Commercial Integrator November 2022 - 19

gence " phrase, saying, " We've all heard
[it] for over a decade.... " He explains that
" ...there are still many situations that our
audiovisual systems remain on an isolated
network with limited connectivity to the
client LAN for internet access. " In many
such cases, a small, separate network
switch can lie at the heart of a discrete AV
network. Mitchell identifies three factors
that shape the extent to which AV systems
interconnect with a client's IT backbone:
1) the client's security requirements; 2) the
client's own IT capabilities, as well as those
of its contracted providers; and 3) whether
the client has arranged for remote monitoring
and management of AV systems.
point, does that mean the erasure of any
distinction between AV deployments and
core IT infrastructure? Well, no, actually.
That's because various network topologies
and connectivity options exist, empowering
integrators to consider benefits and
risks and then tailor solutions to clients'
needs and preferences. According to
Richards, " The needed networks range
from a small, isolated network/switch with
a few connected devices to those that are
fully connected to an enterprise network
with various needs requiring access to the
internet or other networks to get the full
benefits of the hardware. "
Nick Mitchell, CTS-D, vice president,
sales support group, with Diversified,
alludes to the well-worn " AV/IT convercommercialintegrator.com
Information
Security is Paramount
Peterson expresses strong views on
security-related considerations, saying that
AV integrators routinely work with clients
(e.g., the federal government, financial-services
institutions, energy companies) for
whom information security is paramount.
Although integrators could certainly utilize
a VLAN on a single switch for enhanced
security, he observes that it's even more
secure to have a physically separate
network that doesn't touch the outside
network whatsoever. Mitchell underlines
how top-of-mind cybersecurity considerations
are for clients, noting that " ...the
client expectations of an integrator's level
of engagement are drastically increasing.
As a result, integrators need to adapt and
prioritize cybersecurity as part of project
planning and deployment. " Later in this
piece, we'll consider some best practices
for AV systems on the enterprise network.
Sean Wargo, senior director of market
intelligence for AVIXA, identifies another
factor for clients considering converged or
isolated network topologies - redundancy.
He explains that, for some high-end
clients who expect absolute reliability, the
preferred approach can involve having
three networks: one for business-application
data; one for control; and one for content.
Pointing to the ascendance of 4K and
even 8K content, as well as the need for
exceptional experiences across verticals,
Wargo says, " The idea that you can just
multi-purpose an existing network infrastructure
to handle all of the robust needs
that an AV-over-IP networked AV system
would have...it's not recommended. "
Considering AV-Over-IP
So far, we've mostly focused on
network-based systems in general. Now,
let's turn specifically to AV-over-IP (AVoIP),
defined as when both audio and video
signals travel over the network through a
network switch. Our interviewees are virtually
unanimous in acknowledging its increasing
prevalence. Mechdyne's Peterson
propounds, " I think AV-over-IP is going
to be the solution for 90% of AV solutions
going forward, at least. " AVI-SPL's Richards
centers the value proposition on flexibility,
saying that AVoIP elevates it to a level " ...
that does not exist with purpose-built
transmitters, receivers and the supporting
card frames. " Moreover, he expresses
a belief in the industry's desire for the
simplicity and enhanced functionality that,
he believes, AVoIP can unlock, pointing
'Physical access to
these networks, along
with user-level access,
should all be discussed
to build a complete set
of network-security
requirements.'
- John Richards, CTS,
director of engineering,
systems integration,
AVI-SPL
NOVEMBER 2022 Commercial Integrator
19
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Commercial Integrator November 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Commercial Integrator November 2022
