The audiovisual (AV) equipment of today’s office continues to evolve – do you know how to keep up? A thorough understanding of new trends and those that have passed will help you take advantage of the latest advancements, thus setting your business up for success in 2023 and beyond.
Let’s dive into three key areas that will have a significant impact on the direction of AV equipment and corresponding set-ups in the new year.
The advancement of meeting equity
With regard to “new tech,” the advancement of meeting equity — or an equal share of presence and voice — in the video space is not only a top challenge but also a leading opportunity for platform-based systems like Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Webex.
The challenge is straightforward: what’s the best way to ensure that in-room participants get an equal share of screen time?
The solution is much more complicated, but advanced camera technology combined with artificial intelligence (AI) and multiple video streams is the best path forward.
With this, each “face” gets its own window. This allows an endless number of remote participants to have the same face-to-face experience with each individual in a conference room. This is a sharp contrast to the traditional model of a single camera set on one individual or focal point.
There are several ways to approach this:
- Facial recognition cameras: These devices target each face in the room and place them into their own window, which is a sub-window inside the bigger experience.
- Auto-framing: An auto-framing camera automatically frames all the participants in view during a meeting.
- Auto-switching: Typically combined with auto-framing, auto-switching uses a combination of facial recognition, movement and audio triangulation to display the person who is talking.
There are pros and cons to all these options, and it’s important to remember that this technology is still in its infancy. However, with rapid developments, the advancement of meeting equity is well underway.
The adoption of new office design trends
An understanding of new office design trends — and how to implement them — is critical to staying ahead of your competitors.
The biggest design trend in office spaces for 2023 has nothing to do with the physical AV technology in a room, but rather with how a space is planned and supported.
While remote work remains a viable option for many workers, a growing number of companies are demanding more physical time in an office setting. This has led to an increase in the volume of meetings, leading to design-related questions such as:
- What’s the best way to design a conference room to include both in-person and remote participants simultaneously?
- How does your current AV equipment work with the setup of your meeting space?
- Do you have access to a dedicated AV support team with experience in both design trends and technology?
Take for example Microsoft Front Row. It’s developed to counter the feeling of watching a video meeting as opposed to being fully engaged as a participant. There are many benefits, led by the display of remote attendees at eye level. However, whether or not it works depends largely on the design and layout of your meeting space.
Is your room oriented to the short side or wide side? Do you have a long table or a half table?
Design has an impact on technology, and technology has an impact on design. They must flow together seamlessly for the best possible experience.
A greater focus on sound management
It’s easy to get so caught up in video technology that you overlook the importance of sound design and management when designing and installing office AV systems. You can have the best cameras and technology at your disposal, but a lack of audio support will result in a subpar experience.
Let’s start here: the best solution for one space isn’t the best for another. A superb audio experience hinges on the ability to control multiple variables. Answer questions such as:
- How many people are generally in the room during a meeting?
- Do you typically have remote participants?
- What are the architectural requirements of the space?
- Where can you place microphones?
Microphones are a big part of the sound management experience. In the past, a microphone was more or less a static piece of equipment. It was placed in a central location within a conference space and paired with an application for managing it.
Over the past five-to-seven years, microphones have developed into a much more dynamic technology. Now, they can move their pick-up beam continually, using the proper trajectory to target where the audio is coming from.
As a standalone, advanced audio technology won’t generate the results you’re seeking. Instead, pair it with a high-quality visual experience and a well-designed space to meet your objectives.
Final word
With a growing number of workers returning to the office, now’s the time to take your office AV technology and step up to the next level. Start with a review of your current approach and popular trends, followed by the implementation of the guidance shared above.
Bill Thrasher is vice president of AV-Tech, a Roswell, Georgia-based AV integration firm.
If you enjoyed this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our digital newsletters!
Leave a Reply