AV Technology - February/March 2009 - (Page 13) EDITOR’S NOTE Today, it seems there are specialists for everything. In healthcare, the days are long gone when you could go to a general practitioner who seemed to know all the answers. The same is true with technology purchases. There is far too much information, and the end-user of technology knows far more than enough to be dangerous. At the same time, most technology users know far too little. Technologies that have one foot in consumer products and the other in commercial/professional applications — like IT/computing and AV — are burdened with the additional challenge of stemming the tide of a highly sophisticated marketing machine that “educates” consumers. As AV systems have migrated to the network, so too have the AV procurement responsibilities been migrating to the realm of the IT and MIS departments in many enterprises, educational institutions, government, healthcare, and other organizations. Yet, AV expertise does not naturally fall into the domain of the IT technology manager. Conversely, the AV professional is not expert in IT technologies. Both groups would benefit from a working knowledge in each area, but as technologies continue to evolve and converge, there’s an increasing need for specialization. The “jack of all trades” may be effective in the home, but in the professional world (AV, IT, healthcare, etc.), you really want an expert. What does an AV integrator know? AV professionals are the experts in “quality of presentation.” Just as IT, data, and telecom pros are experts in signal transport and networks, AV pros are the experts in making that signal look good and sound good, and to be optimally delivered across the network. This “Technology Manager’s Guide to Working with AV Integrators” is intended to introduce technology managers to the capabilities and specific areas of expertise of the AV professional. If you’re a technology manager who happens to also be an AV professional, we hope this is a valuable tool to help you communicate this message to others in your organization who may need to understand the value of the AV pro. — Mark Mayfield, Editor AV Technology magazine TABLE OF CONTENTS All About AV 14 First Person: Interview 15 Feature: Anatomy of an AV Project 16 Top 50 AV Integrators 19 Choosing an AV Partner 20 Where to Find an AV Pro 22 Valuable Resources 23 Important AV Qualifications 24 13 GUIDE TO WORKING WITH AV INTEGRATORS
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