Tech Unraveled

Modern technological advancements, environmental needs and adaption, and demands have greatly impacted the AV industry. It is why high-quality production carries such a heavy weight of importance in the industry. In an episode of “Tech Unraveled,” Ben Thomas is interviewed by Vistacom’s Sales and Marketing Manager, Lianna Russell, about the current climate within the AV industry and what is driving it. In terms of quality, there are many factors that contribute to top-notch AV installation.

For Thomas, he believes that end users play an even bigger role in quality AV installations because it truly reveals how they also drive and shape the industry.

“It gets really interesting, because when you look at an installation these days the end users look a little bit different from not only a use standpoint, but from a decision standpoint. So much so that a lot of the end users are the decision makers these days,” said Thomas.

He added that providing education is key to their jobs because making sure customers know what exactly is happening and keeping them informed is important for them to hold up their end of their responsibility.

“At the end of day if we’re doing nothing else as manufacturers, we need to educate our end users ... and ask questions,” stated Thomas.

Being well-versed in the AV vertical market is another priority. Thomas stated that it's vital to recognize the changes and demands of the industry as many shifts come into the equation, such as a pandemic, supply chain shortages, and short- and long-term needs. He stated that extending the life cycle of products is what will determine the longevity of their investment. For instance, he explained that schools will want to avoid yearly replacement of technology. In turn that means “understanding the needs of each specific vertical and each specific market is critical,” added Thomas

Even with supply-chain concerns, Thomas is not worried at all about it and said in a few years, these shortage concerns will dwindle down. He is confident that it is on its “way out.”

However, many companies had to and are adapting to supply-chain issues. At Vistacom, Russell explained that her company relied on useful replacement options to make up for industrial changes.

“It’s definitely not an easy time… but we have come up with some really creative solutions … to help our clients. We’ve done things now we’ve never done before and it's going to probably be something that sticks with us for a while,” said Russell.

Thomas agreed that one area he would like to see more improvement in the AV industry is the utilization of creativity and replacement options, such as what Russell and Vistacom employed during a time of need. He says staying alert and attuned to AV industry changes will help end users better understand the products and services they need. And of course, if they’re getting their money’s worth.

“One of the things that you see a lot of in these emerging markets in AV is the idea of ROI and total cost of ownership,” said Thomas in response to how different the markets are today.

Over a decade ago, Thomas said many schools rushed to install smartboards in classrooms, but today these boards are barely being used. He added that the AV industry should be more methodical in what they decide to invest on.

“...The more we can leverage technology and create some meaningful ROI and not have technology just sit kind of unused and either untrained, or not utilized — the better,” he said.

Modern technological advancements, environmental needs and adaption, and demands have greatly impacted the AV industry. It is why high-quality production carries such a heavy weight of importance in the industry. In an episode of “Tech Unraveled,” Ben Thomas is interviewed by Vistacom’s Sales and Marketing Manager, Lianna Russell, about the current climate within the AV industry and what is driving it. In terms of quality, there are many factors that contribute to top-notch AV installation.

For Thomas, he believes that end users play an even bigger role in quality AV installations because it truly reveals how they also drive and shape the industry.

“It gets really interesting, because when you look at an installation these days the end users look a little bit different from not only a use standpoint, but from a decision standpoint. So much so that a lot of the end users are the decision makers these days,” said Thomas.

He added that providing education is key to their jobs because making sure customers know what exactly is happening and keeping them informed is important for them to hold up their end of their responsibility.

“At the end of day if we’re doing nothing else as manufacturers, we need to educate our end users ... and ask questions,” stated Thomas.

Being well-versed in the AV vertical market is another priority. Thomas stated that it's vital to recognize the changes and demands of the industry as many shifts come into the equation, such as a pandemic, supply chain shortages, and short- and long-term needs. He stated that extending the life cycle of products is what will determine the longevity of their investment. For instance, he explained that schools will want to avoid yearly replacement of technology. In turn that means “understanding the needs of each specific vertical and each specific market is critical,” added Thomas

Even with supply-chain concerns, Thomas is not worried at all about it and said in a few years, these shortage concerns will dwindle down. He is confident that it is on its “way out.”

However, many companies had to and are adapting to supply-chain issues. At Vistacom, Russell explained that her company relied on useful replacement options to make up for industrial changes.

“It’s definitely not an easy time… but we have come up with some really creative solutions … to help our clients. We’ve done things now we’ve never done before and it's going to probably be something that sticks with us for a while,” said Russell.

Thomas agreed that one area he would like to see more improvement in the AV industry is the utilization of creativity and replacement options, such as what Russell and Vistacom employed during a time of need. He says staying alert and attuned to AV industry changes will help end users better understand the products and services they need. And of course, if they’re getting their money’s worth.

“One of the things that you see a lot of in these emerging markets in AV is the idea of ROI and total cost of ownership,” said Thomas in response to how different the markets are today.

Over a decade ago, Thomas said many schools rushed to install smartboards in classrooms, but today these boards are barely being used. He added that the AV industry should be more methodical in what they decide to invest on.

“...The more we can leverage technology and create some meaningful ROI and not have technology just sit kind of unused and either untrained, or not utilized — the better,” he said.

On September 27, 2022, the latest innovations from a variety of Vistacom preferred audiovisual, control room, and unified communication technology partners will be on display at Vistacom’s Tech Expo at the Wind Creek Event Center in Bethlehem, PA. David Labuskes, CEO of Avixa, will be the keynote speaker. Tech Unraveled’s Josh Herring and Lianna Russell got a chance to chat with Labuskes to get his perspective on the state of the industry and a sneak preview of what he’ll be sharing during the event.

Avixa is a prominent industry representative for trade associations and a professional society serving and supporting AV professionals. Avixa’s support for the AV community spans the globe and stretches back to the industry’s early days in 1939, and are responsible for Infocomm, one of the premiere events in the AV industry.

The past two and a half years posed challenges for the AV industry and many transformative positives. Labuskes said the pandemic served as an opportunity to examine and rework their business model. “Innovation happens when your back is up against the wall. Innovation doesn’t happen when you have all the choices and the resources in the world. And I think that drove us, as an organization, to become much more focused and clearer about what we’re trying to achieve.”

Avixa continues to monitor the supply-chain issues dogging the AV industry to provide professionals with the latest information. “There are a lot of headwinds challenging us,” Labuskes said. “There was a presumed drop in demand that was very temporary which immediately turned into a surge in demand.” Signs currently point to continued supply chain challenges Avixa sees continuing through 2023. Still, Labuskes said the AV industry is resilient, and while getting things done may not be easy, they’ll find a way to get it done.

On September 27, 2022, the latest innovations from a variety of Vistacom preferred audiovisual, control room, and unified communication technology partners will be on display at Vistacom’s Tech Expo at the Wind Creek Event Center in Bethlehem, PA. David Labuskes, CEO of Avixa, will be the keynote speaker. Tech Unraveled’s Josh Herring and Lianna Russell got a chance to chat with Labuskes to get his perspective on the state of the industry and a sneak preview of what he’ll be sharing during the event.

Avixa is a prominent industry representative for trade associations and a professional society serving and supporting AV professionals. Avixa’s support for the AV community spans the globe and stretches back to the industry’s early days in 1939, and are responsible for Infocomm, one of the premiere events in the AV industry.

The past two and a half years posed challenges for the AV industry and many transformative positives. Labuskes said the pandemic served as an opportunity to examine and rework their business model. “Innovation happens when your back is up against the wall. Innovation doesn’t happen when you have all the choices and the resources in the world. And I think that drove us, as an organization, to become much more focused and clearer about what we’re trying to achieve.”

Avixa continues to monitor the supply-chain issues dogging the AV industry to provide professionals with the latest information. “There are a lot of headwinds challenging us,” Labuskes said. “There was a presumed drop in demand that was very temporary which immediately turned into a surge in demand.” Signs currently point to continued supply chain challenges Avixa sees continuing through 2023. Still, Labuskes said the AV industry is resilient, and while getting things done may not be easy, they’ll find a way to get it done.

In Vistacom’s debut episode of the new podcast “Tech Unraveled,” hosts Lianna Russell and Joshua Herring kicked it off with the company’s CEO, Angela Nolan and President, Jim Ferlino and talked about the past and current history of Vistacom.

The five-decade old Pennsylvania-based AV company is also family-run and is currently a woman-owned company as of last year under the helm of Nolan, who is the daughter of founder Jack Ferlino. Today she and her brother Jim Ferlino run and work for their father’s company, along with the senior Ferlino’s grandchildren and hosts, Russell and Herring — who are also siblings.

Vistacom came about in 1954 at a time when audio and visual needs were different, stated Ferlino.

“He started the business based around providing different communications solutions to help businesses be better at what they do. Back then we were very audio-focused and provided a lot of solutions with audio in them — things you wouldn't think of today,” he said.

These included alert systems and sound for theaters, added Ferlino. Since then their AV services have expanded.

Nolan stated that her father’s goal for creating the company continues to be a motto for their operations today.

“He ingrained, really, the foundation of who we are at Vistacom, and I think it still permeates the company today,” said Nolan. “He also was very customer-focused, making sure that whatever solution we provided was the right solution for that client, and that we stuck with that client all the way through to make sure that we had a complete quality installation.”

The result of that commitment is customer retention as long as Vistacom’s existence. Nolan said that the company has clients that have been in business with them since the fifties.

Both Ferlino and Nolan helped shape and revamp Vistacom to what it is today. Nolan took charge of formulating and managing the company’s marketing department, while Ferlino started working as a teenager in various roles within the company before

“I got a chance to experience a bit in every department,” he said.

Much of that work was in the installation of equipment, and other aspects that he learned from the mentorship of his father.

After more than a half a century in the business, the two naturally are experts in what’s affecting the AV industry and how it translates into their own business. Nolan said there are many challenges but most of that stems from finding capable and knowledgeable people to hire.

“It has always been staffing qualified, technical personnel — whether it’s engineering or integration, or service or software programming,” stated Nolan. “Finding those people has always been a real challenge. There is no formal higher education program in our industry even to this day.”

The lack of educational access has created an area of complication for the AV Industry for years now, as it requires some internal training from the company to get staff up to speed, stated Nolan.

In Vistacom’s debut episode of the new podcast “Tech Unraveled,” hosts Lianna Russell and Joshua Herring kicked it off with the company’s CEO, Angela Nolan and President, Jim Ferlino and talked about the past and current history of Vistacom.

The five-decade old Pennsylvania-based AV company is also family-run and is currently a woman-owned company as of last year under the helm of Nolan, who is the daughter of founder Jack Ferlino. Today she and her brother Jim Ferlino run and work for their father’s company, along with the senior Ferlino’s grandchildren and hosts, Russell and Herring — who are also siblings.

Vistacom came about in 1954 at a time when audio and visual needs were different, stated Ferlino.

“He started the business based around providing different communications solutions to help businesses be better at what they do. Back then we were very audio-focused and provided a lot of solutions with audio in them — things you wouldn't think of today,” he said.

These included alert systems and sound for theaters, added Ferlino. Since then their AV services have expanded.

Nolan stated that her father’s goal for creating the company continues to be a motto for their operations today.

“He ingrained, really, the foundation of who we are at Vistacom, and I think it still permeates the company today,” said Nolan. “He also was very customer-focused, making sure that whatever solution we provided was the right solution for that client, and that we stuck with that client all the way through to make sure that we had a complete quality installation.”

The result of that commitment is customer retention as long as Vistacom’s existence. Nolan said that the company has clients that have been in business with them since the fifties.

Both Ferlino and Nolan helped shape and revamp Vistacom to what it is today. Nolan took charge of formulating and managing the company’s marketing department, while Ferlino started working as a teenager in various roles within the company before

“I got a chance to experience a bit in every department,” he said.

Much of that work was in the installation of equipment, and other aspects that he learned from the mentorship of his father.

After more than a half a century in the business, the two naturally are experts in what’s affecting the AV industry and how it translates into their own business. Nolan said there are many challenges but most of that stems from finding capable and knowledgeable people to hire.

“It has always been staffing qualified, technical personnel — whether it’s engineering or integration, or service or software programming,” stated Nolan. “Finding those people has always been a real challenge. There is no formal higher education program in our industry even to this day.”

The lack of educational access has created an area of complication for the AV Industry for years now, as it requires some internal training from the company to get staff up to speed, stated Nolan.