AV Technology - August 2008 - (Page 8)

perspective by Mark Mayfield august 2008 EDITORIAL Mark Mayfield Editor vol. 1 no. 4 CONVERGENCE’S NEW WARDROBE Anthony Savona Managing Editor James Careless, Steve Cunningham, Joey D’Angelo, Gregory A. DeTogne, Wendy L. Ellis, Gary L. Hall, Phil Hippensteel, Elaine Jones, John Lopinto Contributors SALES & MARKETING Sue Horwitz Publisher 323-933-9485, sue@audientmarketing.com I s convergence really “working”? The answer may depend on who you ask. If you were looking closely at last June’s InfoComm in Las Vegas you might have seen the signs of dysfunction. Nearly one-third of attendees were from technology manager and enduser groups within organizations that use AV systems. Most of them are there to learn how to interface AV systems with their organization’s infrastructure, which includes their networks. Many of the attendees also visited the co-located NXTcomm show, which was far more IT- and telecom-oriented than InfoComm. But the most compelling evidence was the Q&A portion of the annual Manufacturer’s Forum on Tuesday evening. A clear majority of the questions from the audience were asked by gy manager with a large, well-known financial institution seemed to imply just that — paraphrased, he said, “AV/IT convergence makes it difficult for us to make AV and IT systems work together.” He then cited two brand names (household words in AV and IT), and emphatically stated that putting them together “doesn’t work.” Period. Apparently others in the audience felt the same way. Another tech manager from an educational institution asked the manufacturers about better support for end-users. Several manufacturers affirmed that they would continue to support “the channel,” and leave end-user support in their hands. But implication from the gentleman from the University of West Indies was clear — Stan Kashine National Sales Manager 516-626-2813, skashine@optonline.net ART & PRODUCTION Nicole Cobban Senior Art Director Annmarie LaScala Art Director Michelle Henning, Adrianne Knapp, Neel Patil Graphic Artists Fred Vega Production Manager Ariel Steinberg Assistant Production Manager CIRCULATION Anne Drobish Associate Circulation Director, Audience Development Michele Fonville Circulation Coordinator Telephone: 888-266-5828 (U.S.A. only, 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. est) 978-667-0352 (outside the U.S.) Fax: 978-671-0460 E-mail: newbay@computerfulfillment.com Web: MyAVTechmag.com Subscriptions: AV Technology P.O. Box 8692, Lowell, MA 01853 WHAT’S GOING ON HERE? IS CONVERGENCE WITH IT CAUSING THE HYBRID AV/IT SYSTEMS TO BECOME TOO COMPLEX FOR THE AVERAGE AV INTEGRATOR? NEWBAY MEDIA CORPORATE Steve Palm President & CEO Paul Mastronardi Chief Financial Officer Joe Ferrick Vice President of Web Developemnt Denise Robbins Group Circulation Director Greg Topf IT Director Jack Liedke Controller Ray Vollmer HR Director NEWBAY MEDIA SYSTEMS GROUP Adam Goldstein Vice President, Group Publishing Director Phil Holtberg Publisher Anthony Savona Editorial/Creative Director Jeremy Glowacki Editorial Director Jessica Piechota Events & Event Marketing Coordinator Mike Lemmerling Web Manager Rob Granger Online Production Manager David Leach Web Analyst Ashley Vermillion Web Production Specialist Lesley Keller Web Ad Production Specialist Published by NewBay Media L.L.C. 810 Seventh Avenue, 27th Floor New York, NY 10019 Tel: 212-378-0400 Fax: 212-378-0470 Reprints and permissions: For article reprints, please contact our Reprint Coordinator at Wright's Reprints: 877-652-5295 PRINTED IN THE USA. people representing end-user organizations — not systems integrators. Their questions were understandably direct, and seemed to express an overall frustration with the pace of convergence - or, more accurately, the AV industry’s role in it. While AV/IT convergence may be a popular topic to write about and toss around in conversation on the show floor, it seems that the reality of implementing convergence is less simple. The first hint that the emperor may be underdressed came with the second question from the audience. Despite the best efforts of AV manufacturers to incorporate network connectivity into products, systems integrators’ attempts to master networking concepts, and nearly a decade of using the “C” word, putting the concept into actual practice is proving to be a challenge. The question from a technolo- when it came to support, the channel was proving inadequate. What’s going on here? Is convergence with IT causing the hybrid AV/IT systems to become too complex for the average AV integrator? Are we nearing the proverbial tipping point of the AV and IT seesaw in favor of the heavier IT technologies? What we may actually be seeing is Darwinian AV evolution in progress. The companies that can adapt and transform themselves into true network-savvy AV suppliers (including manufacturers and integrators) will prevail. Those who can’t will be left behind as technology managers look to other industries for truly AV/IT converged equipment, along with the support necessary to successfully implement that equipment within their own organizations. www.avtechnologyonline.com 8 | AVTECHNOLOGY | august 2008 http://www.MyAVTechmag.com http://www.avetechnologyonline.com

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

AV Technology - August 2008 Contents Precedent Corporate: The Project’s Over...Now What? Government: Generational Diversity and the Rise of the Millennials Education: DIY ISP.EDU HD Videoconferencing On a Budget Using Automatic Mic Mixers The Way I See It: The Standards Dilemma in AV Something for Everybody AV Adds the Magic to Microsoft’s Hat Trick Simple Control for Smarter Classrooms Product Review: VeEX VePAL MX100 Product Spotlight: Amps; Touchpanels New Products Ad Index AV MO: Dealing with Ambient Light

AV Technology - August 2008

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