We’re all accustomed to online meetings. It was the only way to bring people together when the COVID-19 pandemic sent people home to work. While some workers have returned to the office, it’s become evident for many companies that they’re always going to have remote workers, either fully remote, hybrid or both, and that presents a different work scenario. It can be difficult to gather people together from both in-office and remote locations, but new technology can help facilitate good meetings.

You know you’re having a good meeting when people are engaged with each other. For that to happen everyone needs to be able to see and hear each other. Distractions like background noise are minimized. There’s no fumbling to get the meeting going or to change presenters. The speaker isn’t boring.

Unfortunately, technology can’t turn a boring presentation into an exciting one, but it can set the stage for the kind of collaboration that makes meetings worthwhile. It’s all a matter of having the equipment that turns quality input into quality output.

Input and Output for Quality Online Meetings

The input for an online meeting comes from the cameras that capture video and the microphones that capture audio. The output is what participants see on their screens and hear from their speakers. If any of these points are sub-standard, you risk losing participants’ attention.

For example, have you ever been on a meeting when you can’t hear someone? The poor audio experience takes the focus away from what the person is saying. Or have you ever had a conference call when you couldn’t determine which person around the table was speaking? Modern equipment solves problems like this.

Introducing the Video Bar

Enter the video bar. A video bar has a web cam, multiple microphones, and speakers all in one.

Camera Picks Up on Individual Faces

Upgrade your conference room camera to a video bar that automatically tracks and frames the speaker, and you’ll always know who’s talking. These cameras, like the ones from Poly, have built-in software that not only picks up on each face but can arrange them out individually, just like you’d see them if everyone had their own camera.

Microphones Minimizes Background Noise

Modern video bars have AI powered ability to block out undesirable noise. You won’t hear HVAC humming, papers shuffling, keyboards typing, or even the breeze coming through a window. The sounds that you want to hear are picked up by multiple microphones on the video bar so you can follow the conversation.

Stereo Sound for Your Conference Room

Audio comes through loud and clear for the people who are gathered in your conference room. Meeting participants can catch every word and nuance, so people don’t just hear, they can better understand what the speaker is saying.

Video Bars for Individuals

Whether they’re working from home or in an office setting, individuals need to have the equipment that supports good meetings. Consider an all-in-one solution like a video bar that is similar to those you can get for a conference room. For people who prefer a headset, upgrading to the latest technology could provide a big bump up in input and output quality.

Displays for Simultaneous Presenter and Participant Views

The output we haven’t talked about yet is what meeting participants in the conference room will see. Eliminate having to choose between seeing the participants or the presentation when you have two screens. Share content on one screen while meeting participants can stay in view on the other.

Turn Your Conference Room into a Teams Room

More and more companies are turning their conference rooms into “Teams” rooms to make it easier to facilitate meetings with team members working from in-office and remote locations. All you need is a Microsoft license for the application, a small PC or tablet, and modern video and audio equipment and you can invite the room to your next meeting or start an impromptu huddle when you need to talk something out.

Learn about Teams Rooms from Microsoft:

Better Meetings Means Better Collaboration

Investing in technology that enhances the experience your people have in meetings translates into better collaboration. When participants aren’t straining to be hear or be heard, and they can see what’s going on, they can interact more naturally. Not only can work get done, but relationships can develop and that’s how you nurture the best collaboration.

Up Your Meeting Game with Technology

At XPERTECHS, we bring our clients the technology solutions they need to improve operations and enable their success. We get to know each company’s business so that our recommendations fit the way their organization works while introducing them to new ideas – like meeting technology – that make it possible to up their game. If that’s not what you’re getting from your current IT provider, we should talk.

Contact us to schedule a consultation.