Recently, one of the largest dedicated providers of collaboration services in the world, PGi, announced that they would be launching GlobalMeet 5.0, an upgraded service for unified communications and collaboration intended to re-design the mobile and desktop experience for the enterprise and IT users.
The refresh of GlobalMeet isn’t just about giving the system a fresh lick of paint – although the design is undoubtedly more modern. Instead, PGi is focusing on reinventing their video, audio, and web collaboration strategy through WebRTC and HTML5 technology to give users a more intuitive and in-depth experience, complete with consistent user support.
In celebration of the new launch, I had the wonderful opportunity to speak with Pat Harper, the Chief Technology Officer for PGi, who joined me in a meeting to discuss how the system has been re-optimised for users and implemented with solutions that are simple, streamlined, and effective.
How Does GlobalMeet 5.0 Respond to Market Trends?
As the communication world becomes increasingly competitive, GlobalMeet 5.0 is the PGi strategy that’s designed to respond to the ever-changing needs of the industry. Pat told me that it’s about managing the ongoing story of technology, and how companies need to embrace newly emerging technologies and roll them into improved business solutions.
“We’ve been seeing the evolution of communications for some time now, going from dial-up conferencing to video conferencing, web conferencing, and multi-device end-points that allow for a more mobile workforce.”
“At the same time, meeting spaces are changing as enterprise spaces become huddle rooms, and more companies are embracing agile methodologies that they use to mix generations and talents around the world. All of this is driving changes in the marketplace.”
Pat also noted that the communication industry is now beginning to take solutions from elsewhere too, like the gaming industry, with high-definition solutions, augmented reality, virtual reality, and more.
“Another trend we see quite often is that more people are using chat instead of audio, and this is a natural solution for digital nomads who come from the world of social media messaging. Beyond that, there’s the integration of artificial intelligence, smart meetings, and so on. Everything is becoming more intelligent.”
For PGi, the roadmap for GlobalMeet 5.0 is all about embracing all the different tech and business trends available and wrapping them into a solution where you can get everything you need for evolution in the same product.
What Will GlobalMeet 5.0 Bring to Users?
The GlobalMeet 5.0 version was given a complete architectural overhaul according to Pat. Although PGi did some things in 2017 to extend the capabilities of the system with a more robust system for launching and HD audio, 5.0 takes the strategy to the next level, using the latest in cloud-based technology to bring additional functionalities into the system without the need for additional software installations and work.
“We switched away from a flash-based system into a WebRTC and HTML5 system, which is more network-friendly, and we also upgraded HD audio and video, and enhanced the whole system to deliver a richer experience.”
“We’re also making the product brand-able so that it’s easier for anyone to take the tech that we have and re-sell it. It’s an architecture that allows us to build on future releases that will integrate with /unified-communications/ucaas solutions too.”
Ultimately, the re-developed GlobalMeet 5.0 strategy is intended to give users a simpler, but more exciting experience with their communication strategy. It’s easy to use and control in a world where people are connecting to bigger, better and broader meeting experiences, build on the microservices trend.
“It’s about breaking everything down into these small consumable APIs based on the cloud. This means that everything can run in an open-stack environment or open-cloud solution. We’ve also made the upgrade experience as seamless as possible. While users will see a difference, it will also feel familiar.”
How Does GlobalMeet 5.0 Excel Where Other Vendors Miss the Mark?
The GlobalMeet 5.0 update has been a labour of love for the people at PGi. Pat told me that the company has invested in extensive user-testing based on the cloud against demographics including business users. They found that graphical user interfaces provided with web conferencing experiences have been shoddy at best up until this point.
“They all need some help with training to ensure people can make full use of the product. Basic meeting functions are very poorly done.”
Pat told me that one thing PGi wanted to do when they launched 5.0, was make sure that the meeting entry and management was intuitive as possible, measured against what other people in the market were currently doing.
“We spent a lot of time re-engineering the UI, which pops you into the room very quickly and helps you get into the conversation faster.”
Pat suggested that now, all companies should be focusing more heavily on the concept of the user experience in this competitive environment.
“There’s no time to waste on getting people up to date with new tools. You want them to hit the ground running with processes in a way that’s simple and cost-effective.”
The new GlobalMeet solution comes from more than 2 decades of research into making sure that UC&C is right for the user.
“GlobalMeet connects teams with the best audio, video, and web conferencing strategies while delivering a clear path to the future of communications.”
