May 2009 - Sound & Communications

CSP integrated a pop-up grommet and flat-panel display forpresentations in this upscale San Diego office. The grommetallows for connectivity to the internet and a portable laptopto be displayed on the wall-mounted flat panel.CSP furnished and installed the LCD displays in this networkoperations center for a major corporation in San Diego.cious competitive environment, Feldspotlighted two key attributes: tailoringsystems to users’ actual needsand, simply, being available. “I can’ttell you how many places I’ve been,after the ‘big boys’ have finished upinstalling a great system…and it’s sooverkill it’s amazing,” he explained.“And nobody knows how to turn iton.” With his company, Feld seekstechnological efficiency: deliveringexactly the capabilities sought withinbudget constraints.Dealing with a hometown integrator,clients can be assured ofindividual attention. “To me, reputationis everything,” Feld declared.When calling in to CSP offices, it israre ever to get put through to voicemail: Company philosophy dictatesthat people not be passed off to amachine. “I tell my people that ‘goodenough’ is never good enough,” hecontinued. “It has to be the bestwe can do, everywhere we do it.”Further underscoring the point, hementioned that, if he makes a specmisjudgment, ordering one componentwhen a more expensive one isrequired, and the more expensivepiece has to be ordered, he almostnever would let it affect the client’sprice. “I will live by what I do. That’sthe way I conduct business,” he said.Two of the biggest commercial AVgrowth markets are digital signageand videoconferencing, and CSP’salacritous entry into both providesinsight into its future. The companysought a rep deal with a major VTCMembers of the Commercial Satellite & Plasma team, with owner JonathanFeld, seated, in white.manufacturer and chose LifeSize, acompany whose dedication to HDperformance dovetails well withCSP’s own. “80% to 90% of what I donow is high definition, across theboard,” noted Feld, citing the ubiquityof HD content in American homes.Simply stated, people’s standardshave been raised to the degree that,in many cases, standard-definitionimages are no longer acceptable.And, with CSP’s roots in flat-paneldisplay installation, digital signage issure to be a major part of the company’sfuture. Right now, though, it isstill in the embryonic stage. “We’veonly done one or two digital signagejobs, and they’ve been small ones,”remarked Feld. “However, we nowhave a full-time IT person on staffwho is helping us direct ourselvesin that area.” At this stage, Feld isless inclined to branch into softwaredevelopment or content authoring,although the door remains open.More than anything, he views IT’sintertwinement with AV as inexorable,and digital signage (as well asIPTV) as an excellent way to lay thegroundwork for an IT-centric future.Beginning just a few years ago as aDIRECTV dealer, Commercial Satellite& Plasma has come into its own.And, although, at first glance, itsroots might not immediately conjureimages of a full-service systems integrator,that connection is still payingdividends. “I cherish my DIRECTVrelationship,” emphasized Feld. “Weare one of just a couple of commercialdealers. And, very often, the leadfrom DIRECTV comes in and, whenwe go out, it turns out the clientneeds an entire integrated boardroom.The whole project grows fromthat lead.”nMay 2009 39