A new year has begun. 2023 will usher in a chance for the ProAV industry to create, innovate and grow.

We spoke with 23 different manufacturers—like AtlasIED, Shure and Legrand—to see what’s on they have in store for the year ahead. Here’s what they had to say…

Atlona celebrates its 20th anniversary with the launch of its second-generation OmniStream AV over IP platform, with enhanced capabilities that are designed to raise the bar for visual quality, performance, and integration convenience in networked AV deployments. The upcoming launch, to be unveiled in greater detail closer to ISE 2023, takes the thirst for higher resolutions, improved bitrate management, and much more into consideration. This, along with more advanced integration capabilities with its Velocity AV control systems, will offer more holistic IP-networked solutions for the company’s corporate and education customers seeking greater flexibility inside lecture halls, auditoriums and other medium to large gathering spaces.

For NETGEAR AV in 2023, they are very excited to be expanding their worldwide ProAV Design team. They are adding people from around the world who can help design AV over IP networks and troubleshoot any problems along the way. They have heard loud and clear that one of the barriers to entry in AVoIP is network design. By sending an email to ProAVDesign@netgear.com, this free service takes the unknown out of the equation and lets integrators and system designers focus on the rest of the install.

Partnerships are an integral part of Sony’s business and you’ll see the company expanding even more. They recently designated 10 charter members of their Professional AV Alliance Partner Network and they say they’re thrilled that they’ve been able to showcase these strategic hardware and software providers, and have their support, during shows and events in 2022 and into 2023. Sony will be doing even more to highlight their collective strengths in 2023, and with their recent alignment with signgageOS, the company believes they are well-positioned to expand Sony’s presence in key vertical markets while jointly elevating their businesses and creating more integrated solutions for their customers.

Datapath will be unveiling the latest design improvements to its VSN video processors at ISE 2023. Operating temperatures and efficiency are further improved with a reengineering of the chassis design—improving airflow along with a choice of the very latest generation CPUs for the ultimate in power. Datapath says its VSNs are the proven video processor of choice in some of the world’s most prestigious government and defense control rooms. The company says the latest derivative of its VSN processors, set for worldwide availability in coming months, are the perfect partner for its Aetria solution for the design, operation and management of video content in applications in verticals such as medical, oil and gas and government.

Meyer Sound‘s 2023 plans include accelerating its transition to a fully digital audio and data signal infrastructure using AVB networks based on the Milan protocol. In 2022, the company built Milan networked endpoints into five of its self-powered loudspeakers, and it will be adding more loudspeakers in 2023. Alongside new hardware releases, Meyer Sound will continue to refine and augment its Nebra software for connection and monitoring—making the configuration and management of complex loudspeaker systems faster and more efficient. While customers will continue to work with the company’s analog-equipped products, they see the movement toward discrete, self-powered loudspeakers existing as fully networked endpoints gain momentum.

2023 is proving to be very exciting for AtlasIED. Of course, the company says it will have new software and hardware that its engineering and manufacturing teams have continued to fine tune over 2022. But what they’re more anxiously anticipating are the partnerships that they will continue to develop and leverage. The industry will see in 2023 the first results of the collaborations for which AtlasIED worked hard to set strong foundations in 2021 and 2022. The industry will be able to finally realize the benefits of these partnerships, and we’ll all be better and stronger for it. AtlasIED wants to cheers to growth, relationships, and amplified partnerships in 2023!

In 2023, VuWall’s product roadmap will prioritize the user and customer experience – which the company says will make their products easy to deploy and use. They will expand the feature sets of their existing products and streamline their product range to create a simple, scalable and versatile ecosystem. In 2023, VuWall will focus its developments primarily on mission-critical control rooms and operation centers, enabling more collaboration between operator workstations and the video wall. As the organization continues to embrace the convergence of AV and IP with its open and interoperable approach, its software platform will enable video wall control and AV distribution across multiple facilities – all from a single easy-to-use UI.

Shure says customers will continue to see significant new features along with improvements to the entire Stem Ecosystem product line in 2023. In the past few months, Shure issued several firmware updates to Stem to enhance the customer experience, but they say they aren’t done yet. Easier installs, enhanced Room Design capabilities and extensively tuned audio will continue to offer a truly customizable solution for any meeting room. These updates will provide enhanced intelligibility for an even more natural and transparent communication experience, according to the company. As a result, Shure says customers can create meeting spaces where they don’t even have to think about the audio because it just works—regardless of the environment.

After debuting in Orlando this past fall, Crestron‘s Modern Work Summit will be back in 2023. Taking place in Madrid, this two-day, in-person event brings together IT managers, facilities representatives and human resources leaders to discuss emerging trends and successful strategies for meeting the needs of today’s modern workplace. Crestron believes collaboration within companies goes beyond technology; it is how spaces are set up and what design elements are included to provide an inclusive work environment. On May 23rd and 24th, speakers and panelists from industry-leading companies will share the importance of the changing workplace, meeting spaces and work-from-home collaboration setups.

Sonance operates with a clear and defined set of three pillars, or guiding principles, that guide its strategy. One such application of its pillars – Authentic Partnership, solutions that are Designed to Disappear, and a Heritage of Innovation – in 2023 will see the company double-down on their partnerships through hosting even more dealer, consultant, and end user colleagues at its Sonance Studio in San Clemente, CA. This ever-evolving space was built exclusively for the company’s partners, and gives them an inspiring space to collaborate with visitors. Sonanceinvites those who would like an overview of the space itself to explore the www.sonancestudio.com page.

AV technology is at an inflection point, and for 2023, the SurgeX team looks forward to upholding its commitment to keeping fast-evolving technology ecosystems online and running. As SurgeX continues to evolve its portfolio and resources to support modern projects, the brand is planning to launch an online portal to make doing business easier. The portal will support SurgeX’s customers, distributors and partners as they grow their product mixes, lead conversations about the importance of proper power management, and expand their business offerings.

Navori Labs saw continued revenue growth and the expansion of all global teams in 2022, and the company is forecasting further growth in 2023 with the next releases of its QL Digital Signage and Aquaji Analytics software platforms. Several QL features will be released including native integration with a leading programmatic DOOH platform, and a re-written Template Designer that allows end users and operators to create custom data connectors using JavaScript. Overall, the company’s new digital signage features—along with multiple enhancements to its Aquaji camera-based analytics platform—has them excited for 2023 and beyond.

Expect more innovation from Snap One in 2023 with the launch of Episode Radiance. Episode Radiance is an all-in-one outdoor music and lighting system. This modular solution allows dealers to combine 70V speakers, lights, mounts, and the Radiance subwoofer to configure an ideal solution for any outdoor installation. One-wire installation and Twist-to-Lock components make installs fast, simple, and safe, with no additional tools or wiring required, according to the company.. Built for durability with UV protection and IP66 rated, Episode Radiance provides the ultimate outdoor ambiance, with a 360-degree sound and lighting experience. Snap One says they are ready to delight customers with Episode Radiance this year.

In 2023, Nureva is bringing to market the next generation of its patented Microphone Mist technology. It will extend and build on the technology’s unique characteristics, enabling a new audio experience for corporate and education customers. With this next-gen platform, users will be able to: simplify the deployment of UCC-certified room kits into larger spaces, use sophisticated, sound-location based voice tracking integrations with third-party cameras and set enhanced listening zones with different audio characteristics within a meeting room or classroom. The company says it’s an IT-friendly approach to ProAV performance.

Just Add Power’s guiding philosophy is to respect the original investment that end users make in their AV system. The company will continue to offer new devices that are compatible with or can be bridged to previous systems and provide free firmware updates to keep its existing products up to date with new functionality. Product-wise, they will add to the MaxColor line in 2023 with a few new SKUs and a big firmware update that will add a new, never-seen-before feature for Just Add Power, according to the company. The first of these will debut at ISE 2023 with a MaxColor Series 2 transmitter and receiver, which incorporate USB-C for KVM support and a fiber port connection, among other features.

Q-SYS is excited to kick off the year in Barcelona at ISE 2023 in Stand 2V400. The company’s booth will be completely reimagined with an immersive tour showcasing what’s possible with Q-SYS. The company says visitors will walk through five unique scenarios where they can discover integrated audio, video and control automation like never before – including the latest trends in collaboration and higher ed; integration with Google, Microsoft and Zoom; seamless room automation – plus complete system management. End with a drink on the company at the Q-SYS café. They will also have presentations every hour from Q-SYS experts and ecosystem partners. Click here to learn more and book your journey!

In 2023, 22Miles is looking forward to helping millions of visitors navigate events ranging from CES and NAB to InfoComm and at the Las Vegas and Orange County Convention Centers. At the OCCC, its CMS powers both navigation kiosks and a mobile wayfinding app with turn-by-turn directions, accessible routing and campus alerts. At the LVCC, it manages content for everything from room signage and directories to the largest event venue videowall on the continent. 22Miles says it cannot wait for the industry to see just how easy they make enterprise-scale content management and navigation.

PTZOptics is thrilled to begin 2023 with a brand new partnership. Starting January 1, all PTZOptics customers have access to a free, 6-month subscription to NewBlue’s Titler Live 5 Present video overlay package. This software and graphics bundle will empower its users to create broadcast-quality video overlays and graphics for their live streams – including main titles, data visualizations, lower thirds, crawls, slideshows, scoreboards and more. Paired with its Move 4K PTZ camera, which also begins shipping in January, PTZOptics says this new partnership makes creating a dynamic, polished video production easier and more affordable than ever.

Commercial spaces are becoming increasingly more refined and high-end but the audio
products that address those spaces have not kept up says Theory Professional. Launching at InfoComm 2023, Theory Professional will address this void head-on—not only in terms of performance, but also design. Theory Professional say it is a premium brand with a small stable of the most capable audio products available. They promise to “deliver the very best performance in every product category [they] enter”. A big claim, but Theory says early feedback from AV integrators and consultants has been unanimous—they’ve set a new bar. The company is looking forward to demonstrating that Theory difference at InfoComm 2023 in Orlando later this year.

BenQ is focused on shaping the future of learning by supporting the unsung heroes of the classroom — teachers. As more technology is introduced to classrooms, it’s clear that these solutions need to not only provide future-ready collaborative learning opportunities for students but also be intuitive enough for teachers. This will be seen in the BenQ Boards, which boast new features and software to ensure they integrate with the curriculum, resources, and applications teachers are already using, thereby eliminating hours of training and material development. This includes single sign-on, Tap ‘N Tech technology, and EZ Write’s intuitive whiteboarding features.

The Legrand | AV Roadshow will be gearing up for another winning tour across the country to connect with their customers. After visiting over 100 locations in 2022, they are heading back out for an eight-to-nine-month trek starting in Q1 with a whole new hands-on experience to enjoy. The trailer experience will focus on the commercial AV channel and feature their latest and greatest solutions for digital signage and conferencing collaboration, and new product highlights. Legrand I AV says they can’t wait for the green flag to get started, but they’ll always brake for their customers!

Userful believes IT leaders are now seeking AV applications and services that support the needs of digitally-transformed organizations. As AV converges with IT, customer priorities are changing. Expectations for interoperability, security, scalability, and future-proofing are redefining the traditional AV market, according to the company. Userful says it is excited to participate in the 2023 ISE Tech Talk Summit alongside technology partners and enterprise customers to discuss and debate how AV is changing to meet the IT needs of today and support the needs of digitally transformed enterprises into the future. Useful says partners (current and future) can connect with them at tradeshow@userful.com.

Vanco is looking forward to welcoming new members to its Brand Enthusiast Program in 2023. The company says Brand Enthusiast members are vital to its rapid innovation cycle. Some of this year’s most well-loved products have resulted from conversations with program participants. Members gain access to benefits including the opportunity to beta-test new products prior to release or have their work featured in published case studies. Dealers and distributors interested in gaining early access to new Vanco products can apply to join the Vanco Enthusiast Program on the Vanco website at vanco1.com/brand-enthusiasts.

With these initiatives in mind, 2023 is set to bring excitement, innovations and success to the many wonderful #AVTweeps in our community — and we’ll be there every step of the way covering the hottest news and events. With that in mind, the entire rAVe team wishes you a happy and healthy new year!

Want to connect with our editorial team? Follow Steph Beckett, Gary Kayye and me (Megan A. Dutta) on LinkedIn.

Editor’s Note: Many companies mentioned ISE 2023 as part of their upcoming plans. Want to go to ISE in Barcelona? We have a FREE code — that gives you free entry and free access to all the manufacturer-based training, too. Go here: iseurope.org (and enter code ‘raveeurope’). Integrated Systems Europe, ISE 2023, will take place at Fira Barcelona Gran Via, January 31 – February 3, 2023.