SCN: What is your position, and what does it entail? What are your responsibilities?
PETER HURLEY: I am the director of D&H’s pro AV and collaboration business unit. My primary responsibility is to lead a team that includes sales, vendor management, purchasing, marketing, and solution architects. Furthermore, I work with the leaders of our professional services, UC, and cloud teams to develop best practices and identify areas of opportunity and growth for our partners and vendors.
Name: Peter Hurley
Position: Director – Pro AV Practice
Company: D&H Distributing
Overtime: Hurley enjoys spending time with his three kids, wife, extended family, and friends. He is a passionate sports fan and enjoys running, biking, golf, and good bourbon.
SCN: How long have you been in this position?
PH: I’ve been at D&H for three years, but I’ve spent more than 20 years in the field of AV, and 30 years in the IT/AV industry overall.
SCN: How has your background prepared you for your role?
PH: My history has included leadership roles in areas including IT/AV distribution, display, digital marketing, multinational telecommunications, and with global reseller firms. Working with this mix of organizations has enabled me to develop the skills to build businesses from their infancy into self-sufficient organizations. I have worked for leaders who have challenged, supported, and guided me during my career.
SCN: What are your short- and long-term goals?
PH: My short-term goal is to build out D&H’s pro AV practice by offering enhanced integrator, reseller, manufacturer, and internal co-owner engagements programs, including through cloud-based solutions that leverage the as-a-service model, which is driving technology consumption.
Long-term, we will leverage new investments D&H has made—especially over the past 18 months—such as adding experienced sales, solution architect, vendor management, and purchasing talent. These investments become a catalyst, helping us meet expanded opportunities head-on in categories like collaboration, digital signage, video walls, audio, AV distribution, and wireless/touchless communication across building and campus environments. D&H also has a specialized focus on SMB and mid-market partners, including outstanding offerings for the education space.
[ Generating Increased Revenue from Your Client Base ]
SCN: What is the greatest challenge you face?
PH: I like to view them as opportunities rather than challenges. We have a major opportunity to evangelize pro AV as a viable and profitable addition to our partners’ businesses. Another opportunity is meeting the demand of businesses returning to places of work, school, and worship, both full-time on-premises and in hybrid environments.
SCN: Where do you see the pro AV market heading?
PH: It’s going “up, up, and away!” Users who are returning to work environments recognize that they need to upgrade the equipment that was purchased in a rush during the pandemic. This includes sophisticated technology to support their evolving requirements in remote and hybrid settings. D&H’s professional services and vendor line card accommodates this shift in the economy. In addition, we see an increased focus at D&H’s solutions-based strategy with our cloud practice, dvLED video wall installations, and outdoor solutions.
[ Where Does AV as a Service Fit in the Industry’s Future? ]
SCN: Are there new initiatives we are likely to see from D&H?
PH: We will deliver our suite of integrated products to our partners as a total communication solution from one trusted distributor, enhancing productivity and the customer experience. We will increase partner profitability through turnkey offerings incorporating hardware, software licenses, content management, and professional services like BOM creation, site surveys, and installation.
The correlation between our established AV and cloud business units will create a wider opportunity to drive sales of personal collaboration equipment in both the business and education verticals. The move to software and collaboration in these sectors has propelled sales of AV hardware such as professional cameras, audio technology, and wireless equipment, which can be complemented with a collaboration platform such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams.
We will help partners profit from the continued momentum of dvLED video wall kits from major display vendors in our portfolio. We can help partners choose the correct vendor and display size (whether a 100-inch or 210-inch-plus), register the project, complete the site survey, and install with our Professional Services team. These impressive formats and sophisticated technologies empower partners to meet the growing demand across a range of vertical markets.
[ Shifting to an OpEx-Based AVaaS Model ]
Specific to outdoor experiences, we are working with our resellers and vendor territory sales managers on projects that include outdoor video walls for messaging and entertainment, and weatherproof audio. These projects enable a unified experience that incorporates audio, video, collaboration, wireless, signal management, and furniture technologies for indoor and outdoor installations.
SCN: How can systems contractors better position themselves to profit from products and/or services you have to offer?
PH: Systems contractors should look for partners with the resources and expertise to expand and augment their own offerings. D&H maintains an extensive line card, an experienced sales and solution architect team, and relationships with a roster of best-in-class AV and IT manufacturers. A wealth of helpful content is listed on our pro AV mini site at DandH.com/ProAV. For more information, email ProAV@DandH.com.
Click here to read more stories from the August 2021 issue of SCN.
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