The study, conducted among 1,800 AI decision makers surveyed across six countries and 4,200 employees from 14 countries, highlights that despite strong enthusiasm for AI, there is a clear disconnect between trust in the technology and its actual use in the workplace. While 85% of decision-makers express high interest in AI, the vast majority (82%) acknowledge they need to better understand how AI can improve workplace efficiency.

Read Next: Four Questions to Guide High-Impact Enterprise AI Integrations

AI Workplace Challenges

Additionally, although 54% of employees believe AI can improve their work and 54% feel confident in their ability to collaborate successfully with AI, there’s still a significant gap in actual adoption in regular use at work. Jabra’s data found this appears due to several perceived challenges and demographic considerations:

• 90% of employees wouldn’t trust AI for tasks that require creativity and innovation. This reluctance isn’t just about trust, it’s also about the satisfaction that comes from being personally involved in these more meaningful tasks.
• There’s a clear generational divide in AI adoption, with 47% of Millennials and 37% of Gen Z indicating they feel positive about AI versus only 15% of Boomers. Adoption wise, 28% of Millennials and Gen Z use AI day to day at work, versus just 15% of Boomers.
• AI decision-makers are relatively young – 58% are between the ages of 18 and 39 – and 71% are not from the IT department.

Paul Sephton, head of brand communications at Jabra, says, “We see many organizations eager to jump on the AI wave, but some are still dancing in the dark when it comes to effective implementation and meaningful use. As tools rapidly shift toward voice-driven input rather than text alone, it’s crucial for organizations to recognize how this evolution will change our interactions with AI and enhance productivity.”

He continues, “To avoid what we call ‘AI-washing’— simply jumping on the AI bandwagon — organizations must carefully evaluate the productivity gains that AI can offer and actively involve their employees in this journey. At Jabra, we believe in harnessing the power of AI not just to enhance productivity, but to foster a more connected and capable workforce, driving innovation and collaboration at every level.”

Another version of this article originally appeared on our sister-site Commercial Integrator on October 23, 2024. It has since been updated for My TechDecisions’ audience.

The post AI in the Workplace: Jabra Finds Only 26% of Office Workers Use It Daily appeared first on My TechDecisions.

When recent school funding initiatives made it possible for the municipality to invest in education upgrades, Chuck Marzec, the district’s director of technology, turned to Larry Meister, president of IT solutions provider Mercury Networks. Meister, who has worked with the district for over a decade, collaborated with Marzec to determine which products and solutions would maximize learning benefits for the most students. Considering the timing, pricing, and available funding, they concluded that the LG CreateBoards could transform the experiences of every student and deliver forward-thinking classrooms that prepare students for a tech-filled world and job market.

The district last updated its projection-based classroom systems in 2012, before the explosion of new touch-sensitive smart boards that are sweeping across the education landscape. Attractive pricing helped convince the district that smart boards would be the most impactful, sustainable and widely deployable solution, offering greater capabilities than existing systems while standardizing every classroom to simplify daily management and long-term maintenance.

“LG’s easy-to-use CreateBoard interactive digital boards come at an incredible value, making them the best fit for Jamestown Public Schools. The district initially considered outfitting about half of its classrooms with a competitor product at double the price. With the CreateBoard, they’re essentially doubling their investment, creating streamlined experiences for staff and students in every room and school,” Meister explained. “The district’s previous projection systems were single-room solutions lacking significant communication options and new advances in interactivity or cloud-based learning tools. Now, with the LG CreateBoards, they have a unified 500+ display network that can be monitored, managed, and used to distribute content from a single location for morning announcements or emergencies. Additionally, the ability to set automatic on/off schedules ensures no energy is wasted, eliminating one task for today’s busy teachers.”

The district is excited about what the technology can unleash in terms of classroom participation and faculty lesson plans, including simple access to popular web-based tools such as Google Classroom. The 40-point multi-touch digital displays allow a variety of interactive lesson plans and activities that can invite multiple students to use the board at once, in addition to convenient streaming and mobile device connections for educators and students alike. For instance, teachers can quickly log in to their accounts for Google and other services by scanning an on-screen QR code with their smartphone, and then leave the room knowing that the display automatically logs out of all accounts when the wireless connection is severed.

“It’s hard to overstate the value of standardized solutions for our students, faculty and district as a whole,” Marzec says. “Running a school or district involves a lot of moving parts, and when we have teachers who may use multiple classrooms or even multiple buildings throughout a day or a week, giving them the same tools everywhere ensures there’s no time lost sorting out technical issues or troubleshooting compatibility with their prepared lessons. The same is true for today’s students who have never known a world without touchscreens. With a streamlined experience year after year, they can become fairly advanced users of the LG CreateBoard technology throughout their education, helping develop explicit technical skills alongside the school’s curriculum.”

With LG CreateBoards, teachers can easily augment lessons with presentations or videos, screen share lessons or content from their own devices and enable students to screen share projects from their devices. With the new centralized control capabilities, Jamestown Public Schools can also easily deliver video morning announcements to every room without any action required from teachers. Lessons can be saved and stored online for later viewing and study, including live annotations over text or video that enable teachers to provide context, information or discussion to delve further than standard textbook descriptions or pre-prepared content.

LG CreateBoards Enhance Teaching

According to Jason Hubbard, senior account manager for education at LG Business Solutions, implementing CreateBoards can also fundamentally change how teachers approach the classroom by freeing them to leave their desk when using digital resources.

“The two-way connection between laptops and the LG CreateBoard means that they can control and manipulate their computer or content from the CreateBoard, unlike a projection system or other non-smart solution where they have to be at the desk to exert control,” says Hubbard. “This offers educators greater freedom of movement and caters to a variety of teaching styles, which can aid engagement and attentiveness, directly affecting student and school outcomes.”

When consulting Mercury Networks, the district considered different manufacturers and options, landing on the LG CreateBoard solution based on capabilities, manufacturer support and cost. The upgrade project began with 10 initial installations at the high school, then an expansion to five schools, and then the final decision to outfit every classroom all at once ahead of the 2024-2025 school year. Each room’s audio solution is also being upgraded to provide better sound quality and ensure long-term consistency for all users.

“We are excited to see our teachers and students leverage these technologies for greater collaboration and enhanced discussions in a way that encourages participation and connects with students’ daily experiences and digital lifestyles,” Marzec adds. “Additionally, buying into LG’s ecosystem has offered us new opportunities to consider deploying connected digital signage displays in hallways, cafeterias, entrances and other public spaces to provide school messaging or community content such as student achievement reels or replays of events including sports, performances, guest speeches and extracurricular activities.”

Marzec also noted how LG’s attention to detail and willingness to provide assistance went above and beyond his expectations. In the past, technology providers had been much more hands-off, while LG acted more like a partner in terms of working to answer questions, resolve issues and ensure the district was fully satisfied with the outcome. The last installations concluded in early July 2024, with every classroom at every school ready to launch for the fall semester.

Another version of this article originally appeared on our sister-site Commercial Integrator on October 21, 2024. It has since been updated for My TechDecisions’ audience.

The post LG CreateBoards Enhance Teaching in Jamestown Schools appeared first on My TechDecisions.

Here are the top five strategies to streamline desktop support troubleshooting time when preparing to advance your DEX initiatives.

The Importance of True Real-Time Data

Before starting, consider that your team can’t fix what they can’t see. The issue may not just be within your company’s process but in the data itself. Most DEX vendors collect data in minutes, leading to missed events between intervals or when averaged over time. If you are receiving data in minutes, IT will miss vital information, resulting in a lag in response time. This can contribute to a surplus of tickets and confusion about the true source of the problem. Finding a data collection system that offers true real-time visibility is the key to truly enabling IT teams to identify and address issues before they impact productivity and security. Once your team has this actionable data, they can analyze the top five ways to reduce your desktop support troubleshooting time.

Step 1. Implementing Proactive Notifications

Proactive notifications, such as those alerting to potential issues like application downtime or connectivity issues, can be a game-changer. Empower your IT teams with these tools, so the issues get addressed before they escalate, therefore ensuring a seamless digital experience for employees and reducing the need for reactive troubleshooting.

Step 2: Prioritize the Problems with Problem Scoring

Prioritizing issues that impact DEX can be daunting but are extremely important. Ease the process by presenting a consolidated score of performance metrics. These metrics are calculated by highlighting the most significant impact areas, guiding IT teams to direct their attention effectively. Consider implementing a scoring dashboard across various domains, including VDI and DaaS, physical desktops, desktop applications, vulnerabilities, patch management, unified communications, and SaaS and web applications. Dashboards are invaluable tools that provide a comprehensive overview of system health and drill down to a specific problem.

Step 3: Incorporate GenAI

Collecting lots of troubleshooting data and representing it with a score is a powerful method for interpreting data differently. While data can be exported as a CVS, or custom reports can be created, sometimes, you need to get quick answers on the fly. Incorporating a secure, natural language, using a GenAI feature will enable your teams to receive information immediately, represented in unique and informative ways, significantly reducing response times and improving service quality.

Step 4: Add Script Actions

Scripts can be a powerful way to retrieve detailed troubleshooting data from a remote device. However, getting any script to run on a remote device can be problematic as most companies lock down their machines so that employees cannot edit or run scripts. It may also be difficult for IT to run a remote script on behalf of an employee without the full picture. One option to securely incorporate script actions is adding a DEX service to your IT budget. Look for a DEX solution that provides a versatile range of methods for running a script on a remote device and supports various script languages that can run on any platform. Ensure the solution can also provide and store the results in a secure database that your IT team can easily access and understand for future analysis that can inform proactive actions.

Step 5: Enable Remote Control

When problems arise, so much can be lost in translation. Often, IT needs to remotely troubleshoot a user’s desktop, but traditional remoting tools can disrupt employees’ workflow and impact productivity. This is often due to the employees’ base knowledge of the issue at hand. Consider implementing a remote control feature so your IT team can quickly find and troubleshoot the issue at hand, seeing what the user is experiencing without hampering productivity. To make remote troubleshooting more efficient and help users get back up and running as quickly as possible, consider a multifaceted approach to accessing a user’s computer remotely.

The Key: Why Automation Completes the Process

Automation is vital to your DEX process. According to IDC, “by 2027, 90% of organizations will augment operational roles with automation technology, elevating employee engagement and unlocking a predicted 30% increase in worker efficiency.” Since many computer problems are recurring, implementing automation will empower IT teams by streamlining the discovery process and supporting rapid issue remediation. Incorporating automation to your proactive notifications (alerting) within script actions will also ease issue detection and within seconds, allow a corrected script to be executed. Together, these tips can not only empower your team but pull them out of the IT support ticket weeds. As a result, you can move beyond simply supporting your company initiatives, to also decreasing employee burnout and creating a more productive team.

Maintaining optimal performance and swiftly resolving technical issues is critical for the future of any business. Surveys tell us that organizations that have optimized their DEX see a 25% reduction in employee turnover and DEX tools have shown to lead to a 20% increase in employee engagement. While it is clear that DEX solutions will boost your business, it is not always “one size fits all” when finding the right solution. As long as you incorporate a solution that proactively manages endpoints, applications, and user experiences while providing real-time data collection, proactive notifications, and comprehensive scoring dashboards, you and your IT team will find a streamlined troubleshooting process to be an achievable reality.

Jeff Johnson is the product marketing manager at ControlUp.

The post Five Ways to Reduce Desktop Support Troubleshooting Time appeared first on My TechDecisions.

The event illustrated two things:

1. how deep the roots of digitization have become globally;
2. the fragility of the global technology ecosystem, exacerbated by an overreliance on a select number of cloud providers.

This is a wake-up call for us all. Although not a cyber attack, imagine if a nation state was able to find and exploit such vulnerabilities through a coordinated and sustained attack?

It’s given us a glimpse into what cyber armageddon could look like; how should we respond?

The Interconnectivity Trade-Off

Dubbed “the largest IT outage in history,” the global technology outage was caused when an update to one of CrowdStrike’s pieces of software, Falcon Sensor, malfunctioned, paralyzing computers running Windows and resulting in widespread tech failures around the world.

While not the cause, the severity of the impact was only made possible as a result of the increasingly interconnected systems and software that have become so entrenched in our digital infrastructure. The effects were also inflamed by the global reliance on a select number of cloud providers – with Windows devices the worst impacted, many initially thought it was solely a Microsoft issue.

This dependency has brought with it many benefits – global connectivity, efficiency and innovation. But it’s a simple fact that it leaves us all more vulnerable. If a major cloud provider goes down or is impacted, the world grinds to a halt.

For many of us in the business of IT and security, questions are starting to be asked about the trade-off: can we find a way to remain connected, but become more resilient and lessen the impact of events like these?

The initial discussion has been around reassessing cloud strategies, such as avoiding the automatic updating of patches. Some may also be thinking about a multi-cloud approach, where more than one cloud provider is used to ensure continuity if one goes down – “Microsoft is down? That’s ok, we can just switch to Google.” However, despite being a relatively simple undertaking, it would be an expensive luxury that’s out of reach for most.

Build Something from the Ground Up

Rather than trying to patch up ever more complex and interdependent legacy architecture, company boards should use this opportunity to explore shifting their legacy digital architecture to something built from the ground up and future proof.

That is, firms should be viewing this as an opportunity to run an entirely new, low-cost, digital infrastructure in parallel, which is independent of their primary cloud provider and legacy applications. The idea is that in the case of a major systems outage, organizations would have the ability to seamlessly switch over to this secondary infrastructure without manual intervention, allowing them to perform critical functions throughout the crisis. This infrastructure would be backed up with essential data, with advanced security protocols to protect against cyber threats. As a minimum, this provides an out-of-band communications channel for the board and senior management to tell staff and clients what to do and ensures they are not swamped by fraudulent scams after the Crowdstrike outage.

Imagine an airline affected by a major software outage. Having an independent backup system would allow them to continue day-to-day operations such as booking passengers, handling ticket changes and scheduling flights. Instead of relying on extensive manual interventions to recover the primary system, backup protocols would prevent disruption while the main systems are brought back online.

Any solution developed in this way needs to be quick-to-implement and must be able to initiate a contingency command and control process, handle basic tasks and keep the company running in the event of a major attack or outage. Our mission critical clients are beginning to build these fail-over systems that can handle basic tasks and keep the company running in the event of a major attack or outage. In some instances, these shadow systems operate entirely through a mobile messaging platform.

Continuity and Resilience are Possible

As businesses now begin to revisit how they can ensure a return to business as usual as quickly as possible when disaster strikes, they should not be clouded by all the technical terms and confusing offerings, and just focus on three simple and fundamental principles when assessing their current and future risks: completeness, accuracy and validity.

Shifting legacy digital architecture towards something that is built from the ground up ticks all these boxes.  Moreover, it addresses the inter-connectivity, inter-dependency and relatedness and reputational risks that we all face in the digital world today. This may just be the difference between surviving the next global meltdown or being left in its wake.

Andersen Cheng is the founder and chairman of Post-Quantum.

The post CrowdStrike Cyber Armageddon: How Do Firms Now Build Resilience? appeared first on My TechDecisions.

Specifically, workers experienced the personal benefits of flexibility that remote and hybrid work models offered during shutdowns. Many employees won’t or don’t want to go back. The percentage of these workers is likely to remain at high levels, and an employer’s ability to accommodate remote or hybrid work may now largely determine whether a worker takes a job or even remains with a company.

That is obviously a game-changer for recruiting and retention. It also increases the challenges of effectively managing a host of remote devices and the many workers using them. Potential impacts include infrastructure reliability, network availability, data accessibility, and, above all, IT security, but investments in robust technology to manage and support flexible work practices will ensure companies can remain responsive and secure.

A Remote Environment = Increased Threats to Security

As critical as it has been, remote work has significantly exposed companies to cybersecurity threats; these are the top risks to all organizations today. Yearly data breach totals remain high and show evidence of escalation: 1,175 in 2018; 1,108 in 2019; 1,872 in 2020; and 1,862 in 2021.

The risk is compounded not only by vulnerabilities in technology but also by human error. As evidence, Deloitte reports that 47 percent of remote individuals fell victim to phishing attacks while working at home. The average cost of a data breach enabled by a remote worker was $137,000 in 2022. Recent advancements in artificial intelligence are further increasing the number and severity of security threats, and this is why it is critical to get all aspects of IT support right.

By their very nature, hybrid work environments demand that organizations have a better awareness of risk and an even tighter grip on their data, devices, and processes to remain operational and secure. Historically, employees are the weakest link in the security chain. When employees work off-site, and often with personal devices, they lower the vulnerability threshold so much more.

Related: Choosing the Best Video and Audio Devices for WFH Setups

Because of the increased threat environment, many organizations are stepping up security investments and employee training, alongside establishing strict practices around sensitive data encryption for every device and ensuring backups are completed at different locations. Remembering that data not requiring daily access should also be removed from the regular data pool and stored where it can be retrieved when needed is also a good tactic.

Fortunately, organizations were not blind to increased security risks during the pandemic, and many put new measures in place and increased employee training. Still, many organizations have yet to modify their infrastructure to meet the new security and support challenges. Flexibility and agility are urgently needed, and many systems can’t provide either.

The solution is having a secure remote control platform that can handle a widely dispersed workforce while scaling and delivering support as required, regardless of location. Ideally, it should be easy to use, cloud-based, and have security at its heart.

 Security Features That Make a Difference

For a COO of an international company, ensuring the IT security for a hybrid working environment is a high priority, helping to safeguard network and data security, ensure uninterrupted operations and constant productivity and create a positive employee experience.

Our company has provided remote device management software for education and corporate settings for over 30 years and, with that, we’ve seen and adapted to the changes in risks and cybersecurity threats.

Some of the key remote control features that companies should consider include:

1. Secure Web Gateways

Secure web gateways are ideal for managing remote employee connections and provide extra security, regardless of location. The gateway logs all activity and can provide additional insights into which computers were attempting to connect, allowing IT teams to see whether unauthorized attempts are occurring.

2. Security Keys

As the name suggests, security keys enable remote users to connect only if they have the same security key as the client. These are encrypted passcodes and must match for connections between machines to be permitted.

3. User Acknowledgement

Implementing user acknowledgment is an effective way to guard against connection attempts from unauthorized devices. This simply means that when delivering remote support, an employee must explicitly accept the IT team member’s connection request before they can connect to the device.

With these things and more in place, maintaining a secure and productive hybrid working environment should be stress-free and, dare I say it, easy.

Matt Jones is the chief operating officer of NetSupport. He has spent his entire career helping corporate IT departments manage their networks and devices.

The post Keeping Your Hybrid Workplace Secure appeared first on My TechDecisions.

“Tateside has been the preferred technology partner of London’s Soho Works sites for several years now,” explains Jack Cornish, technical director at Tateside. “Before the pandemic, the technology didn’t need to be focused on videoconferencing, but the working environment has since shifted and the client requested an update that would enable better bring-your-own-device (BYOD) and plug-and-play capabilities as well as a system that could support their preferred Zoom room functionality.”

With high-end interior design and a focus on maintaining immaculate aesthetics across all sites, Tateside needed to honor the unique identity of the various Soho Works sites whilst rolling out a solution that could be replicated to provide a consistent user experience across the brand’s workspaces.

“Our team provides both IT and technology integration for Soho Works,” explains Cornish. “The new meeting room standard is a Neat Bar Pro bundle housed within a Leon Tonecase to hide the technology and improve the overall room aesthetics, plus a Samsung screen. This standard has been rolled out across all Soho Works meeting rooms, based on a Zoom Room system, with adjustments made for specific sites.”

The chosen Neat Bar Pro bundle provides crystal-clear audio via three full-range loudspeakers while the advanced microphone array ensures clear vocal pick-up, with Neat Audio Processing built-in. Thanks to the wide-angle lens and image depth sensor, Neat Bar Pro can detect, enlarge and follow all in-room participants, resulting in more lifelike engagement during video meetings. Furthermore, seamless integration with Zoom ensured a Neat Bar standard was the ideal solution for the Soho Works project.

Ashton Bentley USB-C hubs, which can be neatly mounted under desks, are integrated to support network connectivity and provide fast charging of devices. The Neat Bar Pro bundle provides in-built camera and microphone functions plus a Neat Pad for easy-to-use room control. Each site required a slightly different configuration and solutions for other room styles, including a podcast studio at the Dean Street site and subdivisible meeting rooms at 180 The Strand.

“Overall, Soho Works are aiming for systems that are easy to use with minimal technical knowledge,” continues Cornish. “During these recent updates, we’ve completely done away with Crestron controls for input switching and have implemented a complication-free standard with auto-switching and bullet-proof BYOD connectivity.”

He continues, “Finding that balance between function and aesthetics can be a challenge, but with the solutions available from Neat combined with our bespoke integration, Soho Works now have an easy-to-operate, future-proof set-up suited to the modern working environment.”

The post Soho Works & Tateside Simplify Zoom Room Standard Across Multiple Sites appeared first on My TechDecisions.

Located in Kunshan, Jiangsu Province in  China, DKU is an educational and research university situated on a 1,200-acre campus. The university offers a range of  academic programs and a diverse, inclusive culture to students from around the globe.

The large-scale audio video project is part of the university’s second phase, covering 22 buildings on campus, including 29 classrooms, 20 conference rooms, and a visitor center. DKU set its sights on a number of top global brands. In the end, the Sennheiser TCC 2 ceiling array microphone stood out due to its superior audio technology, open technology path and rich success experience. DKU chose to install a total of 116 TCC 2s so that every space can enjoy the trusted Sennheiser audio quality.

The Sennheiser TCC 2 Solution

DKU offers courses taught by faculty from Duke University in the U.S. as well as other locations around the world. As a result, the university requires each classroom to provide an online learning experience as if it were face-to-face. Audio equipment, in particular, not only needs to be clear in sound quality, stable in transmission, and easy to operate, but it also needs to fit seamlessly into different room types and teaching scenarios.

The TCC 2 utilizes patented Dynamic Beamforming technology, which automatically tracks the position of speakers and switches between speakers in real time, ensuring that their voices are clearly captured. Teachers are able to move around and communicate freely with students while teaching, and the layout of desks and chairs in the classroom can be flexibly adjusted to enhance the classroom experience. According to Sennheiser, the microphone’s built-in 28 broadcast-quality microphone heads make the sound clear and natural, and remote teachers and students can also listen to the speakers clearly as if they were in the room/

In addition to classrooms, schools also place a high value on the design of audio systems in conference rooms. In teleconferencing, the seamless integration of audio and video is very important. In this project, TCC 2 integrates Biamp DSP and Sony PTZ camera tracking to synchronize the monitored speaker’s position to the camera, thus realizing real-time switching of the speaker’s footage, which makes the meeting more realistic, efficient and immersive.

Visitor Center Acoustics

The Visitor Center is another highlight of this project. In order to provide excellent conditions for teachers and students to communicate, display and hold activities and exhibitions, the Visitor Center built by the school has a flexible layout and a bright and spacious space, with an area of 400 square meters and a height of 4.8 meters, in addition to the need for high-quality sound pickup, the site of the local sound reinforcement is also a very high demand. Three TCC 2s were installed in the Visitor Center, whose TruVoicelift acoustic enhancement feature delivers everyone’s speeches clearly to every corner, with natural, full sound quality and no distortion or delay, making for a truly immersive audio experience.

AV-over-IP Integration 

The DKU Phase II project, which took three years to design and deploy and complete, was not only large in scale but complex. The project’s audiovisual system included many types of products including Biamp DSP, Bose loudspeakers and Crestron control systems. Therefore, for the success of the whole project, easy operation process and seamless integration of products of each link are crucial, which is also the main challenge of the project manager.

Wan Li is the chief engineer at DKU and the university’s technical lead for the audio system design. His team adopted an all-digital and fully distributed AV-over-IP architecture for the University. The TCC 2 can be seamlessly integrated into the campus network with all brands of audio equipment via Dante, allowing IT managers to monitor and control the communication, interaction and control of various devices on campus in real time via cell phones, tablets or computers, greatly simplifying workflows.

Sennheiser’s business communication solutions have an open audio/video ecosystem with strong compatibility and can be integrated with different brands of devices and platforms. TCC 2 has been certified by Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Tencent Conference and Nail Conference to meet the preferences and needs of all types of users.

Praise for Sennheiser’s TCC 2

During the implementation of the project, Sennheiser’s technical engineers went to the university several times to carry out on-site investigation and debugging work room-by-room to ensure that the installation position and angle of each TCC 2 could achieve the optimal effect and realize the best voice clarity. This was highly recognized by DKU staff.

“The exceptional quality of the TCC 2 is unquestionable, and the Sennheiser team has been instrumental in the smooth implementation of the project. They provided full technical and training support and helped us make great progress in commissioning and optimizing the system.” Li praised, “In the school’s future development plan, we look forward to continuing to work with Sennheiser to further optimize the performance of the audio/video facilities and continue to enhance the immersive learning and collaborative experience for teachers and students.”

Another version of this article originally appeared on our sister-site Commercial Integrator on April 26, 2024. It has since been updated for My TechDecisions’ audience.

The post Duke Kunshan University Selects Sennheiser for Audio Upgrade appeared first on My TechDecisions.

Video Collaboration

Look For: Enhanced Communication and Productivity
Avoid: Stressing the Network

Video applications are used across industries for everything from collaborating and problem solving with colleagues, to training sessions, to providing customer services like telehealth appointments. While the use of this technology grew exponentially with many working from home, these applications are so entrenched in business operations that they won’t disappear with return-to-office mandates. Employees will still reach for videoconferencing to connect them with others who aren’t in the same office building — whether that be with a colleague or client in the same state or in another country.

Networks — wired and WiFi — must be resilient enough to withstand the growing dependency of video collaboration. They must support the upload and download of real-time data; otherwise, meeting attendees will experience distorted video, speech delays and other issues.

To keep communication and productivity on track, IT professionals must have:

• End-to-end user experience metrics that measure how capable networks are of supporting video platforms. Metrics measured must include latency, jitter, dropped packets and the Mean Opinion Score.
• Real-time analytics for video collaboration software and all other network devices, applications, and infrastructure to identify and resolve issues with pinpoint accuracy.
• Complete visibility into the entire network ecosystem so there are no behavior and performance mysteries.
• Automatic, proactive alerts to issues as soon as they occur and before users are impacted, rather than reactive alerts from inconvenienced users.

The 6GHz Frequency Band and WiFi 6E Migration

Look For: Expanded Connectivity
Avoid: Interoperability Issues

WiFi 6E appeared on the market soon after the release of WiFi 6. While the two deliver similar benefits for enterprises, WiFi 6E devices are alone in their ability to use the new unlicensed 6GHz spectrum. This is the first time in over a decade that the amount of available unlicensed spectrum has changed so this is far from your run-of-the-mill migration.

Yes, the 6GHz spectrum will be less congested and offer less signal interference since it will only allow 6E devices, and adds 14 additional 80MHz channels and 7 additional 160MHz channels. Yes, the faster data throughput and lower latency are exciting, especially for technologies such as cloud computing, augmented and virtual reality, and instantaneously uploading / downloading extremely large files.

But, networks and network ecosystems are going to significantly change with the new frequency band. Migrations need to move slowly and steadily to avoid interoperability issues. Technology leaders must prep their teams to be ready to:

• Analyze end user metrics to predict which departments need the upgrade first. Migrations are expensive and time consuming; that time and money should be spent where the ROI will be the greatest.
• Redesign AP deployment to better provide 6GHz connectivity. The 6GHz spectrum uses shorter wavelengths than its 2.4GHz and 5GHz predecessors. Existing AP placement may not offer the best support for the new technology.
• Ensure redesigns don’t cause roaming issues for devices on any of the three frequency bands.
• Watch and analyze three frequency bands 24/7. Issues of any sort can occur at any time; if all three frequency bands aren’t analyzed 24/7, IT professionals will be missing data. There’s always the chance that the data that teams don’t have will be the data that is needed to identify a root cause and make it possible for IT to implement a resolution.
• Compare network performance before and after transitions both to identify issues and determine if the expected ROI is delivered.

AI-Powered Network Automation

Look For: Complete Wired and WiFi Assurance
Avoid: Manual, Reactive Operations

Enterprises need issue-free wired and WiFi networks. If networks aren’t issue free, organizations need solutions in place that will drastically:

1. Reduce the number of issues
2. Reduce resolution times

Fewer issues that are in turn resolved faster than ever result in networks that spend more time working optimally and less time causing delays in business continuity. When almost every single business process is dependent on the network, network assurance is a critical need.

Enterprises can try to achieve network assurance through purely manual means, but they will fail. Networks are too complex for this to be possible. Assurance depends on real-time analytics from every single connected device, all infrastructure, and even nearby networks. IT professionals cannot analyze thousands of data packets a second. They need AI-powered network automation.

When teams have the support of these solutions, they have:

• Complete network visibility provided by a solution that never sleeps
• Real-time, automatic problem detection, notification, and identification (root cause analysis)
• Recommended resolutions
• Proactive network testing
• Automated remote troubleshooting

AI-powered network automation solutions deliver in-depth network analytics, down to the device level, so that technology leaders know the precise behavior and performance of their network, and what is needed to improve it. Generalities are not the answer. Enterprises want the best network for their users – and their users have specific needs and pain points. Understanding these, and designing a network that improves user experience, will also improve business performance, reputation and revenue.

AI-powered network automation solutions provide the needed capabilities in a cost-effective and scalable way. This is modern wired and WiFi assurance.

The Details Matter

A network that must be significantly updated or redesigned every year is one that is doing no one any favors. Networks need to meet the needs of enterprise users right now and be adaptable enough to continue providing optimal support for the next three to five years. Build your network to support the three trends of video collaboration, WiFi 6E and the 6GHz band, and network automation, and your network will be resilient, reliable, and give you a competitive edge that lasts beyond 2024.

Roger Sands is the co-founder and CEO of Wyebot, Inc. He has 20+ years of executive management experience under his belt, gained from working with both successful networking startups and Fortune 500 companies, such as the following: Hewlett-Packard’s WW WLAN business, Colubris Networks, Accton Technology, 3com, USRobotics, and Bytex Corporation.

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As more large learning models (LLMs) are coming to market, you might find that your enterprise customers are asking how they can automate processes and drive efficiency with AI. While eager to inquire, enterprise decision-makers often hesitate to invest in generative AI for their business upon discovering the significant resources, security considerations, and operational changes required to deploy an effective generative AI tool. While trendy, AI adoption still carries a lot of uncertainty and risk.

AI and the AV Industry

The good news is that our industry is uniquely positioned to help in this new scenario. As a trusted resource and advisor for technology decisions, clients trust AV integrators to offer AI-powered solutions that are ready for prime time and have a meaningful impact. These four critical questions can help integrators and technology managers adapt their discovery phase to incorporate AI into their AV technology roadmap.

Q1. What are the strengths and limitations of AI?

In response to the increased demand, technology vendors have rushed to develop AI integrations for everything — from truncating transcripts into meeting minutes to brainstorming ideas beyond reality. However, integrators should recognize both the efficacy and limitations of AI in truly enhancing the end-user experience. While generative AI can do a lot in its current state, it’s still best suited as a support tool for enhancing and accelerating processes rather than completely overtaking operations end to end.

The key is to identify discrete tasks that AI can successfully handle. If a human must significantly revise an AI’s output to make it usable, AI will waste more time than it saves. Work with clients to establish clear operational guidelines and oversight for AI tools to avoid these limitation roadblocks. This includes defining responsibilities; establishing handoffs between AI and human operators; allocating maintenance resources and having reasonable expectations. Once these boundaries are established, integrators can introduce effective opportunities to accelerate tasks with AI.

Q2. How do the strengths of AI support the client’s goals?

Properly trained AI can extend enterprise bandwidth by accelerating mundane-yet-time-consuming tasks, like retrieving data to answer questions or inform project timelines; providing employee and customer support; and digesting information to guide brainstorming and decision-making. This kind of implementation improves existing information retrieval processes. AI can also automatically compile information from across sources or customize responses to align with user data permissions.

Once you understand the capabilities of AI, it’s time to bring them to your client. To understand how AI can best support their organization, work with them to understand their unique pain points. Remember, the goal is to improve efficiency in existing systems, not replace processes entirely with AI.

AI functions must align with the interests of the enterprise and the evolving processes, demands and expectations of the business. Deployments should complement and improve the existing employee experience. AI should work across devices and processes, offering a reliable and seamless user experience. If an AI application does not make the job easier for enterprise customers, it’s probably not ready for deployment.

Q3. What training resources are available?

When trained with the right data aggregations, AI assistants can produce qualitative and quantitative-driven outputs that help streamline employee experiences, audience engagement, and objective results that benefit an organization’s defined visual goals and output. That being said, an AI’s responses are only ever as accurate as its dataset. Before launching an AI implementation for an application like sales, customer service or troubleshooting support, a business should have solid and up-to-date documentation of its processes and internal knowledge.

While AI implementation can make operations easier, it’s not an effortless addition to a business model. Deloitte cites managing internal data and processes as one of the most reported obstacles in scaling AI. It is important to inform the client about the continuous investment required for AI and discuss how they plan to maintain it. Before deployment, the business should evaluate whether the AI solutions that client plan to adopt are maintainable. They should then develop a long-term support plan and appoint someone to oversee the ethics and accuracy of the AI system.

Finally, ensure your clients can deliver on processes continuously after deployment, even if their AI tool is down. Integrators can help customers identify reliable, intuitive foundational AI tools that will support their business best, but setting realistic expectations that no AI tool will be free of error or downtime is the key to effective process management and planning.

Q4. What data is acceptable to share?

Data security is top of mind for enterprises, and while the benefits of AI are worth discussing, it’s crucial to educate clients about the potential risks linked with AI.

One risk is the “black box” paradox: the inner workings of AI systems are obscure to humans — this lack of transparency may pose challenges and lead to unforeseen consequences as AI evolves. That being said, sharing data and training is essential to successful AI implementation. Integrators must educate their clients to ensure they understand the risk. This will help clients make more informed decisions regarding adopting and implementing AI technologies.

Security is also a discussion point when evaluating whether an AI tool will operate on premises or in the cloud. On-premises solutions offer several benefits, including that data never leaves the local area network. This is especially important for businesses that deal with highly sensitive data.

Additionally, on-premises solutions offer firewall protection and integration with internal contact/user data, which enables AI to learn identity and permissions. Finally, on-premises solutions provide access to highly secure employee-facing AI chat with responses derived from proprietary company data.

On the other hand, cloud-based solutions offer flexibility, high scalability and accessibility for distributed workforces. However, clients have less control over data distribution than an on-prem solution. Data and encryption keys are stored with third-party providers. This means that if there is downtime, clients may be unable to access their data.

While each option has its benefits and drawbacks, integrators should advocate for establishing a solid security protocol and best practices before sharing data with an AI assistant.

Concluding Thoughts

While the AI landscape fluctuates, these four questions can guide integrators in evaluating and recommending the right AI investments to meet enterprise customer demands. While some clients might be ready for AI, other organizations might need more preparation before taking the leap. Emphasizing genuine operational enhancements over fleeting trends is paramount, guiding clients toward integrations that yield enduring advantages.

Another version of this article originally appeared on our sister-site Commercial Integrator on March 19, 2024. It has since been updated for My TechDecisions’ audience.

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Security Operations Centers (SOC) and Beyond

As businesses focus on business continuity and situational intelligence, IT integrators with a holistic approach are increasingly being asked to extend their expertise beyond the peripheral systems that they are deploying — into the Operation Centers that manage the systems. This natural expansion emphasizes the growing need for a comprehensive approach that combines security, operational functionalities, infrastructure and AV considerations within the enterprise.

C-Level Recognition of Platform Solutions

A significant shift is occurring in the C-Suite with chief information officers (CIOs) recognizing the value of adopting platform solutions over point solutions for visual displays serving core enterprise operations. Enterprises are increasingly seeking integrated platforms that go beyond individual applications, thus providing a unified solution for all visual display needs. This shift reflects a desire for comprehensive solutions that streamline operations and enhance overall efficiency.

Rise of Data Dashboards in Enterprise

The rise of data dashboards in the enterprise is fueled by the growing need for effective metrics measurement and tracking. In this landscape, operational benefits play a crucial role, allowing businesses to manage content on any screen without relying on expensive and unsecure thin client PCs or USB drives, eliminating the need for significant manual intervention in content updates. Users can securely and centrally manage content directly from their web browser, presenting a more efficient and secure approach.

This trend is underpinned by the demand for integrated solutions that seamlessly connect with leading technologies. Notably, these data dashboards fully integrate with key applications like Power BI and Tableau as a single source, ensuring automatic, persistent and secure authentication to dashboards, charts and reports.

The aggregation of multiple charts as a source facilitates the secure distribution of operational data to relevant teams and stakeholders. This not only highlights the importance of technological compatibility but also underscores the broader trend of fostering informed decision-making through streamlined and secure data management.

Software-Defined Solutions versus Hardware Limitations

The paradigm of hardware-based point solutions is becoming obsolete as software solutions gain prominence. The ability of software solutions to seamlessly integrate with various industry-leading technologies provides a level of flexibility and scalability that hardware-based solutions struggle to match. This shift marks a departure from the limitations of hardware-centric approaches to a more agile and interconnected future.

The Significance of 8K Solutions

The advent of 8K solutions adds a new dimension to AV/IT integration. As display resolutions continue to evolve, the demand for higher quality visuals in enterprise environments is driving the adoption of 8K solutions. This shift is not just about increased pixel density; it’s about providing a more immersive and detailed visual experience that enhances collaboration and decision-making processes.

AV Integrators Embracing IT Protocols

On the flip side, AV integrators are gradually embracing IT protocols and solutions designed for the digital age. Software-defined solutions built for IT — standardized over networks — are gaining traction. While the adoption may be slower due to the historical reliance and subsequent familiarity that hardware solutions provide, the industry is witnessing a transformative shift towards embracing more agile and adaptable software-defined solutions.

In conclusion, the convergence of AV/IT is reshaping the landscape of enterprise operations. From organizational restructuring, to the demand for comprehensive platform solutions, and the adoption of software-defined approaches; the trends in AV/IT integration indicate a paradigm shift towards a more interconnected, data-driven and technologically advanced future for businesses.

As the industry continues to evolve, staying abreast of these AV/IT integration trends is imperative for integrators seeking to provide modernized enterprise-class solutions to their clients.

Another version of this article originally appeared on our sister-site Commercial Integrator on March 15, 2024. It has since been updated for My TechDecisions’ audience.

Jamey Miles is VP Channel & Strategic Accounts at Userful.

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