AV integrators are often the last contractors in the door, which means they’re also the last ones to finish. To the untrained eye, it looks like the AV integrator is holding up the show. But for those of us in the industry, we know what’s really going on here.

AV Integrators Have It Rough

When was the last time you had enough time to properly install, setup, and tune the AV system in a large scale project? The other contractors are finishing while you’re just arriving. The audio is necessary for a successful conference room, but it can’t be seen (not like the wood table or leather chairs) and is often underestimated or forgotten until the last minute.

As a result, you’ll be pushed to work as fast as possible to meet the deadline. If you miss the deadline, you are blamed for delaying the project, even though you did the best you could with the short amount time you were given. Often, the other contractors don’t complete their work on-schedule, which pushes the deadline back in the first place.

As a professional, you’ve learned to deal with this situation and plan your staff and installation schedule accordingly–overtime, nightshift, coffee. You plan as best you can, but there are always unforeseen risks and changes to a project. It needs to be a goal of every project manager to keep those to a minimum.

Networked Audio Systems with AVB Reduce Risk

Networked infrastructure is the heartbeat of today’s AV systems. Network-based systems are flexible, scalable, and cost-efficient. But how do you calculate the risk of set-up?

I remember a project a few years ago where audio dropouts almost caused the end user to throw out the whole system and fire the integrator. It took the integrator weeks on-site to figure out what was causing the problem. Finally, they figured out that a checkbox wasn’t checked in a network switch configuration setting. Such a small thing can cause a big problem.

Networking with AVB (Audio Video Bridging) leverages the setup intelligence of the Ethernet switches to the point where the switch actually becomes an active, intuitive part of the AV system. It handles all the QoS, bandwidth reservation, and mixed media usage settings automatically. It’s like having an extra AV integrator working on your team!

Consumer-Driven AVB Adoption

The wider adoption of AVB is a consumer-driven trend that continues to grow, and it’s no surprise why: AVB networking offers incredible benefits to both the integrator (easier, faster, and quality-assured setup) and end user (cost-effective installation and faster, quality-guaranteed data transmission).

Networked AVB systems can help prevent installation delays and allow for proper audio fine-tuning, which leads to better sound overall. AVB is solving integrator and end user sound challenges all over the globe. If you’d like to know more about AVB and what it can do for you, check out our new online technical knowledgebase, Cornerstone. You can also contact your local sales representative or visit our website.