It’s one of the most common and costly roadblocks in modern enterprise technology: a critical new collaboration system is ready for deployment, but the project grinds to a halt. The AV team insists that IT’s network policies are throttling performance, while the IT security team flags the new AV hardware as an unacceptable risk. Caught in the middle, the business unit that needs the technology is left with stalled projects, wasted budgets, and mounting frustration.
This internal friction is more than an inconvenience. It’s a direct threat to your organization’s agility, security, and ability to execute its digital transformation strategy. In a world where every meeting room, digital sign, and collaboration tool is connected, the conflict between AV and IT is a battle you can no longer afford to wage.
A Collision of Worlds
This isn’t a personality conflict; it’s a fundamental collision of two operational disciplines that have been forced together by technology.
- The World of IT: Governed by security, scalability, and manageability. The primary directive is to protect the network, ensure stability, and mitigate risk. Every device is a potential threat vector that must be authenticated, monitored, and controlled.
- The World of AV: Traditionally rooted in Operational Technology (OT), its focus has been on dedicated, high-performance systems. The primary directive was uptime and user experience—making sure the presentation works flawlessly, often through isolated, proprietary hardware.
The convergence of these worlds happens the moment a modern AV device gets an IP address. Today, every camera, microphone, and display is an IoT endpoint on the corporate network. When AV systems are deployed with an OT mindset in an IT environment, the consequences are severe:
- Unmanaged Security Gaps: AV devices installed without IT oversight become “shadow IT,” creating a blind spot in your security posture that is ripe for exploitation.
- Network Instability: Unvetted AV equipment can flood the network with high-bandwidth multicast traffic, degrading performance for other critical business applications.
- Strategic Paralysis: The inability for AV and IT to collaborate effectively prevents the creation of a cohesive, secure, and scalable smart building or campus-wide communication strategy.
A Framework for Convergence
Ending this war requires more than a truce; it requires a new model of governance built on a converged architecture. At VIcom, we act as the expert diplomats and technology architects who bridge this divide. Our methodology is founded on the principle that we are IT/AV Convergence Experts, providing a blueprint that satisfies the non-negotiable requirements of both departments.
This framework is built on three core tenets:
- Security by Design: Security is not a feature to be checked at the end of a project. It is a foundational requirement integrated from day one. This involves designing the system around core IT security principles, including network segmentation (VLANs), strict device authentication (802.1X), port hardening, and end-to-end encryption.
- Architecture-Led Planning: We shift the focus from procuring individual “boxes” to designing a holistic technology ecosystem. This ensures that performance requirements like low latency and Quality of Service (QoS) for AV traffic are engineered into the network architecture from the start, not bolted on as an afterthought.
- Proactive, Shared Governance: The most critical element is creating a formal structure for collaboration. Instead of finger-pointing when issues arise, a shared governance model ensures all stakeholders are aligned on standards, policies, and processes before a single piece of hardware is purchased.
The AV/IT Convergence Peace Treaty: A 5-Point Action Plan
To move from conflict to collaboration, organizations must establish a clear set of rules for engagement. Use this checklist as a starting point for your own internal “peace treaty.”
| Article | Description | Key Objective |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Shared Governance | Establish a permanent, cross-functional team with members from AV, IT, Security, and key business units to review and approve all new technology projects. | Ensure all departmental requirements are addressed before project kickoff, eliminating late-stage roadblocks. |
| 2. Unified Security Policy | Define and document a specific security standard for all AV and IoT devices. This policy should cover password management, firmware updates, and approved protocols (
SSH
, HTTPS
). |
Create a clear security benchmark that vendors and internal teams must meet, removing ambiguity from the procurement process. |
| 3. Network Architecture Agreement | Proactively map out network requirements for AV systems, including dedicated
VLANs
, bandwidth reservations, and QoS
policies, to ensure AV performance without compromising network security. |
Isolate AV traffic to guarantee performance and contain potential security threats, preventing impact on other corporate systems. |
| 4. Standardized Hardware Catalog | Create and maintain a pre-approved list of AV/UC devices that have been vetted to meet both IT security standards and AV performance criteria. | Simplify procurement, reduce support overhead, and ensure that only secure, manageable, and high-quality devices are connected to the network. |
| 5. Joint Change Management | Implement a formal communication protocol where IT must inform AV stakeholders of any network changes, and the AV team must inform IT of any system updates or additions. | Eliminate the “it just stopped working” mystery by ensuring transparency and coordination for all system modifications. |
From Conflict to Strategic Enabler
The “war” between AV and IT is an obsolete model that restricts growth and creates unnecessary risk. By adopting a converged approach built on a foundation of shared governance and a security-first architecture, you can transform this point of friction into a powerful strategic partnership. Secure, reliable, and scalable collaboration technology is not a dream; it’s the outcome of a deliberate and expertly guided strategy.
Solving these challenges requires more than new hardware; it requires a strategic partner who understands the intersection of technology, people, and process. As a 100% employee-owned company, every VIcom strategist is personally invested in building the technical and political alignment needed for your success.
Ready to transform your collaboration strategy? Schedule your free consultation with a VIcom expert today using the form below.