Audio technology solutions are evolving at a relentless pace, but sometimes these new products and systems can be unnecessarily complicated.
This complexity can often be sold as a unique selling proposition (USP) or a sign of “superiority” over simpler systems: the more time and energy needed to manage can only mean it is top-class, right? However, as organisations across the world redesign their office space to accommodate hybrid working, they don’t want complex kit or a solution that needs specialist knowledge for maintenance or upgrading.
Companies adopting a hybrid work environment want audio solutions that are easy to use, install, and that won’t break the bank.
“When a system is so complex that IT doesn’t have the time or resources to manage it, end users will likely also struggle to use it,” said Darren Zwack, VP of marketing at Nureva.
“Most team members in organisations have little patience for mastering technology just to have a hybrid meeting. They want to stop wasting time with technology and get down to the important conversations.
“For hybrid work to actually work, the audio experience in hybrid meetings needs to be easy and natural – which isn’t always the case with complex audio systems”
To ensure they choose the right solution, businesses must first figure out what their audio needs really are and then choose a product that fits into their budget, Zwack added.
Focus on Your Needs
To make hybrid meetings easier for employees, managers should opt for audio solutions that offer full-room coverage without the need for multicomponent systems.
“In hybrid meetings, people need to be able to move from their seats – perhaps to use a whiteboard – and still be heard,” said Zwack.
“Requiring people to stay seated within an area of coverage can make meetings feel stilted – having to avoid dead zones in the room is a distraction that just makes everything more complicated.”
Ideal meeting room audio systems should also be able to prioritise voices over background noises, making it easier for remote participants to clearly hear the conversation in the meeting.
As well as that, they should be able to work with all the major UC&C platforms, such as Zoom or Microsoft® Teams, as sometimes employees might need to use a different platform to engage with someone outside of the organisation.
Nureva® Audio as a Solution
Audio specialist Nureva kept this bugbear in mind as it developed its patented Microphone Mist™ technology. Microphone Mist technology fills a room with thousands of virtual microphones, picking up the voice of meeting participants, regardless of whether they are sitting, standing or moving. It offers organisations struggling with constrained IT budgets a cost-effective, easy-to-use solution that can be installed in less than an hour.
Nureva audio systems also continuously recalibrate, meaning that if an organisation needs to reconfigure a space, the audio adjusts automatically to ensure users have the clear sound quality they need.
“Now that hybrid work has become commonplace, it’s become more obvious than ever that simpler solutions aren’t just nice to have – they’re a necessity,” stated Zwack.
“When we developed Microphone Mist technology, the team designed it to make everything as easy as it could be, with both the IT director and end user in mind.
“Not to say that this patented technology itself is easy, but by taking an innovative approach to audio conferencing, we are able to pass on a much an easier experience to customers.”
