Technical Support Engineer 3

Green Hippo debuts hands-on Hippotizer Media Server training at Pixel Academy. Monday 23rd March 2026 Maidenhead, UK - Green Hippo is excited to announce the launch of its new Hippotizer Media Server training courses at Pixel Academy, a purpose-built AV learning hub combining hands-on creativity, real-world technology, and expert-led instruction. Green Hippo and sister brand tvONE, both part of ACT Entertainment, have created Pixel Academy to equip the next generation of live events and AV professionals with the skills to deliver immersive and interactive visual experiences. Based inside Green Hippo's R&D Innovation Centre in Maidenhead - just 20 minutes from London Heathrow - the Academy gives direct access to the latest high-performance tools, including the award-winning Hippotizer MX Series Media Servers, CALICO PRO creative video processors, and a full suite of high-resolution LED displays that create a truly immersive space. "Pixel Academy is an environment where imagination and engineering cocreate," says Bob Bonniol, Chief Innovation Officer at ACT Entertainment. "It gives creators the tools and the space to experiment, to prototype, to fail forward and ultimately to build experiences that move people. This isn't just training - it is fuel for the next wave of immersive storytelling." The first course launches on April 14th, delivering an intensive one-day deep dive into Green Hippo's next-generation Hippotizer Media Servers, with a second foundation session running on Tuesday, May 19th. Designed for live event designers, operators, distributors, sales engineers, broadcast teams and integration specialists, the course blends real-world scenarios with practical workflows to unlock the full power of Hippotizer. "At Pixel Academy, we're focused on giving Green Hippo users a genuine edge," says Mark Trevena, Communications and Training Manager at tvONE. "This is hands-on, operator-level learning built around the way real shows are delivered. If you want to get faster, smarter, and more confident with Hippotizer, this is the room to be in. Seats are limited and they go quickly - it is shaping up to be a standout course." Pixel Academy is also working toward AVIXA CTS RU accreditation, ensuring every course meets the highest standards in professional AV education. To deliver a state-of-the-art learning environment, Green Hippo has partnered with tvONE, Vantix Displays, B-Tech AV Mounts, Matrox Video, Lumens, and NETGEAR, integrating premium display, networking, and mounting solutions throughout the facility. With Pixel Academy, Green Hippo is investing in the future, empowering AV and live events professionals with the skills, confidence, and creative firepower to lead the next era of immersive media.

ISE 2026: planet AV and planet IT have officially merged. ISE 2026 was breathtaking. Over 92,000 unique attendees, 1,751 exhibitors, and an energy across the show floor that will keep Netgear going for months. At least 228 partner booths displayed 'Powered by NETGEAR AV' signs, a visible signal of how far the AV-over-IP ecosystem has grown. IN THIS ARTICLE Netgear launched three new products, won five awards for its newly launched Engage 2.4 and M4350-series managed switches, and exceeded its own expectations. But the real story isn't what any single vendor did. It is what is happening to the industry. Beneath the product launches and booth demos, something bigger was happening. Richard Jonker, VP, Commercial Business Development for NETGEAR Enterprise, spent the week speaking with CTOs, integrators, and manufacturing partners across the show floor. Four trends Netgear identified from the show floor: 1. The network becomes the AV system. AV strategy is now rooted in the network. Connected venues, hybrid workplaces, enterprise broadcast, and campus-scale AV over IP all assume deterministic, secure switching as baseline infrastructure. The myth of a fully converged network is broken. Innovations from Crestron, Yealink, HP-Poly, Pleneo, and Logitech confirm it: you need a separate AV network alongside corporate IT. Its newly announced Microsoft MDEP collaboration underlines its role in securing the AV network. 2. Standards are converging faster than operations. Interoperability is improving. IP-based media standards are aligning. Multi-vendor ecosystems work. The problem is operational now, not technical. Too many solutions still require specialist expertise and manual intervention. As AV over IP scales, buyers will choose platforms that simplify deployment and change management over ones that don't. 3. AI amplifies readiness (or the lack of it). AI is now embedded across AV workflows. In aligned environments, it improves efficiency. In fragmented ones, it accelerates problems. Enterprises value AI-ready design with clear ownership, governance, and lifecycle control more than AI-enabled features. Keep an eye out for what's happening at XTEN-AV, Xyte, Utelogy, Providius, Audinate's Iris, and NetSpeek. 4. Differentiation shifts from products to operating models. Now that and AI features have become table stakes, lifecycle-driven architectures and platforms that deliver consistent results across sites and regions are what create competitive advantage. CTO conversations have evolved from switch features to deployment economics. Digital Darwinism 2.0. Digital Darwinism occurs when technology and society evolve faster than people or organisations can keep up - and that's exactly what is happening today, only at an even faster pace. As technological capability accelerates beyond what operating models and ecosystems can absorb, those building technology need to stay ahead of that curve so that when enterprises are ready to adopt it, it's ready for them to use. The industry has shifted from demonstrating that AV over IP works to demonstrating that it can be operated reliably at scale. This fundamentally different challenge will be met by those who offer breadth, simplicity and alignment over isolated innovation. More information. Visit its website to see the AV Solutions. Get free support for your AV project from its senior AV engineers.

Sol Distribution announces partnership with NETGEAR Enterprise. Value-added distributor Sol Distribution has announced a new partnership with NETGEAR Enterprise, strengthening its portfolio of enterprise-grade networking solutions for MSPs, VARs, and reseller partners across the UK and beyond. The partnership brings NETGEAR Enterprise's intelligent, high-performance networking solutions into Sol's specialist portfolio, giving partners access to a broad range of switches, wireless access points, routers, and cloud-based management tools designed specifically for modern, small and medium enterprises. Built for modern SME networks NETGEAR Enterprise a globally recognised leader in networking and connectivity solutions, delivering enterprise-grade networking with the simplicity and affordability that MSPs and growing businesses need. Its portfolio is designed to remove complexity without compromising on performance, combining reliable hardware with centralised cloud management through NETGEAR Insight. For Sol partners, this means access to networking solutions that are easy to deploy, simple to manage, and scalable as their customer's requirements evolve - all without the licensing complexity and overheads traditionally associated with enterprise networking. Graeme Sutton, Managing Director at Sol Distribution, commented: "NETGEAR Enterprise is a strong fit for Sol and for our partners. The technology delivers enterprise-grade performance while remaining practical, accessible, and cost-effective. This partnership gives our MSP and reseller community another strong option when designing reliable, modern networks for their customers." A partnership focused on long-term value The new partnership is centred on enablement and long-term value. Sol will support partners with pre-sales expertise, technical guidance, and a highly responsive distribution model, helping them design and deliver networking solutions that meet customer needs. Aligning closely with Sol's own approach to the channel, NETGEAR Enterprise's focus is on performance, innovation, and trust, prioritising strong relationships, fast turnaround, and specialist support over volume-driven distribution. If you would like to learn more about the NETGEAR range available from Sol Distribution, contact the team by phone on 01691 680830 or send us a message here.