Business opportunities Technology update


Sahara’s Tech Showcase 2018 takes the Stage


at their desks over the course of the day and began to posit alternatives to dedicated work- stations.


Jon Sidwick Maverick Global VP introduces the Keynotes at Connect- age of collaboration 75% od


For the first time, the work- place was seen as a cluster of settings through which people moved depending on what they were doing. As a result the of- fice was treated as the stage rather than the play. New desk sharing practices such as hot desking, hoteling were increas- ingly adopted and in their wake trailed new conceptions of the office as a club, which people visited, booked and used as they would a public space. A quarter of a century on, such radical ideas are now mainstream, and we not only enjoy nearly three decades of accumulated wisdom and so- phistication but also now have the tools to measure and man- age the way we use the work- place in real time. This not only helps firms to keep down costs and better manage their real estate it also creates workplac- es that are better able to serve the people that use them and adapt to new technologies and working practices.


According to Barco, that’s because: “The workplace as we once knew it – the place where you go to work – has un- dergone a major change in the last decade. The large office buildings with floor upon floor of desk-bound workers, have been upgraded to colourful cre- ative spaces and bespoke furni- ture, designed around specific employee tasks – the physical buildings now set-out to foster collaboration or concentration at any time of the day.” “And actually, there’s more… Coffee


shops, trains, depar-


ture lounges, kitchen tables at home. Your desk space is no longer confined to those large office buildings. It has moved, into the wild world out here. The mobile worker is on the rise, which only increases the need for collaboration devices, connected offices and unified communications technology.” “Opening up the workplace


to an ‘always on’ virtual space, challenges your workplace strategy as a business. To help your employees with this kind of seamless collaboration no


TV’s Spencer Kelly moderates the Q&A after the Keynote Address by Oblong CEO John Underkoffler.


Face-to-face, telephone and email are expected to decline.


Growth indicators


For an overview of “What busi- ness wants: the trends driving collaboration”, Sean Wargo, Snr. Director Market Intelli- gence at AVIXA, focussing on the shift of conferencing and collaboration to the cloud. Wargo argues that the current demand is fuelled by the avail- ability of affordable video con- ferencing endpoints. Demand, in turn, for these endpoints is driven by the upturn in collab- orative services and solutions. The value of these services will top $1.6 billion by 2023. We also sat in on two Micro- soft presentations – a little dis- appointing, with no Hub 2 until what sounded like ISE 2019 – but, in order, to get this issue to press on time we were only able to attend just about half of Connect. With much more to follow in future, including further integration of Windows and Azur, Microsoft’s IoT plat- form, AI, VR and voice recog- nition, “Connect” is an event that easily justifies its place in the calendar for the foreseeable future.


There is always a question with any technology event about longevity – is it just a flash in a pan? Our feeling is that this is one that could run- and-run, embracing as it does, changes in the nature of work, the


concept of productivity,


the nature of the workplace and the social impact of work – life integration. Well done those who took part, Spencer Kelly, John Underkoffler, Mav- erick, its sponsors and all those in pink shirts on the day for launching a brave approach to a much-needed event.


Meeting culture


For those with businesses rely- ing on a more traditional office culture, the presentation by Lieven Bertier,


Director GTM


Strategy & Services at Barco, came to the startling conclu- sion – for the creators of Click- Share and WePresent – that there are just too many meet- ings.


Barco is engaged in a major survey of end-users to be pub- lished next month. Ironically, this new survey reveals that


matter where their workplace is, you need to come up with a strategy that meets your busi- ness. A reduction of desks, as ‘pods of people’ give way to huddle spaces perhaps? What- ever you decide, consider a bal- ance of collaboration and qui- et. Check our report for more inspiration in setting the scene for your workplace.”


In the future, survey respon- dents expect to see an increase in video conference software, collaboration apps and collab- oration through virtual reality.


As if any further evidence was necessary, less than a week after the “Connect- age of collaboration” event, Sahara held its annual Tech Show- case at Hanbury Manor for partners and others. Collab- oration was, of course, one of the central themes with the official announcement of STAGE on Clevertouch – a vid- eo collaboration and meeting tool, co-developed by Clever- touch and Nuiteq. Collabora- tion Workshops.


Delegates a series of collab- oration workshops - discus- sions and demonstrations on the latest collaboration tech- nologies. Tech in Education workshop focused on how schools, col- leges and universities are overcoming tech barriers and using AV effectively to engage, inspire,


communicate and


collaborate. The Clevertouch solution has come to support not just front of class teach- ing, but also utilising student devices, not to mention digital signage integration. The AV in Enterprise work-


shop


discussed how compa- nies can use the latest tech- nologies to meet the growing demands for greater collab- oration between local and dispersed teams. Demonstra- tions showed how the latest top-of-the-range hardware and software products, walk-up- and-use solutions, mixed IT estates and secure connected environment can be created for enterprise-wide employees and visitors. Other collaboration technologies included Clever- touch's new enterprise E-CAP touchscreen and Jamboard from Google.


New for 2018, the Digital Signage Experience zone was a chance for visitors to immerse themselves in this burgeoning AV specialist area. As the hard- ware and software technologies advance, new possibilities


in


retail, enterprise, healthcare, hospitality, higher and further education are being realised. Digital signage has the ability to transform any environment into an entertainment centre, an information point, a booking system, a directional way-find-


er, interactive feedback fa- cility as well as an instant messaging and emergency alerts system across an entire corporate estate, campus or shopping centre. Visitors were able to engage with a giant LED video wall, touch screens, triggers, QR Codes and more in a dedicat- ed 72 m² environment fea- turing the latest intelligent digital signage software and hardware from industry fore- front brands including Sed- ao, NEC, Panasonic, Vivitek, Clevertouch and BenQ. Visitors had a chance to see LED technology from Vi- vitek and Epson's new large projection models. Sahara’s Tech Showcase was in its fifth incarnation this year and re- mains a unique mix of a busi- ness and social event, with Hanbury Manor providing the convivial surroundings for further bonding the distribu- tor and its customers.


AV News October 2018 P17


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20