By Guest contributor |
The past four years marked massive shifts in the way the world does its knowledge work – from a universe that was almost fully remote to the current state of hybrid permanence, the need for connectivity in every place that we do business has never been greater.
The quality of that connectivity, however, is an ongoing issue for many organisations. When it’s done right, a hybrid meeting can be the most effective way to bring people together. Research carried out by Crestron reveals hybrid meetings encourage more participation, less counterproductive meeting behaviour and greater inclusivity than other meeting modes.
But when connectivity suffers, so does collaboration. And problems, of course, are magnified with the size – and relative importance – of a given meeting space.
That’s why critical spaces such as an executive boardroom demand best-in-class solutions, solutions that companies like Crestron and Microsoft can provide. It’s why the team at Microsoft itself turned to Crestron to help outfit their Signature Microsoft Teams Rooms, state-of-the-art executive boardrooms that factor in everything from furniture and seating to camera solutions and control.
Microsoft was aware of the products Crestron was (literally) bringing to the table. In fact, it had already deployed the Automate VX voice-activated speaker tracking solution in some of the larger meeting rooms in its headquarters. What’s more, the product was a certified solution for Microsoft Teams Rooms, meaning the technology met “a high standard, with higher performance targets and quality metrics across the entire Microsoft Teams software experience (audio, video, user interface).”
Ilya Bukshteyn, vice president of Microsoft Teams software calling and devices at Microsoft, said: “The thing we hear very clearly from CEOs is that everyone has to see and be seen, hear and be heard. The technology has to be non-intrusive – it has to fade away. The great thing about the Automate VX system is that ability to create a multi-camera environment… to create that immersive experience.”
There’s a lot packed into that quote. In the simplest terms, Bukshteyn addresses two keys to any successful deployment of collaboration technologies: meeting equity and the elimination of any and all distractions. Both of those considerations are incredibly important in the executive boardroom, the place where an organisation’s biggest decision-makers gather, both virtually and in person.
The Automate VX solution and its 1 Beyond cameras provide a speaker-tracking solution that frames participants in a room by using the sound of their voices. The result creates what’s called meeting equity, as opposed to a ‘fixed-view’ solution, which has myriad drawbacks with non-verbal cues being lost in a static wide shot of a room.
Both engagement and participation are critical to the success of any meeting, but even more so in the kind of collaborative sessions that occur in the executive space. That’s why Microsoft turned to Crestron for the immersive, equitable videoconferencing solutions we’d been developing.
The cameras, combined with the microphones, speakers and layout of the room, create a “broadcast-quality” solution that operates in the background. Imagine the same kind of presentation without intelligent video: one might need an individual dedicated to manually switching cameras, zooming and panning, tracking presenters, running audio and so on. Crestron’s automated technology, seamlessly integrated into the Microsoft Teams Rooms software platform, provides every meeting attendee with the high-quality, engaging experience – free from distractions – that a meeting space of paramount importance demands.
There’s another aspect at work here, however: “Free from distraction” extends to the operation of the room and any user’s ability to connect, share content and ensure that every aspect of the space – including climate, lighting, shading and the AV systems we’ve been discussing – can be adjusted in the most friction-free manner possible. By using sensors and timing automation (as well as calendar-driven triggers), a room can automatically adjust any part of its various systems from lighting to HVAC to accommodate the meeting that’s about to occur.
Flexibility, reliability, ease of use – these are just some of the reasons why a world-class enterprise like Microsoft turns to Crestron to complete an archetype such as its Signature Microsoft Teams Rooms boardroom. After all, when you’re building an executive conference room, you’re creating a space that can’t be compromised. You need best-in-class solutions – the kind that both Crestron and Microsoft pride themselves on providing.
Ed Wenck is senior content writer at Crestron