Four Reasons You Should Hire an A/V Integrator
When you need assistance connecting your laptop to your projector, you contact the IT department. When you need a flat-screen monitor mounted to the wall, you contact the Facility Manager. But what if you want to control multiple devices, such as a video projector, audio, videoconferencing, and lighting, from one easy-to-use touch-screen panel? That’s when you call an A/V Integrator.
Audio/Visual Integration is the mixture of artistic and technology design to create an environment where everything works together as if they are one system. The art is the layout of the room—the lighting, office furniture, acoustics, and visual displays—while the technical part is ensuring all of the electronics work together as one unified system. No one brand or platform provides a solution that does everything, but a qualified A/V Integrator will work with multiple brands and companies to create a seamless system for collaboration and communications.
Below are four reasons to consider hiring an A/V Integrator versus trying to do it yourself….
- Experience—Not too many IT or facility maintenance personnel possess the knowledge to design, engineer, and install a complete A/V solution in which multiple brands of equipment are controlled by one centralized system. These skills require training, hands-on experience, and continuous education of ever-changing technology. A/V Integrators work on projects that require using these skills every day. Whether it’s assessing one conference room or looking at an entire organization’s A/V infrastructure, an Integrator can provide insight to help you avoid common pitfalls, as well as share success stories from previous installations; which brings us to the next point…
- Industry Certified—Certified A/V integrators bring industry-recognized expertise to a project that IT professionals may have. A reputable A/V Integrator should possess professional certifications, such as Certified Technology Specialist (CTS), Certified Technology Specialist-Design (CTS-D), and Certified Technology Specialist–Installation (CTS-I). These certifications are obtained by keeping up with Continuing Education courses available from infoComm International, the trade organization that represents the interests of A/V customers and professionals worldwide.
- Brand Familiarity—If you Google ‘videoconferencing system,’ you will find hundreds of brands varying in quality and capability. So how do you differentiate with so many choices? We advise you to start with an A/V Integrator who is familiar with the many choices on the market today. An A/V Integrator will listen to what your company wants to accomplish with its communication and collaboration tools, and make recommendations for the best solutions based on their knowledge of each of these brands.
- Ongoing Service and Technical Support—What do you do if your trusted IT professional leaves your organization, and no one knows how to operate the videoconferencing system? Or, what if you simply need to ensure your communication systems need to work every single time? A reputable A/V Integrator can help. Whether you use them to design, engineer, or install your system, an A/V Integrator can provide instruction and up-to-date information on your company’s equipment, as well as Managed Services and Maintenance Plans. Unexpected issues or lack of technical training can derail meetings and lead to frustration and a slowdown in workplace productivity. These issues can be eliminated with a professional Integrator managing the processes though. Whether you need one-time assistance for an important event, or require ongoing management of high-level meetings, an A/V Integrator will keep your organization up and running smoothly.
If you would like to learn more about how a professional integrator can assist you with your next A/V project, contact Trinity Video Communications at 800.261.9008.
