At ISE 2024 Kramer launched Panta Rhei, a unified, cloud-based platform that aims to move the AV industry more into software solutions instead of hardware. This platform’s goal is to streamline the entire audiovisual lifecycle, offering a comprehensive suite of services for system integrators, IT/AV managers, and end-users alike. InfoComm 2024 was the first time the company was showing it off to the North American market in person.
Panta Rhei represents a significant shift in the industry, bridging the gap between traditional audiovisual systems and modern IT practices. By integrating these two worlds, the platform enables seamless data transition, enhances operational efficiency, and ensures a consistent user experience throughout the audiovisual lifecycle.
Software Everywhere
Chatting with Kramer North American President, Amit Ancikovsky at InfoComm, he makes the case that the “future of AV is in IP solutions.”
“Imagine Kramer VIA (their wireless collaboration tech) without the hardware,” Ancikovsky said. “Panta Rhei can control non-Kramer devices, monitor entire AV deployments, and work within IT wheelhouse.”
Panta Rhei is a step towards bridging the gap between traditional audiovisual systems and modern IT practices. The platform offers a range of services, including setup and management, monitoring and support, analytics, session management, AVoIP management, and administration. These features collectively aim to reduce the time and resources required for audiovisual management while boosting uptime, utilization, and user satisfaction.
Panta Rhei Possibilities
It’s an interesting concept as far as IT and tech managers go. Giving universities and corporations a single, unified solution to manage all the AV deployed makes sense. There are a few questions that haven’t quite been addressed yet.
The first is price. Ancikovsky indicated that pricing will be released later in 2024 or early 2025. Panta Rhei will be originally sold through traditional AV channels such as dealers. Renewals, though, will be sold through Kramer directly. The company will work with the channel on recurring revenue.
The other aspect is that of network impact. More AV devices on the network puts additional pressure on IT departments to maintain a minimum uptime and network health. There is not currently any documentation on the impact of Panta Rhei on the bandwidth or network impact.
What about Subs?
A final side note is that of subscription fatigue. Yes, IT departments are used to paying for their equipment and service level agreements (SLAs) on either an annual or monthly basis. The “big lift” of capital expenses has been shifted over to operational expenses; Cap Ex versus Op Ex. Today there is an increasing disillusionment with that model. Companies and universities are looking at all areas to cut costs. The bigger question is whether the horse of subscription and continual payments can be put back in the barn, as it were.
Any time a company aims to develop “the future” of anything, there will be pushback and questions. Panta Rhei is no different in that. We just don’t have enough answers yet. As the technology is deployed in more companies hopefully Kramer will be able to speak more openly about the customers using the software and will be able to discuss pricing and network impact. Until then, we’ll sit back and watch a pretty intriguing development in the latest software-forward solution in Pro AV.
Tim Albright is the founder of AVNation and is the driving force behind the AVNation network. He carries the InfoComm CTS, a B.S. from Greenville College and is pursuing an M.S. in Mass Communications from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. When not steering the AVNation ship, Tim has spent his career designing systems for churches both large and small, Fortune 500 companies, and education facilities.
