Norway is a technology savvy country with an appetite for trying new things. Anna Mitchell finds out what this means for its AV industry.
High wages, an abundance of natural resources and a good quality of life for its citizens; Norway enjoys an enviable reputation, not just in Europe, but on the world stage. It’s a big reputation that belies the size of the country that has a population of just over five million.
Good salaries and an attractive work-life balance mean that Norwegian firms can attract and retain some of the brightest minds, a fact that has played a large role in shaping technology deployments in the country.
“Norway sees itself as an early technology adopter,†explains Ingo Aicher, director of Jones AV. Jones AV has worked in Norway for seven years and sees the country as one of its key markets.
“Skilled people tend to flock to Norway and places like Oslo teem with talented people from all over the world. Norwegians have no problem with hiring in talent or firms abroad for jobs. They like to work with the best in their field.
“IT departments in universities or hospitals, doctors and lecturers, they all have an affinity to technology and have no fear in trying something new,†he continues. “In many countries we experience customers that are very conservative toward new technology. They want to wait until it is tried and tested. In Norway there is the attitude that someone has to try it first so people ask ‘why not us?’. For example, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim started an upgrade to IPv6 and 10GB network infrastructure three years ago.â€
Kjetil Eskild, a product manager at Norwegian distributor Video Film International (VFI), agrees: “Norway is a huge consumer of electronic equipment. There are big manufacturers that use Norway as a test market. People want to try new things and they are often very skilled.â€
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