Research by Frost & Sullivan reports there is greater adoption of meeting insights and analytics tools to gain a better understanding of space utilization, performance, and engagement, with 76% of the decision-makers indicating this is a key capability. Companies are looking into implementing emerging technologies that provide insights on the workspace and meeting room utilization.

Today’s workforce has become accustomed to the Bring Your Own Meeting (BYOM) or Bring your own Device (BYOD) concept in meeting rooms. The Barco ClickShare solution enables users to host calls from their own laptop with their preferred videoconferencing platform, using the audio and video equipment in the meeting room. According to Barco, ClickShare has been leading the market with its wireless BYOM approach, as market research company Futuresource Consulting has previously estimated that ClickShare’s portfolio makes up over 50% of the global wireless conferencing market.

Clickshare & Microsoft Integration

With more than 240,000 ClickShare Conference devices in the field, ClickShare will be a significant data source for Microsoft Teams Rooms management capabilities and will feed into future initiatives. This first step provides valuable insights for IT decision makers without changing the user experience. When initiating a Teams call, the user’s Teams desktop client identifies the connected microphone, speaker, and camera via the ClickShare Base Unit and Button, passing the data into the Teams Pro Portal. Once multiple users have connected to the same ClickShare Base Unit, the information is populated for IT managers as a potential shared space within the Pro Management portal, enabling registration and management of the meeting space.

“ClickShare has always put the user at the heart of the experience, while guaranteeing IT managers have the necessary insights to equip meeting rooms in the most optimal way,” says Jan van Houtte, head of product at Barco. “Through this integration, Microsoft and Barco will work together to build easy management systems at scale for their customers. The joint forces in the Shared Spaces initiative are a first yet crucial step to explore market opportunities and establish a future portfolio.”

“Barco shares a clear focus with Microsoft on creating the best meeting experience. This focus drives our decision making, strategy, and partnerships, which has led us to take this step,” says Dan Root, head of global strategic alliances at Barco. “We are very pleased to be a part of the Microsoft Teams Devices ecosystem, and to bring Microsoft into our partnership program. Through this collaboration we will work together to build industry-leading solutions that take collaboration to the next level.”

Another version of this article originally appeared on our sister-site Commercial Integrator on February 22, 2024. It has since been updated for My TechDecisions’ audience.

The post Barco Streamlines IT Management with Microsoft Integration appeared first on My TechDecisions.

Be sure to also check out the slideshow, below, for more information on the products.

2024 TNT Commercial Winners

Audio Components

Lenbrook
Bluesound Professional BCS300 In-Ceiling Pendant Speaker

Audio Distribution Systems

Listen Technologies
ListenWIFI

Automation Software

Nanolumens
NanoSuite

Digital Signage Hardware

LG Business Solutions
LG MAGNIT 4K 136-inch Micro LED Display

Digital Signage Software

Samsung Electronics
Samsung VXT

Video Monitors

Sharp Electronics Corporation
PN-LC2 AQUOS BOARD Collaboration Displays

Installer Loudspeakers

Renkus-Heinz
OmniBeam

Display Mounts

Chief
Tempo Flat Panel Wall Mount System

Projector Mounts

Tempest
Fly

Network Management Solutions

Samsung Electronics
SmartThings for Business

Power Conditioning, Surge Suppression and Energy Solutions

Nice
Nice DC-12 IP Smart Power Manager

Project Management and Design / Web Software

XTEN-AV LLC
X-VRSE by XTEN-AV 

Conference Projectors

Christie
Christie 4K860-iS

Specialty AV Cables or Connectors

Pure Fi
Pure Fi Pro HDMI 2.1 Active Optical Cable

Audio Conferencing Components

Crestron Electronics, Inc.
Crestron Flex Pods

Cameras

Jabra
Jabra PanaCast 50

Collaboration

Barco
ClickShare Bar Pro

Interactive Whiteboards

LG Business Solutions
LG CreateBoard with ChromeOS Flex certified slot-in OPS

Videoconferencing Components

Crestron Electronics, Inc.
Crestron Videobar 70

Video Streaming Solutions

Epiphan Video
Pearl Nexus

Category Cable Distribution

Valens Semiconductor
VS6320: HDBaseT-USB3 Extension IC

Coax Video Distribution

ZyCast Technology, Inc.
U5 Single Channel 4K (HEVC) Encoder Modulator with Simultaneous RF and IP Out

IP Video Distribution

Audinate
Dante AV-H

Matrix Switchers

BZBGEAR
BG-8K-1212MA | 12×12 8K Matrix Switcher w/ Audio De-Embedder

Videowall Hardware

Planar
Planar DirectLight Pro Series

Videowall Software

Samsung Electronics
Samsung Signage Setup Assistant

To see a list of all entries, click here!

Another version of this article originally appeared on our sister-site Commercial Integrator on January 31, 2024. It has since been updated for My TechDecisions’ audience.

The post 2024 Top New Technology (TNT) Awards appeared first on My TechDecisions.

The revolutionary Barco UniSee platform combines improved image performance with a precise and predictable installation and maintenance. Barco UniSee II further leverages these innovations and takes another major step towards total image perfection. Drastically improved image quality, perfect uniformity, optimized ergonomics, and a low Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) are the most eye-catching aspects of the new flagship platform. 

A spectacular viewing experience 

The color gamut has been significantly increased by applying quantum dot technology. This allows to visualize color-rich content more vividly, for a multitude of applications. In addition, the video wall’s contrast is increased to High Dynamic Range (HDR) levels, by implementing a mini-LED backlight unit which allows more refined and accurate local dimming. The resulting deep blacks, boosted white and more saturated colors allow to create the intended impact. 

Because a video wall has to appear as a single canvas, the individual displays need to be perfectly aligned. Mechanically (thanks to the renowned Barco Mount), but also optically. Sense X, which automatically and in real-time matches the brightness and colors, has been extended to also match the contrast. Hence, it creates a perfectly balanced single canvas, both for static and dynamic content. 

Designed to be viewed 

Video walls are intended to be viewed no matter what the ambient lighting conditions are, wherever you are in the room, or whatever content is displayed. Barco UniSee II ensures that the content always comes across. Advanced polarizer technology delivers a constant performance, whatever the viewing angle. What’s more, Barco UniSee II’s eye fatigue reduction and reduced radiated heating, provide the comfort control room operators need. The brightness of 800 nit, with the possibility to locally boost up to 1300 nit, makes all visuals shine, no matter what the ambient lighting conditions are. 

A sustainable and affordable investment 

The real use power consumption of Barco UniSee II is 20% lower compared to the previous generation, thanks to the use of mini-LED backlights. Additionally, the uptime is maximized due to the very high reliability of the platform (with redundancy options for critical components). This results in a high Return on Investment (ROI). 

“Barco UniSee II is another big step forward for LCD video walls, which is the mostly deployed technology on the market today (compared to direct view LED and rear projection video walls),” says Gerrit Vermeire, Director Product Management at Barco. “The image quality has been refined with state-of-the-art technology to a level never seen in professional LCD video walls before – while respecting the viewers’ wellbeing. Both the big picture and the smallest details are shown with the greatest precision, making sure all content stands out and has the intended impact. Coupled with the field-proven UniSee Mount and a great service offering, Barco UniSee II is without a doubt the most advanced LCD video wall solution on the market today.” 

To learn more, view our portfolio or get in touch.

The post Elevate Your Vision – Barco UniSee II Again Sets a New Standard for LCD Video Walls appeared first on My TechDecisions.

The updated product boasts a brand-new interface that makes managing, monitoring and optimizing meetings easier and better. Thus, it transforms the platform from a tool to a strategic asset for IT departments. The platform also maximizes the ClickShare fleet by enabling complete device control, proactive intervention and maximum function time. With this, it ensures that workers can seamlessly and easily engage in more meaningful interactions.

Enhanced User Experience

The one-stop-shop management platform is simpler and easier to use than ever before, says Barco. It offers administrators a complete overview of how the ClickShare install base functions at any moment. This includes the status of system health, firmware distribution, overview of connected client buttons or apps, overdue actions, location usage and much more. Moreover, IT administrators can easily find the information and data they need, thanks to the bright and easily accessible visuals.

Automatic Notifications for Prompt Intervention

With automatic notifications shared via email, IT professionals will now receive notice of any tech issues or overdue actions so they can intervene immediately. This will allow them to shift from reactive management to proactive monitoring. Furthermore, it ensures that meeting rooms are always ready to use and run at their best capacity.

Improving Meeting Experiences

The updated XMS Cloud platform provides data that allows IT professionals to better understand employee meeting behavior, optimizing workspaces and meeting experiences to increase device ROI. From insights on if, when and how workers are embracing meeting technology, to insights on hybrid meeting and face-to-face meeting preferences; IT administrators have a better idea on how to act as a strategic partner to the business by optimizing tech efficiency and employee satisfaction.

Future-Proof Platform

The new XMS Cloud is a completely future-proofed system thanks to the embedded marketplace where IT professionals can find helpful tools, integrations and plug-ins. These can be tailored to needs and preferences and managed from a central location.

“IT departments have become key players in taking business-critical decisions on tools and applications for their workspaces and the upgraded XMS Cloud system helps make this a seamless process,” says Lars Duziak, product manager, XMS Cloud Platform, Barco.

Duziak continues, “Not only does it allow users to simplify daily tasks and be more efficient with their time; but it also empowers them to become a strategic partner to their businesses with meaningful data and insights. It’s the best way to harness the power of the ClickShare fleet and encourage your workforce to love meeting again.”

Barco presented live demos of the enhanced XMS Cloud platform at booth #2529 at during InfoComm 2023. It also demonstrated other products from Barco’s portfolio. This included the ClickShare Conference CX-50 2nd generation, the agnostic meeting room solution for high-impact meeting rooms. Per the company, it recently became one of the first carbon-neutral products in the video-conferencing industry.

Another version of this article originally appeared on our sister-site Commercial Integrator on June 28, 2023. It has since been updated for My TechDecisions’ audience.

The post Barco Updates XMS Cloud Platform appeared first on My TechDecisions.

According to the Los Angeles, Calif.-based company, this extends the capabilities of the Utelogy platform for managing audiovisual and unified communications devices and peripherals to include Barco’s ClickShare Conference solution for wireless presentation and conferencing.

Barco is continually expanding its Alliance Program by adding complimtnetary solutions to help integrate of technologies and give users and technology professionals a seamless experience. By adding Utelogy room management solutions such as U-Manage and U-Automate, organizaitons can simplify meeting room deployments, optimize efficiency, minimize reaction time and reduce costs, Utelogy says in a press release.

Utelogy solutions can interface to ClickShare via its Rest API for seamless integrations and updates, the company says, adding that the  integration will deliver a range of benefits, including proactive monitoring with customizable alerts and notifications, enhanced room readiness, network automation and self-healing, advanced analytics and custom dashboards.

“We’re happy to work together with Utelogy on the integration of ClickShare into their enterprise-grade platform for managing, monitoring, controlling, and automating connected workspaces,” says Johan Pirot, head of MX initiative and strategic partnerships meeting experiences at Barco. “Our joint partnership will help IT managers to manage and monitor their ClickShare units in the meeting room and beyond. The future of work is only one click away.”

Utelogy CEO Kevin Morrison says the integration allows users to monitor the health and status of ClickShare devices across an entire estate.

“This integration will deliver more intuitive in-room control and let users focus more on their content and collaboration during meetings and not the technical logistics behind the scenes,” Morrison says.

The post UC Management Company Utelogy Joins Barco ClickShare Alliance appeared first on My TechDecisions.

“In a hybrid environment, technology is crucial in giving all meeting participants an equal voice and making collaboration truly successful,” Stijn Henderickx, EVP, meeting and learning experience, says. “ClickShare Conference helps increase engagement and connection between participants in hybrid meetings.”

Empowering Hybrid-Meeting Inclusion

ClickShare CX-50 second generation brings dual screen support, says Barco. It thus allows content on two room displays side by side. During video meetings, one of the screens is dedicated to the remote participants. Here, they remain visible at all time thanks to the smart-meeting flows of the ClickShare App. This thus ensures a more equitable experience for all meeting attendees, no matter if they join remotely or in-room.

Just like the entire ClickShare Conference range, the new CX-50 second generation works with any device and videoconferencing platform. It also works with any peripheral and in any type of meeting room.

Flexible Integration and Management

The ClickShare CX-50 second generation adds native interoperability to fixed-room system setups. It does so by enabling automatic switching between Room mode and Bring-Your-Own-Meeting mode. This allows users to easily switch between the fixed-room system setup and other videoconferencing solutions. It also features simplified connectivity options. Here, a single USB-C cable between the Base Unit and room display can power the device and send video output to the display. IT managers are also able to meet strict internal-security policies with both a wireless and wired alternative.

According to Barco, the new model features a combination of easy management via the XMS Cloud platform, SmartCare coverage and its agnostic nature. This, the company says, makes the CX-50 second generation the smartest investment in the workplace of the future.

Creating a Carbon-neutral Collaboration Solution

Sustainability in product design is fundamental to Barco. All ClickShare devices thus have the A++ ecolabel in Barco’s transparent scoring. The smart eco-design of second-generation products reflects its ecological design choices, higher energy efficiency and better material use. The company also fabricates housing from recycled, non-paint plastics.

In addition, Barco ClickShare aspires to introduce the CX-50 second generation as one of the first carbon-neutral wireless conferencing solutions on the market. The company notes that this is a natural extension of its corporate values and leads its ambitious sustainability strategy.

“By investing in people and planet with a well-balanced carbon footprint, ClickShare is committed to bringing customers the most sustainable, compliant and flexible solution in the workplace. With one of the first carbon-neutral solutions in the industry, ClickShare is proving its position as an innovator in the collaboration and conferencing market,”  Henderickx concludes.

This article originally appeared on our sister site Commercial Integrator. 

The post Barco Launches ClickShare Conference CX-50 Second-Gen Model appeared first on My TechDecisions.

1. Seamless installation

With TruePix, a worry-free operation already starts during installation. This is a critical moment, because it will determine the visual performance of the video wall for many years. During installation, the LED modules need to be perfectly aligned to avoid gaps or deviations in the Z-axis of the tiles. But the LED tiles cannot be placed too close to each other either, otherwise the pixels at the edge of the LED tile could be damaged. This can be visually disturbing, plus it could reduce the life or performance of the individual LEDs. The LED wall has to be free of stress … Mechanical stress.

So, how to avoid this? Barco’s unique, patented smart engineering has made it easy.

• TruePix auto-leveling mechanics can absorb imperfect floor conditions or uneven walls. The proprietary Barco technology relies on the force of gravity and the principle of communicating vessels to make sure the LED wall is perfectly level and completely frictionless.
• Guided module placement: TruePix takes the risk out of the installation process, thanks to a unique mechanical concept. During the installation, the LED module is connected to the frame, leaving a large enough gap on every side of the module. In a next step, by turning a lock, the module will be pushed in place, resulting in perfect module-to-module alignment.
• 100% seamless and flat: TruePix LED tiles are manufactured in a fully automated way. This results in a controlled tolerance stack, meaning that all tiles have the exact same dimensions. This makes a seamless installation much easier.

2. 24/7 Operation

Barco’s TruePix video walls are designed for 24/7 operation and serviceability.

TruePix video walls and Barco’s processing platform Infinipix Gen2 ensures system uptime with redundancy of several critical components: four-way, inter-tile communication and signal loop redundancy are embedded to guarantee an uninterrupted data flow. Optional redundant processors and power supplies make TruePix ready for mission-critical applications.

3. Time-saving maintenance

Technology that never needs to be serviced is an unrealistic dream. However, it’s possible to make maintenance fast and easy, save costs and limit downtime as much as possible.

• Full front and rear access: With Barco TruePix, it’s not necessary to disturb the complete wall or affect neighboring tiles. Instead, each individual component can be easily accessed from the front and the back. Rear access can be essential for 24/7 operations. Any intervention can be done behind the video wall thus avoiding personnel or equipment disturbing 24/7 operations.
• Motorized parallel module extraction: TruePix has motorized module extraction, which pushes the module out in a parallel way. When the module needs to be removed from the back, a sliding mechanism is foreseen to make it just as simple.

4. 24/7 remote control over your video wall

With Barco’s Video Wall Management Suite, all vital performance parameters of your LED video wall can be monitored remotely. This saves you a lot of site visits and reduces maintenance costs. By continuously monitoring image quality in real time, you can detect anomalies early and solve any issues remotely before they may turn into possible failures.

5. Barco EssentialCare and SmartCare: the worrying is on us

We cannot promise you technology that needs no servicing. However, with service programs like EssentialCare and SmartCare, you leave much of the worry to us.

• With Barco’s EssentialCare service program, you can enjoy extended warranty on components and fast resolution for your full system. EssentialCare also ensures batch compatibility for up to 10 years. This is important to guarantee uniformity of your video wall over the entire lifetime.
• With Barco’s SmartCare program, you can even benefit from remote diagnostics, enabled through Barco’s Video Wall Management Suite.

Download the eBook on installation, maintenance and management

About the author

Shane O’Reilly, Sales Enablement Manager – LVX Control Rooms

Shane O’Reilly is the global Sales enablement manager for the Large Videowall experience at Barco, a strategic process of providing our sales team and partners with the resources, tools, guidance, and sales training they need to effectively engage with businesses worldwide. He is based in the UK.

Shane comes from a technical background and has over 30 years of experience in sales, during his tenure at Barco since 1996, he has held various positions, sales manager, market development manger, business development, strategic & segment marketing; focusing on control rooms and visualization.

The post Barco’s Strategy for Worry-Free Video Wall Operation appeared first on My TechDecisions.

Among the many things that have been impacted by COVID-19 is the global workforce. Other than blue-collar trades, many people who work in office environments have been forced to work from home or split their work time between their home and the office. 

Over the past couple years, with more people communicating with their peers from some form of remote environment, and with either all or some of their colleagues working from home, the workforce is discovering that working from home presents challenges. 

Of course, there are the normal distractions of working from home, including the kids and the lure of knocking out a few household chores. More relevant for the MyTechDecisions audience, however, is how the quality of remote workers’ audio and video can affect their ability to participate in meetings and work efficiently. 

Collaboration System Manufacturers Meet the Challenge 

Responding rapidly to the changes that have taken place in the workplace, manufacturers have diversified their product lines to accommodate a wide range of usage scenarios. 

Today, there are a number of collaboration systems for office workers (e.g., traditional conference-room-type components; headphones; compact, all-in-one systems) that can be used in small spaces, including home offices, to improve the collaborative experience, regardless of where it is taking place. 

The category of collaboration also encompasses some of the biggest names in professional audio, including Shure, Sennheiser and Yamaha. And, naturally, the category features companies that focus exclusively on collaboration and communications. Those companies include Poly and Clockaudio. And that’s not to overlook the video side of collaboration market, which includes manufacturers such as AVerMedia, Barco, Kramer, Crestron and Logitech.

To keep up with the changes in the workforce and the collaboration market, including its manufacturers and technologies, consult with the non-profit industry trade group the Interactive Multimedia & Collaborative Communications Alliance (IMCCA). The IMCCA’s purpose is to grow the unified communications category through thought leadership that includes education and information. 

Let’s look at some of the latest collaboration systems for the office from some of the top manufacturers in the field. The content we share represents just a sampling of the conferencing solutions currently available. 

Click “Video Slideshow” to learn more about some of the latest collaboration solutions for workplaces.

This originally appeared on MyTechDecisions’ sister-site CommercialIntegrator.com.

The post 18 Collaboration Systems that Backbone the Modern Workplace appeared first on My TechDecisions.

The research, from Barco’s ClickShare Hybrid Meeting Survey, finds that 35% of workers are still having trouble fully engaging during hybrid meetings, and 28% say its hard to have their voices heard when joining meetings from outside of the office.

In addition, 56% of remote hybrid participants feel that meeting leaders cater too heavily to those in the physical meeting space during the conversation, according to the research from Barco, a collaboration and visualization technology provider.

Despite those struggles with hybrid meetings, 80% of workers still favor hybrid work models. However, 71% are still struggling with technical challenges and other frictions that come with such workplace models, including joining and navigating hybrid meetings.

In an era where employees are often resigning for choosing different career paths, a solid hybrid work strategy supported by collaboration tools and technologies can be the difference, the survey found, as 30% of workers say they will consider a job offer from another company with a well-defined hybrid policy that includes clear guidelines and tools for successful hybrid meetings.

Although hybrid meetings are still causing stress for many end users and IT professionals, returning to on-site work and conference rooms brings its own sets of challenges.

According to Barco’s research, 85% of businesses have at least one dedicated videoconferencing room in their office, but fewer than 40% of IT managers say the rooms are prepared for a bring-your-own meeting style of work

As a result, 65% of workers say they have difficulty using their offices’ videoconferencing rooms.

Despite two years and continuous feature releases and innovation in the collaboration space, the survey suggests remote workers are still no closer to mastering videoconferencing, with users reporting issues with audio, content sharing, video, connection of cables and more.

Given the desire for hybrid work options, 77% of employees say they want all meeting rooms equipped with videoconferencing tools. However, workers gave themselves just a 6 out of 10 in terms of their knowledge of conferencing tools, so IT should play a larger role in training employees and rolling out more user-friendly solutions.

With that in mind, Barco suggests IT invest in solutions to enable users to run hybrid meetings from their laptop—whether they’re in the office or at home.

In addition, Barco calls on IT departments to:

• Make informed decisions based on currently deployed technology. Any new tech investments should be compatible with existing setups, but upgrades may be necessary. IT must also decide which meeting platform to standardize on, but given the proliferation of these platforms over the last two years, IT should consider a platform-agnostic meeting room solution.
• Choose the right hardware. Enabling a true hybrid meeting experience requires professional-grade peripheral devices including cameras, microphones, speakers and a display. The collaboration device market is robust, and there are solutions for rooms of any size and function.
• Make it simple. Given the findings that users struggle with conference room setups­—especially as they vary room to room—IT should implement standard room models that are easy to use.

Read Barco’s report here. 

The post Most Workers Are Still Being Frustrated by Hybrid Meeting Technology appeared first on My TechDecisions.

In the mission-critical space of control rooms, systems need to be functioning around the clock so operators can make split-second decisions. It requires reliable and long-lasting control room solutions so that operators are not constantly fighting downtime due to repairs or replacements. However, control room technology continues to become more complex as new data sources take shape leading operators to demand real-time information and visualization of more data sources.

That is why today’s control rooms need to be built with scalable technologies designed to withstand these constant changes while providing a superior user experience.

Those criteria are what guided Garland Power & Light when the Texas municipal utility started looking to modernize its control room with a new video wall system.

“Control room operations is a 24/7/365 job to keep critical systems up and running.  Control room operators need to source components that are reliable and long-lasting, to ensure continuity of operations,” says Matt Carter, T&D Operations Manager at Garland Power & Light.

Current Control Room Considerations: Reliability and Longevity First

Carter, who is responsible for the real-time operations of transmission and distribution systems for Garland, the Dallas suburb of about 240,000 residents, says control room operators should consider the quality of the products foremost and determine which products present the best return-on-investment.

“I weigh dependability, longevity and reliability against cost to determine the best ROI for GPL and our residents,” Carter says.

As the complexity and variety of data sources increase, so does the pressure on control room operators to adapt and improve. Like other markets, utilities too are approaching a work-force change as operators with decades of experience retire and a new generation takes over the console seats.  These incoming operators are accustomed to large amounts of data being available at their fingertips and demand greater real-time functionality that mirrors the speed of consumer technology and mobile devices.

“Our new operators bring with them a new approach.  There is no longer a guy that’s been sitting there using pen and paper or a calculator for the last 20 years,” Carter says. “They’re used to doing everything on a phone or tablet and their ability to multitask is impressive.”

That is especially true for display systems that operators depend on  for information to make critical decisions about power management, emergency response and risk mitigation.

When working with a manufacturer for a particular solution, control room operators should keep these things in mind:

1. The company’s track record on solutions and service
2. How long they’ve been in business – especially important since longevity of products is critical
3. How long they’ve been making a particular product – a key indicator of the product’s success and future scalability
4. Do they stand behind their products – their customer service and support will make an impact
5. Are their customers satisfied? – talk around, does the solution walk the talk .

Given these considerations, GPL depends on Barco’s control room systems to monitor the power grid for the city of nearly a quarter million people. After researching products and companies for three years, GPL concluded that Barco checks all those boxes.

“They have a really excellent track record,” Carter says. “They have provided the video wall systems for our RTO, ERCOT, for 15 years now.  We work closely with ERCOT and value their experience and opinion. I’ve had very few problems with (Barco control room systems) and they just have a really good reliability record”, says Carter.

In an 24/7 environment where malfunction, repairs and downtime can have disastrous impacts, working with a quality control technology partner that stands behind their products is critical.

The Unmatched Reliability of Barco’s UniSee Platform

With a demand that its control room infrastructure – particular the video wall system – operate 100% of the time, the GPL team chose Barco’s UniSee video wall platform. The municipal utility zeroed in on UniSee due to its superior viewing experience, bezel-less design, serviceability, dependability and scalability that will keep the product up to date with other emerging control room technologies.

The UniSee 500 series features a light source lifetime of 100,000 hours, redundancy of critical components and a service-friendly design that gives operators the longevity they demand while adding the ability to easily fix or replace components.

In fact, replacing a portion of the wall takes just a few minutes, which reduces downtime when control room operators need working technology to make critical decisions. For GPL, the ability to quickly repair the system and reduce downtime was key.

“Five minutes and we’re back up and running again,” Carter says. “That was the determining factor for us.”

The UniSee series also features Sense X, an automatic and continuous color and brightness calibration system that always provides a balanced image. When looking at transmission lines visualized on the control room displays, control room operators rely on that color uniformity to make accurate decisions.

“The seams are unnoticeable,” Carter says. “You don’t have one display that’s brighter than the one next

In a control room environment, a quick response and effective decision-making are of the utmost importance, so the ability to display a detailed picture of critical infrastructure with visualized data from a growing variety of sources is critical. Barco’s TransForm N processing system and CMS software allow sources of all types to be brought into an isolated network for interaction and collaboration.

“Our system operators rely on the information being displayed on the Barco system when working with our field personnel.  The data relayed from the control room to the field is vital to the safety of our staff, protecting our infrastructure and servicing our customers,” Carter says.

Finally, for that complete peace of mind, it makes a big difference to invest in a good service plan. If the time for it arises, then having professional service warranty from the manufacturer can make or break the entire control room operation. It’s the kind of long-term decision making where today’s decision can have an enormous impact on years to come.

The post 5 Critical Criteria for Mission Critical Spaces appeared first on My TechDecisions.