Latest headlines: Adam Cox on wireless sharing post-COVID-19, Anthony Coppedge on design thinking, plus news from Poly, DTEN, Barco and more
June 12, 2020 | Volume: 11 | Issue: 11
‘Sup dudes!
How’s everybody doing? It’s no secret that this market is poppin’, and the fact that this newsletter is jam-packed with news is a testament to that. Speaking of news, let’s get to it:
Columns: Adam Cox is so nice he wrote twice about the future of the collab market — this time speaking particularly to wireless sharing, Mark Coxon writes about building trust and value, Dr. Fred Ampel supplies another hot take (this time on what NOT to do as a manufacturer) + much, much more.
Products: A TON of releases. Catch updates from Poly/Plantronics, AtlasIED, Sony, Renkus-Heinz, Visix and more.
General news: Kinly bought AVMI, and we have some stats/takeaways on Almo’s E4v.
Action items:InfoComm 2020 Connected is coming up, and we have the information if you’re interested in attending! And if you’re interested in participating in the 5K on your own watch — sign up here. Also — LAVNCH WEEK 2.0 is coming up, and it’s even bigger and better than before. Register here.
It is not an exaggeration to say that the world as we know it will be forever changed once we emerge from the all-engulfing COVID-19, with one of the major shifts being how we choose to work effectively in the workplace moving forward. Ultimately, collaboration technology is at the center of this — a growing trend that has been magnified since businesses have needed to quickly adapt to a world of remote working.
As an industry that has our own revenue challenges right now, how do we treat people in a way that they’ll remember us favorably when this is all over? Lead with empathy and transparency. Put yourselves in your client’s position. What uncertainty do they face? What hard decisions are they having to make? What course of action will help them best reach their new goal, as it has most likely changed since March? How can you help them maximize their resources by offering solutions that accelerate them reaching their goals?
As any regular reader of my columns will know, one of my significant beliefs is critical to any relationship between a manufacturer and consultants/specifiers. It’s about two things: responsiveness and reliability. Therefore, I present the following story as an illustration of precisely what NOT to do if you are a manufacturer. Take heed.
As integration companies battle through a COVID-19-depleted market, there is much uncertainty about what the future of the integration industry holds. One feeling, however, has been consistent throughout NSCA’s countless conversations with integration firm leaders: Even when the integration market enters its reboot and recovery phase, the “new normal,” as it’s often called, will be different.
As of this article’s writing for rAVe, one of the most recent common phrases in the English-speaking lexicon has to be new normal during the COVID-19 pandemic. The term is a hopeful euphemism to cope with the rate and volume of change in short order so that humans can find ways to accept and normalize this particular period in history. The AV industry should see this pandemic shift in business not as a storm to be weathered but a new normal to embrace. To help innovate and lead differently in a new normal, the principles of design thinking focus on how to thrive moving forward as AV manufacturers, systems integrators, consultants or AV dealers
Last week, AVIXA (the Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association) held an important and data-driven webinar based on consolidated findings from the past 12 weeks of its Impact Survey — a weekly assessment of proAV industry trends, attitudes and perceptions in light of the pandemic. The “COVID-19 Impacts to Pro AV Businesses Webinar,” available to AVIXA members, sought to summarize almost three months’ worth of data from two main groups in the AV industry, providers and end users.