AV/UC products are used to build applications or experiences in places where two or more people gather together. Laptops, tablets and phones support individual users. Still, where several people gather together, different technology is needed to present content (screens, LED walls, projected images), capture audio from those speaking (microphones), capture video shots of participants (video cameras), and share sound back (loudspeakers), amongst many other things. And because the buildings into which such systems are deployed are bespoke, the system will need to be applied or mapped into the individual room or space. It is also the case that many (in fact, nearly all) applications involve integrating components from different suppliers.
While small to medium-sized meeting rooms are usually the main corporate application by volume and can feature relatively simple designs, most organisations also invest in more complex applications such as large meeting rooms, training rooms, workshop areas, large presentation spaces (e.g. to accommodate town halls), showcases, content creation centres, command and control rooms (e.g. for Cyber Security) and auditoriums. When measured by $ spend, the investment in more complex systems is often greater than in meeting rooms. Since users move seamlessly between the simpler meeting rooms and the more complicated applications, providing continuity of user experience and aesthetics across the whole spectrum of applications is desirable.
It’s also worth noting that many of the more complex applications are used extensively by senior global executives, and many of those find it frustrating that, when visiting different offices, they cannot deliver their content consistently or, worse still, when the technology fails partially or completely. So, having responsibility for the delivery and management of AV/UC-based solutions and services can be a challenging role.
Moreover, the delivery and management of AV/UC-based solutions are harder because they involve material input from both the Facilities and IT arms of a company. This article seeks to illuminate a selection of requirements from Facilities and IT that are not always well understood by the other.
If we start with the design of an “application” or solution. Many organisations hand in AV/UC system design engineering responsibility to a local consultant or system integrator. That, in turn, leads to a proliferation of different devices, architectures and setups, which are then hard to support and govern in line with IT best practices, where an ideal support architecture would feature:
- Central monitoring and control platforms (for many reasons, including developing a global knowledge base and device governance/firmware management).
- A well-defined and managed integration between those providing support for niche AV/UC devices and those providing support for UC applications and for the network
- A well-maintained asset and configuration database that meets the needs of InfoSec / Cyber Security
While Facilities teams are familiar with workplace design being heavily influenced by local bespoke design, they should ideally appreciate IT requirements for AV/UC technology to be standardised and thereby more successfully monitored & managed centrally.
Conversely, when an IT-inspired strategy for standards is pursued, IT teams should appreciate facilities’ requirements for mapping these standardised solutions to bespoke building environments. In addition, if the technology is being deployed as part of a “construction-led project” (e.g. a new build or a major refit), then delivery must fit in with the local Facilities’ construction-led project processes and standard procedures. These will include requirements for:
- Room or space design and the production of associated drawings for architects and contractors. Even if the system design is well defined, architects, contractors, and other trades must determine how it will be deployed in a specific room and the resulting prerequisites for the contractors. Simple examples include what power and data points must be installed and where. Does a wall need to be able to bear the weight of a screen mount? Is a touch panel, e.g. microphones, being deployed on a table, and if so, how are they to be installed, powered and connected (e.g. drilling a hole in a table can require pre-planning with the furniture supplier or other contractor)?
- Participating in the wider construction-led process. Building and fit-out projects involve multiple trades who must carefully coordinate their activities. Those responsible for scheduling and managing AV/UC installations must attend regular project management meetings, be aware of operating in line with typical construction-led processes and contracts, and, if required, manage disputes.
These are just a few selected examples of Facilities and IT requirements that need to be met to deploy and manage AV/UC technology effectively and cost-efficiently.
Workplace Vision’s framework of services addresses both sets of requirements.
