For the first time, AVI Latin America makes a ranking with the 50 most recognized integrating companies in the region, according to the votes of our readers.
By Richard Santa
Our region was the target of many companies that saw in the growing Latino market an opportunity to face the economic crisis of industrialized countries that began in 2008. In part, that is due to the 15% annual growth that the audiovisual industry has had in Latin America in recent years, exceeding the global growth figure that is estimated at 13%, according to figures from InfoComm International.
But it is also due to the work that manufacturers, distributors and integrators in the region have developed to make known, more and more, the professional audiovisual solutions that are available for multiple sectors. In other words, end-user education. That has been one of the keys that the industry has had for its growth.
That hard work that everyone has done, has allowed professional solutions not to be seen as something cost and a luxury, but as a benefit that facilitates work, communications and provides comfort. And because the world is more visual every day, it wants to always be communicated, without geographical barriers and with high quality.
Each country that integrates the region that unites us has very different political, economic and access to technology conditions. But in terms of market it is divided into five regions in which the AV industry has a wide presence: Mexico, Central America (Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic), Andean Region (Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela), Southern Cone, (Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia), and, of course, Brazil.
The growth of the audiovisual industry in some countries of the region has gone hand in hand with the development of its economy. While traditionally the largest markets have been Brazil and Mexico, today there are also others that stand out in the AV industry for their growth, such as Peru, Chile and Colombia. Unfortunately, there are also cases that, due to adverse conditions outside the industry, a decade ago had great potential, but today do not offer the necessary guarantees for business, such as Venezuela and Argentina.
The 50s
Extensive experience in the market and technological innovation are two of the aspects that identify the audiovisual integrators of our region that are part of the first TOP 50 that AVI Latin America magazine elaborated, through which we want to give recognition to an important part of those who do an excellent job in favor of the industry.
To elaborate the ranking of the companies, a consultation was made between the different sectors that intervene in the AV world, such as manufacturers, distributors and our readers in each of the countries of the region, consulting for the integrators with greater recognition divided into four zones: Mexico, Central America, Andean Region and Southern Cone.
Through a survey with our readers, the ranking of the 50 companies in the ranking was made. In addition to the election, the list includes information on the segments served by each company, contact details and the percentage of recognition according to the votes of our readers.
The most voted
With a significant majority of the votes, the most recognized integrator in Mexico is Grupo Niza. This is a company with 50 years in the Mexican market that offers audiovisual solutions, automation and control, in convergence with information technologies.
Today it has a group of collaborators that reaches 100 people. a multidisciplinary team that includes engineers, technicians, commercial operations and administrative. Its objective is to provide a complete service that includes needs study, planning and design, integration of technologies, training, and installation.
The first place in number of votes in Central America was received by the Costa Rican company Digitech, a provider of residential electronic systems founded in 1989. It was the first company in Costa Rica dedicated to integrating the common control of audio, video, security, lighting and climate control systems. The vision they apply in each of their facilities remains the same: "Make a simple and very reliable technology for our customers".
Its facilities are based on engineering: It generates detailed documentation and plans, direction of installation and construction so that nothing is left to chance. DigiTech professionals ensure that the installation meets high standards and that the user is familiar with the operation of the system.
For 60 years, it has been offering audiovisual solutions Ambientes Inteligentes, the company that had the highest vote in the Andean Region. It has a wholesale warehouse and two direct service show rooms in Medellín, Colombia. Its services are focused on four segments: audio, video, automation and security.
To keep in line with the evolution of the market, in 1995 it specialized the division dedicated entirely to the study of new audiovisual technologies and the development of projects, creating effective tailor-made solutions and being pioneers in the areas of applied acoustic research and integration.
In the Southern Cone, the most voted was Videocorp, an integrator with 30 years in the market offering audiovisual, broadcast, security and rental services, among others. This company, which has a group close to 200 employees, was born in Chile but today has a presence in Peru, Brazil and Colombia.
The company assures that a large part of the meeting rooms, training, classrooms and board rooms of Chile carry their equipment and have been installed by their technicians and engineers. In the AV line they have audio and sound services, automation, audio interfaces, professional monitors, projectors and videoconferencing.
From AVI Latin America we hope that this first version of the ranking of integrators, which we will do annually, will be useful for the industry, provide tools that allow us to continue with the growth of recent years and generate greater knowledge of the AV world.
And, obviously, we hope to continue counting on the support of each of the actors involved in the audiovisual industry of the region so that this ranking is strengthened and is a reference that in the end benefits us all.
