Let’s Join Together for Mental Health Charity in this Virtual Triathalon – “Ride to the UK”
We have partnered with American Foundation for Suicide Prevention to raise significant funds and awareness of the importance of mental health in our community and beyond.
For one month from August 1st to August 31st, all Almo & Exertis Almo will be cycling 1,750 miles, which is a halfway point between our headquarters in Philadelphia and our sister company Exertis in the UK!
We will be taking time to race on the bikes, with several prizes for those participating. Join us across the country! Head out on a ride or jump on the stationary bike. Send a picture of your app/tracker to [email protected].
DONATE & BE ENTERED TO WIN!
The grand prize will be a holiday for two to the UK! Almo and Exertis Almo employees can enter* by donating $5 to American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and including their full name and location. The winner will be drawn on the final day of the bike ride! In addition to the grand prize, there will be other prizes given away throughout the month for taking part and donating!
All donations go to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
About American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
AFSP is dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide, including those who have experienced a loss. AFSP creates a culture that’s smart about mental health by engaging in the following core strategies:
Funding scientific research
Educating the public about mental health and suicide prevention
Advocating for public policies in mental health and suicide prevention
Supporting survivors of suicide loss and those affected by suicide
For more information about the organization visit: https://afsp.org/
*Anyone can donate, but the prizes are only open to Almo and Exertis Almo employees.
“You are the catalyst — the person who takes a purpose and gets people aligned, so you can get to where you want to go, fast.” ~ Carey D. Lohrenz
To help raise awareness around the DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) initiative within our organization, and to encourage the practice among our employees and leadership community, we brought in a special guest speaker for our kickoff event to highlight what is possible when women are included within a historically all male occupation.
Carey Dunai Lohrenz, CPAE – the first female F-14 Fighter Pilot and a WSJ Best Selling Author – provided an inspiring and engaging keynote speach at the Exertis Almo National Sales Meeting (NSM) in July 2022.
The timing couldn’t have been better with the 2nd Top Gun movie “Maverick” out in theaters. Everyone was truly inspired and motivated by Ms Lohrenz vivid tales of meeting with resistance and ultimately overcoming the odds to win in a predominately male field.
Everyone who attended the keynote at NSM week received a hardcover copy of Carey Lohrenz’s book “Span Of Control: What To Do When You’re Under Pressure, Overwhelmed, and Ready To Get What You Really Want” to continue the conversation about women and equity in the workplace.
What is Diversity & Inclusion?
There is a lot of buzz these days about diversity and inclusion. Lets explore how Exertis Almo utilizes the terms so that our employees and leadership continue to put them into practice on a daily basis. Diversity and inclusion are clearly defined practices and attitudes which can be measured. These terms are often used interchangeably; yet their meaning and their implications are vastly different.
Kim Lonas – Global Diversity & Inclusion Program Lead
Let’s break down what diversity and inclusion mean to us individually as well as collectively at Exertis Almo. Diversity and inclusion have an impact both on personal and professional levels. On a personal level, if these practices are done effectively, they allow people from all groups to feel welcomed, represented, and empowered. Effective diversity and inclusion practices also influence the performance of businesses and organizations in powerful ways.
Here we break down how these two perspectives on diversity and inclusion are different yet interrelated. Inclusion is the extent to which we feel included—that our individual identity and contributions are valued. It brings with it a sense of belonging and connectedness. When applied to a workplace, inclusion signifies that all individuals are treated fairly and respectfully, empowering individuals to contribute to the business’s overall success.
The concept of diversity, though closely related to inclusion, is different and more personal. It represents the complex interplay of perceptual differences that shape each person’s unique view of the world. Diversity is what makes each individual unique in their perspective and approach to all aspects of life. The term comprises differences in origin, background, personality, life experience, beliefs, and personal characteristics to name a few. True diversity means a variety of skills, perceptions, and attributes that each individual brings to any business or organization.
The difference is diversity relates to the overall make-up of a person or an organization, while inclusion relates to how different groups are valued and empowered within it. Diversity and inclusion may not necessarily coexist. It is possible for a workplace to be diverse yet not inclusive, and vice versa.
Why are diversity and inclusion important?
Why does this matter to our organization? You may think that individual perceptions of inclusion and diversity in the workplace have no bearing on the success of a business. However, the research shows otherwise.
Many research studies on the benefits of diversity and inclusion have been published by the likes of McKinsey, Deloitte, Harvard Business Review, and others. The results are clear: corporations identified as diverse and inclusive are more likely to outperform their competitors. Research shows diverse companies are 70 percent more likely to capture new markets (HBR, “How Diversity Can Drive Innovation”), while diverse teams are 87 percent better at making decisions (Cloverpop, “White Paper: Hacking Diversity with Inclusive Decision-Making”). In addition, companies with more diverse management teams have led to an average of 19 percent higher innovation revenue (BCG, How Diverse Leadership Teams Boost Innovation).
One area in which these benefits are most telling is gender diversity. McKinsey’s research indicates that gender-diverse companies (which employ an equal number of men and women) are 15 percent more likely to notice higher returns and produce up to 41 percent higher revenue (McKinsey & Company, “Diversity Wins: How Inclusion Matters”). These gains have a ripple effect that goes far beyond individual companies. Their research goes on to show that our gross domestic product (GDP) could increase by twenty-six percent (26%) if the gender gap were equally diversified. This equates to a potential of $12 trillion added to the global GDP by 2025 (McKinsey & Company, “Ten Things to Know About Gender quality”).
What happens when organizations focus on diversity, but not inclusion?
Many organizations use the terms “diversity” and “inclusion” interchangeably. This inaccuracy can lead to problems in the formulation and implementation of diverse and inclusive business practices. For example, a company may focus on diversity but not inclusion by hiring more women or more members of ethnic or racial minorities. However, if the organization does not value the perspectives of members of these groups, they will not be able to retain them for the long term.
True inclusion means that all members of the organization have the opportunity to contribute and to advance, regardless of their gender, race, and/or ethnicity. This goes beyond fairness and equality in hiring practices. It provides the opportunity for all to meet their full potential, so that every employee’s contributions are valued and their voices are heard.
To be authentic, inclusion must factor into company decisions regarding:
Recruitment
Remuneration
Policy
Training and development
Performance appraisals
Advancement opportunities
When structuring teams and committees, leaders should ensure the representation of diverse skills and voices. This leads to a more comprehensive outcome.
How can organizations ensure both diversity and inclusion?
The first step is to ingrain these values in a business’s hiring practices, training, and company policy. Following through with such practices, training and policies promotes a company culture of fairness, respect, dignity, and open communication. These practices also allow everyone to establish a baseline whereby you can continue to measure diversity and inclusion in your organization. When something is measured, it is more likely to become reality.
With a better understanding of diversity and inclusion, personally and in business, organizations are one step further along in their journey. Achieving diversity and inclusion does not exist without putting them into practice. The case for focusing on diversity and inclusion has never been stronger.
What product do you know of that can wirelessly share from Windows, iOS, Andriod, and MacOS, dynamically adjust the interface based on the number of presenters, play videos from YouTube, allow presenters to control who is on screen, and even livestream the output of your presentation straight to remote audiences on YouTube – all while maintaining a hands-free experience?
The Atlona WAVE-101 (AT-WAVE-101) is probably the smallest wireless presentation tool that we’ve put on our bench – made for the commercial professional audiovisual market, by people who know the Pro AV space.
Device Types
We’ve seen a lot of screen sharing and collaborative devices over the years. From full servers to set top boxes – then, to dongles, and now this little cube. Typically, the smaller they get the fewer features they have, but this is not the case with the WAVE 101. Let’s discuss why.
Wireless presentation tools fall into a few categories. The ones that require a dongle to be connected to your computer in order to connect to the screen in the room. The ones that require software for you to connect to the screen in the room. Lastly, the ones that have the wireless protocols for the specific OS variations built in – no additional software needed.
Operating Systems
This is where the WAVE-101 sits in the market. It provides wireless screen casting with iOS®, AndroidTM, Mac®, ChromebookTM, and Windows® devices through native AirPlay®, Google CastTM, or MiracastTM protocols. This covers pretty much all the major OS’s and device types. No additional dongles or software needed.
Ease of Use
Users connect via the instructions onscreen and start sharing content. The system dynamically adjusts the screen when additional users want to share content, and the meeting gets moving with no added wait time.
Device Ports
The Wave-101 has a Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) port for connecting into the local network, an HDMI port for connecting to the display, and few USB ports for accessories. Lastly, it has a Kensington lock (a.k.a. K-Slot or Kensington Security Slot) for what I would call a removal deterrence feature.
This is simple hardware that even includes a Vesa Mount in the box to secure the cube to the back of your monitor.
Top 3 Features
Here are the 3 features that we think will make you want to use the WAVE-101:
#1. Instructor Mode
When used in a classroom, or even a rowdy conference room with engineers who are always trying to flash photos of their latest Dungeons & Dragons conquests, this feature can really come in handy to reign in control of the screen. A queue is displayed to the instructor showing who is connected and wants to share content. The list of available content will appear on the page, and the instructor can show up to 4 contributors at the same time – or deny them from sharing altogether. Instructor Mode allows a user to manage content, adjust audio volume, upload and play media content, stream YouTubeTM, and switch between layouts.
Because this is a media device, URLs and media content can also be loaded into the queue. So instead of the content being driven by a device, a contributor can load up a URL to YouTube and let the internet do the sharing. Thankfully, since it’s in the queue, the final decision on what’s shown is still in the hands of the instructor.
#2. Room Occupancy Sensor
Atlona added one more trick up their sleeve – room occupancy sensor integration. When coupled with Atlona’s Network-Enabled Occupancy Sensor (AT-OCS-900N), the WAVE-101 will automatically turn the room on when a person enters the space, and turn off, after a set time of having no one in the room. The sensor, along with the Instructor Mode feature, allow for the room to be used with no additional control system required. Even better, this allows for hands-free operation of the room – to enable safer and cleaner conference rooms.
#3. OMEGA Switchers & Extenders
Coupled with Atlona’s new Omega series switching and extension products the WAVE-101 can create a very simple huddle room, or add collaboration to a full size conference room with multiple displays, microphones, and PTZ cameras – making any room the video conferencing hub of your organization.
Atlona’s Wireless Audio Visual Environment (WAVE) and the AT-WAVE-101, is a new, innovative wireless presentation platform designed for quick and easy content sharing from up to four PCs or mobile devices. The versatility of the WAVE-101 expands well beyond BYOD content sharing, with a host of additional features to enhance education, corporate, and many other applications.
So, you’re putting together your next AV project and the need for a network switch comes up. This could be due to many factors, most commonly for Audio-Visual over Internet Protocol (AVoIP) applications, control, monitoring, or Internet connectivity. But if you’re not an experienced IT person, or you’re not very knowledgeable about this, what’s the best way to choose the right switch for your project?
Many current and future AV systems will involve some aspect of networking; this is the future of our industry. The main component within these systems is the network switch (or Ethernet switch), which connects devices to a Local Area Network (LAN) and allows the devices to communicate with each other. All of those audio-visual packets of information traverse the network and go to their destinations through the switch.
The difficulty arises when we realize that switches come in many different flavors for many different applications. Managed, or unmanaged? PoE (Power over Ethernet), or PoE+, or PoE++? How many ports, and what speeds per port (1 Gbps, 2.5 Gbps, 5 Gbps, 10 Gbps, etc.)? Will the switch be front or rear-facing in the rack? This can get very confusing, especially if you don’t do it every day.
Let’s break it down so that it is more digestible in a series of questions that I use to help specify the correct network switch. Take a look below:
Does the information being sent across this network require a managed, or unmanaged switch? Layer 2 (MAC addresses), or 3 (IP addresses)? If your application involves controlling network traffic, you will need the features of a layer 3 managed switch. The following examples require a managed switch, like having concurrent bandwidth-intensive applications running, prioritizing important data in your LAN, improving the performance of a network, and implementing other advanced services.
What type of AV equipment will be connected to the network? Audio (i.e., Dante, AVB, AES67)? Video (i.e., H.264, JPEG2000, IPMX, NDI, SDVoE)? Control? Or all of them? If you’re multicasting audio & video, you will need a managed layer 3 switch – there’s no way around it. If you are implementing IP-based control in a system, you can use an unmanaged Gigabit switch, as there are few network protocols required to allow control commands to work, unless you need Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN). Then, you will have to dive right back into the managed switch realm.
But which network protocols does the managed switch have to be capable of? Multicast? Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP)? VLANs? Multicasting, IGMP, and VLANs are all necessary features that are only available on managed switches. If these terms are not familiar and you plan on putting an AV over IP (AVoIP) system together, you should consider purpose-built gear. Some manufacturers are even offering preconfigured switches that have all of these network protocols enabled by default to work right away…without having to be an IT professional and spending tons of time programming and testing.
How many ports are needed? Count the total number of devices that require a LAN connection…and then add a few more. Leave room for expansion and for devices that are often forgotten. If you think you’ll add more devices in the future, choose a switch that will give your network room to grow. Will this AV system have any future add-ons or requirements to consider? If so, we should be thinking about a switch that is stackable, or has the ability to trunk ports and seamlessly add more switches through uplinks.
What speed per port is needed (Gigabit, 2.5 Gbps, 5 Gbps, 10 Gbps, etc.)? Every network device will have its LAN port speed listed. These speeds will typically range from 100 Mbps, Gigabit (1,000 Mbps) and 10 Gigabit (10 Gbps). Equipment that has gigabit specifications definitely necessitates the use of a gigabit switch. Remember that devices with lower port speeds (ex. Gigabit = 1,000 Mbps) will always be able to utilize switch ports with higher ports speeds (ex. 10 Gbps). Most compressed video codecs (i.e. H.264, H.265, JPEG2000, VC2) will work just fine on a managed 1 Gbps network switch. But be aware that any SDVoE (Software Defined Video over Ethernet) gear will require 10 Gbps on every port, usually accompanied by 40 Gbps or 100 Gbps uplinks to support the total bandwidth of utilized ports.
What type of PoE switch is needed? Determine which devices can be powered or require PoE (Power over Ethernet). There are different standards of PoE, so they are not all the same, and making sure that enough power is delivered to the enabled device is important. Does the PoE switch apply power on all ports, or just select ports? Always check the receiving device’s PoE class/requirement (PoE = 15.4 Watts, PoE+ = 30 Watts, PoE++ = 60 or 90 Watts depending on Type 3 or 4, respectively), and plan for a cumulative total power budget that will support all devices. When you see a switch that is rated for 300 Watts, you can connect up to ~20 PoE devices, or 10 PoE+ devices, or 3 PoE++ devices. Dividing the switch’s total power budget by the cumulative device power consumption will help figure out what you need – and always remember to leave a little room for overhead.
Last but not least, let’s not forget about the aesthetics of the amazing audio-visual system that was just built. Within the equipment rack, tidy cabling and carefully stacked black boxes of hardware are neatly aligned for a clean and organized look. Having the ports on the front side or rear-facing side of the switch is a big deal, and your cabling and rack fabrication technicians will thank you for selecting those AV switches with customizable port locations.
There are many things to consider when deciding on a specific switch from a manufacturer. It’s not just about the features, it’s about support with dedicated resources. So, don’t overlook one of the most important components of a networked AV system, because it could be the difference between a successful deployment and a problem-ridden project.
**For ALMO add-on for Manufacturer/Product specific**
NETGEAR has also taken out much of the complexity with setting up an Ethernet switch with the various protocols required for video and audio to ride over the network. Preconfiguring protocols like IGMP, Multicast and VLANs make the network switch a plug-n-play device right out of the box, saving time, money, and resources usually dedicated to this task. NETGEAR’s IGMP Plus™ is a fantastic and unique feature simplifying the deployment of multicast solutions, which especially helps people who are uncomfortable with some of the more complicated IT configurations such as Layer 3 Protocol Independent Multicast or PIM routing.
If you are still unsure of what to do or how to specify a network switch for your project, you’ll be happy to know there are resources out there to assist. In fact, NETGEAR has a dedicated ProAV design and engineering team specifically for our industry, with purpose-built products that are engineered for any AV over IP project. Give them a shout when you need some engineering assistance at [email protected]. This is a fantastic resource available to all integrators for free.
So, I need to upgrade my ride and decided that I need a 4WD, Crew Cab Dually, 1-Ton pickup with Leather interior and a towing package. Budget is $10K.
ROTFLOL.
Where did you get that dollar figure from? 40 years ago? Someone is stuck in a time warp. Audiovisual projects are often approached the same way – starting with an often unrealistic dollar figure.
I know someone familiar with a new House of Worship project with suggested donation amounts for some of the furniture and fixtures. Big donation amounts. This person asked me to guess what they budgeted for AV. Because of how they phrased the question, I guessed a ridiculously low number. “$20K”, I said. Nope. It was $15K. Including installation. I guess that’ll be a TV, a couple of hardwired mics and two powered loudspeakers. At least they’ll be decent powered loudspeakers, I guess.
I had another recent request for a digital mixer with 24 mic inputs for “around $1000”.
All three of these scenarios have unrealistic expectations but only the first one is made up.
Here’s another real scenario with a different twist: “Will need a relatively quick turn-around – they are looking to move in within the next few weeks.” Oh, and the drywall is going up in the next couple of weeks. But it’s okay as I’m told the GC is putting in some access holes. </sarcasm>
For this job, there’s no design, no Functional Scope, no Bill of Materials. Nothing. They’re not even sure what they’re trying to do yet. The expectations here are also unrealistic as you won’t even be able to get all the equipment “within in the next few weeks” even if you ordered today. And will any of those supposed access holes even be useful? We have all been through this before.
I’m sure the furniture was picked out and ordered a long time ago – including any custom furniture. Someone planned and ordered the phone system. The Telecommunications Room was on the architectural floor plans from the beginning. The fire alarm system certainly wasn’t a last-minute consideration. “We move in in four weeks. We probably need to get a quote on the fire alarm system we need.” That sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it.?
Why is it then, that audiovisual is still clamoring to get recognition and a seat at the Big Kids’ Table?
Two things, in my opinion:
I think we can only blame ourselves for the lack of perceived value that we bring to a project. We’ve given away designs, worked nights, weekends, 2-3 days without sleep, fixed stuff that wasn’t our responsibility and given away time and equipment just to meet a deadline or make a client happy. What other normal business does that to themselves?
I’ve been around this industry for getting close to four decades and I think we’re great at promoting ourselves to ourselves but hardly anyone outside of our little AV Club knows we even exist. For most of us, we have trouble defining “audiovisual” when someone asks us what we do. We love our little Club, and we love the people we know in the Club but we need a serious outreach effort to technology decision makers and the other design teams that are part of every building project. This one is a much deeper issue than I can write about here. Unfortunately, I don’t see any real industry initiatives on the horizon.
What are some of the results of our industry’s apparent anonymity? Lack of supporting infrastructure, washed out images, undersized images, projectors hanging in every incorrect orientation possible using caveman like engineering, unintelligible speech, and endless photos of horrendous AV integration examples on “AV Install Nightmares” and “Dodgy Technicians” on Facebook. I have pictures of a downspout suspended horizontally in a room and used as a cable pathway.
And one of my favorites: Seeing the acoustical treatment deleted due to “value engineering”.
We know what good AV looks and sounds like but perhaps the regular users don’t because they haven’t been exposed to enough of it. It seems mediocre to worse has been the standard.
It also doesn’t help when after the first client meeting, we come back with a Scope of Work and a quote and we’ve skipped the idea of working the client through their process and developing a Functional Scope. In other words, a description of how the system works and what it does from the users’ point-of-view.
You’ve done it. I’ve done it. We sit in a room for the introductory meeting, and we have half the system designed in our heads before the client has finished talking. We’ve been thinking about gear when we should be discovering the client’s workflow and discussing usability.
Back in 2001, Steve Thorburn wrote, “Our industry began as a ‘solutions’ industry.” We seem to call everything a “solution” nowadays but we’re thinking “equipment” in our minds.
“Equipment” is easy. You can get “equipment” at BigBox. We need to get back to being problem solvers for our clients and then perhaps, we can avoid starting with dollars being defined first.
Let’s get back to being solutions oriented rather than equipment oriented. If we bring real solutions and not just boxes, I think we just night get a little more recognition. And the start of any solution begins with understanding the client’s needs (not the gear you think they need).
If you’re not sure about how to conduct a true Needs Analysis so you can start your Solutions journey, join us at the Almo E4 in Anaheim on March 22 for our session specifically addressing Needs Analysis. If you are not sure about how to turn your Needs Analysis into a real Solution, Almo Pro AV’s Engineering Services can help you there as well.
Tom Kehr, CTS-D, CTS-I, Network+, LEED Green Associate, ISF-C Systems Designer and Trainer Professional Audio-Visual | Almo Corporation
In the age of the growing hybrid workspace, the ProAV industry is responsible for more than just product fulfillment. At Almo, digital content services have become increasingly popular and necessary for user success, facilitated by company-offered installations and trainings on media player technology.
Historically, Almo’s digital content services have existed separately from product fulfillment, acting as additional product assistance available upon request. After recent updates to Almo’s service program, the professional audio-visual division developed particular SKUs associated with specific product services to increase awareness regarding service offerings for dealers.
Our digital signage services never had a close alignment with the products that we sell, and they operated in their own separate silos,” explained Cory Allen, Almo Director of ProAV Installation Services. “We’re bringing everything together from a hardware perspective, with a solid association between the hardware and the servicesthat we offer
By partnering with Almo, dealers can offer end users assistance with basic and advanced media player set-ups, training on back-end programs, and ongoing support. By providing users with trainings on how to use the system themselves, Almo services help create product experts within various organizations and give control to the end user. In fact, Allen noticed an increased popularity in trainings rather than traditional installation services following the widespread transition to a hybrid workspace. By encouraging end users to participate in trainings, Almo assists users in becoming more knowledgeable about their technology.
Many people work remotely, and most training techniques greatly serve the remote [and hybrid] function,” said Allen. “Now, there are training opportunities created for people to be more self-serving, and added flexibility is something customers have attached to more.
Despite great success regarding Almo’s updated service process, the team is just getting started in improving dealers’ access to services for their end users.
The amount of effort we’ve put in at its inception has generated a ton of interest, and interest from customers is heightened to a degree we’ve never seen before” explained Allen, in reference to dealer and end user enthusiasm. “The full [services] program should be complete within the next couple weeks, so we can mass market and have collateral tools available to our customers.
The Almo ProAV division looks forward to the increasing interest in the updated service offering system, as the new process creates a simpler and more effective process for dealers.
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The Atlona WAVE-101 (
