By Jacqui Griffiths |
Videoconferencing tools have changed the way we work, but human interactions are still the foundation for success and meetings are as important as they’ve ever been. According to Barco’s research, people meet for four specific reasons: to exchange information, make decisions, share thoughts and feelings, or build trusted relationships. In the hybrid working world, the challenge is to create a space where everyone – online and in the room – is part of the same, productive experience.
“Meetings create a meaningful human connection which is essential for a thriving workspace,” says Jan van Houtte, executive vice president of meeting experiences at Barco. “As well as identifying why people meet, we explored the tools and capabilities needed to make different meeting types purposeful for every participant. Each type of meeting needs its own kind of technology depending on the goal and dynamic of the interaction, but all require the same type of environment: simple, secure and smart.
“Successful meeting experiences require simple tools which anyone can use, from executives to guests. Security is vital so participants know the sensitive personal and business information they share will not leave the room. In addition, a smart audiovisual (AV) experience is essential to create a meeting space that works equally well for physical and remote attendees.”
Barco’s long-standing partnership with Huddly, a leading pioneer of AI-native videoconferencing cameras, is delivering on those values. Their latest release is a room system bundle combining ClickShare Hub Pro – Barco’s wireless, modular room system designed for seamless collaboration – with the Huddly C1 video bar, now also certified for Microsoft Teams.
“Huddly and Barco have been working together for a long time to create the best combined solutions,” says Fraser Park, chief commercial officer at Huddly. “By combining our expertise in a Microsoft Teams certified bundle, we can enable users to make sure everybody is heard, seen and engaged in every meeting.”
Simplicity was a guiding principle in the bundle’s development. ClickShare Hub requires no user training, for example, and its Control Panel allows users to start meetings with a single tap. With the next-generation ClickShare Button, meeting participants – employee or guest – can share 4K content on the meeting room display and in the videocall. Meetings can unfold naturally, with Huddly’s enhanced AV capabilities clearly capturing everything in the room for remote participants.
Barco and Huddly's ClickShare Pro Hub features single and dual display set-up, enabling remote meeting participants to see everyone and presentation materials without interruption
“It’s important for both ClickShare and Huddly that meeting room deployments carry no complexity in terms of devices, set-up or use,” says van Houtte. “Our new Button, for instance, enhances ClickShare’s one-click presentation sharing capabilities in 4K. It provides an intuitive way to deliver a unified and consistent experience across all meeting room and bring-your-own-device environments.”
Security is also integral to both companies. ClickShare Hub Pro is built on the Microsoft Device Ecosystem Platform, combining a security-by-design foundation with centralised IT management. Meanwhile, the Huddly C1 video bar processes all the data in the meeting room itself, so all AV content stays private.
Wrapped around those principles is a smart, contextual experience that puts everyone on level ground. Because this is a wireless bundle, users can present from anywhere in the room. Its single and dual display set-up, combined with Huddly’s AI-powered camera capabilities, ensures that remote participants can see everyone and every piece of content, to get an unparalleled end user experience.
“Meeting room technology often struggles to capture the group dynamics at play, making it difficult for remote participants to understand important context like who is the focus of attention and who people are looking at for feedback,” says Park. “Huddly adds a physical intelligence layer – like the eyes and ears of a human in physical space – to bring the dynamic to life. Our C1 video bar’s advanced AI-driven video and audio make sure every participant can be seen and heard, whether they are in the room or join the meeting remotely.”
Looking ahead, Barco and Huddly are committed to providing a simple, contextualised meeting room experience that will stand the test of time. For instance, equipment is continuously tested and validated after deployment, so it will continue to deliver an inclusive and dynamic environment for every meeting.
“At Barco, we believe the future of meeting room experiences is smart, simple and secure,” says van Houtte. “Together with Huddly, we’re intent on making every meeting room a space where technology fades into the background and great collaboration takes centre stage.”
Discover more insights from experts at Microsoft Partner businesses in the Summer 2026 issue of Technology Record. To get content like this on a regular basis, subscribe to the print edition or free digital edition of the quarterly Technology Record magazine