2025 was a particularly active year in the AV/IT industry. There were no fewer than 30 merger and acquisition announcements. Both ISE and InfoComm trade shows set records with attendance. Despite the uncertainty created by tariffs, AVIXA's Industry Outlook and Trends Analysis (IOTA) estimated that $332 billion in revenues were generated around the globe in 2025, growing at 3.5%. AV Technology received more new product entries to its Best of Show this year than ever before. It was a great year, and we're looking forward to 2026. Below are a few of the top stories we covered.

Stop assuming LED is always superior. Barco UniSee II redefines what is possible with LCD. Stunning image quality, low TCO, and smart design make LCD the new standard for control rooms, lobbies, and more. Stop overpaying for LED and discover why LCD still matters.

Are you currently or plan to create an AV/IT Request for Proposals (RFP)? If so, start here! AVT presents the five-part series of articles on Navigating a Successful Higher Ed AV/IT RFP Process, written by Joe Way, PhD, CTS, executive director of Digital Spaces at UCLA.

AV/IT thought leaders discuss why it takes an overall company culture to embrace videoconferencing technologies and collaboration platforms to help ensure remote and hybrid workers are integrated into the workflow.

No fewer than 30 M&A and other announcements were made, including a merger, an acquisition, and a rebranding by three companies on the recently released SCN Top 50.

Did your integrator make the cut? Check out the Top 50 Systems Integrators 2025

By combining Barco CTRL--an innovative all-in-one KVM-over-IP solution--with Extreme Fabric, customers gain a secure, scalable, and resilient platform for managing critical operations anywhere.

AVIXA's Industry Outlook and Trends Analysis is out. Here's what it says.

Every year, Future publications contracts with AV industry experts to evaluate products submitted by manufacturers exhibiting at InfoComm for Best of Show. Our judges are experts in the categories of products we have chosen for them to evaluate, and always remain anonymous to the manufacturers. Check out the winners!

AVT Best of Show at InfoComm Winner: Barco's CTRL is an innovative, scalable software platform for control rooms that simplifies workflows, deployment, and serviceability. Designed to uphold the highest levels of cybersecurity, Barco CTRL allows users to securely connect to their sources, from any location, and interact with the content on any video wall or operator desk. Although the system is very powerful, it is also simple to set up with a wizard guiding the installer through the configuration process. A single platform that serves both the video wall and operator desk, Barco CTRL extends the same intuitive look and feel over the complete control room and beyond.

What the Judge Had to Say: "CTRL is a nice control room solution from Barco. Simple and powerful are the keys here."

Some colleges and universities have a larger footprint than many corporate enterprises, but have unique needs for unified communications and collaboration. Offices and meeting spaces for administration and instructors must be equipped for collaboration across campus and accommodating hybrid workers. Public spaces are often used for ad hoc lessons and study with engaging video walls, and wayfinding has become a staple on many campuses.

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