What Is an AV Integrator and What Do They Actually Do?
- Chris Gore
- Jul 29
- 5 min read
What is an AV integrator and what do they actually do? The honest guide for UK buyers choosing the right type of AV supplier.
Chris Gore | Updated 2026
If you have started looking into meeting room technology and come across the term AV integrator, you are not alone in wondering exactly what it means. It is a category of supplier that sounds technical, and the industry does not make it particularly easy to understand the difference between an AV integrator, a reseller, a managed service provider and someone who just installs screens for a living.
This guide explains what an AV integrator actually does, how they differ from other types of AV supplier, and what to look for when choosing one.
What an AV Integrator Actually Does
An AV integrator designs, installs and commissions audio visual systems for business environments. The word integration is the key part. They do not just supply hardware. They take separate components from different manufacturers, cameras, displays, microphones, speakers, codecs, control systems, room booking panels, and integrate them into a single system that works together as intended.
The difference between buying AV equipment and having AV integrated is significant. A room full of correctly specced hardware that has not been properly integrated will not perform the way it should. Integration is the process of making everything work together, configured for the specific room, the specific use case and the specific platform the organisation runs.
Design
Before any hardware is ordered, a proper AV integrator assesses the room. Dimensions, ceiling height, table layout, acoustic properties, natural light, existing cabling infrastructure. The specification is built around what the room actually needs, not around what the integrator happens to have in stock.
Supply
AV integrators source hardware from manufacturers and distributors. Good integrators hold manufacturer certifications — Microsoft, Logitech, Cisco, Neat — meaning they have been trained and tested against defined standards for deploying that manufacturer's equipment. An uncertified installer can buy and fit the same hardware but without the accountability that certification provides.
Installation
Physical installation of all hardware — mounting displays, running cabling, installing ceiling microphone arrays, fitting room booking panels, racking compute units. A proper installation is clean, structured and documented.
Commissioning
This is the step that separates a good integrator from one who just installs and disappears. Commissioning is the process of configuring every setting, testing every function, and tuning every component for the specific room. Camera presets set for the seating positions. Microphone sensitivity tuned for the room acoustics. Calendar integration tested. Control system programmed. A room that has been installed but not commissioned is not ready to use, regardless of what the hardware cost.
Training
Staff need to know how to use what has been installed. A proper AV integrator includes a training session at handover so that the people who will use the room every day understand it. This is frequently skipped by integrators who treat handover as the end of the project rather than the beginning of the room's operational life.
Asset management and monitoring
Knowing what is installed where, what the warranty status of each device is, and whether the devices are performing as expected. The best integrators monitor the rooms they deploy proactively, catching faults before they affect meetings. This is what SPORTrack does across every SPOR Group deployment.
How an AV Integrator Differs from Other Types of AV Supplier
AV reseller
A reseller sells hardware. They may offer installation as an add-on but their primary business is product sales. They are not set up to commission, train or provide ongoing managed support. Useful for straightforward product purchases where you have internal capability to install and manage.
One-man band or sole trader
Will install hardware. May configure basic settings. Has no formal commissioning process, no helpdesk, no monitoring capability and no meaningful warranty management. Appropriate for very simple, low-value installations where you have internal IT to manage everything after handover.
Managed service provider
Focused on the ongoing management of technology rather than installation. May subcontract installation to a third party. The right choice when ongoing support, monitoring and service level agreements are the primary requirement.
Full service AV integrator
Covers the full lifecycle. Design, supply, installation, commissioning, training, asset management and monitoring. The right choice for any organisation that wants a room that works reliably from day one and continues to work reliably over time without internal teams having to manage it.
What to Look for When Choosing an AV Integrator
Manufacturer certifications
Ask which certifications the integrator holds. Microsoft Teams Rooms, Logitech, Cisco Webex, Neat, Poly. Certification means trained, tested and audited. An integrator who cannot name their certifications is worth treating with caution.
A commissioning process
Ask specifically what happens between installation and handover. If the answer does not include commissioning — configuring every setting, testing every function, tuning every component — that is a red flag. Read why most AV installations fail six months after handover for what happens when commissioning is skipped.
Post-handover support
Who do you call when a room fails at 9am on Monday? What is the response time? Is there a formal SLA? Is monitoring included as standard or is it an additional cost? Understand the support model before committing.
Monitoring capability
Does the integrator operate their own monitoring platform or subcontract monitoring to a third party? If they have no monitoring capability, you are buying a reactive-only service regardless of what the contract says.
References from comparable projects
Ask for references from clients with a similar number of rooms, similar room types and similar platforms. A reference from a two-room installation tells you nothing about how they manage a twenty-room estate.
SPOR Group is a Microsoft and Logitech certified AV integrator delivering the full DITAM model across every project — Design, Integrate, Train, Asset Manage, Monitor. Over 1,500 meeting room sites managed globally. For independent advice on whether SPOR Group is the right type of supplier for your specific project, use the AV report quiz.
Not Sure Which Type of AV Supplier Is Right for You? Five questions. Find out what type of AV company and service model your organisation actually needs before any supplier conversation. |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an AV integrator?
An AV integrator designs, supplies, installs and commissions audio visual systems for business environments. They integrate separate components from different manufacturers into a single working system, configured for the specific room, use case and platform.
What is the difference between an AV integrator and a reseller?
A reseller sells hardware. An AV integrator designs the system, installs it, commissions every component, trains staff and provides ongoing support. The difference shows most clearly six months after handover, when a commissioned and supported system performs reliably and an unconfigured installation does not.
Why does commissioning matter?
Commissioning is the process of configuring every setting, testing every function and tuning every component for the specific room. A room that has been installed but not commissioned will not perform as intended regardless of hardware quality. It is the most commonly skipped step in AV projects.
What certifications should an AV integrator hold?
Relevant certifications include Microsoft Teams Rooms, Logitech Select or Logitech Gold, Cisco Webex, Neat and Poly. These mean the integrator has been trained, tested and audited against defined standards for deploying that manufacturer's equipment.
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