Yes, sometimes black-and-white will capture the moment so nicely, but the reality is, we’ve been thriving on color since the 1960s. Color TV! Color photos! Color movies! And now all our digital devices record and relate the world in millions of colors.

We Americans love color for how it looks. Amber waves of grain. Purple mountain majesties. And we love color for the meaning. Red light stop. Green light go. We love how color make us feel. Calming blues, optimistic yellows, disciplined grays.

What we don’t love is selecting colors. In a world where Benjamin Moore alone sells 150+ shades of white, how do you even know where to start? And even if you’re able to pick the perfect white paint, what about the furniture, artwork and accent colors? Today’s muted gray looks are 10 years away from looking as dated as the teal and mauves of the 1980s.

Back in 1996, chess champion Garry Kasparov beat IBM’s Deep Blue chess-playing machine and we thought it was a triumph of humanity over technology. And then, a year later, Deep Blue wins. Could the world of The Terminator be coming true?

The reality is that humans were behind the artificial intelligence (AI) that allowed Deep Blue to win. And I see that in our work here at Xybix every day. The artificial intelligence from our technologies helps our ASID-affiliated interior designers communicate, but it’s their experience and creativity that brings your vision to life. It’s the human element that allows us to design workspaces that are functional, efficient and inspiring.

Panel Systems that Make Sense

When customers purchase console furniture, it often includes a discussion about panel systems. If you speak with a variety of vendors, you will certainly get a variety of panel solutions as well. I’ll share with you what is needed from panel systems (or “core systems”) so that you end up with the most efficient option.

Does Panel Size Matter?

Some manufacturers propose that the wider the core is, the more advantageous it will be, as you will be able to fit more cabling or computers within the core. That may be true. The benefit hinges on how you’re running power and data to your workstation and what access you need to those data lines or the computers.

Having a solid, cross-functional installation plan for your new workstations is critical for continuation of your mission-critical operations.

Congratulations, you have successfully procured state-of-the-art workstations for your command center or PSAP. While your colleagues in Facilities and Purchasing may start to breathe a sigh of relief, the most critical piece is still ahead: planning and completing installation of your new furniture. Installation of your center's complex communications set-up will take a village, so here’s how “plan your work and work your (cutover) plan” in five steps.  

Your top 3 pricing questions, answered

DistribuTech is the largest power grid technology conference in the U.S.

Transformation is the name of the game in the electric power industry, and that fueled the energy, so to speak, at DistribuTech 2020 last week in San Antonio.

New solutions and a flood of blow-your-mind innovations in AI (artificial intelligence) are powering the heightened needs in the utilities industry. But one thing is clear: it is and always will be the people who are making it happen. They are the gatekeepers who keep us safe and keep the machine running in the command and control centers of today.

I was reminded of this a few days ago when I received a text notification from my utility provider that the power was out in my neighborhood and would be back on in one hour. This minute-to-minute monitoring typically occurs in the NOC (network operations center), and this is the part of the process I love.  

With everything to see and do at RSNA 2019, it’s nearly impossible to reach every vendor or remember to ask all the questions that you've thoughtfully prepared. If purchasing Imaging Desks is on your agenda this year, we've put together a handy cheat sheet of vendor locations, functionality aspects, and questions to ask.

I don’t mean to scare you, but there is something you should consider when it comes to adding monitors to your Xybix workstations.

We get it, you’re growing, things are changing, we’ve planned for this and so have you. Congrats! Now is the time, and you’ve decided to get some additional monitors for your Xybix workstations.

TOC and NOC centers are among the many names for a operations command center which manages information from outside of the room. As new technology comes into this industry and new room design ideas are created, your command center design will change. For 2020, how can your room layout/design be more responsive and adapt to the fast pace technology and communications changes that are headed your way? 

Oftentimes, people come to us when they are short on time for their Control Room furniture project. They need furniture and they need it ASAP! Have you thought about what your time frame is? Have you considered all the elements in your timeline such as approvals, sign-off's and more? Oh geeze, maybe this process will take longer then you think? Whip out that watch of yours and let's talk some project timeline details here.