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How to Choose Collaboration Systems for Your Company

AV Everywhere

As mentioned in our 2019 Concept Catalog, creating a smarter workplace starts with understanding the way your employees want to work and the business outcomes your company wants to achieve. To achieve those outcomes and a better user experience, your organization may focus on technology solutions that give each user valuable capabilities like:

  • On-demand collaboration with in-room and remote participants
  • Wireless presentation of content
  • Simple control of room devices

As you work to improve the employee experience through better room design and technology, you’ll want to consider factors like how your employees want to work together, what is preventing them from working at their best, and plans for company growth.

Assess how they are currently working and identify areas that are efficient or inefficient. Form a task force that includes representatives from different departments so you have comprehensive insight into the ways they work. 

Enlist the help of consultants and experts in the digital workplace experience. They can help you notice the fine details you might otherwise overlook when it comes to designing collaboration spaces and AV solutions. They’ll also work with your IT department to create a plan for onboarding solutions to the network and to explain the importance of support services so they can fulfill their core responsibilities.

The 2019 Concept Catalog includes steps you should take to make sure you’re building the right collaboration environment. It also includes a long list of topics — like technology roadmaps and change management — you can include for discussion with your partner for workplace success. 

To view our Partner blog, click here

Webinar: Workforce Readiness Through Technology

AV in Education

Over the next 10 years, millions of jobs will require skilled workers, but the number of skilled workers is dropping. To meet the challenge of matching jobs with qualified people, some communities are working to grow and retain their skilled workforce with workforce readiness programs.

Join us on October 29 at 11 a.m. PT/2 p.m. ET to hear how educational institutions are outfitting their learning spaces with technology to help students — young people, career-changers and mid-career experts — prepare for or continue successful careers in high-growth areas like healthcare.

This interactive, 60-minute webcast will:

  • Explore how educational institutions are using technology to attract students and keep them employed in the community.
  • Examine how smaller communities are upgrading their workforce readiness programs to better compete with larger communities.
  • Investigate how strategic investment in simulation and other technologies can result in better communication, collaboration, and training outcomes.

Register for “Confronting the Growing Labor Shortage: New Approaches to Workforce Readiness” >

About the presenters

Dr. Kecia Ray, Principal, K20 Connect
Dr. Ray is a member of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and is past president of the ISTE Board of Directors. In 2013, she was appointed by Tennessee Governor Haslam to the Advisory Council on Alternative Education and in 2014 was appointed by the Tennessee Commissioner of Education to a Personalized Learning Advisory Committee. In 2015, she was invited to serve on a U.S. Department of Education technical working group focused on evaluating education technology. Dr. Ray currently serves on the board of Learning Bird Inc. and holds advisory positions with Mackin, Inc. and H Institute Award for Excellence in Education.

She is a five-time recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Award and has earned the ISTE ‘Making IT Happen’ Award. Dr. Ray was named ’20 to Watch’ by the National School Board Association, Woman of the Year by the National Association of Professional Women, one of the top 10 EdTech Leaders by Tech and Learning magazine, and most recently was named a Top 100 EdTech Influencer by EdTech Digest. She leads K20Connect and other passion projects supporting K20 education around the world!

Jordan Myers, Regional General Manager, AVI-SPL
Jordan Myers is the Regional General Manager for AVI-SPL’s Tennessee region. AVI-SPL is the largest AV integrator in the world, providing audio-visual and collaboration solutions for corporate, higher ed, healthcare, and federal clients across the country. His team’s higher education clients include University of Tennessee, Loyola, Auburn, ETSU, Clemson and others. Previous to AVI-SPL, Jordan was a manager with Interactive Solutions, which was acquired by AVI-SPL in 2018. He also worked for DePaul University in enrollment management.

Based in Memphis, TN, Jordan has a B.A. in Public Relations and an M.B.A. in Entrepreneurship, both from DePaul University in Chicago. He has his CTS certification from AVIXA, the professional AV industry’s foremost trade association.

Steven Zink – Moderator
Senior Fellow, Center for Digital Education
Steven Zink is an emeritus faculty member at the University of Nevada, Reno, where he served as the university’s first vice president of information technology, while simultaneously serving as dean, university libraries. During his lengthy tenure at the university, Zink assembled a vibrant hybrid organization of information professionals, ranging from specialists in instructional technology to librarians to information technology professionals. In 2008, the physical manifestation of the organization was realized with the opening of the widely acclaimed 300,000-square-foot Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center. From 2011-2016, he served as vice chancellor for the Nevada System of Higher Education, the coordinating body over all public institutions of higher education in Nevada.

To view our Partner blog, click here

AVI-SPL Wins Twice at AV Awards

AV Awards

On Friday, October 11, AVI-SPL was recognized at the AV Awards in London with two prestigious industry awards: AV Management and Control Technology of the Year and International Integrator of the Year. 

In the category AV Management and Control Technology of the Year, AVI-SPL won for its Symphony user experience management application. With Symphony, organizations have a single-pane view into their AV and UC technology estate, one that enables them to proactively respond to issues before they affect end users. They can also determine the ROI of their solutions through analytics like room usage and network performance. And they can automate the scheduling, launching, and monitoring of their conference calls.

In an email to employees, AVI-SPL CEO John Zettel wrote, “I want to extend very special congratulations to Frank Mehr and his R&D team for the significant development of Symphony over the past several years, making it a must-have for our customers.”

The recognition as International Integrator of the Year comes just six years after AVI-SPL began expanding its global reach. This win reflects AVI-SPL’s ability to deliver the services and solutions that improve the workplace experience for our clients around the world, which is the true measure of our success. 

“We could not have achieved this honor without the best collection of talent worldwide in our industry,” said Zettel in the same congratulatory email.

AVI-SPL also owes these wins to the many manufacturers, consultants, architects, and contractors who work with us with one goal in mind: delivering the best outcomes to our clients. 

To view our Partner blog, click here

October 7 Begins Work From Anywhere Week

AV Everywhere

Starting next Monday (October 7), Logitech, which specializes in solutions for workplace collaboration, is leading a week-long campaign that promotes the ability to work from anywhere.

To spread the word about Work From Anywhere Week, Logitech recently teamed up with Laurel Farrer, founder of the Remote Work Association, for a webinar on the benefits and barriers to remote working.

Farrer defined remote work as any situation where, instead of regularly commuting to a centralized location for work, you work from home, a cafe, the train, or wherever you can optimize your productivity. She shared statistics that reveal nearly 50 percent of the U.S. workforce is engaged in some level of remote work, and 90 percent of workers say they would work remotely at least once a week if they could.

Farrer also shared:

Five benefits of remote working, most of which factor in business and health concerns

  1. Streamlines operations and helps businesses and communities grow because they can easily extend their presence to different regions. 
  2. Develops workforce equality.  People get equal opportunity to produce great work regardless of their location, age, gender, and other factors that may lead to discrimination. 
  3. Diffuses the war on talent. Companies can access talent wherever it happens to be and leverage geographic regions for their benefit. 
  4. Eliminates commutes, which lessens wear on our transportation infrastructure and addresses environmental concerns.
  5. Strengthens the work-life balance. Remote work means less stress and more time for one’s health and relationships.

Barriers to remote work 

Farrer noted some of the obstacles to implementing a successful remote work policy, including:

  • Managers who haven’t been trained on how to adjust to managing remote teams.
  • Remote workers not having the resources they need to do their jobs.
  • Information security risks. By establishing policies and expectations, companies can ensure that remote workers are aware of what they need to do to protect sensitive work-related information.

Conversation starters for adopting a sustainable remote work initiative

  • Are workers empowered to design, control, and troubleshoot their workflows?
  • Do workers have access to all the tools they need to stay productive?
  • Are company policies for off-site staff legal, fair, secure, and sustainable?

Jenn Jakubowicz, Logitech’s channel marketing manager for video collaboration, then offered Logitech’s plan for inspiring that conversation she covered:

Technological ingredients necessary for remote work:

  • High-speed internet
  • Collaboration software (Microsoft Teams, Zoom)
  • The right user tools (Logitech webcams and headsets)

Logitech’s work-from-anywhere campaign, which runs October 7 – 11, includes infographics and social media banners that share a positive message about remote work. I’ve shared one of those infographics in this post. Follow Logitech’s Twitter account as well as the hashtags #WFA and #WorkFromAnywhere to keep up with next week’s promotions, information, and inspirational ideas.

 

To view our Partner blog, click here

See What LG Transparent OLED Displays Can Do in Your Workplace

AV Everywhere

Earlier this month, we looked at LG’s “Five Steps to Planning for a Video Wall,” Christie Digital’s advice for “The Right LED Video Technology,” and the benefits of the Barco UniSee video wall system. Each of these webinars is available at the AVI-SPL resources page, where you’ll find a wealth of information intended to help you make informed decisions about your investment in collaboration technology.

Today, I’m sharing some ideas for using LG’s transparent OLED signage in your organization. In one video below, you’ll see what on-site guests saw when LG introduced its 55-inch display at InfoComm in June. At its booth, LG demonstrated some of these applications with a variety of video wall configurations, and it emphasized the combination of multi-application transparency with the high resolution of LG’s OLED technology. As you’ll see in a couple of other videos I’ve included, transparent digital signage can be used to display:

  • Product and marketing information in front of the product or service
  • Deals and promotions on storefront windows
  • Information about museum pieces so that both can be seen simultaneously and work seamlessly together
  • Customer-facing information that complements the surroundings and doesn’t obstruct the view of the environment 

If you have any questions about how transparent displays can be used in your workplace environment, whether yours is a higher ed institution, healthcare, or corporate setting, AVI-SPL is available for advice and service. Reach out to our experts at contact@avispl.com. 

To view our Partner blog, click here

Webinar Recording: Build Your Video Wall With the Right LED Video Technology

AV Everywhere

If you’ve been confused by the claims about LED displays or just aren’t sure which one is right for your environment, this webinar is available to help. Experts from Christie Digital and AVI-SPL combine their knowledge to provide a brief history of LED technology and steer you toward the solutions that bring the best return on investment for your video walls.

Today, AV integrators deploy LED displays to create seamless video walls that are bright, reduce eye fatigue for viewers (including those in spaces like control rooms), and can handle the load of 24/7 environments.

This webinar, presented by Commercial Integrator and TechDecisions with AVI-SPL and Christie Digital, includes an overview the basics that will empower you to become a smart buyer of video wall solutions for your company. You’ll learn the factors to consider when choosing displays to create a video wall. Related topics include:

  • LED terminology
  • Planning for power and HVAC
  • System-level certifications
  • Figuring our optimal viewing distances
  • Scan rates, refresh rates, brightness, contrast ratio
  • Compositing, windowing, configuration, video switching

You’ll hear from a panel of experts that includes:

  • Martin Waverly, senior manager, Technical Solutions Group, Christie Digital
  • Ted Romanowitz, senior product manager, Christie LED, Christie Digital
  • Carlos Lerma, director of engineering, Control Room Group, AVI-SPL

These experts will explain the advantage of investing in LED display technology while also clearing away the confusion about LED solutions. You’ll learn how LED displays can free up real estate in the spaces where they’ll be deployed, and you’ll get a look at Christie solutions likes its Apex and CorePlus video wall series.

Get the recording for “Understand the LED Video Technology That is Right for Your Applications” >

To view our Partner blog, click here