TED Talks

Clear-Com, an HME company, has been a trusted global provider of professional real-time communications solutions and services since 1968. We innovate market-proven technologies that link people together through wired and wireless systems.

Clear-Com was first to market portable wired intercom systems for live performances. Since then, our history of technological advancements and innovations has delivered significant improvements to the way people collaborate in professional settings where real-time communication matters.

For the markets we serve — broadcast, live performance, live events, sports, military, aerospace and government — our communication products have consistently met the demands for high quality audio, reliability, scalability and low latency, while addressing communication requirements of varying size and complexity.

Our reputation in the industry is not only based on our product achievements, but also on our consistent level of customer engagement and dedication to delivering the right solutions for specialised applications, with the expertise to make it work. Across different markets around the globe, Clear-Com’s innovations and solutions have received numerous awards and recognitions for ingenuity and impact on customers.

Clear-Com recently teamed up with TED Conferences LLC’s to upgrade their live production capabilities with a custom intercom solution centered around the Arcadia Central Station. This solution is tailored to TED’s high-stakes live event environment, providing robust, real-time communication across both on-site and remote production teams.

Clear-Com’s industry-leading applications team, represented in this instance by John Ferrante, led the installation at TED’s New York production facility in July 2024, configuring an end-to-end system that supports TED’s complex communication needs.

The installation introduced the Arcadia Central Station, upgraded to the latest firmware release, and included an extensive suite of FreeSpeak II® digital wireless products, IP transceivers, wireless beltpacks, and remote connectivity through Clear-Com’s award-winning Gen-IC virtual intercom.

As part of the upgrade, TED also transitioned from its legacy analog wired intercom to HelixNet® Digital Network Partyline System. This configuration allows TED’s production team to streamline on-demand communication across multiple teams, making it adaptable for both live shows and distributed production workflows.

Clear-Com’s commitment to ease-of-use extended to on-site training, with Ferrante equipping TED’s Technical Director, Chi Yim, to independently manage Arcadia and Gen-IC. TED’s team can now configure channels, assign users, and manage remote links, providing TED with a future-proofed system that scales in step with the organization’s growth. “Clear-Com’s solution has transformed our ability to manage complex productions,” said Yim. “With Arcadia’s powerful network integration and Gen-IC’s remote capabilities, we’re able to streamline communication across all team members, whether they’re in the room or joining us remotely.”

This workflow highlights the unique challenges TED faces as a hybrid live event and content production organisation bringing elements of Broadcasting, Streaming, and high-end Meeting Production together; demands which should resonate with cutting edge producers of corporate AV events, many of whom are Clear-Com customers. Clear-Com’s installation of Arcadia, replacement of analog wired comms to HelixNet digital wired comms, use of FreeSpeak II beltpacks and Gen-IC equips TED with a communication solution that supports both present and future demands of live event production, remote collaboration, and content distribution, empowering the talented team at TED to deliver its programming with greater efficiency and quality.

This project exemplifies excellence in corporate AV, making it a standout contender for an award. Clear-Com’s collaboration with TED Conferences LLC represents a transformative upgrade to TED’s live production capabilities – delivering a future-proof, hybrid communication infrastructure tailored to one of the world’s most high-profile content creators.

At the heart of the project is the Arcadia Central Station, serving as the command center of a custom intercom solution that supports real-time, low-latency communication across TED’s New York facility and its global production teams. By replacing a legacy analog system with Clear-Com’s HelixNet Digital Network Partyline, integrating FreeSpeak II digital wireless systems, and deploying Gen-IC for seamless remote connectivity, TED is now equipped with a scalable, state-of-the-art solution designed to meet the challenges of modern live event production.

TED’s communication demands are uniquely complex—blending the needs of live shows, high-end meeting production, broadcast workflows, and distributed content teams. Clear-Com’s solution not only meets these needs but exceeds them, integrating IP and Dante-enabled connectivity with unmatched audio clarity and control. The deployment also prioritised user empowerment: Clear-Com provided personalised training to ensure TED’s internal team could confidently manage and evolve the system over time.

By marrying technical innovation with operational elegance, this installation empowers TED to maintain its high production standards, improve team coordination, and streamline hybrid workflows for years to come. It is a model of what the future of corporate AV communication looks like – and a prime example of the kind of forward-thinking excellence the MONDO-DR awards were created to recognise.