AV-centric organizations are under growing pressure to modernize their infrastructure in line with IP-based workflows. This trend is being driven by a range of factors, such as the need for scalable and flexible systems, simplified deployment and management, long-term cost efficiency and achieving better integration with enterprise IT environments, to name a few.
Indeed, going down the AV-over-IP (AVoIP) route enables centralized control, remote management and interoperability across vendors, capabilities that have become increasingly important in the wake of supply chain disruptions and rising infrastructure complexity. The challenge is that relatively few organizations can afford to replace their entire AV estate in one move. Many still depend on legacy hardware that must remain operational for the foreseeable future.
This has created a situation where older AV assets must coexist with new IP-based technologies as part of an integrated hybrid environment.
For those involved in the implementation and management of these systems, the challenge is to build solutions that support both formats without introducing unnecessary complexity, performance issues or limiting future innovation. Success depends on identifying the right bridging technologies and selecting standards-based solutions that allow legacy and IP systems to operate side by side.
Designing for Hybrid Environments
So, where should organizations facing this kind of infrastructure challenge focus their efforts? Initially, the design process should begin with a clear understanding of what legacy equipment must be retained, how it functions and what role it will play alongside newer systems.
In practical terms, this often requires the use of bridging technologies such as transcoders or format converters that enable legacy sources to be integrated into IP-based networks. These components play a crucial role in ensuring continuity, particularly in environments where uptime is critical, such as control rooms, or where replacement cycles are constrained by budget limitations and the need to minimize operational risk.
Next, it goes without saying that organizations want to scale with minimal disruption. Take bandwidth provision, for example, where an incremental approach can deliver the required performance in line with existing infrastructure or future expansion plans. Deployments that can start with 1Gbps and expand to 10 or 25Gbps as required allow organizations to match investment to real-world situations.
This flexibility is essential in environments such as finance, government or higher education, where system upgrades must align with broader planning and long-term procurement strategies.
Don’t forget, the goal is not to patch old and new together in an ad-hoc fashion, but to create a coherent system architecture where legacy and IP assets function as part of a unified whole. This ensures organizations can evolve their AV capabilities over time, rather than being forced into costly and disruptive overhauls because their strategy hasn’t taken long-term planning into account.
Interoperability Without Compromise
Once hybrid design parameters have been identified and addressed, attention must turn to interoperability. Simply put, it’s not enough for systems to function in isolation; the demands of modern AV use cases mean they must work seamlessly together across devices, platforms and vendors, without exception.
But true interoperability is about much more than basic compatibility; it requires a strategy that prioritizes open standards and validated performance across multi-vendor environments. In this context, integrators should establish rigorous testing protocols during system staging to ensure all components communicate effectively.
By running proof-of-concept testing in a controlled environment, for example, potential issues can be identified and resolved before deployment begins. This is crucial if tech teams are to avoid potential delays and cost overruns further into the project.
True interoperability also depends on avoiding the use of proprietary protocols wherever possible. Closed systems can be extremely problematic, with a list of potential issues covering limited flexibility, supply chain issues and the difficulties of substituting system components in the event of a failure.
This is why open standards such as Internet Protocol Media Experience (IPMX) have become so valuable in the pro AV market to support long-term interoperability across a broad range of manufacturers. IPMX is a set of open standards and specifications to enable transmission of compressed and uncompressed video, audio and data over IP networks, and includes provisions for control, copy protection, connection management and security.
In short, by adopting this approach, organizations are empowered to add, replace or reconfigure elements of their AV estate without starting from scratch.
The key is to ensure every part of the system is designed with long-term compatibility in mind. This doesn’t just make life easier in the short term; it reduces integration risk and provides organizations with confidence that today’s investments won’t become tomorrow’s headaches.
Avoiding Common Integration Pitfalls
Despite the growing maturity of AVoIP technologies, integration problems remain all too common. One of the most frequent errors is treating IP-based AV like a traditional AV installation. While legacy systems often operated in isolation, modern AVoIP deployments are part of a much broader network ecosystem and need to be planned accordingly.
A prime example is underestimating network demands, because without careful planning, organizations can easily encounter potentially highly disruptive issues such as bandwidth limitations, multicast conflicts or latency problems that degrade performance. Given the mission-critical nature of many AVoIP deployments, it’s absolutely essential to assess existing network infrastructure and, where appropriate, separate AV and IT traffic to preserve quality and avoid cross-system interference.
Another issue can arise if AV and IT teams don’t collaborate effectively. Historically, AV deployments were handled independently, but today’s projects demand close coordination. IT staff must be trained to support AV traffic on enterprise networks, and AV teams must consider IT policies around security, access control and resource management.
Then there’s the question of security, which should be extremely high on the AVoIP planning priority list. The fundamental point here is that as AV systems become network-connected, they are subject to the same vulnerabilities as other IP-based technologies. Ensuring secure configuration, access control, firmware updates and traffic segmentation are essential to maintaining a resilient AV infrastructure.
Bring all these considerations together, and organizations can deliver a win-win whereby AVoIP systems meet operational requirements and support existing technology investments. With careful planning, the transition to IP-based infrastructure can be both practical and sustainable.
Ron Rundell is director of sales, Americas with Matrox Video.
