“Through Kramer’s intuitive control platform, our Kommander amplifiers can now be implemented seamlessly into a Kramer-based control system,” explains Matteo Barbaro, software product manager at K-array. “This is an exciting step as integrators now have fewer barriers when it comes to integrating our professional audio solutions into a range of spaces, such as corporate, government or education environments.”

“The technical partnership with Kramer follows our trend of being as compatible as possible with all the control system manufacturers,” continues Barbaro. “Our goal is to improve the integration experience whilst eliminating any potential user pain points.”

The announcement of this new partnership is a continuation of K-array’s commitment to software development, following the release of plug-ins for other control platforms including Crestron, Q-SYS, AMX and Control4. According to the company, further software partnership announcements are expected throughout 2024.

“By providing consultants and integrators with all the necessary tools to interact with and manage K-array products, they will be able to work more efficiently, which in turn benefits the end user,” concludes Barbaro. “We’ll continue working to expand the technologies that our products can integrate with and in turn, ensure our solutions are at the front of the minds of integrators when they are specifying on projects.”

Another version of this article originally appeared on our sister-site Commercial Integrator on March 14, 2024. It has since been updated for My TechDecisions’ audience.

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InfoComm arrives at an exciting time for Kramer, as the audiovisual experience provider maintains a strong vision. With the accelerated convergence of AV and IT, Kramer expects the transition from product to experience in the buying journey, and a value shift from hardware to software.

The company says it is not only capitalizing on market trends and customer needs, but also leading them. This includes the introduction of a new and enhanced version of the VIA platform, Kramer’s wireless collaboration and conferencing platform, and a new quicklaunch for Education solution. In addition, the company also debuted a new series of interoperable audiovisual signal management products and the new KDS-100, an open-standard 4K60 AVoIP streaming solution.

Kramer CONNECT also showcased an extended portfolio of premium USB-C products, as well as an inaugural range of Services like space design, installation, and technical certification.

To showcase the potential of its audiovisual products, Kramer’s InfoComm booth also featured interactive, life-size examples of a fully equipped hybrid classroom, meeting space and sports bar.

Kramer Partnerships 

Kramer also highlighted new partnerships with Sennheiser, Samsung and Yealink. Kramer’s alliance with Sennheiser has led to the creation of a hybrid teleconferencing solution, based on Sennheiser’s Team Connect Ceiling 2 microphone and Kramer’s AFM-DSP20-AEC audio matrix switcher.

Meanwhile, Samsung and Kramer have teamed up to enable Kramer’s quicklaunch collaboration software to seamlessly work with Samsung’s Flip and QMB display series, for immersive smart learning and collaboration experiences in any type of classroom or office meeting space.

Kramer and Yealink have partnered to improve efficiency in meeting spaces by integrating Kramer BRAINware, Kramer VIA Go, Kramer VIA Connect2 and Yealink MVC II room systems. This collaboration gives presenters full control of Microsoft Teams meetings, the sharing of content, and room elements such as lighting and shades, all via a single, easy-to-use touch panel.

Alongside these partnerships and new products, the company remains focused on ensuring its customers’ business continuity, investing in a robust supply chain that ensures Kramer products are consistently available across hubs worldwide. Kramer has also established regional offices and leaders across EMEA, APAC and the Americas, to enable it to get closer than ever to customers and their local requirements.

A version of this article originally appeared on our sister site Commercial Integrator. 

The post Kramer Unveils New Products, Partnerships & Services at InfoComm 2023 appeared first on My TechDecisions.

According to Kramer, the powerful multi-participant content-sharing capabilities of its VIA Connect2 for hybrid meetings and VIA Campus2 for lecture halls and classrooms, come together with the intelligent features of Jabra PanaCast to create a fully certified solution that is quick to install and intuitive to use.

The solution delivers advanced and scalable bring your own device (BYOD) and bring your own meeting (BYOM) participation with plug-and-play capability and One-Step-Conferencing through sessions that are driven from the user’s own device for touchless operation.

Kramer’s VIA Connect2 and VIA Campus2  integrate with Jabra’s PanaCast 50, which features astounding audio, a unique 180-degree field of view and intelligent zoom and Virtual Director mode to make meetings more immersive. Real-time whiteboard streaming ensures inclusivity for seamless remote collaboration.

Key Features

Participants can connect from any device or operating system and experience unified communications out-of-the-box, supporting conferencing platforms such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom.

The Kramer VIA Connect2 and VIA Campus2 are compact wireless presentation and collaboration devices with the smallest form-factor in the industry. They can be deployed, managed and configured remotely using VIA Site Management (VSM). This software management platform enables IT, AV integrators to maintain hardware remotely via the cloud or through on-premise networks.

The Jabra PanaCast AV intelligent and secure solutions work with all leading UC and conferencing solutions, enabling teams to connect anytime, anywhere from whatever equipment they’re using with professional audio and video features.

“Jabra’s PanaCast is an amazing line of video bars and combined with Kramer’s leading wireless presentation and collaboration platform, we bring best-in-class audiovisual experience to teams working together. Our partnership goes beyond the product certification — we have similar go-to-market approaches with many joint channel partners that will benefit from our sales and marketing initiatives. We also have a great cultural fit and share a passion for developing technologies that continuously improve audiovisual experiences, to help people feel closer together even when they’re far apart,” says Aviv Ron, vice president of corporate development and strategy at Kramer.

Aurangzeb Khan, senior vice president of intelligent vision systems at Jabra, adds, “We engineered our PanaCast range to provide intelligent, secure and high-quality video solutions to users, no matter where they choose to work from. Combining PanaCast with Kramer’s wireless presentation solutions makes hybrid working and collaborating with colleagues easier than ever.”

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

The post Kramer & Jabra Introduce New Hybrid Conferencing Solution appeared first on My TechDecisions.

According to Tel Aviv, Israel-based Kramer, the new Kramer VIA Connect² and VIA Campus² solutions now provide users with a seamless experience when paired with the Logitech MeetUp cameras.

The solution requires only a USB connection between the Kramer VIA platform and Logitech MeetUp camera, and can be used in a wide range of conference room sizes.

Through this partnership, Kramer and Logitech are aiming to reduce complexity and increase flexibility in meeting rooms worldwide. It combines Logitech technologies like RightSense, which ensures that in-room participants are clearly seen and heard without additional calibration or manual intervention.

The partnership also allows users to connect to in-room technology and control peripherals from a single device. Kramer’s wireless peripheral connectivity solution, VIA Versa, enables wireless connectivity with Logitech MeetUp in any space, according to Kramer.

Aviv Ron, vice president of corporate development and strategy at Kramer, said in a statement, “As corporations catch up with new hybrid working habits, collaboration between UC manufacturers is key to producing solutions that are not only efficient for resellers and users, but are future-proofed as platforms advance and customer requirements evolve.

“We constantly look for partnership opportunities that will improve our customer experience and bring greater value. Logitech has been instrumental in the development of meeting room solutions and together we look forward to providing new and innovative solutions that further enhance the workplace.”

Sudeep Trivedi, Head of Alliances and Go-to-Market at Logitech, adds, “We are very pleased to continue our relationship with Kramer, and combine the excellent wireless presentation and collaboration of Kramer’s VIA family with our leading solutions in the unified communication space.”

The post Logitech MeetUp Camera Now Fully Certified For Kramer Via Connect2 appeared first on My TechDecisions.

An audiovisual pioneer with over 40 years of experience and 20+ offices worldwide, Kramer has spent the last year undergoing a business transformation. With a goal to triple revenue in the next three years, it has created a regional structure across Europe, APAC, and the Americas, and will soon open its new regional EMEA office in Amsterdam to better serve customers and partners.

The Kramer Transformation

Visitors to Kramer’s booth at ISE will experience first-hand the company’s new brand and vision.

From bedroom offices to kitchen-table schools, virtual cabinet meetings to remote command centers, people now live, work, and engage in more ways than ever before. The advent of this ‘physi-digi’ world has created global demand for platforms that drive immersive productivity, collaboration and connection.

Kramer’s vision is to meet this demand by creating technology to power engagement through the world’s most intuitive end-to-end audiovisual experiences. By focusing on the always-on collaborative needs of our new hybrid world, the company says it is pivoting to navigate the intersection of the physical and digital and support stronger end-user engagement than ever before.

This is also reflected in Kramer’s new branding. Focusing on the modern needs of the end-user, the new visual identity and themes represent seamless and infinite connections — the very same offered by Kramer’s technology.

Introducing New Products and Solutions

The latest Kramer products will also be on show at the ISE booth, including the KDS-7 portfolio of high performance and scalable AVoIP solutions, the new line of Kramer collaboration devices and new features to the VIA platform. Plus, the company’s latest software solutions will be demonstrated, following Kramer’s acquisition of hybrid computing organization, UCWorkspace.

Kramer experts will be on hand at the booth to discuss current trends in the industry, how they’re reshaping organizations worldwide and ways in which Kramer’s technology can help visitors to navigate the future of communication and collaboration.

“The last couple of years have transformed the need for high-quality audiovisual experiences. Now that physical and digital interactions are given increasingly equal footing, every organization requires an end-to-end technology partner to help it power immersive creativity, expression, and connectivity,” says Kramer CEO Gilad Yron.

“Kramer’s transformation reflects this. We’re helping our customers to connect with people across multiple platforms for stronger inclusiveness, closer relationships, and greater collaboration. We can’t wait to showcase this vision, and our new brand, to the world at ISE 2022,” continues Yron.

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

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The company says it designed the VW-9 driver for 3X3 videowalls. It features 10 outputs, making it flexible and ideal for wall shapes up to 10 identical displays, such as 5X2 configurations. The VW-16, with 16 outputs, drives huge videowalls of up to 16 displays. Both drivers incorporate 4K60 4:4:4 video processing and support audio input switching and de-embedding. Integrators can install them in any square, rectangle or elongated configuration. Moreover, they are suitable for varied applications. These range from airport signage to shopping malls, command and control centers, and more.

Related: Kramer AV-over-IP Boosts Experience at New Atlanta Music Venue

The drivers also come with redundant power supplies for uninterrupted operation. Thus, according to Kramer, the units are exceptionally robust. What’s more, they meet strict security requirements. These include mission-critical applications such as situation rooms, air and land traffic control centers, security command and control, and medical installations.

They also process video without compression, thereby ensuring high image quality with sharp, clear pixel clarity. In addition, zero (sub-millisecond) latency enables real-time video display. This makes it highly suitable for applications that are ultra-sensitive to time lags, such as live presentations and events.

Additional Features

The VW-9 and VW-16 drivers make videowall set-up and management fast and simple. They also come with a choice of Ethernet and RS-232/422/485 control interfaces, a unique, intuitive front panel on the processor unit, and varied video processing and audio options. Per a statement, the videowall processor is therefore easy for anyone to set up and manage. It also requires no training.

“As the market evolves, Kramer continues to lead in creating innovative products and solutions that meet the needs of our customers across all markets,” comments Shai Yaniv, VP of products & solutions at Kramer. “Our VW-9 and VW-16 videowall drivers are designed to deliver impressive and intuitive solutions for large-scale video walls, in varying shapes and sizes, that are simple and cost-effective to set up and operate. Adding the drivers to our product portfolio completes Kramer’s eco-system for video walls by offering a premium engine for large-scale installations and continues to enhance the customer’s audio visual experience.”

The VW-9 and VW-16 will be in stock and shipping worldwide in late Q2, says Kramer.

The post Kramer Announces New Videowall Drivers for Intuitive, Mission-Critical, Audio Visual Experiences 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.

According to Kramer, the KDS-7 line delivers optimal user experience, enterprise IT-grade security and advanced, yet intuitive management. The product line also comprises a full range of networked end points. These include encoders, decoders, and auto-switch encoders, as well as a dedicated manager device.

Additionally, it supports 1K video sources and easily scales to suit the AV needs of numerous rooms and locations. Enterprise-grade IT security, built-in to all KDS-7 devices, protects the IT network.

Other Specifications of the KDS-7

The KDS-7 product line further expands the benefits of AVoIP. With AVoIP, the AV encoders and decoders connect to the end-points of the organization’s IP network. Leveraging the switching power of the IP network eliminates the limits on AV deployments. This would otherwise be constrained by the number of physical AV ports on hardware and that consume a great amount of real estate and energy. This simple and reliable approach thus enables numerous devices in a single network and makes expanding into new spaces easier and less costly.

Kramer says its AVoIP offering has already gained recognition for providing optimum scalability and flexibility. Now, with the KDS-7 line, Kramer is introducing even greater scalability and flexibility. The plug-and-play integration into any IP network speeds up deployment and significantly reduces costs. Additionally, it comes with high-resolution video and support for large-scale video wall installations. It also has full compatibility with end-user devices, including USB-C connection for simple collaboration and simultaneous charge. All these features ensure an outstanding experience for users, the company states.

“At Kramer we’re proud to be a leader in creating AVoIP products that accelerate hybrid work, improve hybrid learning across campuses and enhance performance of command and control centers at large-scale installations,” comments Gilad Yron, CEO Kramer Electronics. “Our new KDS-7 AVoIP product line furthers our mission, providing a superior user experience with its ability to support a large number of video sources, with low latency, fast switching, intuitive manageability and advanced security capabilities.”

The post Kramer Launches New KDS-7 AVoIP Streaming Solution appeared first on My TechDecisions.

Kramer’s complete solutions for enterprise meeting spaces, schools, and universities meet customers’ needs for complete, integrated solutions. Per the company, it provides certified solutions, market-leading warranties and end-to-end support. In addition, all of these fall under one roof. It also offers simple setup and seamless use, making the products agnostic to all unified communications applications and supports multiple conferencing platforms.

Kramer says it designed the Collaboration Devices for varied spaces. These range from small huddle rooms up to large boardrooms, classrooms and auditoriums. The devices ensure all participants, whether in the room or connecting remotely, consistently enjoy superb interactions. Participants also enjoy an immersive audio and video experience. Furthermore, with the Collaboration Devices, they can see and be seen as well as hear and be heard clearly. This then enables meaningful and effective collaboration.

Besides this, the Kramer Collaboration Devices provide fast and simple deployment. They can also combine easily with Kramer’s in-room A/V signal management and control products for a complete collaborative hybrid experience.

“With workplace norms and needs changing across business and education markets, our end-to-end solutions are building the foundation for truly inclusive hybrid interaction spaces,” says Gilad Yron, Kramer CEO. “The addition of the new line of Kramer Collaboration Devices is the latest step towards this vision, helping ensure engaging experiences for all participants and successfully bridging the gap between in-person and remote interactions.”

Kramer Collaboration Devices Lineup

• K-Speak: A compact speakerphone with 360° omnidirectional audio pickup that enhances the audio experience. Perfect for any size room where additional audio coverage is needed.
• K-Bar: An all-in-one video and audio communication bar that allows participants to quickly start collaborating. Ideal for small to mid-sized spaces where an all-in-one device saves space and cable clutter.
• K-180Mini: A smart, 4K wall-mount panoramic camera with integrated microphone, that captures clear video across a full 180° field of view. Designed for small spaces and huddle rooms.
• K-CamHD: A professional HD PTZ camera for versatile video capture that ensures a clear view of all meeting attendees, with special attention wherever needed. Ideal for varied spaces and use cases, ranging from medium sized rooms up to board rooms, classrooms and auditoriums.
• K-Cam4K: An ultra-HD PTZ camera for premium-clarity video in large spaces that puts every meeting in sharp focus, with crystal-clear, ultra-high-definition video capture. Supports the most advanced and challenging setups in large meeting rooms and educational spaces.

A version of this article originally appeared on our sister site Commercial Integrator. 

The post Kramer Releases Suite of Collaboration Devices For Hybrid Meetings appeared first on My TechDecisions.