AVT Question: Please share insight and best practices for ensuring meeting equity for all employees and how to deliver the best collaboration experience regardless of location.
Thought Leader: Garth Lobban, Director of Marketing for Atlona
The AV industry has always had its finger on the pulse of the corporate meeting space, though technology innovations have accelerated over the past five years. Prior to the pandemic, companies were rolling out wireless innovations to simplify connectivity inside the meeting space. There was a push to bring BYOD products to market that would allow presenters to enter the room, connect, and begin presenting as quickly and efficiently as possible.
No matter where the worker is located, there is equal incentive for meetings and presentations to run efficiently and on time." —Garth Lobban, Director of Marketing for Atlona
Little did we know how valuable these BYOD solutions would prove a few years later when people started to return to their offices. People could now quickly connect and present from their own devices in a touchless AV environment. These were simple, yet important steps that inspired confidence for workers that they could return to a safe environment.
We have come a long way over the past 12 to 18 months. Employers worldwide have embraced hybrid work schedules, and modern UC platforms have evolved to support workers from virtually any location. Naturally, the AV market shifted its focus to developing solutions that ensure equal representation for in-room and remote meeting participants. BYOD platforms have since matured to interoperate seamlessly with conferencing software codecs in order to include remote colleagues in their meetings—a concept we call BYOM.
No matter where the worker is located, there is equal incentive for meetings and presentations to run efficiently and on time. Atlona has developed room automation solutions that ensure both meeting efficiency and equity. In addition to wirelessly casting from personal devices for BYOD needs, presenters benefit from AV solutions with USB-C connectivity that help them take control of USB peripherals throughout the room, such as a USB camera or USB speakerphone. The integration of network-enabled occupancy sensors with control platforms will further improve the user experience for all participants, allowing room automation to simplify the presenter’s ability to quickly connect and present.
