Intruduction to remote management software by AMX

Editor's Notes

• #4: AMX was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Richardson Texas. We have 16 direct and indirect offices that are located throughout the United States that serve our 700 plus Commercial and Residential dealers. In addition we have distribution in 66 Countries outside of the US. We have been manufacturing control systems for 22 years that serve as technology solutions for end users that range from Bill Gates and Michael Jordan to companies like EDS, Goldman Sachs, NASA, and the federal government.
• #5: The next three slides are intended for use with all customer presentations – for framing our story. This first “Simple” slide should also be used to close a presentation – tying the solutions discussed in the presentation back to the original promise. to close the presentation the presenter discusses how the products discussed simplify implementation, maintenance and use of technology. AMX simplifies technology the 1) User, 2) Facility/Home Owner and 3) Integrator/Technologist We make homes, buildings, vehicles and other “environments” simple to use and efficient, productive, and profitable to operate, by maximizing the effectiveness of technology.
• #6: Key message for this slide is to explain the broad AMX product line and help the audience understand AMXs strategy for pulling the various pieces together – including how the acquisitions fit in. It also should be used to provide context for the presentation that follows (e.g. AMX has a broad product line, we are going to focus on switching today, but our switching products can obviously be controlled by touch panels, and can be managed and scheduled by RMS software, and can be integrated with content management systems that distribute video via traditional A/V cabling, via UTP or via an IP network, and can capture and store that content for later distribution). Note that this slide is a conceptual guide not an absolute. It is intended to communicate the idea that AMX has expanded from having only Command and Control products to products in a variety of categories that help our customers effectively and efficiently manage their environments. All products are not represented here (e.g. AMXhome, DAs, ControlPads, VA, and others are missing). Arguments could be made for categorizing products elsewhere (E.g. the KNX Gateway also helps Connect to a KNX bus and Control KNX devices) Boxes that are shaded represent areas where has products in this category (Switchers is highlighted because AMX sells them, Projectors are not because we don’t)
• #7: AMX understands that Customers – the facilities owners, managers and users aren’t interested in all the products on the last slide – they just want all their technology to work in an integrated fashion to create a Simple and productive environment. Buildings today incorporate an astonishing array of systems and technologies. In most cases, these systems are deployed, operated, and managed independently of one another. As more and more of these systems are introduced, the opportunities for system conflicts, user confusion, and mismanagement grow accordingly. To get the most value from these systems, a comprehensive, easy to understand and use control and management system is essential. AMX provides the most capable and proven solutions for centralized control available in the industry. Whether the systems being controlled are part of AMX’s own line or a third parties, AMX can make sure your customers get the highest performance and impact from them all. The broad array of technology described on the previous slide allows AMX to integrate and coordinate all of this into a complete environment (tying back to mission statement). AMX helps users tell the systems what to do ( Command ), we manage all the content being distributed ( Content ), We Connect devices throughout an environment to one another and help them communicate with one another as well as helping users Communicate with one another. Finally we help manage and control all these systems – whether they are AMX systems or third party for a seamless and simple to use experience.
• #8: AMX is a Registered Provider with The American Institute of Architects Continuing Education Systems. Credit earned on completion of this program will be reported to CES Records for AIA members. Certificates of Completion for non-AIA members are available on request. This program is registered with the AIA/CES for continuing professional education. As such, it does not include content that may be deemed or construed to be an approval or endorsement by the AIA of any material of construction or any method or manner of handling, using, distributing, or dealing in any material or product. Questions related to specific materials, methods, and services will be addressed at the conclusion of this presentation.
• #11: To first understand Remote Management Software, we need to quickly introduce or re-introduce you to the basics of what a control system is. If you want to control more of the room you can add multiple switches… For you’re a/v equipment you can use a remote to control the on/off, volume, tuning… Unfortunately, you usually end up with a pile of remotes that control all of the different devices in a room such as projector, plasma, cd or dvd players and you need to use each of these individually in order to make anything work. There is no need to have 10 remotes, or multiple switches on the wall, and with a touch panel and control system, your customer can, at the touch of a button, make multiple events happen. Those events could be related to equipment in that room or across the world, that choice is your clients. We’ll get more into how that all happens in a bit.
• #12: User Interfaces can be anything from a touch panel, keypad or remote to a sensor in the drive that tells the master controller that the home owner has arrived and the home needs to “wake”.
• #13: Control Devices , Assets and Content Simplify control through intuitive user interfaces Manage assets from web-enabled systems Manage, store, retrieve and distribute content
• #14: Does Everyone know what RMS is? <pause> I’ll bet not. While it is true that RMS is a software solution to manage, monitor and schedule rooms and equipment, it is in reality much more than that. If you look carefully at the concept, RMS is really a platform for creating a management solution for technology. It can monitor virtually any parameter of virtually any device…we can even provide inventory management and utilization of non-connected devices. We can even schedule any event to occur based on a schedule or interaction with any other event. We like to think of RMS as the Glue that brings together all of the disparate systems As we will see as we go through this discussion, although RMS is very powerful straight out of the box, it also provides a platform to tailor it to your offerings and the needs of your clients. There are many “flavors” of RMS although the engine has the same capabilities across the board. From conference rooms, to classrooms, to NOCs, to museums, to theaters, to sports arenas, to churches, to homes there is an RMS solution custom tailored to your clients needs. The beauty of the RMS architecture is that it can scale from one room to 1000 with secure isolation so you can support multiple smaller clients on one server or scale to a world-wide deployment for a multi-national company. From any web browser, including such devices as iPhones, smartphones and PDAs, a centralized and distributed support and management solution emerges.
• #17: What if you could manage a room, its network, and control devices from a browser window? What if….You could manage hundreds of rooms from a central location?
• #18: What if….You could monitor and manage those rooms through an easy to use web interface.   Which lists (1)critical issues, system, room, and device status at a glance. Giving you the information to diagnose and resolve system issues.
• #19: What if you can get real data about utilization of every device in their inventory – including non-connected devices like lecterns, portable AV equipment etc. even people…if it is not too Orwellian!
• #20: What if critical issues or status reports  were sent to appropriate staff and their cell phones, or in an email in real-time.   You wouldn't have to wait for the frantic phone call…a resolution could be in the works before the user calls your department.  
• #21: What if….You could change the source on a projector without going to the room or sending someone  
• #22: Would it be nice if the system did more than monitor…it actually allowed you to control devices whether turning down the lights or playing a DVD.  
• #23: What if you could run reports that enabled you to create (1)proactive maintenance lists and decrease critical issues in individual rooms.   Using system data, (2)what if you could:   Evaluate usage patterns Perform preventive maintenance Isolate problems and pinpoint solutions. And run system reports over the web anytime.  
• #24: what if from your browser you could check availability and schedule a room. It wouldn't be necessary to be in two different systems to manage…The Room... and it's schedule
• #26: 2)Wouldn't it be nice to have a system that enabled you to: Reserve room Access and Schedule Room presets for A/V system startup Access Room Schedule for Availability Access Room and Schedule Reports at anytime
• #27: What if presets could literally draw the shades, power up the projector, and sound system. So the room is prepared for the meeting or class.
• #28: (1)What if….Touch panels outside the room could display the room schedule preventing unexpected walk-in interruptions.   (2)What if someone could schedule "on the fly" or a future meeting from the touch panel for the room they would like to use. That person could also initiate a room preset to prepare room devices.   (3)What if those same touch panels could be used to broadcast company announcements or events.  
• #29: Signage and Messaging: RMS is the only solution that provides customized signage for personal greetings to visitors and attendees on touch panels. When tied into other AMX solutions such as Inspired Signage, we can provide a comprehensive solution for digital signage for conference centers and hotel lobby displays.
• #30: If all these what ifs are true…would you implement that system?   (1)Would it be worth the cost to save the frustration and system downtime. Aren't you tired of frantic phone calls do to simple problems that could be prevented and resolved from a web browser.   What if I told you that system exists and that could increase your system uptime, reliability, and increase your return on investment.   This is what a Remote Monitoring System can do for you!
• #32: When scheduling a room from within Outlook – the user can search for a room that meets the needs of the meeting – not just if the room is available. Search criterion include: Location Number of Seats Prestige – Can be defined by customer to mean what they want – such as Executive level, room with a view or some other room characteristic Equipment required in the room Date/Time
• #33: This is a screen shot of the tab in Outlook that is added by RMS for scheduling equipment. It allows the user to determine which equipment actions to schedule as a part of the meeting. The selections made drive NetLinx code that is customized by the integrator to take the desired actions.
• #34: Can also perform functions based on sensing presence of an RFID tag. Personalized content or environmental settings (requires writing custom code) Customize A/V content based on the individual in the area wearing a tag Content can be adjusted for language or age – entertainment/museum Special offers, advertisements – retail, entertainment Used by entertainment venues, museums, or retail stores, or in homes, board rooms Adjust preferences to custom settings when someone enters a room; lighting, screen settings, blinds, HVAC, or TV/Radio settings. Used in homes or in board rooms or other highly personalized rooms Note that RMS logic can be setup to handle conflicts generate by multiple people in a room. Although not a primary application for Anterus it could be used to track employee badges as they move in, out or through a building General Usage Integrates with RMS or as a stand-alone solution with NetLinx masters, but most users are expected to use RMS because it is required to provide alerts and reporting. RFID tags can be attached to any equipment that the customer wants to track via screws, tape or glue. RFID readers have an AxLink Phoenix connector (includes power), and can be placed up to 3,000 feet from an AMX controller.
• #35: An example of the typical devices RMS is used to manage and monitor. This diagram is of a classroom, and RMS can manage up to 1,000 rooms like this as well as the devices in them. RMS can be configured so that when the classroom is scheduled for use each of these devices is powered on and set to the appropriate settings. It can also monitor usage of these devices and provide reporting. It can also be used to power off all these devices at a specified time.
• #36: An example of the typical devices RMS is used to manage and monitor. This diagram is of a classroom, and RMS can manage up to 1,000 rooms like this as well as the devices in them. RMS can be configured so that when the classroom is scheduled for use each of these devices is powered on and set to the appropriate settings. It can also monitor usage of these devices and provide reporting. It can also be used to power off all these devices at a specified time.
• #40: To fully understand the benefits of a control system with Network Management, and the impact it has on technical support, the University of Minnesota conducted an analysis of costs on classrooms with and without control systems. Costs were broken out by implementation (hardware, programming, and labor), annual repair (equipment that is actually broken), and annual assistance (costs of intervention from technical personnel). Greater up-front investment was shown to decrease long term operating costs. General problems requiring assistance include volume control issues, a device plugged into the wrong jack, incorrect media selected, or a projector not powered up properly. “With a control system, these problems can be solved via help desk in real-time First we see the Uptime chart for a room with no control system. Total investment twelve thousand dollars in classroom network and equipment. Notice that the system was only up 64% of the time User downtime at 24% and Equipment downtime at 12%. No control system Investment: $12,000 per room Average Uptime – 64% Downtime due to user problems – 24% Downtime due to equipment – 12% Adding Network Management increased system uptime to 97%, and decreased user and equipment downtime to 3% overall. Control system with Network Management Investment: $19,000 per room Average Uptime – 97% Downtime due to user problems – 2% Downtime due to equipment – 1% Now, your wondering how that uptime and extra investment saves money in the long run. Because less time is spent on services and repair. More uptime protects your investment and decreases hourly cost.   Using the first year savings of $1.16 per hour, a network-managed system results in annual cost reduction of $2,320.    Over a 5 year period, the hourly savings increases to $1.43 or $2,860 annually
• #41: The incremental cost of adding managed control systems to your AV environment is minimal – actually costs the same once all implementation factors are included. Courtesy of Sound and Video Contractor Sep 20, 2006, By Linda Seid Frembes Analysis Courtesy of Jim Gregory, University of Minnesota
• #42: Courtesy of Sound and Video Contractor Sep 20, 2006, By Linda Seid Frembes Analysis Courtesy of Jim Gregory, University of Minnesota
• #43: Courtesy of Sound and Video Contractor Sep 20, 2006, By Linda Seid Frembes Analysis Courtesy of Jim Gregory, University of Minnesota
• #44: Courtesy of Sound and Video Contractor Sep 20, 2006, By Linda Seid Frembes Analysis Courtesy of Jim Gregory, University of Minnesota
• #45: But, the real key is system availability. Going from a 64% availability to a 97% availability means the cost per usable hour is over 30% less fin a managed environment. User satisfaction soars as users become more comfortable and trusting of the technology. Courtesy of Sound and Video Contractor Sep 20, 2006, By Linda Seid Frembes Analysis Courtesy of Jim Gregory, University of Minnesota
• #46: The picture is clear, although there is a larger upfront investment, uptime saves you money in the long term, protects your investment, saves hours of frustrating downtime, and increases user confidence.
• #47: To fully understand the benefits of a control system with Network Management, and the impact it has on technical support, the University of Minnesota conducted an analysis of costs on classrooms with and without control systems. Costs were broken out by implementation (hardware, programming, and labor), annual repair (equipment that is actually broken), and annual assistance (costs of intervention from technical personnel). Greater up-front investment was shown to decrease long term operating costs. General problems requiring assistance include volume control issues, a device plugged into the wrong jack, incorrect media selected, or a projector not powered up properly. “With a control system, these problems can be solved via help desk in real-time First we see the Uptime chart for a room with no control system. Total investment twelve thousand dollars in classroom network and equipment. Notice that the system was only up 64% of the time User downtime at 24% and Equipment downtime at 12%. No control system Investment: $12,000 per room Average Uptime – 64% Downtime due to user problems – 24% Downtime due to equipment – 12% Adding Network Management increased system uptime to 97%, and decreased user and equipment downtime to 3% overall. Control system with Network Management Investment: $19,000 per room Average Uptime – 97% Downtime due to user problems – 2% Downtime due to equipment – 1% Now, your wondering how that uptime and extra investment saves money in the long run. Because less time is spent on services and repair. More uptime protects your investment and decreases hourly cost.   Using the first year savings of $1.16 per hour, a network-managed system results in annual cost reduction of $2,320.    Over a 5 year period, the hourly savings increases to $1.43 or $2,860 annually
• #48: I have noticed that Architects are interested in how much this solution would cost.
• #55: This presentation was initially created for an RMS dealer webinar in September 2008. It has been updated to include competitive and other information and for more broad use.
• #56: This is a partial list of organizations that have purchased RMS as of Sept 2008