The corporate market continues to account for the largest segment of commercial AV revenue. According to AVIXA’s Industry Outlook Trends and Analysis (IOTA),commercial AV solutions for corporate office environments are expected to generate nearly $15 billion in revenue in the Americas this year. Growth is expected to be somewhat slower than the overall industry, at 1.5 percent annually from 2017 through 2022. AVIXA’s Market Opportunity Analysis Report (MOAR) covering the corporate market examines the opportunities and challenges for providers of commercial AV solutions and technologies.
MOAR: Corporate begins with an exploration of corporate office workers to understand their workplace needs, behaviors, drivers of satisfaction and usage of technology. Next, the report looks at clients of AV solutions, often referred to as end users, or the influencers and decision-makers involved in commercial AV systems integration projects within corporate offices. Lastly, the report presents the viewpoint of the commercial AV systems integration providers on their successes and trials working on the AV systems in the corporate landscape.
Highlights of this year’s MOAR: Corporate include:
- Increasing productivity is the main driver to corporate AV spending. This takes increasingly different forms today, as many office workers are being reached on mobile platforms such as tablets, laptops and smartphones, rather than via traditional desktops or in conventional conference rooms. Often, these mobile devices are brought in by the employees themselves, creating security and content sharing challenges. Workforces are also often distributed, requiring collaboration technologies for empowering teams.
- Despite mobility, organizations are pulling the focus back to the office environment. While companies still seek to provide workers the flexibility to determine when and where they can do their best work, a growing faction of corporate America is attempting to create more innovation by bringing employees back to home base. AV technology implementation is the way for companies striving to make the office a modern workspace, in part by improving user experiences.
- Corporate sizing of project plans affirms the size and scope of the commercial AV opportunity. Given the broad and diverse challenges faced by the current business environment, decision-makers remain focused on upgrading or installing audiovisual technologies and solutions to support office workers. This is reflected in increased planned capital expenditure among corporate technology managers to the tune of approximately $181 billion in the US for this year. This translates to nearly $12 billion in AV systems investments this year.
- Consistent with an office focus, plans emphasize collaboration space. Project plans focus mostly on upgrading AV products and services that are utilized in conference rooms, both large and small, as well as incorporating AV technologies like audio equipment and capture and production equipment. Integration of existing key solutions will be a part of these plans, with significant increases for security and surveillance systems and wireless presentation technology.
“What used to be a series of disconnected flagship conference rooms have become communication and collaboration points, tied together with networks,” Sean Wargo, Senior Director of Market Intelligence, AVIXA, said. “What were cookie-cutter office buildings have become statements of corporate identity, brand and culture. Where individuals used to be housed in a rabbit warren of individual offices, open concepts with privacy rooms and huddle spaces have emerged to facilitate inter-team coordination. All the while, some companies are instead down-sizing their headquarters or local offices to encourage and support telecommuting and remote work.”
MOAR: Corporate is the second in a series of vertical market studies, with forthcoming reports on sports venues, hospitality, education and transportation. The retail report was released in May. The corporate report is available for purchase on AVIXA’s website.