infoComm Connections in San Jose-Another Success

/

IMCCA, in collaboration with infoComm, presented "collaborate" at the Connections show in San Jose on March 3 and 4th. We had a full agenda with IMCCA Board members in attendance to include Executive Director Carol Zelkin, Chairman Ken Scaturro and Director of Emerging Technology, David Danto. We hope to see  you in New York.

We had a full day agenda on Thursday to include:

Collaborate Securely

Building Secure Collaboration Rooms and Systems in a World of Malware and Hackers

MODERATOR

David J. Danto, Principal Consultant, Dimension Data Enterprise Services

PRESENTERS

Hisham Abdelhamid, Engineer, Technical Marketing CTG Solutions Practice, Cisco
Steve Alexander, Executive Director, Crestron
Robert Haley, Director of Marketing, Compunetix
Josh Srago, CTS®, DMC-D-4K, Design Engineer, Teecom

Over the past few years, equipment manufacturers have engineered their products to use modern network connections to communicate with the other components in AV and collaboration rooms. Now not just the codecs, but displays, processors, cameras, control systems, audio systems and more — all need to ride on an IP network to operate. Regrettably, these changes have resulted in an unintended consequence — the need to increase focus on security. While select enterprises try to mitigate the potential damage by isolating the AV system network from their core network in some way, this is never a guarantee that components and/or users won't cross over at some point, enabling the spread of malware. What should organizations be doing to protect themselves from this threat? What are manufacturers doing to make their systems safer? This session will provide practical and actionable advice from experts on how to cope in a malware-infested world.

During this session, attendees will:

  • Learn about the vulnerabilities of legacy AV systems now that they ride on an organization's network
  • Hear which changes are being made in technologies and best practices to cope with the rising threats
  • Discuss what you can do to prepare with a panel of experts

The Huddle Room

Identifying and Evaluating New-to-Market Technology Solutions

MODERATOR

David J. Danto, Principal Consultant, Dimension Data Enterprise Services

PRESENTERS

Steve Alexander, Executive Director, Crestron
Brady O. Bruce, CMO, InFocus Corp
Ben Evans, Product Manager, CTG Strategy and Planning, Cisco
Joe Miklovic, CTS-D, CTS-I, AV Design Engineer, Google
Andrew Milne, Ph.D., CEO, Tidebreak, Inc.
Jason Moss, Global Head of Go-To-Market & Business Development, Video Collaboration — Channel Programs, Logitech
Felix Robinson, Vice President Enterprise Accounts, AVI-SPL

AV and collaboration industries — and most organizations — have completely embraced the concept of the huddle room: a meeting space that holds only a handful of people as they collaborate together. Seemingly every manufacturer in the industry is making a huddle room solution. Some firms expect you to bring your PC/Mac/device to the room and connect it to peripherals that enhance the camera, display and/or sound. Other firms are building complete solutions for these smaller spaces that don't require any BYOD for conferencing and collaboration. How should professionals go about selecting the right technology for these now critical spaces? Should people be expected to bring their devices to these rooms and use the simple convenience and flexibility of their own computer collaboration application — and run the risk of the hook-up and/or network connection not going very well, or should organizations use products that provide a complete experience in such rooms — costing more but ensuring that everything that is needed is already there?

During this session, attendees will:

  • Identify how this new generation of technology can increase business productivity and employee engagement
  • Understand the latest offerings in the space and what advantages they bring to the experience
  • Contrast the benefits and downsides of BYOD-based rooms vs. rooms that have installed systems

Collaborating in Silicon Valley

Optimizing Technology to Meet Unique Local Needs

MODERATOR

David J. Danto, Principal Consultant, Dimension Data Enterprise Services

PRESENTERS

Gail Bautista, Program Manager, AV Engineering, Google
Jeevan Varughese, Global Videoconferencing Engineering & Operations Manager, LinkedIn
Justin Watts, CTS, Program Manager, AV Engineering, Google
Beau Wilder, Vice President, Innovation Waves and New Products, Plantronics

Consider that 25% of the clothing you own has the name of hardware or software companies printed on it ... You manage a 45-minute commute to an office eight miles away … You buy your produce (and the frozen dinners that keep you alive) at Trader Joe's. These are some of the signs that you're definitely a Silicon Valley techie. There is a certain uniqueness — not just about you, but about the culture of the organization you work for. How do your colleagues handle remote 9 a.m. meetings in New York? How do you set up effective hoteling strategies to maximize office space? How do you balance an office culture to be "fun" enough to attract the latest generation to the workforce yet support actually getting anything done? This session will cover the tricks and tips needed to successfully collaborate using technology in this special corner of the tech world.

During this session, attendees will:

  • Discuss the unique local culture and how peers in the area have supported it
  • Explore examples of smarter working, and how firms have created futuristic environments to take advantage of the various technologies
  • Discuss future trends and how local organizations are planning to adapt to them