Survey Analysis: In-house Systems Install

in-stal-la-tion. [in-stuh-ley-shuhn] noun.
1. something installed, as machinery or apparatus placed in position or connected for use.
2. the act of installing.
See also commissioning, provisioning, integration, deployment, build-up

More than 120 technology managers and directors responded to our questions about prevailing issues that affect the choices we make when planning to bring new learning spaces online. All respondents were directly involved in some aspect of learning space development (i.e. planning, design, procurement, project management, quality control, installation). As evidence of AV-1’s commitment to keeping surveys brief, the majority completed the survey in less than ten minutes.

What follows is our analysis of five key elements explored in the survey.

Survey Analysis: Analog-to-Digital Transition

In an ideal world, we might leap at the chance to dig into new technologies that promise breathtaking video resolution with minimal tweaking, however digital transitioning also brings the potential to disrupt and/or bankrupt services at a time when few operations have capacity to spare for a major overhaul of RGB-based analog video systems.

Recent discussions regarding the transition from analog to digital video transport suggest that many feel that they have little control over this technological sea-change. We conceived our Analog-to-Digital Transition survey in order to put a finer point on the current “state of digital”. This is the summary of what we learned.

Survey: Analog-to-Digital Transition

Recent discussions regarding the transition from analog to digital video transport suggest that many feel that they have little control over this technological sea-change.

In an ideal world, we might leap at the chance to dig into new technologies that promise breathtaking video resolution with minimal tweaking, however transitioning also brings the potential to disrupt and/or bankrupt services at a time when few operations have capacity to spare for a major overhaul of RGB-based analog video systems.

Please take a moment to respond to the following eight questions so that we may will put a finer point on the “state of digital” — particularly as we approach summer upgrade season.

The Big Picture…

This survey departs from previous anonymous surveys by asking for your email address. We ask this in preparation for AV-1’s upcoming budget survey series in which we hope to gain a better understanding of prevailing budget and lifecycle practices. An undertaking of this magnitude will take more than six or eight questions, so rather than try your patience, we have devised a plan for a series of short-but-sweet surveys on key operational areas. We hope to use your email address as an internal “key field” to re-assemble your responses across multiple surveys so that we can begin to map data to institutional demographics (i.e. Midwest private liberal arts college with 10,000 enrolled). As always, your survey responses will remain anonymous.

Scott Tiner

Bates College

Survey Results: Projector Freeze

Have you ever asked a question to which you were certain that you already knew the answer? On this week’s survey, we thought we had done just that. Expecting to hear that one particular brand of projector, when coupled with one particular control system manufacturer would cause periodic problems with RS-232, we relished the “reveal” moment when we could proclaim, “It was Colonel Mustard in the parlor with a knife!” Sadly, we hadn’t a clue.

Survey: Projector Freeze

Recently in a thread on the AV-1 forum, many members indicated that they had encountered difficulties with projectors locking up. In these cases ‘locking up” was defined as the projector not responding to any commands, either via RS-232, IP or IR. We wondered if it might be possible for AV-1 to assist in some way.

We thought that if our community could identify specific products, or a combination of products that are experiencing these issues, perhaps as a community (of 600+ IT/AV people) we could approach the manufacturers and explain the problems and see if they could develop a solution. Please take a moment to complete our projector/control system malfunction survey.

 Scott Tiner

Bates College

The Most Important and Serious Survey… ever.

Come April, we like to pause a moment to reflect merrily upon all the hi-jinx and lallygagging that carried us through the long, cold winter doldrums. Ah, the leaky basements! Oh, the delayed supply shipments! Jeepers, those goofy budget cuts keep cracking us up!

We turned to our resident comedian, Dave Althoff, Jr. (the guy with the funny titles in his emails) and asked him to come up with questions that would make us laugh, learn and understand the stereotypes of us AV types. (For those of you who don't fit the stereotype, consider this an adventure in tolerance, or better yet, just play along.)

Some of his questions are funny (at least we thought so), some more serious (Joe did get a little misty) but all are meant in good humor. Please take a few minutes to complete our special, super-secret double-detention AV-1 April Fools Day survey.

Professional Development Survey Results

On Monday, we posed six questions to the AV-1 community about the value of professional development. This is my analysis of your responses. Please let us know what you think.

First, we fall into a pretty tight band with regard to how many Professional Development (PD) opportunities we get per year. 73% of respondents are able to arrange up to six opportunities, and not a single respondent indicated getting over 10 opportunities. Six of us responded that they get no PD. 

We would love to hear more from those of you who get no PD… is that by choice or for some other reason?

AV-1 Survey: Professional Development

Our recent pre-InfoComm survey told us that 63% of AV-1 readers attend InfoComm for educational (Professional Development) purposes. This got our readers, and us at AV-1 HQ, asking more and more questions about professional development. 

The questions came more quickly than we could answer…

Is InfoComm the best place to engage in Professional Development? 

Are there other great ways to continue to learn??

Are technology directors and managers getting all the Professional Development they feel is required???

How come we drive on a parkway and park on a driveway????

We knew the only way to get the low-down was to go back to you, knowledgeable readers, and ask a few more questions. Please take a minute to fill out the survey and let us know what/if you are doing for professional development. As always, the results will be posted by next Monday.

 Scott Tiner

Bates College

Take AV Tech Mag Survey + $10 gift card!

Dear AV-1,

AV Technology magazine wants to be your preferred resource for AV/IT. It is important to us to understand the challenges and obstacles you face while delivering enterprise-grade solutions, whether you do so on a local or global scale. 

Could you take a few minutes to complete our short 19-question survey by visiting this link?
http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB229X5LYA799

I know your time is a precious commodity, so in appreciation for your help, the first 100 AV-1 members to complete the survey will receive a $10 gift card, courtesy of Biamp Systems. 

As always, please feel free to contact me at any time.

Thank-you for your support!

Mark Mayfield
Editor, AV Technology NewBay Media, LLC
Tel: 508-529-9390
Fax: 508-529-9365
mmayfield@nbmedia.com
www.avtechnologyonline.com