Most meeting rooms are not equipped with the technology needed to facilitate effective meetings, according to Shure.
The firm notes that the equipment used for information sharing in most modern meeting rooms is surprisingly basic. Research indicates that the equipment which is there can be a challenge for many meeting participants to use.
Shure’s insights, taken from the Frost and Sullivan report on Virtual Meetings and the New Era of Work, reveal some uncomfortable truths about the modern meeting environment. The report notes that around 87 per cent of collaborators consistently report that they’re stressed and frustrated with the tech in their meeting rooms. Frost and Sullivan’s study notes that a range of events, from the pandemic to civil unrest, have prompted greater demand for virtual collaboration tools.
Shure believes that this report from F&S is evidence that teams need to rethink their meeting rooms.
A Growing Demand for Better Meeting Rooms
According to Shure, the objective of the new quest to redesign the meeting room will be to create an environment that supports anywhere, anytime collaboration for agile teams. However, Shure also says that it’s difficult for teams to know where to start, particularly when 95% of companies aren’t equipped to support great meetings.
More organisations are rapidly accessing cloud-enabled technology innovations and pairing these with modern AV solutions. Frost and Sullivan say that the future meeting room will need to be equipped with tools that complement the robust, modern cloud environments that teams are investing in.
In this environment, high-quality audio will be a must-have, and Shure says that there are various important audio considerations to address when planning the best meeting rooms. These considerations cover everything from room acoustics to in-room participants, remote participant attendance, and visual display placement. There are also collaboration tools, noise pollution sources, and ease of use to think about.
Driving Efficiency with Audio Systems
Flawless audio is a crucial contributor to better meetings, according to Shure. A poor audio system is a key concern in many organisations, with 70% of senior managers agreeing that meetings are still inefficient and unproductive. The right audio can deliver benefits to:
- Administrators: Remote management of correctly managed meeting room solutions allow support staff to gain full control from any environment. The need to visit rooms to make audio system adjustments in person is eliminated. Additionally, engineers won’t have to visit meeting rooms to run diagnostic tests, software updates, and power cycling tests
- Users: Well-configured audio devices allow users to focus on the discussion and information at hand, limiting the need to touch equipment in shared rooms to perform tasks. Users don’t have to connect personal computers, adjust device volume, or reposition tabletop audio devices, which is crucial in a socially distanced workspace
Shure also believes that it’s important for every company to ensure that the tech they choose is easily upgradable and flexible enough to work with new technology.
