Working with German company Medientechnik Thomas, KVM manufacturer Guntermann & Drunck has set out to make technology that is simple for non-technicians to operate.
For many users – whether in industry, administration, education, traffic control centres or control rooms – media equipment can pose almost insurmountable technical challenges. Users are expected to be able to manage complex equipment, including high-tech computers, despite their lack of technical understanding.
This is where the new joint development comes into play. Medientechnik Thomas designs, plans and implements comprehensive media projects, while Guntermann & Drunck’s core competence is KVM: extending, switching and distributing computer signals. The two companies have developed a media control system that can intuitively run different switching scenarios for a network of computers or devices over one graphical user interface.
The system gives users access to several computers, logs them in, displays the image of a computer on a specific monitor or videowall and takes over many other tasks. All integrated system devices can be intuitively operated via computer, tablet or smartphone. As well as making life simpler for users, this also reduces the amount of servicing needed as well as the costs of maintenance.
An intelligent operating system takes over central device management – monitoring, managing and controlling the entire system. The GUI can be customised, and it’s even possible to store entire switching scenarios, which initiate comprehensive sequences of commands and connections, in the background – relieving the user from having to think about them.
The operating system transmits video, audio and control signals independently, without any loss in quality. Even the technology within an entire house can be integrated into a media control system to operate everything from the sound system to the blinds or the air conditioning system. Because of its modularity, the system can be easily expanded.