Any resemblance the name has to that of the 1970s and ‘80s new wave band is purely coincidental.
But like Devo, Biamp‘s Devio platform for collaboration is shaking things up, marking the audio networking manufacturer’s first release specifically targeted at small meeting rooms or huddle spaces.
Devio consists of two components, says Rob Houston, Biamp’s product manager, unified communications product—Devio CR-1 and beamforming microphone Devio DTM-1—
Because we’re Biamp, we want the audio in [huddle] spaces to be awesome and power effective collaboration for the organization,” says Rob Houston.
and it’s aimed at providing small space meetings with high-quality, laptop-based audio and video conferencing.
“We wanted to ease the transition for people in an office space moving their computer from their desk to [the huddle room],” he says.
“Also, because we’re Biamp, we want the audio in those spaces to be awesome and power effective collaboration for the organization. We wanted to provide tools that enable their technology managers – whether IT or AV or their integrator—to simply manage all these devices.”
From Biamp’s press release:
With as little as a single USB 3.0 connection to a Windows® or Mac® OS X®-based computer, Devio brings high-end audio input and output and easy connectivity to in-room technology including displays, Web cameras, and more. Once connected to the CR-1, end users can share content locally and initiate their preferred soft codec from their computers — with no additional software applications or devices to learn how to use. With embedded DisplayLink USB graphics technology, Devio is able to send and receive audio and video over USB and extend the computer desktop to two displays¹.
Enabling flexible options to create the ideal huddle room setup, the CR-1 back panel includes two HDMI outputs to support in-room displays, a USB 2.0 port for USB Web camera connectivity, and a four-pin headset jack for phone bridging. Audio output options include an integrated 20W powered two-pin connector for rooms using passive speaker options or an RCA-out for amplifier connection. Devio includes Auto Setup, which automates the setting of audio input and output levels — reducing installation time and ensuring remote participants can hear and be heard. Multiple CR-1 units in an installation can be managed centrally using the Devio software administration utility (SAU) or via SNMP, and firmware and configurations can be mass deployed.
Biamp is positioning Devio as a relatively easy-to-install system. An expert installer should be able to “provide fit and finish and optimal mounting” while expertly hiding away wires, but “also if it’s someone with less experience we’ve simplified it,” Houston says.
“We’re targeting people who are taking their laptops into a meeting room so had to be as easy to rollout as possible. No additional drivers required.”
More from Biamp’s press release:
Enabling flexible options to create the ideal huddle room setup, the CR-1 back panel includes two HDMI outputs to support in-room displays, a USB 2.0 port for USB Web camera connectivity, and a four-pin headset jack for phone bridging. Audio output options include an integrated 20W powered two-pin connector for rooms using passive speaker options or an RCA-out for amplifier connection. Devio includes Auto Setup, which automates the setting of audio input and output levels — reducing installation time and ensuring remote participants can hear and be heard. Multiple CR-1 units in an installation can be managed centrally using the Devio software administration utility (SAU) or via SNMP, and firmware and configurations can be mass deployed.
Providing clear intelligibility and superb audio quality, Devio comes bundled with the DTM-1 beamforming microphone. The eight-element DTM-1 microphone features 360-degree coverage collected from three 120-degree zones, tracking voices in each zone and mixing audio from multiple zones — giving remote conference participants a natural representation of the conversation as it occurs. Devio utilizes Biamp® expertise in acoustic echo cancellation and noise reduction to further optimize meeting audio.
Biamp will debut Devio at Integrated Systems Europe 2016 which will also mark the physical debut of its recently announced Tesira amplifiers.
“One question we’ve gotten is where does devio fit in the Tesira line,” says Justin O’Connor, audio products manager for Biamp.
“Devio and Tesira are separate product families. One reason it’s different is that Devio is handling video. That’s a differentiator, but the bigger differentiator is that Devio DSP processing is completely fixed. That’s obviously a big difference from Tesira.”
Biamp’s Devio is currently shipping through authorized channels.
