As commercial video displays compete with, well, other video displays, integrators must create stand-out solutions.
By Tom LeBlanc
September 12, 2012
Creative Collaboration
Integrators aren’t interior designers. The skills involved with designing a technology solution and making that solution pop aren’t mutually inclusive. Some integration firms are more naturally suited for the marriage of technology and aesthetics, as is the case with Nyclomedia.
“We finally get a chance to put our fine art degrees to some use,” Andros quips. In most cases, however, integrators need to take steps—hiring, training of existing staff or partnering up—in order to provide these types of solutions.
“Those [integrators] who are successful have a network of interior designers and architects they work regularly with. The value proposition is that these partnerships bring design expertise to an integrator,” says Seura’s Gilbertson, adding that it can “make a big impact on your business.”
Content plays a key role in many eye-catching video solutions, points out Digital Projection’s director of marketing Michael Bridwell, and content creation isn’t in most integrators’ wheel house.
“It’s not necessary for an integrator to make a full-time hire,” he says, “as there are plenty of production companies out there that simply want to create content, then get out of the way so that a knowledgeable technician can handle the technical details.”
From the perspective of a lighting manufacturer, whose products also get creatively weaved into design-heavy projects, “We’d assume the integrator is working with an interior designer,” says Shell Reinish, VP of sales for Cyron Lighting. “It would be good for them to partner with an interior designer for the aesthetic nature of a project. Everybody has their own particular expertise.”
The exchange of expertise goes both ways especially when all parties are involved from the get-go, says Planar’s Davis, echoing Kelley Technologies’ Schiffman. “We see that our audio/video resellers are absolutely a critical part of this process. They can add a lot of value to
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