Rethinking the Corporate Conference Room

The video enabled conference room is nothing new. Video conferencing hardware and software have been around for years. In the past Video conference systems were typically proprietary, closed systems. However, with the ubiquity of newer generation individual video conferencing software from Cisco, Microsoft, Zoom, etc. a slew of new conference room offerings have hit the market in recent year. The Covid- 19 pandemic, however, has greatly accelerated their adoption.

As the Covid-19 pandemic comes to an end and employees begin to return the office, it is unlikely all employees will be in the office at the same time. Many organizations will adopt the hybrid office model where some employees continue to work remotely while others work in the office. According to Global Workplace Analytics, 25%-30% of the workforce will be working from home multiple days per week by the end of 2021. For those returning to the office, after over a year without in-person meetings, many will welcome the return to the conference room. However, It will be important for both productivity and corporate culture to create a conference room experience that does not alienate remote workers.

It will also be important to offer a seamless experience across organizations. As you work with other organizations you will want to be as welcoming to remote workers from that company as well as you own. Since each company may use a different video conference platform, compatibility with a multitude of VC applications will be important.

You can find reviews of some of the available options on the web. The market offers a wide range of solutions varies greatly in terms of capabilities and price point. You'll have to determine what is most important to you.

Managed Service Providers can assist their clients in revamping their conference rooms to address this need. Here are three fundamental steps you can take to prepare yourself:

• Identify the video conference system(s) that fit the needs of your typical client. This would include the type of business and any enhanced graphics needs. Also consider the typical budget your clients would be willing to spend.

• Educate your technical team on the technology. Which video conference platforms (Zoom, Teams, WebEx, etc.) are most common amongst your client base? Don’t forget about the need for expertise in video camera technology and audio quality.

• Form an installation team. This may be a team you maintain in house or it may include partnering with an outside firm. You may not be comfortable drilling into conference room walls to hang flat panel screens, cameras, and microphones.

Your clients will be looking for assistance in the next few months. This will give you an opportunity to help shape their corporate culture in years to come.