UC&C
that they’re looking to provide and how difficult or complex their systems will be,” he says. “There’s huge levels of skill sets on the comms and the AV sides. For it to come together there will be a simplified version of it. We’re losing the dark art of both sets of technology to create something that’s simpler. And that’s where I think AV over IP and basic comms is going to converge and technology is utilising the network infrastructure is going to be where we end up.” Widescale demand As mentioned, it is getting to the point where comms and AV businesses have to look to provide a unified proposition because otherwise, they still start losing customers, as demand for unified comms products is across a wide range of sectors, from education to healthcare. “In universities, they’re building high flex areas for learning, where students don’t have to go into the traditional learning space,” says Kier. “That’s all utilising the advanced comms technology and unified communications solutions. In higher and further education certainly, there will be more demand. There won’t be so much at younger education ages as they haven’t got the funding to do so and there is safeguarding concerns over putting cameras in the classroom. “Medical is another area that is advancing because of the lack of doctors and funding in the NHS, they are looking at having remote video doctors that can do multiple consultations at the same time, with the use of high end 4K video technologies. There’s a huge amount of upgrading investment into those areas as well. “There’s not really an area where these types of technologies can’t be used and therefore people are going to go and find that. I can’t see the demand for these solutions slowing down, I can only see it getting bigger and better.”
“It’s managing those expectations of when you bring them all together, how can it work together? How can you ensure that everyone’s demands are met whilst delivering the best customer experience at the same time?” he says. “These are two separate portfolios of products with two different technical expertise, but also two different avenues of features. What you need out of your comms equipment is completely different than what you need out of your AV equipment. And it’s that where there’s still a long way to go. Nobody is getting it perfect anywhere yet.” Kiel Hillier, head of AV product at Northamber, adds: “The traditional comms companies are now rushing into display technologies because it’s a nice add-on to have and it’s not a difficult installation. And then the traditional AV guys are desperately trying to understand technologies that they probably didn’t have too much to do with but could muddle through the basics of and upskilling their teams to allow them to buy the scale of installations and to do meeting room packs.” This should mean that when putting together unified comms proposals, it should include specialists in both areas, Kier adds. “Until very recently, we really wouldn’t have had to know too much other than the basics of each other’s technology,” he says. “Now we really must understand that. So when we’re having conversations with customers about what they’re putting together, you need to have people with subject matter experience on all of this because this convergence has happened so recently. You need people that understand their lanes, which means you need more than one person in the room to support that.” It is expertise that will be crucial, especially for traditional AV and comms dealers to diversify into new markets. This will also influence how difficult it will be for them to make the move, Kier adds. “It’s going to depend on the level of expertise
The traditional comms companies are now rushing into display “
technologies because it’s a nice add-on to have and it’s not a difficult installation
”
Mark Sumner Northamber
Kiel Hillier Northamber
Total distribution™
northamber.com
www.newsinthechannel.co.uk
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