AVT Question: Please share your insight into trends that will play a role in hybrid workplace culture, space planning, and technologies in 2024.
Thought Leader: David Missall, Insights Manager at Sennheiser
We’ve been saying that hybrid work is here to stay for a number of years, so for us at Sennheiser, 2024 is all about ensuring that our customers are optimized for hybrid success. Some trends that we are seeing here, and implementing for our customers, revolve around cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI).
While cybersecurity and AI are crucial considerations, we always advise our customers that they need to get the first mile right: The most critical element of any hybrid workplace remains the audio." —David Missall, Insights Manager at Sennheiser
As the workforce is increasingly remote, there is more focus on security than ever before. While working and learning remotely brings increased flexibility and collaboration, it can also open back doors for cybersecurity incidents. To combat this very real risk, Sennheiser is approaching it from the device level by integrating REST API into its products, leveraging built-in security mechanisms in HTTP/S such as TLS and SSL encryption—thereby helping to secure data transmission. This is already built into the TeamConnect Ceiling Medium and will be rolled out across the TeamConnect family of solutions.
With this, another trend is implementing AI into meeting management and processes. AI-driven meetings are enabling a previously unseen level of productivity with capabilities like automated meeting summaries and transcriptions. Such features are unlocking untapped value in data management, and this functionality will only increase.
Sennheiser enables AI-driven meetings with certified hardware solutions for smart platforms like Microsoft Teams and Zoom. In terms of built-in capabilities, the TeamConnect Bar solutions bring AI-driven camera auto-framing and person tiling, ensuring that participants both in-person and remote can see and be seen, regardless of where they are in the room.
At the end of the day, while cybersecurity and AI are crucial considerations, we always advise our customers that they need to get the first mile right: The most critical element of any hybrid workplace remains the audio.
