Upgrading your organization’s commercial audio visual (AV) equipment is a significant internal decision. However, one area that often gets overlooked is how these upgrades impact your IT network.
Failure to prepare your IT network for AV changes can result in downtime, confusion, and poor return on your big investment. However, taking a few simple steps can help maximize your time and streamline the installation and implementation process. Let’s take a closer look at how to accomplish this goal:
A successful AV integration begins with becoming comfortable with your integration team and their expertise. Hopefully, you’ve chosen your integrator based on a positive track record of similar projects and the company’s experience with corporate AV installations.
If you haven’t selected your integrator yet, it’s a good idea to examine each company’s client list to see if it includes organizations in your industry, and then ask to speak with these clients to learn more about their AV solution and results.
Also consider product education. If your organization’s IT department is seeking information to identify the right equipment for your audiovisual needs, speak with your commercial AV integration partner about pointing your team in the right direction and communicating how to most effectively spend your budget.
See our full guide for ways IT experts can prepare for AV integration in a corporate infrastructure.
Before installation gets underway, work with your integrator and IT team to organize your company’s infrastructure. This might start with selecting the rooms for which you’ll be installing equipment.
If yours is like some modern organizations, you’re moving away from the handful of large conference rooms toward many smaller rooms designed to fit four to six people. These new “huddle rooms” are often designed with today’s collaborative workforce in mind and facilitate the use of different devices, including laptops and mobile phones.
The larger and more complex the system, the more likely it is you’ll need someone on your IT team who intimately understands AV equipment.
It is vital to be clear on what you need out of your system. In years past, many organizations insisted on integrating VHS and DVD players into their AV systems. When is the last time anyone in your company used one of these devices? Today, DVD and VHS players have become obsolete in favor of digital streaming media.
Also consider if measuring analytics as well as remote controlling are important features for your organization’s AV equipment. Some system designs facilitate tracking so teams can better understand what functionalities are frequently utilized or rarely utilized. Other designs allow users and IT teams to control systems remotely in the event of failure or simply to increase ease of use.
At IGI, we understand the complex nature of corporate AV systems. Our team provides individualized and customized solutions, eliminating guesswork for your AV systems. We boast 20 years’ experience managing all levels of AV integration projects.
Contact us to learn more about how your company can realize the value of a professionally customized AV solution.
