A Behind-the-Scenes Interview with Gary Bailer, Director of Product Management, Sharp
Ahh, spring is definitely in the air! The snow is melting, the birds are singing, we’ve changed the clocks and have more afternoon daylight…oh, and the Almo E4 AV Tour is on the road!
Each year, the tour visits two cities in the spring and two cities in the fall. In March, we stopped to spend the day with a record number – MORE than 500! — of attendees in Chicago.
The tour moves on to San Jose April 19.
HAVE YOU BEEN TO AN ALMO E4?
Post your experience in the comments section of this post and earn a $5 Starbucks Gift Card!
Months and months and MONTHS of planning goes into preparing for an E4! And it’s not just Almo working around the clock to make it happen. Our manufacturing partners take an ENORMOUS amount of time planning which products they will showcase in their booths and what they’d like to discuss with attendees on the exhibit floor. For the spring E4s in particular, our exhibitors oftentimes show products that were previewed at ISE and DSE or “sneak peek” those that are launching at InfoComm in June!
Did you knowthat SHARP has been on EVERY stop of the E4 AV Tour since it began in 2009! So this will be the 30th time that Sharp has gone through this process with Almo Pro A/V!
Recently, I put on my “investigative reporting” hat and had a chat with Gary Bailer, Director of Product Management for Sharp:
Darren:
Gary:
What do you like best about Almo’s E4 AV Tour?
Hands down, E4 is the BEST networking event for the commercial AV community. It has all the benefits of a full-fledged tradeshow but in an environment that lends itself to more in-depth discussions and relationship-building. Almo puts on a first-class event — each one has been better than the one before!
Darren:
Gary:
Is Sharp showing any new products?
Yes! We are showing the brand NEW PN-C705B AQUOS BOARD interactive display with Direct Bonding technology. This product is currently available and shipping! It is a 70- or 80-inch value-priced display that is made for schools and businesses. E4 attendees absolutely have to come by to take a look at it. We introduced this product in January.
Darren:
Gary:
Any new initiatives from Sharp that we should know about?
Our NEW PN-L401C Capacitive Touch Huddle Display with Mini OPS Expandability (cards that allow the panel to be more versatile) will be shown in San Jose. This product is 100 percent AQUOS BOARD in that it’s an interactive display — it can be used in either landscape, portrait or face-up orientation — and allows for wireless collaboration, annotation, screen sharing (wirelessly) and whiteboarding.
Darren:
Gary:
Will you have any booth contests or prizes?
Yes! We’ve invited a local artist to use the Sharp PN-C705B AQUOS BOARD® Interactive Display to draw caricatures of visitors to the booth.
POST YOUR CARICATURE IN THE COMMENTS SECTION OF THIS BLOG AND YOU’LL BE ENTERED TO WIN A GIFT FROM SHARP!
Darren:
Gary:
What’s your advice for those attending an E4 event?
Absolutely make time for this one-day event! The contacts you will make, the technology you will have exposure to, and the courses and workshops you will take are going to be invaluable to your business.
We are taking a lot of photos and videos from the Sharp booth during the spring E4 tour.My next post will reveal some of these moments. We look forward to seeing you in San Jose!
Almo Hospitality will unveil the latest technology trends and teach valuable skills to help resellers grow their business in 2017. Hospitality Conference at E4 (March 21st) includes a full-day of hospitality-dedicated agenda with opening presentation by Samsung’s dynamic Vice President of Hospitality TV, Jonas Tanenbaum with Hospitality Industry Update & Trends Driving Integration.
· Catering to Hotel Guests & Drive Revenues with Samsung REACH
· ALMO Connect: The Ultimate Shopping Service for Free-to-Guest TV, Bandwidth & Voice (Comcast Business Solutions)
· RoomCast: How Today’s Guests Watch TV (TeleAdapt)
· The Significance of Brand Standards in the Hotel Industry (Peerless-AV)
· Charged Up! Drive Revenues & Guest Satisfaction Ratings with the Latest in Hospitality Charging Trends (Kube Systems)
· BrightSign Digital Signage Experience LIVE Workshop
· Navigating the World of FF&E with Hospitality Furniture & Furnishings (Ramler International)
The Hospitality Conference at E4 wraps with an energetic and interactive discussion led by theauthentic Kiwi, Almo’s own Stephen McKay, Senior Vice President- Special Markets.
This action-packed day concludes with a fun yet relaxed customer appreciation and networking dinner at a local Oak Brook area gem hosted by Almo Hospitality along with Samsung and other manufacturer partners where customers will have the opportunity to mix and mingle with our hospitality team and get to know our family of customers and vendors over a memorable dining experience!
Hospitality Conference at E4 attendees will automatically be registered for a full-access pass to the Almo E4 Tour & Expo the following day (March 22nd) where they will see the very latest technology and tech-trends from 35+ leading vendors in the Pro AV space including: Pro AV, Digital Signage, Audio, Electronics & Charging Solutions, Appliances & Furniture and Furnishings- PLUS a special Almo Hospitality Exhibit featuring some of our most in-demand product offerings for hotel properties, including solutions from: Samsung, Peerless-AV, Harman/AMX, Kube Systems, TeleAdapt, Danby, Hanover & Ramler International; even our hospitality-dedicated installation partner, Steven’s Digital and free-to-guest provider, Comcast will be there to talk shop!
Space for the Hospitality Conference at E4 is limited so register today to confirm your spot!
Resellers are welcome to invite their customers to join them for the E4 Expo (March 22) as a resource to help end users see the latest technology and talk with on-site experts so resellers can help them with full implementation; E4 Expo Registration. Both events are free to attendees and resellers; free breakfast and lunch is also provided (as well as dinner for registered conference attendees). We look forward to learning your “lightbulb moment!”.
Please contact Apryl G. Lamberti, Director Business Development Hospitality with Almo Professional A/V with any questions or for more information.
October finished up the last of the Almo Pro AV E4 AV Tours for 2016, the last of which was in Dallas, TX.
One of the many things to do is walk through the Exhibit Hall, where all of Almo’s manufacturer partners showcase their latest and greatest products…
I really “flipped” over the all-new R Series product displayed by Sharp at our Dallas Show.
This beauty will come in a 42”, 49” and 55” display, and with the extreme tilt capabilities opens up new mounting possibilities that gives more flexibility than ever before to digital signage installations. My imagination went wild. Not only can this series be mounted in portrait or landscape mode, imagine the 42” display mounted face up on a table in a sleek apparel shop, or the 55” face down from the ceiling in a planetarium…
While I wouldn’t suggest mounting it on a floor surface that would be walked on, the design of these monitors is robust enough that they can be suspended from the four corners of the rear housing using wires. I immediately envisioned a simple, elegant look for an office lobby, like an attorney’s office or accounting firm or a retail shop where information, daily specials or other content could be simply and beautifully displayed.
The ingenuity and creativity of our dealers and integrator customers is always impressive. And I can’t wait to see what they come up with when they let loose with Sharp’s new PN-R Series!
It’s a popular buzz word in the Pro AV Industry. More and more manufacturers are introducing products that enable users to collaborate wirelessly via a single piece of hardware or software-based solution. Many of these solutions are focused on sharing from multiple screens to one master display or from one display to many devices in this BYOD world we live in. The industry-leading Sharp AQUOS BOARD ® offers both.
Collaboration. Defined as to work, one with another towards shared goals.
It’s a popular buzz word in the Pro AV Industry. More and more manufacturers are introducing products that enable users to collaborate wirelessly via a single piece of hardware or software-based solution. Many of these solutions are focused on sharing from multiple screens to one master display or from one display to many devices in this BYOD world we live in. The industry-leading Sharp AQUOS BOARD ® offers both.
If you’re looking for more interactive presentations, lively discussions and paperless meetings in both business and education settings, take a look at Sharp’s PN-C series Interactive Display Systems. Available in 60” and 70” screen sizes, these entry-level models come equipped with Touch Sharp Display Connect software, which allows onscreen content, including handwritten notes and drawings, to be viewed on mobile devices such as PCs, tablets and smartphones. SHARP Display Connect also enables file transfers, interactive onscreen writing and drawing and remote control of the interactive display from mobile devices. Flexible and cost-effective, the PN-C Series displays provide a platform to boost collaboration (there’s that word!) and enhance the impact of lessons, meetings and presentations.
According to Urban Dictionary, a smooth operator is someone who can handle multiple situations in a fashion that can only be described as awesme, or spectacular… It goes on to say a smooth operator is someone who tends to be ‘on top of things’ and is usually in control of any given situation.
If you’re looking for the Smooth Operator of AQOUS BOARDS, do yourself a favor and check out the Sharp PN-LW Series, also available in 60 and 70” screens. With built-in wireless connePN-L Seriesctivity, information can be presented on the AQUOS BOARD interactive display directly from users’ devices – without the need to pre-load files or data. The 2×2 split screen feature creates a virtual video wall of presentation data, seriously driving (guess what?) collaboration. As data is not stored during the wireless connection, confidential information cannot be leaked, so information is secure (one less thing to worry about). And, with up to ten touch points, allowing four users to annotate on-screen at the same time, the power of teamwork has been amplified.
Consider Sharp AQUOS BOARDS and start collaborating.
E-TORL Lamp Technology: Most Epson projectors utilize this lamp technology which is exclusive to Epson and offers two key benefits. E-TORL lamps by design minimize both light defraction and light leakage which provides up to 50% longer lamp life than its competitors. To make this even more compelling, E-TORL replacement lamps typically cost up to $150 less than competing replacement lamps lowering the total cost of ownership during the life of the projector.
Monitor & Control: Organizations are always looking for ways to save money and to conserve on energy. Additionally, facilities managers are looking for ways to streamline maintenance of assets. Easy MP Monitor software included with Epson projectors allows you to connect to your projectors over your existing network to monitor and control them remotely removing the need to walk to each room to check their status or turn them off at the end of the day. You can also remotely view the status of each projector like power status, temperature and lamp hours.
Message Broadcasting: While this can be useful for many applications, this is probably most important in educational institutions where emergency broadcasting has become more necessary over time. This feature allows you to send real-time messages and announcements to Epson projectors that are connected to the network.
Quick Connect Wireless: This feature allows you to use the built-in wireless capability of your computer to present wirelessly to a compatible Epson projector. The Epson Quick Connect Wireless USB key connects to your computer’s USB cable and can allow for multiple users in a room to be able to switch between presenters without having to switch cables.
USB Plug ‘n Play & PC-Free Presentations: Depending upon the model of Epson projector, many have the option of connecting your computer via a standard USB cable to have your presentation instantly projected without having to fuss with presentation settings on your PC. Additionally, several models allow you to present directly from a USB stick simply by plugging it into the projector removing the need for the PC altogether.
The Next Generation of Sharp Aquos LED Interactive Displays
Recently, Sharp Professional introduced the PN-L703W/603W displays into their suite of AQUOS BOARDS. These brand new wireless AQUOS BOARDS are available only in 60” and 70” making them great for boardrooms and smaller huddle rooms. In addition, BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) is easy with a built-in wireless controller. Its intuitive design enables its users to collaborate better regardless of the operating system being used on laptops, phones or tablets. Another impressive feature about the PN-L703W/603W displays is that they can display onscreen content in TWO ways: in a 2 x 2 split screen or any one of the individual screens can be enlarged full-screen size. All of it done by the built-in wireless controller that allows the PN-L703W/PN-L603W to give off its own SSID once it is set in the wireless mode. Because no data is being stored during wireless connection, you won’t have a problem leaking any confidential info.
Sharp Aquos: Improving Collaboration
Some of the most talked about products that we have been seeing within the Pro AV industry are ones that involve wireless collaboration. Other popular products that get talked about are interactive pieces. Today most display manufacturers have a product that has touch capabilities whether it is a projector or a flat panel display. With this being said the manufacturers of the wireless collaboration products sometimes try to partner up with the display manufacturers to showcase these collaboration products. Throughout my travels in the Pro AV industry, I have not seen many all-in-one solutions that involve wireless collaboration and a display with the exception of a few and the ones I have seen did not have touch capability until now.
These Aquos boards have gained a lot of popularity in the education market, along with teaching hospitals. They have become more and more popular in the corporate board rooms for video conferencing and collaboration. With the pen software, you can jot down ideas, save the file as a PDF and email it to colleagues or customers working on the same project. Sharp is primarily known for its display hardware and technology. However, Sharp also excels in software development that compliments hardware products. This is something to take note when specifying a project, do you want your hardware from a company that specializes in software or an Aquos board which is made by Sharp a company that specializes in hardware.
One of the best things about the new wireless capable AQUOS BOARDS is the software needed to collaborate comes free in the box. The SHARP Pen Software is not only easy to use but has a special handwriting recognition function that converts selected onscreen handwriting into standard text.
Sharp has been an industry leader in touch 60” and above with their AQUOS BOARDS products. So with these new additions, I am looking forward to seeing how they will further evolve over time.
Top 5 Features of the Sharp AQUOS BOARD:
10-Points of Touch
One of the great new features of the next generation AQUOS BOARD is the 10 points of touch. Write, draw and gesture with more than one finger. Combined with the simultaneous annotation mentioned next, users are in a prime position to make the most of their time in any classroom or meeting room.
Simultaneous Annotation
With a highly responsive design, users now have the capability to simultaneously with up to 4 people. The interactive touch pens may operate at the same time and even write in different colors for further distinction. Each pen has its own function buttons, pressure-sensitive and customizable. What a great way to encourage group learning in the classroom or facilitate a brainstorm session at the office.
No More Input Modules Needed
These new models do not need input modules for the various connection combinations. Now, most of the connections are built on the panel allowing the AQUOS BOARD to have more capabilities. It now has multiple HDMI, Display port, LAN connection, audio, and USB. While these units do not have the 9-pin connection for control, it can still be controlled via IP.
Free Software
Included is the latest version Sharp Pen Software 3.0, which is, even more, user-friendly than previous versions. The built-in web search (AQUOS BOARD must have an internet connection) and smoother handwriting recognition, along with a multitude of other features, can be customized using its new on-screen menu. The new pen software supports multi-touch and comes with Touch Display link software. Touch Display Link 2.0 is an effective and multilayered communication tool and BYOD. Handwritten notes and drawings are done in real time and can be viewed at the same time on the AQUOS BOARD and mobile devices.
Print Directly from the AQUOS BOARD
We know most people and companies are trying to go paperless, but there is usually always something that needs to be printed – especially in brainstorming sessions where you’re annotating documents. The AQUOS BOARD can easily accommodate this! You can also scan images or documents from a color scanner and import to your AQUOS BOARD all via the pen software, but you’ll need to be connected to an MFP.
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