How This SI Completed a University Studio in 5 Days (and Still Made Margin)
Transforming SI Business Models
Every system integrator knows the profit erosion pattern: win the bid, start the project, then watch margins evaporate through permit delays, change orders, and finger-pointing between electrical contractors and IT teams. Meanwhile, clients demand fixed budgets and faster deployments while IT integrators encroach on traditional AV territory with “good enough” solutions.
The educational sector presents a massive opportunity—Orange County alone has 197 schools, Gwinnett County is building 40+ studios—but traditional deployment models make these projects risky. Six to twelve months for permits. Coordination between multiple trades. Architectural drawings for temporary installations. The liability alone keeps many SIs from pursuing educational projects.
But what if every variable was under your control? What if you could guarantee delivery in days, not months? What if permits became irrelevant?
The Risk Elimination Story: Mizzou as Proof Point
The University of Missouri needed a broadcast studio for their School of Communications. The window: Thanksgiving break. Five days total. No room for delays, no tolerance for disruption.
Traditional approach timeline:
- 2-4 weeks for electrical permits
- 3-4 days for electrical rough-in
- Inspection delays
- 2-3 days for final installation
- Total: 3-6 months if everything goes perfectly
The PoE approach timeline:
- Day 1: Survey
- Day 2-3: Mount lights in drop ceiling
- Day 4: Integration
- Day 5: Testing and handoff
- Total: 5 days, delivered on schedule
No electrical contractors to coordinate. No permit applications to track. No architectural drawings for running power. As Daniel Napier explains, “The PoE lights take a lot of unknowns away from the SI. The customer doesn’t care that the delay wasn’t your fault—they just want it done on time. This allows the SI to deliver because all factors are in their control.”
Budget predictability transformed from hope to guarantee. No change orders for unexpected electrical work. No overtime charges for meeting impossible deadlines. Fixed costs, predictable margins, satisfied clients.
Technical Architecture for Success
The technical elegance of PoE deployment reduces complexity while improving outcomes:
Infrastructure Leverage: Every educational institution has invested heavily in network infrastructure. CAT6 cables snake through drop ceilings, waiting to be utilized. Instead of competing with this investment, you’re maximizing it.
Single-Cable Simplicity: Traditional broadcast lighting requires 2.5 cables per fixture (power in, power out, DMX daisy chain). PoE requires one. Installation time drops by 75%. Troubleshooting becomes straightforward.
Drop-Ceiling Optimization: The LBX8 lights are specifically designed for standard drop-ceiling grids. No custom mounting hardware. No structural modifications. Mount directly into tiles and move on.
IT Standards Compliance: You’re installing network devices, not electrical equipment. IT departments understand PoE. They have the switches. They manage the infrastructure. You’re speaking their language.
Safety Without Compromise: Low-voltage DC power eliminates electrical safety concerns. Fire marshals approve without hesitation. Insurance companies have no objections. As one installer noted about Gwinnett County: “Fire marshals will rip out any floor-based extension cables. PoE is the safe option—low voltage, it’s music to their ears.”
Replicable Business Opportunity
Bryan Raymond from Ikan describes it perfectly: “We took all the work out of it. The main meat and potatoes we designed. For the SI, they know they can have one place to call if they need support. It’s very easy for everyone involved.”
Bryan calls it the “Happy Meal” model—3 teleprompters, 3 tripods, 7-8 lights—which provides predictable configurations that can be quickly quoted and deployed. Orange County is deploying 132 teleprompter systems. Gwinnett County is building over 40 complete studios. These aren’t one-off projects; they’re repeatable, scalable opportunities.
Consider the math:
- Traditional studio installation: $10,000-15,000 in electrical infrastructure costs per room
- PoE installation: Zero electrical infrastructure costs
- Your additional revenue: Network cable installation (higher margin than electrical coordination)
- Risk reduction: 100% of variables under your control
Training and certification are available. Pre-configured solutions eliminate 60+ hours of design time per project. Support from Ikan means you’re never solving problems alone.
The Competitive Advantage
While traditional AV integrators wait for permits, you’re completing installations. While others coordinate between three contractors, you’re working with your existing team. While competitors explain delays, you’re collecting final payments.
The educational sector expertise you develop becomes a differentiator. Success at one school leads to district-wide opportunities. Albertville Innovation Academy’s installation led to inquiries from neighboring districts. Miami-Dade’s FETC booth-studio replication created a template now being requested across Florida.
Recurring opportunities multiply: schools need training, support, expansions. The relationship shifts from vendor to partner. As evidenced by Orange County’s relationship with Ikan since the company’s inception—these become 12+ year partnerships.
Your Next Educational Project
Qualification criteria for opportunities are simple: Does the institution have drop ceilings? Do they have network infrastructure? Are they tired of waiting for permits? If yes to all three, you have a qualified opportunity.
The proposal framework is proven. The technical support is available. The success metrics—from Mizzou’s 5-day installation to Gwinnett’s 40-studio deployment—demonstrate what’s possible.
The only question: Will you capture this opportunity, or watch IT integrators take it?