Meeting rooms are going to change, and fast. For over a year now, we’ve been dealing with the realities of social distancing, pandemic-imposed restrictions, and a rapid digital transformation of the workforce. As companies gradually begin to plan for the future of work, and what it may entail, it seems that hybrid working will be the future tool. This will allow employees to leverage the benefits of both in-office and external environments. So, what does that mean for channel partners striving to equip their employees with the meeting solutions they need? There’s likely to be a series of new considerations that you’ll need to discuss with your clients in the months to come. Here are just some of the points to consider when building a hybrid meeting space.
Step 1: Discuss the Structure of the New Workforce
The first step for most channel partners will be to determine what kind of workforce their customers will be looking to build in the years ahead. Everyone is likely to have their own opinion of what the “hybrid workforce” might look like. Some will want their teams to be constantly connected through webcams on their desks so that ad-hoc conferences can start in seconds. Other companies will want to create more dedicated (but safe) meeting environments, where employees in the office can connect with remote workers over shared projects, in an environment similar to the old-fashioned conference room. Knowing what your customer’s workforce is going to look like going forward will make it easier to suggest the right kind of technology. For instance, many companies will need scheduling software that allows them to track the working hours of their internal and external employees. Companies with global staff may also need AI tools that can suggest meeting times based on shared “open slots” while taking time zones into account. Companies with business leaders who are likely to be hosting broadcasts and crucial conversations from home may want to equip their leadership with entire meeting room kits and 4K video, rather than asking them to rely on a basic webcam.
Step 2: Choosing the Hardware and Software
Once your customers have a solid idea of how their hybrid workforce is going to operate, the next step is finding the hardware and software combinations to facilitate that work. Most businesses will start with collaboration software, or UCaaS tool that their employees are already comfortable with, like Microsoft Teams, Cisco Webex, or Zoom. They may also need custom integrations with that software based on the technology that employees use every day. This will help to create a more complete single-pane-of-glass for work productivity. From a software perspective, make sure that your customers have all the UCaaS functionality they need, combined with collaborative tools for content sharing, conferencing, and video. You may also need to look into things like direct routing and SIP trunks for companies keen to bring their audio onto the cloud. What’s more, security and compliance solutions like intelligent recording systems are likely to be more valuable as the hybrid workplace develops. From a hardware perspective, the key is outfitting valuable meeting environments in a way that’s going to facilitate productivity, without compromising on safety. Employees both remote, and in the office will need access to video cameras that can easily capture human faces and zoom in on the people talking in a meeting. These cameras should work seamlessly with any meeting software the customer might use. All staff members will also need access to the right audio equipment. In a hybrid meeting room, microphone virtualization technology that makes it easier to pick up voices from around a wider space may be valuable to maintain social distancing. Tools that can block out external distractions and noise will also be a must-have, both in the traditional meeting room, and for employees working at home with distractions in the background.
