Q-SYS- The Full Stack Image Gets Sharper
Many AV companies treat press releases like confetti – a new camera here, a widget there, maybe a firmware update tossed in – hoping the industry will connect the dots. Q-SYS is playing a longer game. At the recent Activate briefing, the message wasn’t “here are some shiny new things,” it was “look at how the picture keeps getting sharper.” Each announcement builds on the last, making the Full Stack AV platform less a slogan and more an image steadily coming into focus.
From ePTZ to PTZ: Completing the Camera View
Video is often where platform stories face a challenge. An ePTZ camera can be a perfect fit for smaller spaces like huddle rooms, but it isn’t designed for larger, more complex environments. On the other end, production-grade PTZ cameras excel in big spaces but can feel oversized for a six-seat meeting room. Q-SYS has now evolved its platform to meet the needs at both ends of the spectrum.
The new NC Series NC-90-G2 is a next-gen ePTZ with onboard AI-driven auto-framing and improved optics, purpose-built for wide and shallow collaboration spaces.
At the other end, the new NC Series NC-Pro15x, built with Canon, brings production-grade optics into high-impact spaces. Together, they enhance the Q-SYS camera portfolio.
Seeing the Room Beyond the Call
Unified communications platforms excel at reporting what happens during calls. Some devices even add people counting or CO₂ monitoring between meetings. But most won’t tell you the more holistic story of how rooms are actually used.
That’s where Q-SYS Reflect’s upcoming Space Utilization features come in. By blending calendar data, sensor insights, and system usage, Reflect reveals how and when spaces are truly occupied, exposing “ghost meetings” and improving planning. It’s not just about meeting quality – it’s about aligning rooms and technology with how people really work, sharpening the picture of workplace behavior – and again, doing so as an integral part of the core platform.
Building Blocks, Not One-Offs
Q-SYS also expanded its QIO Series with high-density audio I/O models – QIO-ML24i, QIO-L24o, and QIO-24f. These are designed for the big spaces: venues, courts, and hospitality environments that traditionally required complexity and compromise. With analog audio, GPIO, and dual networking, they reduce friction for installations where “plug and play” has never been realistic.
On the networking side, there are two new NS Series Gen 2 switches – The NS26-480+ is a 26-port PoE + replacement for the NS26-300+, while the NS40-960+ adds a new 40-port PoE option. – These are right-sized, Q-SYS ready out-of-the-box switches tuned for AV performance – another essential piece of the platform.
In addition, Q-SYS Library replaces the legacy Asset Manager with a modern, curated, browser-based collection of verified assets. Each item in Q-SYS Library undergoes a rigorous review process by Q-SYS, so integrators and developers can trust that what they’re using is reliable, compatible, and designed to work seamlessly with Q-SYS Designer. The collection includes a wide range of components such as Reflect-enabled plugins for monitoring devices, UCI templates for rapidly deploying intuitive user interfaces, sample designs and Lua modules. The Library also offers a means of maintaining your own curated set of NuGet packages (standardized software bundles used to manage code and assets) for consistency across projects.
Closing the Distance Between AV and BMS
With a reminder that Q-SYS is part of Acuity Intelligent Spaces, a business segment of Acuity Inc., the picture becomes even clearer. Acuity’s strength is lighting and building management, and thoughtful observers will note that the line between AV and BMS is getting blurrier. The irony is that as those traditional boundaries fade, Q-SYS is sharpening the image of how workplaces are managed. Space utilization, monitoring, and integrated infrastructure aren’t “just AV” challenges anymore – they’re enterprise challenges. Q-SYS sits at this intersection of blurring the lines yet sharpening the image for IT, facilities, and AV teams alike.
The Image Keeps Sharpening
If the May Activate was about completely delivering a Full Stack AV Platform, this Activate shows how that stack continues to sharpen: expanding the capabilities of your initial investment with the power of the Platform. This isn’t about one press release, one product, or one SKU. It’s about continuity. Customers who invested in the stack yesterday wake up today with something more valuable than what they purchased – and tomorrow, they’ll wake up to more again.
The story here isn’t about isolated updates. It’s about how the picture keeps getting sharper – with every release, every feature, every piece that Q-SYS brings into focus. These Q-SYS people must be some sharp folks …
(You can playback the entire October Activate event at the link here.)