As we approach the end of the fiscal year, enterprise leaders are looking to spend their remaining AV budget for the last quarter (Q4). Here, they examine factors such as the allocation of the budget as well as the concrete gaps in performance and operations that will make everyone’s life better in 2026.
Across the market, audiovisual technology has moved out of its status as “nice-to-have” conferencing gear. For many large companies, it now sits squarely at the intersection of employee experience, IT infrastructure and communications performance. That reality should shape how corporate AV dollars get allocated. A key piece of context is the broader health of the professional AV industry.
AVIXA’s latest Industry Outlook and Trends Analysis Report forecasts that global pro AV revenue will grow from $332 billion to $402 billion by 2030 — even in this climate of slower growth and macroeconomic pressure. That’s a strong signal that AV has firmly planted itself as part of the long-term enterprise infrastructure, and not just a short-term utility.
Year-End Shouldn’t Be An Afterthought
For enterprise planners, Q4 conversations should begin with questions like “What have we learned this year about how people actually work together?” and “Where have our systems fallen short in real usage?”
Practical framing drives a different type of spending than the stereotypical “use it or lose it” rush. Instead of buying on a guess or wishful thinking, thoughtful teams are addressing known pain points, especially in conferencing and collaboration spaces that have shown strain under hybrid work demands.
Research outside the AV industry underscores why this matters: a Forbes report on hybrid work frustration found that only a minority of knowledge workers say they have the right technology to collaborate seamlessly. Problems that could once be ignored when they were dealt with only occasionally — awkward camera angles, spotty audio coverage, confusing room setups — now show up every day and tend to affect metrics like meeting efficiency and employee satisfaction.
The Network Matters More Than Ever
AV systems are no longer islands. They ride on networks, they have software layers and they intersect with security policy, and all that is shaping how spending decisions get made. Late-year budget discussions are increasingly about manageability and risk reduction.
The rise of AV-over-IP continues to pull AV design toward enterprise IT standards. Software/cloud layers are now central aspects of installations, signaling that integrators and IT teams must continue to collaborate more tightly than in years past.
Here’s a great example of budget use: Engage integrators to replace legacy point-to-point setups with network-native systems, even if only in a subset of rooms. It can reduce future support burdens by making remote diagnostics easier, while aligning the AV infrastructure with broader corporate governance.
Planned Refresh Beats Panic Purchases
Enterprises with mature AV practices have refresh cycles mapped out. Year-end dollars become a matter of advancing that plan rather than scrambling to spend.
Put another way: Is a room hitting its lifecycle limits? Are displays starting to fail, control systems no longer supported, ad-hoc installs showing up in trouble tickets? Those are the spaces that organizations choose first for their Q4 investment. Strategic AV partners will help prioritize with an eye toward value preserved next year, not just “all the boxes checked” at year-end.
Resources like PSNI’s equipment lifecycle guides are helpful reminders of the cadence of corporate AV gear (often three to five years, depending on use). The important thing to remember is that timing upgrades around cadence means fewer surprises in the next cycle.
Eyes Open on Money and Timing
Financial considerations do come up in late-year planning. Changes in tax treatments and depreciation rules can alter how CFOs view capital spending, and few leaders can ignore that. However, thoughtful organizations are wary of letting accounting drive their technology decisions. Conversations tend to be about when equipment has to be in service, not whether it should be purchased at all.
This discipline keeps corporations from buying extra equipment just to hit a budget number. Rather, they look at readiness and long-term utility. If a system can’t be deployed correctly before the year-end or it causes complications for IT and facilities groups, enterprises may wait even if a theoretical expense could be claimed. Or they may not — it’s all in the strategy.
Integrators in the Middle of it All
Smart Q4 guidance focuses on helping enterprise teams use remaining budget with intent. The priority is reducing performance gaps, lowering operational risk and making sure that the year-end spend supports what teams need to achieve next year.
When Q4 conversations go well, they tend to move away from procurement language altogether. The discussion then becomes about known friction points and whether they can be resolved properly before the year closes. In some cases, the better decision is to leave certain systems alone rather than rush an upgrade that won’t age well.
If enterprise teams can start the new year with fewer exceptions to manage, fewer rooms that behave differently from the rest and fewer support tickets for preventable issues, then the Q4 spend has served its purpose.
Bill Thrasher, COO, has more than 15 years of experience at AV-Tech Media Solutions.
