What's your vision for the future of AV? That's the question we asked Patty Wanzer, President of Synigize LLC, the Mid-Atlantic sales firm and tradeshow marketing representative for Aurora. Here are her predictions on why network convergence is the foundation for everything else and how innovation is shifting above the transport layer.
IN THIS ARTICLE
If there’s one trend to prioritize, it’s bringing AV onto IP-based network infrastructure. Everything else depends on getting this foundation right. AV systems can’t evolve into intelligent, secure, scalable platforms until they speak IP. This network architecture enables predictable bandwidth for AV over IP, end-to-end security, centralized management, remote monitoring, automation, cloud-based workflows, and standardized deployments.
The AV market over the next four to five years is entering a rapid transformation. Technology convergence, network-centric architectures, and experience-centric design are driving this shift. We’re moving beyond standalone proprietary systems to IP-based ecosystems that are intelligent, connected, and highly adaptive.
AV over IP has moved from “if” to “how.” The question isn’t whether to deploy it, it’s how to deploy it right. Customers want network-ready AV that’s easy to deploy, smart enough to optimize itself, and flexible enough to grow with them. The recurring statement we hear: “We need technology that adapts as fast as our workplace changes.”
This demand is driving specific requirements. Scalable codecs, modular architecture, and network-centric design are non-negotiable specifications.
AI has transitioned from marketing hype to operational requirement. Customers expect intelligent features as standard. Perhaps most significantly, network teams are now in AV planning discussions from day one rather than being called in to fix problems later.
For years, the AV industry has focused on reliably transporting audio and video. Now the real innovation is happening above that transport layer, in how data gets processed, analyzed, and acted upon rather than just transmitted.
AI-enabled microphones understand speech patterns beyond simple audio capture. Cameras track intent, not just motion in the room. Control systems adapt dynamically to room conditions without manual intervention. Networks automatically configure and optimize AV traffic. Analytics provide actionable insights rather than raw data that requires manual interpretation.
This convergence of AI, network intelligence, and software-defined AV is transforming the user experience from “manual and configured” to “automatic and intuitive.” AV systems are shifting from passive infrastructure to active participants in optimizing experiences.
This technological shift demands skill evolution among AV integrators. To stay competitive, integrators need to think and operate more like hybrid AV-IT professionals. The days of treating AV as an isolated system are over.
Network fluency is the most critical skill set. Integrators must understand IP-networking fundamentals, network security protocols, VLAN design, and network troubleshooting. They must know network traffic management techniques that prioritize specific data types to ensure consistent performance for latency-sensitive applications such as AV streaming.
Beyond technical networking knowledge, integrators must develop competencies in cybersecurity best practices, cloud-based management platforms, software licensing models, and cross-functional collaboration with IT departments. The role has expanded from installation specialist to strategic technology partner.
The winners will be companies and integrators who embrace network-centric, software-driven, intelligent AV ecosystems. Those who cling to legacy, hardware-only approaches and resist the reality that AV has crossed into the IT domain, will be left behind.
Winners share common characteristics: network-native product design, software-defined functionality, commitment to open standards and interoperability, integration-ready APIs, and security-first architecture. For integrators and sales organizations, success requires consultative selling approaches, IT department relationship building, managed services capabilities, and continuous technical education.
Patty Wanzer is President of Synigize LLC, the Mid-Atlantic sales firm and tradeshow marketing representative for Aurora. With extensive experience bridging sales strategy and technology adoption in the AV industry, Patty focuses on how network convergence and intelligent systems are reshaping customer expectations and vendor positioning in enterprise deployments.
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