Clear-Com provided an advanced, IP-based communications infrastructure for TEDNext 2025, supporting production, media, and editorial teams with a highly flexible workflow built around Gen-IC virtual intercom platform, Agent-IC mobile app and Station-IC virtual desktop client including Stream Deck–based remote control. Held in Atlanta across a convention centre and adjacent hotel spaces, TEDNext welcomed more than 1,200 attendees. The event required a communications solution that would support multiple user roles and allow staff to remain connected while constantly on the move. Clear-Com’s hybrid hardware-and-software approach helped the TED production team maintain consistent, real-time communication across all locations.
At the centre of the system was Arcadia Central Station, interfacing with FreeSpeak II and FreeSpeak Icon beltpacks, LQ IP interfaces, and a Gen-IC host supporting both Agent-IC and Station-IC users. This architecture allowed TED to blend traditional intercom hardware with virtual endpoints on laptops and mobile devices. Using smartphones and laptops, TED Producers were able to roam between the convention centre floor, backstage areas, and hotel breakout rooms while maintaining full access to the intercom system. “Agent-IC gave our producers the freedom to move wherever they were needed without losing comms,” said Emily Thomas, Producer at TED. “It felt like having a wireless beltpack that could go anywhere, which was especially important given how spread out the event was.”
In TED’s Media Cave, Station-IC played an essential role in providing dedicated intercom access to editorial and digital teams who had not previously been tied into the production comms system. “For the first time, our Media Cave team was directly connected to the directors and production staff,” said Eric Mueller, Senior Video Engineer at TED. “In the past, we relied on Slack for coordination. Having Station-IC made us feel fully integrated into the show flow, and it significantly improved our response time.”
Station-IC users paired the software with Stream Deck controllers, giving them quick, tactile access to talk keys and channel selection. The combination allowed staff to operate efficiently without navigating on-screen controls during fast-paced moments. “TEDNext is a perfect example of where virtual intercom really shines,” said Sarah Koehler, Applications Engineer at Clear-Com. “The team needed to communicate across multiple buildings, levels, and roles, and Gen-IC made it possible to extend the intercom system far beyond the main control areas without adding physical infrastructure.”
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