Vega Technology held its Vega Solution Day from May 9 to 10, 2019 at The Annex in Central, Hong Kong. Titled 'The new era of networked AV', the event builds on the last year’s topic of the smart workplace and explored the converging worlds of AV and IT. The event was attended by approximately 150 members of the professional AV industry.
Matthew Deayton, global business development director at Vega Technology, set the tone for the event with his opening address. He commented: “The trend, particularly in the workplace, is to put everything onto a network. Clients already have the infrastructure in place and if you have to pay the cost of running a separate network just for the AV environment, it just adds an extra layer of expenses that is not necessary.
“When you are getting onto the network, you have flexibility of distribution and control as well as having the ability to monitor from a remote location. IT guys are well aware of all of these features but for AV they are somewhat new. The market is definitely driving us in this direction.”
Presenting at the event event were Cisco, Bose, Crestron, Shure, Samsung, Deltapath, FWI, Legrand, Logitech and Signify.
Cisco in particular highlighted the convergence of AV and IT. Cisco and Vega Technology have an established partnership to provide flexible solutions for the workplace.
Cisco presented its Webex Room Kit which comprises a powerful codec and a quad-camera bar with integrated speakers and microphones as well as SD-Access, a tool which allows for the managing of networks.
Richard Yim, system engineer at Cisco, explained how the convergence of AV and IT is leading to better outcomes for end users: “What is the difference between an analogue telephone and an iPhone? They are both pieces of hardware, but what sets the apart is the software, which makes a huge difference. With an analogue phone you can just make a phone call. But with an iPhone you can do much more. Cisco is the same, you can use the network with our products and then with our software open up a new world of functionality.”
AV solutions were also present at Vega Solution Day. Crestron highlighted its DigitalMedia NVX series, Flex solutions, AirMedia and room booking system while speaking about the impact of technology in modern workplaces and the importance of having a consistent UX.
Shure presented its evolving hardware and software technologies which use networked audio standards and protocols such as Dante and AES67. Touching on the topic of remote management, Shure talked about its SystemOn Audio Management Software which provides a 360-degree view of the inventory.
Bose Professional provided the event audio system demonstrating its network capabilities with MSA12x steering column loudspeakers which were used as the stage speakers and evenly covered the front and rear audiences.
Samsung also showcased its network-based solutions for displays with a presentation of the Flip display and MagicInfo signage software.
The technology presentations all focused on how AV and IT can work side by side to improve outcomes for the end user. At the same time, they highlighted how the manufacturers and Vega Technology are staying abreast of developments in the professional AV industry.
Molly Chow, executive director of Vega Technology, talked about the steps integrator has taken: “Vega Technology is not just aware of the convergence of AV and IT, we are actively adapting and incorporating the trend into our business. We have set up a dedicated IT team headed up by Keith Choi, head of solutions architect (networking & collaboration), to ensure that we have the expertise to deliver networked AV solutions to our clients. We are on board with the convergence of AV and IT wholeheartedly and we feel that our close partnership with vendors such as Cisco put us in an advantageous position when compared with the rest of field.”
Laurie Chow, managing director of Vega Technology, talks about the outcome of the event: “We launched the first Vega Solution Day last year which was aimed at providing knowledge to the business community about how integrated AV systems can transform a workplace. The idea came to us when we noticed a massive shift in how businesses were operating with greater demand for UC, VC and digital media platforms. This demand has continued to increase as companies are looking for digital transformation.”
He continues: “The main goal this year was to bring our partners, AV and IT manufacturers, to showcase their latest technologies to our clients and address how the modern workplace can their systems and solutions. I feel that the event has been a great success and that the attendees were able to walk away with information takeaways from the presentations and seminars as well as an idea on how AV and IT working together can change their workplaces for the better.”