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2ndRick
06-16-2011, 01:23 PM
URC's AMS will allow remote monitoring and management of connected devices and subsystems.

The AMS service will be licensed and require annual renewal.


URC Introduces A/V Asset Management System, Powered by Spinoza Technology
New SaaS control solution, combined with URC touchscreens and base stations, offers unprecedented value to commercial integrators.

Orlando, Fla. – InfoComm 2011 – Booth 1411 – June 13, 2011 – URC, The Pioneer in Control Technology, is unveiling its complete new URC Asset Management System at InfoComm 2011. Powered by Spinoza Technology, URC AMS is a cost-effective, software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution that enables users to remotely access, manage and control their audio-visual equipment and other IP-enabled devices at anytime, from anywhere.

The new URC AMS solution delivers several benefits to AV, IT and systems integration professionals:

A/V Device Networking. URC AMS tracks performance, end-user behavior and usage of all networked A/V devices. This data can be used to create a customized or predictive response to end-users of a device, such as software updates and e-mail alerts. URC AMS records and stores customer activity to a database, providing IT staffs with a complete view of all events and activities.
Remote Diagnostics. URC AMS provides monitoring, troubleshooting and maintenance of networked devices from a remote location. Technicians can cover more ground in less time, eliminating wasteful diagnostic site visits. Cost-cutting is also possible by helping technicians locate and resolve device problems in real time, thereby reducing equipment downtime.
Dynamic Asset Management. URC AMS captures and reports on the operation, performance and usage of a variety of devices. An administrator can remotely monitor device status (e.g., temperature, projector lamp life, source selection, etc.) for its readiness, network connections, current usage and many other critical variables. Status changes can be displayed visually and viewed from anywhere.
Control and Automation. URC AMS manages remote operations of a device directly (such as activating or deactivating devices from any location), and can coordinate several devices into a sequenced, controlled pattern of behavior. In the process, it supports centralized, remote technical support for a device, or responds to certain environmental circumstances when necessary.
Cost Savings. IT managers now can leverage commodity PC hardware and existing IT infrastructure by providing familiar tools that run on familiar platforms. URC AMS runs either as a local application or as a web client from the cloud. It communicates via standard TCP/IP.

More than 600 A/V device drivers are built into URC AMS, which means it works immediately. It’s also designed for non-IT professionals to use with ease.

“Deploying URC AMS eliminates the need for custom software development, installation and maintenance, as well as the need for complicated, time-consuming and lengthy configuration tasks and custom programming,” said Jamie Finnegan, North American sales manager for URC Commercial. “Now corporations, educational institutions, government centers and entertainment facilities that deploy multiple AV devices such as projectors, flat panels and in-wall touchscreens can centralize management conveniently and efficiently.”

A URC KP-4000C two-way, IP, in-wall color touchscreen, installed with a URC MRX-1 network base station plus URC AMS, provides a comprehensive, end-to-end software and hardware solution that enables devices to interoperate in accordance with the standards of today’s enterprise applications. Because it tracks device usage remotely and proactively monitors devices, the KP-4000C/MRX-1/AMS combination increases uptime. When necessary, the system can provide instant end-user help.

With AMS, one person can confirm that all projectors, lights, etc., are off at the end of the day, without going from room to room. Since AMS is built around a browser, an IT manager can control things from a PC or any other device that can access the internet.

URC is immensely successful in the residential, cable and OEM channels, and has sold more than 80 million remote controls in the past ten years alone. Last year, URC made a commitment to the commercial channel, and intends to create a similar success story by developing products and applications specifically for commercial integrators.

“We offer the strongest value proposition in the industry,” said Finnegan, adding that the KP-4000C plus MRX-1 combination has a suggested retail price under $1,000. “URC Commercial systems cost just a fraction of existing commercial solutions. And now URC’s Asset Management System, with its annual license renewal program, will provide an ongoing revenue stream for our dealers.”