Fresh off an exciting company launch, cloud services innovator Xyte has announced a strategic partnership with the SDVoE Alliance, a nonprofit consortium of technology partners working to advance AV over IP adoption. The partnership will bring Xyte’s cloud connectivity platform to all 54 SDVoE Alliance members, providing a unified monitoring and management platform for more than 700 member products.
“The SDVoE Alliance was formed to standardize on a single approach to AV over IP that works across all AV industry manufacturers,” said Justin Kennington, President, SDVoE Alliance. “Our partnership with Xyte brings that same spirit of standardization to SDVoE Alliance members and their customers.”
Kennington explains that IT departments with increasing responsibility for AV systems want a singular platform to remotely access AV devices on their network, as opposed to having a dedicated monitoring platform for each component. “We can now build a scalable monitoring platform through the cloud that connects all of our member products to the Xyte ecosystem.”
Xyte’s AV platform, Workplace by Xyte, will offer more than remote monitoring and management to SDVoE Alliance members, including the ability to gather usage and performance analytics, and provide direct online customer service including technical support. Xyte will also offer SDVoE Alliance member manufacturers an end-to-end cloud-based platform to run their entire “Hardware-As-A-Service” (HaaS) business. This includes support for what Xyte calls “Digital Products,” an innovative approach that allows manufacturers to remotely enable device features through subscriptions. Xyte’s novel HaaS will also help SDVoE Alliance members better support their channels and customers and develop new recurring revenue streams.
System integrators that use SDVoE member products will also have free access to the platform. These companies can quickly specify SDVoE products into their projects, and remotely manage and monitor all SDVoE member devices across their installations. They can even offer their own custom managed services for their end customers, based on Xyte’s platform, and proactively and remotely support their customers.
“Xyte’s Hardware-as-a-Service model is an intriguing concept, and an interesting place for the AV industry to head,” adds Kennington. “From a business perspective, it sends a strong message about the potential in establishing long-term engagement with customers. It’s more than just buying a product; it’s about building relationships that offer recurring revenue opportunities for all.”
While the AV industry has been slow to adopt cloud technologies, Kennington believes that the simplicity and accessibility of Xyte’s platform will accelerate the transition to more cloud-based systems and services, similar to how organizations like the SDVoE Alliance have advanced AV over IP acceptance.
“One of the major pillars of our strategy is the SDVoE Academy, which is an educational resource for AV over IP across design, integration, sales and management,” he said. “There continues to be a substantial gap in knowledge and skills between AV and IT professionals. We will see broader, faster adoption of cloud technologies through training and education, same as we have seen with AV over IP. It is all about helping professionals be more comfortable and fluent with emerging technologies.”
The SDVoE Alliance will also support technology migration for members as they on-board with Xyte. SDVoE’s open API includes automatic connectivity to Xyte’s platform, without requiring programmers to perform manual coding.
Xyte CEO Omer Brookstein notes that the Xyte API has already been implemented into the SDVoE chipset.
“Xyte is coming into the industry at a time when AV professionals are ready to embrace the opportunities of the cloud,” said Omer Brookstein, CEO, Xyte. “From cloud monitoring to paradigm-shifting HaaS business models, we are prepared to help manufacturing, integration, and reseller partners take their operations and businesses into bold new directions. Having SDVoE on board as an early partner will only help to send the message that Xyte is in a strong position to lead that transition.”
