BACKGROUND
A leading player and pioneer in the Pro AV industry since 1981, Kramer Electronics are a widely established brand that has customers in 90 countries, working across numerous sectors including government, education and healthcare.
An award winning company, Kramer Electronics has consistently turned the nice-to-have into a necessity and has been at the forefront of analog, digital and IP-driven solutions in an ever-evolving Pro-AV industry; helping companies to deliver their message through audio and visual technologies that amplify what they want to say.
PROBLEM/OBJECTIVE
Previously, Kramer Electronics was using several different manufacturers to compliment their business strategy, however, this was usually achieved through a combination of availability and distribution rather than through building core relationships. Previously, Kramer Electronics’ training centre had 5 different networking devices split across three manufacturers.
While most of their previous experiences had generally been solid, as time went on it became clear that it wasn’t keeping up with more modern devices, affecting the speed and efficiency of their services. In particular, their training center was designed in order to encourage a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policy as well as starting to handle SDVoE (Software Defined Video-over-Ethernet) products – this meant that having the best wireless capabilities to have desirable conditions for demonstrations was essential.
SOLUTION
With that many different devices in one place, ranging from iPads, iPhones, laptops, Chromebooks and Android tablets, as well as the training centre’s own devices such as a touchscreen teaching desk with three interactive pods and an 84-inch display which creates a collaborative classroom, it was imperative that it all ran efficiently. To do this, they needed a way of routing the video signal from each one of the pods to every display in the room and a way of helping their products shine in the best light possible.
With this in mind, Kramer Electronics reached out to NETGEAR and we were able to provide a range of products that matched their ambitions and helped them to create the experience that they desired. We provided them with an M4300 switch that replaced their two previous switches while a WAC540 AP was also installed.
NETGEAR’s M4300 is a stackable platform that is specifically designed for server and audiovisual installations and was a perfect fit for Kramer Electronics needs. It’s ability to scale from a 8-port 1G PoE+ up to a 96-port 10G or 24 port 40G switch means that it offers edge to core stacking and unrivalled ease of use, allowing Kramer to concentrate on what they do best without worrying about the tech that powers it.
The accompanying WAC540 AP is ideal for a high-density environment such as Kramer Electronics’ training centre, where a multitude of devices are used as it can support up to 600 users while still providing a speed of 3Gbps with consistent coverage.
Products Installed
1 x M4300-96X (ProAV 1/2.5/5/10G Modular Switch)
3 x APM408P 8 Port PoE line card (24 ports of PoE ports)
5 x APM408C 8 Port Copper line card ( 40 Copper ports)
1 x APM408F 8 Port Fibre line card (8 fibre ports)
1 x WAC540 Wireless Access Point
RESULTS
With this new infrastructure, Kramer Electronics has been able to incorporate a solution that’s solid and much faster than their previous one. Its flexibility and ability to expand also falls in line with Kramer Electronics desire to potentially grow their training center over the next few years.
It connects them much faster to WiFi and has allowed them to manage everyone’s device, resulting in fewer concerns when they have large attendances at their training centers. They are now also installing SDVOE products that require a 10G network rather than products that didn’t support such a high video resolution but only required a 1G network.
In the short-term, it has allowed them to view the room in a different light and utilize the space in a much more dynamic way, whilst also giving them ways of improving plans for future demonstrations and training sessions in that area. A more solid structure has also allowed Kramer Electronics to help sell their products, as they are being shown off in the best possible environment, indirectly impacting them in a very beneficial way for the business.
A graduate of DeVry Institute of Technology, Doug has been in the Technology industry since 1976 and actively oversees Fearing’s daily operations. Along with his wife, Lois, and three others, Doug started Fearing’s in a 600 square-foot facility in Portage, Wisconsin. In the 25 years since, the company has grown to over 30 employees with offices in Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Doug likes to say he’s a “TV Technician with a dream� going back to his history with the family’s original business-Fearing’s TV and Appliance.
Doug values time with family, watersports, hiking, snowshoeing and skiing. In addition to being a devoted member of his church, Doug serves as Board President for Kinship Mentoring of Columbia County, Board member of Schools for Haiti and Scripture Chair of the Gideons-Portage camp.
A graduate of MATC, Lois oversees Fearing’s daily book keeping along with various HR responsibilities.
Along with Doug, Lois is deeply connected to community outreach, serving as a Board member and Fundraising Committee Chairperson for Kinship Mentoring of Columbia County. She also serves on the Schools for Haiti Fundraising committee. In addition, Lois’ ongoing passion and commitment to provide care for the elderly comes from her 10-year history of working in a Reedsburg, Wisconsin Nursing home.
Lois enjoys singing, hiking, sunny days on the pontoon, and spending time with her 4 grandchildren.
Ehren drives Fearing’s technology by continually seeking out trends to enhance capabilities while supporting Sales, Engineering and Installation teams. Throughout his years with Fearing’s, Ehren’s talent and vision have joined forces to create a wide variety of projects and strategic solutions that exceed expectation.
Ehren loves music, family time, movies, nature, sustainability efforts and electric vehicles.
With 10 years with Fearing’s and over twice that long in the industry, Ben continues to lead, coordinate, and develop the Commercial AV team.
By consistently delivering an outstanding experience and outcome, Ben contributes to the Fearing’s legacy of long-lasting partnerships that truly make a difference. Whatever the Commercial AV need may be, Ben and team deliver at the highest level.
Ben is an avid fisherman and photographer. He enjoys coaching his sons and other youth.
Chris has been with Fearing’s for 20 years and in the industry for over 2 decades. As a Certified leader in Sales Acceleration and trained in EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating Systems), Chris successfully utilizes his skills to lead the Fearing’s Salesforce. Chris and team are motivated and driven to develop new client partnerships while continuing to reinforce loyal long-term relationships with ongoing Service excellence.
Married for 19 years with 3 children, Chris enjoys skiing, hiking, fishing, boating, hunting, camping and golf. He’s also been actively involved as a Youth Football and Softball coach for his family and others.
