If there can already be a word of the year for 2025, it's tariffs.
Indeed, the Trump White House has pretty much got the whole world talking about them.
Being in UC, much of the major players have been spared any immediate impact from the currently announced tariffs, as the products produced are intangible.
However, like a microcosm of the world economy, the UC sphere has associated areas that could stand to be hurt by tariffs, creating a knock-on effect for the sector as a whole.
AV, with its parts made in one place, manufactured in another, and sent to another to be purchased, is at risk of being hit by the tariffs in a significant way.
But how can AV adapt to this new reality, and where might they get hit the hardest?
Examining AV's Relationship with UC
AV products are essential to the UC ecosystem because they bridge the gap between digital and physical collaboration, enabling seamless real-time interactions.
Many people who use UC platforms like Teams do not use it just for meetings between remote staff, but to link the in-office and remote workers together.
As a result, integrated AV solutions, such as video conferencing systems, interactive whiteboards, and digital signage, have become essential for keeping that line of communication open and efficient, which is critical for remote and hybrid work environments.
Thus, many companies will not only subscribe to a UC platform, but will buy associated products - like physical devices optimised specifically for Teams - that can help work in tandem with that to make hybrid meetings work better.
AV's Supply Chain
AV, like many electronic products, has a interconnected, global supply chain where manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors collaborate to produce and deliver both components and end products.
For instance, China is the hub for processing these materials and bulk manufacturing, Vietnam and Malaysia handle mid-stream tasks like assembling circuit boards or molding plastic parts; raw materials like carbon or piezoelectric crystals from Africa or Australia, which are then refined in places like China, Japan and South Korea.
Looking at Trump's tariffs, almost everyone on the above example has been tariffed.
However, many of the most critical stops on that supply chain have been hit the hardest with tariffs.
Goods from Japan have been hit with a 24 per cent tariff, 25 per cent from South Korea, 32 per cent for Taiwan and now a total of 54 per cent for China.
Avocor's CEO Scott Hix told AVNetwork in March, amid murmurings of tariffs that has "products that are built in multiple locations around the world."
