For years AV and IT applications existed on separate servers, but are we now seeing the rise of the converged network? Paul Milligan asks those in the know.
It is a phrase often used throughout the AV industry that clients want 'one throat to choke'. Said as a joke to highlight the sometimes fractious relationship between distributor or integrator and the buyer, like all good jokes it has an element of truth to it. People do like to buy products from one source rather than multiple if they can, it's easy, convenient and makes life much simpler in the longer term.
In the ongoing process of AV/IT convergence, which is now well into its second decade, the perceived logic has always shied away from a singular approach, IT functions sit on its own server, and AV applications sit on its own server. That's the way it has always been because that's the way IT departments have demanded the AV sector has to work, and AV has little choice but to comply. But things are changing, as AV over IP becomes ubiquitous, the call for truly converged networks is growing, where IT and AV applications sit on the same server.
We gathered a mix of integrators, consultants and manufacturers to see if converged networks are growing in numbers and to discuss the pros and cons of going down this particular route, and to ask if this is the inevitable end game of AV and IT convergence. So are we seeing more converged networks out there? "Yes, we are seeing more converged networks becoming the norm, especially in sectors where collaboration and scalability are key, like corporate environments, education, and entertainment," says Gergely Vida, CEO, Lightware.
That view is shared by Jared Timmins, senior vice president innovation, Diversified, "We're witnessing a steady increase in converged networks across AV, media, and broadcast. Currently, about a quarter of our AV installations involve IP-based solutions, and this number is growing. In broadcast, the shift is more pronounced, especially in large-scale venues and production facilities."
We are seeing more converged networks says Christian Bozeat, senior technology and strategy consultant, AVU, "But it is a slow process and there are still many who are just not delivering." If you are going to go down that path, just what are the benefits in installing a converged network? Well, there's actually quite a few. It's about creating future-proof solutions for clients says Timmins. "Converged networks offer unparalleled flexibility and scalability. Technological advancements like SMPTE ST 2110 and TSN (Time-Sensitive Networks) are making these networks more robust and deterministic. We're moving towards environments where media-rich collaboration is the norm. Converged networks are the backbone that will make this vision a reality."
A converged network offers the versatility required by many institutions says Nicolas Sturmel, Senior Network Technologist, DirectOut. "For example, the single network port, usually used for a networked printer, could also be used to suddenly facilitate a last-minute remote meeting room with video conferencing, offering problem- solving versatility required by modern businesses." Managing a single unified network simplifies operations and allows IT and AV teams to work together more effectively adds Vida. "Converged networks also offer scalability, making it easier to add new AV devices or services without overhauling the entire system."
Reducing costs and increasing efficiency are the two biggest benefits says Matt Hall, senior technology consultant, Hewshott. "You're not having to double up on your systems to have your AV and your core IT separate. You don't have to have multiple support teams. It reduces confusion within the rooms, so if you have multiple networks, you've got multiple points that need patching, by having it on a converged network you just got one hub room, one set of switches, one support system. When we have everything on a single network, it simplifies the deployment of cabling. You are able to forecast better for upgrades and support. And by being able to put everything across that single network, you can then start deploying in other areas and link them together more easily."
Having more converged networks out there in the world could also have a knock-on effect on the use of AI too says Timmins, "These networks also provide the foundation for integrating AI and machine learning technologies, which are becoming increasingly important in our field." If we are going to talk about the positives of converged networks, it's only fair we explore the drawbacks or hurdles that currently stand in their way too.
Bozeat would like the pace of converged networks to be faster than it currently it but admits there are issues delivering it that are driven by outside forces, such as building management. "Fully converged networks in buildings that are totally owned and built by and for a single company are easier to deliver than those that are either built to cat A (fit out) and taken on or landlord-built owned and multi tenanted. The reason for this difficulty is because in landlord owned buildings they run a network for all the landlord systems and then the tenants deploy their own networks for their own systems. This means that in some cases it is extremely difficult to produce a fully converged building wide network due to the security issues of joining two separate and differently owned networks."
Another issue in this brave new world of converged networks is the question of responsibility when it comes to support. "We've had Cisco and Polycom codex out in the field for years, with their appropriate servers. Now with the way that Teams interfaces with Azure Active Directory, the screens themselves can turn on the system, it's a very muddy middle ground as to who supports it," says Hall. "Do you have your AV team supporting it or do you have your IT team supporting it? It's especially tough when you've got things like Teams on Android, where there are some very critical elements to get it to work to do with licencing and configuration on the entry ID side. But then it's the AV team that's typically deploying it, and you've got to get it to work through Microsoft Intune. It's blurry."
Two of the biggest hurdles to increased adoption of converged networks are security and bandwidth. Understandably security is the biggest worry for many organisations when you start talking about merging networks with many different devices and protocols on them. The threat of a cyber attack is all too real, which means security is a top concern says Timmins. "Converged networks require robust protection measures, including network segmentation and comprehensive cybersecurity strategies. Bandwidth management can be complex, especially with uncompressed 4K and 8K video streams that require careful network design and potentially specialised network equipment."
Security is extremely important and is a reason that many organisations opt for not having AV on their corporate network says Bozeat. "If you are going to converge, the processes must be in place to ensure that devices are secure from attack and still operate correctly in conjunction with the other devices. It is seemingly less of an issue today, but it can be a big problem with some network switches that they are not able to handle Dante and other traffic and have to be configured correctly so in some cases in order to transition to a converged network all of the switches would need to be replaced which can be costly and time consuming."
Bandwidth is a major issue for some organisations, because as Rob Moodey, manager of strategic partnerships, Matrox Video explains, video is different to regular IT traffic. “The frames come along at a constant rate (50 or 60fps) and each is broadly the same in payload, albeit reduced by compression, it presents as sustained traffic, whereas normal IT traffic is bursty. Networks designed for bursty traffic have been designed assuming that the average of the bursts is quite low. This is particularly relevant when network architects are selecting the uplink capacity between a layer 2 switch and a layer 3 router.
The bursty assumption leads to an expectation of a low average bandwidth and consequently the selection of a low bandwidth (cheaper) uplink port. So, a converged network must have the necessary bandwidth in the uplink port. This is a cost in the network rather than being a cost of the endpoint. That realisation is not always well received. We have all experienced days when our IT network is slow. That means traffic is high and non- critical traffic is being delayed (slowed down). And that's one of the reasons that IT network administrators push back on having video on their network, it means their capital costs will go up because they need to invest in more bandwidth between layers 2 and 3."
Change is often met with resistance in organisations, and IT teams are no different, as this example from Hall illustrates. "With HDBaseT and things like that working so reliably, they don't see why you would suddenly change to an AVOIP system on a converged network. If you've always done it standalone why are you doing this change now? Also, a lot of legacy systems might not have things like QoS and multicast configured, that is then a big administrative task to make sure that's set up properly."
With the recent emergence of IMPX, and other more 'IT friendly' AV standards, could this play a part in growing converged networks? "AV standards like IPMX are essential for ensuring seamless integration and interoperability between AV systems and existing IT infrastructures. These standards provide a framework that allows AV signals to be transmitted over IP networks in a way that is compatible with the protocols and practices already used in IT environments. This reduces the technical barriers between AV and IT, making it easier for these two traditionally separate domains to coexist on a single network," says Vida.
Standards are crucial in this landscape adds Timmins. "IPMX is making waves in both AV and broadcast, promising to be a more accessible standard for AV-over-IP, especially in pro AV applications. SDVOE has carved out a niche in AV, especially for low-latency, uncompressed video transport. These standards, along with others like AES67 for audio and AMWA NMOS for device discovery and registration, are bridging the gap between AV and IT."
Finally, are converged networks the inevitable end result of the whole AV over IP convergence process? "While I'm cautious about declaring anything in tech as 'inevitable,' the trajectory certainly points in that direction. Converged networks align perfectly with the industry's future more flexible, efficient, and integrated," says Timmins. The move to converged networks is definitely the next step on the path says Hall, "Especially as Wi-Fi 6 starts to gain more traction and more devices that can be connected, the ability to use a software defined AV device which can transmit wirelessly across super-fast Wi-Fi onto a standard infrastructure network where it can be routed anywhere, it's going to be fantastic. It's not the end of the road, though. There's always going to be more development. It's definitely the next service station on the motorway though."
image credits:
shutterstock/Kjetil Kolbjornsrud
shutterstock/Miguel Palos Pou
shutterstock/Gorodenkof