Does anyone know where the word “integrator” originated from? It makes literal sense to those of us in the industry who know what we do, but not so much to people on the outside. (I’m mentioning this because Scott Tiner’s column today compares the term integrator to value-added reseller. Check it out below.)
That got me thinking about other weird terms we use and the connotations they take on. For example, “custom installers” generally refers to those working in home AV integration and automation, even though they too could be called an integrator. In the commercial world, “AV consultant” often means “AV design consultant,” which is specific to independent systems designers who design systems and specify products based exclusively on the needs and best interests of the project and the client without other influences, such as also selling or making money off the products or services that are recommended.
But my favorite one is “end user” — a term imperative for those of us working in commercial AV for sure, and also in most B2B industries. But try using it to someone outside the industry and their eyes glaze over. Sometimes words are buzzwords that don’t mean anything and sometimes they are actually useful terms that you just don’t understand (yet). Anyway, when I see my extended family next week for Thanksgiving, I’ll probably just let them go on thinking I’m a publicist. Or whatever.
Happy (American) Thanksgiving, y’all!