Meeting of the minds - The benefits of the integrated meeting room

This month we hear from Dan Jackson, Research and Development Manager, Crestron Electronics.

How has technology changed the meeting room environment?

Changes to the way that organizations work and do business in meeting environments have actually driven the need for new technologies. Meeting spaces were once simple rooms with whiteboards and very little — if any — technology. Now, they are much more than that. In fact, as businesses have increasingly become more collaborative, more work is done remotely and more of our content is digital, there is a growing need for the right technology to bridge that gap and ensure that employees can work together seamlessly.

How has mobile technology impacted AV standards and common practices in meeting room setups?

If you look around the room at your next meeting, you’ll probably see quite a few people on their mobile phones, iPads or other devices. This connectivity means that employees are now expecting — and demanding — seamless and immediate integration between their meeting spaces and their devices. They expect to be able to walk into a meeting with just a mobile device or iPad, and easily present to the room. We’re going to start to see more demand for Bluetooth integration in meeting spaces and using a mobile device like it’s meant to be used.

Recognizing where AV has come in the past 10 years, where does Crestron see the meeting room technology and landscape moving to over the next 10 years?

Over the past 10 years, collaboration and AV technology have offered up much more of a seamless and personalized experience. Imagine walking into a meeting room and seeing a personalized welcome message, instantly sharing content from your mobile device, and having the lights and videos turn off automatically when you leave. That’s the experience that’s possible today. As the younger generations that have grown up on video and mobile step into leadership roles at organizations, expectations will continue to rise. We’ve seen a hurdle to adoption with some technologies and that’s going to disappear.

What is the most popular trend across businesses and organizations of all sizes?

The high level trend that we’re seeing is that the workplace is being designed to be more open. The privacy in closed offices and cubes is going away, as organizations adapt to different degrees of openness. It’s no longer a one size fits all approach. Instead we’re seeing that businesses are now building a variety of different meeting spaces and rooms to meet different needs.

What are 3 recommendations you’d give to any organization looking to design, expand or build new meeting room space?

Businesses need to understand what their people want to do first. Ask yourself, what are your people’s needs throughout the day and how can I meet those needs. Do I need to invest in a big videoconferencing infrastructure or will something smaller meet employees’ workplace demands. Another recommendation is to be sure to standardize for a consistent experience across your meeting spaces. When employees walk into a new room, they should be able to expect the same experience and technology at their fingertips.

Finally, partnering with a single manufacturer should be treated like any IT buying decision and goes hand-in-hand with standardization. Finding a partner that you can trust and rely on to standardize your employees’ work space experience is the key to spurring productivity and success.

Don’t forgot to REGISTER for our Lunch & Learn - Technology Planning for the Modern Meeting Room on April 19th, hosted at the Chamber of Commerce. Register at https://www.vistacaretech.com/meeting-minds