Recent Work

Former on-air meteorologist and atmospheric scientist turned business development specialist to focus on expanding visibility and market share for CP’s Red House Streaming solutions

Tampa, Florida, May 8, 2019 — CP Communications, a leader in innovative solutions and services for live event productions, has appointed former atmospheric scientist and TV meteorologist James Monroe to its newly created Director of Sales, North America position.

Based in the Chicago area, Monroe will report to Ken Dillard, Vice President of Sales, North America, and focus on sales and business development for CP Communications’ broadcast news, sports, live event and sports production, and distribution solutions utilizing cellular acquisition tools from Mobile Viewpoint. Monroe’s responsibilities include an emphasis on expanding visibility and market share for the company’s Red House Streaming and Mobile Viewpoint portfolios of content acquisition solutions, which offers a range of IP, cloud and bonded cellular technologies and services.

Monroe brings a rare blend of technical expertise and communications skills to his new role. He spent nearly three decades in the weather industry, including seven as an on-air meteorologist at TV stations in Salt Lake City (KSTU-TV) and Rochester, New York (WROC-TV). He has also served as Special Projects Weather Forecaster for the United States Air Force, supervising the delivery of weather forecasts, warnings and advisories to the U.S. Military and NATO forces, along with supporting NASA missions and various civilian agencies.

Over the past 15 years, Monroe has transitioned into the broadcast supplier space, taking on sales and engineering roles of increasing responsibility. Following positions at WSI Corporation and The Weather Company (an IBM Business) that merged his meteorology experience with customer-facing sales and account management duties, Monroe held successful, senior-level sales roles at Vizrt and TVU Networks.

Monroe’s diverse experiences have equipped him with a strong knowledge of modern broadcast and production workflows, and an insightful awareness of the role that customer intimacy plays in the sales journey.

“My many years of television experience both behind the scenes and on the supplier side has taught me the value that this industry places on relationships,” he said. “CP Communications understands the importance of a consultative sales approach, and how treating customer relations as partnerships will ultimately drive revenue. The fact that CP Communications is on the leading edge of IP and cloud-based delivery only strengthens my opportunity for success. Through our representation of Mobile Viewpoint networking products and our homegrown STREAM family of content acquisition systems, we can offer solutions that are ideally engineered to fit the standards and workflows of today’s broadcast and production environments.”

Monroe adds that he sees an opportunity to expand CP Communications’ presence into new markets where IP and bonded cellular technologies can provide critical connectivity and communications services, including public safety and law enforcement.

“James brings a very unique industry perspective along with a customer-centric work ethic and long-standing industry relationships to CP Communications that will bring our innovative solutions and services to a much larger audience,” said Dillard. “We are proud to welcome him to the growing CP Communications team.”

About CP Communications

For more than three decades, CP Communications has provided high-quality, cost-effective live event production solutions to major broadcasters, sports leagues and teams, and event and production companies. Our solutions include access to experienced professionals, state of the art equipment, and innovative technologies and techniques for wireless audio & video content acquisition, transport and delivery. Our culture of innovation, coupled with the highest quality assurance standards and passion for customer service, promote collaboration with our clients to determine the best custom solution for each live event.

ATLANTA, GA – May 7, 2019 – Visix will showcase its award-winning interactive wayfinding designs, digital signage and room signs at the annual SEGD Conference, taking place June 6-8 at the Fairmont Austin Hotel in Texas (booth 412).

“The experience is everything,” says Jill Perardi, creative services manager for Visix. “Whether it’s the UI of our software, or the user experience when interacting with our wayfinding and touchscreen designs, everything we do is focused on creating an enjoyable, gratifying encounter, so we can reinforce the client’s engagement goals. The SEGD conference is the perfect place to network with experiential design experts to get feedback about our current offering, and explore burgeoning experiential trends.”

INTERACTIVE WAYFINDING 
Visix will highlight the company’s award-winning wayfinding designs, which focus on personalized experience and audience engagement by combining deep navigation paths, sophisticated graphics and intuitive UI design. These designs also incorporate tools like SMS messaging and QR tags for continued engagement away from the sign. In addition to HMTL5 wayfinding and directories, the booth will showcase interactive screen layouts for organizational communications built in Visix’s digital signage software application.

DIGITAL SIGNAGE
Visix will demonstrate the latest version of their AxisTV Signage Suite content management software for digital signage. Version 1.21 of the platform has powerful design features, drag-n-drop widgets and configurable data mapping tools to create beautiful signage layouts that match brand identity or environmental décor. The company also offers a variety of automated content feeds and downloadable artwork packs to streamline digital signage workflows.

ROOM SIGNS
Visix will also display their Touch interactive room signs and wireless E Ink room signs for space management. The room signs show event calendars or room reservations from popular calendar applications like Microsoft Exchange and Exchange 365, EMS Platform Services, Google Calendar and more outside shared spaces. The units are easily mounted on any surface and can be fitted with custom faceplates to match environmental designs.

For more information online about the 2019 SEGD Conference. Parties interested in pricing or specifications for Visix products should contact salesteam@visix.com.

About SEGD

SEGD (Society for Experiential Graphic Design) is a global, multidisciplinary community of professionals who plan, design, and build experiences that connect people to places. The annual event is the only international conference specifically for professionals creating communication design for the built environment and will bring together 500+ top design and industry leaders. Learn more at https://segd.org/.

About Visix

Visix, Inc. offers a robust suite of digital signage software, content designs and meeting room signs for any organization wanting to engage, excite, and inform their audiences. Our products work separately or together, are competitively priced and scalable, and have powerful interactivity and data integration features for a unified, enterprise signage solution. Our award-winning service and support teams consistently rank the highest in customer satisfaction for fast, professional responses and solutions. Learn more about Visix digital signage products and services at www.visix.com.

Dedicated Panduit station will demonstrate the benefits of applying robust and reliable foundational and connectivity solutions to support high-performance AV environments

SAN JOSE, California, May 7, 2019 – AV collaboration and control leader Atlona, in partnership with new owners Panduit, will accentuate the importance of quality network infrastructure and connectivity in the AV over IP ecosystem at InfoComm 2019. Panduit, which acquired Atlona in January, will demonstrate its latest enterprise-level equipment racks, cabinets and connectivity solutions for AV environments in Atlona’s booth (3012), with a focus on helping integrators and end users streamline the installation and management of their core system architectures.

“InfoComm provides us with an opportunity to close the knowledge gap around how to identify and choose the most appropriate Layer 1 infrastructure for each AV project,” said Amy Hacker, AV Commercial Strategy and Enablement Manager for Panduit. “We’re excited to speak with Atlona partners and customers about how Panduit can help them deploy Atlona products easier and faster with quality cable management, reliable infrastructure, and secure connectivity.”

Panduit will emphasize three solutions at its dedicated station in the Atlona booth:

• Panduit Two-Post Rack System: This dual-column data rack offers a reliable foundation for mounting AV and data center equipment, and is ideal for installation in enterprise-wide IT distribution closets. Its modular design offers side access with plenty of space to efficiently install, manage and organize cables, patch panels and other accessories, reducing installation times by up to 15 percent compared to competitive solutions.
• Panduit Wall-Mount Cabinets: Offering the same foundational strength and systems integration efficiency as Panduit’s two-post racks, these compact cabinets provide a secure and reliable solution for facilities requiring infrastructure and patching solutions in open spaces, or in equipment rooms with limited real estate.
• Panduit Field-Terminable Plugs: These modular plugs allow contractors to run horizontal cable direct to equipment, eliminating the need for jacks, surface-mounted boxes and/or patch cords – reducing installation times and upfront costs by up to 40 percent, while eliminating multiple points of failure.

Panduit will populate the two-post racks and wall-mounted cabinets with Atlona equipment, including OmniStream AV over IP devices – a springboard for a broader conversation about how quality infrastructure and connectivity will ensure that video, audio and data signal integrity is maintained across the ecosystem. Panduit representatives will also be on hand to discuss other infrastructure concerns, including the benefits and ideal scenarios of applying unshielded cable versus shielded cable, for example.

“Beyond offering a robust and reliable infrastructure, we look forward to demonstrating how our systems provide the generous headroom and bandwidth required to support the higher resolution of 4K/UHD and HDR signals moving across the enterprise,” said Hacker. “Quality infrastructure directly relates to the quality of the AV signals being deployed. The better the quality of the cable and connectivity you have, the less you need to worry about pixel drops, fuzzy images and other undesirable visual artifacts.”

InfoComm takes place from June 12-14 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. Attendees are invited to register for a free pass using code ATL175.

About Atlona

Atlona, a Panduit company, is a leading global manufacturer of AV over IP distribution, connectivity, and control solutions. The company designs and engineers innovative, award-winning products for a diverse range of residential and commercial AV and IT markets. Backed by an award-winning 10-year warranty, Atlona’s products are developed to enable our customers’ ability to connect and collaborate with simplicity. More information about Atlona is available at atlona.com.

About Panduit

Global connectivity leader Panduit Corp. creates innovative electrical and network infrastructure solutions for applications across the enterprise. Headquartered in Tinley Park, Ill. and operating in 112 worldwide locations, Panduit’s technology leadership and robust ecosystem help support, sustain, and empower business growth in a connected world. panduit.com

Graphics Producer Matt Walden integrates PVP3 media server/screen control software and ProPresenter software, along with other graphics and control products, to drive dynamic LED displays for worship concerts

Alpharetta, GA, May 2, 2019 — In what is considered Christian music’s largest annual music tour, the 2019 Winter Jam 360° Spectacular presented 42 live concerts at arenas across the Eastern U.S. from January 12th through March 31st, 2019. The dynamic visual experience was generated from an innovative multimedia presentation system powered by Renewed Vision’s PVP3 media server and ProPresenter media presentation software, supplemented by third-party graphics and control systems.

The concerts were awash in lively imagery that could react and keep time with the music, mixing various combinations of time-synchronized lyric animations, visual effects, lower-third lyrics, and live camera shots on LED walls both hovering over and embedded within the in-the-round stage. This tech-forward setup was the brainchild of Matt Walden, a freelance graphics producer who wanted topush the creative envelope on live concert video displays. His innovative workflow for the concerted incorporated the following technologies:

• Renewed Vision PVP3 media server and screen control system
• Renewed Vision ProPresenter software
• VideoDust Real-time effects software by ThunderingJacks
• Elgato StreamDeck Controllers

“I continually try to push its limits, and Winter Jam 2019 set a new bar for the sheer amount of content and cues across the ten different acts that performed every night,” said Walden. “I’ve used PVP for years successfully as both a media server and screen control system. PVP3 performed exceptionally well, triggering timecode-based cues precisely while simultaneously allowing on-the-fly creative tweaks.”

PVP3’s optimized video latency performance, often a deterrent for using media servers over traditional screen control systems, proved to be a great success with Walden’s setup. “When you’re sitting in the audience, even a slight latency or lag-time on the IMAG displays can be noticeable. With PVP3, the latency is not only impressive, it’s virtually undetectable. This is extremely important for a show such as Winter Jam.”

Walden controlled all visual elements in each arena from a workstation of his own design that was adjacent to the camera switching and engineering systems. The HD content, a combination of pre-produced videos, lyric videos, and live-switched camera feeds, was controlled,manipulated with added effects, and delivered by a single PVP3-powered MacPro to four double-sided, 832 x 1040-pixel LED screens suspended in portrait mode above each side of the stage.

The double-sided screens—referred to as Pods A, B, C, and D—each received an independently controlled video signal that displayed on both sides of the pod, ensuring that the imagery was visible from any vantage point. Additional video feeds were sent to LED panels embedded in the perimeter of the stage, heightening the visual appeal for spectators on all levels of the arenas.

“PVP3 let me map different 1080 HD video on each of the pods, or have the same display on all four,” added Walden. “I could even have a visual effect run from one screen to the next—like an arrow shooting all the way around the pods—or apply effects to live camera shots in real time. The Renewed Vision software, in combination with all the third-party systems, allowed me to transition smoothly between virtually unlimited montages, looks, moods, and perspectives to entertain and engage the crowds.”

Walden also used a 2018 MacBook Pro running ProPresenter Software to power song lyrics and dynamic lower thirds, as well as a reference clock and support lyrics for the acts’ down-stage monitors. The ProPresenter output was transferred in real-time over an NDI network to the PVP3 server.

StreamDeck control panels (coupled with Companion software written by BitFocus) enabled single-button control of PVP3 via its built-incontrol protocol, simplifying operational tasks such as shuffling between raw feeds and down-stream manipulated visuals done inVideoDust. Since VideoDust is “both light and audio-reactive,” Walden was able to synchronize some effects with a dedicated audio feed from the Front of House mix.

“The biggest advantage to using PVP3 and ProPresenter is that they are designed to work seamlessly together in this type of mission-critical live multimedia display application,” Walden said. “For example, when lyrics are transferred over NDI from ProPresenter into PVP3, the media server recognizes the lyrics along with their corresponding alpha channels. There is no need to key-out black on my end, which provides a broadcast quality key much more easily.”

Close to 600,000 people total attended Winter Jam 2019 as the show travelled to such cities as Tampa, Des Moines, New Orleans, Tulsa, Pittsburgh, Norfolk, and Knoxville. With its 15 tour buses and five 18-wheelers full of gear, the massive production featured many prominentChristian artists including Newsboys United, Rend Collective, Mandisa, Danny Gokey, Ledger, and Hollyn, as well as Newsong, which founded the Winter Jam Tour in 1995.

About Renewed Vision

Founded in 2000, Renewed Vision’s mission is to offer reliable, purpose-built production software that enables organizations—spanning from churches to corporations—to tell their story better. For more information on our product lines, including ProPresenter, ProVideoPlayer and ProVideoServer, please visit our website at www.renewedvision.com.

Set to debut at InfoComm, new SaaS solution delivers voice pages directly to staff and visitors’ smartphones to ensure the messages are heard

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND, May 2, 2019 — Audio over IP leader Barix is highly regarded for the reliability, flexibility and cost-effectiveness of its IP-based paging and intercom solutions. Building on this rich history, the company today announced Paging Cloud, an innovative software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution that brings paging into the smartphone-enabled mobile era. Integrating easily with almost all existing paging and public address systems, Paging Cloud records paging messages and sends them directly to registered smartphones, enabling visitors in environments such as schools, museums and airports to hear announcements or emergency information on their own mobile devices.

Barix will debut Paging Cloud in booth 5457 at the upcoming InfoComm 2019 exhibition in Orlando, Florida, taking place June 12-14.

Paging Cloud customers can page directly to mobile phones through their existing in-venue paging solutions, enabling them to reliably reach people who might not clearly hear the announcements over the facility’s public address (PA) system. Paging Cloud is ideal for delivering emergency alerts and event updates to visitors in public spaces; school students and teachers wherever they are on campus; and even volunteer firefighters at their homes. It also provides an easy solution for delivering less-critical pages such as conference session start time reminders, or informing parents at home of school schedule updates caused by weather.

“Particularly in emergency situations, it is critical to make sure that everyone gets the message, but background noise or gaps in speaker coverage can cause people to miss PA announcements,” said Reto Brader, CEO, Barix. “By extending the paging to mobile phones, all subscribed end-users will receive all pages made by local staff as voice recordings on their smartphone wherever they are, and can listen to them as many times as necessary to understand the information.For example, no matter where a visitor is within a sprawling zoo, you can reach him or her with an alert about an escaped animal and instruct them to proceed to the nearest exit.”

Paging Cloud is a complete solution consisting of a hardware device for receiving and sending pages; a pay-for-use cloud service for receipt confirmation logging, system monitoring, and subscriber and device management; and free end-user mobile apps for Android and iOS devices. Integration with existing paging and public address solutions is as simple as connecting audio from the current system to the analog input of the Paging Cloud hardware, allowing customers to extend their pages to mobile phones without changing their workflows, retraining their staff or replacing their equipment. Paging Cloud works seamlessly with both Barix’s and other vendors’ paging and PA solutions.

Ideal for visitor notification, Paging Cloud makes it easy to reach variable recipient groups. An unlimited number of end-users can download the Paging Cloud app from their device’s application store or via QR code, then self-subscribe to the venue’s paging system using another QR code. Operation without the app is also possible using SMS to distribute paging messages.

“Paging Cloud is simple to use for both administrators and recipients,” said Brader. “Combined with its ease of integration and affordability, any venue can ensure its visitors never miss an announcement again.”

For more information, please visit www.paging.cloud.

Barix: We Move Audio (www.barix.com)

Barix supplies simple and reliable solutions and components to systems integrators and end users worldwide.  We move high-quality audio across IP networks, adding value to customer solutions for more than a decade with hundreds of thousands of devices installed worldwide.  Background music distribution with dynamic advertising insertion for retail shops, bars and hotels; public address solutions for schools and public spaces; and intercom and entry systems for facility surveillance, protection and security are among the many applications of Barix solutions.  Barix also supports OEM projects for a number of Global 500 listed companies serving many industries worldwide.