Event report


Pro market connections from CES 2018? Not so much!


Some years, we look at the consumer space announcements at the CES Show, and the applications of emerging technologies in the pro market are immediately apparent - but not this year. There were some big trends all right – AI, robotics – and these might have some long- tern impact on professional applications, but we are struggling to see any immediate impact.


For the last couple of years, xR technologies have domi- nated the show floor at CES. Such was the excitement about this fast-emerging area that it seemed a short step to profes- sional applications in educa-


ing that was game-changing in the short term. Only when de- vices and solutions start to ap- pear that make a direct impact on people’s lives will an appre- ciation of AI emerge. For example, Aptiv, an au-


5G to follow-on to 4G LTE in the next year or two. It is un- likely to have much impact on standard uses of mobile devic- es, 5G is important for the de- velopment of smart cities and self-driving cars where consis-


Stop press Maverick goes global


Maverick AV Solutions has an- nounced plans to expand glob- ally, incorporating the Americas and Asia Pacific into its already highly successful European op- eration. Maverick AV Solutions will remain under the direction of Jon Sidwick, vice president, reporting to Michael Urban, corporate vice president, Strat- egy, Transformation and Global Vendor Management at Tech Data.


Joel Chimoindes joins LG’s 8K, 88-inch TV shown at CES - no price or release date.


tion, training, simulation and modelling. In fact there is an argument that says that ad- vances in these sectors have outpaced consumer applica- tions in gaming and entertain- ment.


This year, AI (Artificial Intel- ligence) was being touted as the “new xR”, but was it really? The problem with AI is that it will be incorporated into a lot of different devices and solutions, when it eventually arrives. “Smart cities” were much dis- cussed at CES, prompted by the presence of 40 exhibitors dedicated to the niche. Smart cities offer improved traffic flows, to smart parking – driv- ers are notified where parking space is available – and im- proved air quality.


If AI becomes a real presence


in devices as diverse as cars, robots and subsystems in the built environment, expect to see it as a component within office and workflow solutions, plus lifestyle, leisure, entertain- ment and just about every facet of life – but, the point is, not yet. There will inevitably be a faire share of “now, with added AI” products, but we saw noth-


tomated driving tech compa- ny is collaborating with Lyft. Lyft passengers can request a self-driving ride to more than 20 destinations throughout Las Vegas. With Ford, Mercedes Benz, BMW, Toyota, and Nis- san all piloting self-driving ve- hicles, awareness of AI is likely to take off within 15 years, but it will take much longer before consumers order their new cars on the basis oy AI algorithms.


Voice interface


So what is likely to impact our world in the short-term? It will come as no great surprise that voice interfaces, in the form of “smart speakers”, were every- where at CES 2018. Amazon is reported to have sold “tens of millions of Alexa-enabled de- vices worldwide”. Competitors are inevitably coming up with me-too


products. For exam-


ple, Google Home speakers are close on the heels of Amazon, and LG has announced smart speakers with Google Assistant built in. Expect Apple’s Home- Pod, a Siri-based product, later is year.


Also in the mid-term, expect


tent, high-speed, low-latency communication is paramount.


Large screens


Obviously CES wouldn’t big CES without


big-screen TVs,


and where big screen TVs pro- fessional LFDs now follow. This year there was a lot of interest at CES in 8K, with most manu- facturers having at least a pro- totype, in sizes greater than 65 inches. Here there is a real di- chotomy between the consum- er market and the professional, where there is little enthusiasm for 8K as yet.


The convergence of a number of CES trends was already in evidence. LG’s 2018 OLED and super UHD (ultra-high defini- tion) TVs will have their own AI called ThinQ. The new software will recognise voice commands, and work with Google Assistant. That means consumers will be able to control smart lighting, speakers and more from the TV. Some voice commands will re- late specifically to TVs. It will be possible to seach for films that star certain actors, search for genres and look for videos about specific topics.


Maverick as European Com- mercial Director to manage the continued growth in the region. Maverick AV Solutions works with the world’s leading au- dio-visual brands to provide customers with complete solu- tions that meet all their au- dio-visual needs. Over the past 20 years, Jon has grown Maver- ick from a team of seven people in the UK into the pan-Europe- an leader it is today. Prepara- tion has already begun with Jon and the Maverick AV Solutions team working closely with the Americas’ leadership team to ready for expansion into the U.S. and then throughout the Americas region.


Jon Sidwick, VP Maverick AV Solutions explains;


“This is a new chapter for Maverick with a new brand and the strongest mix of man- ufacturer partners we have ever worked with. We are extremely proud of relationships we have built with our customers and vendor partners and I want to take this opportunity to thank


Powering ahead with plans for imminent growth in the UK, Ves- tel has announced the launch of a brand new distribution partner- ship with leading hardware and software distributor, Crystalised. Crystalised is set to distribute the expansive Vestel range of digital signage, which includes 32-86” 4K, Full HD, stretch and high bright displays.


Designed for hassle-free inte- gration and exceptional cost-effi- ciency, the digital signage series suits a wider variety of business models, offering both PC-free System-on-Chip technology for an out-of-the-box solution, and OPS compatibility with Windows and Android PC modules. Of the new distribution part-


Maverick AV Solutions will remain under the direction of Jon Sidwick throughout the global expansion.


them for the support of Maver- ick to date. I am excited for a new challenge, working with an already established team of AV specialists in these markets to bring the experience from the European


teams Chimoindes and create


new services and solutions for customers in the regions.” Joel


joins the


team with considerable senior management experience, hav- ing spent the last year as Man- aging Director at Beta Digital Media Solutions and eighteen months as European Solution and


Innovation Director at


technology and infrastructure solutions business, Azlan, also part of the Tech Data Group. Joel’s role will be to work alongside the European man- agement team to continue the unprecedented growth within the region, growing the vendor


nership, UK Head of B2B Sales for Vestel, Mark Dew, comments, “Together with Crystalised, we believe that we can bring excep- tional value to reseller projects and opportunities. Whilst Crys- talised has the industry knowl- edge and expertise to work with resellers on specifying perfect-fit, tailor-made product solutions, we have the world-leading R&D facilities to make those concepts a reality.” “Located on the edge of Eu- rope, Vestel can also bring new and customized technologies to market much more quickly and cost-effectively. Whatever the project, we know that, with this distribution partner, customers will be able to count on addition-


portfolio and helping deliver


improved solutions and ser- vices for client.


The huge growth in audio-vi- sual applications being adopt- ed by companies of all sizes, educational institutions and government agencies, around the world means that now is the perfect time to expand Maverick’s approach across the globe. Maverick’s collaborative, scalable, platform-based solu- tions and top-flight vendor port- folio is well-positioned to meet the needs of this fast-growing market. This successful model will now be expanded into the Americas and Asia Pacific. In the Americas, the Visual Solu- tions practice, part of the end- point solutions portfolio, will be incorporated into Maverick in the coming fiscal year.


Vestel powers ahead with UK growth


al sales and marketing support, which includes assistance from Crystalised’s accredited team of demonstrators and trainers.” Commercial Director of Crys- talised, Chris Sulej, continues, “Crystalised specialises in bring- ing best of breed solutions and new vendors into the UK Enter- prise Market. Vestel has created an integrated display and content management solution suitable for all digital signage require- ments. This new agreement adds an extensive and highly-regarded range of solutions which sit per- fectly alongside our comprehen- sive series of products and ser- vices. We eagerly await our first direct involvement with Vestel at BETT 2018 and at ISE.”


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