KMH Integration Helps Media Professionals Pivot to Post-Pandemic Production and Communications

Aug 26, 2021

System Integrator’s Consulting and Technology Expertise in Demand for Adapting Operations and Workflows

     In March 2020, media production professionals, who are used to doing whatever it takes to keep a show going, suddenly found themselves without any shows at all to produce. Now with live events and public gatherings returning, these organizations still face several challenges, in addition to the usual deadline and budget pressures.

     KMH Integration is providing ongoing consulting services for customers across several industries – including Newsday, News 12, New York Giants, Group Nine, QPTV and New Jersey Public Broadcasting. Each has different A/V needs but they also all share many common issues: finding new ways of creating and distributing content, keeping their brands visible, mitigating COVID-related health risks and making sure teams follow public safety protocols.

New Services for New Requirements

     The New York-based system integrator has added new services and partnered with key technology manufacturers to help A/V customers adapt to changing business environments. KMH has customized video networks, designed remote production workflows for WFH or hybrid employees, deployed new media distribution systems and IP encoding platforms, configuring each to fit an organization’s unique requirements, needs and budgets.

     “We’ve been busy all along with traditional system integration work – designing and installing new A/V technologies,” said Kevin Henneman, president of KMH Integration. “But the pandemic has added another layer of production requirements. For much of what customers need to adapt and survive there is no playbook. In many ways, we’re all trying to figure it out together working with our customers at every stage of a project.”

     A perfect example of an organization requiring new solutions is the New York Giants. A long-time KMH partner, the team needed to update its file-based and 4K-capable workflow, and also had to re-think how coaches communicate with players.

     KMH installed a TriplePlay Interactive IPTV portal to help coaches more effectively communicate with players, especially with new health and safety guidelines for maintaining proper distancing and limiting personal interaction. The highly configurable TriplePlay IPTV system allows for scheduled content like menus or travel and training schedules to be quickly updated and displayed throughout the team’s Quest practice and training facility. The coaching staff can decide what they want shown on specific screens, with users able to address individual TVs or groups of displays in any combination.

     “It’s all coaching-related,” Henneman said. “They can target the information flow to the athletes on a day-by-day or game-by-game basis. We configured the system so they can use the technology to augment their teaching and coaching.”

At the height of COVID, the Giants also had to consolidate their key production teams and technologies. KMH helped move people and equipment from Quest to the adjacent MetLife Stadium and recently moved everything back to the Quest facility.

Using Technology Differently

     More organizations in different industries are now seeing relief from COVID as restrictions loosen and companies return to full operations. KMH is continuing to work with schools, broadcasters, sports teams and corporations, advising them on A/V matters ranging from choosing the right products to understanding what they need, or don’t need, to make the most use of their budgets and resources.

     “Most organizations, especially smaller companies, are not set up to fully manage their A/V beyond a basic level,” Henneman said. “They all know they need to do more content creation in different ways, but most don’t know where to begin and don’t even have the time to figure it out. We help them make the right choices and the right modifications to fit their operations.”

     The most common themes that companies are requesting include how to integrate laptops and PC-style cameras into a modern production workflow, install secure and reliable networking and upgrade to professional-level cameras, encoding platforms and file-based workflows. KMH is also seeing increased demand for live-streaming, online content and remote production.

     Sports teams, schools and production companies are increasingly turning to streaming content and remote production as viable – and cost-effective — methods for communicating, collaborating and keeping their operations running smoothly, regardless of where people are located.

     KMH Integration has added live IP streaming to its list of services, recently launching an end-to-end NDI streaming lab from its Brooklyn, N.Y., headquarters. This new service was designed to be a turn-key “technical partnership” with customers, helping them reach their audiences cost-effectively while avoiding many of the headaches that come from “do-it-yourself” productions.

     “Media professionals still need to do interviews or get a show to air,” Henneman said. “This service gives them the freedom to focus on their content and branding, without having to worry about the technology or the logistics behind the scenes.”