AVI-SPL

AVI-SPL, Inc.

Type	Private
Predecessor	Audio Visual Innovations, Inc. (AVI) Signal Perfection, Ltd. (SPL) Iformata Communications
Founded	Tampa, Florida, United States (April 17, 2008) AVI: Lakeland, Florida (1979) SPL: Columbia, Maryland (1992)
Founder	AVI: Martin Schaffel SPL: Chad Gillenwater, William Parry and Fred Curdts
Headquarters	Tampa, Florida, United States
Number of locations	35 offices (2015)
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	John Zettel, CEO
Services	AV design and integration, remote managed services, onsite managed services
Revenue	US$577 million (2015)
Number of employees	1,477 (2015)
Website	www.avispl.com

AVI-SPL is a multi-office provider of collaboration and audio video technologies, and managed AV services to businesses and organizations. The company integrates solutions related to video conferencing and telepresence, digital media systems, audio, security systems, control rooms, and onsite staffing.

AVI-SPL is headquartered in Tampa, Florida, and as of November 2015, employed 1,477 people among 35 branches worldwide,^[1] including offices in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and United Arab Emirates.^[2]

Products and Services

AVI-SPL's collaborative solutions for data and content sharing include:

• Video conferencing and telepresence solutions
• Control room design and implementation
• Audio video product sales
• Caméléon Telepresence System – This is a turnkey video collaboration system combining telepresence, video conferencing, audio conferencing and multimedia presentation display capabilities.^[3]
• Unify ME —This branded service offers customer support, cloud-based services and professional services.^[4]
• Digital Media Services Platform – AVI-SPL's digital media content strategy platform, offering support and services for delivering customized media to digital signage.^[5]

The company’s support services include Strategic Onsite Solutions, which currently includes over 200 personnel on the premises of several companies.^[6]

Specialized Integration Teams

AVI-SPL maintains a number of units that handle specialized integrations, including:

• The Control Room Group (CRG) handles the design, integration and support of 24/7/365 mission-critical facilities, including Network Operation Centers(NOCs), call centers, situation rooms (similar to the White House Situation Room), war rooms and other organizational “nerve centers.” The division also has security integration specialties that include advanced visualization solutions, video surveillance and analytics, and surface radar systems.^[7]
• Special Projects Group delivers solutions for engineering-intensive AV projects across a range of environments. Its portfolio features large-scale venues, including sports venues, themed attractions, performing arts centers, operations and command centers, and video production facilities.^[8]

Customer Base

AVI-SPL handles over 5,000 AV system integrations on an annual basis for business customers, including corporate,^[9] healthcare,^[10] house of worship,^[11] education,^[12] government,^[13] hospitality^[14] and large venues.^[15]

Clients include IBM, Northrop Grumman, Vonage, University of California, Berkeley, Ringling College of Art and Design, the American Red Cross, Ave Maria University Oratory, Camden Yards, Madison Square Garden and more.

Company History

AVI-SPL was formed in 2008 from a merger of Audio Visual Innovations, Inc. (AVI) and Signal Perfection Ltd. (SPL).^[16] That merger was facilitated by equity financing from the Silver Lake Sumeru investment division of Silver Lake Partners.

AVI was founded by Martin Schaffel in 1979 in Lakeland, Florida.^[17] AVI moved its operations to Tampa in 1981, where it has maintained its headquarters. In 1985, the company started its systems integration division.^[18]

SPL began in 1992 in Columbia, Maryland.^[19] In 1998, the company was acquired by Production Resource Group (PRG).^[20] SPL designed, integrated and installed collaborative communication systems for a variety of organizations.

Both companies earned considerable recognition in the 2000s. SPL won a number of awards during this period, including the Best AV Projects Award from ARCHI-TECH magazine from 2004 to 2006. Also in 2006, AVI was named by Systems Contractor News magazine as the top systems integrator in North America, a year during which it had earnings of $216 million.^[21] SPL was named the 2005 “Integrator of the Year” by Christie Digital.

AVI and SPL brought 800 and 400 staff, respectively, to the merger, and as a result, became the largest AV integrator in the United States.^[22]

In January 2012, AVI-SPL acquired Iformata Communications, a video managed services specialist company. AVI-SPL purchased both Iformata's Video Network Operations Center (VNOC) and its VNOC Symphony management platform. Iformata, based in Dayton, Ohio, was founded in 2004.^[23]

Awards & Recognition

• 2011: AVI-SPL named Integrator of the Year by Commercial Integrator magazine.^[24]
• 2011: AVI-SPL named the number one AV integrator by Systems Contractor News in the U.S. and Canada.^[25]
• 2011: Florida Trend magazine ranked AVI-SPL 49th among Florida’s largest private companies, and 8th in the Tampa Bay area.^[26]
• 2011: AVI-SPL ranked on the Inc. (magazine) 5000 Fastest Growing Companies list.^[27]
• 2011: AVI-SPL ranked in the top 50 of CRN Magazine’s VAR500 list.^[28]
• 2010: AVI-SPL named Polycom’s 2010 U.S. Partner of the Year.^[29]
• 2010: AVI-SPL named the number one AV integrator by Systems Contractor News in the U.S. and Canada, with revenues in excess of $500 million.^[30]
• 2009: AVI-SPL named the number one AV integrator by SCN in the U.S. and Canada.^[31]
• 2008: AVI-SPL named the number one AV integrator by SCN in the U.S. and Canada.

Current Management Team

• John Zettel – Chief Executive Officer
• Martin Schaffel – Founder, AVI (Audio Visual Innovations)
• Chad Gillenwater – Founder, SPL (Signal Perfection Limited)
• Raj Dani – Chief Financial Officer
• Jeff Davis – Chief Operations Officer
• Steve Benjamin – Executive Vice President
• Dale Bottcher – Senior Vice President, Integration Sales
• Joseph Laezza – Senior Vice President, Unified Communications and Collaboration ^[32]

AVI-SPL has three Managed Services Operations Centers, located in Tampa, Chicago and London, to demonstrate the company’s video collaboration and telepresence capabilities.^[33]

AVI-SPL is a founding partner of the AV Global Alliance,^[34] the company has a worldwide footprint that encompasses 30 countries and currently includes 28 partner companies.^[35]

Social Media

AVI-SPL communicates through a number of social media outlets, including LinkedIn,^[36] Twitter ^[37] and Facebook.^[38] At these online sites, the company shares notice of upcoming events, including webinars, tech briefings and conferences, as well as notable achievements, new initiatives, promotions and solutions.

The AVI-SPL Blog ^[39] covers AV news in categories devoted to video conferencing and telepresence,^[40] AV over IT networks,^[41] AV in education,^[42] and company events, initiatives and other announcements.^[43]

Company Logo

The AVI-SPL logo consists of an interlocking blue and green diamonds, with the “AVI” and “SPL” on either side of the design.

References

1. "SCN Top 50" (PDF). AV Network. NewBay Media, LLC. November 2015.
2. AVI-SPL Office Locations Archived October 25, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
3. Caméléon Telepresence from AVI-SPL Archived November 15, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
4. Unify ME from AVI-SPL Archived November 1, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
5. AVI-SPL Digital Media Services Platform Archived November 5, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
6. Strategic Onsite Solutions from AVI-SPL Archived October 14, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
7. Control Room Group
8. Special Projects Group Archived October 17, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
9. AVI-SPL Corporate Projects
10. AVI-SPL Healthcare Projects
11. AVI-SPL House of Worship Projects
12. AVI-SPL Education Projects
13. AVI-SPL Government Projects
14. AVI-SPL Hospitality Projects
15. AVI-SPL Large Venue Projects
16. "AVI and SPL Complete Merger" (April 23, 2008). Pro AV.
17. "AV Hall of Fame: Marty Schaffel". Creative Mac.
18. AVI-SPL Company History Archived December 14, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
19. AVI-SPL Company History Archived December 14, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
20. "Production Resource Group, L.L.C. Acquires Signal Perfection, Ltd. For $6.6 Million" (August 1998). PrivCo.
21. "Audio Visual Innovations merges with Signal Perfection". (April 18, 2008). Tampa Bay Business Journal.
22. Wells, Melissa (August 2008). "Tech Files: Trend Spotting" Archived April 25, 2012, at the Wayback Machine.. Tampa Bay's Maddux Business Report.
23. Berndtson, Chad (January 27, 2012)."Video VAR M&A: AVI-SPL Buys Iformata". CRN Magazine.
24. "Integrator of the Year: AVI-SPL" Archived April 26, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. (December 2011). Commercial Integrator.
25. "SCN Top 50 2011" Archived January 9, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. (December 2011).
26. "200 Largest Private Companies in Florida". (June 1, 2011). Florida Trend.
27. AVI-SPL Inc. 5000 Profile (2011). Inc. (magazine).
28. VAR500 Top 50 List Archived November 6, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. (June 2011). CRN Magazine.
29. "AVI-SPL Named 2010 Partner of the Year by Polycom" Archived December 18, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. (April 18, 2011).
30. 50 2010.pdf "SCN Top 50 2010" Archived April 4, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. (December 2010).
31. "SCN Top 50 2009" Archived August 9, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. (December 2009).
33. AVI-SPL Video Briefing Centers Archived November 9, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
34. AV Global Alliance Archived December 14, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
35. "AV Global Alliance Expands to 28 Partners" Archived August 2, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. (March 2011).
36. AVI-SPL on LinkedIn
37. @avisplinfo on Twitter
38. AVI-SPL on Facebook
39. AVI-SPL Blog
40. AV Collaboration Blog Archived November 1, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
41. AV/IT Convergence Blog
42. AV in Education Blog
43. AVI-SPL Everywhere Blog Archived October 26, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.