Volume 12, Issue 12 — June 24, 2021

rAVe UCC — Volume 12, Issue 12

June 24, 2021 | Volume: 12 | Issue: 12

I say it a lot, but I get real tired of “the new normal.” Has there ever been a norm in our industry? We can’t even agree on standards half the time, so I am gonna go out on a limb and say — there is no new normal. There was no old normal either. Scott Tiner touches on this in his latest digital transformation column. The new normal — or whatever you want to call it — should not affect your relationships with your customers.

Mark Coxon writes about the difficulty in creating seamless hybrid experiences. Hybrid is sort of a new thing for our industry, and it’s been a struggle to get it right. For example, are LCD video walls at the back of the room a good option for a display in a hybrid space? Read for the answer!

Finally, Bob Snyder writes about a company called “Pitch” that works to make presentations. As Bob notes, many companies have tried and failed to come for PowerPoint, but none have been able to touch its success. With investors raising $135 million, this might not be a company you want to sleep on.

Finally, catch news from Ashly Audio, AVer, Biamp, Extron and more.

Have a great Thursday!

— Steph Beckett

COLUMNS

+ The ‘New’ Workspace Is Really Just Digital Transformation [Scott Tiner]

I write about this because I see many predictions being made about the new normal. Some of these are from prognosticators who are guessing. In some cases, they guess knowing they are predicting more than what will actually happen but they want to shake things up. In this new reality, AV firms have two major challenges on their hands: First, they need to decide what parts of these new ways of working they will keep, and second, they have to understand which customers are truly committed to a strategy of digital transformation.

+ The Struggle for ‘Seamless’ Hybrid Experiences [Mark Coxon]

There are 1,001 blogs on the hybrid workplace and hybrid classrooms. Heck, I may have even contributed to that total. But before you dismiss this one, I’ll tell you it’s short, intuitive and not quite the same as the others. If you’re doing hybrid meetings or classrooms, you already know the main components. The other main component is the computer running the software-based meeting platform.

+ Pitch Perfect in Berlin [Bob Snyder]

As much as people gripe about PowerPoint, no one has been able to jiggle that rock, let alone seriously dislodge that mainstay of Microsoft’s bluestone wall of business productivity software. “Death by PowerPoint” became a familiar phrase in global culture and defenders only sound like America’s NRA when they argue “It’s not the tool; it’s the user!” Pitch launched its vision in October 2020.