The corporate sound segment is increasingly demanding and requires greater attention from manufacturers, distributors and installers, as it is clear that the quality of their equipment and service is the difference. By Santiago Jaramillo H.
One of the recommendations made by Juan Fernando Montoya, representative of Robert Bosch Colombia Ltda., is always to get advice from experts in the field with experience in the corporate market, because it is very common to make the mistake of generalizing audio and consider that whoever makes audio solutions for the home or even an expert for concerts can make a corporate design, and the truth is that there are certain differences in the design of these systems that could be better optimized by someone with sufficient background in this segment.
"It is very important to be clear about what the needs are and that several previous meetings are held with who will design the system. A good creative manages through effective interviews to focus on the client's need and create a project. Oversizing the audio system or failing that leaving so many needs uncovered is a mistake that only with a good design, made by someone with knowledge and who has managed to understand the particular needs of the client, will be able to avoid, "says Montoya.
The first step, according to the representative of Robert Bosch Colombia Ltda., would be to locate the need that the corporate client has in four groups (Open Conferences, Auditoriums / Sound Reinforcement, PA / BGM, Audio Evacuation and Mass Notification) in order to give a more appropriate solution, of course it could be the case in which there are projects in which several of these groups or even the four together coexist as an integral solution.
Paul Ingebrigtsen, president of Williams Sound Corp., says the advice he would give to a customer who has in mind to install such a system is "make sure you use qualified integrators and installers to be sure that the equipment chosen will meet the final needs of users and that it will be properly installed and working properly. The system integrator is also required to provide the necessary training to use the equipment."
Meanwhile, José Martínez, sales director for Latin America of the company Revolabs, maintains that "the first thing that should be recommended to a corporate client is a detailed analysis of their audio, video and integration needs in each of their rooms, auditoriums, etc. It must be carried out by companies certified in AV (...) in order to present proposals or solutions including the ROI Return of Investment (Return on Investment)", he points out.
Corporate sound solutions?
This is a question that may be common, but that really few specialists know how to answer for sure, according to Juan Fernando Montoya these are communication solutions focused on private companies from SMEs to large multinationals. Within this corporate segment there are different particular needs which can be differentiated into the following four groups:
* Open Conferences: Typical systems for boardrooms or meetings where there is participation of several people in a collaborative and simultaneous way, either for local amplification or to be used as capture and reproduction systems in video and teleconferencing systems.
* Auditoriums / Sound Reinforcement: Systems for voice amplification or musical sound reinforcement in halls or auditoriums in which presentations are made such as launches or presentations of new strategies where a group of people are listening and watching an event prepared to create impact.
* PA/BGM: Sound systems for calls, announcements and location of people that can also be used for background music to create more pleasant and productive environments.
* Audio Evacuation and Mass Notification: Systems whose function rises beyond that of making institutional announcements or calls on the site and that begin to fulfill functions of safeguarding lives through orderly evacuations, for which they must guarantee their operation at all times, as well as redundancy and automatic monitoring of failures that guarantee that the system will fulfill its role when required. Likewise, these systems are integrated into the sensor and alarm systems automatically and generate pre-established procedures.
Innovation in corporate sound
An equally important area of quality is that of innovation in terms of research and development for this segment, and leading companies such as Robert Bosch Colombia Ltda., Revolabs and Williams Sound Corp., are undoubtedly references in this matter.
"New technologies have led to advances in projectors and monitors for presentations, teleconferencing and video conferencing systems for virtual meetings, based on web-media deployment, and general improvements in microphones, speakers and control systems for meeting rooms," says the representative of Williams Sound Corp.
For his part, the sales director for Latin America of the company Revolabs indicates that the biggest developments in the segment are focused on "high-definition audio, also known as HD technology, in which Revolabs is a world leader."
Meanwhile, Juan Fernando Montoya points out that, in the sub-segments of this market, the greatest developments are established as follows:
* Open Conferencing: Integration to fast MP3 recording and ease of transcription. Modules for voting, identification, integration and simultaneous interpretation.
* Auditoriums / Sound Reinforcement: High efficiency speaker systems with minimal distortions. High efficiency optimizes power consumption resources and makes solutions greener, while distortion levels have been brought to points never before reached in speaker technology.
* PA/BGM: Integrated leveling systems for input signals and ambient noise signals in a system that can be controlled locally and remotely over IP with customizable graphical user interfaces, plus amplifiers that can be monitored and controlled remotely indicating faults in wiring or speakers all integrated into the same system.
* Audio Evacuation and Mass Notification: Systems that are integrated not only to alarms and sensors but to other audio systems such as sound reinforcement, PA / BGM and conferences so that in case of emergencies or evacuations all systems communicate with each other and know when they interrupt an event taking advantage of the resources of the other systems.
In conclusion, the alternatives are diverse and can vary both in price and quality, but the most important thing will always be to surround yourself with recognized personnel and companies that have the capacity and sufficient support to meet the expectation generated by an investment of this type.
