Mechdyne had solutions architects and other representatives attending Infocomm in Las Vegas from June 8-10th to see what was new at one of the world’s largest professional audio visual technology events. Although attendance was light relative to pre-COVID crowds, the attendees were interested and active in the planned activities and events related to AV education and presentations.
Our team’s key takeaways from InfoComm 2022:
#1: This Infocomm reinforced the importance of social events.
Though Infocomm is a professional AV conference, social events tie manufacturers and integrators together. Relationships build communication, and in turn, build solution development.
#2: Audio us the most important aspect of hybrid meetings.
At the conference, the emphasis on audio solutions was recognizable. It is universally understood that audio for a collaborative meeting is the most important part, allowing people to communicate in real-time. Although video is important, spotty audio connections, poor microphones, or other tech issues, reduce productivity, costing organizations time and money. The right tools and solutions must be in place to clearly hear teammates. For example, a meeting with the CEO and Managers connecting from across the US costs a lot in billed hours. Spending time having audio issues in a meeting like that causes frustration and is a waste of both time and company money.
Unfortunately, many times the cheapest audio solutions are installed first, with the hope that the audio will be “good enough”. After it is determined that the audio is poor, whether it be poor pickup of the room participants from the microphones, or inadequate coverage of the room’s participants with the speakers, the investment in a low-cost system is often seen as short sighted. These systems do have their place but not for all applications. Good use case analysis is required before selecting technology.
#3: There is a shift from manufacturers just providing hardware-centric solutions, to having both software-based platforms and their original solutions.
Supply chain issues have caused delays in delivering hardware-based solutions due to the unpredictable upswing in demand of tech-based solutions from going remote in 2020, and limitations of metal mining necessary to create the hardware. These issues have increased costs for the last few years due to the scarcity of resources to meet the demands of the market and delays in shipping. These issues have pushed manufacturers to dive into the software world to be able to provide solutions without supplying hardware.
Although Mechdyne has already made that shift, others are following suit. Mechdyne has a variety of software services to meet our end-user’s specific needs. As an example, TGX is a remote desktop software created specifically for collaboration between professionals with high-graphic needs like engineers and designers—this software works on existing machines, eliminating the supply chain problem costs, while still providing solutions. Our software engineers can also provide custom innovative solutions no matter the hardware.
#4: Direct-view LED technology is rapidly advancing.
Many times, manufacturers are the only sources of information for end-users interested in buying LED screen technology, which is why it is important to educate users about this technology. “What’s new is that these displays have now advanced to the point that small pixel pitches (creating more detailed images) are feasible. There are more and more offerings of ‘All-in-one’ LED display solutions that provide 100” and larger displays that ‘productize’ LED solutions as an alternative to traditional flat panel displays. Pre-configured LED screens are now approaching the size of a projected image. This allows them to replace projection in many applications where people/organizations can afford the high price-point. With the technology evolving, larger, more detailed screens have become more affordable than ever before,” said Aaron Peterson, Senior Solutions Engineer.
LED screen providers all work hard to differentiate what they offer.
#5: The technology at Infocomm this year was more evolutionary than revolutionary.
With the setbacks from the pandemic and other supply chain issues, manufacturers seemed to be more focused on improving their existing technology than creating new options. This is not a bad thing because improvements are welcome when they boost productivity.
#6: More end-users are attending Infocomm than ever.
While AV conferences used to be attended primarily by integrators, more end-users are attending on behalf of their organizations. Every year, more AV experts are getting hired into companies for their specific audio-visual needs—and they are attending events like Infocomm to broaden their innovation horizons, like everybody else.
“30% or more of the show floor attendees seemed to be end-users,” said Peterson, who spent most of his two days exploring the other innovative technology present at Infocomm this year.
See you next year in Orlando, for InfoComm 2023!
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