This is an excerpt from Crestron’s new eBook, “Keys to the Digital Workplace.” Download the full copy here.
A number of workplace trends that had been slowly gaining traction in recent years expanded rapidly over the course of the pandemic: namely, a growing number of remote and hybrid employees and the rise of video conferencing platforms. While spaces (and their intended purposes) will vary, an important consideration is maintaining a consistent user experience for everyone, no matter their location, while still tailoring the solution to the space.
Offices
Defined as a space for individual productivity — whether it’s part of a company facility or a remote/home workstation — solutions for individuals need all the functionality of any space, no matter its purpose. Clear audio and video are essential whether sound is delivered via speakers or headphones — and the ability to quickly and easily share content with the team should be a top priority. It’s imperative that a remote worker feel as connected to a collaborative session or meeting as those who are occupying the same physical space. Every station should be similarly equipped in hotdesking or hoteling setups. Organizations should standardize hardware and software solutions to create an ecosystem that delivers consistency, equity, and engagement. IT departments may need to ship devices to remote workers and push out configurations from the cloud to ensure adherence with organizational policies and standards.
Small Rooms
Huddle rooms that allow for one to five employees to collaborate are often used for brainstorming or strategic sessions. Many executive offices fit into this category as well. Functionality for wireless presentations and the option to collaborate and edit materials are often important in these spaces. The need for a guest to “BYOD” — “bring your own device” — for a presentation or a pitch enters the equation here, too. As a result, your ecosystem can’t be completely walled-off from these applications, and your collaboration tools should be ready to communicate with a third-party device.
Medium Rooms
A room that can comfortably seat up to 10 people needs all the functionality of a smaller room, but any video display that’s specified should be large enough for ease of viewing for anyone in the room. Audio and video start to need special attention in a room of this size — does the mic array completely cover the available space? If sidebars or soft-spoken team members are added into the mix, can remote workers hear all that’s being said? Is there an intelligent video system that gives all virtual participants an “equal seat at the table?”
Large Rooms
A large boardroom that typically seats 10 to 20 people may need multiple displays so that each attendee has clear visual access to content or remote attendees. Cameras will need to effectively capture all the participants. Mic solutions may need to amplify the people within the room, not just those who are attending remotely. Tabletop mics can do double duty in this regard, providing amplification for physical and digital attendees. Any speaker solution will need enough power and headroom to avoid distortion.
Custom and Multi-Use Rooms
For bigger training facilities, large displays and presentation mics and podiums/lecterns are often a must. Other considerations: Does the presenter need to move about? Will some attendees be remote? Again, guest speakers or instructors may BYOD, and seamless connectivity is critical. For rooms of this size and larger, dual projection systems may be vital. For divisible rooms, it’s important to remember that mics, speakers, displays, and connectivity must be appropriately positioned to accommodate the full open space as well as multiple configurations, including each smaller space.
For more info and a handy checklist of action items, download the full Crestron eBook “Keys to the Digital Workplace.”