The move to remote working last year may have been a scramble for most businesses but, in many ways, it was simpler than the challenge of preparing for a world of hybrid working.
Companies are now left with a combination of new and legacy technology, as well as workforces with differing expectations of how the future of work should look for them.
When it comes to technology, businesses have a plethora of options such as webcams, collaboration bars, all-in-one devices, and then purpose-built solutions such as Microsoft Teams Rooms.
What is clear, however, is that meeting rooms need a refresh if they are to exist in a hybrid working world.
AudioCodes UC Solutions Consultant, Jason Wyatt, sat down with UC Today to give his top tips on how to approach the meeting room revolution.
He said that a blanket approach of buying devices in bulk will not be an effective method for most businesses.
“I think the best place to start is to look at the different use cases and user personas that exist within their organisation, and that includes meeting room solutions,” he explained.
“This will dictate what sort of equipment they will require.”
For the vast majority of businesses, this will most likely require technology to cater for both employees working at home and in the office – often in a way that will let people in both environments participate in the same meeting.
This is unlikely to change even when restrictions brought on by the pandemic have largely been revoked. Wyatt said businesses should not underestimate the impact this has had on the future of work.
“The way that organisations have had to change the way they work, enabling a UC Solution to allow employees to communicate and collaborate from home, has brought in a huge culture change within those organisations,” he said.
“This will continue for the foreseeable future; organisations will need to provide alternative solutions for those that are working in-office and or at home.
“The evolution of the ‘me and we’ meeting spaces will see smaller huddle rooms with video capability, desktop PC’s now being equipped with cameras and users being given native Teams desk phones with or without a video capability”
Integrating Technology
Many businesses are now in the process of connecting their legacy systems with the technology they adopted to stay operational during the first lockdowns.
This is no easy task, but it is one that is necessary to ensure employees have the capabilities they need wherever they choose to work.
However, Wyatt said that it doesn’t necessarily mean that old systems need to be ripped out.
“One of the biggest challenges that has been cited by many organisations looking to adopt and embrace a UC Solution such as Microsoft Teams is managing a multi-Vendor environment,” Wyatt explained.
“Many organisations are trying to combine the UC solution they adopted with their existing telecommunications system. We call this coexistence and it’s something where we can really help.
“Implementing a session border controller SBC that can sit between the legacy system and a UC Solution will enable an organisation to allow employees to go back to the office but also benefit from the additional functionality they’ve become use to during the pandemic.
“Certainly, for the foreseeable future organisations need to provide the capability for those that are office based to be able to communicate and collaborate with those that are still working from home.”
