Show report InfoComm 2018: global trends and local highlights


The first InfoComm show in North America, organised in the name of the newly rebranded AVIXA, got off to a promising start, attract- ing nearly 43,000 registered attendees, 10 percent more than the 2016 show, the last time InfoComm was held in Las Vegas. Jason McGraw, CTS, CAE, Senior Vice President of Expositions,


AVIXA said: "We continue to develop new offerings that celebrate and explore in-depth the many facets of technology experiences. Our exhibitors took the lead with solutions that continue to push the envelope of what AV can deliver, and our many subject-matter experts and thought leaders contributed to a program that gave all attendees the opportunity to think differently about the role audiovisual technology plays in people's lives." InfoComm 2018 visitors were drawn from all 50 United States and 108 other countries, with some 20 percent of attendees from outside the U.S. The show's 964 exhibitors anchored a massive expo that spanned 550,000 net square feet of exhibits, demo rooms, and special events space, making it the biggest InfoComm ever. Some 94 percent of this year's exhibit space was rebooked for InfoComm 2019, a new record. Emerging Trends Day, held in association with the IMCCA, at- tracted more than 600 attendees, before the InfoComm show opened, to explore everything from the digital workplace and smart buildings to global brands in the pro-AV market. "The engagement of InfoComm attendees in our new and evolving content offerings has been very gratifying," said AVIXA CEO David Labuskes, CTS, CAE, RCDD. "Technology moves so quickly, it's important to try and think differently and innovate in new ways, namely by focus- ing on the experiences of AV customers."


Touchscreens Microsoft partners on new collaborative hardware


While the geographical spread of attendees at InfoComm 2019 was nowhere near as diverse as ISE, InfoComm provided plenty of evidence of the increasingly globalised nature of the supply side of the AV industry. In part, this is due to the concentration of major software developers in the USA, driving the global hardware manufacturing busi- ness. At much the same time as InfoComm, Nick Parker, Mic- rosoft Corporate Vice President of Platforms, announced a new 70” Windows Collaboration Display developed by Sharp at Computex 2018. In the future, the opportunity to leverage ar- tificial intelligence (AI), ubiqui- tous computing and Microsoft 365 multi-device and multi- sense experiences has never been greater.


Together with


hardware partners, Microsoft believes it can create new, com- pelling devices and experiences in the era of the intelligent edge and intelligent cloud. “To accelerate innovation in this new era we invite all our partners to join our Intelligent Edge Partner Community. The community will help partners


connect with one another to identify opportunities to collab- orate on technology innovation and achieve shared business goals. In addition, community members will be able to partic- ipate in training and communi- ty events and can participate in early-adopter programs that provide


access to documen-


tation, specs, OS builds and certification details,” explained Parker and Sones.


“Collaboration displays”


To progress this initiative, Mi- crosoft announced a new cat- egory of teamwork devices: Windows Collaboration Dis- plays. These large, interactive displays will let people experi- ence Microsoft 365 collabora- tion tools: Office, Teams and Whiteboard at room scale, and include built-in sensors that can connect to Azure IoT spa- tial intelligence capabilities. The technology will allow facil- ity managers to utilize environ- mental data to make real-time decisions. A variety of collabo- ration displays, from Sharp and Avocor should be available later this year.


The new collaboration displays are fully compatible with Win- dows 10 and deliver the power and productivity of Office 365 and Microsoft Teams at room scale. They offer people new ways to connect, collaborate and deliver results. Both Avocor and Microsoft understand that the most effective businesses have a team-based, collabora- tive culture and are focused on enabling creativity and produc- tivity.


Collaboration displays built by Avocor will deliver a new level of empowerment for people to work together in real-time and collaborate in efficient and in- tuitive ways. These brand-new 4K 20-point touch displays will offer flawless pen and inking capabilities that enable people to easily use the best of Mic- rosoft 365 collaboration tools – from Windows and Office to Microsoft Whiteboard and Mic- rosoft Teams – at room scale, all backed by the intelligent cloud.


The upcoming Windows collab- oration product line by Avocor will feature integrated cameras, stereo speakers, far field micro- phones, and pen., and will eas-


ily connect to any Windows 10 PC via a single USB-C. In addi- tion to being teamwork devic- es, Windows collaboration dis- plays from Avocor will include built-in sensors that connect to Azure IoT, so facility managers can utilize the environmental data they collect to make re- al-time decisions.


Touchscreens Clevertouch in the USA


Led by newly appointed Vice President of Clevertouch USA, Paul Hick- ey, Clevertouch will continue to build the business through current operations and new US partners.


Microsoft’s collaboration de- vices won’t be the only new touchscreen option available to American customers and re- sellers. For the last ten years, Clevertouch has enjoyed sales in the US and Canada through a network of loyal local part- ners. Clevertouch will now launch the full range of multi award winning Pro Series, Plus Series and V Series to Canada and the US. Led by newly appointed Vice President of Clevertouch USA, Paul Hickey, Clevertouch will continue to build the business through current operations and new US partners. Hickey has more than 20 years of AV sales experience with senior roles at Phonic Ear, Vice President of Sales at FrontRow and more recently Director of Sales at Toshiba.


Simon Chidsey, International Director for Clevertouch op- erations commented: “Since 2009, when Clevertouch was first to market with touch- screens in the UK, we’ve seen rapid growth in and beyond the UK. The strategy is to place local teams on the ground and our overall aim is to take 20% market share of the US interac- tive market. It is definitely pos- sible with our dedicated Enter- prise and Education products and expanded North American team now in place.” Hickey commented: “It’s clear that the team behind Clever- touch has a passion and drive for innovation and technology. Having had operations here in the US over the last ten years, we believe the time is right to have US headquarters based in Austin supported by a local team on the ground to expand our US presence further.” In- foComm marked the beginning of Clevertouch’s North Amer- ican presence with dedicated headquarters in Austin, Texas serving the growing domestic market needs.


LFDs


New Panasonic 4K profes- sional display series


Panasonic unveiled a new large format 4K display series, with models including 86 and 98- inch models with 500cd/m2 brightness, for digital signage or for use in corporate, class- room and retail environments. The SQ1 series features a light- weight, slim and stylish design with a bright and efficient pan- el for exceptional visibility and 24/7 operation.


“At Panasonic, we are com- mitted to continually improving our display line up in terms of its performance, versatility and efficiency, no matter what the intended application or ven- ue is,” said Hartmut Kulessa, European Marketing Manager at Panasonic. “Incorporating the Intel Smart Display Module (Intel SDM) allows Panasonic to offer a sleek, slim and scalable display solution which simpli- fies interface integration, sig- nage installations and platform management.”


The SQ1 series complements the EQ1 range of six entry-level, 4K professional displays, rang- ing from 43 to 86 inches, intro- duced at ISE 2018. The EQ1 series offers 4K resolution for high-impact images with 350 cd/m2 brightness, making it a cost-efficient solution for public spaces, retail venues, corporate meeting rooms and classrooms. The EQ1 series will be available in Autumn 2018. The SQ1 se- ries is expected to be available in December 2018.


LFDs


News displays and software from Philips


Philips Professional Display Solutions (Philips PDS) un- veiled a compelling mix of new display products, enhanced and expanded software solu- tions and previews


of future


touchscreen models. The new LCD displays will include an ex- panded Q-Line series with new UHD panels in larger screen sizes and incorporating the An- droid OS for the first time. The company will also unveil and demonstrate new develop-


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