November 2018 www.avnews.eu Page14


Is education still a worth- while market for iFPDs?


When Sahara introduced the first iFPD in 2009, some con- sidered it a risk. And yet, suc- cessors to that original board went on to set records,support- ed by a suite of dedicated App's


Page 17


Virtual and augmented reality: the VR Days report


Is VR to be the next big thing in AV? Not the consumer-led Head Mounted Displays (HMDs) embraced by arm- chair gamers but full-on VR experiences.


AVIXA identifies transportation opportunities


According to the new 2018 Market Opportunity Analy- sis Report (MOAR) focused on transportation, produced by the Audiovisual and Inte- grated Experience Associa- tion (AVIXA), the majority of transportation companies with capital improvement plans will increase their spending over the coming years. In line with construction data, transporta- tion decision makers estimate 4.6 percent of their spending


will go toward audiovisual (AV) solutions. The new report re- veals that transportation com- panies are motivated to invest in AV technologies to improve efficiency and the overall travel experience. Transportation explores the perceptions of travellers to understand their needs while navigating a transportation hub and the role technology plays in enhancing their experience. The report also examines the


The majority of transportation companies with capital improvement plans will increase their spending on AV over the coming years.


Shure and Sahara agree AV News Awards sponsorships


Sahara associate Clevertouch, along with audio specialists Shure Distribution have agreed AV News Awards sponsorships for 2019. The Awards presen- tation ceremony will take place on the first morning of ISE 2019 at the RAI Amsterdam. Representatives of both Sa- hara and Shure will join eight other sponsors hosting tables of invited guests and present- ing trophies to winners.


viewpoint of the purchasers of AV solutions at transportation hubs and companies, as well as the pro-AV systems integrators that work in the market. Sean Wargo, Senior Director of Market Intelligence at AVIXA said: "In 2017, domestic and international travellers spent $192 billion on mass trans- portation in the United States, according to the U.S. Travel Association. Air and rail travel continue to grow as consumers shift their spending from things to experiences. Overall, people are using more of their income to travel, and transportation companies plan to invest in facility renovations to increase both efficiency and custom- er satisfaction. In addition, technology upgrades will also serve to boost ancillary revenue streams." Transportation companies are experimenting with a variety of technological advances to im- prove overall operations. Better sharing of information across systems, more reliable Wi-Fi,


larger video displays, direction- al audio, specialty kiosks that provide personalized commu- nication, subliminal wayfind- ing by using colour, and facial recognition are examples of the various technologies being ap- plied. AV companies report they do a moderate amount of business within


the transportation in-


dustry, mainly working with air- ports. They also work with sub- way terminals and railroad train stations, but to a much lesser degree. There are many strong partnerships, and slightly more transportation customers choose to work with an existing vendor, but nearly half still uti- lize competitive RFPs and are open to new suppliers. Over half of suppliers currently work- ing with transportation compa- nies anticipate their transporta- tion revenue will increase, and nearly two-thirds of those not working with the transportation industry expect to do so within the next three years.


Barco RigiFlex: the rigid powerwall that rolls up


Barco announced the launch of Barco RigiFlex, a brand-new rigid yet very flexible powerwall screen. Described as ‘the first rigid, rolla- ble powerwall of its kind’, the Bar- co RigiFlex combines excellent vi- sual performance with amazingly easy transportation, installation and maintenance. Qualifying as one of the market’s best high-ten- sion surfaces, Barco RigiFlex is an excellent alternative for fixed powerwalls. Rear-projection is the main- stream projection mode in the virtual reality market. However, rigid screens are typically rather compact, smaller than the total


required surface. The screen is therefore spliced, and the welding lines impede the visual sense of immersion. Moreover, installing such a screen can be challenging and time-consuming. Depending on the size of the screen, you may need special equipment to trans- port and install it.


That is the challenge we address with Barco RigiFlex. This new screen features a flexible surface which can be completely rolled up (so it can be easily brought inside any building) and is available in any size – up to 10 x 4 meters/33 x 13 feet. Meanwhile, it has sim- ilar quality specifications as the


A FAMILY THAT GETS ON GREAT IN A HUDDLE.


Logitech MeetUp Kit with Intel NUC


Logitech_Ad_AV_Mag_MeetUP_NUC_266x40_0718.indd 1 www.tdmaverick.eu/meetup up 23.07.18 14:43


top glass screens, delivering an authentic immersive interaction. “Barco RigiFlex is a great addi- tion to our virtual reality portfo- lio,” says Kurt Doornaert, Director Virtual Experience at Barco. “It allows us to install powerwalls in places where competitors need to offer suboptimal solutions (like spliced screens or smaller projection surfaces), giving us an important competitive edge. Com- bined with our great projectors, in- cluding the UDX and XDL series, we can answer the requirements of a very wide range of users.”


Barco debuts the Virtual Classroom


Barco has launched the Virtual Classroom and celebrates its first install at the leading IESE Busi- ness School in Barcelona. The newest use case of the weCon- nect, cloud-based SaaS solution makes remote, higher education even more interactive and en- gaging than ever before. The Vir- tual Classroom allows Business Schools, Universities and Corpo- rate Learning centres to deliver a personalised learning experience not only to students within the walls of a classroom, but to stu- dents across the globe.


wide, IESE Business School has pioneered business education in Eu- rope since its founding.


Offered as a SaaS (Software-as- a-Service), the subscription-based business model offers customers the flexibility to expand easily and to control their expenses in balance with their actual needs. This enables new opportunities for weConnect customers to adapt and expand their learning offering but also to become more cost efficient in addressing the ever growing needs and the contin- uously changing requirements for lifelong learning.


The direct channel to the industry


IESE is planning to use the new technology in the majority of its pro- grammes as a reinforcement of face-to-face teaching at its five campuses.


Since its initial release we- Connect has a growing install base. Thanks to the feedback of customers like IESE Business School, weConnect is expanding its active learning possibilities with the launch of the Virtual Classroom, next to existing use cases like premium huddle spac- es, lecture halls, connected class- rooms and collaboration rooms. 2018 marks the 60-year anni- versary of IESE Business School which was first founded in 1958. The school is one of the world’s most international business schools, with campuses in Bar- celona, Madrid, Munich, New York and São Paulo. Consistently ranked within the top ten world-


Giuseppe Auricchio, director of


the IESE Learning Innovation Unit confirms, “The Virtual Classroom allows us to overcome some of the more common obstacles in execu- tive learning: namely, the time and expense involved with travel, which limits the use of face-to-face learn- ing. With the Virtual Classroom, we can now extend learning experiences over time, by blending face-to-face with online learning”.


IESE is planning to use the new technology in the majority of its programmes as a reinforcement of face-to-face teaching at its five campuses. Thousands of people will experience the new classroom in the coming year, benefiting from this in- novation in executive education.


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