Are you a slave to technology or is your AV working for you?

Jan. 19, 2013 - PRLog -- If you agree with these statements you are not alone. Many hoteliers and hotel
developers feel the same. Without network or remote support, venues are unaware of the status of their hardware until it fails, or worse still until a guest or delegate complains. Equipment failures like this are costly, not only to your bottom line but also to your Brand image, with guests experiencing poor services at your facility as a result. However, this does not have to be the case.

Network / Remote Support – How you or your systems integrator can help Current technology allows you or your systems integrator to monitor your AV system remotely or across the network to identify any maintenance issues and deal with them before they become a problem.

With remote support or basic network settings, your system could email you, you technical people or your systems integrator if for example a unit is faulty, overheating or needs attention, to ensure issues are dealt with before they become a crisis.

With a little more investment systems can be centrally controlled and monitored by you, your technicians, your systems integrator, or if you prefer, all three. This gives you the added benefit of logging faults against each piece of hardware to monitor efficiency and reliability, to in turn improve running costs.

So what are the Benefits of Network / Remote Support?
Adding network / remote support results in three overall benefits to a venue;

1. Reduced Running Costs
2. Reduced Carbon Footprint
3. Enhanced Guest Experience

Reduced Running Costs
By identifying lamps reaching the end of their life, replacements can be ordered in good time and changed before they fail, (when rooms are not in use or out of hours for negligible disruption and maximum up time). Poorly performing hardware can be identified through fault logging and replaced if necessary to reduce running costs. Software settings can also be monitored and tweaked to ensure best reliability and lowest running costs of all hardware.

Reduced Carbon Footprint
Remote diagnosis of problems minimises site visits as engineers need only visit a venue when staff are unable to deal with the identified problem and they will visit with the pre-identified required part. Central control also enables equipment to be turned off in unused rooms saving both energy and money.

Enhanced Guest Experience
Hardware that works means less customer complaints, happier guests and a positively reinforced Brand Image.

So what technology can be remotely supported?
The following list highlights the type of hardware that can be supported and
diagnosed remotely;

1. TV Systems - IPTV systems can be remotely diagnosed and supported down
to each room's set top box.
2. IPTV video on demand content - this is now normally delivered and updated
remotely ensuring regular secure updates to your ‘on site film and media
library’.
3. Digital signage - each sign can be remotely managed and supported to ensure
maximum up time
4. Background Music Systems - many basic amplifiers now have the ability to
support Network cards to enable remote support. More advanced systems can
support and report to sound processors, which gives AV support companies
full visibility of all sound system hardware.
5. Hard drive Music Systems - all hard drive music systems can be supported
remotely enabling music update and changes to be made at any time and
hardware issues diagnosed and resolved
6. Video projectors - many video projectors are now capable of reporting back
to you over a network to flag problems, or some more interactive systems
can function fully remotely to allow customer support, fault finding and fault
logging.
7. Lighting systems - many of the larger lighting systems now have remote
support ability to allow for programming tweaks and fault finding.

Exactly what fault detection can be achieved remotely?
Engineers and support staff are able to remotely diagnose faults, restart units showing errors and help users on site which in turn minimises down time. The following list will give you some idea as to the type of hardware faults that can be monitored and addressed remotely;

1. Video projectors which can email or report to you when they are overheating,
have blocked filters or when their lamp is reaching the end of its life cycle and
will need to be replaced shortly.
2. Sound equipment that can be monitored remotely or linked to your BMS so
that its functionality can be monitored.
3. TV systems which can provide usage statistics so you can increase or reduce
certain types of channels or change you charging structure.

How can I move to Network / Remote Support?
To stop being a slave to technology, contact your systems integrator to see how you can install Network / Remote Support, or ensure that you specify it when installing any new systems. Although it will lead to a slightly increased initial purchase cost, this will be more than offset by reduced ongoing running costs and maintenance calls as well as the increased life span of your products. Move to Network / Remote Support and get your AV working for you.

For more information or to discuss specific project requirements please contact
CGA Integration Ltd on 0845 058 4650 or e mail us on info@cga-integration.co.uk