In any monitoring center, the goal of the space is to provide operators with everything they need to make quick, informed decisions in response to a variety of situations. The video wall is a crucial part of this space, creating a common operating picture so that operators can monitor, assess, and respond to critical incidents.
Video walls are key for situational awareness
In order to have proactive situational awareness, operators must be able to gather, analyze, and disseminate multiple sources of information in real-time. The video wall system plays an irreplaceable role in helping operators complete those tasks efficiently.
As the focal point of a monitoring center, the video wall displays data from a wide variety of sources to everyone in the room. The common operational picture established by a video wall directs decision making within an operations center. This allows operators within the space to collaborate on shared data and keep an eye on emerging risks.
In comparison to a projector or single screen, a video wall allows you to display more content on more space. A wide range of sources can be incorporated and displayed together on a video wall. Native content, streaming feeds, and video conferencing can exist side by side on a video wall display. With the right integration, you can also share video wall content remotely to others who need to respond to an incident.
Designing your monitoring center for optimal information sharing
As the main hub for information sharing, your video wall is the focal point of your mission critical space– and the layout of your monitoring center should reflect that.
While designing your video wall and its placement in your monitoring center, it’s important to consider the room itself and the placement of operators within it. Will just a few operators use it regularly, or does the whole room need to see content clearly? The size and placement of your video wall will be determined by the distance of those who will need to regularly view the content for situational awareness and collaboration.
Sightlines are another important component of monitoring center design in relation to the video wall. To ensure optimum functionality, line of sight is key in determining the video wall size and placement as well as the overall layout of the room. For instance, if there are 3 or 4 rows of desks in a small to medium sized space, it might be difficult for those seated in the back to view the displays. The way to counteract this is with higher placement of the video wall or tiered seating. It’s important to ensure that all operators who will need to interact with the video wall have a clear line of sight, and sometimes accommodations in the overall design of the monitoring center need to be made to accomplish this.
Requirements for monitoring center video walls
With so much relying on the optimal function of the video wall, it’s important to choose the right kind of display technology. Video walls for monitoring centers must be reliable and flexible.
Reliability
As you design your video wall, you should choose display technology that is high quality and resilient. Becauseyour operations center monitors critical functions, it needs a video wall system that is not easily prone to failure. In addition, the video wall system should be designed with redundancies in place. Not every display screen is designed to withstand 24/7 usage, so the technology you choose for mission critical must be weighed carefully
Flexibility
Video walls for monitoring centers need to be flexible both in the sources they integrate and in the ways they can shift with future needs. The data monitored in a mission critical center comes from a variety of sources, including camera feeds, interactive maps, weather radar, native applications, and more. A video wall system needs to help operators visualize all this information and be flexible enough to shift views quickly as the situation needs.
Monitoring centers also need to be flexible to support potential future changes like equipment upgrades or process changes. It’s important to build in features that allow your video wall to shift with future needs. These features can include:
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- Simplified user controls for ease of use
- A user interface that allows for quick display changes for shift of focus
- A large video wall with the space and integration to display multiple kinds of data
- The ability to share video wall content remotely
Integrators are key to success in video wall installations
Video walls systems are complex, with multiple variables to consider. Mission critical applications do not allow for the flexibility in quality that other installations may have. Integrators of monitoring center video walls need to be selective with the technology they use. There are products specifically tailored to work in mission critical environments. From brightness, resolution and color accuracy to heat protection and connection capabilities, many factors set commercial grade displays for mission critical apart from the rest.
Working with a mission critical expert is key to having a successful integration. But with so many integrators out there, how do you know who to choose for your operations center project?
The best indicator of expertise is proven experience. Constant’s client list speaks for itself. Our work with firms like CVSHealth, Akamai Technologies, Carnival Cruise, Facebook, Lockheed Martin, and more as well as with government agencies such as the Department of Defense, United States Coast Guard and Air Force proves that we are widely trusted with the most sensitive and vital environments.
With a project as important as a monitoring center, you can’t afford to make mistakes with your technology partners. There are a lot of AV integrators out there, and many have tried to expand into mission critical. But no one else has specialized exclusively in the field of mission critical — just Constant. For over 30 years, we’ve built a depth of knowledge that’s unmatched in the industry.
If you would like to learn more about creating a video wall for your monitoring center, contact us today. Our design and budget consultation comes at no cost.
About Constant:
Constant Technologies, Inc. provides AV integration for 24/7 video walls and custom operation center furniture. With 30+years experience we can work with sensitive environments in the public and private sectors. Constant designs and installs projects of all scopes and sizes around in the world. We also offer long-term service and support. We create solutions with the highest levels of security, aesthetics and functionality in mind.
