ISE 2018 Focus: with Rashid Skaf in the Biamp Systems new world

At ISE 2018 we met the new CEO of the US company, who shared with us wishes and strategies for the future of this excellence in networked AV systems.

Great excitement at Biamp Systems: just over a month after their acquisition by the US private equity company Highlander Partners, at ISE 2018 we found a company livelier than ever, in a large booth full of news and visitors interested in their collaboration and conferencing platforms on display. A unique opportunity to see the premiere of the company’s changes in market approach and communication, and, most of all, to meet Rashid Skaf, President and CEO at Biamp Systems. The brief interview given to Connessioni leaves the enthusiasm of a rather unprecedented project for an investment firm such as Highlander Partners, aimed at enhancing Biamp’s excellence in technology, such as in their already-effective corporate structures.
A global strategy
There were several reasons that influenced Highland to acquire Biamp, Skaf tells us: “Certainly the AV world does not represent the traditional business category for a private equity company, but Highland Partners wanted, through targeted operations and solid companies, to enter the high technology industry. For this reason, after months of research in which I considered over fifty companies, I realized I had found the right company to successfully access the Pro AV market. A historical brand that boasts culture, structure, processes, people and technological platforms with infinite growth potentials, which we will seek to develop as best as possible with mid- and long-term strategies.”
This could be the first in a long series of strategic acquisitions aimed at creating a technological branch of the group, capable of supplying true “ecosystems” of AV solutions; but since the expansion project is only at its beginning, Biamp’s management underlines the importance of keeping their feet on the ground, of working hard to improve their solutions and profit from the success of events like ISE 2018. “The first step, which will occupy all of 2018, is to make our platform truly stable and suitable to be connected to various devices and technologies – the CEO adds -. Once the ‘foundations’ are consolidated, we will start the second phase of strengthening complete solutions for our customers. We are also looking at geographical expansion, to increase our presence in international markets and become a global company… Italy, naturally, with its reactive market and cutting-edge professionals, will also be an integral part of this project”.


The best of collaboration
The two main novelties at ISE 2018 concern the collaboration platforms Devio and Tesira upgrades. Biamp announced the Devio’s next generation, introducing new products enhanced with unique features and patented capabilities that further improve audio quality, while also simplifying installation and programming for integrators. Devio is the industry’s first collaboration solution to offer Beamtracking microphones, a technological advancement that maintains signal integrity and audio quality even as meeting participants move about the room. The new Devio models offer enhancements that broaden room design flexibility, deliver improved video capabilities, and expand support for VoIP/POTS handsets and mobile devices.
“The rapid adoption of open-plan offices — in combination with an increasingly dispersed workforce — is driving the need for more informal spaces that are equipped for effective conferencing and collaboration – said Rob Houston, unified communications product manager at Biamp Systems -. We’ve developed our Devio collaboration platform to address this need, whether it is a small room equipped with a dedicated computer or designed for people to use their laptops when presenting content and joining web conferencing sessions. Companies can tailor the room experience to fit their culture and get audio quality that keeps remote participants engaged and productive”. Many conference rooms feature microphones or integrated audio devices that are static in nature, restricting participants’ ability to move around a room and still be clearly heard by people joining remotely. Equipped with Biamp’ patented beamtracking technology, Devio microphones not only identify and lock onto a signal source, but also track that source as they move around the room.
Among Biamp’s latest innovations, also the Tesira platform’s improvements with a new power over Ethernet (PoE+) amplifier technology and a series of Beamtracking ceiling microphones, that raise the bar for an exceptional conferencing experience. Biamp’s whole-room, all-digital solutions are designed to reduce programming time for integrators and provide cost-effective, crystal-clear audio quality to end users. Providing full 360-degree room coverage, each of the new Tesira microphones uses Biamp’s Beamtracking technology to identify and lock to a signal source — even if the person speaking is moving around. With little or no setup required, the Tesira Beamtracking ceiling microphones actively track and intelligently mix conversations from around the table, allowing everyone on the call to be heard. The new Tesira AMP-450P is a four-channel, PoE+ conferencing amplifier that can be placed wherever it’s needed, including air-handling spaces. Well-suited for ceiling speakers, program speakers, and mix-minus systems, it’s capable of operating in a burst mode to handle peak loads, providing up to 50 watts per channel.
www.biamp.com