Greetings from the ISE (Integrated Systems Europe) convention in charming Amsterdam. I first attended ISE in 2006 when I was excited by the latest developments in 1080p. (Remember that?) This year we’re talking about 4K60. The attendance tally is also notable (73,000 people!). Here are six ISE 2017 observations that indicate it’s time to redraw the map. Our industry in the midst of a dramatic transformation.
1. "Traditional” video and control providers are offering really good audio options. (E.g., Crestron’s new all-in-one collaboration & meeting room solution, Mercury.)
2. "Traditional” audio providers are offering video. (E.g., Biamp’s TesiraLUX delivers video with AVB, and Visionary Solutions is offering video with Dante connectivity, via PacketAV.)
3. A few notable "traditional” AV providers are now offering native IT. (E.g., QSC’s QSYS on a Dell EMC PowerEdge R730 server.)
4. Collaboration providers are now offering legitimate system management and control. (E.g., Barco’s brand new IP-based AV control system, Overture)
5. AV-over-IP is simply The Phrase at the show. It's now. It's real. Manufacturers like Harman are offering comprehensive networked AV suites. Speaker manufacturers like Shure and Audio-Technica are porting for IP. There are also efforts to standardize and forge alliances. (E.g., SDVoE and AVnu Alliance).
6. Box, be gone! Except that the box is still required. Yes, it’s all about the cloud, software-driven environments, and Software-as-a-Service, but we still need routing and matrix switching, for now...
Margot Douaihy is an instructor at Franklin Pierce University and the editorial director of AV Technology. Follow her on Twitter: @AVTechnologyMag.
