference Series Rack. Click here to see a rAVe NOW video we shot of it. | | Best New GreenAV Product: SurgeX's Cervella Remote Monitoring. Click here to see a rAVe NOW video we shot of it. | | Best New Digital Signage Display (tie):
- Nanolumens' NanoSlim Portrait Display. Click here to see a rAVe NOW video we shot of it.
- NEC SuperSlim OPS LED 24/7 Display. Click here to see a rAVe NOW video we shot of it.
| | | Best New Display for Retail Applications: Planar Ultra Lux Series. Click here to see a rAVe NOW video we shot of them. | | Best New Digital Signage Hardware Product: Evoko Room Manager. Click here to see a rAVe NOW video we shot of it. | | Best New Digital Signage Software Product: VISIX's Appoint. Click here to see a rAVe NOW video we shot of it. | | Best New Overall Digital Signage Product: Hiperwall 3.0. Click here to see a rAVe NOW video we shot of it. | | Best New Technology: HDBaseT. Click here to see a rAVe NOW video we shot of it. | | Best New Projection Technology: LED-Laser Hybrid Projectors. Thanks to Casio for inventing this hybrid LED/Laser-based technology (receiving a patent as of May). This is an emerging technology that's lamp-free, reliable, bright (so far reaching nearly 3,000 lumens), lasts for 30K to 40K hours of use and makes blacks look as black as anything we've seen using any projection technology. | | Best New Wireless Technology: Barco ClickShare. Click here to see a rAVe NOW video we shot of it. | | Best New Wireless System: Peerless-AV's Wireless Short Throw Projector AV System Using HD Flow. Click here to see a rAVe NOW video we shot of it. | | Best Show Live Presenter: Crestron's Jeff Singer | | Coolest InfoComm Demo (tie):
- Christie's projection-mapping pyramid. Click here to see a rAVe NOW video we shot of it.
- CAVI's Interactive Table. Click here to see a rAVe NOW video we shot of it.
| | | Best In-Booth Entertainment: NEC's Dancing Avatar Wall. Click here to see a rAVe NOW video we shot of it. | | Best Party: projectiondesign's In-Booth Party | | Best ProAV Mobile Device App (tie):
- Cisco's Jabber Telepresence App. Click here to see a rAVe NOW video we shot of it.
- VISIX's Mobile App. Click here to see a rAVe NOW video we shot of it.
| | | Best Concept Product: Pointmaker by Boeckeler did a private demo for rAVe of a concept product that they plan to debut this fall. It allows for real-time integration of an Apple iPad using its annotation system. It's truly real-time and impressive. Click here to see a rAVe NOW video of the Pointmaker software without the iPad integration. | | Kudos Award (tie):
- Listen Technologies for loaning us a 30-Person Portable FM Audio Tour Guide System. Click here for more info on the Audio Tour Guide System.
- Christie's Command and Control Video Wall. Click here to see a rAVe NOW video we shot of it.
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| | Best Service/Product You Probably Didn't See: AVForSale. Click here to see a rAVe NOW video we shot of it. | |
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This Week from rAVe's BlogSquad Back to Top Recently from the AVNation Podcasts Back to Top |
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2012 LCD TV Forecast Lowered to 216M Units Shipments of LCD TVs are now expected to grow at a slower pace in 2012 than 2011, according to the latest Quarterly Global TV Shipment and Forecast Report issued by NPD DisplaySearch. In addition, the overall TV market is expected to decline this year, even as segments such as emerging markets, large screen sizes, LED backlights, and 3D continue to grow.
In the latest forecast update, total TV shipments are forecast to fall 1.4 percent in 2012 to 245M units, while LCD TV is expected to increase by 5 percent — compared to 7 percent growth in 2011 — reaching 216 million units. The decline in overall TV market demand and the slower growth in LCD TV shipments can be attributed to the slower rate of price erosion and cautious spending by consumers in Europe and Asia. Average LCD TV selling prices are only expected to decline 4 percent in 2012 compared with 6 percent erosion in 2011 and 10 percent erosion in 2010. The growth is also slower this year as the transition to digital broadcasting, which accelerated purchases in major markets over the past few years has largely been completed. However, many emerging markets are still in the early stages of the switch to digital broadcasting.
“The worldwide demand for TVs is slower this year as economic uncertainty in many regions and a greater focus on profits by many LCD TV supply chain members will lead to softer price erosion, which in turn has a direct impact on sales,” noted Paul Gagnon, director of North America TV research for NPD DisplaySearch. Gagnon added, “However, several key high value segments of the TV business, such as large screen sizes and LED-backlit LCD TVs, continue to grow.”
Growth in emerging markets like China, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa, are expected to reach 8 percent Y/Y in 2012, matching the pace from 2011. Growth in these regions is expected to remain in the mid-single-digit range throughout the forecast period, offsetting the lack of strong growth in countries already well along the flat panel TV conversion path.
Indeed, LCD TVs remain the only growing TV technology, as OLED TVs are likely to launch late this year, and LCD continues to take market share from both CRT and plasma technologies. LCD TVs are expected to account for about 88 percent of total TV shipments worldwide in 2012, up from 82 percent the year before, and are projected to peak around 97 percent of overall unit demand in 2015. Plasma TV shipments on the other hand will fall to about 5 percent, declining 26 percent Y/Y as pricing becomes uncompetitive at key sizes.
Larger screen sizes continue to increase their share as affordability improves and early adopting flat panel TV consumers re-enter the market for an upgrade. The share of TV shipments at 50” and larger screen sizes is expected to jump from 6.5 percent in 2011 to 7.7 percent in 2012 and reach 10 percent by 2015. This will bring the average screen size to 35” for the first time in 2012, while the average size sold in North America is expected to exceed 40” in 2013.
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Share Article Back to Top Manufacturers Settle Second Time in LCD Price-Fixing Lawsuit New York's attorney general said today that three new LCD manufacturers will pay $571 million to settle claims that they conspired to inflate the price of LCD screens — this time its LG, Toshiba and AU Optronics. This follows a December 2011 settlement for $553 million with seven other LCD manufacturers, with $240 million of that coming from Samsung. Other companies part of that settlement include Sharp, Hitachi Displays and Epson Imaging Devices.
About $692 million of the settlements from the two lawsuits will be available to consumers as partial refunds.
For more information about the lawsuit, click here: http://www.lcdclass.com |
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NSCA Elects 2012-2013 Board The NSCA Board of Directors elected a new executive committee in June during its annual member meeting at the 2012 InfoComm show. Ingolf de Jong, president and principal partner of General Communications, Inc. has been elected the new president of the NSCA Board of Directors through June 2014. New officers of the NSCA Board of Directors include:
- Kelly McCarthy, president of Genesis Integration, Inc. – Vice-president
- Ray Bailey, president of Lone Star Communications, Inc. – Secretary
- Michael Hester, founder and managing partner of Beacon Communications, LLC – Treasurer
The membership also elected board members:
- Jim Huber, director of sales and marketing, NOR-COM Inc.
- Josh Shanahan, president, Sport View Technologies (SVT)
- Ron Prier, owner and CEO, RPAV
“Stepping into this role right now is very exciting,” said de Jong. “When you look at the industry and where it is today there are a lot of opportunities, but business owners and managers have been faced with many challenges and NSCA is well positioned to educate and assist integrators through these challenges. Changing regulations, a diversified distribution model, rapidly changing technology, and IT convergence – integrators must embrace these changes and modify their businesses to do so. NSCA is the one association that addresses these concerns and provides its members with information, tools and resources to effectively run their business. I’ve been using NSCA resources for years, saving my company tens of thousands of dollars by utilizing the information they have available.”
Over the next two years, de Jong will focus on key areas of change the industry is facing and ensuring NSCA is the resource for the integration community. Educating integrators on the mass notification and emergency communications (MNEC) market, policies and regulations, daily business practices such as contracts, service agreements, bid process and more will be promoted to the membership. Furthermore, Ingolf wants to see the membership become more engaged through committees, events, and interactive discussions.
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Share Article Back to Top Thanks to Cisco, 1-Gigabit Wireless Networks May Be Here in 2013 eWeek reported this week that Cisco will be the first to break the 1-Gigabit barrier on Wi-Fi networks when it introduces an 802.11ac access point in 2013. Cisco says it will introduce an 802.11ac module in the first half of next year that can plug into an existing Cisco Aironet 3600 access point.
802.11ac is the successor to 802.11n and is currently still being developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standards body. While wired networks already exist at speeds 1G-bps and even much higher, there wasn't an access point capable of taking wireless networks to the same level until now. Of course, there also aren't any wireless products operating on the 802.11ac standard yet either (most are now 802.11n), but they shouldn't be far behind now that an access point has been announced. eWeek also reports that Cisco's competitors, including Hewlett-Packard, are not far behind Cisco in the race to the next wireless standard.
To read the complete eWeek story, click here: http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Enterprise-Networking/Cisco-to-Break-the-1-Gigabit-Barrier-on-Enterprise-WiFi-Networks-203059/ |
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Share Article Back to Top ISE Is Third Fastest-Growing Trade Show in the World EXPO magazine now ranks the combined InfoComm/CEDIA show known as ISE (Integrated Systems Europe), as the third fastest-growing trade show in the world (up from ninth last year).
The annual ISE Press Event, held this week, always offers a statistical re-cap — after 2012, ISE shows a track record that most athletic departments would blame on steroids.
Attendance (up 17.2 percent in 2012 to 40,869) is outpacing the growth in exhibition space (825 exhibitors occupied 11 halls). And, ISE 2013 will expand its exhibition space to take up the last remaining Hall at the RAI, adding Hall 8 (oddly enough the first hall ISE ever used at the RAI.)
On the eve of the 10th event, Mike Blackman, managing director of Integrated Systems Events, said, “We knew from our very first show that we had a winner but no one imagined the rate of success.”
UK and Germany each brought more than 5,000 attendees to ISE 2012. Almost every European country (and UAE) sent more attendees to 2012 (except Portugal and Greece, who are getting so much bad economic press we probably shouldn’t add any more.)
As a major European show, ISE is creating a strong enough platform that other global regions are drawn in. ISE can now claim, with credibility, that it is more than just EMEA… it is becoming a global platform. Attendees came from 130 countries.
Now it’s a sorry statement that exceeds belief, but frankly the world can’t agree on the number of countries that exist. If aliens arrive tomorrow and say, “Take us to your Leaders,” we couldn’t give them a straight answer on how many countries they should meet. How embarrassing would that be… if they would offer to host the first alien-human dinner party and we can’t even tell them how many plates to set?
The UN includes 192 countries as members… the U.S. State Department says it officially talks to 194 countries… and Nations Online insists on listing 196 countries noting there are “about” 60 dependent areas and five “disputed territories.”
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Share Article Back to Top InfoComm CTS Numbers Growing If you had (or have) CTS exam jitters, you are not alone. It can be intimidating to take an exam, even when you have years of experience. It might ease your nerves to know how your peers are doing on the exams before you tackle your own goals.
Periodically, InfoComm and the Certification Committee provide pass rates for the CTS-related exams. For 2012 through June 30, the cumulative pass rates (and current total certifications in effect) are as follows:
- CTS: 70 percent (6,970 certified)
- CTS-D: 62 percent (664 certified)
- CTS-I: 84 percent (525 certified)
As you can see, there are now more than 500 CTS-I holders and more than 600 CTS-D holders worldwide. 107 now have both the CTS-D and the CTS-I.
Wondering how your peers prepare for exams? There are no particular courses required as a prerequisite to take the CTS, CTS-D and CTS-I exams; however, candidate feedback indicates that candidates who take structured training courses typically do better on all levels of the exams. Many also report the new online practice exams are very helpful to them as well.
Are you among the three-quarters of CTS holders who are considering earning the specialized CTS-D or CTS-I? Call 1.800.659.7469 and let InfoComm know you want to be certified.
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ISE Adds Smart Building Conference What more can you say about a show where all the exhibition space sells out and attendance is already up, up and up?
You add more focus on the conference side of the business.
“Since we launched our first Conference on the eve of ISE 2009, the numbers of industry professionals attending our pre-show events has grown year by year,” said Mike Blackman, managing director, Integrated Systems Events. “To further develop this program, we have decided to invest in someone with a proven track-record of successful business-to-businesss conference management.”
Integrated Systems Events has appointed Marieke Bouman to the new position of conference and events manager. Working out of ISE’s Amsterdam operations office, Bouman will oversee development and organization of Integrated Systems Europe’s pre-show events program. (Bouman will also help develop other events in Europe, complementing ISE, but that’s another story.)
Her first pre-show event project will be the ISE Smart Building Conference.
“The message from our post-show questionnaire in 2012 was unequivocal — our attendees want to see more building automation, energy management and related technologies on our show floor, and these are the areas where they see the greatest future growth potential for their businesses,” explains Blackman.
“By launching our Smart Building Conference on the eve of ISE 2013, we aim to ensure that as these technologies become more significant to our industry our attendees have the market intelligence and technical expertise they need to embrace their opportunity.”
"Our aim is to ensure that the Smart Building Conference is not just a talking shop about 'green AV,'" continues Blackman. “As building automation and energy management become more important in the design and sustainability of both commercial and residential buildings, it is vital that we hear the voices of all those involved in their development–– including architects, design consultants, developers, electrical contractors and more.
“The ISE Smart Building Conference will give all these groups the opportunity to discuss the big issues alongside representatives from our core AV and systems integration communities: manufacturers, distributors, integrators and institutional end-customers.”
To accompany the Conference, the show floor of ISE 2013 will have its own Smart Building at ISE in Hall 7. Set to be twice the size of the 2012 Energy Management Pavilion, the area will share common branding and promotion with the pre-show event — giving conference delegates a clear destination to include in their ISE show itineraries.
“Following the successful formula we’ve established in fields such as digital signage, enterprise communications and live events, the ISE Smart Building Conference will give additional meaning to an area of our show floor that is growing in both size and importance,” Blackman says.
The show info is here: http://www.iseurope.org/home.php
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Share Article Back to Top InFocus Adds Three New Short Throw Projectors InFocus has launched three new short throw projectors in the form of the IN114ST, IN124ST and IN126ST, which are all single-chip DLP projectors. The IN114ST, a native XGA (1024×768) resolution projector, is spec'd at 2,500 ANSI lumens and at a 4,000:1 contrast ratio. The other two models, the IN124ST and the IN126ST are both specified at 3,000 ANSI lumens with a 4,000:1 contrast ratio. The IN124ST (1024×768) is XGA resolution, while the IN126ST is WXGA (1280×800).
InFocus says all three projectors have a 6,000-hour lamp and no filter. They are also 3D-capable, offer network control and both HDMI and VGA inputs.
You can see all the specs here: http://www.infocus.com/projectors/classroom-projectors/infocus-in120-projector-series
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Share Article Back to Top AMX Ships 7" and 10" Modero Touch Panels AMX said today that it has started shipping the 7" and 10" versions of the Modero Touch Panels. The new 7" and 10" models include HD video streaming, Bluetooth VoIP and USB external phone connections. The 10" adds a high definition camera for video chat and conferencing (in tabletop and wall landscape models).
The Modero series include a widescreen, frameless, edge-to-edge glass design that is quite frankly, beautiful.
Here are all the specs: http://amx.com/products/categoryTouchPanels.asp
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Share Article Back to Top Extron Ships DisplayPort Switcher and DA Extron has started shipping both the SW2 DP (two-input DisplayPort switcher) and the DP DA2 (two-output DisplayPort distribution amplifier). They are both HDCP-compliant, supporting data rates up to 10.8 Gbps and computer resolutions up to 2560×1600 @ 60 Hz, including HDTV 1080p/60. The SW2 DP and DP DA2 feature EDID Minder, an Extron-exclusive technology that maintains continuous EDID communication between connected devices for reliable video content display. The DP DA2 also features Key Minder, a technology that continuously authenticates HDCP encryption between all devices, ensuring the simultaneous distribution of source content to both displays. Additionally, dual-mode support on the DP DA2 allows source signals to be distributed to multiple HDMI, DVI or VGA display devices with appropriate adapters.
Complete specs on the SW2 DP are here: http://www.extron.com/product/product.aspx?id=sw2dp&s=0
Specs on the DP DA2 are here: http://www.extron.com/product/product.aspx?id=dpda2&s=0
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Pakedge Debuts 24-Port PoE Gigabit Switch Pakedge Device & Software today announced the launch of its S24H, a 24-port gigabit switch with PoE+ (IEEE 802.3AT). Designed specifically for powering and switching AVB-based network AV products, the S24H delivers up to 25.5 watts-per-port for use with HDMI-over-IP transmitters, multi-radios wireless access points, high-definition IP cameras, home automation PoE+ controllers and other devices that require PoE+ operation and gigabit Ethernet connectivity (it uses a 500-watt power supply).
The S24H provides 25.5 watts of PoE+ power to up to 12 ports or 15.4 watts to all 24 ports simultaneously or a combination thereof. Each port can be individually and remotely power cycled via a variety of devices, including an iPad or iPhone. It also supports serial home automation protocols. The S24H offers high data throughput and enterprise-class reliability.
The Pakedge S24H has four fiber optic ports and can operate as a fiber hub with long-distance cable runs, making it ideal for connecting guest houses, pool houses or additional building on a property that are away from the main home installation.
Although this is designed for high-end home applications, it's perfectly capable of managing ProAV installs using AVB as well.
All the specs are available through this PDF: http://www.pakedge.com/docs/S24HBrochure.pdf
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Share Article Back to Top Chief Ships Interactive Mount Accessories Chief is already shipping new interactive flat panel solutions designed to convert standard TVs into interactive surfaces. The FCI accessory installs with FUSION Series mounts, while the PACI adds interactivity to Click Connect Series swing arm mounts and mobile displays, installing with a design similar to Chief side speaker adapters. Basically, it transforms a flat screen display into an interactive platform powered by eBeam technology from Luidia Inc.
Each interactive solution includes a lightweight stylus featuring real-time rendering capabilities and works with 40-55" LED-backlit LCD displays with a rigid front panel. You add the accessory to the mount, install the interactive software and connect a PC or Mac to the receiver via USB. Another nail in the Smart Technologies coffin.
Here are all the details: http://www.chiefmfg.com/interactive
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Share Article Back to Top Extron Fiber Optic USB Extender Now Shipping Extron is shipping its new FOX USB Extender, a fiber optic transmitter and receiver set capable of extending USB 2.0 signals over very long distances. Peripheral devices can be located up to 10 km (6.25 miles) from the host computer. The FOX USB Extender is an efficient solution for professional AV system designs that require KVM – Keyboard/Video/Mouse support, reducing the need for additional IP network drops, equipment and software. To ensure proper system boot-up and operation in switching environments, the transmitter enables uninterrupted communication between the host computer and USB device.
The FOX USB Extender enables long haul transmission of USB 2.0, 1.1, and 1.0 compliant signals with data rates up to 480 Mbps, and peripheral emulation ensures reliable communication whether or not a tie is made to a connected device. Both the transmitter and receiver include front panel LED indicators for visual confirmation of system activity. As an added benefit that simplifies integration, the receiver provides an active four-port hub for simultaneous connection of multiple peripheral devices.
As part of the extensive FOX Series of fiber optic products from Extron, the FOX USB Extender can be used for simple point-to-point applications or in combination with FOX Series matrix switchers for support of signal distribution systems up to 1000×1000 and larger. Also, when used in conjunction with an Extron FOX Series HDMI, DVI, or VGA extender, the FOX USB Extender is capable of transmitting KVM signals very long distances over a fiber optic infrastructure.
Get all the specs here: http://www.extron.com/company/article.aspx?id=foxusbextenderad
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Share Article Back to Top Premier's LCD Slider Finally Has a Part Number It's official. Premier will build one of our favorite new products from InfoComm: the LCD Slider. This is something every K-12 and higher ed classroom will wish they had – buy this instead of a barely-ever-used document camera! The concept of the design for the FPS-CPT LCD Slider mount is to provide a simple, stationary wall-mounted unit utilizing gas shocks to provide a steady resistance to help gently glide the display to the desired height. A great option for educational use in the classroom or training and information sessions, the concept mount uses steel channels to mount the display over the top of a chalkboard or whiteboard. The mount then easily glides the display across the whiteboard with movement accommodated by rubberized rollers to provide a smooth horizontal motion. Other options may be available for the slider including a motorized vertical capability. Here's how to order it: http://www.mounts.com/product?product=FPS-CPT |
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Share Article Back to Top PreSonos Debuts 600-Watt Tube Pre-Amp PreSonus launched the ADL 700 last week — a Class A tube preamplifier with a FET-based compressor and a four-band semi-parametric equalizer that has separate balanced XLR mic, balanced XLR line, ¼" TS instrument inputs and a single balanced XLR output.
Features include an input source select switch with variable mic-input impedance that enables you to choose among signal sources and patches the selected input through the signal chain, selectable mic-input impedances: 1500Ω, 900Ω, 300Ω, and 150Ω, plus 48-Volt phantom power, polarity reverse and a -20 dB pad. In addition, it provides variable mic-input gain, employing an 8-position rotary switch that provides 35 dB of gain in 5 dB increments and a trim potentiometer (±30 dB) that allows you to make fine adjustments to the final preamp stage of the ADL 700 inputs.
PreSonos specifies a -12 dB/octave high-pass filter with a frequency threshold that can be set at 20 Hz, 40 Hz, 80 Hz or 200 Hz, or can be turned off completely.
Its list price is $1,999. Here are all the specs: http://www.presonus.com/
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Share Article Back to Top NEC Debuts Two OPS-Compliant Computers for DS Applications NEC Display Solutions introduced two additional Open Pluggable Specification (OPS) compliant computers for integration with NEC LCDs and projectors with OPS slots. The OPS platform is an industry-wide standard for the design and development of digital signage to simplify installation and maintenance. These internal PCs can run multiple video formats and high-definition content at 1080p and are targeted for use with digital signage in airports, quick-service restaurants, education, rental and staging, corporate lobbies, healthcare facilities and retail stores.
The new OPS-PCIC family utilizes Intel Sandy Bridge microarchitecture with a 2.5GHz Dual Core i5 CPU and 2GB of RAM. With an integrated Ethernet connection, a DisplayPort output and four USB ports, connectivity is easy to manage and simple to use. The OPS-PCIC family includes the following models:
- OPS-PCIC-5WH, Windows 7 Embedded and 250GB disk drive
- OPS-PCIC-5WS, Windows 7 Embedded and 32GB solid state drive
NEC’s PH1000U, PX700W, PX750U and PX800X projectors are compatible with most OPS devices, while the X461S and X551S super slim LCD displays are compatible with all OPS families. The OPS device adapter (SB-02AM) is required for the V422, V462, V551, V651, V651-TOUCH, P402, P462, P552, P702, X463UN andX551UN models, as well as the product bundle offerings.
The OPS-PCIC family of PCs will be available for shipment in July 2012 with a three-year warranty and a list price of $1,200
Complete specs are here: http://www.necdisplay.com/p/ops-pcic-5wh and here: http://www.necdisplay.com/p/ops-pcic-5ws
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Share Article Back to Top Barco Adds New LED-Lit Control Room Video Wall Displays With the OverView M series, Barco enters the small- to medium-sized control room market, offering a DLP-based, SXGA (1400×1050) resolution monitor wall that includes 10-bit color processing and an 80,000-hour LED light source. The first range of OverView M video wall cubes to hit the market are the 4:3 aspect ratio versions, available with screen diagonals of 60”, 67” and 80”. Barco told rAVe that widescreen models will become available later this year.
Barco claims that to ensure good wall uniformity in terms of color and brightness levels, the OverView MVL-615 comes with Barco’s Sense5 automatic calibration system. This system works with a color sensor that continuously measures the primary color levels of the entire wall, and adjusts white point and color when needed. This results in a significantly more accurate cube to cube uniformity over the lifespan of the display. Furthermore, the module’s robust structure makes the OverView MVL-615 suitable for use in industrial environments.
The OverView MVL-615 is 60" diagonally and can be stacked horizontally or vertically. Full specs are here: http://www.barco.com/en/products-solutions/video-walls/rear-projection-video-walls/overview-m-series-led-video-walls/industry-standard-60-sxga-43-led-video-wall.aspx
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Share Article Back to Top Premier Mounts Reorganizes Territories, Adds Sales Staff Premier Mounts is welcoming back Anew C.T. to its team. Premier Mounts has reorganized territory to fully optimize its efforts across all regions. Robert Guzman, former southwest regional sales manager, has acquired all west coast territory and is now the western regional sales manager. Guzman will cover the entire west coast region with the help of Anew C.T. including California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Oregon and Washington. Eric Stageman has returned to Premier Mounts as the south central regional sales manager and will cover the states of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico and Colorado.
Anew C.T. has offices located along the entire west coast region from southern California to the Pacific Northwest with headquarters located near Denver, Colo.
To read the complete press release online, click here. Back to Top Greg Oshiro Joins Community Industry veteran Greg Oshiro has joined Community Professional Loudspeakers in the position of senior design engineer. Oshiro will play a key role in new product evaluation, design and development.
To read the complete press release online, click here. | Back to Top JVC Announces New Hires, Promotions JVC Professional Products Company, a division of JVC Americas Corp., today announced that Masafumi (Masa) Nakano was named vice president of the JVC Security Division on July 16. The company also announced that John Grabowski has been promoted to national sales and marketing manager for JVC Security Division, and Ian Scott, former vice president of the division, has been promoted to vice president of operations for JVC Professional Products Company.
To read the complete press release online, click here. Back to Top Renkus-Heinz Announces New Sales Reps Renkus-Heinz has announced the appointment of Native Media Sales as the company's newest sales representatives.
Native Media Sales was founded by audio industry veteran Michael Austin, who has spent more than 25 in the industry. He has also served on a number of representative councils and advisory boards for several manufacturers. Native Media will cover the Renkus-Heinz line for the Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana areas.
To read the complete press release online, click here. Back to Top AVI-SPL Restructures Sales Support Team AVI-SPL has restructured its Strategic Accounts division to create separate Enterprise and Public Sector Accounts groups. The restructuring will allow AVI-SPL to better support the engagement of large, key customer accounts.
To read the complete press release online, click here. Back to Top Barix Hires Frank Frederiksen as VP of Product Marketing and Strategy Barix AG, a manufacturer of IP-based audio, intercom, control and monitoring, has appointed Frank Frederiksen as vice president of product marketing and strategy. Frederiksen will help Barix define its vertical market strategy as the company grows its business and expands its product range.
To read the complete press release online, click here. Back to Top AVI-SPL Hires New Global Service Operations Manager AVI-SPL announced this month the addition of Tom Thomas as global service operations manager to its Technology Solutions Group. Thomas will be responsible for managing the global team of professional service engineers in designing, consulting and implementing customer video communications solutions, including video conferencing, video streaming, video on-demand, digital signage and other digital media technologies.
To read the complete press release online, click here. Back to Top For all you REGULAR readers of rAVe ProAV Edition out there, hopefully you enjoyed another opinion-packed issue! For those of you NEW to rAVe, you just read how we are — we are 100 percent opinionated. We not only report the news and new product stories of the ProAV industry, but we stuff the articles full of our opinions. That may include (but is not limited to) whether or not the product is even worth looking at, challenging the manufacturers on their specifications, calling a marketing-spec bluff and suggesting ways integrators market their products better. But, one thing is for sure, we are NOT a trade publication that gets paid for running editorial or product stories. Traditional trade publications get paid to run product stories — that's why you see what you see in most of the pubs out there. We are different: we run what we want to run and NO ONE is going to pay us to write anything good (or bad). Don't like us, then go away — unsubscribe! Just use the link below. To send me feedback, don't reply to this newsletter. Instead, write directly to me at gary@ravepubs.com or for editorial ideas, Editor-in-Chief Sara Abrons at sara@ravepubs.com A little about me: I graduated from Journalism School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (where I am adjunct faculty). I've been in the AV-industry since 1987 where I started with Extron and eventually moved to AMX. So, I guess I am an industry veteran (although I don't think I am that old). I have been an opinionated columnist for a number of industry publications and in the late 1990s I started the widely read KNews eNewsletter (the first in the AV market) and also created the model for and was co-founder of AV Avenue, which is now known as InfoComm IQ. rAVe [Publications] has been around since 2003, when we launched our original newsletter, rAVe ProAV Edition. Everything we publish is Opt-in — we spam NO ONE! rAVe ProAV Edition is our flagship ePublication with what we believe is a reach of virtually everyone in the ProAV market. rAVe HomeAV Edition, co-published with CEDIA and launched in February 2004, is, by far, the largest ePub in the HomeAV market. We added rAVe Rental [and Staging] in November 2007, rAVe ED [Education] in May 2008 and then rAVe DS [Digital Signage] in January 2009. We added rAVe GreenAV in August 2010 and rAVe HOW [House of Worship] in July 2012. You can subscribe to any of those publication or see ALL our archives by going to: https://www.ravepubs.com To read more about my background, our team and what we do, go to https://www.ravepubs.com Back to Top Copyright 2012 – rAVe [Publications] – All rights reserved – All rights reserved. For reprint policies, contact rAVe [Publications], 210 Old Barn Ln. – Chapel Hill, NC 27517 – (919) 969-7501. Email: sara@ravepubs.com
rAVe contains the opinions of the author only and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of other persons or companies or its sponsors. |
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