Most of us can barely remember the last time we had an in-person meeting.
Even before COVID-19 transformed the landscape, large boardroom conversations were growing increasingly less common. Companies around the world were discovering that video offered a more efficient and cost-effective way to keep people connected.
The pandemic of 2020 accelerated this trend, forcing all segments of our lives into a more “virtual” environment. Sales of tools like Microsoft Teams, Cisco Webex Teams and Zoom have skyrocketed. Endless employees are now decking their homes out with new tools for remote working.
The landscape has officially changed, and experts agree that there’s no going back.
However, that doesn’t mean that every company will maintain 100% remote workforce forever. As lockdown guidelines ease, more organisations are beginning to bring some employees back to the office – even if it’s just part-time.
The question is how do we manage collaboration in this new hybrid environment?
Is there a way to keep companies hygienic, and practice social distancing correctly?
The Rise of Contactless Collaboration
The COVID-19 pandemic made people across the globe increasingly cautious about the way that they communicate and collaborate. People aren’t going to be comfortable squashing into a huddle room in the months ahead. Similarly, many of us will want to avoid using the same equipment as the other people in our team.
So, how do companies manage this contactless approach when countless tools come with their own touch-screens and buttons to master. Companies like Cisco are already taking steps to support business leaders. In April, over half a billion people started using Webex – three times the normal amount.
In the last few months, Cisco has been placing more strategies in place to protect users with things like increased security and data protection. Cisco also upgraded the Cisco Control Hub. This single-pane-of-glass interface will allow companies to utilize Webex Assistant for their conference room technology.
Using voice control instead of buttons and touch screens will make it easier for companies to avoid the risks associated with sharing screens and touchpads. Webex Control Hub will also offer insights into which rooms are used most, so that companies can upgrade cleaning schedules accordingly.
Insights into meeting data will also support companies in checking usage trends so that they can understand how workstyles are changing in the age after COVID-19.
From Proximity Pairing to Wireless Connections
Before COVID began, companies were already looking for ways to reduce the amount they depended on wires and buttons. Today, contactless solutions will be more essential than ever. Digital assistants are likely to be on the frontline of these new environments.
The popularity of tools like Amazon Alexa and Google Home demonstrate just how successful virtual assistants can be. People are becoming more comfortable with the idea of using their voice to control everything from televisions to lighting.
In the business landscape, digital assistants are gaining traction as a way to simplify and enhance meeting spaces. Colleagues can start meetings in seconds with nothing but their voice. What’s more, virtual assistants can transcribe and translate information from meetings, so that people can check the details again later.
Artificial intelligence in meeting rooms can also enhance the quality of cools, removing things like distortion and noise, so that companies can focus more on the conversation at hand. Less time messing around with hardware makes it easier to keep meeting rooms hygiene.
Companies like Cisco have even launched tools like the Webex Room Phone to help with this simple set-up. The new device supports a range of functions beyond calls, including one-touch meeting joining, and proximity pairing with devices using the Webex app.
Proximity pairing ensures that employees will be able to dial into a meeting without using a shared device, reducing the risk of germs being transmitted around the office. Many other companies offering hardware for the meeting room are likely to take the same approach to help organisations that want to maintain social distancing measures.
Advanced Opportunities for the Meeting Room
Vendors all over the communication and collaboration landscape are adapting to this new virtual environment. Initially, these companies focused on making collaboration tools more accessible for home workers, updating security, and even providing free trials for companies.
Now, as the workforce returns slowly to the office, the focus will be on maintaining safety, no matter where employees are working from. This could even lead to an increase in the influx of AR technology. Companies like Microsoft have already introduced things like Cortana and HoloLens tools to offer a gateway into this environment.
One particularly intriguing brand, Spatial, is taking the mechanics of collaboration and web-based conferencing and pulling it into a 3D world. Spatial allows companies to use AR and VR to interact with content and information using gestures, rather than tapping on a screen.
The startup ensures that companies can meet people through augmented and virtual reality, reducing the need for in-person meetings. Currently, the experience requires people to use headsets to join a meeting. However, it may be possible to bypass the headset in the future.
According to Spatial’s CEO, Anand Agarawala, there’s been an intense amount of demand for tools like this since COVID began. Elsewhere, brands like Collaboration Squared are offering video windows that allow people inside and outside of the office work more closely together, without compromising on social distancing strategies.
These video windows connect environments through a large display that makes it feel as though everyone is sitting in the same room, even when they’re actually miles away.
A New Era for Work
The workplace has been changing dramatically in recent years. However, the rise of COVID-19 means that the progress we have made in the last few months is incredibly significant. New technology will make its way into the meeting room faster than ever before. As companies struggle to support a hybrid work environment, and keep everyone safe, digital transformation is the only way forward.
