Digicom Technology News

It’s clear from the Ricoh Document Governance Index 2012 series that European business leaders recognise the importance of having document processes that can be accessed from anywhere, at any time – able to attract and keep customers, meet regulatory requirements and keep cash flowing throughout the business. But in many cases, they have been unable to keep their document processes in step with the rapid changes in technology and ways of working. As a result, systems are not always connected, data is often unstructured, and employees are unable to access business-critical information at crucial times.

Below is outline of four steps for business leaders to follow to ensure their document processes are fully connected and able to meet the needs of their business today and tomorrow, as follows:

1. Europe’s business leaders should become more involved in document processes, to ensure senior overview of the way information is created, shared, and used throughout the entire business.

2. They should consider working with an expert to put all the pieces of the puzzle together. Document processes, the business technology used to manage them, and the people who work with them on a day-to-day basis cannot be reviewed or improved in isolation.

3. Employees should be more involved in any new ways of working. As the people working with these processes every day, it’s vital they are consulted, their valuable experiences and opinions acted on, and a change management programme is introduced to ensure any improvements achieve their desired results.

4. It’s essential to maintain an on-going process of governance and improvement. Doing so means any remaining bottlenecks can be identified and put right, and better ways of working can be identified and replicated throughout the business.

Those businesses that are able to master the management of business-critical document processes will be the ones that thrive in the increasingly global, fast-paced business environment of the future.

Contact Digicom to find out how connected you are to your business-critical document processes.

The growing omnipresence of email and online data storage are enough to make you think excessive office paper waste is a thing of the past. A look at the numbers, however, reveals otherwise. And what's more, a lag on going totally paperless doesn't just hurt the environment -- it's a huge burden on slow-to-adapt businesses as well.

These stats and more were rounded up from across the web by Internet faxing firm MetroFax, and they're presented in the following infographic.

Irish Whiskey Collection Store

The Retail Excellence Awards are about celebrating retail stores and promoting best practice in the Irish retail industry. This awards ceremony has become one of the most anticipated and prestigious events on the retail calendar. It has become the benchmark by which the best in retail are judged.

The winners of the National Company of the Year/Industry Leader and Retail Store of the Year were The Loop, Dublin Airport and The Irish Whiskey Collection, Terminal 2 respectively. Within these retail spaces, Digicom were nominated to design and install a digital signage system which comprised of both hardware and software.

David Fitzsimons, Chief Executive of Retail Excellence commented "What Aer Rianta International and specifically The Loop have been doing at Dublin Airport is inspirational. They have reinvented airport shopping not just in Ireland but across the world". Part of their success was the meticulous research they carried out. The DAA do very little without speaking to the customer first. The ideas that they have are researched with their customers after talking to them one on one or in focus groups. Outcomes of the research included installing flat panel screens with digital signage.

There are many features and benefits not offered by static displays and signage that the retail space in Terminal 2 in now experiencing. The dynamic digital signage is grabbing customer's attention and is influencing their purchasing decision right at the point of purchase. It is also eliminating the high cost of creating and distributing print ad campaigns. The digital signage system in place is instant and offers the ability to change promotions immediately for various products or particular customers. Another advantage of the digital displays over static is that the retailers have the potential to earn money with their digital signage network by selling advertising space to their suppliers.

The big challenge to the DAA was how to engage with a new breed of customer that views the airport as a bus stop. Impressively the DAA have delivered on this front having experienced a 30% increase in Irish whiskey sales since the opening of the Irish Whiskey Collection store in T2. Their digital signage system has played a significant role in achieving engagement with customers.

Whether it is intended to build a brand, influence customer behaviour or simply provide information, the dynamic visual experience created by digital signage will ultimately increase sales.

Please click here for more information on the Retail Excellence Awards.

NEC Display has introduced the VE281 and VE281X mobile projectors, which are aimed at small meeting rooms, schools and conference room installs. Both projectors are specified at 2,800 lumens, offer auto power on and quick startup/shutdown, an Eco Mode, a carbon savings meter and extended filter life. They also have energy-saving features such as NEC's Intelligent Driving Scheme (IDS2) technology to extend the lamp life of the projector up to 6,000 hours in Eco Mode and 4,000 hours in normal use.


The VE281 is native SVGA (800x600) resolution and the VE281X is native XGA (1024x768) resolution, using a one-chip DLP engine with a BrilliantColor chip with a specified contrast ratio of 3,000:1. Inputs include HDMI and VGA (both ports automatically turn on the projector when they detect a signal). The VE281 and VE281X will be available in January 2013.

If you would like more information on projectors, please contact Digicom today.

Over the past few years, personal video conferencing has promised to enter the enterprise mainstream, with laptops, tablets, and phones operating on upgraded networks capable of supporting real-time audio and video communications. Many corporations are looking to embrace personal video conferencing as both a stand-alone application and as part of an overall Unified Communications (UC) deployment because rich media communications can speed decision making, help build stronger teams, and ultimately drive top line revenues as part of a sales strategy. Avaya recently commissioned a study with the aim of establishing the requirements for successfully deploying pervasive personal video. Below is a brief discussion and results from the study.

Many of today's crop of personal video conferencing systems have overcome the limitations of the past – ease of use, video quality, bandwidth management, and reliability. And while many enterprise managers may have the perception that wide-scale deployment of personal video would be possible only as part of a UC platform rollout, it is actually very achievable and affordable using traditional MCUbased video conferencing. An added benefit to MCU-based video is its extensive feature set and room systems compatibility which contrasts with many UC-based solutions. Rolling out a personal video conferencing service to managers and information workers has significant benefits beyond travel savings – including improved team building, better integration of resources, and faster decision making while allowing for a richer interaction. A factor that is often overlooked is the need to deploy to a critical mass of users. Scale is essential to making video calling an everyday experience. Configuring the network to support personal video conferencing and the required bandwidth is an important step, but not one that is particularly onerous with today's technology and services.

The follow are the results of the study:

• Enterprises should evaluate the new generation of personal video conferencing solutions as a vehicle to increase sales, strengthen partnerships, and improve internal team building. The current crop of personal video collaboration solutions are enterprise-ready and overcome the scalability, reliability, and quality issues that plagued desktop video conferencing years ago. 
• Avoid creating islands of communication. Integrate room systems with personal and mobile video conferencing solutions, bringing added value to both sets of investments. Integrated deployments should support high quality audio and video and easy connections inside and outside the firewall.
• Create a small, end-user driven team of product champions with participation from at least one high level executive. Have IT represented on the team, but do not have only IT department members. Include the network specialists and line-of-business users.
• Communicate internally to all involved with information on what will happen and when so that colleagues can monitor the progress of the deployment project. Include training sessions and provide documentation on how to use the new solution effectively.
• Communicate after the deployment about how the solution is being used and what benefits workers are seeing. This will encourage others to use video, making the solution more valuable to all.

NEC’s Digital Signage Solutions provide a complete bundled product for customers that need a commercial-grade display and computer to source basic content. The V422-PC bundle includes a 42” V422 display and NET-SBC-04 single board computer seamlessly integrated utilizing the expansion slot of the display. This built-in functionality allows for a clean, hidden integration while reducing the bill of materials needed for installation.

• Bundled solution includes 42” NEC V422 and NET-SBC-04 single board computer for simple digital signage
• Full 1080p high-definition resolution provides stunning detail
• Commercial-grade LCD panel and components
• Expanded connectivity with digital loop through
• TileMatrix™ allows you to create video walls up 10 x10
• Ethernet and RS-232 Control and Communication allows for ease in remote monitoring
• NEC’s Content Management Software (CMS), a SaaS web-based digital signage software, is available at no charge

The theme for 2013---according to Gartner---is that the information technology department has to navigate cloud, social, mobility and information as those trends play off of each other. Gartner analyst David Cearley believes that a strategic technology will impact the enterprise over the next three years.

"These technologies will cause major disruption to your environment," said Cearley. "This list is a starting point."

Here's the overview:


Among the key points are:

Mobile as the top two picks isn't all that surprising. Mobile device management is top of mind with technology excutives. Meanwhile, employees are bringing all sorts of devices to work. That trend could is set to get become more significant since Windows 8 will bring 140 form factors to market.

Gartner predicts that Android and iOS will dominate smartphones, but Windows Phone will gain "substantial share." For tech execs, the actual players don't manage. They have to get a handle on securing data and managing choice.

Cearley said that by 2015, 70 percent of companies will have one executive in charge of overseeing Internet-connected devices and objects. The payoff will be in the supply chain, control and information services. "The Internet of things has applications across multiple industries," said Cearley.

The Ricoh Document Governance Index 2012 sets out the impact today’s business environment is having on business-critical document processes – the core interactions that occur regularly and repeatedly within HR, finance, procurement and accounts, driving every organisation, keeping employees on board, cash flowing, and making sure businesses are meeting legal and compliance requirements.


Comparing the 2012 results with what we found in 2009, we can see:

• Business leaders are puzzled by the process priority jigsaw, and as a result many are failing to ensure their critical document processes keep up. Big data, emerging markets and managing multiple vendors were highlighted as the main trends impacting their document processes in 2012.


• Fewer than half have a fully developed and implemented document process management strategy, just a 4 per cent improvement since 2009. Meanwhile, many have set targets outside of a strategic framework, indicating confusion about the best way to ensure they keep up with the pace of change.


• The last three years have seen an inverse shift in priority targets for document processes, with business risk replacing cost as the top priority. But new targets are replacing others, indicating businesses are struggling to fit them all together under a strategic framework.


• Reviews are regular, but are they effective? Most businesses are reviewing document processes regularly, but the majority do not make changes as a result. This indicates businesses are adopting a high-level approach which makes it difficult to fully understand how these processes are being managed, what the bottlenecks are, and how to make improvements – not to mention monitoring the processes and implementing new ways of working on an ongoing basis.

European businesses can gain competitive advantage by mastering business-critical document processes, but the first step in this journey is to develop a rigorous process strategy for the long term.

Working with a specialist partner such as Digicom will help businesses solve the process priority puzzle, by:

• creating a strategy to manage document processes with targets linking to business objectives


• carrying out ongoing reviews that will drive change


• fixing processes that aren’t working, to improve efficiency and effectiveness of the entire business.

Polycom the global leader in open standards-based unified communications (UC), announced significant enhancements to the Polycom® RealPresence® Platform that make it an even more comprehensive and flexible software infrastructure for delivering video collaboration from private, public, and hybrid clouds. The new enhancements also make the RealPresence Platform more universally accessible by ensuring multi-vendor interoperability, eliminating barriers to access, and bringing down the cost for enterprises to video-enable their organizations and for service providers to extend from Video-as-a-Service (VaaS) to expanded Video Collaboration-as-a-Service (VCaaS) offerings delivered from Polycom-powered clouds.


Polycom introduced the industry’s first open standards-based Scalable Video Coding (SVC) protocol, delivering 3X the previous capacity for HD multipoint video calls for greater scalability, dramatically lower TCO, superior performance, and backwards- and forwards-compatibility to protect customer investments. Polycom also today introduced Polycom® RealPresence® Collaboration Server 800s, Virtual Edition, the industry’s first multi-protocol, integrated software MCU that runs on industry-standard servers.

In a related announcement, Polycom introduced RealPresence® CloudAXIS™ Suite, an extension of RealPresence Platform that lets customers extend enterprise-grade video collaboration to users of Skype®, Facebook®, Google Talk™, and business video and UC applications via a browser for B2B and B2C video conferencing with the highest quality, reliability, and security.

“At Polycom, we continue to bolster our RealPresence Platform software infrastructure with interoperability enhancements designed to ensure customers are future-proofed and able to quickly leverage trends such as BYOD, mobile computing, and social networking that offer new opportunities to extend enterprise-grade video conferencing to the masses. Polycom is laser-focused on open standards-based interoperability for two key reasons: first, to protect our customers’ investments and ensure backwards- and forwards-compatibility; second, to remove all impediments that limit the ubiquitous adoption of video collaboration,” said Sudhakar Ramakrishna, president of Products and Services, Polycom.

Below is a brief summary of the announcements made:

• Powerful Polycom® RealPresence® Platform enhancements include industry’s first open standards-based SVC (Scalable Video Coding), with 3X HD multipoint video call capacity for greater scalability, dramatically lower TCO, superior performance, and backwards- and forwards-compatibility to protect customer investments—all available through a software update

• Polycom® RealPresence® Collaboration Server 800s, Virtual Edition, is industry’s first multi-protocol, integrated software MCU that runs on industry-standard servers Polycom extends firewall traversal and security options with Polycom® RealPresence® Access Director™, vastly improving capacity and supported protocols for improved B2B and B2C connectivity

• Building on earlier Polycom RealPresence Platform enhancements, including multi-tenancy support and open APIs, service providers can expand VaaS offerings more efficiently at scale

• In related announcement, Polycom® RealPresence® CloudAXIS™ Suite, an extension of Polycom RealPresence Platform, lets customers extend enterprise-grade video collaboration to users of Skype®, Facebook®, Google Talk™, and business video applications via a browser, for B2B and B2C video conferencing with the highest quality, reliability, and security.

ANZ Banking Group will spend hundreds of millions over five years on technology to attract the next generation of tech-savvy customers amid a spending war by the major banks.

“Customer expectations about what they can expect to do either online or on their mobiles have changed dramatically in recent years and it’s driven by the way they’re conditioned by what other providers do,” he said. “We know that we can’t stand stillbecause it’s a competitive environment.”

Mr Chronican said ANZ’s strategy would involve investing smartphone applications that allow instant money transfers. It would also include transforming bank branches to have more video conferencing suites and better automatic teller machines.

The bank will roll out more than 800 next-generation ATMs from 2013, all of which will be able to handle cash and cheque deposits in real time. Previous ATMs allowed deposits but needed employees to process the funds, which slowed settlement by several days.

ANZ will deploy Cisco video conferencing units to 43 regional branches in a bid to replace roaming financial specialists with a 'hub-and-spoke' approach. The technology is an extension of ANZ's existing Cisco telepresence networks in major city headquarters and provides on-demand access to ANZ's Melbourne specialists from other branches nationwide. ANZ began trialling the regional network in April this year. The system has since been used 150 times by remote staff, including those in the bank's Alice Springs branch, which does not usually have such access. The smaller units, which also provide access to desktop sharing for presentations and application access, are capable of high definition conferencing but will largely function in standard definition with encryption for an average bandwidth requirement of 384 kilobits per second. “We’ve been piloting the use of Cisco’s videoconferencing technology in remote branches and we will be the first bank in Australia to use this technology on a major scale, providing regional customers with better access to specialist advice,” Chronican said.

Australia’s banks are increasingly competing for the younger demographic through smartphone and tablet apps. Commonwealth Bank of Australia received plaudits for its Kaching tool, and ANZ’s goMoney app has already been well received.Banks are facing increasing competitive pressure to make their services mobile. Commonwealth Bank chief information officer Michael Harte recently said that the future of banking lies in recreating the 'old fashioned' banking experience of personalised service using the potential of mobile devices, whole-of-life customer data and real-time transactions.

A report conducted on behalf of Ricoh by Coleman Parkes, entitled Ricoh Document Governance Index 2012, has been compiled from 1,075 interviews amongst C-level executives, directors and other employees in Ireland and throughout Europe. It investigates how document processes – the processes that keep employees on board, cash flowing, and legal requirements satisfied – are being managed, comparing the findings to a benchmark set in 2009.


The report reveals the major global trends impacting businesses operations. These include big data, with 91 per cent of respondents citing the increasing amounts of data they now face as having the most impact on their ability to manage critical processes within their businesses, taking focus and resource away from revenue generating activities. Businesses also identified managing multiple vendors and emerging high growth economies as having a major impact on their organisations, which has in-turn created further amounts of data that they are required to manage.

Crucially, these trends have had a radical impact on business priorities. The research found that in just three years, businesses across Europe, including Ireland, have replaced a focus on cost, efficiency and the environment, with a focus on business risk. 65 per cent of respondents say they have now set targets for business risk in relation to their business-critical document processes, nearly four times as many as in 2009. The importance of transparency with overall business goals was also highlighted, with 64 per cent of respondents saying they set targets for processes to be aligned with overall business goals, compared to just 15 per cent in 2009 confirming the same.

These findings are in stark contrast with the results of the Ricoh Document Governance Index 2009. The focus for European businesses three years ago was basic cost and efficiency, with 67 per cent of businesses setting targets for cost and 59 per cent for efficiency, compared to 43 per cent and 51 per cent today. Environmental sustainability also appears to have been neglected by today’s businesses as they struggle to manage increasing amounts of data, multiple vendors and emerging markets, with only 33 per cent of businesses having a target for it, making it the lowest ranking target compared to three years ago (41 per cent).

“With so much change in the Irish business landscape it’s not surprising that there has been a huge shift in priorities for organisations here over the past three years. In fact, we are seeing the same trends across Europe. Business leaders are now most challenged by the big data threat, managing multiple vendors and also managing emerging market opportunities,” said Chas Moloney, director, Ricoh UK and Ireland. “In this era of uncertainty, reacting to industry trends by diverting resources can increase risk in other areas of the organisation. To prevent this, businesses need to strategically align all critical document processes to ensure all areas of the organisation receive the attention they deserve, are optimised and are prepared to meet the challenges of tomorrow.”

Video communications is becoming pervasive and organisations are adapting their internal communications strategy to accommodate an increasingly dispersed and mobile workforce.

Video conferencing remains a key internal communications technology, but IPTV, streaming video and digital signage are increasingly complementing it. In the past video conferencing perhaps was the stand alone AV solution of choice for communications whether external or internal. It still plays a central role and will continue to do so.

The big news is based around mobile devices, and organisations are rushing to embrace the concept of BYOD Bring Your Own device. The BYOD phenomenon is both real and multi-faceted. Employees are, in their spare time, also consumers who are developing an increasing attachment to the connected world that mobile devices bring which is driving this trend. 

Video is the new audio, with the availability of a consumer-driven infrastructure driving pervasive use but it brings with it corporate challenges. One of the primary concerns is the availability of bandwidth on the network and whether the use of tools such as corporate video will swamp the network. However, this issue can be overcome through multicast technology which enables efficient distribution over the network.

 If you would to discuss your organisations internal communications strategy, please contact Digicom today.

Ricoh Company, Ltd. is advising companies that improving document processes such as sales and marketing, customer communications, customer onboarding, service and support, developing new products, and billing and collection, which are traditionally seen as a strategy primarily for cost reduction, could yield some surprising revenue benefits - in fact, a potential increase of approximately 10 percent to the top line based on a recent IDC white paper sponsored by Ricoh.

The reasoning? Improved document processes can enhance the overall experience of a customer's interaction with an organization. Efficient processes, which allow for greater focus on the customer's needs, can have a positive impact on customer satisfaction, which is critical for retention and revenue growth. On the other hand, customers may flee to competitors if confronted by inefficient and ineffective customer-facing document processes.

These assertions are backed by research reported in a new IDC white paper sponsored by Ricoh, "Organizational Blind Spot: The Role of Document-Driven Business Processes in Driving Top-Line Growth (September 2012)." The white paper is the second major product of Ricoh's new Process Imperative initiative for improved information management. The white paper is based on IDC's recent global study of 1,516 document-driven business process owners and information workers.

Deficient document processes may cause customers to defect, the research revealed. Sixty-nine percent of respondents said they would be less likely to do business with companies having inefficient or ineffective document processes. Sixty percent said they would take their business elsewhere, and 57 percent said they would tell others not do to business with these companies.

The good news is that better document processes have the potential to improve revenue. More than 8 in 10 respondents indicated that optimizing customer-facing document driven business processes would increase revenue - on average by 10.1 percent. This could be achieved by improving customer communications, streamlining the sales and customer on-boarding process, and improving customer support.

"This is great news for executives who are struggling to prioritize business process improvements," said Sergio Kato, Deputy General Manager, Ricoh's Global Marketing Group/Services Business Center. "No longer do they have to wonder if tackling document processes will yield a big enough return to justify the investment. Especially in this economic climate, any process that can both reduce costs and improve revenue is a win-win and should rise to the top of the priority list."

For more information on Digicom's document and information processing solutions, please visit Digicom's website.

Chief is now shipping its kits designed for integrating iPads into AV environments. The kits include the FSBI2B portable iPad interface, which works with the latest two generations of the iPad. The snap fit is designed for easy removal for the user on the go.



The KRA400B weight plate accessory, also available separately, accommodates the minimum weight requirements of K1-series dynamic mounts. The weight allows the gas spring arms to function ideally with the FSBI2B.

• Chief has bundled the portable iPad interfaces with Kontour Series mounts for fast and simple ordering.

• K0W1I2B -- Kontour single display pitch/pivot flush mount with FSBI2B portable iPad interface

• K1C1I2B -- Kontour single display column mount with FSBI2B portable iPad interface and KRA400B weight plate accessory

• K1D2I2B -- Kontour dual display desk mount with FSBI2B portable iPad interface and KRA400B weight plate accessory

A new report from Forrester Research, "The Forrester Wave: Room-Based Videoconferencing, Q3 2012", uses 39 criteria to evaluate the industries solution vendors, assessing video collaboration solutions for every work environment from mobile and desktops to room systems and immersive telepresence along with the services that support them. The following are some of the key findings:


Firms Look to Videoconferencing to make Virtual Meetings better
In a work culture dominated by meetings that participants attend either in person or by phone, more firms recognize the opportunity to use videoconferencing to avoid travel or to at least make virtual meetings more engaging (see Figure 1). Mobile executives want video for better worklife balance, managers want it to see that their direct reports aren’t distracted, and multicultural organizations want it to foster the trust and improved communication that comes with being able to read the body language of remote team members.



Vendors Differentiate on Endpoint Portfolios, Deployment Models and UC Strategies
The videoconferencing market is going through significant change marked by efforts to make the historically cost-prohibitive technology more widely accessible. After a boom period sparked by interest in high-definition quality and epitomized by investments in multiscreen immersive telepresence studios, videoconferencing innovation today is happening on smaller screens like PCs, smartphones, and tablets that workers use in their everyday jobs. In response to this growing interest, vendors not only have to show strategies that account for desktop and mobile applications — they also have to make their traditional dedicated room-based systems easier to deploy at scale.


Leaders have a Complete Portfolio of Offerings
Traditional heavyweights Polycom, Cisco, and LifeSize cover the most bases. Cisco and Polycom in particular have the most options for immersive telepresence, room-based endpoints and desktop hardware units. All three have comprehensive management platforms, recording and streaming solutions, multiple deployment options, leading interoperability, and options to integrate with popular UC platforms. This evaluation of the room-based videoconferencing market is intended to be a starting point only. We encourage readers to view detailed product evaluations and adapt the criteria weightings to fit
their individual needs.


All of the providers in this Forrester Wave report are worthy of your consideration, and which one you select will have more to do with your interest in immersive telepresence compared with more inexpensive systems, your UC strategy, and your deployment model considerations.

If you would like more information on Videoconferencing products, please contact Digicom today.

The global videowall industry is experiencing renewed growth, with the market on track to reach 380,000 unit sales in 2012, equating to year-on-year growth of 60 per cent, according to a new industry report from Futuresource Consulting.

Parmjit Bhangal, market analyst, Futuresource Consulting said: “Since 2009, LED backlight solutions have been integrated into rear projection displays, negating the costs of bulb replacement and maintenance. However, LCD super narrow bezel displays – SNBs – have been the real game-changer, finally offering a viable alternative to rear projection devices and plasma screens, allowing vendors to drive new revenue streams from new markets, most notably retail and public display, as well as defending their positions in video-based verticals.

“These technological advancements have created a huge amount of industry buzz, dominating trade show floors and commanding the interest of industry press, and now we’re seeing all this potential start to convert into real sustainable revenues.

There are four key markets for video walls: control room; retail and public display; corporate and exhibition; and broadcast.

• Control room is a key market for rear projection displays, accounting for more than 85 per cent of global sales last year and also seeing growing demand for SNB. The choice of technology depends upon the sub-vertical, with mission-critical applications – like utilities and command and control – tending to favour rear projection, whereas the more video-based applications of surveillance and traffic management favour SNB.
• Retail and public display are both dominated by SNB and accounted for the majority of SNB sales last year. Digital signage is a key driver for growth in this category as network owners look to create high impact displays to inform, communicate and advertise to customers. Retail and Transport sub-verticals are both key adoption areas.
• Corporate and exhibition verticals both provide growth for rear projection, though SNB is clearly the dominant technology. Reception areas, lobbies, boardrooms, exhibition and equipment rental are all important drivers.
• The broadcast space still demands both rear projection and SNB products. Rear projection is heavily skewed towards the Asia Pacific region, though still has relevance in developed markets.

“Moving forward, we’re going to see strong double digit growth over the next three years, reaching sales of close to one million units in 2015".

If you would like more information on video walls, please contact Digicom today.


Article courtesy of AV Interactive.

After the digital switchover, the 800-MHz band will no longer be used for TV broadcasts. ComReg is clearing the 800-MHzband TV channels (61 to 69) to match spectrum being released in other European countries (European Harmonisation). This will benefit people across Ireland because the spectrum will be able to be used for next generation mobile broadband services. However, this switch further limits a consumer’s ability to use ultra high frequency (UHF) wireless products, as there will be fewer frequencies available. Ultimately, this will reduce the maximum number of wireless products that can coexist in the UHF band at any given time.

These products consist of any device operating between 550 MHz to 606 MHz and 790 MHz to 862 MHz. This change is taking place to make room for both HDTV transmission and mobile broadband services, and will require anyone using any device operating in this space to replace it with an approved alternative.

The UHF band has been under review by most countries around the world, as it is a great option for wireless broadband services, which are in much higher demand than wireless microphones. While the 2012 switchover is the first major change to the UHF band and its availability for wireless microphone usage, it has been made clear that it is not necessarily the last. There is always the chance that more of the band will be sold off in the future, resulting in further limitations in UHF wireless microphone usage.

If you would like more information regarding UHF microphones, please contact Digicom today.

Buyers Laboratory (BLI) is a leading authority and provider of critical intelligence on the imaging industry. They are completely independent in all of their testing processes and subsequent reporting. Recently BLI announced its Summer 2012 “Pick” award winners in ten document imaging software categories. Bestowed twice a year by the editors of BLI, the awards honor the top-performing solutions evaluated in BLI's lab during the previous six months.


Reducing print-related costs, increasing print-job security and recouping print and copy costs where appropriate are the imperatives driving the growth in the print management category. BLI editors have selected PaperCut MF 12 as “Outstanding Print Management Solution” for this Summer 2012 “Pick” season thanks to its robust feature set and affordability.

PaperCut MF facilitates the tracking of (and charging for) print, copy, scan and fax jobs. The solution also includes features such as secure print release and “follow me” printing, as well as cost-saving features such as re-routing of files to lower-cost devices and the ability to enforce duplex printing or restrict output by application type.

“After putting PaperCut MF through its paces, there’s little doubt it’s among the best software platforms in this class on the market,” said BLI Associate Editor Carl Schell. “Not only does the solution have all the necessities for cost accounting, control and recovery needs, it also includes outstanding print management tools that can help organizations better understand their document output and reduce TCO—for a price that’s lower than many other competitive offerings.”

If you would like more information on PaperCut, please contact Digicom today.

A recent survey by Ricoh which stems from an IDC whitepaper shows companies are spending less money on improving document-driven business processes designed to mitigate risk, such as business continuity/risk assessment, business monitoring and controls, and compliance/audit processes, areas that Ricoh recommends companies spend more time understanding and improving. The survey also found driving paper out of processes doesn’t necessarily improve efficiency and companies are too dependent on internal staff to re-engineer critical processes.

“In general, the more deficient the processes are, the less organisations are investing to improve them,” reads the IDC white paper, sponsored by Ricoh. “So even though risk mitigation and other ineffective processes are receiving some investment, they are getting less than other processes and arguably should be receiving a large degree of attention [to minimise impact to the security of the organisation].”

The good news is that well over half of the respondents said improving document processes governing organisational compliance and risk mitigation/management would deliver benefits across business oversight/control, compliance risk, information security risk and business continuity risk. Ricoh’s approach to improving document-driven processes like these includes: definition of the desired state and the creation of a plan that includes critical metrics and key performance indicators; creating a new information infrastructure designed and checked for alignment with business objectives and customer expectations; and a campaign to educate and create awareness with end-users of the new process.

“It’s vitally important that organisations take a holistic approach to fully understand their information infrastructure, where they may need to make improvements, and work with an experienced partner who can help them transform their processes to be more efficient,” said Chas Moloney, director, Ricoh UK and Ireland. “But in the case of processes that are theoretically designed to minimise risk, such as compliance and audit processes or business continuity processes, it is even more vital for companies to continuously monitor, evaluate and invest in improvements. Our research shows this is not occurring in many cases, and we are urging companies to address this growing concern now before they incur even greater risk to their organization.”

A high percentage of business processes (30 to 40 percent) remain paper-driven, the research found, and many processes “jump back and forth” between paper and electronic workflows. Nonetheless, “the least effective processes [in the study] are also the least paper-based. This exposes the myth that simply driving paper out of processes necessarily makes them more efficient. Rather, the health of the process also depends on deeper-level assessment of workflows and attributes of the process itself.”

If you would like to find out how an improvement to document-driven processes can benefit your business, please contact Digicom today.

Sony has unveiled two new series of projectors ideal for application in small office, corporate or education environments. The new models include the VPL-D100 series, designed specifically for the SMB and corporate markets and the VPL-E200 series designed with features specific to the education market. Both series also incorporate convenient eco-conscious features that cut energy consumption and extend lifetime, making them more productive and cost efficient for all uses.

Common features include an auto lamp dimming function, which enables the projector to intelligently detect if it is left on with a static signal being fed. When a static signal is detected, the lamp can be dimmed to 30 per cent of the original brightness at certain time intervals set by the user. When a new signal is sent, the projector returns to full brightness instantly.

To avoid unnecessary power consumption, the new projectors have an Auto Brightness Adjustment function, where the brightness of the lamp’s output is automatically adjusted depending on the brightness of the projected image. For example, when showing darker images that don’t require high brightness, the lamp output will decrease.

An Eco Mode function on all of the projectors gives users the ability to switch between three brightness modes (high, standard and low), allowing the user to control the power consumption of the projector, increasing the life of the lamp and projector. In addition, by applying a new fine-tuned cooling system to reduce clouding of the bulb, Sony has extended the lamp life by approximately 7,000 hours, depending on the lamp mode selected.

The new Picture Mute function also reduces power consumption to 30% usage, saving costs and lamp hours. There’s also no need to completely power-off or turn back on which increases power consumption and can be time-consuming. The new models in the VPL-D100 series and VPL-E200 series will be available in the coming weeks through Digicom.

Last month we hosted our 3rd event of the year in Fitzwilliam Hall, Dublin 2 and Digicom would like to thank all who attended. The event proved extremely popular with attendees. Samsung's specialists demonstrated their new MobilePrint App which makes it possible to print, scan and transfer on the go. The app further bolsters Samsung's connected ecosystem across their product portfolio. Other demonstrations on the day included how Samsung's MFPs make it possible to scan to cloud services such as Evernote and how Samsung's Multi Function Device Software "Papercut" monitors and controls photocopying, scanning and faxing options.

Mark Gillick, Samsung Tablet givewaway winner

The event was very relevant to today's business environment with many businesses committed to moving strategically to cloud services, improving flexibility, scalability and cost management. Digicom also contributed to the presentation, detailing how Google Apps for Business has benefited us. Ultimately this technology will revolutionise the way people work allowing them to enjoy a faster and easier working life.

Digicom will be hosting further events in 2012 which we will keep you informed of.

Finally, congratulations to Mark Gillick from Repak on winning our Samsung Tablet giveaway.

If you would like more information on Samsung's range of print hardware, please contact Digicom.

InfoComm is the AV industry event where new products and services are launched and new industry trends are first observed and detected. InfoComm 2012 had 34,268 AV professionals attending from more than 90 countries. This represents a four percent increase in attendance over InfoComm 2011.There were 933 exhibitors participating this year. Below are some of Digicom's highlights.

SMART Technology's booth at InfoComm was extremely popular, and with good reason. As one of the pioneers of the industry, their solutions have had more actual use (and testing… and R&D) in the field than most of their competitors. Perhaps more significantly, SMART offers its Bridgit conference software, which connects SMARTboards together for interactive whiteboarding and doubles as a cost-effective web conferencing tool allows for the sharing of any application being used on a board.

Cisco Synch is a clever little black box that intuitively integrates interactive whiteboards with Cisco TelePresence. One of the problems with using interactive whiteboards with a video call is the board must be calibrated. Often the board needs to do double duty as a display as well and when you minimize the board to add video the minimized board needs to be recalibrated. Cisco Synch eliminated this and allows format of the board to change throughout the meeting while keeping the board calibrated for both whiteboarding and as a touch screen peripheral.



WolfVision introduced the VZ-C3D, the world’s first 3D visualizer, a 3D stereoscopic ‘live’ presentation solution. The VZ-C3D visualizer is ceiling mounted, and features two high-precision lenses and an onboard stereoscopic mixer. Real-time ‘live’ high-definition 3D images can be viewed in amazing quality, with or without glasses on any suitable 3D-enabled display screen.


12X optical zoom capability ensures that items of all sizes can be picked up quickly and easily, and the synchronised lightfield which is projected onto the working surface means that it’s also easy to find correct positioning for display materials. A frame rate of 30fps ensures smoothness of motion, and 3D images are output via HDMI in native 1080p format. The VZ-C3D can also be switched to output standard 2D images in 1080p format if required.

Wolfvision believes the device could be useful in specialist medical and telemedical applications, product design and engineering, science and education, videoconferencing and telepresence applications.

Sennheiser has unveiled its first microphone that employs Audio-Video Bridging (AVB) technology, making it one of the first companies to use this technology in a product.

The microphone was developed as part of a study – it it still a prototype and will not be available in this form as a product on the market. However, Sennheiser believes the successful outcome of the study proves that high-quality audio can be transmitted into a digital Ethernet network without problems.

The 27th of this month will mark the beginning of the XXXth Olympiad. As well as the athletes, the main sponsors are working tirelessly to make The Games a success, two of which are Digicom's partners, Cisco and Samsung.

Samsung kicked off their Olympic Torch Relay programme in May 2012. The programme represents an opportunity for the general public to take part in the Olympic Games by offering them a chance to carry the Olympic Flame. The Samsung Caravan is bringing torchbearers around the UK during the 70-day relay. An interactive LED screen built into the side of the caravan features the Olympic Torch Relay hightlights as well as avatars of participants for Samsung Hope Relay, a virtual Olympic Torch Relay that allows everyone to take part.



In conjunction with Visa, Samsung have launched a limited edition Galaxy S III Olympic handset for the games. The NFC-capabilities of the handset coupled with a special themed version of its payWave Android application will provide contact less payments to competing athletes in a number of retailers across the city and on official Olympic sites.












As well as being the official network infrastructure supporter of The Games, Cisco have also created "Cisco House" which is nestled in a unique roof-top location above Westfield Stratford City with stunning views over the Olympic Park. The purpose of Cisco House is to deliver an experience illustrating the opportunities for businesses to save money via the creation of new business and service models. Cisco House has been open since the end of April showcasing the best of Cisco's technology. The inspirational experience is rich in video technology with many of its meeting rooms and boardroom facilities having TelePresence suites. Communication pods dotted around the facility offer visitors the opportunity to connect with colleagues, friends and family via social media. Guests can enjoy live sporting events and visual case studies either on large LCD displays or on their own mobile devices.



The ground floor of Cisco House is largely taken up by the interactive walkthrough experience. Key to this is an engaging multi-media business transformation journey which looks at how innovative organisations are using the network today,as well as the opportunities they can look forward to in the future. The top floor of Cisco House consists of a large networking lounge which has spectacular views of the Olympic Stadium.

Both companies have really capitalised on the exposure the Olympics provides and through the use of technology are bringing unique experiences to the public.

Last week at InfoComm 2012, Planar launched their UltraLux Series, the industry’s first family of 60/70/80” LCD displays features a zero bezel, infinity edge-to-edge glass design configured for multiple solutions within digital signage applications. The Planar UltraLux Series features a unique industrial design and forward-thinking engineering which brings on-trend consumer electronics styling to the commercial digital signage market. They really aren't totally bezel-less, but they do have the smallest bezel of any commercial LCD we've seen so far.

The series offers a wide range of screen sizes, configuration options and contemporary styling to create digital signage that consumers cannot ignore for indoor advertising, retail/corporate brand communications and large format way-finding applications.

Key features include:

• 60/70/80" panel size options 
• Landscape & portrait wall mount displays 
• Freestanding single and double sided displays 
• 6-point multi-touch technology 
• Media player storage compartment 
• Zero bezel Infinity Edge glass design 
• Available in white or black glass borders 
• ERO™ protective glass 
• Ultra-thin profile 
• Silver or black metal edge trim

Multiple Configurations:
 Planar UltraLux family of displays are available in 60”, 70” and 80”, and incorporates both portrait and landscape wall mount configurations as well as free standing single and double sided configurations.

Modern Industrial Design: Planar UltraLux addresses the growing demand for unique industrial design aesthetics that mirror today’s most popular consumer electronics. The display is designed and engineered with a zero bezel, infinity edge-to-edge glass using Planar’s ER (Extended Ruggedness and Optics) technology

Lower total cost of ownership: Lower TCO is realized with the Planar UltraLux family by combining the UltraLu Mounting System for ease of installation and service, and lower power consumption savings using edge-lit LED technology.

Digicom are the sole Irish Planar authorized reseller. If you would like more information on the UltraLux series, please contact us today.

The X463UN is another addition to NEC's public displays with direct LED backlights as a light source, 1920 x 1080 resolution and a stunning 5.9mm bezel (content to content). NEC's vast experience in the LCD video wall market accumulates in this product delivering unique features helping to reduce cost, making installations efficient and a video wall made of X463UN a powerful communication tool.

The X463UN employs direct white LED backlighting to improve brightness uniformity. It also contains no mercury to reflect the consideration towards minimising the impact on the environment. The TileMatrix function allows you to create multi-screen configurations of a maximum of 10 x 10 displays for a large-screen size of up to 460 inches. These displays are also easier to transport and install to existing buildings for multi-screen configuration than bigger displays of 100 inches or more. The X463UN is equipped as standard with DVI-D and DisplayPort output terminals, and supports digital signal transmission via daisy chain connections. High quality digital signals can be transferred to up to 30 displays connected with DisplayPort cables in multi-screen configuration.

Being the best in class LCD video wall product, X463UN is an ideal solution for retail signage as well as control room applications, installations in airports, train stations and the rental market.

If you would like more information on NEC displays, please contact Digicom.

Ricoh Europe has launched the black-and-white Aficio MP 301SP/MP 301SPF and their colour counterparts MP C305SP/MP C305SPF, offering advanced print, copy and scan functions from desktop-suitable devices. Designed to replace several single-function devices, these innovative multifunction products help to improve workflow, while their small footprints save valuable office space.

“All four of these MFPs feature a tiltable and customisable 4.3-inch colour touch panel which makes them extremely easy to operate. Businesses can customise the home screen by inserting a company logo and changing the icons to give their employees a more personal experience, while full front access eases operation and maintenance,” says Sylvester de Koning, Product Manager at Ricoh Europe.

The Aficio MP 301SP, MP 301SPF, MP C305SP and MP C305SPF provide a continuous output speed of 30 colour or B/W pages per minute after a warm-up time of 30 seconds. Extra paper trays make frequent refills no longer necessary, and the colour devices (MP C305SP/MP C305SPF) are the first A4 desktop MFP models to support a 1-bin tray which fits inside the standard catch tray – used to separate important output like inbound fax communication from other printed documents. All four devices print on a wide range of formats (A4, A5, A6, B5, B6, Letter and Executive) on plain, special and recycled paper up to 157 g/m2 (up to 220 g/m² for the MP C305SP/MP C305SPF). Card stock, envelopes and transparencies can also be used.

Scanning capabilities include colour scanning, and scan to email, folder and USB. The reduce/enlarge scan function adapts the paper size, while the enhanced batch scan feature enables scanning of only the printed sides of one-sided and two-sided mixed originals.

Standard security features include locked print and hold print, both requiring user sign-in before prints will be released. An embedded watermark, LDAP authentication, and HDD overwrite and HDD encryption options support additional security needs. To reduce the number of unnecessary prints/copies, limits can be set on the amount of outputs for each individual user or group.

The MP 301SP/MP 301SPF and MP C305SP/MP C305SPF provide enhanced device management capabilities that save time, increase efficiency and reduce costs. The high-performance GWNX controller allows the configuration of device settings, and enables status monitoring and the creation of usage reports.

The Aficio MP 301SP/MP 301SPF and MP C305SP/MP C305SPF have environmentally responsible and money-saving features such as sleep mode, duplex printing and paperless fax (MP 301SP/MP 301SPF). The MP C305SP/MP C305SPF incorporate Ricoh’s new Quick Start Up (QSU) fusing system which helps reduce the Typical Electricity Consumption and reduces both the recovery time from sleep mode and the initial warm-up time.

IF you would like more information on Ricoh's range of products, please contact Digicom.

In many cases, digital signage is used as a more dynamic and engaging replacement for traditional printed media. Near Field Communications (NFC), however, stands to level the playing field between the newer, more sophisticated digital signage and the older, more staid print media.

Passive NFC chips can be integrated into printed posters, thereby producing a new form of content called smart media. A simple tap of an NFC-equipped smartphone on any form of smart media can provide the viewer with wireless access to dynamic, interactive and in some cases personalized content. In addition, NFC-enabled smart media can provide the content owner with extensive viewer engagement metrics.

NFC tags also can be used to augment the value of digital signage displays. A tag can be placed next to a digital display. Viewers can get more information about the screen’s content just by tapping on the tag.
NFC represents a big step forward in bridging the gap between traditional and new media. NFC breathes new life into static content and extends the value of new content.

If you require more information on digital signage, please contact Digicom today.

Extron just added three new models to the Retractor series, a cable retraction system for Extron Cable Cubby series cable access enclosures. The Retractor provides a discreet solution for accessing AV cable connections and then storing them.

New models include the Retractor VGA-A, which combines VGA and 3.5mm stereo audio in a single Retractor module, providing a cost-effective option for VGA and audio source connectivity. Also new are two special-purpose models: the Retractor DC, which can be used to extend DC power for many Dell, HP and Compaq PCs – laptop power supply not included; and the Retractor VGA SM, which incorporates the functionality of the recently introduced Extron VGA “Show Me” Control Cable for remote input connection and selection for the Extron VSW2 VGA A and SW VGA Ars switchers. Retractor modules are available in versions to support most AV and data signal types and fit any Cable Cubby or TouchLink Touchpanel Cable Cubby enclosure.

 The Retractor System works in tandem with all Extron Cable Cubby cable access enclosure models, as well as the TouchLink TLP 350CV and TLP 710CV Cable Cubby Touchpanel models. Cable Cubby access enclosures are furniture-mountable architectural solutions that store cable out of sight while remaining connected to the AV system, offering a discreet way to access cables and connection points as they are needed. Up to three Retractor modules can be installed side by side within the Cable Cubby.

If you would like more information about any Extron products, please contact Digicom.

The future of print is here thanks to Samsung's Cloud Platform Integration! - June 7th 2012, Glandore Business Centre -



I'm sure you are aware of the essential role mobile devices have in the modern work environment. For this reason, Digicom would like you to experience Samsung's latest print technology which integrates with multiple cloud technology providers. Demonstrations from Samsung's experts will be on from 8.30am - 10am and 11am - 12.30pm on June 7th 2012 at Glandore Business Centre, Fitzwilliam Hall. The technology on show will allow you to enjoy a faster and easier way of working where you can print, scan and transfer files as you go.

 Highlights on the day include:

•  MobilePrint solution for Android and iOS platforms 
•  Scanning to cloud services such as Evernote and Google Docs via ScanShare 
•  Microsoft SharePoint Integration  

Mobile devices are essential to the modern work environment, and it's important that you have all the necessary capabilities at your disposal while on the go. Samsung MobilePrint, which doesn't requires a new driver or network configurations, ensures that your mobile devices, such as smart phones, mobile tablets and PCs, are equipped with all the latest print, scan and file transferring capabilities.



Print content whenever and wherever
Samsung has created a MobilePrint solution that is ready to handle today's latest business tools. Printing photos, web pages, PDF files etc, from your mobile devices is now a simple task. Whether it is an Android or iOS based smart phone or tablet PC, simply select the content and then wirelessly print it. It couldn't be easier. And with a diverse range in print options such as original size, paper orientation/size/copies/colour and so much more, your printing operation is now a lot more intelligent and far more capable.

Scan and go, perfect for mobile devices
The Samsung MobilePrint connects wirelessly with mobile devices for fast, integrated and convenient scanning on the go. Whether you are scanning from a network-connected printer or a Samsung MFP, they are both supported by Android and iOS mobile devices. And to make things even easier, a wider selection of scanning formats such as JPG, PNG and PDF are available for quick and easy viewing on your mobile device. Other scanning options such as multi-page PDFs, colour modes, previews and quality levels ensure that scanning is tailored to your specific needs. It is scanning that's made for today's mobile devices and a must-have business tool.


Transfer your scans and files easily with the Samsung MobilePrint, which allows multi-purpose file transferring to both PCs and web/SNS. With Android devices you can now upload scanned content to mail accounts, SNS and other applications. While on iOS devices, you can enjoy fast file transfers between the device and a PC using an internal document server. Either way, your operation enjoys fantastic capabilities when it comes to scanning and transferring files. It's the smarter and more efficient way of working.

If you would like more information on Samsung's range of printers, please contact Digicom.

A new business reality is emerging across all segments of the business spectrum, and it is creating opportunity and challenges that must be considered and planned for today. The new reality is the product of the convergence of mobility, video, and collaboration, driven by three megatrends:

• The consumerization of IT driven by the use of consumer-oriented devices and applications crossing over into the SMB and enterprise markets 
• The increased adoption and usage of videoconferencing across the consumer, SMB, and enterprise markets 
• Technology advances in the underlying foundation of mobile video driven by rapidly growing network broadband capacity and compounded by the growth of video-capable mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets

Mobility has reshaped voice telecommunications and is poised to have the same impact on video communications. The powerful combination of mobility and real-time video communications is further enhanced by the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) trend in mobility. BYOD is enabling devices and applications designed for consumer usage to impact the way employees of small, medium-sized, and large enterprises access and utilize advanced communication applications, essentially extending the most widely used consumer devices and applications into the enterprise.

In the BYOD scenario, employees want to increase their own productivity; they need no incentive and, in fact, must overcome organizational barriers. Furthermore, they require no training because they have learned how to use these applications at home, and they furnish their own technology in the form of cherished smartphones or tablets. This trend of consumerization brings to bear a number of new concerns about liability, privacy, and security. As a result, enterprise IT stakeholders are rapidly building a strategy for BYOD through the implementation of mobile management and security.

Similar to the rapid movement toward person-to-person communication rather than place-to-place communication, a shift from voice communication to visual communication is occurring as well. The increasing usage of various forms of videoconferencing in the consumer, SMB, and enterprise markets is quickly establishing itself all over the globe. For example, IDC forecasts that approximately 30% of the U.S. population will engage in videoconferencing in 2012, growing to over 45% by 2015.Also, according to IDC's recent enterprise survey, 40.5% of respondents currently use some form of videoconferencing and 70% of respondents either currently use videoconferencing or plan to use videoconferencing in the next year.

The foundation for mobile video collaboration lies in two trends. Firstly, The growth of tablet and smartphone penetration. Secondly, the buildout of 3G and 4G mobile networks and the growing access to WiFi connected to fixed broadband networks in the home, the workplace, and public areas.

In addition to deploying unified communications (UC) technology for enhancing interactions between and among workers for productivity purposes, organizations are now leveraging the technology to enhance key business processes. For example, they are using video not just for face-to-face internal meetings but also for conducting diagnostic procedures in healthcare, distance learning in education, online access to experts in banking and finance, video kiosks in retail operations, and business-to-business commerce among customers, clients, and partners.

When potential users evaluate the benefits of mobile visual communications, the key question is, "Will it make me and my team more productive?" In IDC surveys of thousands of SMB owners and enterprise IT decision makers, "increased productivity" is continually listed among the highest benefits of video collaboration. Increased productivity means video gives the sales team, product team, research team, or engineering team an edge.

Please contact Digicom to see how our video conferencing solutions can help you.

Article courtesy of IDC.