There have been a few common themes emerging in the AV/Broadcast/Media world over the past year; AI, Partners/Ecosystems, and Enterprise Broadcast are three of these. While these items have been on my mind, a few recent trips this year have renewed these themes. InfoComm 2024 in Las Vegas, large enterprise client visits, and international organization support has re-invigorated these themes. It was encouraging to see the industry focusing on these and finding so many creative and engaging ways to serve customers, and customers adopting these more advanced solutions.
The Transformative Power of Generative AI in AV Technology
With the onset of generative AI, the last 18 months have been dynamic and disruptive in the technology world. As AV/Broadcast/Live Event technologists, we are always looking for the latest and greatest, we thrive on the new, cutting edge, bleeding edge and we oft forget the lessons of the past.
When it comes to AI, every tech outlet seems to be talking about it, generative AI, Robots, job replacement, sentience, the end of the world. Ok, so maybe the end of the world is a little severe, but with technology changes and innovations happening at an ever-faster rate, it can be very tiring trying to keep up with the changes.
InfoComm24 carried this theme well throughout. Our very own Mark Gershuny wrote on AI in his InfoComm24 review. As Marc noted, the AI discussion was far and wide anchored by Joe Pham’s opening keynote. Mr. Pham masterfully noted, “This is the worst AI we will ever see; it will only get better from here”. He encouraged us to think of AI as a new platform, much like electricity was during the Edison/Tesla days. It wasn’t Edison who created televisions or Tesla that created high-speed electronics but their work on electricity created the baseline platform that engineers, innovators, and others built on. Looking at AI in this fashion allows us to take a step back and see the ‘long view’ of AI.
Take advantage and learn what you can today, see where it fits, what benefits can be derived to be more efficient, increase productivity, but remember it will only get better. What about ethics? If an AI assistant is creating e-mails for you, and the person you e-mail uses AI to respond, we are just letting computers talk to each other and have lost any personal connection. What about the ethics of AI, its ability to lie, and be convinced it is true? There is much to learn, dig through, and develop over time. Remember the long game, this is a new platform of technology for our future. Learn, ideate, test, demo, fail, and try again!
From Siloed Systems to Collaborative Ecosystems
Just a handful of years ago our industry was far from collaborative. This approach often led to disjointed designs and poorly thought-out products as each manufacturer tried to be a one-stop-shop for end-to-end systems. Their strengths were apparent, and their weaknesses remained an ever-present frustration to clients. As our industry wrestles with emerging technology and accelerated technological growth, manufacturers are moving away from the silo approach to partnerships, collaboration, and networks.
The future of AV/Broadcast/Live Events lies in these partnerships and ecosystems. Companies that continue to operate in silos will struggle to survive. While these partnerships simplify AV design and offer more options, it can quickly become an issue when the toolbox gets too large. Let me explain, I have always described the process of consulting and design to always be seen through the end customer viewpoint. Their needs and operation are more important than the ‘fun toys’ we can play with. While these partnerships simplify AV design, they can also overwhelm clients with too many similar products. Therefore, evaluating products, understanding manufacturing diversity, company agendas, and true interoperability is crucial for selecting the right product and partner for any customer. This is the fun role of consultants and designers. These experts can look at the tools and select the best fit for the service needed.
InfoComm24 again showed the number of partnerships being forged and expanded. Companies like NETGEAR, Zoom, Teams, Crestron, Aver, Q-SYS, Logitech, and Neat, among others, were prominently featured across multiple booths. Technologies like AV over IP via ST2110, IPMX, SDVoE, DanteAV, HDBase-T, HDBase-1G, and 10G were also highlighted. Kudos to the industry for its recognition of the customers’ needs: interoperability and cohesive ecosystems.
AV Meets Broadcast: A Growing Convergence
The convergence of AV and broadcast continues to gain momentum, albeit slower than expected. ST2110 is the global standard for broadcasters, yet the AV industry still uses various versions of video over IP solutions, each with its own benefits. Marketing, creative, and digital teams are increasingly demanding higher-quality video within flexible, professional workflows. The crossover between AV and broadcast can meet these needs. I encourage all AV manufacturers to explore integration into the enterprise broadcast world, as they will quickly see the adoption of their flexible solutions across both industries. At InfoComm24 several new vendors showcased ST2110 solutions and enterprise broadcast technologies. Matrox highlighted converters and gateways, while Ross Video demonstrated the Ultrix platform, offering a robust solution for both broadcasters and enterprise AV. It is encouraging to see the blend which has been subtle for a decade start to accelerate.
Enterprise Broadcast: Driving Innovation for Corporate Communication
In my visits with various large fortune-listed companies, Enterprise Broadcast is at the forefront of everyone’s minds. These companies see the flexibility, power, and non-proprietary options which are enabled by interoperability and open standards. They want to produce professional events, town halls, and world-reaching meetings. They want to utilize expert technicians and operators who can produce high-quality content not only for websites and social media but for the in-room and online audiences. These companies have money to spend and are looking for strategic partnerships, long-term resilient planning, and sustainability of buildouts. This last one is driving more and more decisions in larger organizations.
At TeamPeople we are all about leveraging the very best of technology solutions closely partnered with top-notch operators and engineers. Whatever the customer’s vision, we believe that the right people coupled with flexible and efficient workflows will always deliver the most engaging and successful meetings and events.
