26North’s AVI-SPL Buy Hints at What’s Next for Big AV in 2026

26North Partners LP, the platform founded by Josh Harris, has officially completed its acquisition of AVI-SPL — the world’s largest AV and UCC integrator, serving more than 86% of Fortune 100 companies. This was big news when it broke a month or so ago. In fact, the day it was announced, I sat down for […]

26North’s AVI-SPL Buy Hints at What’s Next for Big AV in 2026

The Best New Product at InfoComm 2025? NanoLumens’ FindARTS, Big Time

AVIXA’s InfoComm show used to be the launchpad for every new ProAV product. For decades, brands would either wait until the early summer show to unveil their newest gear or drop their press releases days before the doors opened. Somewhere in the last decade, that shifted to ISE — the European counterpart to InfoComm, co-owned […]

The Best New Product at InfoComm 2025? NanoLumens’ FindARTS, Big Time

Display Companies Need to Buy a Media Server Company!

I’m shocked that only one display company has been smart enough to buy a media server company. The irony? You can’t have one without the other. Everything else connected to a projector or monitor is optional — not required. But in the case of a media server, a display — whether it’s a projector, LED, […]

Display Companies Need to Buy a Media Server Company!

You Know Visionary for AV-over-IP — But You’re About to Know Visionary for UCC, Too!

THIS IS A PROMOTED POST I haven’t missed an InfoComm since I got into the market more than 30 years ago! And my favorite part of the show? Walking the floor to discover hidden-gem products that most people overlook because they’re too focused on the big booths — not the smaller ones. This year, my […]

You Know Visionary for AV-over-IP — But You’re About to Know Visionary for UCC, Too!

Taiwan Excellence Showcases Innovation From 17 Brands at InfoComm 2025

THIS IS A PROMOTED POST At InfoComm 2025, Taiwan Excellence brought it. And by it, I mean 17 of its leading brands to showcase innovation at this year’s show. So, what’s Taiwan Excellence and why does it have a pavilion? Taiwan Excellence is a program established by Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs that helps to […]

Taiwan Excellence Showcases Innovation From 17 Brands at InfoComm 2025

If You Missed the OpenAV Cloud Announcement Last Week, You Missed an Historical Event

Last week, the rAVe LAVNCH platform hosted its second AV Cloud Summit. It was incredible and one of the highest-attended events we’ve hosted in 2025. The topic of where the so-called AV Cloud will take us has really amped up since its introduction to the market just a couple of years ago. Sure, we’ve had […]

If You Missed the OpenAV Cloud Announcement Last Week, You Missed an Historical Event

How Disney World Helped Save My Life

Today is my birthday. Two weeks ago today, I had triple-bypass surgery on my heart. Trust me, no one was more shocked with this diagnosis than me. It came out of nowhere, just a few weeks after running my fifth Disney World 10-miler. A few days before my procedure, my heart surgeon told me I […]

How Disney World Helped Save My Life

Google Debuts 3D Conferencing System ‘Beam,’ Formerly Project Starline

A few years ago, Google introduced Project Starline — a research initiative aimed at redefining video communication using 3D imaging. It enabled remote conversations that felt almost like being in the same room, all without the need for special glasses or headsets. I had a private demo at the time and honestly, it felt too […]

Google Debuts 3D Conferencing System ‘Beam,’ Formerly Project Starline

This Is My Vision of the Future of the Meeting Room — We Can Do Better Than Putting Everyone on a Virtual Front Row

Many of us constantly monitor the Kastle Office Occupancy Reports that come out weekly. And, for the last two years, there hasn’t been much to report. But, this past month — and this week — set new records in recent years. In fact, we hit a post-pandemic record for office occupancy in the top 10 […]

This Is My Vision of the Future of the Meeting Room — We Can Do Better Than Putting Everyone on a Virtual Front Row

Did You Know That Shure is 100 Years Old? Well, Here’s Its History of Innovation

Shure Incorporated is celebrating its 100th anniversary, marking a century of pioneering innovation, quality, and unyielding commitment to audio excellence. S.N. Shure started the Company in downtown Chicago in 1925 selling radio parts kits. In 1932, Shure became one of only a few U.S. microphone manufacturers with the introduction of the Model 33N microphone. Since […]

Did You Know That Shure is 100 Years Old? Well, Here’s Its History of Innovation

A Post-ISE AV Cloud Update from Gary Kayye: So Far, It’s Still a Lot of Xyte

ISE 2025 was filled with the potential of an upcoming AV Cloud onslaught. Big brands such as Legrand AV, Crestron, QSC, Shure, BrightSign, Philips, Sennheiser, and Microsoft each had cloud-related pre-show announcements and were pitching their versions of managing products via the cloud. The show was simply too big to walk in four days, but […]

A Post-ISE AV Cloud Update from Gary Kayye: So Far, It’s Still a Lot of Xyte

ISE 2025: Day 2 Recap – Broadcast Tech is Reshaping Pro AV

Day 2 of ISE 2025 was all about one thing: broadcast production and its growing influence on Pro AV. Yesterday, I focused on the impact of AI, but today, it became even clearer that the lines between broadcast and Pro AV are blurring faster than ever. Walking the show floor, you can’t miss it—Blackmagic has […]

ISE 2025: Day 2 Recap – Broadcast Tech is Reshaping Pro AV

If the Future of AV is IT, Companies like ZONES Need to Be Part of It

I’ve known about Zones for years, long before they invited me to speak at their first live event in more than five years. Back in the early 1990s, when the World Wide Web was just taking off, Zones was already a key player. In fact, I got parts to build my first homemade PC from […]

If the Future of AV is IT, Companies like ZONES Need to Be Part of It

Do You Want to Buy a Distributor? Because Exertis Is Possibly for Sale!

DCC plc made an announcement today that it may sell DCC Technology — made up of Exertis Almo, Exertis Cloud, JAM, Exertis ZTORM, MTR, and Exertis Enterprise — within the next 24 months. Here’s the DCC CEO, Donal Murphy, explaining in a video the company posted today via its LinkedIn page: So, how big is […]

Do You Want to Buy a Distributor? Because Exertis Is Possibly for Sale!

Real-Time AI-Based Translation/Transcription Coming to AV via Start-Up Gladia; Expect Acquisition

Gladia, an AI transcription and audio intelligence provider, has completed a $16 million Series A funding round. The company will use the funding to develop an end-to-end audio infrastructure – starting with a new real-time audio transcription and analytics engine – enabling voice-first platforms to deliver more value to their users across borders with AI. […]

Real-Time AI-Based Translation/Transcription Coming to AV via Start-Up Gladia; Expect Acquisition

Logitech Enters USB-C Routing and BYOM/ClickShare Conference Market with New Logitech Extend

Logitech is marketing its Extend product line as a solution where “anyone can walk into an Android or BYOD-based meeting room, plug in with the USB-C cable, and launch a meeting (using Zoom, MS Teams or Google Meet) on their own laptop or mobile device.” If that sounds familiar, it should. This is a similar […]

Logitech Enters USB-C Routing and BYOM/ClickShare Conference Market with New Logitech Extend

ARHT Media — the Cool Holographic Projection Company — Files for Bankruptcy; So Sad…

ARHT Media had, and still has, remarkable technology — with a patent to match. However, having cutting-edge tech doesn’t always guarantee a successful business model. In fact, had their holographic projection technology debuted two or three years later, it might have seen more success than it has so far. The official launch of ARHT’s technology […]

ARHT Media — the Cool Holographic Projection Company — Files for Bankruptcy; So Sad…

The AV Cloud Is Finally Here!

THIS IS A PROMOTED POST Standardization is not a new concept, having been around for thousands of years. Yet, as I walked around InfoComm this year, I was still struck by our industry’s lack of cloud standardization. What the Indus civilizations understood over 4,000 years ago … we apparently haven’t quite internalized. Even the term, […]

The AV Cloud Is Finally Here!

Google, HP and Logitech to Battle for Immersive Video Calls — Which Do You Prefer?

Earlier this year, Google announced Project Starline would become a reality in 2024 or 2025. For this project, Google is partnering with HP to make the solution commercially available starting in 2025. Yesterday, it shared a first look at the product design, built in collaboration with HP. Instead of making Project Starline into an entire meeting room, the companies have […]

Google, HP and Logitech to Battle for Immersive Video Calls — Which Do You Prefer?

Want to Earn 600 CTS RUs? The Exertis Almo E4 Experience Does That!

THIS IS A PROMOTED POST I have been privileged to be the keynote speaker for the Exertis Almo E4 Experience for 15 straight years — if you’re a math person, that’s 59 times. In those 15 years, we’ve issued over 18,000 AVIXA CTS RUs for attendees of my keynote presentations, alone. And, over 50,000 AVIXA […]

Want to Earn 600 CTS RUs? The Exertis Almo E4 Experience Does That!

Huddly CEO Says Price Cuts Aimed at Creating Greater Access to AI-Driven Cameras to All End Users

Huddly is known for its AI-driven camera solutions, all Microsoft Teams-certified devices. In a move to expand the use of intelligent AI cameras in more spaces in the hybrid workplace, Huddly has adjusted pricing downwards by up to 25% to allow use of more video in the workplace. I reported this story earlier this month […]

Huddly CEO Says Price Cuts Aimed at Creating Greater Access to AI-Driven Cameras to All End Users

UPDATED: What the Hell Happened to Kramer? At Least in the USA …

Updated: Kramer has released an open letter responding to this post, which is in the comments. We have added our response to their letter at the bottom of the post in italics. Jumping the Shark. What does that mean? Wikipedia defines the idiom “jumping the shark” or “jump the shark” as a “term that is […]

UPDATED: What the Hell Happened to Kramer? At Least in the USA …

Legrand | AV + Avocor + Wyrestorm + HDBaseT + Bluesound Pro = Xyte

Earlier this year, when I published my 2024 Kayye’s Krystal Ball predictions, I said, “Xyte will become the AV Cloud and platform of choice.” Well, since then, the company has secured agreements with Legrand | AV, Avocor, the HDBaseT Alliance, Symetrix, AVPro Edge, Bluesound, and others (that I’m not allowed to talk about yet) to […]

Legrand | AV + Avocor + Wyrestorm + HDBaseT + Bluesound Pro = Xyte

I Just Toured the Smartest Smart Building in Switzerland — All Its Content Is Managed By SpinetiX

Last month, I flew to Lausanne, Switzerland, to spend two days understanding how a digital signage company, SpinetiX, is totally managing the content for every single room in the Millennium. The Millennium isn’t your average workplace. In addition to housing a TV station and about a dozen corporations, it also includes: ALL of this is […]

I Just Toured the Smartest Smart Building in Switzerland — All Its Content Is Managed By SpinetiX

Attend Gary Kayye’s InfoComm Session: ‘The Future of Workspaces Is All About Experiences’

InfoComm 2024 Attendees: You asked for it, so he’s doing it. rAVe founder, Gary Kayye, will be delivering the “The Future of Workspaces is All About Experiences” educational session DURING InfoComm in Las Vegas on TUESDAY, June 11th @ 1p.m. — THIS WILL SELL OUT — so, sign up NOW! Register here. Here’s more information […]

Attend Gary Kayye’s InfoComm Session: ‘The Future of Workspaces Is All About Experiences’

I’m Coming to Chicago on April 16th to Keynote the E4 Experience; Boston in September, Anaheim in October

The E4 Experience is like a mini-InfoComm – in fact, it’s the only ProAV trade show nearly 75% of those who attend every peruse. If you’re an integrator and have the funds to budget for one show a year, InfoComm in that one show everyone should go to. But, the truth is, out of the 155,000+ AV […]

I’m Coming to Chicago on April 16th to Keynote the E4 Experience; Boston in September, Anaheim in October

Kayye’s Krystal Ball: 2024 Edition

Welcome to my 24th annual Kayye’s Krystal Ball! It’s been an honor to have written this for 24 straight years and even more of an honor for it to have so many thousands of readers annually — it’s almost always our most-read article of the year on rAVe [PUBS]. So, if you’re reading this right […]

Kayye’s Krystal Ball: 2024 Edition

My 2024 E4 Keynote Includes 9 Cool New Products and 4 Cool New Technologies That Will Change AV Forever

I love opening up the Exertis Almo E4 Experience with a keynote presentation — and, I always give attendees the opportunity to see and hear the products and tech I talk about following my speech when they walk on to the E4 show floor. And this year, more than any other in the past, I […]

My 2024 E4 Keynote Includes 9 Cool New Products and 4 Cool New Technologies That Will Change AV Forever

Jabra Research Shows That Gen Z (26-and-Unders) Are Unhappy at Work

New research from Jabra found that the return to office continues to impact working preferences — especially among Generation Z (those age 26 and under). The research was quite surprising in some cases but also predictable in others. Some unwritten rules seem to have been overturned as the newest generation enters our working world. Flexibility […]

Jabra Research Shows That Gen Z (26-and-Unders) Are Unhappy at Work

Disney Debuts HoloTile; a Game Changer in both VR and MR Gaming And Maybe Live Events Too!

Usually, Disney is very secretive with the new tech it develops but, in this case, it wants brands to make it better, faster and start integrating with it in real-life VR environments. It’s called HoloTile. So, here’s the scenario … You develop a VR or XR game — one where the players wear either a […]

Disney Debuts HoloTile; a Game Changer in both VR and MR Gaming And Maybe Live Events Too!

AI-Powered Cables! Don’t Laugh as CEDIA Expo Will See AI Everywhere

CEDIA Expo 2023 will be filled with new HomeAV gear; no doubt about it. And, although I can’t predict what product will impress all the attendees the most, I can — without doubt — predict what trend will dominate in nearly every booth: AI. AI will be everywhere, thanks to some of the most unimaginative […]

AI-Powered Cables! Don’t Laugh as CEDIA Expo Will See AI Everywhere

Zoom Now Thinks WFH Doesn’t Work As Well As The Company Originally Thought

I am sure, by now, you’ve likely read all the stories about Zoom demanding all its employees — living within 50 miles of any Zoom office — start working in the office at least two days a week, some three days a week. This, to me, is a bit ironic as, in 2022, Zoom published […]

Zoom Now Thinks WFH Doesn’t Work As Well As The Company Originally Thought