Five Takeaways from InfoComm25
As we walked the trade show floor, sat in on many panels, and talked with attendees, our overall observation was not about any latest or greatest hardware technology innovations. Sure, there were the usual awe-inspiring displays and video walls, and certainly new cameras, but everyone was talking about AI software, data, interoperability, and system management.
1. Artificial Intelligence
AI was a major theme at the event, with attendees eager to explore real-world applications and exhibitors showcasing various implementations with differing degrees of “doneness”. While “AI” has become a buzzword at these shows in recent years, the real focus was on practical infrastructure and enablement. For example, many conversations centered around MCP (Model Context Protocol) and Agentic AI. Where MCP is a protocol used to standardize communication between devices and APIs and Agentic AI refers to AI systems that can autonomously take actions or assist users by translating natural language commands into system-level operations… both enabling seamless interaction with complex environments.
The bigger question and takeaway comes down to, “How can AI add real value?”. We are starting to see AI being applied in meaningful ways across the industry.
Manufacturers are already using AI to generate new product designs and specifications, to build content, and to write code. One CTO shared that he no longer needs to hire as many product managers because he prompts AI with the features and functionality he wants, and AI can generate product documentation and specifications in minutes.
Enterprise customers are starting to use AI to understand workflows and system health. AI analyzes data to reveal root causes of technical problems to predict and prevent future system bottlenecks and failures.
Utelogy, winner of InfoComm Best in Show for AV and UC Management for the launch of its Agentic AI, is leveraging the massive database it has accumulated over the last couple of decades to power new agentic and predictive AI capabilities. Agentic AI allows both technical and non-technical users to access system management and control through natural language—via chat or conversational speech—making complex workflows more accessible and intuitive. Predictive AI draws on enhanced analytics to identify patterns, surface insights, and automate actions that help prevent system bottlenecks and failures before they occur. When combined with Utelogy’s MCP-enabled ecosystems, Agentic AI becomes even more powerful, translating user intent into real-time control across a wide range of devices and protocols within heterogeneous environments.
2. Data is the Key
We used to say, “content is king.” While true in many circles, at InfoComm, one thing that rang loud and clear was, data is everything. AV and UC are now a core foundation for enterprise operations. Finance, IT operations, Infosec, Human Relations, Facilities/Real Estate all have a stake in the AV/UC estate.
- Finance wants to quantify ROI and understand the lifecycle of technology
investment. - InfoSec needs a comprehensive view of the IT estate, including AV/UC nodes on the network. They must monitor, manage, log, and report network access and activity (time/date, devices, personal identity).
- IT Ops monitors and manages real-time and historical network traffic, system performance, and uptime.
- Tech Support is responsible for maximizing room uptime; minimizing Mean Time to Detection and Mean Time to Resolution; device usage analytics, track and manage assets lifecycles.
- Real Estate/Facilities analyze room usage, occupancy, people counting, and energy consumption.
- Human Resources is concerned about Private Personal Information (PPI) protection, employee health, and satisfaction.
The only way to satisfy all these groups is to be intentional about how you’re capturing data and making sure you’re capturing the right data. Ideally, this starts on day one of a new deployment. But even if you’re well past rollout, the time to start is now. If you’re not collecting clean, structured data today, the chances of accurately reporting, or optimizing, for tomorrow are slim.
And when it comes to AI, this becomes even more important. AI tools are only as powerful as the data they’re trained on. While startups may get to market quickly with clever AI features, they often lack the deep, historical datasets that enterprise-grade solutions can deliver. The better your data, the smarter your AI, the more transformative your results.
3. Flexible, hybrid communications
Cloud-based everything dominated conversations at the last several shows, and this InfoComm was no different. However, the narrative shifted a bit this year as customers faced challenges relying only on cloud or tenant access. Now, discussions are more nuanced as AV/IT teams identify different applications in which cloud or device (on network or on premises) communication may be preferred. Cloud may be cool, but it’s not the rule – flexibility is the key.
Device communication is faster than cloud communication. Those minutes are critical for real time monitoring and alerts.
For environments that don’t allow direct access to the internet regardless of any device-level security support, an on-network or on-premises “data collector” provides an additional firewall to protect the managed network.
Also, regarding security, relying on an OEM Cloud does not provide segmentation of the AV/UC estate to protect against a comms failure or glitch. A single cloud API is great for setup and configuration, but that topology also creates a single point of error for potentially hundreds or thousands of devices.
There’s also inconsistency among OEM APIs. Some cloud APIs are robust, and others are not. Many OEMs do not open or allow access to their cloud. Depending on what features, functionality, and data you need, having the option of device level communication may be critical.
4. The endpoint is just the beginning
InfoComm, and the AV industry at large, has traditionally been laser-focused on “Day One”: the design, specification, procurement, and installation of AV systems. But what happens after the project is signed off and the integrator drives away?
This year, we heard a clear shift. Customers are thinking beyond Day One and asking for help with Day Two, everything that follows the initial install. And what became obvious is this: you can’t separate Day One from Day Two. The two are deeply connected, and the only way to succeed long-term is to design with Day Two in mind from the start.
Day 1 considerations can greatly affect Day Two outcomes and experiences. While hardware is increasingly commoditized, the real differentiators now lie in API availability, remote management capabilities, and data accessibility. Devices that can’t communicate or share health status after installation are quickly becoming obsolete.
Repeatedly, customers told us, “Just give me a heartbeat and we can work from there.” Yes, the sensory experience (the visual and sound quality) is one important aspect of a productive meeting, but that doesn’t matter if the room is not working.
Variables like network security, device-level data, traffic flow, and automated fault detection are what ultimately define the Day Two experience. Success now means reducing Mean Time to Resolution (MTTR) with tools that enable remote monitoring, self-healing, and proactive support, not just fixing problems faster, but avoiding them altogether.
5. Managed Services is not just an SLA
Recently, integrators and customers got themselves wrapped around the axle talking about managed services. From our perspective there’s an obvious reason they are talking past each other. Most integrators think of managed services as offering an SLA. Most customers are not satisfied with the traditional, reactionary break-fix model.
ITSM platforms with integrated helpdesk and ticketing applications is standard for enterprise managed services. In other words, the market does not want to rely on just “rented smart hands” to support their AV/UC estates. They expect a trusted partner to have a solution in place to provide 24/7, real-time monitoring, automated remediation and self-healing, asset management, and correlated data analytics to make them proactive, predictive, and preventive.