Why AV Software Platforms Took Center Stage at InfoComm
AV software platforms are integrated tools that combine design, control, monitoring and automation across audio, video and IT networks, helping AV teams replace fragmented point solutions, reduce manual tasks, and manage systems consistently from room level to enterprise scale. At InfoComm 2026, that idea moved from buzzword to reality. Vendors focused less on individual devices and more on how software can coordinate projects, services and device fleets across the full AV lifecycle. From converged AV-over-IP routing to AI-powered workflows and cloud-based AV management, this year’s launches targeted one big pain point: the AV integrator workflow is still scattered across spreadsheets, emails and isolated control systems. The new platforms promise unified operations that look and feel closer to modern IT. For integrators, that means more predictable projects and service contracts. For end users, it means AV systems that behave like any other managed network service.
Visionary’s nexAV We-Cosystem: Converged AV-IT Without the Complexity
Visionary introduced the nexAV We-Cosystem as an all-in-one platform for converged AV and IT environments, combining AV-over-IP routing, audio DSP, room and enterprise control, device discovery, workflow orchestration and user-interface development. The goal is to let integrators design around operational requirements instead of vendor limits. At the center is a Flex Architecture DSP framework with an integrated Audio Engine. Template-based DSP workflows aim to speed deployment while still allowing custom tuning for hospitality spaces, conferencing rooms or campus-wide systems. Native Dante and AES67 support help the Audio Engine drop into modern networked audio deployments. For control, nexAV builds on Node-RED, the open-source, flow-based framework common in IT automation. That choice aligns AV control with familiar IT practices and keeps the platform open to continuous improvement. According to Visionary, this approach is meant to counter the trend where “parts of the AV industry began confusing complexity with capability.”
XTEN-AV: AI-Powered Automation for the Full AV Integrator Workflow
XTEN-AV put the spotlight on AV automation tools that span the entire AV integrator workflow, not just pre-sales design. Its AI-powered platform already supports AV design automation, proposal generation, documentation and project delivery management. At InfoComm 2026, the company emphasized how these tools now extend into long-term service operations. The new X-PRO Service framework is designed for post-install management: service coordination, maintenance workflows, technician scheduling and recurring support relationships all live in the same connected AV operations platform used for front-end work. That directly addresses the reality that most integrators earn much of their revenue after the install, yet still track service in scattered emails, spreadsheets and stand-alone ticketing tools. By centralizing design, project delivery and service, XTEN-AV aims to give both integrators and enterprise AV teams a single operational view, reducing handoff friction and helping standardize processes across growing portfolios of installed systems.
Disguise: Software Workflows for Live and Immersive Experiences
While many AV software platforms focus on meeting rooms and infrastructure, Disguise highlighted how software is reshaping live entertainment and immersive attractions. A new version of Mapping Matter, its web-based projection mapping solution, adds an extended projector library, support for LED tiles and projection mirrors, plus layered project files to compare different setups in one view. That shortens iteration cycles for complex shows. Disguise also previewed an integration with ISAAC from Smart Monkeys, bringing content management, scheduling and infrastructure monitoring for Disguise systems into a browser-based operations layer. The idea is to let technical and non-technical users operate and monitor Disguise alongside the wider AV system. Two new Designer software features deepen this workflow thinking: Looks, a new track type that exposes key parameters via API, and Compositions, a transportable package with its own API endpoints for media lifecycle management across environments and projects.
Cloud-Based AV Management from dBTechnologies and Xyte
Cloud-based AV management emerged as a clear theme, with dBTechnologies and Xyte attacking different layers of the stack. dBTechnologies’ Aurora Cloud PaaS extends its Aurora Net software into the cloud to support remote monitoring, device management and data analysis for professional audio systems. Real-time alerts notify teams of disconnections or anomalies, while reporting tools organize documentation, verification and maintenance workflows. Alongside this, the IS Series passive loudspeakers and IA Series amplifiers align loudspeakers, amplification and control in one cohesive installation platform. Xyte, meanwhile, focused on device fleet operations. Its expanded Workflows and Automations capabilities let enterprises and managed service providers schedule and automate repetitive device tasks across any number of rooms and sites. The new Xyte CLI command-line tool, shown at InfoComm 2026, gives operators and AI agents a shared interface for safe, auditable automation such as checking firmware across fleets and flagging outdated devices.
