“At ReliaQuest, our mission is to make security possible, therefore, it’s critical that we have access to the latest technology,” says Regina Marrow, ReliaQuest’s chief information officer and executive VP of operations. “On any given day, we are hosting customers from large enterprise companies, and the technology that we are using, and our operating centers, serve as the underpinnings of those interactions. So that technology must be world class and reliable because it reflects our brand. This technology directly impacts the effectiveness of those interactions because consistent experience is crucial for our teammates and customers.”

Choosing the Sony Pro BRAVIA Displays

ReliaQuest ultimately chose a range of 150 Sony Pro BRAVIA displays to help suit their business’s needs in their operating centers. These included the 55-inch, 65-inch, 75-inch, 85-inch and 100-inch models. AVI-SPL provided ReliaQuest with product guidance and delivered on the installation.

According to Marrow, the team selected the technology due to its combination of quality, reliability, durability, ease-of-use and design aesthetic. The displays are used broadly for playing videos and running meetings in their collaboration spaces, huddle rooms, conference rooms, common areas and performance centers, where the company holds its trainings. The Sony Pro BRAVIA displays are also used for multi-purpose collaborations with customers and teammates, and for digital signage in the open areas of its operating centers including in the cafés and reception spaces, as well as sitewide communications and company town halls.

The Pro BRAVIA displays were especially important to ReliaQuest for regularly hosting leaders at its operating centers for interactions ranging from executive business reviews to trainings. “The high-quality, consistent and reliable experience that we have with the displays gives us peace of mind. We know that they’re going to work every time and the images are crisp, they’re clear, they’re colorful and they’re stable.” says Marrow.

Sony’s Pro BRAVIA Displays Boost ReliaQuest Operations

Since ReliaQuest opened its new operating center with Sony’s professional BRAVIA displays and other technology, the overall experience has been enhanced for customers and teammates. A perk the company noticed about the Pro BRAVIA displays was that they had the ability to operate without interactions from the everyday user. ReliaQuest set up its displays so everything could be managed centrally. This proved to be helpful for teammates, especially when the displays run on a schedule to maximize the energy efficiency and minimize wear. Due to the Pro BRAVIA screen mirroring feature, employees can also work collaboratively by utilizing Microsoft Teams. With the company building having large windows and being located in areas with natural bright light, the displays have no issues providing good, vibrant image quality — even when it’s midday, says ReliaQuest.

In addition, the displays also benefit ReliaQuest’s customers whether they are hosted at ReliaQuest’s locations, or utilizing the company’s spaces for their own team meetings.

“As a global security provider for the largest most trusted brands around the world, we understand that quality matters and we take what we do seriously. We wanted a partner that has the same attention to detail that we do and prioritizes the same level of quality and excellence. We align with high-quality, world class companies because we know that helps us in our mission to serve our customers and to make security possible,” adds Marrow.

Shop and compare the latest Sony professional display solutions on our sister-site AV-iQ.

Editor’s Note: Another version of this article originally appeared on our sister-site Commercial Integrator on January 5, 2024. It has since been updated for My TechDecisions’ audience.

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AVI-SPL has been a Cisco solutions provider for more than a decade, the company says. It thus continues to deepen and expand the expertise in its Cisco practice to guide companies everywhere. With this, it aims to reimagine the workplace for better employee, partner and customer engagement as new hybrid work models take hold. In Cisco fiscal year (FY) 2023, AVI-SPL ranked as the #3 video devices partner in the U.S. and globally.

“Cisco’s recognition of AVI-SPL as a leading workspaces partner speaks volumes to our ability to confidently guide customers to reimagine and realize the modern work experience,” says Tom Nyhus, AVI-SPL vice president of the Cisco practice. “By embracing Cisco Webex’s innovative, leading-edge roadmap and programs, together we’ve helped global companies stay securely connected and productive from anywhere.”

The partnership between Cisco and AVI-SPL grew significantly in 2023 with new, joint go-to-market efforts. Per a statement, AVI-SPL led the way with the new Cisco Webex Hardware as a Service (HaaS) program. It thus became one of the first partners to conduct a customer pilot of the program. AVI-SPL also beta-tested new video devices and provided feedback through Cisco’s Video Champions Advisory Council around market trends and customer needs.

The Cisco 2023 Webex Partner Award honors partners who have developed and delivered exceptional Cisco-based solutions and services during the past year.

Cisco announced the Annual Partner Awards during the WebexOne 2023 conference on October 25, 2023. Additional details on the 2023 awards are available on the Cisco Webex blog.

Another version of this article originally appeared on our sister-site Commercial Integrator on November 1, 2023. It has since been updated for My TechDecisions’ audience.

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AVI-SPL, a Microsoft Managed Partner, developed the bundle in partnership with Crestron, Jupiter and Salamander Designs. The outcome, the company says, is an elegant solution that seamlessly transforms the popular Microsoft Teams Front Row setup into a personalized experience for each attendee, in-person and remote. In response to customer requests across the globe, the bundle also responds to increasing mandates for accessible, sustainable solutions, says the company. As a complete solution, it also satisfies market demand for simple, quick, and scalable deployment.

AVI-SPL’s Accessible, Sustainable Microsoft Teams Meeting Room Bundles

The new ADA-compliant and ENERGY STAR-certified bundle for Signature Microsoft Teams Rooms includes the Crestron Flex Conference System with Jabra PanaCast 50 video bar certified for native Microsoft Teams Rooms integrations, Jupiter 21:9 format 5K LCD display, and Salamander Designs credenza and Arc Table. AVI-SPL provides all design renderings, installation, and system integration. The bundle is globally available and able to be easily procured as a single unit.

“Today’s companies are focused on sustainable business practices that create long-term benefits,” says Dale Bottcher, AVI-SPL executive vice president of global sales and marketing. “From elevating employee experience, to honoring inclusivity with accessible and equitable designs, to caring for our planet with products that reduce carbon footprint, we think this Signature Microsoft Teams Rooms bundle sets a new bar for purpose-driven innovation.”

As hybrid work takes hold worldwide, companies are rapidly reconfiguring offices with more video-enabled meeting and gathering spaces. To reenergize these modern workplaces, forward-thinking organizations have renewed their focus on employee experience, meeting equity, and environmental sustainability. Signature Microsoft Teams Rooms are purposefully designed to optimize meeting equity.

In addition, Salamander furniture is built for accessibility. Their facilities are 100% solar-powered and their processes are RoHS and CARB compliant. Jupiter Pana LCD displays are ENERGY STAR certified, reducing energy consumption over comparable large format displays.

As a Microsoft Modern Work Partner with the Advanced Specialization for Microsoft Teams Meetings and Meeting Rooms, part of AVI-SPL’s mission is to design and deploy room designs that enhance human connections in hybrid workspaces on a global scale. AVI-SPL’s collaboration with Crestron, Jupiter, and Salamander Designs helps the company do that, says Bottcher.

“This partnership between Crestron, AVI-SPL, Jupiter Systems, and Salamander Designs provides our mutual end-user clients with a complete Microsoft Teams Room bundle and an exceptional meeting environment. The simplified buying process makes this solution especially easy to procure, enable, and scale,” adds Bob Bavolacco, director of technology partnerships at Crestron.

AVI-SPL at InfoComm 2023

The new AVI-SPL bundle for Signature Microsoft Teams Rooms, designed for quick delivery and installation, is available now. Interested parties can see the new solution at InfoComm 2023 June 14-16 in Orlando, Fla. AVI-SPL (booth #2561) will feature a virtual reality experience of the configured room. Additionally, Crestron (booth #2501), Jupiter Systems (booth # 2231), and Salamander Designs (booth #3613) will each have the complete bundle installed in their booths.

Another version of this article originally appeared on our sister-site Commercial Integrator on June 6, 2023. It has since been updated for My TechDecisions’ audience.

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As COVID-19 changed the educational model, the need for more dynamic and flexible presentation solutions became apparent. The university also received additional funding support from the CARES Act. This created an innovative new classroom setup leveraging the latest technology at just the right time for UCM.

Creating a Highly Interactive Education Environment

AVI-SPL, Tampa, Fla.-based digital enablement solutions provider, installed more than 30 Edge devices connected with Sony’s PTZs as UCM’s new classroom standard across campus. These devices feature presenter tracking and enable handwriting extraction. Based on their positive experience, UCM plans to implement 14 additional systems.

Highlights of Sony’s Edge smart video analytics solution include the adoption of AI and augmented reality (AR) technology. This will enhance the quality of communication and collaboration and empower engaging presentations. When used alongside Sony’s powerful PTZ cameras, Edge serves as a virtual camera operator. It can thus elevate and capture a presentation. Alongside this, it can incorporate additional licenses for a range of different features and benefits. This includes the handwriting extraction and PTZ auto tracking, as well as close-up by gesture, chroma key-less CG overlay and focus area cropping.

David Gantz, account executive at AVI-SPL, helped consult, spec and support this ongoing installation. He knew the school needed to update its facilities to account for new methods of instruction and learning. So, he sought a flexible and easy to use solution to enhance engagement and foster collaboration in any setup or type of classroom.

During the pandemic, Gantz, with the support of AVI-SPL’s engineers including John Stuhlman, virtually demonstrated Edge to UCM’s manager of multimedia, Ray Walters. Walters and his team support the office of technology at the school. Walters explains, “Prior to the pandemic, UCM was seeing a shift in how it was delivering classroom content. At the same time, I was receiving numerous requests from academic Deans and educators to enable hybrid classrooms where lectures could be recorded and presented in an asynchronous format.”

An Effective, ‘Wow-Worthy’ Solution

After the demo, Gantz says they “wowed” the team who immediately “saw the value.” He continues, “From a financial standpoint, the camera is priced equal or better than competitors and the performance and quality are equal or better. Additionally, Sony and their staff have proven to be reliable for us.”

Walters adds, “It’s very rare that I get surprised or impressed by a product release. When I was introduced to Sony’s forward-thinking Edge Analytics device, it was a breath of fresh air. It solves several different needs for my classrooms as we pursue a hybrid teaching experience. The reasonable price and simple operation reduce the friction on users in the room. Sony had nailed everything I needed in one small package.”

UCM chose the Edge solution for other reasons as well. The team use the Edge Analytics and PTZ camera solution with instructors. According to Sony, they immediately recognized the benefits of the straightforward technology. Gantz states, “It’s a box with licenses that enhance the capabilities of your room, based on your needs and budget. Instructors love the presenter tracking feature for whiteboarding and presenting.”

Gantz spotlight the smoothness and accuracy of the tracking feature. Additionally, he points out its ease of use. “Adoption has gone really well because we’ve taken extra care not to make the room complex, because complexity deters instructors from wanting to use technology,” he proclaims.

The Future of Handwriting Extraction

Gantz also expands on the beneficial features and accommodating pricing. He explains, “It’s also a very big win that the tracking license [is] free with our purchase and not a recurring cost. It’s nice to pay only for the extra features you need. If the licenses for Edge were yearly subscriptions, that would’ve been a deal breaker for an educational institute like University of Central Missouri.”

Also Read: Sony Electronics Introduces Compact 4K SRG-X40UH PTZ Camera

UCM also uses Edge’s handwriting extraction license. This license leverages AR to ensure that words, notes, sketches and diagrams on a white or blackboard remain in full view of the audience, regardless of the presenter’s location. In select classrooms, they’re exploring the chroma key-less CG overlay license. This license uses Sony’s advanced motion detection technology. With this, they can extract and overlay the presenter onto any background image, animation or video for an instant backdrop. What’s more, it does not require any dedicated equipment or resources.

Walters remarks, “When I saw the handwriting extraction demonstration in action, it honestly caused me to clap and I quickly realized how this device would bring value to my classrooms and enhance the quality of our lecture capture.”

Looking to the Future

Instructors are not the only ones to appreciate the upgraded innovations. Gantz further notes that new state-of-the-art technology provides schools like UCM with a competitive advantage and help with recruitment. He maintains that students demand technology. He notes, “In order to attract students to a school, you need to offer collaboration and interactivity. Technology is something students were born with and use every day. They expect it to infiltrate every part of their life and education is no exception.”

Gantz continues, “By offering a new level of engagement, new capabilities and a digital mindset, students can overcome some of the traditional classroom concerns and distractions and ensure they have a good view of the instructor and their notes, no matter where they’re sitting.”

He expresses his excitement for the future of technology. He sees AI and AR as a logical avenue for enrichment, enhancement and engagement. Gantz adds, “In addition to being cool, technology and especially AI and AR serve a real purpose in education. They make an experience more interesting. This means people tend to pay more attention to it and retain the [relayed] information.”

Walters concludes, “Throughout the global pandemic, remote learning became a requirement. I can honestly say that because we had Sony’s Edge Analytics devices as our standard, we were ready for the unique way education adapted.”

Click on “View Slideshow” on upper-left corner for images of the installation by AVI-SPL at UCM.

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According to a statement, less than 1% of the 400,000 organizations in the worldwide Microsoft Partner Network earn Microsoft Managed Partner status. To be selected as a Managed Partner, AVI-SPL says it consistently demonstrated successful Microsoft implementations and achieved Microsoft solution competencies. These include gold-level competencies for cloud productivity, communications, collaboration and content, and project and portfolio management.

Microsoft previously announced replacing Microsoft Teams Rooms Standard and Premium licenses with Microsoft Teams Rooms Basic and Pro licenses effective October 1, 2022. To coincide with this shift, AVI-SPL prepared a new Microsoft Teams Rooms Pro-Tier II service subscription. This will supplement the new license and match the original Microsoft Teams Rooms Premium license scope at the legacy cost.

Supporting Microsoft

“We’re avid believers in the elevated collaboration experience Microsoft Teams Rooms deliver,” says Tim Riek, executive vice president of technology solutions. “To champion this, we’ve developed a thoughtful portfolio of professional, managed and support services to help customers deploy and operate their Teams environments. Our latest Microsoft Teams Rooms Pro-Tier II service is one more way we ensure customers create new business value with Microsoft.”

Also Read: Sony, AVI-SPL Bring AI to Classrooms at UCM

The new AVI-SPL Microsoft Teams Rooms Pro-Tier II service adds 24/7 live technical support for Microsoft Teams Rooms Pro license holders. This extra layer of on-demand, personalized tech support is especially important for customers with widescale enterprise deployments of Microsoft Teams Rooms. AVI-SPL will leverage its global services operations centers to deliver this new service.

As a longstanding Microsoft partner, AVI-SPL says it is ready to lead the way for customers starting their Microsoft Teams Rooms journey or looking to elevate it. From consulting workshops defining the ideal Microsoft Teams Rooms standards and roadmap, to remote monitoring and management of their entire meeting solution estate and ongoing technical support, AVI-SPL will help realize the Microsoft Teams vision.

This article originally appeared on our sister site Commercial Integrator. 

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The Tampa, Fla.-based firm was honored among a global field of top Microsoft partners for demonstrating excellence in innovation and implementation of customer solutions based on Microsoft technology.

The award recognizes AVI-SPL as one of the top providers of the Surface Hub in the world, and is the fourth time the firm has been recognized as such in four out of the last five Microsoft fiscal years.

In an announcement, AVI-SPL, a longtime Microsoft partner with Gold-level competencies for cloud productivity, communications, collaboration and content, and project and portfolio management, says it looks to continue investing in its Microsoft practice as organizations continue to embrace hybrid work.

Specifically, the company’s offerings center around the Surface Hub and Microsoft Teams and Teams Rooms, Microsoft’s flagship conferencing and collaboration platform and the hardware that supports a dedicated meeting space built on the platform.

“Microsoft’s repeated recognition of our successful Surface Hub programs demonstrates AVI-SPL’s ability to confidently guide customers in enabling the modern work experience, helping teams stay connected and productive from anywhere,” said John Bailey, AVI-SPL senior vice president of technology and innovation, in a statement.

The Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards recognize Microsoft partners that have developed and delivered outstanding Microsoft-based applications, services and devices during the past year. Awards were classified in various categories, with honorees chosen from a set of more than 3,900 submitted nominations from more than 100 countries worldwide. AVI-SPL was recognized for providing outstanding solutions and services for the Microsoft Surface Hub.

Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards are announced annually prior to the company’s global partner conference, Microsoft Inspire, which will take place on July 19-20 this year. Additional details on the 2022 awards are available on the Microsoft Partner Network blog.

The complete list of categories, winners and finalists can be found here.

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The collaboration industry and the hardware and software companies that provide the innovative solutions that make remote and hybrid work possible have adapted to make those transitions possible while keeping employees productive – regardless of where they are.

TechDecisions saw this on full display at InfoComm 2022, where some of the biggest names in unified communication and collaboration were showing off their newest solutions.

Zoom, now a world-famous brand that has become synonymous with videoconferencing, was showing off its newest Zoom Rooms features, including its Workspace Reservation tool that enables users to book meeting spaces via an interactive map of the office.

Hybrid work, meeting equity and all-in-one devices

However, the name of the game at InfoComm was hybrid work and meeting equity, and Zoom was also highlighting its intelligence video technologies, such as Smart Gallery, a feature that displays multiple video feeds from a single conference room camera, making it easier for remote meeting attendees to see everyone clearly.

During a demonstration at Zoom’s booth, Smart Gallery displayed three video feeds: the whole room and one each for myself and Mark Barragan, Zoom’s manager of Zoom Rooms for the Americans.

Zoom has struck up countless partnerships with makers of videoconferencing cameras, such as Poly and Logitech, both of which were showing off their devices and highlighting their relationships with the world’s largest software providers and their purpose-built devices for collaboration platforms.

Poly, in addition to their suite of videoconferencing cameras and speakers, recently released the R30 USB video bar for small conferencing spaces that combines enterprise-grade video and audio tools into one small, easy-to-deploy form factor. The device features intelligent audio and video technologies for speaking framing and noise reduction to ensure all in-room participants are heard equally.

Logitech, a longtime videoconferencing hardware market leader, was also showing off its lineup of all-in-one Rally Bar devices, in addition to its full suite of remote and hybrid work essentials, such as headsets, personal conferencing cameras.

Also highlighting its newest all-in-one conferencing device was Bose, which is marketing its decades-long expertise in audio as the reason its VideoBar VB-S stands out from its competition with six beam-steering microphones that filter out unwanted noise and intelligent video-framing capabilities.

For advanced conferencing experiences where hybrid work meeting equity is a must, Crestron — a brand ubiquitous in enterprise conferencing spaces and other audiovisual installations — debuted its new Sightline technology that tracks the active speaker and displaying the view of the entire room while simultaneously framing individual speakers.

While designed with hybrid workers in mind, Sightline also makes it easier for in-room participants to follow along with remote participants by keeping their video in the line of sight.

For enhanced audio intelligibility, Shure displayed its MXA920 Ceiling Array Microphone featuring the company’s Automatic Coverage technology, the microphones pre-configured audio capture with minimal set up required, dramatically reducing the time and cost of deployments. The conference room microphones include the onboard IntelliMix DSP for noise and echo-free performance.

Collaboration displays

Building on the idea of all-in-one videoconferencing bars, display manufacturers such as LG, Avocor, Sharp NEC Display Solutions, Samsung and others were showing off their enterprise-quality displays with built in cameras, speakers and microphones to take the complexity out of conferencing spaces.

Among LG’s new lineup of impressive DVLED displays, the company was showing off its videoconferencing displays, including the One:Quick series, which features the 55-inch One-Quick Works and the 43-inch Flex model. Both are running on Windows 10 and are compatible with a wide variety of videoconferencing apps.

Like other hardware providers, collaboration display manufacturer Avocor is also looking to partner with leading conferencing software companies, evidenced by its new Google Meet Series One displays being highlighted on the show floor.

Read Next: My TechDecisions Podcast Episode 162: What IT Can Learn About Audiovisual Systems at InfoComm

The family of products, developed in partnership with Google Workspace, includes the Series One Board 65 and Series One Desk 27. While optimized for Google’s flagship business collaboration and conferencing platform, both can run any videoconferencing app.

Both include an integrated camera, microphone and speaker, as well as whiteboarding capabilities and intelligent audio and video features designed to reduce unwanted noise and keep on-site and remote participants engaged.

Similarly, Sharp NEC Display solutions showed off its PN-L2B AQUOS BOARD Smart Interactive Display, which it says it designed for hybrid meetings and classrooms. THe displays feature a single USB-C connector for easy startup and built-in wireless connectivity, among other visual features for which this brand is known. Several operating systems are supported, including Windows, Android, iOS, MacOS, iPadOS and Chrome OS.

Samsung, meanwhile, combines its impressive, interactive display technology with tried-and-true conferencing solutions from providers such as Logitech to provide all organizations need to collaborate with remote workers.

For educational settings, Samsung highlighted the Flip Pro, an interactive whiteboard that enables simultaneous collaboration for up to 20 people.

Monitoring and management tools for IT

However, what IT professionals have been calling for as they struggle to monitor and manage their organization’s new conferencing technology and spaces is visibility into those devices, many of which are deployed on the network. To address that need, Logitech highlighted its device management and deployment software, Sync and Logi Tune.

Poly offers similar a similar solution, Poly Lens, to help IT keep tabs on its conferencing devices.

Moving away from brand specific monitoring tools, companies such as software provider Utelogy and global AV integration firm AVI-SPL offer their own monitoring and management tools to help IT ensure conference room systems continue to run without disruption.

Utelogy CEO Kevin Morrison told me that as organizations continue to embrace hybrid work and are building out new conferencing spaces, IT professionals are lacking visibility and management capabilities. The Utelogy platform aims to solve that problem by providing a combination of monitoring, management, control and testing capabilities.

The platform currently supports 2,800 devices, which provides an invaluable tool for IT professionals to manage conferencing systems from the growing ecosystem of hardware vendors.

Meanwhile, AVI-SPL showed off the newest version of its Symphony platform for management and monitoring of multi-vendor collaboration systems and meeting environments.

The new version of the Symphony platform, 6.0, provides a revamped user interface that provides clarify and efficiency for IT administrators and analysts to easily see and understand what is happening across their collaboration technology ecosystem.

What IT can learn from InfoComm

Aside from those vendors, the InfoComm show is becoming heavily tailored to IT professionals, with over 20 sessions this year focused on IT and networked audiovisual systems. That included a panel session focused on the point of view of IT and end users of these products being showcased.

Other sessions explored cybersecurity implications for IoT, AV and workplace technology in enterprise environments, while a three-day course on networked AV systems looked at the impacts of AV systems on networks.

Visit the InfoComm show’s website or AVIXA’s website to learn more about these technologies.

The post The Unified Communication and Collaboration Technology on Display at InfoComm 2022 appeared first on My TechDecisions.

According to the Tampa, Fla.-based company, the new version of the Symphony platform provides a revamped user interface that provides clarify and efficiency for IT administrators and analysts to easily see and understand what is happening across their collaboration technology ecosystem. The platform gives IT professionals insights that can help them act quickly to prevent and resolve issues, per the company.

AVI-SPL’s launch of Symphony 6.0, comes as organizations everywhere are rapidly deploying new collaboration tools and meeting room environments to accommodate hybrid workers. However, that new collaboration technology is adding to the already very busy workload of IT professionals.

The software allows IT admins to create individual, configurable dashboards for a snapshot of real-time system health and allows them to see details of rooms with issues without having to leave the screen.

In addition, Symphony automatically creates and syncs the trouble ticket and attempts to resolve the issues with an automated workflow before IT even gets involved, allowing IT to stay focused on the most pressing issues first.

IT can also access data on meetings, rooms and incidents to gain actionable insights that can help organizations better maximize their meeting spaces and IT support teams.

“In order to create a stellar user experience, you have to start with the user,” said Laurie Berg, AVI-SPL director of Symphony product operations. “Symphony 6.0 takes the next step in looking at the IT user experience from a holistic perspective, not just a functional one.”

Symphony 6.0 will be available in the third quarter, per the company.

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The recognition represents AVI-SPL’s fourth consecutive win, following the last two years’ wins of the SAMA Outstanding Mature Program of the Year and previous two years of winning SAMA’s Outstanding Young SAM Program award when SAMA honored the growing value of AVI-SPL’s Global Strategic Accounts Program.

Each year, the SAMA Excellence Awards recognizes business-to-business companies who achieve success at elevating relationships with key customers by solving their most critical business problems.

Winners not only enhance their programs’ stature internally but also demonstrate to their clients their commitment to delivering a world-class customer experience. Past SAMA winners include strategic account programs led by 3M, Adobe, Johnson Controls. Merck, and Pfizer.

AVI-SPL’s Joe Laezza, senior vice president of global strategic accounts, and Danielle Matteson, vice president of global strategic accounts, received the honor during SAMA’s annual conference in New Orleans.

“AVI-SPL prides itself on being a trusted advisor to our clients. Our global strategic account program is oriented around a partnership with select designated clients that is forged on mutual innovation that leads to new value,” says Laezza. “The recognition by SAMA further validates our unique and proven approach to guiding clients to successful new digital workplace experiences that generate impactful business results.”

AVI-SPL’s Global Strategic Accounts Program

Over the past five years, AVI-SPL has grown its Global Strategic Accounts Program through alignment with its top global and enterprise customers across all sectors and geographies. The program establishes a business partnership focused on mutual innovation to create measurable and meaningful value for customers.

Many company members of AVI-SPL’s Global Strategic Accounts Program are also members of its Customer Advisory Board. According to AVI-SPL, this trusted partnership is especially important as companies re-imagine the future of work, accelerate digital transformation and rapidly experiment with new digital workplace models.

“Many companies come to SAMA for help with establishing a strategic accounts program,” says Denise Freier, president and CEO of SAMA. “It’s incredibly hard to get a program off the ground, but once they do, they have an even bigger task: Scale the program and make sure it’s built for the long haul. I’ve never seen a company evolve its SAM program as quickly and successfully as AVI-SPL, from its initial launch in 2018 to its win this year for Outstanding Mature SAM Program,” says Freier.

This article originally appeared on MyTechDecisions’ sister-site CommericalIntegrator.com.

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As a Gold Cloud Productivity competency holder, AVI-SPL earns new benefits and support from Microsoft. Thus, it is better able to meet the growing demand for cloud productivity solutions that fuel the modern workplace.

AVI-SPL Has Earned Multiple Microsoft Gold Competencies

AVI-SPL has now earned its fourth Gold Microsoft partner competency. With this, the company has further deepened and expanded its investment in its Microsoft practice. It earned this latest accolade because of its continued commitment to delivering Microsoft 365 solutions.

These include Microsoft Teams, Teams Meeting Rooms and Teams Phone. To reach this Gold level, AVI-SPL had to pass qualifying exam requirements. Moreover, it had to achieve superb technology expertise, high levels of certified staffing, positive customer experiences, and key sales and performance thresholds. AVI-SPL’s other Gold-level competencies are in communications, collaboration and content, and project and portfolio management.

In addition, AVI-SPL is a Microsoft Gold Surface Hub Authorized Device Reseller. Indeed, the firm is one of the leading Surface Hub solutions providers in the world, a company announcement indicates.

AVI-SPL has won or been a finalist for the Surface Hub Partner of the Year for three of the past four Microsoft fiscal years.

John Bailey, AVI-SPL’s senior vice president of technology and solutions, remarks, “Organizations of all sizes are enabling flexible, hybrid work environments where Microsoft solutions are absolutely critical to positive business outcomes.” He adds that Microsoft just announced record growth in Microsoft Teams users and devices.

Microsoft Customers Know AVI-SPL Will Confidently Guide Them

“With Gold Cloud Productivity Competency,” Bailey continues, “Microsoft customers know AVI-SPL will confidently guide them in enabling the modern work experience, helping teams stay connected from anywhere with engaging, productive collaboration tools and meetings.”

AVI-SPL seeks to guide customers to creating the modern, hybrid work experience with Microsoft. It offers the following services and solutions:

• Consulting workshops for Microsoft migrations. That would entail moving from or integrating a legacy voice system, Skype for Business or another UC provider to Microsoft Teams.
• Implementation and deployment of Microsoft Teams, Teams Rooms, Teams Rooms Premium, Teams Phone and Microsoft Teams-certified devices across the enterprise.
• IT managed services for overseeing, supporting and managing Microsoft cloud and UC environments.
• Scheduling, monitoring and remote management of Microsoft Teams rooms and connected devices to ensure their uptime.
• Training and adoption that is customized and customer-branded, in-person or online, with in-room signage and application support to ensure long-term, effective Microsoft usage.
• Microsoft Teams user experience services to track, benchmark, manage and optimize end-user experience of hybrid meetings, whether in office or remote. At the same time, working to reduce IT support needs.
• Microsoft Teams Collaboration Security and Governance to help organizations balance the flexibility needs of end users with InfoSec-approved security.

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

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