The office space continues to evolve, and whether it is a full-time, back-to-office approach or a hybrid work environment, finding a conference room or space to work is a task that must not be difficult for employees. Simply put, the right scheduling solution—one that is easy to use and operates efficiently in real time—streamlines workplace management. Whether it is reserving conference rooms or booking individual desks, the right hardware and software are imperative to making office life easy on the workforce.

[SCN Hybrid World: Out of Sight Sound]

But with multiple approaches available, how do you choose the best one? “The answer lies in understanding the organization's size, scheduling needs, and the specific work environment,” said Joe Da Silva, VP of marketing for Extron.

System Decisions

The types of room and desk scheduling solutions available range from basic, manual systems to fully automated Pro AV setups with touchpanels, interactive wayfinding, and room availability sensors. “Smaller offices might get by with manual systems, but these tend to lack scalability and require more staff resources for day-to-day management,” Da Silva explained. “For larger, more dynamic workplaces, automated systems are ideal. These solutions provide real-time information about room and desk availability, integrate seamlessly with existing calendar systems, and reduce the burden on IT or AV staff.”

However, room size is not the only consideration—let's not forget about location. According to Jason Parson, Atlona's regional sales manager, Northwest, a hard surface is the common thread among most customer installations. It provides stronger support when people interact with the touchpanel, and it provides a better user experience when booking a space.

“If the specific purpose of the touchpanel is to display meeting room information and provide scheduling functions, these tend to go outside the meeting room adjacent to the door,” Parson said. “If the touchpanel’s purpose is for both AV control and room scheduling, these tend to be placed inside the room. That opens other possibilities beyond wall-mounted installations, including the use of a tabletop mount.”

Room and desk scheduling solutions are two basic parts: hardware, such as the touchpanel, and software. Many companies offer one or the other, but some, like Humly, offer both.

“Our goal is to save time for people and remove friction in the workplace to allow [employees] to spend more time working on their core business,” said Anders Karlsson, CEO, Humly. “The combination of the Humly platform and the Humly hardware gives advantages beyond access to all features and the tightest possible integration, but it also provides our customers with a single point of contact with a clear responsibility for the whole system.”

While touchpanels for room scheduling do just that—enable a person to reserve a space at the touch of a button—Humly has been adding newer features, like 3D floor plans, wayfinding, and even parking spaces. “Parking spaces started as a close collaboration project with one of our customers and it was a perfect fit for our vision,” Karlsson said. “Knowing you have a parking space waiting for you when you arrive is a huge time saver. Even when you want to book parking but realize they are already full, it saves you the time driving around looking for one–you can go looking for other options straight away.”

Installation Challenges

Installing the right touchpanel should be a breeze, right? Per Parson, touchpanel installation is a straightforward process, as long as the installer understands the proper mounting requirements for the environment.

That doesn’t mean, as with any installation, it doesn’t come without its challenges. “The biggest challenge is pulling the cable to the installation point,” Parson said. “It’s a very simple job for installers with low-voltage experience.” That's one reason Parson recommends network category cabling. “Wireless connectivity remains an option, but it creates more complexity, particularly in enterprise environments. It’s also proven to be far less reliable, so hardwired connections have become the preference by a very large margin.”

The environment of installation could also create some challenges. “Installing panels on glass walls, granite surfaces, or tight spaces requires careful consideration," Da Silva noted. "To overcome these challenges, Extron offers flexible and secure mounting options designed to fit almost any surface, including desks, glass walls, or mullions, without compromising on aesthetics. To ensure smooth installation and provisioning, integrators should focus on solutions that not only offer flexibility in mounting but also simplify network management.”

[Strategies and Solutions for Corporate Campus Displays]

PoE eliminates the need for additional power cables, which makes installation quicker and reduces cable clutter. "Centralizing control through a scheduling management system helps integrators efficiently deploy and manage multiple panels across a large space," Da Silva added.

For Your Consideration

Now that we understand the features, challenges, and use cases for a scheduling system, what are a few options for your next office install? As Parson observed, decisions are sometimes driven by architectural considerations, like glass-enclosed meeting spaces that require dual-stick glass mounts to securely affix the touchpanel. Atlona's Velocity AV touchpanels are adaptable to all these scenarios.

[A Matter of Touch]

"Velocity broke ground as the first IP-based control system upon its introduction in 2017, with room scheduling functionality added in 2019," he explained. "Velocity’s network architecture also brought the benefits of an openly programmable environment. That makes interfacing with common calendaring systems like G Suite and Office365 very simple."

"At Humly, we have an excellent team that loves building devices, but we don’t consider every problem a nail just because we got a hammer," Karlsson said. "The Humly [software] platform can help utilize the full potential of existing solutions, and if there are already several good options for sensors, kiosks, or interactive displays, we will integrate. We put a lot of effort into every piece of hardware we develop, and we only develop our own hardware, such as the Humly Room Display or the Humly Booking Device, because our custom hardware can solve customer needs in a more secure and more beautiful way."

Extron has a wide array of solutions including the TLS touchpanel series, which offers intuitive scheduling panels that incorporate sensor-based indicators and centralized wayfinding displays. Its TLS 300M is a new addition, designed specifically for managing desks and flexible workspaces. The touchpanel provides clear visual status indicators and integrates seamlessly with popular scheduling systems like Microsoft Exchange, Office 365, and Google Calendar.

Coordinating Communication

And then there's the Extron TLP Pro 520M TouchLink Pro touchpanel. Delta Galil is a designer and producer of textiles and clothing, with more than 10,000 employees in multiple geographical locations. When Delta Galil completed construction of its new headquarters in Caesarea, Israel—which houses the design center, R&D, and production divisions, along with the executive and corporate staff—the right AV technology was a must. That meant enhanced image quality on the videoconferencing and presentation systems and user-friendly operation, but also it required efficient room and resource management.

Delta Galil is using the Extron TLP Pro 520M TouchLink Pro touchpanel. With a 5-inch touchscreen, the touchpanel uses Room Agent software that transforms it into a standalone, full-featured room booking appliance. Customized with the company name and logo, employees see the name of the room, current availability, date and time, and a timeline showing open and reserved blocks for the rest of that day. With the simple touch of the Reserve button—or through Microsoft Outlook—a space is scheduled.

"Using the broad range of product solutions provided by Extron … we were able to select various solutions for video switching, digital audio, professional-grade touchpanels or simple button control, wireless connection, and advanced room scheduling," explained Sharon Shemer, technical director at Audio Visual Control Solutions (AVCS), which selected Extron for the Delta Galil installation. “The challenge was to create reliable, simple-to-use systems that provide a coherent experience for the user, regardless of the room they were using."

Like the modern hybrid workplace itself, touchpanels and the software behind them seemingly only continue to improve with further enhancements. For now and the foreseeable future, selecting the right room and desk scheduling solution really depends on the unique needs of each organization.

[Pro AV Welcomes Women Back to the Workforce]

"For a small office, a basic system might suffice, but for others, the ability to automate scheduling, integrate with existing calendars, and provide real-time updates is essential," said Da Silva. "With flexible installation options and the power of centralized management, [companies like] Extron provide a turnkey solution for integrators looking to future-proof their clients’ workspaces while ensuring ease of use for everyday users.”

AV/IT manufacturers pulled out all the stops to develop and bring to market a whole new wave of products and solutions to enable the demands of today’s hybrid collaboration environments. Whether the corporate enterprise, higher education, health care, government, or hospitality, end users expect robust experience and easy-to-use solutions.  

This Part 1 compilation comprises 20 of the hundreds of products and solutions that enable today’s hybrid collaboration environments. Watch for Part II.   High-quality microphones, auto-framing PTZ cameras, all-in-one conferencing bars, display carts, presentation systems, media switchers, scheduling and room booking software, and displays are among the dozens of solutions available. 

Shure’s Microflex Advance MXA901 Conferencing Ceiling Array Microphone

Shure’s Microflex Advance MXA901 Conferencing Ceiling Array Microphone is a modern audio solution designed to deliver enhanced directional voice capture and reproduction with minimal setup required. It offers flexible installation options with a sleek form factor, perfectly fitting the room’s aesthetic. It’s built with Single Zone Automatic Coverage Technology, enabling users to automatically capture the talkers they wish to hear. MXA901’s onboard IntelliMix DSP includes Automatic Gain Control, Acoustic Echo Cancellation, Noise Reduction, and Automatic Mixing to deliver high-quality sound for all participants. The MXA901 is certified for use with popular collaboration platforms including Microsoft Teams and Zoom Rooms.

Barco’s ClickShare Bar

Barco’s ClickShare Bar is an innovative all-in-one video bar for effortless wireless conferencing in hybrid meetings. ClickShare continues to offer simplicity and ease-of-use through our wireless ClickShare portfolio in hybrid meeting rooms. The newly added video bar works seamlessly with any laptop and on any video conferencing platform. With the bar, initiating a wireless video call only requires a single click on the ClickShare Button or in the ClickShare App. For IT managers, it brings easy installation, reduced total cost of ownership, and unparalleled flexibility. With just one device needed to equip an entire meeting room alongside a display, deployment is significantly simplified, and installation cost is reduced.

Atlona’s Omega AT-OME-MS42

Atlona’s Omega AT-OME-MS42 is a 4-by-2 matrix switcher that delivers exceptional performance and value for 4K/UHD presentation and video conferencing applications in small-to-medium AV environments, including meeting rooms, conference rooms, and lecture halls. The OME-MS42 combines the benefits of auto-switching for USB-C, HDMI, and DisplayPort, plus integrated display control and USB extension, offering flexible capabilities for 4K presentation and software video conferencing applications. Selectable AV switching modes across HDBaseT and HDMI outputs enable simple configuration and effortless ease of use tailored to a specific application. When used with the OME-EX-RX receiver or OME-SR21 scaling receiver, the OME-MS42 can be remotely powered over HDBaseT.

Sennheiser’s TeamConnect Ceiling Medium (TCCM) Ceiling Microphone

Sennheiser’s TeamConnect Ceiling Medium (TCCM) ceiling microphone is designed to cater to mid-sized meeting rooms and collaboration spaces, boasting an impressive coverage of up to 40 square meters. Beyond its exceptional functionality, this microphone is elegantly designed for seamless integration into conference rooms or lecture spaces, providing superior audio quality for both onsite and remote participants. In recent weeks, the TCCM has achieved certifications and integrations with Crestron, AVer, and Lumens.

Chief's Fit Mobile Cart

Chief's Fit Mobile Cart for interactive displays is designed for adaptability and collaboration, this mobile cart brings flexibility and functionality for corporate, educational, and diverse professional environments. To ensure seamless integration into various settings, it accommodates flat panel displays ranging from 55-86 inches and weighing up to 175 pounds. Its suite of features includes three height adjustment options, ranging from 44 inches (112cm) to 60 inches (153cm), which ensures accessibility for diverse users, promoting inclusivity and comfort throughout interactivity. A height-adjustable shelf, capable of supporting up to 10 lbs., facilitates convenient storage for essential accessories such as keyboards, laptops, and styluses, streamlining workflow efficiency.

Engineered with 4-inch casters and compact 29-inch legs, the cart prioritizes safety and portability. Moreover, its design accommodates displays with varying VESA mounting patterns, guaranteeing compatibility with a wide range of interactive display models. The Fit Mobile Cart ships with an interface bracket that accommodates displays larger than 15x15 inches (400x400mm), while displays smaller than 15x15 inches (400x400mm) can be mounted directly to the cart's faceplate.

Yamaha UC’s RM-WOM Omnidirectional Wireless Tabletop Microphone

Yamaha UC’s RM-WOM Omnidirectional Wireless Tabletop Microphone, designed to be positioned on a conference table to provide a comfortable audio conferencing experience with no configuration needed, is part of the ADECIA series of Dante-networked wireless conferencing components. The mic captures consistent, crystal-clear audio for highly intelligible speech and natural-sounding conversations in conference calls, video conferences, remote collaborations, and distance learning. The microphone is well suited for small- to medium-sized training rooms, conference rooms, classrooms, multipurpose rooms, or boardrooms.

Sony’s Professional BRAVIA 4K HDR Displays

Sony’s Professional BRAVIA 4K HDR Displays for commercial environments, the BZ50L, BZ40L, BZ35L, and BZ30L series, range from 43 to 98 inches and accommodate high-end, mid-range, and standard needs where reliability, picture quality, and broad compatibility are required. They incorporate Pro BRAVIA users’ favorite features such as unparalleled image quality, a wider viewing angle, thoughtful professional features, and a smart System on a Chip (SoC) platform. The standout bright BZ40L series uses a state-of-the-art panel treatment with a Deep Black Non-Glare Coating that offers high haze and low reflection, while maintaining deep blacks and high contrast.

Vanco’s EVSW4K41 4K 4x1 Wired and Wireless Collaboration Switcher

Vanco’s EVSW4K41 4K 4x1 Wired and Wireless Collaboration Switcher is a multi-format collaboration switcher that enables seamless switching from multiple wired or wireless presenters. Miracast and Airplay allow wireless casting from BYOD devices. EVSW4K41 also has two HDMI inputs and a USB-C input with 60w of charging and USB 2.0/3.0 data support. The switch supports uncompressed HDMI 2.0b, 4K@60Hz video with full HDR, and HDCP2.2 compliance. EVSW4K41 is also outfitted with two USB-B posts for host connections, two USB-A ports for peripherals, and front panel buttons for display control. EVSW4K41 also features audio de-embedding for breakout to an amp or audio distribution system. 

Panasonic Connect’s WX-AM800 Ceiling Array Microphone

Panasonic Connect’s WX-AM800 Ceiling Array Microphone is its latest addition to the professional audio ecosystem offers several unique, customer-driven innovations to enable ease of installation and use in meeting rooms, classrooms, or other spaces. Designed to cover a 30 by 30-foot area with four adjustable zones and with the support of up to four exclusion areas, the WX-AM800 beamforming ceiling mic array automatically adjusts its sensitivity based on the location of the speaker and features built-in integration with one Panasonic PTZ camera for voice tracking (no control system required). The WX-AM00 features Dante digital audio connectivity with support for AES67 and a separate LAN connection for third-party control. 

The most unique feature includes the ability to add up to two Panasonic DECT Wireless microphones to the system without having to use rack space, thanks to the WX-AU202 Antenna/Receiver, which mounts on a wall or ceiling and connects back to the ceiling microphone using one CAT5e cable (up to 195 ft run)—audio from the two DECT wireless microphone channels, along with the audio from the ceiling mic are transmitted back to the Dante network over a single CAT5e cable. Panasonic’s Microphone System Configuration Center Software, compatible with Microsoft Windows 10 & 11, allows the user to set the room size, place the ceiling microphones and configure a whole host of audio DSP settings such as Acoustic Echo Cancellation, Audio Input Ducking, Equalization, Digital Noise Reduction, Panasonic PTZ Camera integration, adjust the range of the Panasonic antennas and more

Lightware Visual Engineering's Taurus Switcher

Lightware Visual Engineering's Taurus Switcher solutions now has a new integration with Microsoft Teams Rooms on Windows. Developed for system integrators, IT professionals, and corporate meeting room users, it delivers advanced Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) functionality and room control capabilities for Teams meeting spaces.

Powered by the Lightware Taurus UCX/TPX Series Universal Switchers, the solution augments the Microsoft Teams Rooms experience by allowing users to effortlessly integrate their personal laptops with the room’s meeting system. This enables flexible content sharing together with access to lighting, projector and shade controls from a single control panel.

By configuring the Lightware Companion App on a Microsoft Teams Rooms PC and integrating the Companion module within Lightware Advanced Room Control (LARA), additional functions can be introduced to further enhance meeting room capabilities. Lightware Taurus Switchers have also been validated for use by a wide range of leading meeting room technology manufacturers, including Lenovo, Poly, Logitech, Yealink, and Barco.

Absen’s K V3 Series

Absen’s K V3 Series, now in the U.S., delivers unparalleled precision and versatility in LED display technology. Featuring pixel pitches from 1.56mm to 3.9mm and dual brightness configurations, it provides clarity and adaptability across lighting conditions. The series promotes energy efficiency, ease of maintenance, and creative flexibility with modular structures for custom setups. TÜV-certified for safety, it’s ideal for enhancing retail, exhibitions, and corporate spaces with vivid, lifelike visuals.

AtlasIED’s Atmosphere AZMP Series Audio Processors 

AtlasIED’s Atmosphere AZMP Series audio processors include a built-in premium amplifier to help customers consolidate products in an audio rack and streamline system integration. Available in four-zone (AZMP4) and eight-zone (AZMP8) models, the AZMP products offer background music, paging, and sound masking capabilities all in one solution. Tech managers can create multiple zones to support a variety of installation configurations. Each model can function exclusively in multi-zone sound masking or mixed-use applications to ensure privacy, comfort, and productivity. For instance, certain zones can use sound masking while others play background music or paging announcements.

Crestron Control App for Zoom Rooms Software

The Crestron Control App for Zoom Rooms Software solution is a software control application that allows existing Zoom Rooms, regardless of pre-installed brands, to natively use Crestron Control to expand its capabilities. The powerful, consistent app can deliver control over everything from lighting, shades, AV solutions, peripherals, and the Zoom Rooms software platform itself, and can all be managed from a single user interface—quickly, intelligently, efficiently, and securely. As the world has settled into hybrid permanence, the need for the seamless integration of tools such as Zoom software—along with the rest of a meeting room’s technology—has become critically important. 

Jabra’s PanaCast 50 Video Bar System

Jabra’s PanaCast 50 Video Bar System is an Android collaboration bar to facilitate next-level hybrid meeting experiences. It is an integrated solution with speakers, microphones, video camera, and an Android-based compute unit, as well as a 10.1-inch-high resolution Touch Controller. It delivers all features and functions of the Jabra PanaCast 50, including the Panoramic-4K 180-degree field of view, Virtual Director, Intelligent Zoom, and Dynamic Composition. It offers a full suite of flexible, scalable deployment options with a one-touch start/join controller, offering a collaboration experience on native UC applications like Microsoft Teams Rooms and Zoom Rooms.

Listen Technologies' ListenWIFI

ListenWIFI by Listen Technologies is the next generation of the Listen EVERYWHERE audio-over-Wi-Fi solution. ListenWIFI streams venue audio to smartphones through a free, customizable app or directly to new LWR-1050 receivers. When used with proper signage and neck loops, the new receivers make ListenWIFI compliant with ADA and international accessibility requirements. ListenWIFI Beacons provide location-based audio for a fully automated and seamless user experience. Beacons are small units that can be mounted on a wall and transmit information to LWR-1050 receivers and smartphones running the ListenWIFI app. ListenWIFI is used for assistive listening, language interpretation, streaming video or TV audio, self-guided tours, and audio description.

Mersive Solstice

Mersive Solstice gives employees the ability to start collaborating faster. After all, when hybrid workers come into the office, the last thing they want to do is spend valuable time getting connected. Organizations have echoed that sentiment, expressing a desire to reduce IT support requests and resource expenditure. And so not only does Solstice allow app-based sharing via the Solstice app, but users can now connect quickly using the web app. They simply open the browser on their device and visit share.mersive.com to begin wirelessly and securely sharing content, with no app download required. 

Planar UltraRes W Series

The Planar UltraRes W Series line of 105-inch ultra-wide-format 5K LCD displays is optimized for next-generation collaboration for today’s modern hybrid workforce. The series provides customers with an ultra-wide format 21:9 display ideally sized to suit the most popular unified communications and video collaboration platforms. In addition to brighter, wider color gamut panels with local dimming, Planar UltraRes W Series features multi-source viewing, remote monitoring, 24/7 reliability and is available with interactive touch technology.

Nureva Plug-and-Play Audio Systems

When choosing an audio system for a larger meeting space or classroom, an important consideration is compatibility with other room solutions. Nureva’s Plug-and-Play Audio Systems pair well with a fast-growing list of leading brands like Logitech, MAXHUB, and Sony, providing comprehensive audio and video solutions that combine simplicity with Pro AV performance to support rapid and broad deployments. The Nureva HDL pro series features systems certified for Microsoft Teams—the HDL410 system for extra-large Teams Rooms, and the HDL310 for large Teams Rooms.

Humly Booking Device

Humly’s Booking Device is a premium hardware solution that provides corporate and shared office environments with a versatile capacitive touchscreen to view and reserve available bookable spaces. Its slim form factor houses a small, high-resolution LCD display (3.46 inches) and provides flexible mounting and positioning options on and underneath various surfaces. Humly is now shipping two accessories that enhance functionality. Humly’s PoE and Desk Control automatically adjusts users’ preferred seating positions while remotely powering the Booking Device. A separate external sensor immediately notifies the local Booking Device upon entering a personal booth, switching the device to “booked” mode.

Videobar VB1

Bose Professional’s Videobar VB1 conferencing device is an all-in-one USB meeting solution specifically designed for medium-sized meeting spaces up to 20-by-20 feet. The Videobar VB1 provides six automatic beam-steering microphones, a 4K ultra-HD camera, and signature sound—together removing video conferencing hardware headaches. The Bose Professional Videobar conferencing devices help you huddle up, connect, and get more done.

The What: Crestron has added native Microsoft Teams panels software to its new 70 Series Scheduling Panels via firmware upgrade, providing cross-enterprise Teams experience for in-office employees. 

The What Else: Employees use Teams panels to view meeting room details, reserve a space, view upcoming reservations, and identify the current availability of a room. Designed to be mounted outside the meeting room, the Crestron Scheduling Panel displays data from inside the room to the people approaching the room, avoiding issues before they arise. Network-based occupancy sensors provide data to notify employees when a room is at capacity or automatically release the space if no one shows up. Employees can even locate an available room close by with the “Nearby Rooms” feature in the event their desired room is occupied.

Related: The Technology Manager's Guide to Conference Rooms

The Bottom Line: With a comprehensive overview of each corporate rooms’ status in real-time, the Crestron devices display occupancy, availability, cleanliness, and more via the Teams panel functionality coupled with Crestron hardware for any bookable space. The ability to gather, share, and act on room scheduling data in real time helps keep employees and management efficient and compliant with reconfigured safety protocols.

In these uncertain times, we can all use a little more certainty as we return to offices and school. Crestron has the no-touch and minimal contact technology you need for a safer return.

Watch the video below to learn more about Crestron no-touch solutions.

Wireless Presentation and Occupancy Sensing 

AirMedia wireless technology enables touchless presentation and collaboration in any workspace or classroom. It supports every OS, so everyone can share content from their mobile device or laptop without having to touch cables, adaptors, or dongles. Easy on-screen instructions ensure connection is safe and seamless. Someone else’s turn to present? It’s simple to switch between sources or even display both. Prefer to plug in? AirMedia supports wired connection, too. Take touchless even further by adding Crestron’s exclusive Power-over-Ethernet occupancy sensor to automatically turn the room on and off. No touch screen or remote required. 

Integrate Crestron Flex Solutions with Your Existing AV to Enable Powerful Hybrid Meetings

To promote collaboration, meeting and class rooms can now be outfitted for remote participation. Add a Crestron Flex UC systems provide a native Zoom or Microsoft Teams experience, as well as support for BYOD. Crestron Flex solutions deliver the same premium UC experience whether you’re in the room or remote.

Room Scheduling and Room Availability Indicators 

Book rooms and spaces with no-touch through your integrated calendar application. Touch screens provide meeting information at-a-glance and now have “swipe down” for cleaning mode, in which all buttons are disabled. People can also find open rooms quickly and safely using Crestron’s room availability indicators. This illuminated signage enables people to know the status of a room with just a quick glance. 

With Crestron technologies, you can create robust, intelligent platforms that facilitate safe collaboration. And with Crestron XiO Cloud zero-touch provisioning, your IT staff can deploy and manage everything remotely.

From the office to classrooms and home office, Crestron has the touchless and minimal touch solutions you need to thrive in our new reality. 

This article was sponsored by Crestron.

The What: Atlona kicked off its AtlonaComm 20 trade show with the debut of Velocity 2.1, a new firmware update for its Velocity IP-enabled AV control, room scheduling, and device management platform. The company also announced the immediate availability of two new hardware components. 

The What Else: Velocity 2.1 is designed to streamline navigation, enhance control capabilities, and improve configuration efficiency. Now shipping, the AT-VGW-HW-20, is Atlona’s highest capacity Velocity hardware gateway. Atlona is also shipping its new AT-VSP-800 8-inch scheduling and AV control touch panel with integrated bezel lighting. 

Related: The Art of Standardization

Velocity 2.1 developments include:

• Simplified Menu Navigation: Optimizes access to primary functions of Velocity, including control, scheduling, and asset management. The new menu structure also adds direct connections to system settings and help resources.
• Two-Way Driver Creation: Allows users to build two-way drivers for control and device feedback, enhancing control system functionality where actions are based on status information returned from the device.
• Custom UI Enhancement: Adds support for new shortcut and multi-select functions related to selecting, arranging, copying, and pasting elements to accelerate custom user interface development.
• Bulk Add Rooms: Allows users to create multiple rooms with AV control, or scheduling with calendar integration, to reduce configuration time for large projects.
• Context-Based Training: Places helpful tool tips throughout Velocity’s configuration screens, offering brief tool descriptions and links to online training videos for the specific topic.

The AT-VGW-HW-20 is designed to take advantage of the second-generation Velocity architecture in multi-room AV control and scheduling from a single gateway, reducing cost of ownership compared to AV control platforms that require a separate processor per AV system or room. The VGW-HW-20 provides AV control for up to 20 rooms, and room scheduling for up to 40 rooms. Additional features include browser-based setup and management, BYOD control, centralized organization of Atlona AV devices, industry-standard secure data communications, failover protection (when a second redundant gateway is added), and Velocity Cloud Lite for remote configuration and management.

For scheduling applications, the AT-VSP-800 is well suited for lobbies, hallways, or meeting space entrances where the bright LED lighting on the edge of the bezel provides a visual representation of room status. The panel can also be used inside huddle spaces, conference rooms, classrooms, lecture halls, and other spaces where the outer frame lighting can add visual emphasis to AV control functions such as AV mute or divisible room state. Since the AT-VSP-800 can be configured for room scheduling or AV control within Velocity, system integrators and tech managers can eliminate the expense of purchasing and managing separate software platforms.

The Bottom Line: These new software features and hardware are designed to make it easier for integrators, tech managers, and end users to create and manage AV control and room scheduling environments.

The Velocity range is of several prominently featured Atlona product families and solutions on display during AtlonaComm 20, along with the company’s growing family of Omega collaboration products, an expanded HDVS Series of PTZ cameras, and the OmniStream family of AV over IP products. AtlonaComm 20 is accessible through Atlona’s website through June 30.

The What: Sony has announced the North American launch of TEOS, a suite of new workplace management solutions that gives AV, IT, and facilities managers full control over devices, signage, and content across the entire workplace ecosystem. From meeting rooms to reception areas, the TEOS workplace management solutions are designed to offer a simple, scalable, and cost-effective way to manage facilities in corporate and education environments.

The What Else: The solutions come with a range of features and functionalities, including:

• Advanced analytics
• Mobile room-booking app for employees
• Remote firmware updates
• Universal remote control
• Wayfinding capabilities
• The ability to manage and integrate video wall content
• IPTV support
• Secure visitor check-in process

Additionally, the core workplace management solutions feature a design that includes a search bar and a “workplace solutions” section, giving AV, IT, and facilities managers the ability to customize and control all add-ons.

“Managing the rising number of smart devices in modern corporate and education environments can be a real challenge for AV, IT, and facilities managers,” said Theresa Alesso, Pro division president, Sony Electronics. “At Sony, we pride ourselves on working closely with customers and application vendors to provide them efficient workspace management solutions such as TEOS. These solutions have already proven successful in Europe with more than 200 enterprise deployments, and we know their extensive features and benefits will provide similar value to North American companies.”

TEOS Manage is engineered to help organizations achieve greater efficiency, insight, and effectiveness through complete workplace control. Devices are optimized by saving space and time to unlock the true potential of the workforce. Companies can transform their workplace even further using the full suite of solution add-ons, including the following:

TEOS Book: A room booking solution for office meeting spaces that uses stylish, high-specification tablets. Positioned outside each meeting room, TEOS Book displays a meeting room’s name, availability, current meeting information, and a list of forthcoming meetings.

TEOS Reception: A solution for organizations without a dedicated receptionist, allowing visitors to announce their arrival using a dedicated tablet or interactive touchscreen.

TEOS Connect: Enables users to present wirelessly from laptops to Sony’s BRAVIA Professional Displays. It is well suited for collaborative work sessions because there is no extra hardware needed; the technology is built right into pro BRAVIA models, so users are ready to go.

TEOS Mobile: Employee mobile application for meeting management with an intuitive user interface. Users can search and book meeting rooms from anywhere, without needing to be on the company network.

TEOS Wayfinding: Wayfinding content for interactive BRAVIA and touch tablets helps users navigate and enables them to book rooms and access key information such as a floor map, hotspot, or security location. This functionality, which takes the form of a floor map integrated into the central TEOS software, will also work for floating desks to facilitate a more seamless user journey throughout the working environment.

TEOS TV: Empowers customers needing a corporate TV inside their company to create and manage IPTV channels. Directly incorporated into TEOS Manage, users can capture meetings, corporate presentations or pertinent updates and display them across all offices through one central system.

TEOS Videowall: Users can cut and synchronize video wall content in any configuration on Android BRAVIA or players for TEOS.

Device compatibilities: Integrates with videoconferencing devices, including Cisco, to control and manage them remotely.

The family of TEOS Workplace Solutions also includes a wireless mirroring solution, a room booking solution, visitor sign-in solution, and professional corporate tablets which, in conjunction with the Workplace Management solution, help drive efficiencies and increase productivity across workplaces. 

The Bottom Line: TEOS workplace management solutions are a complete suite of solutions designed to make the smart workplace more efficient. Users can orchestrate their entire workspace centrally using personalized signage, room booking, automated reception, and technologies to enable more streamlined communication and collaboration.

Sony Electronics plans to begin offering TEOS Manage in North America in December 2019.

White & Case LLP is a pioneering law firm with a global presence. Crossing borders and connecting communities, this global firm provides legal counsel to governments, companies, and financial institutions.

With more than 6,000 employees and firm expansion on the horizon, AV tools help White & Case teams to collaborate across its network of 44 offices in 30 countries. At all hours of the day, in any time zone, global audiovisual manager John Nunez and his team strive to make the AV performance reliable and easy to use, and the firm’s modern AV infrastructure keeps its systems running smoothly. 

“Being global firm means technology is essential to maintaining a collaborative culture across our network of offices” Nunez said. “Our use of technology is essential to the success of our day-to-day operations.”

Nunez manages and leads a global team of 37 employees who support the AV needs of the firm’s partners and associates across all time zones. 

The Business Case for AV

The growth statistics of White & Case’s AV services are impressive. As the firm continues to expand, so does its utilization of audiovisual technology.

“We continue to grow almost 20 to 25 percent annually on the utilization of videoconferencing, as well as audio conferencing,” Nunez said. 

The firm recently relocated its New York City headquarters to a modern new office space in Midtown. Each element of the interior design and technology was selected to support team collaboration at the highest levels. 

Thinking Global 

The AV department operates under the Global Technology Services umbrella, where it collaborates with the IT team. IT and AV engineers consult closely to address day-to-day details as well as longer-term creative planning. 

Global Technology Services initiated a “collaboration group” where representatives in both AV, telephony, network, and engineering could regularly trade ideas. “We collaborate a lot,” Nunez said. “Working closely together—we feel this will be the path to follow, technology-wise.”

The collaboration work group, of which Nunez is a part, drives core planning for the firm’s technology strategy. Priorities include networked AV, support, and making enterprise-grade deployments more efficient. From videoconferencing, to their work with mobility and WebRTC, this team ties everything together. The cross-pollination of skills and diverse range of perspectives gives the group dynamism.

Standardizing the Back and Front Ends

With a bevy of soft codecs available, Nunez emphasized the need to standardize as implementing cohesive standards helps remove guesswork for users.

“We started standardizing on the front end so our conference rooms have the same look and feel,” he said. “Now we're doing the same thing on the back end. We're standardizing all the technology that we offer. We don't want to offer a wide range of tools for our clients because that can get very confusing.”

Invest in Bridges, Internal Services

Focusing on internal solutions is another secret to White & Case’s technological success. “We have a vast infrastructure deployed,” Nunez said. 

As part of that deployment, his team supports videoconferencing bridges. It manages its infrastructure, gateways, codecs, and webcasting. “We try not to use a lot of web-based solutions or cloud-based solutions,” he added.

Scale When Needed  

While the cloud backbone is becoming more secure, for White & Case, the on-premise strategy is practice. “We keep a lot internal; it's been easier for us to manage,” he said. “We also have the right people doing the right jobs. We can provide further scalability and we can see where to concentrate more, when needed.”

The team doesn’t provide every technology service internally, however. Teaming up with an external audio conferencing partner frees up resources for higher-level endeavors. 

Next-Level Rooms

Many of White & Case’s conference rooms offer built-in audio conferencing with most of the routing done internally. Its audio bridging partner provides the numbers, passkeys, and moderator codes for participants.  

To enhance the employee experience and provide more tools, the AV team recently activated video functionality, so users can automatically trigger video capability to appear on the firm’s “super phone.” 

Nunez is constantly thinking of ways to add efficiencies and and to center the user in all processes. A clever solution for video routing illustrates this dedication. The team enabled video routing between the infrastructures, which allows employees to dial into a videoconference room from their phones—or vice versa—to have a “face-to-face” conversation without having to utilize or occupy a bridge.

“That's been extremely successful—to dial what we call ‘the short dial’ internally,” Nunez said. “It's our short extension for a person, and I can dial somebody else as well as an extension and just get them on screens.” This routing hack might seem small, but when you multiply it by a few thousand, the efficiency gain is significant.

End to End

White & Case is utilizing Crestron equipment to handle everything from enterprise room scheduling, to lighting control, motorized shades, room control, and scheduling via TSW touchscreens. It has deployed DigitalMedia for AV distribution and AirMedia for wireless presentation, and is using Fusion for centralized monitoring. 

“We've been using Crestron heavily for our backbone video distribution, control, and the core for our multipurpose rooms, and our global standard,” Nunez said.

Multipurpose Audio 

White & Case is using Dante, specifically for multipurpose rooms, as the team found it was easier than running analog lines. It’s utilizing Dante to create multiple setups in the conference room, three or four in the divisible rooms, and enables Nunez and his team to easily deploy 30, 40, or 50 microphones to mounted receivers. 

Focus on UX, Training

Many commercial verticals tackle similar issues, but for the legal sector, user experience is paramount. Nunez wants all employees to feel confident and comfortable using the AV technology.

“Adoption was a big challenge and a real struggle in the beginning.” With the global nature of the firm and so many hardworking partners and associates, system downtime is not an option. Nor is a lengthy training. 

With a holistic framework in mind, the AV team studied the business to identify ways to deploy new technology hand-in-hand with training programs. The result: White & Case’s Conference Room Technology Program. The tech team also provides lunch-and-learn sessions. 

“We really open the technology for partners and associates, and the general business as well,” Nunez said. “We have encouraged people to come in and use all the technology. If they break it, it's okay. We'll fix it. As people got more comfortable, we noticed that the technology was being utilized more and more.”

Of the 320 conference rooms globally, the AV team is about 50-percent complete with the new global standard’s rollout.

Smart Analytics Drive Deployment

“We believe in data and providing analytics,” Nunez said. “Our utilization has grown significantly in the previous years and continues to do so—this being the main driver for our focus on standards and technology adoption within our community.”

The strategic use of data has fueled the speed and scale of deployment. Not only does the team gather data, it provides most metrics to key stakeholders, to show the minutes of utilization every month, as well as usage in conference rooms via the firm’s global booking system.

New Tech Will Add New Value

Future plans include installing patches in every conference room and utilizing more motion sensors. If a room is booked but not occupied, the team knows it can release that room.

The other emerging technologies that add value to traditional AV configurations include self-booking services. Currently offered in its New York headquarters, self-bookable panels let anyone use a panel and book themselves for a period of time. This method eliminates the need to interface with the practice assistant (PA) or concierge.

Nunez also hopes to enhance the content sharing experience so anyone can visit a collaboration area with clients and automatically start sharing content wirelessly.

AV Improves Workflow

Having open collaboration spaces makes it easier and more intuitive for the user to take control of their own process. “We've had numerous associates come up to us and say, ‘Now you have an expert in this room. I don't need any assistance,’” Nunez said. “That’s what we want to hear. That’s the end goal for us, for the users to utilize the spaces that we've built.” 

Invest in Cross-Training 

For aspiring AV managers looking to advance in their careers, Nunez suggests studying IT processes and technologies. 

“Cross-training is definitely key,” he said. “As we move forward in the industry, I'm sure there's no secret that at the end of the road, we're all going to be part of the same group. We're becoming more of network-driven and service-driven, rather than [just] support. Learning more about collaboration technologies as well as the networking aspect of things will certainly help.”

Margot Douaihy is the editor-at-large of AV Technology magazine. 

The What: NFS’ Rendezvous Workspace meeting room scheduling technology will integrate with new room scheduling-specific touch screens developed by global automation and control solutions provider Crestron.

The What Else: This integration provides enterprise clients with a resource scheduling solution (Rendezvous) natively integrated with an AV signage and in room control and management solution (Crestron).

The new Crestron TSS-7- and 10-inch panels offer a solution for companies seeking better display technology without any compromise in functionality or security. The overall solution also includes integration with innovative room availability indicators in four different formats to suit many different client aesthetic preferences.

NFS has partnered closely with Crestron since 2016. NFS chief executive Luis De Souza said the new TSS touch screens will allow workplace managers to take their use of meeting spaces to new levels of efficiency. It is designed to improve workplace collaboration, uptake of videoconferencing, and reduce no-shows at meetings dramatically.

“NFS and Crestron have been engaged for several years with strong API-based integrations between our Rendezvous meeting room and desk booking solution and the Crestron Fusion platform,” he said.

”When NFS Technology Group expressed interest in being included among our lineup of Room Scheduling Partners, the choice was easy,” said Bob Bavolacco, sr. manager of partnerships for Crestron. 

The Bottom Line: NFS worked with Crestron to develop a version of the company’s software application to run natively on Crestron’s TSS-series Scheduling Panels, supporting importing functionality including availability display, smart booking, check in/out and no-show tracking.

The What: BTX Technologies has released the version 2.7 release of the BookIT room scheduling solution. 

The What Else: BookIT 2.7 includes many new enhancements, but the most significant features are the addition of digital signage capabilities—BookIT panels can now be used to display digital signage and company information via HTML5 when meetings are not scheduled—and enhancements to panel usage—a new meeting duration picker and a default Meet Now meeting title work together to further simplify the process of adding meetings directly from the BookIT touchpanel.

“We’re proud of this release as it directly addresses the feedback we’ve gotten from our customers,” said Greg Schwartz, CEO of BookIT and BTX Technologies. “Organizations want to use our BookIT panels for digital signage and messaging when meetings are not scheduled and now, they can. Our customers also want complete simplicity when setting up impromptu ‘Meet Now’ meetings from a BookIT display. Version 2.7 reduces that process to three simple touches. While this release is substantial, look for another release this year that continues to expand BookIT’s capabilities.

Customers with current software maintenance can upgrade to Version 2.7 for free. The complete list of new features and fixes for 2.7 are listed below.

New Features and Enhancements:

• Digital Signage: BookIT panels can now be used for digital signage via HTML5. Display useful information such as corporate messaging on BookIT panels when meeting rooms are not in use.
• Default Meet Now Title: Set a default title to be used when adding a meeting with the Meet Now button.
• Meeting Duration Picker: When adding meetings, users can now simply select a meeting duration.
• Allow Anyone to Release or Extend Meetings: With new settings, an organization can allow anyone to release a meeting room or extend a meeting from the BookIT display, not just the meeting owner.
• Optimized Calendar Lookahead: Calendar items will now load even faster, which makes booking future meetings directly from the panel easier.

The Bottom Line: BookIT, a division of BTX Technologies, is a room scheduling solution that helps organizations optimize their ROI on shared meeting spaces. It allows users to choose rooms and schedule or change meetings from their BookIT panels, computers, or mobile devices and integrates natively with MS Exchange, Office 365, and G Suite, requiring no additional server nor middleware. 

The What: Harman Professional Solutions has launched a new lineup of control and room scheduling interfaces from its AMX family of products: the new AMX Modero G5 Touch Panels and AMX Acendo Book Room Scheduling Panels. To better serve its customers, AMX has completely refined its touchpanel product lines to create a single, five-model lineup that draws on the best features of its Modero X and Modero S control panels, Acendo Book room scheduling panels, and G5 and G4 processing engines. 

The What Else: The new models aim to simplify ordering, support, and technical updates by offering customers a software-configurable choice of control or room scheduling functionality (7- and 10-inch wall mount models). The new touchpanels are available in tabletop and wall-mount models, with 7-, 10-, and 20-inch screen sizes. 

“We are truly excited to consolidate the best features of our control and scheduling panel family into a single, five-model lineup,” said Michael Saadeh, Harman Professional Solutions product manager, video and control. “With this move, we are also able to enhance our interfaces with features like enterprise-grade security, powerful graphics processing, and the latest in capacitive touchscreen technology—all at an industry leading value. We are proud to continue to drive industry innovation in workforce collaboration and meeting room functionality—and now from a single, user-configurable interface.”

Key new and enhanced features include user-configurable transformation to and from a Modero G5 control panel or an Acendo Book room scheduling panel with no programming or additional hardware required; enhanced capacitive touchscreens for improved user experience; enhanced side room availability LEDs that are nearly twice the current size for improved visibility; and support for 802.1x and IPv6 to address enterprise network requirements for Acendo Book configurations. For support of government and other sensitive applications, all of the new tabletop models do not include a microphone and all wall-mount models may have their microphones disabled by software, physically detached, or both. 

 “For many of us that have literally grown up building AMX touchpanels, we couldn’t be happier to share this news that also aligns with the 30th anniversary of the world's first touchpanel by AMX in 1988,” said Shaun Robinson, Harman Professional Solutions, VP of customer solutions. “These new products underscore the mission we’ve had since day one: to build the smartest, most innovative, and most effective control and scheduling interfaces on the market, hands down.”

The Bottom Line: The new lineup is designed to support the unique and widely ranging interface needs of corporate, education, government, hospitality, and large-venue customers. Five product SKUs deliver customers their choice of the most popular configurations and screen sizes. The new models are expected to start shipping in December, 2018.

You probably know by now that one of the chief benefits of bringing AV devices onto the network is the data and analytics you can glean from them—and that when it comes to streamlining your real estate costs, this data can be invaluable. Knowing precisely how your space and the technology within it are used offers the potential for tremendous cost savings. But where do you start?

“Room scheduling systems are quickly becoming the way to efficiently manage the modern workspace and meeting culture of the enterprise customer,” said Joe da Silva, director of product marketing at Extron. The company’s TLS - TouchLink Scheduling panels display room availability and schedules, while providing the information needed to closely analyze room usage, activity patterns, and occupancy trends across the organization. “Each Extron scheduling panel stores information about room usage and the meeting data, which may be retrieved from all panels for analysis,” da Silva said. “It is easy to measure and visualize activity patterns by using analytics tools like Microsoft PowerBI to generate interactive reports and insights.”

In addition, Extron GVE (GlobalViewerEnterprise) software gives users the ability to manage AV devices across an organization. “Every Extron product generates a lot of date and the reporting tools inside of GVE allow informed decisions about inventory and maintenance plans,” da Silva continued. “Tech support personnel can view live information about the devices installed in every space. GVE allows organizations to identify usage trends, maximize system uptime, calculate energy usage, and maintain inventory lists for all spaces. Technicians may also manage their GVE environment by using the iGVE mobile App, available for the Apple iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch devices.

As an industry leader, Crestron has been providing businesses with data analytics tools for more than a decade, according to Nic Milani, the company’s executive director of commercial product marketing. Its web-based tools like Crestron Fusion and XiO Cloud are designed to collect data and generate reports to help organizations optimize investments in people, spaces, and technology.

“Having access to information such as room utilization, occupancy, and device usage enables better decision making and guarantees the technology supports how people work within the organization,” Milani said. “Beyond the data, it is critical for the system to also have intelligence. Crestron Room Scheduling integrates seamlessly with these data tools to provide employees with a more intuitive and efficient workspace. With the ability to recognize when employees do not show up to their meetings and instantly return the space back into inventory provides everyone in the office access to an updated list of meeting spaces at any time.”

Better utilization of space, more productivity, and less frustration. That’s a win-win-win.