Meeting room solutions: 6 questions to ask before investing

6 min read

Author: Pieter Vancoillie, Product Manager, Meeting Experience

Picture your workplace as a well-oiled machine where every meeting room enables productive collaboration and meaningful connection. Employees walk in the meeting room with their laptop. In only a few clicks and a couple of seconds, they´re connected to the in-room equipment and to their colleagues. Remote and onsite attendees are equally seen and heard.

In this time, you can focus on those tasks you find truly worthwhile, while resting assured all meeting rooms are functioning as they should. Meeting device management is remote and easy, and you get instantly notified if an issue arises.

Sounds like a dream, right? So how would you turn this dream into reality? How can you ensure that you´re investing in the right meeting room technology, be that cameras, video bars, speakers and microphones, or wireless conferencing and presentation devices?

This article offers the expert advice you need: 6 key questions you must ask before investing in a meeting room solution.

1. Is it easy to install?
2. Is it reliable and secure?
3. Is it user friendly?
4. Is it flexible?
5. Is it easy to manage and monitor?
6. Is it environmentally friendly?

1. Is it easy to install?

Ease of installation is non-negotiable-whether you choose a basic setup (an all-in-one video bar and a display), or a complex setup with multiple cameras, speakers, microphones, touch displays and wireless conferencing devices.

Ease of installation will help you quickly deploy the technology, so your conference rooms are ready in no time. But how can you tell a device is easy to install?

Minimal wiring

Fewer and standardized cables such as USB or HDMI or even wireless capabilities. This will speed up installation, reduce drilling, tech challenges and cable clutter.

Accessible installation and onboarding information

Easy-to-understand user manuals, QR codes on the packaging or the device, short video tutorials, and responsive customer service will make installation go smoother

Easily scalable and adjustable

Ease of installation is not limited to when you first receive your equipment and deploy it in your meeting rooms. You should also reflect on medium to long-term transformations:

1. Can you install other devices next to your existing meeting room setup, such as extension mics, cameras for multiple angle views, extra displays, wireless conferencing devices, etc.?
   
2. Can you completely change your meeting room setup? Say you have a standard, large meeting room and you´d like to turn it into a space for brainstorming and creative interaction?
3. Or even move the equipment to another meeting space and reinstall it? Everything without much hassle and expensive adjustments?

What meeting technology are other organizations investing in?

2. Is it reliable and secure?

Reliability in meeting room technology refers to how consistently the technology performs without failure over an extended period. This is essential in the hybrid workplace where meeting disruptions delay the order of business, diminish productivity, and lead to disgruntled and disappointed employees.

Several factors contribute to reliability:

• Hardware quality. Reliable devices are manufactured using high-quality materials that can withstand regular use and occasional mishaps, such as being dropped or bumped. This includes the durability of both external components and internal electronics.
• Software quality. The software powering these devices should be stable and benefit from regular updates, to improve functionality over time and keep up with evolving standards.
• Simple maintenance, quality service and support. Devices should be easy to maintain, and come with extensive customer support including technical assistance and hardware replacement.
  
  Did you know that all ClickShare devices, be it all-in-one-video bars, wireless conferencing systems for hybrid meetings and wireless presentation systems for face-to-face presentations, enjoy 5 years of warranty?
  
  
• Security. Your tech of choice must come with compelling security certifications. Make sure that it´s been rigorously tested and that it meets robust encryption standards to guarantee security and confidentiality.

3. Is it user friendly?

User-friendliness in meeting room technology is essential to ensure that everyone can effortlessly join and participate in meetings. Several elements contribute to making meeting room technology user-friendly:

Intuitive design for a smooth experience. The technology should have straightforward and clear interfaces, and intuitive controls (for e.g. well-designed buttons, readable screens, simple menus, clear labels) that will allow meeting attendees to start video conferences instantly.

No training required. The technology should be accessible for a wide range of users to use daily without training, allowing even those with minimal tech skills to operate it efficiently.

BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) support. Your meeting room technology should allow meeting participants to easily connect using their own devices, be it laptops, tablets or smartphones.

4. Is it flexible?

Flexibility in meeting room technology is essential because it allows easy adaptation to various technologies, meeting formats and participant needs, ensuring productivity and satisfaction regardless of changing requirements.

A flexible conference room solution will:

• be compatible with other meeting room hardware and software. This is what we call interoperability and it´s essential. So pick a solution with strong technology partners that can guarantee multiple meeting room devices will function seamlessly together.
• make it easy for people to join a meeting from different devices whether that is laptops, tablets or smartphones.
• allow easy access not only to employees but also guests; all while maintaining the infrastructure security and data confidentiality.
• support multiple videoconferencing platforms (such as Microsoft Teams or Zoom).
• be easily adjustable to fit different meeting room setups.

Get inspired by our meeting rooms

5. Is it easy to manage and monitor?

Knowing if your meeting rooms are functioning at their best, being able to easily check device status and intervene if necessary, will give you peace of mind, save time and effort.

So make sure your technology comes with a performant management platform that allows remote monitoring and management. But what is it specifically that you should look for?

A complete overview

The platform should present in a clear and visually-appealing way how your install base is functioning at a given moment and any overdue actions you have to take to ensure devices are running at their best.

Instant notifications

Management platforms should alert administrators immediately about issues such as disconnected cables or overheating units, to act quickly, decrease downtime and maintain operational continuity.

Integrated data analytics

Access to data will open the way for understanding employee meeting behavior, optimizing workspaces and increasing Return on Investment on the technology you worked so hard to implement. Among many others, here are four key questions you will have an answer to:

• Are workers adopting meeting technology?
• Is that happening company-wide or only in some locations?
• Are some meeting spaces underutilized? If yes, now you can investigate why and optimize your spaces.
• Do employees prefer hybrid meetings or do they meet face-to-face?

6. Is it environmentally friendly?

70% of organizations say that AV investments will be essential to their ESG (environmental, social and governance) strategy in 2024. Are you too looking to invest in meeting room devices that lower energy consumption and reduce your organization´s carbon footprint?

Then make sure your meeting room solution of choice has a low carbon footprint or, even better and more impressive, is carbon neutral.

How can you tell your technology has a lowered carbon footprint?

• Energy efficiency. Check if your technology has low power consumption whether in usage or in standby mode.
• Uses the right materials. Look for devices made from recycled or sustainably-sourced materials.
• Packaging and logistics. Ensure low carbon footprint choices such as packaging made of recycled materials and sea transportation instead of air.
• Designed for recycling. Check if the components are easy to disassemble and recycle and if the organization has a recycling program for its products.

As you consider the sustainability of a piece of technology, examine manufacturers' environmental claims. Not all claims may hold up under scrutiny, so look for devices with robust credentials confirmed by independent third parties such as those from the ISO 14000 environmental management standard.

What about a carbon-neutral solution?

A solution is considered carbon neutral when the net carbon emissions released throughout its entire lifecycle - from production to disposal - are reduced to zero. This entails reducing emissions as much as possible and then balancing out the remaining emissions by investing in carbon offset activities.

These activities include renewable energy projects, reforestation or afforestation, restoring coastal and marine ecosystems, regenerative agriculture or other carbon capture and storage methods.

What´s more, the process involves third-party certification by independent organizations. Certifications will provide credibility and transparency, reassuring consumers and stakeholders that the product is truly carbon-neutral and truly enacts climate action.