Modern meeting spaces have evolved. We’ve gone beyond basic spaces equipped with tables, chairs, and standard screens. In the age of hybrid work, meeting rooms need to leverage the latest tech, from AI-powered assistants, to automation, analytics, and immersive devices, to boost productivity.
As companies continue to encourage team members back into the office, smart meeting solutions that bridge the gaps between distributed workers are more crucial than ever. In fact, by 2030, the market for smart meeting room solutions is expected to reach a value of over $4.9 billion.
So, where is the future of smart meeting spaces heading? Based on our assessment of the current market, here are some of the top trends worth watching.
1. Increasing Demand for Flexibility
Countless different types of employees, from different generations are working together in the same hybrid workspace. Everyone has their own preferences, and requirements when it comes to engaging in effective meeting sessions. As a result, one-size-fits-all meeting solutions are becoming less appealing. Companies are embracing smart meeting rooms that can adapt to different needs.
We’re seeing a rise in not just “bring your own device” solutions, that allow team members to instantly connect smartphones, cameras, and other devices to a room setup, but also “bring your own meeting” software options. This gives teams the freedom to switch between different productivity tools, from Microsoft Teams, to Cisco Webex, based on their specific requirements.
This flexibility is being further enhanced by “Bring your Own Carrier” solutions for external cloud calling, as well as modular, intuitive meeting room screens, speakerphones, and even all-in-one plug and play room kits for modern teams.
2. Advanced Workspace Management Systems
As the flexible workspace evolves, managing teams, devices, and meeting rooms is becoming increasingly complex. Businesses need more innovative ways to optimize resource allocation, and empower teams to make the most out of their office environments.
Desk and meeting room booking software is growing increasingly sophisticated as a result, providing real-time insights into resource usage, and collaboration trends. Some vendors, like Microsoft are even embedding AI into workplace management tools. For instance, Microsoft Places uses Copilot to suggest spaces to team members based on colleague availability and amenities.
Intelligent workspace management solutions can even empower business leaders to adjust elements of a meeting room environment remotely. With access to IoT sensors, business leaders can adjust lighting, temperature, and other factors within a meeting room from anywhere, enhancing employee wellbeing, and productivity.
3. Increased Immersion in Meeting Rooms
Immersive collaboration is becoming increasingly critical in the hybrid workplace. Smart meeting rooms equipped with immersive technologies do more than boost engagement and creativity. They can enhance feelings of inclusion in the workplace, bridging the gaps between distributed workers.
Cutting-edge immersive solutions, like Microsoft Teams Immersive Spaces, combined with virtual or mixed reality headsets can connect team members more effectively for brainstorming, product design, and even training sessions. It’s not just extended reality and metaverse solutions that can make meetings more immersive however.
Intuitive hardware, such as interactive whiteboards and screens, smart speakers equipped with their own AI assistants, and video walls can boost immersion too. In the smart meeting space, immersive solutions have the power to break down the borders between modern teams.
4. The Growing Presence of AI
Artificial Intelligence is often the first thing that comes to mind in discussions about smart meeting rooms. Increasingly, the presence of AI in the meeting space is growing. Today’s teams have the opportunity to access everything from AI-powered cameras that effectively frame team members and improve image quality, to AI-powered assistants that transcribe meetings automatically.
Some interactive screens, like the Cisco Webex Board Pro G2 even come with intelligent assistants built-in. Plus, companies are experimenting with new functionalities in AI assistants, giving them the power to answer questions, create meeting agendas, and even assign action items to staff.
Going forward, AI in smart meeting rooms will be able to efficiently optimize meeting environments for different team members, and improve the quality of each conference. They’ll empower teams to spend more time focusing on the conversation, and less time “planning ahead”.
5. Deeper Insights and Enhanced Analytics
The rise of AI, and IoT-powered sensors in smart meeting rooms is also giving companies access to more advanced insights from every collaboration sessions. Today’s business leaders can gather data from every meeting, uncovering collaboration patterns, employee preferences, and more.
These insights can empower business leaders to make more intelligent decisions about how to allocate meeting room resources, while reducing operational costs. They can also assist businesses in improving employee wellbeing, with insights into environmental conditions in meeting rooms.
Plus, advanced analytical solutions can assist companies with driving new technology adoption, and even encouraging teams back into the office, with information on the factors that influence employee engagement. There’s even the opportunity to use smart insights to improve sustainability, with insights into energy usage, and automated systems for shutting down unused devices.
6. Increasing Focus on Smart Security
Finally, as the workplace continues to change, security, privacy and compliance remain core considerations for all organizations.
Today’s smart meeting rooms are often equipped with end-to-end solutions for security, leveraging encryption, authentication protocols, and intuitive networking systems. Some managed service providers can even boost security, with access to endpoint management solutions and fraud prevention as a service.
Going forward, security features will grow even more advanced with advancements in AI for real-time threat monitoring, and biometric access controls. This will help business leaders empower their flexible teams, while keeping their data and resources secure.
Embracing the Future of Smart Meeting Rooms
Smart meeting rooms are constantly evolving, adapting to the changing needs of modern teams, and the priorities of today’s business leaders. To make the most of your meeting room solution, you need more than just the right combination of hardware and software.
Tata Communications, a leader in the communication and collaboration space, makes it easier for businesses to upgrade their meeting rooms, with a holistic approach to deployment. Having built strong partnerships in the ecosystem, Tata Communications offers you the best of breed when it comes to every component that makes up a smart meeting room. Offering everything from global cloud voice to state-of-the-art hardware, and even managed services for analytics, collaboration insights, and SBC management, Tata Communications empowers teams to step into the future of work.
Rahul Sawardekar, GTM and Product Leader, Collaboration and Cloud Voice, Tata Communications, says: “Tata Communications works in multiple geographies, with multiple partners, all to activate smarter meeting room experiences for your global workforce. We ensure that your remote and in-room meeting participants have a seamless experience, irrespective of the size of the meeting room.
Our long-standing experience and expertise gives us the edge that is needed to tie together the complex components of endpoints, voice and UCaaS – to build a rich employee interaction fabric in your organization.”
