Barrick, a leading global mining company, conducts weekly meetings with forty of its
senior executives and miners who are stationed all over the world. Since time is
valuable, video collaboration meetings are run from the company’s Toronto
headquarters with military-like precision. Recently, Barrick sought to fine-tune its
video conferencing system to help streamline the remote communication and content
sharing process. That’s why they called on Advanced, North America’s leading AV
integrator, to conceptualise, design and install a sophisticated new system built
around two Prysm Visual Workplace displays and cutting-edge Cisco video
conferencing.

“Barrick was looking to utilise top-of-the-line technology to increase productivity
during its weekly meetings with remote mining sites,’ Advanced Executive Vice
President Mark McPherson said. “We knew that the Prysm Visual Workplace display
would be the perfect solution for this application. This interactive display enables
collaboration and sharing in real time with an interface that is extremely intuitive and
easy-to-use. Once we decided to utilise Prysm’s technologies as the foundation of the
company’s content sharing, we built a cutting-edge conference system around it that
truly makes video conferencing and collaboration on content quick, easy and
painless.’

Advanced’s team installed one interactive 34 ft wide by 5 ft high (76 tiles) Prysm
display at the front of the room with a custom “skin’ to match the room’s decor and a
modified panel to meet the room’s unique floating floor, in addition to one 84′ 4K
Prysm LCD display at the side of the room for break-out sessions. The display’s
custom skins serve an aesthetic purpose, while the customised frame beneath the
display masks the entire system’s AV rack. “We provided a custom-built wraparound
frame around the main display to make it appear as if the screen belongs in the wall,’
explained Kevin Linton, Advanced’s Vice President of Engineering. “Plus, it houses all
of the system’s equipment.’

Through Prysm’s visual collaboration cloud, Barrick’s team can create, share and
collaborate from anywhere in the world. “Prysm’s integrated software and interactive
hardware solution combine apps, content, video and the web into a powerful, all-in-
one interface for immersive team collaboration and data visualisation,’ Linton
commented. “We also deployed the “Prysm mobile’ app for the remotely stationed
miners, which makes it extremely simple for users in remote locations to join in on
the meeting without needing a professional grade video conferencing system. Now,
they can join by way of any device.’

Advanced also replaced Barrick’s existing video conferencing system with an all new
Cisco SX80, complete with dual cameras and speaker tracking functionality. A
Crestron control processing and digital media system was installed with a Cisco Touch
10 control interface to program and automate certain events that simplify use for
Barrick’s employees. For example, Advanced together with the Prysm design team,
programmed an “event’ that enables Barrick’s employees to automate the system and
create content snap grids with one simple button press on a centrally located
touchscreen.

The newly installed interactive video collaboration system also utilises cutting-edge
microphone technology with a Shure Microflex Advance ceiling microphone array,
which includes two MX910 ceiling microphones that harness the ability to pick up any
voice in the room and transmit it with sharp accuracy. “In a room of forty people, one
person can stand up and speak, and the microphones will pick up the person’s voice
perfectly from any angle,’ Linton said. “It’s a rare technology that is extremely useful
for large-scale video meetings.’

Additionally, the innovative microphone system includes wireless mute buttons,
programmed through the Crestron control system, that enable Barrick’s senior
executives to “mute’ themselves so that they can discuss sensitive topics without
having to broadcast their thoughts live to all of the meeting’s participants. LED lights
installed in the corners of the ceiling tiles indicate whether or not a mute button is
deployed; if the lights turn red, the microphone is muted, and if the lights turn green,
they are live. “These are the most advanced ceiling microphones that we have ever
worked with in this type of application,’ Linton said. “And even though they are
extremely sophisticated, they are very easy-to-use which is of the utmost importance
for this executive group.’

According to McPherson, the entire system is configured to allow anyone to enter that
room and present as a basic user. “Together with the Prysm implementation team, we
have trained Barrick’s senior IT leaders and its employees to use the system with
ease,’ McPherson said. “Our goal is to get employees as comfortable with the
technology as possible. But with a video collaboration system this intuitive and user-
friendly, that certainly won’t be difficult to achieve.’