Audiovisual
technology now changes on a yearly basis, said Craig
Thompson, president and owner of Thompson Electronics
Co., 905 S. Bosch Road.
The celebration of AV Week, Oct.
21-27, is a chance to spotlight the advances made
in the audiovisual field as well as the value AV plays
in people's lives, he said.
"Audiovisual communications
are integrated into our daily lives," said Thompson,
referring to the $55 billion worldwide audiovisual
industry. According to InfoComm Internation, the Fairfax,
Va.-based AV trade association, that figure will grow
dramatically over the next several years.
"Now you have everything
from videoconferencing and streaming media to plasma
displays, surround sound speakers, digital signage
and digital whiteboards," Thompson said.
One of the big differences in
AV technology since the days of school film strips
and slide shows is the ubiquitous computer, he said.
"Today it seems that just about everybody has
a computer system in place," said Thompson.
Instead of an AV person, it's
usually an IT (information technology) person that's
handling things these days, he said.
Those computer systems allow
for the addition of AV improvements.
"At the expanded wing of
Dunlap High
School, all the classrooms have
video projectors and motorized screens. Teachers can
run PowerPoint presentations and bring up the Internet,"
said Jeremy Caldera, a AV design engineer at Thompson's
firm.
With today's advanced AV offerings,
students can't use the excuse that they can't see
the blackboard, said Carl Howell, another Thompson
design engineer. Howell said his father, a principal
at Centennial Elementary School in Orland Park, viewed
today's AV improvements as helping provide equality
in education.
But schools and large companies
aren't the only ones hooking up advanced AV systems,
said Thompson. "We're also working with churches
and government offices," he said.
A recent AV installation for
the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency in Springfield
is an example of what some governmental units require,
said Caldera. "The unit monitors energy use at
30 different municipalities around the state, taking
up a whole wall. It's like something you'd find at
NASA," he said.
Thompson said technology can
bring upgrades before a job is completed. "We've
been working on a custom-built design for the McLean
County Board. It's been a two-year process so we've
been able to give them more for their money with (electronic)
improvements that are now available," he said.
Consumers drive today's AV movement,
said Thompson. "There used to be a day when I
had to explain what an equalizer was, but now people
understand with all the emphasis on surround sound.
They're also getting flat screen (TVs) at home now,"
he said.
While consumers may be more familiar
with AV technology, they still need that technology
to be easy to use, said Thompson.
That demands extra attention
of the designers of AV systems. "The equipment
has to be simple to operate, and it needs to work
100 percent of the time," said Howell.
Howell and Caldera, both 26,
are examples of the new AV age. Both graduated from
Columbia College in Chicago, majoring in audio arts
and acoustics. Both are five-year employees who were
recruited by Thompson.
They're just two of the 55 employees
who work for the company, but that's a number that
may be changing, said Thompson. "We're getting
so busy that we're going to have to hire more people,"
he said.
Along with delivering AV services,
the Thompson firm also specializes in the design and
installation of fire alarms along with security and
communications systems, said Thompson.
A business that relies on riding
the cutting edge of technology also means providing
plenty of training for employees - on a regular basis,
he said.
As for the future, Thompson looks
for wireless applications to open even more AV doors
down the road - yet another step away from the AV
department of the past with its many extension cords
and three-prong attachments.
Steve Tarter can be reached
at 686-3260 or starter@pjstar.com. |
