Download PDF - BT iNet

Recommendations

Info

14 Industry view Business Technology November 2011 an independent report from lyonsdown, distributed with the daily telegraph Putting your needs in expert hands Whether it’s for a corporate event or a school presentation, AV enhances communication. But without professional installation, your message could be lost The audiovisual (AV) industry has been helping people communicate for almost a century. While many conjure images of overhead and slide projectors when thinking about AV, today’s technology includes videoconferencing, command-and-control rooms, video walls, stadium screens and more. AV blends the worlds of art and science. But the heart of the industry’s heritage is solving communication challenges. AV provides solutions to many societal quandaries, such as ‘How can I communicate complex opportunities to a business halfway around the world without leaving my office’ ‘How can I offer a comfortable and productive environment to everyone attending a meeting’ ‘How do I provide direction to visitors in public spaces’ and ‘How can I reach a new generation of hi-tech students’ AV helps people communicate more effectively. These communications systems have provided business tools to generate and connect ideas. Impact: AV can put the wow factor into product launches and corporate events Shrinking travel budgets and a focus on reducing one’s carbon footprint means that the value of AV is increasing. Enterprise video communications is used in every aspect of sales, marketing, human resources, and management. Continued advances in AV technology and rapid adoption means that innovation and idea generation happen at the speed of business. The corporate world also relies on live event professionals to put the “wow factor” into product launches and special events. Christian Bowman Hiring AV professionals When looking for an AV professional, hire a contractor with employees that have earned certification from InfoComm International. The Certified Technology Specialist (CTS) credential is for audiovisual professionals demonstrating extensive knowledge of the technology used in audio, video and display systems, and a competence, dedication and commitment to their profession. With agreement to a code of ethics pledging truth, accuracy and a commitment to excellence in all aspects of the profession, CTS-holders are recognised as trusted service providers to customers of AV technology. “As audiovisual equipment has become more sophisticated, there is increased need for professional services to assure the highest performance levels of communications technologies,” said Randal A Lemke, PhD, executive director and CEO of InfoComm International. “Employers in the public and private sectors can be confident that AV professionals holding the CTS credentials possess the necessary skills to implement audiovisual best practices, processes and procedures anywhere in the world.” The International Organization for Standardization’s (ISO) United States representative, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), has accredited InfoComm’s CTS, Certified Technology Specialist – Design (CTS-D) Certified Technology Specialist – Installation (CTS-I) credentials under ISO/IEC 17024. ISO/IEC 17024 establishes a global benchmark for the certification of personnel. ANSI accredits standards developers, certification bodies and technical advisory groups to both the ISO and the International Electrotechnical Commission. The CTS are the only audiovisual industry credentials to earn ANSI accreditation for its personnel certification program, setting the industry standard for competency in the AV industry. www.powerofav.com Content is king Take a strategic approach to events and meetings. How can technology drive content, perception and insight for both the audience and organisers It’s an interesting decision that businesses face when they consider the use of AV equipment at an event, meeting or conference; It is probably worth understanding the basis of how these decisions are made. How often is the decision about the use of AV equipment seen as a strategic one, rather than a tactical or convenient one Generally, not often. Indeed, do senior people in many organisations even realise what the implications can be For years, businesses have discussed the ROI (return on investment) of meetings and events, from the cost of getting people in one room to the overall benefit derived from attending seminars and conferences. The IML Connector – an interactive engagement tool – has driven a more strategic approach. At IML Worldwide we demonstrate that clients can receive a far better ROI by taking a more strategic view of what they are trying to achieve from these events. How often do people start with this premise In our experience this is very rare but, crucially, when they do take this approach the impact and the success of the meetings are demonstrably better. So, what is the critical factor in this Content. Capturing and using content that is generated in these gatherings; moreover it is the ability to provide a means to gather this information that becomes increasingly important. When you look at ways you generate content, these include: voice, messages, voting, opinion gathering, response to presentations/questions, ability to manage the audience, and demographics. By enabling the audience with the capability to effectively contribute and offer instantaneous responses to what they see and hear, everyone achieves a far richer and rewarding event. This is two-fold. Firstly, by making it a more interesting and engaging experience for the attendees. Secondly, by gaining perspective and insight that organisers can use to drive decisions, changes in strategy and appeal to their clients more successfully. This is what executives both need and want but find difficult to achieve; it’s where the value lies. To an extent the industry has let itself become commoditised and allowed clients to take a view on price above anything else. Event organisers need to be striving to demonstrate the value that can be achieved from events and how technology can support them. Senior executives see the value; it just needs to be correctly articulated. Opinion: event audiences can contribute content via the IML Connector In recent months IML have run events that have used TVT (Text, Vote, Talk) on the award-winning IML Connector. This engages the audience to contribute content via messaging, speech and opinion; the results were astounding. In one meeting in the US, more than 1,200 messages were generated – the organisers expected less than 20. Content is king and a strategic view is crucial. IML Worldwide recently won the Audio Product of the Year award for the IML Connector at the AV Awards 2011. Richard Fisher is CEO of IML Worldwide Call +44 (0)1428 787 591 or visit www.imlworldwide.com
an independent report from lyonsdown, distributed with the daily telegraph November 2011 Business Technology 15 Industry view An advert for the future In the ever-increasing world of digitisation, companies must find ways to make the public switch on to out-of-home advertising Billboards and poster advertising have been part of our daily life for years and, with people spending as much as 42 per cent of their time away from home, this type of out-ofhome promotion has proved to be an ideal tool to advertise anything from small, local businesses to major consumer brands. But while billboards are static as an advertising medium – only changing every few weeks when someone posts up new material – as the world becomes increasingly digitised, so out- of-home advertising is adapting to become more dynamic. In recent years, we’ve seen a huge rise in digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising where multimedia promotional material is transmitted via computer or a set-top box to digital screens and interactive media located in public places such as sporting arenas, bars, health clubs and retail outlets. The beauty of DOOH advertising is that it can be changed every few seconds and enables location owners and advertisers to extend their reach and engage with customers or prospects more closely, often at the point of purchase. This can lead to improved revenues, a better customer experience and increased footfall. Many are already recognising the benefits of DOOH, with industry spend expected to more than double to $16.9 billion by 2015. However, this new and more dynamic channel opens up fresh challenges for advertisers. With many more locations available and a lack of audience data, it may be difficult and time-consuming to plan campaigns and buy locations. Furthermore, poor quality information and metrics can make measuring a programme’s success difficult. With as much as 60 per cent of these tasks requiring significant human input, the whole process can have a huge impact on the profitability of a campaign. Identifying these common challenges led NEC Display Solutions to develop Vukunet, an engine that powers the DOOH industry. Already available in the US, and launching in Europe in 2012, Vukunet is an automated advert delivery platform that links screen owners with advertisers. It can turn any internet-connected screen into an advertising media, opening up many more channels to advertisers and creating new revenue streams for screen owners who sign up, whether they have mega screens, kiosks, games stations, or just a shop owner with a terminal. Vukunet has introduced the first universal inventory management, advert delivery, Digital: bringing billboard adverts to the 21st century billing and payment, and reporting system to an industry that, to date, has had almost no standardisation across hundreds of operating networks. At NEC Display Solutions we believe this standards-based approach could be the tipping point for the DOOH industry. Industry-wide standards will help to simplify the business and make it easier for advertisers and buyers to book DOOH outlets and demonstrate success. The benefits of this are clear to all – lower operating costs and increased transparency of campaigns. And, as revenues from DOOH channels flow in, it will encourage others to invest, thus benefiting and continuing to grow the DOOH ecosystem. Dirk Hülsermann is manager of DOOH Solutions – Vukunet/Advuku, marketing and business development, NEC Display Solutions. Call 0870 120 1160 or visit www.nec-displays.co.uk A touch of innovation The world of video displays is changing at rapid pace to allow unparalleled levels of user interaction. Are touchable video walls the way forward As a world leader in speciality display solutions, Planar Systems became the first display manufacturer to introduce an LCD media wall with integrated, multi-touch capabilities. Planar’s Clarity Matrix Touch provides a turnkey solution for deploying multi-touch video walls in public spaces, interactive signage applications, and commercial and government environments. Clarity Matrix Touch combines DViT (Digital Vision Touch) technology from SMART Technologies with Planar’s ultra-thin LCD video wall system with ERO (Extended Ruggedness and Optics) optically bonded glass touch surface on to Planar’s highly successful, modular LCD video wall solution, Clarity Matrix. The new integrated touch solution is ideal for adding interactivity to busy retail locations, corporate environments, collaborative meeting rooms, and military or utility mapping rooms. Touch is changing the world of video displays and Clarity Matrix Touch enables new levels of user interaction, collaboration and annotation previously unachievable with a turnkey video wall solution. Planar Touchable: video wall offers interactivity to retail locations and corporate environments makes it easier than ever to specify, install, and maintain a world-class interactive media wall. Until now, implementing touch on LCD video walls has required ground-up custom design from system integrators, requiring significant time and effort. In addition to customised installation and configuration, integrators have had to install large panels of glass in front of the video wall to create a touch-enabled surface and, in doing so, endure issues associated with complexity of installation and service, increased costs, increased thermal load and compromised visual performance and safety. “Over the past few years, we’ve witnessed an increasing demand for products that feature our DViT technology as a growing number of customers around the world continue to seek high quality touch and annotation capabilities for larger displays,” says Linda Thomas, vice president of products, for SMART Technologies, the leading provider of collaboration solutions. “The Clarity Matrix Touch solution will enable customers to deploy larger touch-enabled surfaces quickly and easily to enhance collaboration for all users.” The Clarity Matrix Touch benefits include easy installation and maintenance. Planar’s ERO glass is optically bonded to the front of each LCD, eliminating the need for a separate protective surface and enabling modular installation and maintenance. It also offers dual-touch with gestures. This enables users to interact with the screen using fingertips and gestures to scroll through menus, expand and shrink images, or create written annotations. Email jaypaul.barrow@planar.com or visit www.planarcontrolroom.com
Page 1 and 2: Pitch with pizzazz Page 5 Immerse y
Page 3 and 4: an independent report from lyonsdow
Page 11: an independent report from lyonsdow

Download PDF - BT iNet

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?