Workplace leaders are no longer asking whether hybrid work is here to stay. They are asking how to remove friction between people, places, platforms, and meeting experiences.
At InfoComm 2026 in Las Vegas, UC Today’s Marcus Law spoke with Keith Yandell, EVP of Innovation at FORTÉ. The interview took place inside the Smart Workplace Experience on the show floor.
Inside the Smart Workplace Experience
The installation was created through a collaboration between AVIXA and FORTÉ. It shows what a modern enterprise workplace can feel like when technology is built around user experience.
Yandell explained that AVIXA and FORTÉ wanted to focus on the experience layer. That meant looking at the workplace through different personas. These included the IT manager, the business line leader, and the knowledge worker.
Each group has different priorities and pain points. Those challenges become clear when people move between Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Webex, Google, mobile devices, laptops, and meeting rooms.
Why Workplace Friction Matters
The Smart Workplace Experience mirrors a typical Class A office environment. It includes an entryway, lobby experience, experience center, cafe, wayfinding, personal workspace, intelligent meeting room, monitoring and management, and a broadcast experience.
Yandell noted that corporate communications teams are also under more pressure. As a result, broadcast capabilities are now part of the wider workplace ecosystem.
