AV Technology - June 2008 - (Page 39)

Matt Moore, a consultant with AV consulting firm Cavanaugh Tocci in Sudbury, MA, adds: “We will specify one year in advance on sound systems. On the video side, we delay specifying to the AV contractor until six to nine months to the opening. We don’t necessarily push to constantly change the products since change orders can be expensive. To keep from getting caught in a constant upgrade cycle, we take a snapshot of what technology is available today.” Maintaining close watch of market availability and what products are near end-of-life are strategies that Alspach and his team employ. “We’ll get a roadmap of products and the follow-on products from manufacturers. Technologies that are most volatile, like video, are the ones that we have to spend depends on many factors. What is obsolete to one company may be a technological gift to another person or organization. As Alspach notes, “The word obsolete has a negative connotation, as if the product wasn’t good. Many times that is not the case; a 5,000-lumen projector still does its job even though there may be a newer model.” For Steve Wilson, IT manager of coatings company Cincinnati Thermal Spray in Cincinnati, OH, personal computers more than three years old are slated for either replacement or a refresh of the operating system. “We will identify ‘power users’ like developers or engineers and will repurpose their old machines for other departments requiring less processing power. By repurposing, we can get another couple years out of the equipment,” says Wilson, who handles AV and IT for the company’s four locations MADE TO BREAK? echnology obsolescence seems like a way of life these days. New gadgets are introduced every 6 to 12 months and are touted as the next “must have” item. So even if that computer, cell phone, or MP3 player still works, there is something inherently wrong with it since it is no longer new. “Greedy market capitalism is what creates obsolescence,” says Giles Slade, author of the book Made to Break: Technology and Obsolescence in America. “Technology can be over-built to last longer, but it isn’t. There are companies that practice force-fed obsolescence more ruthlessly than others.” He also points out that other companies like BMW and Caterpillar save up to 70 percent of manufacturing costs from recycling and reusing old models. “As consumers, we become addicted to technology obsolescence. Companies needed to sustain growth so they get you addicted to a product line and then replace it,” he says. “Technology obsolescence is the exact opposite of craftsmanship.” And the byproduct of obsolescence, e-waste, is becoming a much greater danger on a global scale. “AV managers should become conscious of what recycling means,” he adds. “That means knowing what the recycler does with the technology; if they are handling it in a way that is safe for workers and for the environment. It also means thinking about obsolete technology that can be repurposed for charitable organizations or needy individuals.” T “THE CORE OF THE SYSTEM IS A GOOD INVESTMENT. THINK ABOUT SPENDING MONEY TO FUTURE-PROOF THE INFRASTRUCTURE; INVEST AS MUCH AS YOU CAN IN THE BACKBONE. DON’T INSTALL CAT5 CABLE WHEN CAT6 OR FIBER WILL BE THE STANDARD IN A FEW YEARS.” time following to ensure the product is not at end-of-life at the time of purchase,” he says. For projects that are renovations or retrofits, Alspach will add value by helping the client know what it is worth being reused. Moore agrees, “We will try to repurpose some products or use them in another venue. If it’s been upgraded in the past five years, we will advise the client to try and keep it.” However, proper recycling of old technology is still not part of the upfront process. “It is hard to focus on AV equipment rather than IT equipment, which has a greater volume (but less variety). AV is a zillion different things between monitors, DVD players, amplifiers, speakers, and so on,” says Alspach. “Other options [for getting rid of old gear] are donations or liquidating to integrators or resellers, but a lot of old equipment still goes in the trash.” MINIMIZING RISK, MAXIMIZING SAVINGS Unfortunately, the answer to the question of when to replace obsolete technology www.avtechnologyonline.com and oversees a range of technology, including personal computers, thin clients, video displays, PDAs, cell phones, and industrial automation tools like CNC machines and robotics. “If I can reuse it, I will.” But when end-of-life does come, Wilson has several methods for the disposal of obsolete technology. “About three years ago, our local county government sponsored a recycling day. There was no cost for recycling, but you had to get your equipment to the site yourself,” says Wilson. “We hired a truck and unloaded seven or eight pallets of gear.” Wilson has also tried an employee lottery. A recent lottery of CRTs saw 10 of the 12 offered displays go home with employees. Wilson has also repurposed older computers for employee communication. “We purchased a 42-inch LCD and are using an old PC to drive the content as an ad-hoc digital signage system,” he says. Ted Leamy, chief operating officer of Promedia/Ultrasound, a live sound touring operator and installed sound contractor in the San Francisco Bay area, recommends june 2008 | AV TECHNOLOGY | 39 http://www.avtechnologyonline.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of AV Technology - June 2008

AV Technology - June 2008 Contents Precedent Corporate: Global Standardization Government: Strategic Technology Planning Education: It’s All Just a Click Pre-Empting Projector Breakdown Dealing With Technophobes Keeping Ahead of Technology Obsolescence Understanding Video Codecs Rules of Engagement Network, See & Learn Sound From the Heart Sportsbook Makes an Impact Upgrading an AV Image Product Review: Polycom’s RealPresence Experience HD Tech Horizons: A True AV Networking Standard? Product Spotlight: Digital Media Servers; Flat Panel New Products Ad Index AV MO: Calculating Fiber Optic Transmission Distance

AV Technology - June 2008

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