It used to be that the AV industry was a group of walled gardens. Today, in the historically closed ecosystems of the AV industry, manufacturers are increasingly embracing collaboration and partnerships through APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) to better serve integrators and end users. This transformation, highlighted in a recent State of Control podcast, reflects a growing recognition that seamless integration across different manufacturers’ products is crucial for modern AV solutions.
The pandemic served as a catalyst for this change. As Rich Fregosa of Fregosa Design explains, “When the real fact was that things were not necessarily going as expected from an equipment standpoint, and there was zero physical access to the space, manufacturers were looking at this and went, we need to partner with our dealers better.”
You can listen to A State of Control episode 123 Here:
Evolving Customer Expectations
This shift is driven largely by changing customer expectations. Andrei Vesa from Shure notes, “Products are advancing faster than we can expect. Customers’ expectations are therefore advancing faster than we can expect… they want the best audio, the best video all in one place, high quality, seamless integration.”
Customer feedback plays a crucial role in shaping these partnerships. Shane Roma from Legrand | AV emphasizes this point: “Feedback from our customers is really the biggest one. And that’s really important… It’s no longer ‘Hey, we want to do this conference room and maybe we’ll do this one a year later.’ It’s ‘No, we want a holistic experience across internationally. We want a conference room in London to have the exact same experience in California.'”
Beyond Technical Integration
The industry experts stress that successful partnerships aren’t just about technical integration – they’re about reducing friction for end users. Vesa adds, “If there’s a customer that’s already familiar with the company that they’ve been working with for a long time… but they see that there’s another company out there that maybe specializes in an aspect of their experience… it makes sense from a product and from a customer expectation point of view.”
Engaging with Manufacturers
For integrators and programmers looking to influence product development, Roma encourages active engagement: “Customers be vocal. If you have contacts, whether it’s sales reps or whoever your contacts are, be vocal, ask for that person… more than likely that product manager is going to love to talk to you because getting that customer feedback is what drives these solutions.”
Fregosa emphasizes the importance of constructive engagement: “Partnership is a two way street… Sometimes from integrators, because you’re under stress, you’re under pressures… it’s tough to be proactive when you’re in an echo chamber of negativity.” He suggests that positive feedback and solution-oriented communication can lead to stronger relationships with manufacturers.
The Power of Positive Feedback
The value of positive feedback cannot be understated. As Roma shares, “Nothing makes us happier than, ‘Hey, this thing you did, we love it for X, Y, and Z’ because sometimes we’ll put things out into the world and we don’t know how it was received.”
Looking Ahead
Looking ahead, the trend toward increased collaboration shows no signs of slowing. Vesa concludes, “The communication channel will only get better as we move forward… that feedback kind of allows us to set a net as large as possible and gives us the best chance of creating products and features that work for as many customers as possible.”
The consensus among industry leaders is clear: the future of AV lies in open collaboration rather than closed ecosystems. This collaborative approach enables manufacturers to cast a wider net in addressing customer needs while ensuring their integrations remain robust and forward-thinking.
To watch or listen to the entire episode of A State of Control Episode 123 click here.
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.
