信息通信行业的变化

的美国信息通信展览会, 从现在开始到本周末在拉斯维加斯举行, 内华达, 正在经历彻底的转变. 这个节目, typically the premier audio-video integration show in the United States, has seen the loss of a major exhibitor that has been more than compensated for by key companies from the streaming industry.

InfoComm传统上, at least in the past fifteen years that I've attended the show, been all about the audio-video integrator -- typically a "mom and pop" shop that installs capture and display technologies for classrooms, 公司董事会和培训设施, 还有礼拜场所. While there have been several attempts at fiscal and corporate integration between some of the larger AV installers, those plans have more often than not devolved -- or outright dissolved -- as the integration market is highly fragmented.

InfoComm的各种元素, from the Extron Bash -- a private concert put on by one of the largest product manufacturers -- to the projector shootout that compares 2k and 4k projectors, were centered on the idea of aiding the community in establishing contacts and technical advice for projects that may span several states or even countries. 简而言之，InfoComm一直是一个聚会场所.

在去年, 虽然, two curious things have happened at InfoComm: the streaming companies have arrived, Extron已经离开了.

Let's talk about the streaming companies first: after four years of talking to streaming product and service companies at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) show about other shows I'd recommend, 除了逮捕, IBC, 以及流媒体节目, a number of streaming companies have decided that they can address a wide, 尽管不同的, 通过参加InfoComm展会.

一些公司自然而然地陷入了InfoComm的困境, 海视科技就是一个很好的例子, 该公司已经是第六年参展了. 今年, the company is building on the success of its Cool Sign 数字标牌 by showcasing secure IP video and 数字标牌 in its CoolSign 5.0软件发布.

其他公司, 比如CQ传媒, leverage years of experience in the AV integration world to deliver 数字标牌 solutions like Hypersign and Hypersign enterprise, for 数字标牌 and emergency alert notification that includes streaming components.

还有其他公司, 比如Wowza Media Systems, have recognized the potential of the number of AV integrators that are pushing the envelope of streaming media, either in stand-alone installations or as part of the larger integration of existing videoconferencing 和远程监控 systems with live streaming broadcast capabilities.

那么外显子呢? 的 company is clearly known as a leader in the AV integration field, and launched its first H.264流媒体产品在去年的InfoComm大会上. Why would a company that dominates a fragmented industry and sees the need for streaming pull out of an event that's rapidly gaining a streaming focus?

答案部分在于公开信 that Extron's owner, Andrew Edwards, posted just a few months before this year's InfoComm show:

"Extron has exhibited at every 美国信息通信展览会 since 1986 and at ISE Integrated Systems Europe since 1999,爱德华兹说. "We have concluded that the time and energy put into exhibiting at these short three-day events can better serve you by being repurposed toward activities that provide direct benefit and support for you, 我们的客户."

Edwards goes on to say that Extron is focused on the creation of additional Extron support and training facilities, and the company has continued to send out reminders that it is not exhibiting at the show and that its internal training facilities are growing both domestically and internationally. 里面没有提到外隆派对, 这是InfoComm的亮点之一, or the reasoning that the company chose to pull out so close to the 2012 event.

的 company has made two moves to keep itself within the InfoComm spotlight, 然而, which brings in to question the impact of dropping out of InfoComm:

第一个, the company made several new product announcements yesterday and today to counter other products being exhibited on the InfoComm show floor.

第二,爱思创展览计划在InfoComm举办的几场为期两到三天的展会上. 其中包括在墨西哥、澳大利亚、迪拜和莫斯科的演出.

的 company will also exhibit at the annual IBC show in Amsterdam in September, and appears poised to be part of the 2013 NAB show in Las Vegas, 这两个事件都集中在广播公司.

然而,, its new streaming appliance isn't a broadcast product and better serves the AV integration market, making the decision to pull out of the 美国信息通信展览会 all the more curious. For other streaming companies currently exhibiting at InfoComm, this may be the opportunity they need to break into this highly lucrative market vertical.