AI Orchestration Readiness: The new product evaluation criteria: by Spencer Wise


A new theme is emerging as IT leaders think about the future of their AV, digital signage, and other workplace technology estates. I am increasingly hearing the new top-line evaluation criteria sound something like:

“How well does this equipment fit into my larger orchestration strategy?”

Don’t get me wrong, manufacturers - I’m not saying buyers aren’t evaluating traditional criteria. Customers still want to see the demo of your new camera/audio/etc feature, and ask all the standard questions about security and firmware updates and supportability - continuing to innovate on your category-specific differentiators is absolutely necessary.

What I am suggesting is that traditional evaluation criteria are moving down the priority list, and that buyers are increasingly valuing the ability to let a multi-vendor autonomous system like NetSpeek’s Lena look after the care and feeding of these devices.

Just having an API is not good enough

Buyers are growing more savvy about APIs and asking deeper questions about what an OEM’s APIs can actually do. A hand-wavy “yes, we have an API for these devices” is less effective a response than it used to be - because buyers are increasingly reviewing API capabilities, through the specific lens of orchestration readiness for autonomous control and problem remediation.

To say it plainly: we are already hearing customers drop vendors from their future plans because of devices lacking APIs, read-only APIs (without control capabilities), or even control APIs that are less extensive than other vendors offer.

Considering API availability and monetization

Vendors are taking varying approaches to making APIs available (exclusively through a cloud service, locally on the device, or both), as well as to how that access is monetized - perhaps free through one path but paid through another, or only at specific subscription tiers. (In some cases the capabilities exposed vary between cloud and device-local, or between tiers of a cloud subscription).

The take-away

Orchestration readiness - in terms of availability, capability, and monetization strategy - is moving quickly up the stack of evaluation criteria as buyers contemplate deployment and support now that AI-powered tools like NetSpeek’s Lena are available.

To learn more or to schedule a demo:
Visit: www.netspeek.com/lena
Contact: lena@netspeek.com
Demo: Book a live walkthrough

About NetSpeek

At NetSpeek, we bring AI to room-based technologies; helping organizations ensure frictionless collaboration and AV performance. Lena, our flagship product, is the first AI platform tailored to multi-vendor UC and Pro AV ecosystems, delivering automated troubleshooting, intelligent analytics, and fleet-wide orchestration all while keeping data secure, sovereign, and under your control.

Media Contact

Preston Naclerio
Product Evangelist
Lena@netspeek.com
www.netspeek.com