In my last article, I spoke of the need to design the spaces we deal with not by thinking about the tech stack, but instead from the perspective of an experience. But in order to do this, we need to understand WHOSE experience we are referring to. For the most part, when we design a […]
Salamander Designs today announced the Unifi Huddle and Unifi Huddle Lite state-of-the-art furniture systems. Available in a selection of tabletop and cabinet materials and finishes, both designs are modular, easy to deploy and exemplify the highest quality design standards available in the industry today. The self-contained design means a uniquely simple installation. Unifi Huddle requires […]
Over the past few months, I’ve had the opportunity to speak with dozens of AV and IT professionals tasked with deploying and supporting enterprise video conferencing. Although every project is different, a few themes seem to be consistent across all my conversations, and so I’ve come up with the following “notes from the AV/IT trenches.” […]
Collaboration Squared launched something called Video Window today, which the company is marketing as the world’s first immersive, always-on video conferencing portal for teams. Install and connect two or more Video Window devices in the common areas of your offices for up to 24 hours a day connectivity. The goal of Video Window is to […]
This is the tweet heard ‘round the AV world — or at least, it should have been: The March 21st tweet from R/GA read: A thousand years from now humans will have shed their physical form and ascended to a higher state of consciousness and conference room AV systems still won’t work. — R/GA (@RGA) […]
Blue Jeans Network, Inc. today announced its plan to offer BlueJeans Rooms-as-a-Service featuring Dolby Voice Room in the near future. BlueJeans Rooms-as-a-Service featuring Dolby Voice Room will be a new service-based subscription model for quickly adopting Dolby’s hardware with BlueJeans’ enterprise-grade cloud meetings platform. The Room-as-a-Service model provides IT decision makers with the benefits of […]
Oblong Industries just announced something called Rumpus, a new visual collaboration application for purely virtual teams. Oblong is marketing it saying that Rumpus makes web conferencing both content and context rich. It provides simultaneous access to shared screens from meeting participants, and delivers a new layer of communication with shared cursors, annotation and emojis for […]
Extron today announced it will work with Dolby on enabling the Dolby Conference Phone to operate seamlessly with the Extron Pro Series AV control solutions. This extends Extron control capabilities to the Dolby Conference Phone, providing complete AV and conferencing control for the modern meeting space. When incorporated with an Extron Pro Series control system, […]
Theta Lake has announced a new partnership with Zoom Video and the availability of Theta Lake for Zoom on the Zoom App Marketplace. The product integration enables regulated organizations to seamlessly archive Zoom video, chat, and audio to comply with long-term regulatory retention requirements as well as leverage purpose-built AI and ML to automatically detect […]
I love writing this annual predictions article. If you’re a regular reader, you already know this but for those that don’t, my Kayye’s Krystal Ball piece is an annual article where I not only tell you what I think is going to happen in the AV market for the upcoming year, but I also go […]
At ISE 2019 (Stand 3-B120), Biamp introduced its new desono line of conferencing speakers with an optional AMP-450BP backpack amplifier. The desono C-IC6 conferencing speakers incorporate design features like termination-free connections using standard category cables, a removable magnetic grill and acoustic performance designed for conference rooms. Accompanying the desono speakers is the optional PoE+ AMP-450BP amplifier that mounts onto the back […]
Crestron is now shipping its complete portfolio of Crestron Flex Unified Communications & Collaboration solutions. Crestron Flex provides a native Microsoft Teams, Skype for Business and Zoom Rooms software experience, including one-touch join. Crestron Flex solutions come in several forms, but all deliver the same experience, regardless of the space in which they’re deployed: Crestron […]
TrueConf has announced a technology partnership with Sennheiser for a software-based system for large conference rooms that allows automatic speaker tracking for multiple PTZ cameras. TrueConf and Sennheiser have released TrueConf Weathervane, a multiple camera control solution for conference systems. The joint solution integrates with the Sennheiser ADN conference system controller and points PTZ cameras […]
Nureva announces the integration of its HDL300 audio conferencing system with the Intel Unite solution for content sharing and collaboration. The new V4 plugin for the HDL300 system gives Intel Unite users access to the audio system controls, allowing them to quickly change volume or mute a call directly from their laptop. Intel Unite has […]
Last month, we discussed the Oculus Connect Developers Convention, a meeting I had recently attended in virtual reality. This month, I thought we would address the effectiveness of meeting in virtual reality. First, let’s discuss the event itself, which was the annual conference for Oculus virtual reality developers. For those of you who have been […]
QSC just announced it has been awarded a utility patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office for its Q-SYS Web Conference Integration Solution. This patent (USA 9,973,638) recognizes the solution’s ability to bring an IP camera stream from Q-SYS PTZ-IP conference cameras into soft codec applications (like Zoom, Skype for Business, GoToMeeting, etc.) […]
If you have been paying any attention to the video conferencing world over the last several months, you have undoubtedly witnessed the incredible growth of the software-based Zoom video conferencing platform. We have been using Zoom for several years at my institution and we continue to be impressed with it. The new features however, are […]
Last week, I attended Oculus Connect, the conference for Facebook/Oculus virtual reality developers. It was one of the best glimpses I have yet seen into the uses of a new technology that will change the way we do business in industries with events or communication and collaboration with remote people (rental and staging, collaboration, education, […]
When it comes to workplace collaboration, huddle rooms are all the rage these days, and it makes sense — the number of huddle rooms, which are great for ad-hoc and small group collaboration, is growing at staggering rates. And while huddle rooms are well worth the hype, it’s important that we don’t overlook the mainstay […]
Plantronics today announced the Plantronics Elara 60 Series mobile phone station integrated with native Microsoft Teams support. Plantronics Elara enables a mobile phone with desk phone-like capabilities, including headset, speakerphone, and handset options. This mobile phone station receives Microsoft Teams notifications and provides users with a touch or voice-activated Microsoft Teams experience. To operate, a mobile […]
Huddle spaces are the Goldilocks of meeting rooms: not so big and formal they stifle creativity, yet not too small for a team to get work done. And while they’re great at facilitating collaboration, it’s important to note that they’re not “just another meeting room” when it comes to implementing video conferencing. These ad-hoc collaboration […]
When the owners of the Sudduth & Associates law firm in Lake Charles, Louisiana, moved into their brand new headquarters, they wanted to incorporate a multi-purpose boardroom that allowed patrons of the legal community to make presentations, discuss evidence and conduct depositions. To do just that, they hired commercial AV integrator Advanced. After several site-visits, […]
Everyone who’s anyone in AV knows that 4K provides four times the resolution of 1080p. 1920×1080, commonly referred to as ‘Full HD’ was the industry’s high-resolution display platform for over a decade and has recently been usurped by 4K — which in ProAV-land is known as UHD, or 3840×2160 (or in DCI-world, 4096×2160) is, in […]
By PanaCast College campuses around the world are enabling students to be more flexible with their learning by providing high-tech solutions that allow for more distance and remote learning opportunities, mixed in with traditional classroom learning. Many universities now have two or more campuses, further heightening the need to keep campuses connected. The good news […]
At InfoComm, ZiipRoom introduced a software-only platform for conference rooms and huddle rooms. And, the company announced it joined Logitech’s Collaboration Program designed to deliver exceptional user experiences through integrated, complementary products that are easy to use and install. ZiipRoom’s patented software allows users to control the complete meeting experience via a cloud-smart app that […]
1 Beyond has announced enhancements to 1 Beyond Collaborate AVS systems including better speaker tracking for video conferencing, lecture capture and meeting recording and streaming. The new Collaborate AVS system features and functionality includes: 2U Rack chassis, with four or eight SDI inputs, to mount securely with other units in an AV rack New custom […]
Today ClearOne announced the market introduction of its new CONVERGE Pro 2 VT series that includes both VoIP and Telco interfaces in the same CONVERGE Pro 2 unit, simplifying designs and purchasing for integrators, increasing installation flexibility and offering freedom of choice. The company is showcasing the new VT (VoIP/Telco) models at InfoComm 2018 in […]
Yamaha has announced the debut of its YVC-200 portable USB + Bluetooth speakerphone. The YVC-200 speakerphone is a portable device for helping on-the-go workers communicate. The compact device is integrated with Yamaha’s sound processing technologies, including adaptive echo cancellation and Human Voice Activity Detection that focuses the unit on speech rather than background noise. The […]
Yamaha Unified Communications announced the debut of a professional audio conferencing solution specifically engineered for seamless and easy installation out of the box into boardrooms and large conference rooms utilizing UC applications. Available only in North America, the Yamaha YAI-1 Conference Ensemble is a preconfigured USB audio system. The audio system comprises an eight-channel Executive […]
Black Box today introduced Coalesce Professional, an enterprise-ready all-in-one videoconferencing and wireless presentation system that lets remote teams collaborate like they’re in one room. Coalesce Professional features enterprise-level, advanced functionality like splash screen customization and central deployment/management. The system is infinitely scalable from the maintenance/monitoring perspective via its central management portal and from a budget perspective with its competitive […]
MXL Microphones introduces its new USB-powered table-top web conferencing microphone, the MXL AC-360-Z. The new MXL AC-360-Z has been co-developed with engineers from Zoom, a leading web conferencing and communications software provider, to enhance the microphone solution for Zoom Rooms and Zoom-enabled conference rooms. The AC-360-Z expands upon the popular three capsule boundary microphone, the AC-404, through its 180° sound […]
What’s it like preparing for a videoconference at your business? Is it a smooth, seamless process that automatically sets the technology at your service as soon you enter the room? Is the video quality stunningly realistic? Or do you have to start from scratch every time, locating plugs and remote controls, pushing a number of buttons and […]