by Brianna Crandall — December 14, 2018 — As part of its commitment to keeping companies up to date with the latest advancements for business efficiency, audiovisual solutions company IVCi discusses four audiovisual (AV) and collaboration trends for 2019 as well as three ways to maximize the value of small meeting room spaces.
4 AV and collaboration trends for 2019
With a new year right around the corner come new advancements in the technology field. Businesses that take advantage of these new advances can have the ability to increase the productivity of their teams while improving the way that they interact with clients and customers, says IVCi.
The company lists below four major audiovisual and collaboration trends to keep an eye out for in 2019.
Accessible technology in the “huddle space”
When most people think of meetings, they think of large boardrooms with gatherings scheduled weeks or months in advance. Huddle rooms represent an alternative to more traditional meeting areas, and they are made highly effective by the creative use of technology.
In 2019, advances in tech will make outfitting huddle spaces more affordable than ever before. With cloud video conferencing becoming more commonplace, companies can bring the convenience of a face-to-face meetings into nearly any room — all supported by advanced wireless connectivity that makes getting online a breeze.
Outfitting a huddle room is made even more accessible with the increasing prevalence of solutions such as integrated cameras and sound bars that make the most of limited space, without breaking the bank.
Smart spaces
The advent of smart technology has been great for adding in more convenience around the home, but services like Amazon Alexa are great tools for collaboration in a business environment as well.
One trend that companies will continue to see moving forward is “smart” spaces that allow employees to work together within an intelligent ecosystem that enhances productivity and efficiency. Using the artificial intelligence (AI) that these smart devices have to offer can automate simple tasks and streamline the business’s workflow.
Technology will soon extend beyond a simple tool, instead becoming an integral part of the work environment itself.
Augmented reality
While the technology is still not widely adopted, augmented reality (AR) will continue to become more and more prevalent in the AV and collaboration industry come 2019. In addition to some utilitarian applications like using Transparent AR to show content or demonstrate a product to an audience, more traditional augmented reality on a dedicated device or mobile phone can increase engagement through gamification.
AR gives businesses the ability to change how people perceive the world around them. Rather than the idea of a computer being a singular device, users will interact with technology through a multichannel and multimodal experience in the environment itself. In short, the future of computing is in the spaces around us rather than a specific piece of equipment.
Augmented reality that is cleverly implemented can turn a boring and stuffy meeting into something fun, unique, and memorable.
Migration to the cloud
“The cloud” has been a major buzzword in the business community in recent years — and for a good reason. By offloading data storage and collaboration from a physical server to the cloud, companies gain flexibility, security, and increased efficiency. Employees will be able to collaborate seamlessly and from wherever they happen to be, with flexible storage space — expanding or shrinking dynamically based on the company’s needs.
But migration to the cloud is not without its challenges. Services like cloud video conferencing and the ability for employees to bring their own devices are convenient and enhance productivity, but transferring these technologies necessitates defined security policies that meet company standards.
When effectively utilized, however, the cloud is a more effective and convenient way of doing business, and it will continue to be an incredibly financially savvy solution for data management in the future.
3 ways to maximize the value of small meeting room spaces
In an effort to share its expertise on promoting quality collaboration in an office environment, IVCi also shared three ways to maximize the value of small meeting room spaces.
While the primary factor that keeps a business moving forward may be the people, the fact of the matter is that those employees need an effective place to work. Today’s companies must contend with a struggle to maximize their current office space square footage to accommodate employees and meetings, as well as the cost of office space, which is increasing annually, notes the company.
IVCi lists below just a few of the ways that companies can make the most of small meeting spaces.
Open floor plans
While the open space is desirable for Millennials and Gen Y, productivity has suffered because it is loud. However, this noise is reduced when you factor in desktop video conferencing platforms. The sound masking and soundscaping technologies offered by IVCi can compensate for the noise open floor plans create and allow companies to truly get the most out of their overall technology investment.
Leveraging the latest technology advancements
Another way to get around having space constraints is to take advantage of the latest and greatest technology in the AV industry. Desktop VC platforms, for example, allow for decentralized collaboration between multiple locations without the need for a conference room. Wireless connectivity increases the ability to interact with content stored in the cloud on demand from virtually any device. In addition, the use of AI allows for the removal of complexities from meeting spaces, such as beginning or ending a meeting, so daily users can seamlessly use the in-room technology.
AV conferencing and presentation technology can also be useful without the telecommunications aspect. With creative, space-saving implementations of these collaboration solutions, companies can stretch the utility of a room and keep it comfortable rather than cramped.
Comfort
While there are a variety of creative space-saving solutions, at the end of the day, there are going to be some limitations if a company doesn’t have adequate space. With that being the case, it’s important to take into consideration how the overall décor of the space will impact the technology you put into the room. For example, glass walls are very popular, however, you cannot run cables up a glass wall to connect devices, and if the sun is shining through the window, it could create glare and impact people’s ability to see the displays.
Since 1995, IVCi has provided collaborative technology platforms by integrating innovative audiovisual, unified communications, video conferencing, voice, and cloud services to thousands of companies. Its mission is to enable customers to improve their business and their bottom line by designing, building and supporting physical and virtual collaborative meeting rooms across the US and the world.
