In an era of email, Slack, text, and videoconferencing with screen sharing, is audio still as important? It may be true that with all the communication and collaboration tools available to businesses these days, some meetings might be less necessary. It’s also true that with hybrid work environments, with workers both in and out of your Phoenix, AZ offices, meetings may not be as convenient to hold as before. 

However, that doesn't mean communicating by voice has gone out of style. Unfortunately, voice sometimes takes a back seat to more visual communication. That is sometimes reflected in the choice of equipment for conference rooms. The trend in many spaces is to install all-in-one soundbar-style videoconferencing systems with a microphone, camera, and speaker. While the microphones and speakers in these systems might work well in ideal conditions, sometimes they're not up to the task. Stay with us below as we explore audio issues in modern collaboration spaces and how distributed audio can help.

Over the past several years, audio over IP (internet protocol) has swiftly gained traction as a cost-effective, efficient, and streamlined solution for distributing audio signals in commercial spaces.

Audio over IP (also called networked audio) is a distributed audio system that transmits digitalsignals over a standard ethernet network instead of traditional analog cables. IP audio remains digital from source to endpoint and all connections are managed and routed using software. Because all devices are on the same network, audio signals can be transmitted to multiple sites simultaneously. 

Of all the professions out there likely to run afoul of the law, an IT buyer or AV integrator probably doesn’t come to the top of your mind. But, thanks to new FCC regulations about bandwidth use, your AV solutions—particularly your wireless microphones whether they’re in conference rooms, auditoriums or city council chambers—could be out of compliance. For that, and probably a few other reasons, too, it might be time for your organization to consider a sound system upgrade.