Standards, Interoperability, and the Future of AV: Key Webinar Takeaways

AV systems don’t live in a vacuum. They’re part of a larger mix that includes cloud platforms, scheduling tools, signage software, facility controls, and much, much more. Most of it doesn’t connect out of the box. Vendors use different protocols. Interfaces don’t always line up. That leaves integrators and IT teams scrabbling to stitch everything together by hand. As Andrew Gross, VP of Sales at Xyte, put it, “Trying to integrate equipment into complex FMS, BMS, room booking, and digital signage CMS platforms is still a manual, time-consuming process - chaos.”

That challenge set the stage for our recent webinar How Standards Are Reshaping the Audiovisual Industry, which focused on how open standards and cloud-native tools can bring order to the chaos. Gross shared the virtual stage with Stephane Tremblay, CTO at Semtech and a founding member of the SDVoE (Software-Defined Video over Ethernet) Alliance. The session focused on what it takes to bring structure to AV environments that have grown more scattered and more cloud-dependent over time.

Gross spoke about cloud-native platforms and how they’re changing the role of device manufacturers. Tremblay laid out how SDVoE is helping vendors align around a common standard. Both made the case for something the industry has been missing for a long time: an open, secure, and consistent way to make AV systems work together.

From Chaos to Clarity: What Standards Solve

AV has always been hardware-heavy. Matrix switchers. Custom cables. Dedicated gear for scaling, cropping, routing, and control. These systems worked well together - as long as everything came from the same vendor. That approach made sense when systems stayed local and static. It starts to break down when organizations need vendor independence, on-demand scale, and seamless support for remote sites.

That’s where standards like SDVoE come in. “The goal is to replace the matrix switch with an Ethernet switch, without losing quality,” said Stephane Tremblay. “That’s what SDVoE delivers - matrix switch performance with simple, scalable AV over IP architecture.”

With AV-over-IP, Tremblay explained, teams can move video and control signals over standard networks. They can build around a mix of brands and still expect reliable performance. SDVoE supports video walls, multiviewers, USB routing, and full video compositing - all over 10Gb Ethernet. “It’s not just about transport,” Tremblay said. “It’s about building a platform where software can define the application.”

Andrew Gross underscored the practical side: “Customers don’t want to keep stitching things together. They want systems that connect through open APIs and just work.”

Open APIs and the Role of Cloud

Stephane Tremblay emphasized that API-driven control is a core requirement for modern AV systems. “The SDVoE API is the masterpiece for interoperability and ease-of-use,” he said. It handles tasks like routing and switching, video scaling and compositing, audio processing, and message transport through USB, RS232, IR, and CEC. Encryption and authentication are built in at every layer.

He laid out the architecture in three layers: “Application and Control. OS / API. Hardware and Peripherals.” That structure creates a consistent interface for building and managing AV systems - regardless of the underlying hardware.

That kind of consistency makes it possible for platforms like Xyte to manage devices across locations - not just within a single room or network. APIs expose the key functions - monitoring, scheduling, device status - that cloud tools depend on. Andrew Gross brought that use case into focus, explaining that when systems rely on a shared API layer, they can scale across rooms, buildings, and environments without starting over each time.

AI and What Comes Next

The final segment of the webinar focused on how AI is starting to reshape AV. Stephane Tremblay described how that shift is already taking shape. Devices will “autonomously diagnose and fix common AV issues like resetting devices, checking for firmware upgrades, and rebooting.” Systems will respond to live conditions by “dynamically adjust[ing] AV settings based on room conditions, occupancy, [and] network bandwidth.” They’ll also “detect anomalies and anticipate failures before they occur.”

AV systems are beginning to manage their own performance, respond in real time, and adjust automatically to how they’re being used. Control is becoming more adaptive. Configuration is more automated. Uptime is the default. These changes shift expectations of how systems fit into larger environments. As Stephane Tremblay put it, “How do we prepare for this next wave of innovation, where AI is influencing how standards develop and how systems respond in real time?”

Final Takeaways

The session closed with a clear statement of intent. “Our vision is an open, integrated AV ecosystem where hardware and software seamlessly connect through cloud technologies and open APIs for the benefit of the customers,” said Stephane Tremblay.

He outlined the core principles behind that vision: “Customers first. Open APIs. Data access. Security and privacy. Industry-wide inclusion.” These are the priorities shaping how platforms are built and how collaboration happens across the AV space.

Andrew Gross spoke to what that looks like in practice. “Customers seek unified, streamlined solutions.” That expectation shapes how systems are designed, how APIs are implemented, and how services are delivered across locations and use cases.

The message throughout the session was consistent. A shared foundation matters. When vendors align on standards, everyone wins with connected systems that scale cleanly and support real integration.

Watch the full webinar on demand here.