Software-driven transformation takes hold in Professional Audio-Visual sector: Exploring the reasons behind the shift towards software-defined solutions.
In a significant move aimed at revolutionising the audio-visual (AV) industry, NETGEAR has announced its decision to join the OpenAV.Cloud initiative. This shift towards cloud-managed, software-defined AV infrastructure is set to transform how AV systems are designed, deployed, and operated.
Traditional AV deployments have been notorious for their complex commissioning processes, proprietary protocols, limited flexibility, high long-term costs, and difficulty integrating with broader IT infrastructure. However, the professional AV industry is undergoing a shift towards cloud-managed, software-defined infrastructure. This change promises to bring numerous benefits, making AV systems more efficient, flexible, and cost-effective.
One of the key advantages of cloud-managed AV infrastructure is greater flexibility and scalability. Organisations can scale their AV deployments gradually, paying only for what they use, rather than making large upfront investments in fixed hardware. This shift also reduces operational overhead and enhances adaptability, as centralised cloud management simplifies monitoring, maintenance, and support, reducing the burden on internal teams and enabling faster adaptation to changing requirements.
The transition to cloud-managed AV infrastructure will also bring new business models and recurring revenue for integrators. Shifting from project-based to subscription-based services for monitoring and support creates steady revenue streams. Additionally, improved security is another significant benefit, with managed security services in cloud AV systems offering 24/7 monitoring, real-time threat detection, faster breach response, and access to specialized cybersecurity expertise without the need to build extensive in-house teams.
Cost savings are another major advantage of cloud infrastructure. It reduces the need for expensive on-premises hardware, leveraging pay-as-you-go billing models that optimize resource utilization and lower capital expenses. Moreover, vendor-agnostic, interoperable solutions are possible in cloud-managed AV systems, enhancing integration and future-proofing investments.
NETGEAR's switches, particularly the new M4350 series, transform into intelligent, software-controllable assets within this broader digital AV infrastructure. The company's Engage Controller platform provides auto-discovery, profile-based configuration, topology visualization, and secure remote management capabilities. When integrated with OpenAV.Cloud's API-driven framework, networks managed by Engage become part of a larger ecosystem.
NETGEAR's participation in OpenAV.Cloud represents their commitment to this collaborative approach. The industry requires unprecedented collaboration across vendors to establish open standards, shared APIs, and interoperable protocols. This technological shift enables a transformation in business models throughout the AV ecosystem, particularly for integrators who can now offer subscription-based monitoring, maintenance, and support services.
In summary, cloud-managed, software-defined AV infrastructure transforms traditional AV by driving operational efficiencies, improving security, enabling flexible growth, and supporting innovative service models for providers and end users alike. NETGEAR's involvement in OpenAV.Cloud positions them and their 450+ partners at the centre of the AV industry's most significant transformation in decades.
[1] OpenAV.Cloud Whitepaper [2] AV Technology Europe [3] AV Magazine [4] AV Network
- Given NETGEAR's involvement in OpenAV.Cloud, their aim is to leverage data-and-cloud-computing technology to bring features like scalability, remote management, and improved security to their business of providing products such as switches, like the new M4350 series.
- In the future, the growth of cloud-managed AV installations may lead to a Paradigm shift in the professional AV industry, allowing integrators to offer subscription-based services and generate recurring revenue instead of relying on project-based income.
- The collaboration facilitated by initiatives like OpenAV.Cloud can revolutionise the AV industry by promoting technological advancements such as software-defined AV infrastructure, which can improve the flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and integrability of AV systems in the market.
