The State of AV/IT 2026

In this month’s AVNetwork, Jonathan Mangnall, Utelogy’s Managing Director, EMEA, explores the shift towards networked AV and how cloud technology and AI are changing the way organizations manage and support their AV environments.

AVT Question: Please share insights on the ongoing transition to networked AV and the role the cloud and AI play.

At Utelogy, we’re seeing a fundamental shift in how organizations approach AV. The conversation has moved beyond deploying technology to managing it as part of the wider enterprise IT ecosystem. Networked AV, cloud technologies, and AI are transforming operations, but successful adoption depends on helping organizations evolve without disrupting the investments they’ve already made.

Legacy infrastructure remains a key challenge. Most organizations operate multi-vendor AV environments with years of useful life remaining, making rip-and-replace impractical and cost-prohibitive. That’s why Utelogy champions an open, vendor-agnostic platform that unifies, monitors, and manages existing AV while protecting previous capital investments.

Security is equally critical. As AV devices become enterprise network endpoints, they must meet the same governance, authentication, and compliance standards as every other connected IT asset. Utelogy’s enterprise-grade security and integration with existing IT workflows are fundamental to ensuring AV can be managed with the same confidence as the rest of the technology estate.

By analyzing operational data, identifying anomalies, predicting potential issues, and automating routine tasks, AI allows organizations to move from reactive support to proactive, intelligent operations that improve user experiences while reducing operational overhead. Jonathan Mangall, Managing Director, EMEA at Utelogy

Cloud is accelerating this transformation by providing centralized visibility, remote management, and the scalability needed to support global deployments. Whether organizations choose cloud, hybrid, or on-premises, flexibility is essential to meet operational and regulatory requirements.

AI is now taking enterprise AV management to the next level. We see AI as an enabler rather than a replacement for IT teams. By analyzing operational data, identifying anomalies, predicting potential issues, and automating routine tasks, AI allows organizations to move from reactive support to proactive, intelligent operations that improve user experiences while reducing operational overhead.

The future of AV/IT isn’t defined by the hardware, but by how intelligently it’s managed. By combining open integration, cloud-native management, and AI-driven automation, Utelogy helps customers maximize current investments while preparing for autonomous AV operations.

Read the article in full on AVNetwork.