SCN sat down with integrators and consultants to learn a bit about their InfoComm show priorities: what they want to see, what they hope to achieve, what they think will steal the show, and so on. This round comes from Ed Cook, CEO of AVMI.
What is your number 1 priority (or top priorities) at InfoComm this year?
Our priority is to be seen as a trusted advisor to our clients, anywhere in the world. InfoComm is the place to be to allow us to ensure we are on top of the very latest trends and technologies that will help our clients to be more successful.
What do you see as the top areas/categories to focus on for training, whether you are participating or recommending for others.
With AV projects increasingly being “owned” by IT departments, we are investing heavily in training our technical engineers and service personnel to speak the language of our colleagues in IT, including adopting the appropriate processes and service frameworks, such as ITIL. We have also invested in tightening up our security and compliance standards to allow us to operate in the most secure and complex environments.
What technological trends will you be on the lookout for most?
We see continued interest around digital signage and influence of IoT, especially in the retail sector with sensor and motion technology. The AV industry is following in the footsteps of IT, so any technologies that will allow us to better bridge that gap, cloud based tools, central support?
What business or vertical market trends will you be pursuing most?
Standardization is the key trend for us at the moment, and we are seeing more and more clients needing to deliver and support a better and more consistent user experience, regardless of room type or location. The corporate sector is leading the way here, especially larger enterprises operating across multiple locations, which represents the majority of our business. Having said that, public and government organizations, as well as the retail sector present great areas of opportunity for us, with similar needs to deliver more consistent and reliable solutions on a scalable and often global level.
What specific product categories or service solutions are you most interested in seeing or hearing about?
Microsoft Surface Hub and Cisco’s Project Workplace, in particular what the future roadmap of those product categories looks like.
