Will AV and IoT collide on the road to convergence?

Cloud services continue to make an impact on the AV industry, ushering in new capabilities and changing the way that AV systems are designed, installed, and operated. Now, the inescapable rise of IoT, along with cloudification, virtualisation and container-based applications, is bringing AV and IoT devices together into a shared domain 

As the outlook begins to crystallise, a new report from Futuresource Consulting explores the crossover between AV and IoT markets, identifying the benefits, and challenges for AV, and uncovers what this will mean for the AV industry moving forward. 

A shared focus and an expanding marketplace  

“AV and IoT markets have a shared focus on connectivity, data and automation,” says Kateryna Dubrova, Senior Analyst, Futuresource Consulting. “They are both being driven by a need to optimise performance and create user experiences that just weren’t possible before. From smart cities and building automation, to retail, education and healthcare, networked devices are making their presence felt. Businesses and enterprises are virtualising more of their fundamental components, data transmission is becoming ever-more accessible, and communications are practically seamless.  

“All this action is allowing workflows to accelerate, creating opportunities for AV vendors. However, as well as allowing them to tap into a larger market of networked devices, it also represents a serious risk.” 

The IoT threat to AV 

The main components of cloud integration for the AV industry include device networking, storage, security, orchestration and scalability. And as AV market solutions gain traction, the IoT industry’s higher degree of digitalisation and interoperability is giving it the edge. Compared with the majority of AV industry players, IoT vendors are better equipped to work within the IT and data-enabled domain. Although, IoT vendors are much more concerned with operational insights and data-enabled device-to-system integration, whereas AV vendors have different requirements for device control, as the priority is given to content quality, latency, and transmission. 

Yet the increasing drive to move AV solutions from a circuit-switched infrastructure to packet-based solutions is enabling the AV industry to tap deeper into the IT industry. This trend is underlined in the shift from traditional matrix switches to AV-over-IP protocol (AVoIP) switches, enabling the network connection of devices.  

Opportunities abound, but skills gap an issue 

As AV continues to converge upon IoT industries, the as-a-service model will present a highly significant monetising opportunity for vendors. When service portfolios move to the next level of growth, coinciding with the expansion of remote monitoring and management capabilities, the real value for AV clients will emerge.  

However, Futuresource warns that the AV industry is yet to learn an effective way to deliver comprehensive services. This is due to a lack of understanding of how to evaluate the success of the service model, alongside a shortage of people with the right skills to take full advantage of the AV- IoT opportunity. Only by bridging the skills gap will AV businesses be able to fully exploit the opportunity that presents itself. 

For further information on Futuresource Consulting’s IoT and AV market report, or to make a purchase, please contact ben.thurssell@futuresource-hq.com 

About the author

Kateryna Dubrova

Kateryna Dubrova is a Senior Analyst for Futuresource Consulting. She is covering and reporting on connectivity and up-the-stack technology for the Pro AV market. Kateryna's research is focused on the evolution of the AV sector, on connectivity and software-enabled tools that are becoming a disruptive element for the vendors, and how their go-to-market strategies are evolving. Her main areas of expertise include digital transformation, connectivity, professional services, and technology’s impact on sustainability.

Before joining Futuresource Consulting, Kateryna was a research analyst covering SaaS/PaaS with Core Analytics and ML/AI technologies within the IoT domain. Her specialization included O&G and renewable energy markets, industrial domain, telco, and sustainability markets. She also conducted several academic research projects in political economy and global studies.