Max Kopsho

Max Kopsho

Max Kopsho has joined Thorburn Associates as a principal consultant focused on unified communications and collaboration. By combining his knowledge and skill in AV and IT with his decades of experience, Max will be responsible for driving Thorburn Associates' Unified Communications and Collaboration Division (UC&C). Max will be instrumental in the anticipated "exponential growth" of Thorburn Associates' UC&C Division by solving the toughest of customer AV/IT problems with his technical prowess and keen insight into their business needs.

UC&C Requires a T.E.A.M Approach

The audiovisual industry has been converging and will continue to converge with the IT industry to deliver unified communications and collaborative solutions. The convergence of these markets bring the best of what AV has to offer with the best of IT has completely together. AV brings to bear the enhanced lighting, acoustics and collaboration technology […]

UC&C Requires a T.E.A.M Approach

Networked AV Security and My Thoughts on the “AMX Backdoor” Story

Recently there have been a few people who would have you believe that “Networked AV is the single biggest threat to cyber security today.”  Are the people who are saying this seriously stating that Networked AV poses a bigger threat to cybersecurity than social engineering or the other countless cyber security issues that end users […]

Networked AV Security and My Thoughts on the “AMX Backdoor” Story

PART II: Better than Being There — Three Keys to AV Delivering UC&C

(It’s a long post – but I think it might be a good one) In my last blog I talked about the vision of Unified Communications and Collaboration (UC&C) and how UC&C can be better than being there. I of course acknowledged the importance of face-to-face meetings. To recap, I emphasized that when you use […]

PART II: Better than Being There — Three Keys to AV Delivering UC&C

AV With a Passion and Purpose

I have known about this AV/IT and collaborative (could even be videoconferencing) solution for a long time, but I was recently reminded of it and thought I should write a little something about it.  This is an AV solution in a medical environment. Sweet right?  What can be more purpose driven or allow someone to […]

AV With a Passion and Purpose

Better than Being There — Three Keys to AV Delivering UC&C

I want to preface this by stating an important point. Nothing will ever replace the value of face-to-face meetings. A firm handshake to close a deal or the ability to spend time with people building strong relationships is incredibly important. The emphasis of this article is on the building and adding to the personal nature […]

Better than Being There — Three Keys to AV Delivering UC&C

Five Ways AV Can Become More IT

When we discuss the ways that AV can become more IT, It is important to emphasize that the transition to becoming more IT is not one that should take AV away from their core competencies. I have had a lot of discussions lately with some of the best minds in AV and we seem to […]

Five Ways AV Can Become More IT

Five Reasons AV Needs to Become More IT

Last week, I read a very good article titled The Five Reasons Why AV is Not IT by Ernie Beck. The article discussed in a very compelling way how AV has considerable value in systems integration and will continued to for a long time to come. One of the great points in this article is […]

Five Reasons AV Needs to Become More IT

The Collaboration Conundrum Part II (Considerations for Collaborative Systems)

A great collaboration space allows the people to interact freely and share ideas openly as if they would whether they were using technology or not. The purpose of the technology is to SUPPORT the message and to ENHANCE communication. In my earlier blog about this subject I mentioned that part of the needs analysis should […]

The Collaboration Conundrum Part II (Considerations for Collaborative Systems)

The Collaboration Conundrum

With so many products available out there for collaboration and huddle spaces that could be considered “off the shelf” one would have to ask themselves why a consultant and/or design engineer needs to be in the mix at all.  In this blog I will discuss some of the considerations a design engineer and consultant take […]

The Collaboration Conundrum

Why Is Collaboration So Disconnected?

It seems that every time I hear about collaboration in our industry lately it is referring to AirMedia, ClickShare, Brio, Via, Enzo or similar “Mirror Op” technologies and the emphasis is almost always on wireless and BYOD. These examples are great success stories and they have a great place in today’s marketplace.  But I fear […]

Why Is Collaboration So Disconnected?

Your Business Moral Compass — It’s Never “Just Business”

Does your business have moral compass? How much does it guide you as an individual? Are you able to contribute to your Business’ Moral Compass? This week I was reminded of a very important lesson about loyalty and tough business decisions. The lesson reminded me both on a business level and on a personal level. […]

Your Business Moral Compass — It’s Never “Just Business”

Adding to Your Winning Team

Who is the best person on your integration team? Where are you getting the highest value? Is it the engineer who can design a flawless system and bring it life through a detailed program report and drawing package? Is it the project manager who manages time, scope, and cost with incredible resource management skills and […]

Adding to Your Winning Team

Sympathy — Is it a Sign of Weakness in Sales?

(An exerpt from the book Da Vinci Sales – The 7 Keys to Selling Like Leonardo) Sales is a dog eat dog world. In sales you don’t have time to care and you can’t be weak…or can you? Should you?  Does sympathy pay off in sales? If so, which should you be, sympathetic or empathetic? […]

Sympathy — Is it a Sign of Weakness in Sales?

What is in the Value Sweet Spot in Converged AV and IT?

What is really the return when you combine AV and IT? To answer this question you have to better define what AV and IT convergence is. AV and IT convergence is when AV and IT can be deployed where collaboration, control (ease of use), connectivity, conferencing and sending content can all be enhanced by integrating […]

What is in the Value Sweet Spot in Converged AV and IT?

Why So Many Certifications? — It’s All about the Bas(s) — The BASICS that is!

I often refer to myself as a certification junkie. The truth of the matter is I am an education and learning junkie. I love to learn and all of the certifications are a side effect of that wonderful disease. That addiction to lifelong learning is probably why I teach. In teaching, I learn more than […]

Why So Many Certifications? — It’s All about the Bas(s) — The BASICS that is!

More Than a Bridge — HDBaseT and IP — Not a Bridge and Not Competing

HDBaseT technology is often referred to as a bridge between traditional AV and IP based AV. This bridging reference is often used when people are comparing HDBaseT to IP encoders and decoders that are often used for audio and video transport over campus and metropolitan area networks. When I hear this comparison being made the […]

More Than a Bridge — HDBaseT and IP — Not a Bridge and Not Competing

Lessons from Marvel’s AVengers for the AV Industry

Tony Stark — Iron Man Technology can make or break you. We learn that Tony Stark can invent anything and often invents things just because he can. Similarly, in the AV industry we implement technology for technology’s sake. From the comics and movies we learn that if we implement technology without fully researching it and […]

Lessons from Marvel’s AVengers for the AV Industry

Stop Selling My Products

“Stop selling my products” — This would be my new tagline if I were to move back into sales. This may sound like a stupid statement for a sales person to say but bear with me for a little bit.  I can think of a million resellers that can sell my products exactly the way […]

Stop Selling My Products

Connecting and Volcanos – My Two AHA! Moments This Week

Another great week with a class of incredibly talented AV geeks getting their CTS credentials. This was another unique class because it was for a manufacturer, so the depth of knowledge in projection and image quality was unparalleled.  I learned a lot from this team of professionals. Along the way I learned some things I […]

Connecting and Volcanos – My Two AHA! Moments This Week

My Incredible Week with the Industry’s Best and Brightest – USAV APEX

What did you do last week?  Did you take on a big and challenging project or find a new million dollar customer? I still think I can top that.  I spent my week with some of the industry’s top integration firms’ and manufacturers’ best and brightest operating executives and next generation leaders. Was there a […]

My Incredible Week with the Industry’s Best and Brightest – USAV APEX

Back to School

What perfect timing! The same day that I had the awesome pleasure of being in front of a best and brightest class of 22 CTS candidates from the Atlanta market of the AV industry, my five year old grandson started his first day of kindergarten. Today we both had a great day of back-to-school. Once […]

Back to School

With Collaboration The Shoe Maker’s Kids Will No Longer Go Barefoot

There is an encouraging shift happening in the AV Integration industry.  This shift is happening at the integrator level and at the manufacturer representative level. If you are a not a part of it, you will absolutely need to be or you will be left behind — barefoot and in the cold. This shift illustrates […]

With Collaboration The Shoe Maker’s Kids Will No Longer Go Barefoot

“So What?” Selling — Asking All the Right Questions

Ask yourself these questions so your customers never have to. Among many attributes, it takes humility, an inquisitive nature and great listening skills to be a good salesperson. Those attributes seem almost obvious, right? OK, I’ll give you that. I think what takes a little more thought and may not be as obvious is the […]

“So What?” Selling — Asking All the Right Questions

The Three BE’s of Moving from TECH to SALES

How many sales people do you have that transitioned from technical staff into sales? How many of those people had proper sales training? How many of your sales staff has had any formal sales training for that matter? Does it matter? Of course it matters. Back a while ago in my blog I recalled the […]

The Three BE’s of Moving from TECH to SALES

Do What You Love, Love What You Do!

This past week I was one of the luckiest workers in the world. Why? I was doing what I love and I was doing it for a living.  Life is good.  It helps that I am married to a perfect woman and that I love my wife and kids. It helps that I am a […]

Do What You Love, Love What You Do!

Generational AV/IT – Security Matters

This week my daughter and I have been working on our presentations for InfoComm. That’s right. This year we get to present together for the first time ever. Some of you met my daughter when she was about 8 or 9 when I first came into AV and now she is teaching in AV and […]

Generational AV/IT – Security Matters

Delegate Don’t Relegate – Leadership

I was recently told by a business owner and successful entrepreneur that he was not “a leader.” He admitted he knows technology and operations but lacked true leadership skills. His solution to this challenge was to hire outside to bring in “leaders” for their team. I can’t help but think about how sad that is […]

Delegate Don’t Relegate – Leadership

Leadership 101: The Team

This blog is dedicated to the friends I made at Atlanta Soundworks. ASW has such a talented group of people and an ownership team with such generous hearts and caring attitudes. I will miss you all dearly. Although I was not able to do all I had hoped to do in the short time I […]

Leadership 101: The Team

What Makes a Great Company Great?

This is my last week at Kramer Electronics. To say the least, it is filled with mixed emotions. I am very excited about the next phase in my career and the great things that I get to be a part of at Atlanta Soundworks. I am happy that I get to join the ASW team […]

What Makes a Great Company Great?

The Art of Career Stewardship – Knowing the Importance of Balance

Before I begin the message of this blog, I will make a brief announcement: It is with both great excitement and tempered sadness that I announce my upcoming departure from Kramer Electronics (on November 15). I have accepted a position as General Manager at Atlanta Soundworks (an integration firm here in Atlanta). With Dave Bright’s […]

The Art of Career Stewardship – Knowing the Importance of Balance

The Sales Process: Improve It or Lose It

In my most recent blog, I discussed how the lack of empowerment can cripple a sales team and how the root cause could be higher up in the chain of command than you may actually think. I also mentioned how the fix to this type of problem and many other organizational issues can be found […]

The Sales Process: Improve It or Lose It

Empowered Sales People Sell More

POWER – It can be given without loss. It has been said that there is power in choice. I believe this holds true whether you are giving choices or exercising them. The result will always be some form of shared and transferred power. One example of such power transferred through choice is when you need […]

Empowered Sales People Sell More