Division of Responsibilities Between IT and the AV Integrator

What the IT department owns

The IT department owns the infrastructure on which the AV system operates.

The network and its structure. LAN, port availability and whether PoE is available. Without these, a networked AV device has nowhere to connect.

The platform. Which platform the organisation uses, such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom or Google Meet, and how it is configured. This determines which devices belong in the room in the first place.

Accounts and permissions. Creating device accounts, allowing devices onto the network and configuring access. This is the area where projects most often become blocked.

Availability during commissioning. Someone from IT must be available when the system is being brought online because some settings can only be completed from their side.

This is a list an IT manager can approve without hesitation. These are areas IT controls and that nobody else can take over on its behalf.

What the AV integrator owns

This side of the project is underestimated most often. Yet it determines whether an organisation treats AV as an engineering discipline or simply as a delivery of equipment.

The integrator is responsible for system design, equipment delivery, device configuration, programming and commissioning. The first of these deserves more explanation. System design is where the decisions are made that determine whether the room will actually work.

This can be seen in completed projects:

Acoustics and sound coverage. In a large auditorium, a loudspeaker array can be electronically directed only towards the area that needs sound reinforcement. This reduces reflections and keeps sound pressure more consistent across all seats. It is a decision about where sound should go and where it should not.

Microphone placement. In a dean’s meeting room, two ceiling microphone arrays can be designed to cover the table without any visible technology on its surface. With a long table, the goal is to ensure that a person at the far end can be heard without raising their voice. Placement and signal processing determine this, not simply the microphone model.

Display sizing. Display size is determined by the distance of the furthest viewer and by the type of content that will be shown. Selecting a professional matte-finish panel that avoids window reflections and keeps small spreadsheet text readable is a different decision from simply buying the largest screen available.

Control logic. A room can have an unattended mode that starts with a single button and automatically activates the required technology, together with a second mode controlled through a panel for trained operators. Ease of use for someone entering the room for the first time is the result of programming, not an inherent feature of the hardware.

This is a layer the IT department has no reason to master, and nobody expects it to. That is why the AV integrator owns the AV project. We explain which documents result from the design process and what the project brief should contain in our article about what an AV project must include.

Where cooperation is essential

Device MAC addresses. Before IT can allow devices onto the network, the integrator must provide their MAC addresses. In practice, this is often handled only on site, which delays installation. It can be prepared in advance.

Cabling. The integrator defines cabling requirements after the system design has been approved. The client then provides the cabling, or the integrator does so if agreed.

Accounts and permissions. Devices require accounts and correctly configured network permissions. IT prepares these, and timing is critical.

Calendar and room-booking panels. If the room has a booking panel, it must be able to read the corporate calendar. This is where AV touches corporate identity and IT must grant the required access.

We cover the network side of this overlap separately in our article about when AV belongs on the corporate network and when it should operate separately.

Where the division most often breaks down

Responsibility for AV is often distributed across the organisation, while some decisions are controlled somewhere other than where the integrator expects them to be.

A typical example is a split IT structure. Accounts and permissions are handled by corporate IT abroad, while local IT has limited authority. The local team may not be permitted to patch cables into the switch or create the required network permissions. The integrator therefore communicates with someone on site who can see the problem but does not have the authority to resolve it. The decision is made by someone who has never seen the room.

This is a consequence of how responsibility is structured. It has nothing to do with people’s abilities. It can be addressed by identifying at the very beginning who actually holds each authority and agreeing the project timeline with that person.

What effective coordination looks like

A process that works well follows a clear sequence.

IT defines the requirement. The sales representative attends a meeting, discusses the intended solution on site, guides the initial concept and leaves with an approach suitable for the vast majority of the project. The details of the quotation are refined afterwards. Before any installation takes place, it must be clear what the room looks like, where the outlets are located and what condition the space is in, ideally through an on-site survey or, if that is not possible, through detailed photographs and thorough communication.

Network and construction requirements are therefore provided to the client in writing in advance. MediaTech uses a Site Readiness Checklist for this purpose. It covers four areas: logistics and installation access, construction readiness of the room, IT infrastructure and connectivity, and licences and configuration. The division described in this article is thereby translated into a concrete task list for the specific project.

A single room with a complete video bar does not require this level of coordination. One email and one phone call are usually enough. The more rooms involved and the deeper the system integrates with the network, the more valuable it becomes to have the responsibilities documented.

If the project runs alongside construction or refurbishment, a second coordination boundary appears, this time with the architect and electrical designer. The decision timeline for this situation is covered in our article about AV coordination within a construction project.

How to recognise failed coordination

These patterns occur repeatedly, and all of them can be identified before the installation team arrives:

• Data outlets have not been activated.
• No PoE budget has been allocated on the switch.
• The network is configured in a way that prevents login or software updates during installation.
• Device accounts have not been prepared.
• The firewall blocks ports required by the video conferencing devices.

When the installation team encounters any of these problems on site, the project is delayed. With a price already fixed through a tender, that cost has nowhere to go. It either reduces the supplier’s margin or affects the schedule. This is why it is worth reviewing these points on paper in advance.

Responsibility map

The table is intentionally concise so that it can be used as a checklist during the first project meeting.

Frequently asked questions

Who is responsible for connecting AV to the corporate network? IT owns the infrastructure, including LAN, ports, PoE budget and permission for devices to access the network. The AV integrator provides network requirements and device MAC addresses, which IT uses to allow those devices onto the network. These are two sides of the same task. The timing between them determines whether the system can be commissioned on installation day.

What does “system design” mean for an AV integrator? It means making the decisions that determine whether the room will work. This includes acoustics and sound coverage, microphone placement and signal processing, display sizing based on the distance of the furthest viewer, and control logic. The devices follow from the design, not the other way around. This is a layer the IT department has no reason to master.

Why does an AV installation get delayed even when everything has already been ordered? Most often because the network environment is not ready. Typical examples include an inactive data outlet, insufficient PoE budget on the switch, missing device accounts or a firewall blocking required ports. These areas are controlled by IT and can all be addressed in advance through a written list of requirements. If the installation team only discovers them on site, the schedule slips.

Why can it be difficult when the company’s IT department is located abroad? Accounts and permissions may be managed by corporate IT while local IT has limited authority. The local team may not be able to patch cables into the switch or create network permissions. The integrator therefore communicates with someone who can see the problem but cannot make the required decision. The solution is to identify at the very beginning who actually holds each authority and agree the timeline with that person.

What is a Site Readiness Checklist? It is a written document the AV integrator sends to the client before implementation. It covers four areas: logistics and installation access, construction readiness of the room, IT infrastructure and connectivity, and licences and configuration. Its purpose is to verify that the environment is ready before the installation team arrives. It translates the division of responsibilities into a concrete list of tasks for the specific project.

When is email enough for coordination? For a single room with a complete video bar that connects directly to the corporate network. In that case, the entire coordination process can consist of one email and one phone call. A written requirements list becomes worthwhile once several rooms are involved or the system integrates more deeply with the network and corporate identity. The deciding factor is the number of integration points, not the size of the company.

Next step

If you are preparing an AV project and are unsure what the supplier will need from you and when, we can review it before the brief is issued. Email us at mediatech@mediatech.sk or call +421 2 20 999 700 and tell us how many rooms you are dealing with and what stage they are currently at.