4 Ways to Calm Your IT Department About AV
4 Ways to Calm Your IT Department About AV
By: Phillip Bridges: Master Programmer and Systems Engineer
IT departments and AV integrators should work in cohesion, yet there is a stigma around the relationship in the industry. Some IT staff believe AV operations is a security risk or hogs a network’s bandwidth. Ultimately, IT and AV have the same goal, but different approaches on how to achieve it. The two must work together to create a seamless experience without compromising the network.
Here are four ways this can be achieved:
AV Integrators Prioritize Security
AV is tasked with staying at the forefront of security. While we aim to create the best possible customer experience, we never compromise the network in order to do so. This means being creative with our solutions while prioritizing security.
One approach is to only use equipment that fits into our client’s security requirements. Professional AV equipment is not required to reside off corporate networks for security concerns. We support 802.1x authentication to ensure devices belong on the network, AES and TLS encryption to ensure bits are encoded until arriving at their destination and Secure Shell (SSH) to protect remote session logins from interception. These standards keep network speed and bandwidth clear while mitigating the risk of any network breaches.
In certain cases, we create our own closed network to run our AV operations. This allows for a completely customizable solution that is entirely physically separate from the client’s network. We create networks for specific floors of buildings and essentially take on the role of IT for the operation. If there is a requirement for limited data transfer between the two networks, we provide network routing equipment to combine the two. IT can focus on their tasks knowing we are delivering a great experience without compromising the network.
Seamless IT Operations
From providing structured templates for our network requirements to knowing the right questions to ask internal IT teams, we are knowledgeable and experienced on what to do in any situation. We combine our technical expertise with our great partner relationships to ensure we are working with IT, not against.
Instead of one-off projects, we build lasting relationships with our clients so the IT teams we work with know and feel comfortable working together to create an optimal experience. We integrate our equipment and expertise to provide value to IT, not to be a burden. Having our team on-site further builds this relationship and benefits both the end user and the IT staff. We are more than a contractor - we are a true partner.
Tailored AV Experiences
IT is concerned that the network is running smoothly, and everything fits where it needs to go. AV’s aim is to make a user-friendly experience our clients have no issues with. Our solutions can be automated to function as soon as a laptop is plugged in, or a person enters a room. This frees up the IT staff to focus on other tasks instead of being bogged down troubleshooting user issues. We live at the intersection of user experience and customer experience in crafting an experience that is optimal from an AV standpoint as well as for ease of use.
Solutions have to be smart and as seamless as possible, without losing any acoustic or video quality. This means creating bespoke solutions for specific use cases and room requirements. We ensure equipment and processes for each room is designed specifically to the specs of that space. We can scale this level of quality without compromising consistency.
IT Can Focus on the 1s and 0s, Leaving the Rest to AV
IT teams are mainly concerned with the flow of data and functionality of the network. They handle the transmission of audio and video from point A to point B and ensure the bandwidth and speed of the network is optimal. IT gives AV integrators access to plug in equipment and the rest is left to AV to accomplish. From hardware and software to optics and acoustics, AV partners bring a concept to life and provide tailored experiences for every clients’ needs ensuring both functionality and experience. IT ensures the call is transmitting, while AV takes the experience to the next level and handles any issues in real time.
The roles of IT and AV are becoming increasingly interwoven. The two cannot work in silos or against each other. AV alleviates the pain points of IT to ensure a seamless user experience for the client. Integrators build creative solutions that completely mitigate the network concerns for IT teams. Building a personal relationship between the two groups is what drives the best possible experience.