Next up in our countdown to this year’s AV Technology Awards, we take a closer look at the shortlisted nominees in the Best use of Emerging Technology category.
This year’s awards will be announced during a brand new digital Awards Week running from 23rd to 25th June. The awards programme is held in association with Awards Partners Crestron, Integrated Systems Europe, and the Technological Innovations Group (TIG), and Association Partners AV User Group and Women in AV (WAVE).
Nominees for Best use of Emerging Technology
Crestron Flex, by Crestron Electronics
Crestron Flex is the company’s new line of “intelligent unified communications and collaboration solutions for the modern workplace” designed to deliver a consistent user experience from workstations to boardrooms.
Crestron Flex solutions come in four different series: the P-Series is a voice-over-IP desk phone for workstations; the M-Series is a tabletop conference system ideal for huddle rooms, conference rooms, and executive offices; the B-Series is a wall-mount smart soundbar for conference rooms of all sizes; and the C-Series is a flexible, integrated UC kit for custom spaces, conference centers, divisible rooms, boardrooms, and auditoriums.
“Crestron Flex provides the perfect solution for dynamic room layouts and configurations, and enables us to tie in with DM NVX,” said Connor Bright, systems integration engineer at SentryOne.
SaltDNA
SaltDNA is a “multi-award-winning cybersecurity company” based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, that builds secure enterprise mobile communications solutions.
The company says it is the first to provide a solution for encrypted communications between devices with centralised control for the enterprise. SaltDNA’s product provides secure voice, messaging, conference calling, broadcasting and image or file transfers for busy executives. Its customers include global law firms, financial institutions, defence and security clients, oil and gas companies and large enterprises.
According to Joe Hancock, head of cyber security at Mishcon de Reya: “After careful review of all available solutions it is clear that SaltDNA is the only solution which takes the need for management, compliance and encryption seriously. The others are just dressed up consumer apps.”
Smart IP, from Genelec
Smart IP is a scalable open IP networking technology platform delivering power, audio and loudspeaker management – with configuration, supervision and calibration features – all via a single standard CAT cable.
Genelec says that the platform saves professional audio system designers, integrators and installers valuable time – without sacrificing Genelec’s renowned audio quality. “Smart IP technology offers installers the clear and intelligible Genelec sound that audio professionals have trusted for decades, coupled with a time-saving efficiency that reduces installation man-hours.”
“In terms of installation, the Smart IP concept opens up a world of possibilities,” enthuses Johan Ahrenfeldt of Moesgaard Museum.
Solstice Cloud Analytics, from Mersive Technologies
According to Mersive, the Solstice Cloud Analytics platform “represents an exciting advance in how the AV industry can adopt recent advances in artificial intelligence to understand workplace trends. The system promises to create insights that were never before available.
“These insights will impact end-users who are looking to understand how best to manage their own spaces and increase productivity and employee engagement. They will also act as a guide to the AV industry as a whole as we work to define and deploy these environments.”
“This type of predictive analytics at scale was simply not possible even a few years ago and will have far reaching implications to not only our members, but how we run our business,” explained Nick Neinbar, WeWork’s global director of AV Technology.
xR, from disguise
disguise’s xR workflows were created to “empower teams within live production environments”. xR is an advancement in green screen technology, using elements of augmented (AR) and mixed reality (MR) to improve several angles in live production including talent immersion, interaction with computer graphic (CG) elements, real lighting information on actors and real objects, support for reflective and refractive props, and natural shot line-ups.
xR combines camera tracking and real-time rendering, creating a virtual environment, which is not visible on a screen, but also visible live on set and the shot directly in-camera.
Interactive developer, Oliver Ellmers, who worked on the recent OMEN Challenge esports tournament, explained: “The flexibility of disguise, the integration of other systems and the ability to see multiple inputs in one area gave us opportunities that other products don’t offer.”
