eSP - IT Solution Providers in Europe

Bell Micro will distribute and support a wide range of Minicom DS products, services and solutions and will specialize in providing end-to-end Digital Signage solutions to its European sales channels.

Bell Micro made a strategic decision to enter the growing Digital Signage market over 3 years ago. In order to strengthen its portfolio, Bell Micro contracted alliances with various Digital Signage industry vendors such as screens, players and software vendors. Bell Micro is now able to offer a complete Digital Signage solution complemented by Minicom DS’s media infrastructure solutions.

Bell Micro, a Fortune 1000 company, is one of the world's largest IT storage-centric value-added distributors with revenues of over €1.3 billion in Europe (and $3bn world-wide).

Go Bell Micro acquired by Avnet in April 2010

Go Minicom Digital Signage

Polycom calls it the most sophisticated conferencing system in the market today.

Dubbed the OTX, Polycom’s newest Telepresence Experience is just plain AWESOME!

With a newly designed, more contemporary look, the new OTX solution includes embedded preview monitors for presentation content or document collaboration that slide up from inside the tables (on both ends), connection ports inside the tables and separate displays for VTC and document content.

Go Our Sister Publication rAVe NOW made this video in an OTX room at InfoComm 2010

The bastion of plasma, Panasonic Professional Visual Displays Europe, launches the first two models in its pro LCD range.

Aimed at business reception areas and small-scale digital signage applications, these displays are designed for use in high-brightness locations.

The first models available in the LCD series are 32” and 42” displays, each equipped with the latest LCD technology which provides stunning image quality in bright locations. The new screens also have a built-in Freeview tuner and offer an IPS Panel, which provides a 178° horizontal viewing angle making images clear and easy-to-see from any position.

In addition, the RS-232C capability allows the display to be controlled remotely by an external device, which is ideal for hotel and business reception areas and signage in shops.

For multiple installations, data can be transferred to an SD card and copied onto other screens using the cloning settings, which means there is no need to set each display separately with the remote controller.

The Initial Screen Customization Function is also beneficial for numerous units in hospitality and small signage applications, as the menu on the boot screen can be modified to include company information or logos.

Go Professional Visual Displays Europe(PVDE)

InfoComm International and CompTIA will collaborate on new education, training and business development initiatives to reflect the convergence of AV and IT.

“InfoComm and CompTIA staff have been sharing best practices on certification and education issues and now we are taking the next step for our members to work together on how IT and AV issues. This is a great opportunity for both communities of professionals to share their knowledge and chart a future pathway for our industries,” says Randal A Lemke, PhD, Executive Director and CEO at InfoComm International. (Shown in photo at left.)

The two associations have formed a working group with 10 industry leaders from each organization discussing the collaboration around AV/IT convergence.

It probably helps this working group that the chairman of the CompTIA Board of Directors is Bob O'Malley, president and CEO of InFocus Corporation.

CompTIA is known for professional IT skills certifications as well as industry research and business management education for the IT industry. Its member-driven communities provide thought leadership on critical issues such as cyber security, healthcare IT, cloud computing and other emerging technology trends, all of which will be impacted by tax, regulatory, security and compliance challenges.

[Editor's Note: Our eSP Editor-in-Chief, Bob Snyder, will be moderating a panel at this year's CompTIA EMEA Member Conference in October.]

Go CompTIA

Go InfoComm