3 Ways IT Can Modernize Meeting Rooms With Digital Technology
By Remi Del Mar, senior product manager at Epson
From energy companies to universities, the growth of the Internet of Things, mobile devices, and wearables presents new challenges and opportunities for IT departments looking to provide counsel on technology that is innovative, versatile, and collaborative. In the case of meeting rooms, digital devices that involve remote attendees and mobile capabilities are expected to grow. According to a Wainhouse research report, commissioned by Epson, nearly half of respondents expect the amount of huddle rooms to increase within the next two years.
Ninety-five percent of respondents also agree that meetings are becoming more collaborative with involvement of remote attendees and devices. The issue is, meeting rooms and huddle spaces are often equipped with “dumb” devices stuck in analog mode and unable to interact or sync with one another. Integrating the use of technologies that not only connect with one another, but also communicate with commonly used web conferencing programs, applications and hardware, helps to encourage the growing remote and mobile functions taking place among modern meeting rooms. The benefits include massive appeal toward a majority millennial generation which is increasingly choosing flexibility and an engaging, creative environment over status and even higher pay. Below are three considerations IT departments should consider when choosing digital meeting room technologies that satisfy networking priorities while providing employees with a more collaborative environment.
- Select technology that interacts and syncs with other hardware and software
When selecting meeting room technology, IT departments can provide a more collaborative environment by ensuring meeting displays, laptops, and mobile electronics are able to connect with other commonly used meeting room devices and applications such as Go-To Meeting and Skype For Business. According to Wainhouse, 63 percent of IT staff agree web conferencing has the most widespread use in organizations, followed by a virtual tie between room video conferencing systems at 51 percent and Skype for Business at 50 percent. IT managers should also take into consideration digital technologies that are device agnostic. In some cases, a device may present capabilities to interact with other tech, however require the same brand in order to pair. In this case, IT departments and businesses are left with a heftier bill with every separate device they need to purchase under the same brand umbrella. Device-agnostic tech choices are a great way to overcome this obstacle.
- Ensure that meeting room devices are flexible and configurable
As network security continues to be a top concern among businesses of all sizes, meeting room technologies need to have adequate configuration capabilities that allow IT departments to customize based on its organization’s unique security protocols. This would include the ability to remove certain functions or provide varied methods of network connectivity. For example, while a tech device providing an external connection for a USB drive may serve as a convenience for some businesses, others with stricter protocols may need to remove the function to minimize potential insider data theft. The same goes for connectivity capabilities. Choosing devices that provide varied modes of network connectivity such as the ability to switch between a hotspot or VPN is a great way to manipulate which network function is needed according to what information is being shared.
- Consider screens with larger display sizes
When choosing devices for a meeting room or huddle space, a form of display immediately comes to mind. While flat panels usually offer higher resolution, they are often a costly purchase that can present both a physical and monetary detriment during the installation, move or service process. Technologies such as projection displays and interactive digital whiteboards are examples of cost-effective alternatives that allow display sizes to be adjusted so all participants are not squinting throughout the entire meeting. These devices may also offer a more interactive way of sharing notes, brainstorming ideas or sharing a presentation.
Whether the goal is to upgrade current meeting room technologies to a more innovative huddle space or to build one entirely from scratch, IT departments face a catch-22 when selecting tech that is innovative yet secure and friendly enough to be installed within its networking infrastructure. The rise of live and remote collaboration via video and web conferencing capabilities demonstrates the need to choose technology that provides this growing form of collaboration. By choosing technologies with the ability to interact with other hardware and software, present adequate screen size and provide open configuration, IT executives can provide their organization with an innovative boost that appeals to the modern, connected workforce while decreasing potential infrastructure headaches.
With over 12 years of experience in global product marketing, Remi Del Mar is currently the senior product manager, projects for Epson’s meeting room solutions. With depth and breadth across the entire product development discipline, she has successfully led programs from inception to implementation in multiple countries and across all channels. In her current role, she is responsible for large venue and meeting room projectors targeting corporate, higher-ed, rental and staging and house of worship market segments.