The Audio Visual industry is dynamic and ever changing. In this blog, we look at the top innovation tech trends for the future workplace, so you can ensure your AV is up to date with the latest technology.

Customised Audio Visual solutions are of critical importance when delivering high performance and productive corporate workplaces. This is especially true in bigger multi-purpose spaces such as divisible meeting rooms, town hall experiences and boardrooms.

At Boomspace, our priority is always the demands of our clients. We stay ahead of the game by embracing cutting edge, optimised AV innovations, and partnering with trailblazing manufacturers. With this knowledge and expertise, we advise our clients on their current and future needs, ensuring their AV remains future-proof.

Following conversations with our manufacturers and having attended the recent ISE trade fair in Barcelona, which highlighted the latest AV tech trends, these are the 4 areas we perceive will have the greatest impact on AV for the future workplace.

AI driven camera automation

AI-driven camera automation refers to the use of artificial intelligence to automatically manage camera operations like the tracking and grouping of participants, adjusting image quality, and selection of the appropriate camera during meetings and presentations, which enhances the experience for participants.  

Q-SYS announced the acquisition of Seervision, in August 2023, the first AI solution of its kind for them.  Seervision’s AI and computer vision-based scene analysis provides best-in-class presenter tracking in smart workplaces. It delivers a more engaging real-time remote experience, setting new standards for intelligent video in hybrid learning and high-impact collaboration spaces.  

There are off the shelf, “one-for-all” solutions for video conferencing available, however, these have their limitations.  At Boomspace, we focus on commercial grade systems which are robust and have advanced capabilities to reliably deliver a high performance, optimised solution.  As a result, we can offer guidance on which solutions will work best for the end user experience.  This ensures that every space in the room is covered in terms of voice intelligibility and optical clarity.  Clients should be demanding a fully immersive experience so that AV designers and consultants deliver on quality. These products are manufactured with sustainability in mind - the high grade, high performance materials ensure longevity so the equipment will not become obsolete prematurely.  The warranties offered on these products are longer too, and can often be extended to up to five years.

UC platforms such as Teams, Zoom Google Meet and Cisco Webex have innate limitations for which we at Boomspace have bespoke solutions, ensuring the user experience is never impaired. With complex and immersive meeting rooms and Townhall spaces becoming the norm, our deep technical understanding of how everything connects is essential for our clients.  

Intelligent Systems

Intelligent systems are advanced hardware devices and software applications.  By connecting these intelligent systems to a network with cloud access, it will also allow the audio visual equipment to be monitored, managed and optimised by reporting back health statuses. These systems play a crucial role in ensuring the seamless operation of AV setups, minimising downtime, and supporting the AVIT teams in maintaining high performance and reliability.

Shure's breakthrough offering of intelligent systems is undoubtedly the Shure MXA - Microflex ® Advance Array series.  These include in-table microphones, to on-wall microphones to ceiling microphones which replace a number of unintelligent hard-wired devices.  This allows the monitoring and reporting of optimum functionality for the microphones with the benefit of remote adjustments to audio quality being made possible.

Some commercial grade displays from NEC, Samsung and LG can be networked, which allow us to remotely check the power status and volume levels amongst other things.  These provide eco efficiencies with power scheduling and this is so important to companies today as sustainability is a key factor for their policies. This same status information allows us to monitor the health of the system and pre-empt meeting room downtime.

According to industry reports, companies implementing advanced energy management systems, including power scheduling, can achieve energy cost reductions of up to 20% and higher depending on the specific measures adopted.

Another manufacturer of note is Lightware, who offers intelligent video, audio and USB distribution products, such as the Taurus UCX. This type of intelligent device allows us to monitor the connectivity status of laptops and displays allowing deeper visibility of the health status within the room.

The move to USB-C

There is a move away from HDMI and USB towards a single interface - USB-C which is a single cable solution. USB-C is already considered the interface of the future due to its universal applicability.

By the end of 2024, the EU will make USB-C connectors and the USB Power Delivery standard mandatory for all mobile phones, tablets, and cameras, extending to laptops by spring 2026.  The intention is that this move will reduce electronic waste and enhance sustainability. This directive, adopted in October 2023 as an amendment to the Radio Equipment Directive, requires all relevant devices with power consumption of up to 100 watts to have USB-C charging ports, ensuring consumers can use a single charger for multiple devices.

As the manufacturers of office equipment such as laptops must all move towards USB-C, the AV industry needs to adapt accordingly.  The shift towards USB-C in office environments brings many advantages that cater to the modern needs and expectations in a smart workspace.

We believe this move towards USB-C in the workplace represents a significant step forward in optimising connectivity, productivity, and the digital user experience.  All of our future proofed designs and solutions for clients upgrading or fitting out their offices and meeting spaces, are USB-C compatible.

ECO-SYSTEM platforms

Manufacturing brand Eco-Systems are fundamental for creating a fully integrated and immersive experience.  This trend is setting superior levels of quality and experiential standards.  Our technology partners such as Shure, BIAMP, Lightware and Q-SYS are pioneering the advancement of a deeper interconnected platform.  

We are impressed by the level of meticulous thought surrounding high-performance, intelligent systems allowing for optimised solutions.  These Eco-Systems are revolutionising the way we can design innovative Audio Visual solutions in the dynamic smart workplace environment.  

The main consideration is to ensure the right hardware is in place.  We favour the Q-SYS platform as it is expandable, allowing for additional microphones and speakers as well as inputs and outputs.  It also provides opportunities for future proofing so it won’t become redundant should your needs change and grow.  Shure also has the Microflex ® Ecosystem, which allows you to complete your audio solution on the network using microphones, Intellimix ® DSPs and loudspeakers.

At Boomspace, we have a platform that can support all of our client’s AV systems and one point of contact with each of our partners which ensures manufacturer accountability.  Warranties of three to five years come as standard for most of our manufacturers.  

As AV integrators we consider all the different options that are on the market and advise our clients on the solutions that will work uniquely for them.  We also ensure our solutions allow for expandability and future proofing or it will be costly for the client in the long run.  Sustainability is a priority for us, ensuring our AV solutions are future-proof to break the 'buy, use, trash, repeat' linear consumption model that is so often encountered in our industry.  We believe in encouraging a circular economy instead.  

Our consultation and design process, including background investigations around engineering capability, is where we create the Boom. Crucially we also design to support and recognise the importance of convergence between us and our clients’ IT teams.  Our clients get complex investigative and system design that you can’t get from an “out of box” solution.  Every clients’ needs are completely different but we guide them through the whole process, utilising our AV knowledge and expertise to help them understand the consequences and impact of the various solutions and advising them on the best solutions to meet their needs now and in the future.  

To learn more about Boomspace and what we can do for you, get in touch.