As it turns out, a new year comes with some new perspectives. As you know I have for the most part of the last year been writing about numerous technologies along with AV/IT (?) –  Cloud, IoT, Virtual Reality and more, as well as features like Convergent TechWeek and This Week (in AV and IT), however the one thing I may not have paid as much attention to interestingly enough is — AV. OK, so the term is fairly broad-scale in terms of solutions however back when I started in the business (in computer rentals and sales), we talked for the most part about projectors – CRT’s at the time (AKA three guns) as well as the heavy portables and LCD overhead plates (and yes overhead projectors), screens – portable and fast fold, and interfaces, switchers and distribution amps.

Eventually life as an AV sales person a few years later brought me to the world of integration and the boardroom, classroom, auditorium, gymnasium and more. I worked closely alongside my Director of Engineering who I considered my right hand man winning large jobs working in full synchronicity, as well as my PM’s and installers – which is of course the way I always like to work. I’m a relationships person and I always build upon that concept – I never try to do it alone. There are those in sales and other industry positions who say “I’ve got it,” and many times as a result of a narrow focus (in education as well) they may be leading to failure. Working as a team? Looking for the right industry education? It’s all provided out there in different parts of the industry – you have to want to move ahead and excel utilizing the proper resources.

It’s still a largely “move beyond the hardware” environment which we know many commercial AV integrators are still entrenched in – look in every corner of the industry and this is proven to be true, even with all of the technologically enhanced solutions out there. I sold and integrated many Tandberg codecs in boardroom systems in my time and if the Tandberg codec still existed, I might still sell it. But it doesn’t – so…

However there are those integrators that DO get it and I will be looking to highlight them at certain points this year looking at their technology focuses, the way they work as a team from sales to project management to marketing, the services they provide, even their five year plans. The AV integrator is the heartbeat, the lifeblood of this industry – their models of advancement certainly serve as an example. Your company may well see them as the tooth and nail competitor – however an open mind perspective to their successes can certainly lead to enhancement of one’s business model, as well as outlook. The industry as a whole certainly needs that – to thrive.

I will also be looking at industry manufacturers and the solutions they provide however here along with hardware I will also focus on cloud and software-based solutions. Do you know beside the standard hardware-based control solutions which are cloud? Or software-based? How about videoconferencing/UC solutions? Which markets certain manufacturers target their focus to – enterprise, education, heallthcare, financial? Does mobility and BYOD enter into the picture? It does for numerous solutions and there will be many more driven by mobile devices and OS in 2016.

What advanced technologies will we see at InfoComm this year? Who will be in this year’s InfoComm Innovations Showcase? Do you recall last year’s winner? That was Collaboration Squared with their market-leading Ubiety cloud video collaboration solution. I will look for those companies which I believe may not only be in this year’s showcase, but have a good chance of winning it as well – here is information on the 2016 Innovations Showcase. Of course there will also be my Top 10 Disruptive Solutions at InfoCommm – here is last year’s list.

Young and innovative minds of the industry? I’ll be looking at them in profiles – could one of them be the next Young AV Professional as Jeremy Caldera CTS-D. CTS-I, Lead Audiovisual Design Engineer, Zeller Digital Innovations (ZDI) was in 2015? Here is the list of all award winners.

There will be much more including special blogs on certain industry topics. Stay tuned…