Avnu Alliance has announced a new Milan Advanced Certification Program designed to foster faster, more convenient, and less expensive testing and certification of professional audio video (AV) end devices for its members.
Specifically, the new program streamlines certification testing at independent test houses for end devices implementing the Milan network protocol while introducing a significantly enhanced Certification Management System, new pre-certification validation test tools, and access to test houses around the world.
Milan is a standards-based, user-driven deterministic network protocol for professional media, that through certification, is intended to assure devices will work together conveniently and reliably with enhanced functionality. The new program provide robust test plans and scripts that are performed at independent authorized certification labs to help ensure compliance with the Milan specifications and foster seamless interoperability with all other Milan-Certified end devices and Avnu-Certified switches in the signal chain, regardless of function or manufacturer.
“This is a new approach to open standard certification for the pro AV industry,” states said Richard Bugg, Avnu Alliance pro AV segment chair. “There are other open standards in this industry; however, they don’t guarantee interoperability on their own. Milan manufacturers have come together to invest their expertise, resources, and experience to ensure a system architecture that will work for the future of many ecosystems, all supported by a first-of-its-kind independent certification program.
“The new Milan Advanced Certification program makes testing and certification significantly easier and faster for members,” he continues, “which brings more manufacturers and certified devices to the table, with the guarantee that those devices will work together to deliver the best experience for the end user. The new streamlined program is Milan’s solution to enabling a long-term, stable, no-compromise network of future-ready devices that is easier and less expensive to implement and evolves with the market’s requirements.”
With the new program, Avnu Alliance also introduces tools to designed to streamline the certification process for vendors. Available today, the new Avnu Express Test Tool is for vendors to use internally verify device conformance prior to submission for certification testing, providing insights into the product that can be used to optimize product development, increase the probability of certification success, and save time, resources, and money.
Vendors can also use the test tool, which bundles test control and test engine software along with a set of hardware equipment, to verify the performance of end devices using certified modules. Avnu members can purchase floating licenses that allow teams across geographic locations to work using the same tool and the Avnu Express Test Tool will be automatically updated as new test plans become available.
“The new test tool significantly lowers the barrier for certification,” explainsGenio Kronauer, Avnu Alliance Certification Work Group co-chair. “Now, we can enter the certification process with greater assurance that a device will pass and iterate new devices with far more efficiency. This tool will be a powerful catalyst for the growth of available Milan products.”
Avnu has launched a new testing portal, Certification Management System (CMS), with simplified and intelligent certification workflows for transparent communication. The new CMS provides Milan members with real-time visibility into the testing process with the introduction of a Debug ID, as well as the ability to track device testing progress and timelines, view results, and manage the public listing and marketing opportunities for newly certified products.
Avnu member customers and end users also get access to a new certified product registry with a database and advanced filtering capabilities, designed to make it easier to find devices to design into networked AV systems.
The Milan Advanced Certification program is currently open for submission of pro audio end devices that meet Milan specifications. All Milan-Certified devices work with any Avnu-Certified switches. Companies interested in submitting devices for Milan Certification can join Avnu Alliance at the Milan Associate Membership level or manufacturers interested in joining workgroups within Avnu to collaborate with other members and collectively define Milan requirements for the future are welcome to join Avnu Alliance as a Promoter Member to help ensure their development needs are met.
Companies can learn more about membership and certification by visiting www.avnu.org.
