Key Digital just introduced the KD-BYOD4K, a wireless presentation gateway for the KDPlay system. The company is marketing it as a “Game Changer for Presentation and Collaborations.” Do you agree? Here’s how it works: You can wirelessly connect via MacOS, Android or Windows (not Chromecast) to the KD-BYOD4K presentation system and project in full-screen (4K […]

We covered the balancing act between the estimated time to complete tasks and the actual time in the previous installment. That leads to a related topic: the management of personnel, resources, and material. Tipping the balance between estimated and actual back into your favor requires proper management of the people and resources on your project. […]

By Rob Voorhees, Business Development Manager Almo Professional A/V We find ourselves smack in the middle of July — when days are getting hotter — and, in years past, we might find ourselves looking forward to August vacations or days by the pool. However, 2020 has continuously thrown curveball after curveball, and we continue to […]

Team-building. It’s one of the main purposes of bringing people together in one space, and even though there may be a shift in where work gets done, one thing is pretty clear, people still want to gather together physically in a common space to work together. If you haven’t seen Gensler’s new U.S. Work From […]

COVID-19 has been a gut-punch for much of the AV industry. Not since 9/11 has the business world faced such an abrupt pause, followed by an uncertain future. In the case of this pandemic, how the future plays out will be dictated largely by viral spread, and our collective response to that threat. And while […]

By Eric Olson Almo Professional A/V AV-over-IP continues to pick up traction among integrators in the ProAV industry, but there are still quite a few that find themselves questioning if they should start implementing this technology. In fact, 45% of respondents in a 2019 industry survey revealed that they either do not embrace, or are […]

On infrequent occasions, I write blogs that do not relate directly to technology or AV. I do this because I feel as though I should stick to the things that I know and have experience with. Yet, there are times when something is so important, I feel like I need to say something. Due to […]

In the last article, we discussed how adopting ITIL methodology can fundamentally change how we align our products and services to meet customer needs. As the AV industry continues to grow and evolve, we need to ensure that we find better ways to execute and continuously improve outcomes. The fundamental ideas behind ITIL are about […]

Time marches on, but not fast enough. Our industry has been adept in helping clients transition from live events to virtual events, thereby keeping us all in business to some degree. However, some types of events — training, demos, straightforward business meetings — may never return to the live stage. Videoconferencing offers all the efficiency […]

In my biweekly blog series, I am highlighting some of the incredible people who work for the Audio Video Industry. In this post, we are profiling Jeff Day. Here is a brief introduction.  Jeff Day is Founder of North of 10 Advisors and also Chairman of the Board of Directors of AVIXA. 1. Describe your […]

I’ve worked for Gary for a long time — 16 years or so now, by far the longest of anyone else at rAVe. But the person who’s been there the second longest is our accountant, Kelly Johnson, who has been with Gary and me at rAVe for 12 years. She died Monday from complications of […]

Right now, around the globe, most companies, educational institutions and government agencies have shifted their money to help solve internal COVID-19 issues and are trying to reopen. Therefore, financial expenditures on tech hardware not directly related to healthcare issues seem to be on hold (for now). So, now — more than any other time in […]

Recently, Almo Pro A/V EVP/COO Sam Taylor participated in the InfoComm 2020 Connected LIVE Q&A with AVIXA President Dave Labuskes, following the keynote address, “A Better Normal: Reducing Friction and Finding Our Way in a Hybrid World.” During the 15-minute live Q&A, there were more questions than time allotted — so, Sam answered some of […]

It’s said that the hard lessons are the only ones we really learn. I had a coach a long time ago, a gruff old man from a former Soviet bloc country. One of his bits of old country wisdom was, “Pain is best teacher; perhaps only teacher.” Someone else once said to me, “The universe […]

Over the past several weeks, the higher ed world has become more widely acquainted with the term “HyFlex.” For some, it’s a vague word that leads to more confusion than clarity. Let’s take an opportunity to think about it and what type of AV installs and equipment would support a HyFlex classroom. Interestingly enough, this […]

Like many of you, we’ve decided to keep THE rAVe Agency’s physical offices closed at least through the end of the summer, but I think it’s unlikely that we will actually gather our team together, physically, fall. In fact, nearly every business will face the significant hurdle of dealing with people who are creeped out […]

In my biweekly blog series, I am highlighting some of the incredible people who work for the Audio Video Industry. In this post, we are profiling Mark Delguidice. Here is a brief introduction.  Mark Delguidice, CTS is Business Development Director at MediaCentric Integration. 1.Describe your journey in the AV industry? How did it start? I […]

I spend some time on Twitter, and yesterday I noticed a lot of online chatter happening around a panel rAVe put together for LAVNCH WEEK 2.0. Kudos to the staff at rAVe for curating the speakers, because to my knowledge, the people on the panel and the groups they represent had never been assembled together […]

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I felt like I needed a break from thinking about and talking about the impact of COVID-19 and the quarantine measures that we are taking — personally and professionally. That said, the topic is at least a little inescapable. For my dealers who’ve still been open […]

In my biweekly blog series, I am highlighting some of the incredible people who work for the Audio Video Industry. In this post, we are profiling Mark Skazenski. Here is a brief introduction.  Mark Skazenski is Vice President Sales Business Development at Loxone US. 1.Describe your journey in the AV industry? How did it start? […]

Last week was InfoComm week, one of the most anticipated events each year for the ProAV market. After purchasing floor space, building exhibits, flying in staff, and entertaining customers, many companies spend 6 or even 7 figures showcasing their products and services at InfoComm. Based on the enormous outlay, these companies naturally look to maximize […]

2020 is the year of remote everything. It has been a work from home, webinar heavy, travel light year for the whole country and, of course, for us in the AV industry as well. As such, our biggest events of the year have all been canceled or shifted into the ether. Many have been clamoring […]

In the last article, I gave an overview of what ITIL/ITSM are and how a similar methodology could be beneficial in the AV world. In this follow-up, I want to discuss the five volumes or books of ITIL and how they can translate to AV. A repeat of the disclaimer: I am in no way […]

Mike Tyson once said, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” This quote is reasonably relevant today, as we have all taken a beating from COVID-19. Most successful firms had developed strategies years ago and have been consistently and successfully following them. However, what we’ve experienced the past several months — […]

In my biweekly blog series, I am highlighting some of the incredible people who work for the Audio Video Industry. In this post, we are profiling Joe Way. Here is a brief introduction.  Joe Way is Director, USC Learning Environments ♦ Host, Higher Ed AV ♦ Author, Producing Worship ♦ CoFounder, HETMA ♦ Writer/Speaker. 1.Describe […]

Things are weird right now. As I’ve said in other columns, business is still being conducted, just differently. And, I’m sorry to say, at a slower tempo. Some things still need to get done, though. And one of those things is tech support and troubleshooting, whether it’s for an existing installation or a new install […]

Technology seems to be able to do nearly everything — unless the government steps in and says, “No, it can’t.” And, that’s precisely what happened with the concept of facial recognition. Everyone’s experienced it. Everyone’s probably used it, too, if they have a Facebook account or use Apple devices — facial recognition is a giant […]

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 […]

By Michael Timmes National Systems Contractors Association The COVID-19 pandemic should have you reexamining your HR policies about remote work, sick time, benefits, and more. 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 […]

Think you know the HOW market? Think again. Audio, video and lighting are used in creative and unpredictable ways in churches of all sizes and venues. From church cafes to portable church setups in movie theatres to mega-sized megachurches — the use of AVL is everywhere. However, the church market’s embrace of AV for most […]

By Tom LeBlanc National Systems Contractors Association Integration firms looking beyond the COVID-19 crisis will serve customers with a new set of priorities for meeting room technology. 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 […]

Business-As-Usual is all but done; Design Thinking is here to replace it during the “new normal” of a post-COVID world. 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 […]