Meeting rooms are supposed to be the heart of collaboration – yet for many organizations, they have become a frustrating ROI nightmare.
Expensive equipment sits idle, employees struggle to start meetings, and IT teams spend more time troubleshooting than supporting actual work.
The result is wasted investment, frustrated staff, and lost productivity.
Vivek Kar, Head of Employee Interaction Suite at Tata Communications, says the issue goes deeper than hardware. “Intelligent meeting rooms eliminate the anxiety that often comes with hybrid meetings.
The less time people spend fixing technology, the more they focus on discussions itself
“We envisage a future where employees spend less time fixing technology, and human dialogue & interactions take center stage – unlocking outcomes & experiences that enterprises value”
The Meeting Room Nightmare
For many employees, entering a meeting room can feel like navigating an obstacle course. Multiple platforms, logins, and devices create friction at every turn – from starting a video call to sharing a presentation. Kar highlights the human cost of this complexity.
“Each switch disrupts workflow continuity and adds cognitive load… This fragmentation erodes employee efficiency and contributes to collaboration burnout,” he says.
Recent analysis by TMetric found that while employees spend 17 percent of their working time in meetings, only 28 percent of that time is productive – resulting in substantial financial waste for organizations when meetings start late or technology gets in the way.
Organizations often respond by buying the latest technology – new cameras, microphones, or video conferencing systems – thinking that hardware alone will solve the problem.
But Kar warns that this approach misses the real solution. The challenge is not just equipment, but how technology integrates into existing workflows and user experiences.
Beyond the Box: Integration and Strategy
Solving the meeting room ROI problem requires more than devices. It demands a strategic, end-to-end approach that ensures rooms work from deployment through day-to-day use.
Tata Communications calls this the “Day Zero to Day Two” approach, encompassing planning, integration, and ongoing support.
“Rather than enforcing a disruptive rip-and-replace approach, we deliver intelligent interoperability that seamlessly integrates voice, video, messaging, and presence across existing environments,” Kar explains.
This flexibility allows IT teams to consolidate management and avoid the complexity of juggling multiple vendors, licenses, and service providers.
The benefits extend to employees as well. When meeting technology works seamlessly, collaboration becomes easier, meetings are more productive, and morale improves.
When collaboration becomes seamless, people feel more connected, confident, and creative.
Kar states,
When meetings become more purposeful, teams engage more freely, and there’s a tangible lift in morale
The Value of a Trusted Partner
For organizations navigating regional regulations and complex IT ecosystems, a reliable partner is essential.
Tata Communications provides a single point of accountability, simplifying management while ensuring compliance and consistent service.
“For IT leaders, Tata Communications acts as an end-to-end managed service provider, simplifying management across multiple UC platforms, providing unified analytics, consistent SLAs, and end-to-end support. Instead of juggling multiple vendors and licenses, they have one accountable partner,” Kar notes.
This approach reduces the burden on IT teams and creates a predictable, reliable experience for employees.
With intelligent, integrated meeting rooms, staff can focus on collaboration rather than troubleshooting, and organizations can maximize adoption and return on investment.
From Cost Center to Business Enabler
The payoff of a holistic, integrated meeting room strategy is measurable.
For example, a Forrester Total Economic Impact study of Microsoft Teams Rooms reported a 342 percent ROI over three years, demonstrating how integrated meeting experiences can generate significant business value when properly implemented.
Projects move faster, decisions are quicker, and employees are more engaged.
“Simplifying UC directly impacts both productivity and retention… Employees who feel equipped and empowered by technology are significantly more engaged,” Kar says.
Looking forward, the ideal meeting room blends technology into the background so seamlessly that it becomes almost invisible. AI anticipates needs, connectivity is optimized automatically, and collaboration flows naturally. “The goal is simple: to make collaboration feel natural, human, and boundaryless,” Kar concludes.
The broader industry impact is well-documented: research from the London School of Economics found that 35 percent of business meetings are considered unproductive, costing US firms an estimated $259 billion annually.
For organizations tired of seeing meeting rooms drain resources rather than deliver value, the message is clear.
Investing in the right strategy, integration, and support can transform these spaces from a cost center into a true hub for innovation – improving adoption, boosting productivity, and creating an empowered workforce ready to collaborate and innovate.
