Over the past few years AV professionals have known that their industry has merged with IT in many different facets.  Part of that collision of industries involves an impact on network resources, which is significant to say the least.  Equally important is finding the best telecom services that are needed to support those network requirements.  Almost every AV project involves some form of telecom in how they will effectively operate.  Consequently, data connectivity and bandwidth requirements are in high demand and must be addressed for these A/V solutions to function successfully.

Bandwidth governs all access to the Internet, the speed that data, images, and video can be uploaded and downloaded, and whether usage will be seamless or problematic.  Capabilities vary from venue-to-venue, location-to-location, and project to project.  As A/V technologies and solutions advance there is a perpetual requirement for the right telecom services to make them work.  There are many key indicators that would trigger the need for more bandwidth to be successful in a new project.

But how well are you prepared to handle bandwidth requirements and telecom services on your next AV solution?

Here are some examples and ways to evaluate your AV projects and the resulting telecom needs:

Video Walls – need bandwidth to update content and stream video/audio content.  They require a substantial bandwidth pipeline to accommodate the download requirements of streaming high definition video content and services.  Without the appropriate amount of bandwidth your message
becomes non-existent.

Video Teleconferencing – Expecting flawless video and audio during a teleconference requires proper upstream bandwidth for smooth conversations without lag, jitter, and choppy images.  If you’ve just outfitted your customer with a new video teleconferencing system, you need to have the conversation with them about obtaining the appropriate amount of bandwidth to accommodate that service functionally.  The impact on network resources should be realized and planned accordingly from the beginning.

Video Surveillance – We’ve been seeing the transition from analog to IP cameras used for surveillance over the last few years.  Now that these cameras are riding on category cables (Cat 5e/6a) and connected to a network they will also need to send and retrieve stored information on network video recorders (NVRs).  If you plan on viewing or recording footage remotely then you will need to have substantial upload capability to accommodate bandwidth hungry high resolution megapixel cameras.  For reference, a single 3 megapixel IP camera operating at 30 frames per second will need at least 50 Mbps of network bandwidth to operate effectively.

VoIP Phones – If you have a PBX system that is about to migrate to the cloud, you will have to consider the bandwidth requirements to support this new move.  You’ll save money on hardware overall, but an upgrade to business class voice services will definitely require an increase in available bandwidth.  And, since your telephone system is so critical to daily operations, you will likely need to have a dedicated Ethernet circuit brought into the business.  These types of circuits offer guaranteed service level agreements (SLAs) that guarantee uptime of your network for mission critical operations, like your phone system.  This is especially critical for call centers handling numerous calls simultaneously.

Streaming HD Video Services – with the advent of streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube the network will always be taxed to deliver the intense data load of HD content.  Bandwidth hungry services like YouTube, Hulu, Netflix, etc. are driving the need to provide more bandwidth to businesses that support these applications.  Hospitality is one market that is constantly changing its bandwidth requirements to conform to their customer’s habits of online gaming, streaming video services, guest Wi-Fi usage for multiple devices, etc.

All of the previously mentioned examples are key indicators that a conversation should take place about evaluating, and possibly upgrading, your bandwidth circuits to support – cable TV services, streaming HD video, video teleconferencing, digital signage content, command and control rooms, VoIP phone systems, and surveillance applications.

Remember:  Key indications that you need a bandwidth discussion begin with a complete evaluation of the project, network environment, and overall requirements.  Without the right speed, their applications may be slow.  They need connectivity that will help keep everything working as you intended.  And they are going to look to someone for connectivity.  Why not have it be you?  Offering customers something that they have an existing need for adds an additional tool in your tool belt, and allows integrators to become more complete solutions providers.  If you are a trusted technical partner of your customer and they depend upon your expertise to keep their projects running flawlessly, you should be involved in the discussions for bandwidth requirements and telecom services.

ALMO CONNECT’s national telecom services aims to be your complete telecom solutions and bandwidth provider that will help you become even more valuable to your customers and their projects.