Solutions

What are AV solutions?

AV solutions are exactly what they sound like – an audio and visual solution to an existing problem. Most businesses, schools and government entities have at least one problem that is best solved by AV technology. A common example is communication. Communicating better with customers or students is always desirable, and AV solutions implemented by a reputable integrator can result in better communication. 
 

What are some issues that AV solutions can solve?

Better communication is just one example, others include:
 

1. Enhanced branding efforts – AV technology like digital signage and videowalls can reinforce brand messaging, giving companies additional opportunities to show off a logo or deliver messaging that backs the brand’s tone. AV technology is particularly effective at strengthening branding, as digital displays and videowalls are excellent attention-grabbers.
2. Better teaching and training – Digital displays, interactive flat panels and improved audio systems can improve student engagement and make it easier for students or trainees to understand the instructor. With an interactive flat panel, the instructor can easily bring students into the lesson and add to existing lessons with ease. 
3. Stronger collaboration – Some businesses struggle to get their teams working together. AV solutions are perfect for unifying teams and ensuring they collaborate more effectively. Interactive flat panels are ideal for this purpose, as they encourage people to approach the display and add to the meeting. Interactive flat panels also allow teams to quickly search for examples or resources, and utilize them for more informed collaboration. 
4. Information delivery – Digital signage is an obvious fit when a venue, university or institution wants to help its visitors get around. Digital signage can be used for maps and wayfinding, announcements, emergency drills, direct messaging, social media feeds and plenty of other things. 
5. Connecting remote employees – AV solutions like audio and video conferencing ensure that remote employees are always kept in the loop. Modern conferencing systems can delivery superb audio and video quality, so even if employees are connecting from several locations, the conversation will flow without trouble.

There are many more reasons why an organization would consider AV solutions, and given the flexibility of AV technology, many problems can be solved with creative application of AV technology. 
 

What does an AV solution include?

AV solutions are comprehensive. Integrators that offer them aren’t around just to sell equipment. They are prepared to guide an AV project from start to finish. This is the only way to guarantee that an AV system will perform reliably and efficiently. 

What can clients expect during the AV integration process?
 

1. Consultation – Before any of the real work begins, the integrator and client must understand each other completely. When decision makers sit down with AV experts, they usually have a clear idea of their needs and goals, but only a vague idea of how AV technology can meet those goals and provide the ideal solution. 
   This is where the consultation comes in. During this meeting, the integrator and client conceptualize the solution together, ensuring that the client is heard and that they walk away from the meeting knowing exactly what to expect going forward. An integrator will go over equipment options and discuss different ways that AV could solve the client’s problems.
2. Planning – Once both parties are moving in the same direction, the integrator surveys the client’s space and studies its layout. In most cases, the integrator will quantify important details like the amount of ambient lighting in the space and each room’s acoustics. Both are essential considerations when selecting and arranging AV equipment. Fortunately, AV integrators have sophisticated means of diagramming lighting and acoustics, so they know exactly how a display will look and how a speaker will sound in each room. 
3. Design – Design is critical to creating a useful AV solution, and if it’s poorly handled, there will be issues with usability and performance quality. For example, a large digital display is being installed in a lecture hall. However, the display is installed in a place that is visually blocked out from some parts of the room. Students in those seats won’t be able to see the display, which will lessen its effectiveness. 
   Design is meant to account for issues like these and sidestep them so they don’t become problems. During system design, AV professionals will integrate AV technology with the building’s architectural plans, so there will be no conflict between how the space is arranged, and how AV technology is arranged. 
4. Installation and configuration – From here, the integrator’s project managers will coordinate engineers for system installation. Depending on the project’s scope, it can take a while for the engineers to complete their jobs, and many integrators split their engineers up into several teams for greater efficiency. The engineering team is expected to mount all system equipment and ensure it is properly powered, cooled and networked. 
   Following installation, the integrator’s engineers will also configure the system and its components. Ideally, once the installers are done with their job, the system can be operated immediately and without any frustration. 
5. Long term support – AV solutions are designed to last for many years. Eventually, though, even the best designed system will need support to keep running at optimal capacity.
   Reputable AV integrators aren’t looking to sell a system and disappear once it’s installed. Instead, these integrators would prefer to act as the company’s AV partner. What does that mean? It means providing a service contract that guarantees regular maintenance, system monitoring and technical support should a failure occur. The goal is to minimize downtime or eliminate it outright. 

AV solutions may be technically complex, but experienced integrators have the process down. From consultation to planning, from design to installation, a talented integrator will have the ideal AV solutions for their clients, regardless of their industry.