POV: Big Tent, Bigger Plan
Nov 1, 2005 12:00 PM
Throughout the year, Sound & Video Contractor‘s POV articles have described the activities of the member councils and committees of InfoComm International, the trade association for the pro-AV industry. Here’s where the “big tent” of InfoComm International comes in handy: Given the makeup of the membership, various councils can come together to share and exchange ideas and perspectives contributing to the betterment of the whole. At times, members must take off their company hats and work together with competitors. In the end, the association produces stronger products and services, such as the recently published Audiovisual Best Practices guide, the first such document on the process of installing AV systems.
During the recent InfoComm Fall Leadership Forum, the councils and committees met and furthered a number of initiatives.
BEST PRACTICES
In June 2005, a momentous step was achieved with publication of Audiovisual Best Practices: The Design and Integration Process for the AV and Construction Industries. The guide was the result of a two-year effort by the Sound, AudioVisual, and Video Integrators (SAVVI); the Independent Consultants in Audiovisual Technology (ICAT); and the Technology Managers, as well as other volunteers. The book serves as a way to communicate to architects, facility managers, and others involved in AV projects what the industry does. But the effort did not end there. As with many projects, the members felt a need to continue expanding on the concept of “best practices.”
A joint committee hopes to create derivatives and additions that will provide useful and practical tools. Topics such as digital signal processing, intellectual property, and system commissioning are natural outgrowths to be explored.
DIGITAL SIGNAL PROCESSING
Representatives from ICAT, SAVVI, Independent Programmers, and Manufacturers councils met to discuss specifications for digital signal processing. Their goal is to develop a best practices statement that will be published and broadly distributed.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
The topic of who owns programming code and other intellectual property brought many people to the table to debate, discuss, and ultimately reach some consensus. Representatives from ICAT, SAVVI, Independent Programmers, Manufacturers, and Technology Manager councils were all present. Action items that emerged from this collaboration included the proposal to create a best practices statement on intellectual property, as well as the creation of a subcommittee to assist in future practical tools. The views of representatives from different areas of the industry were presented to allow for an accurate overview of the topic and better understanding on the intricacies of the concept.
Several other smaller meetings took place during the two-day conference that was held in Virginia Sept. 15-16. Members of InfoComm International can view the results of these meetings, along with summaries of the previous meetings, at www.infocomm.org. If you would like more information on InfoComm International’s councils and committees, email [email protected].
Article courtesy ofInfoComm International, (formerly ICIA).
