The business management landscape has shifted since COVID-19 revealed that physical presence in an office isn't necessary for employees to be productive. Employers are now benefiting from this by recruiting talent from beyond their local area. However, communication is still essential for workplace efficiency. As such, businesses are increasingly turning to video conferencing solutions to stay connected with clients and staff located further afield.
To get the most out of these solutions in your meeting rooms, you need the right setup. Here are five examples of video conferencing solutions suited to different types of meeting rooms.
- Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)
- Full-System Setups
- Hybrid Solutions
- 360° Tabletop Webcams
- Digital Whiteboards
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)
First up are the BYOD systems which provide you with a smart webcam and microphone system, but will require either an additional PC or a direct physical connection to your laptop in order to enable videoconferencing. As these are really just really high quality webcams, they are best suited to small spaces with likely no more than 4 physical participants in the room.
The Logitech MeetUp is a great example of this video conferencing solution. It's great compact system ideally suited to small to medium-sized conference rooms. It's got a 4K camera with a 120-degree field of view and an impressive audio system with echo cancellation and noise reduction technology, making it perfect for business meetings and team collaborations inside smaller spaces. Note that in the case of the Logitec Meetup, the NUC PC shown in the picture can be gotten by purchasing the ‘Zoom’ or ‘Teams’ kit specifically.
Compatibility and integration
The Logitech MeetUp can be configured to a wide range of software solutions, including Zoom and Microsoft Teams. It is also very easy to set up; all you have to do is plug it in and you're ready to start video conferencing. Additionally, the MeetUp is designed for hassle-free portability, so you can quickly move it from one conference room to another.
One potential downside to the Logitech MeetUp is that it is not designed for large conference rooms. While the 4K camera has a good field of view, it may not have sufficient zoom for larger rooms. Additionally, the audio system is not as powerful as some of the other products on this list, so it may not be suitable for larger rooms with more participants.
Full-System Setups
Full-system setups come at a heftier pricetag, but provide all the tech you need to plug-and-play. All the components come as individual pieces, so you can position the microphones and cameras in the most optimal position for your space.
Polycom's RealPresence Group 700 as an example is a video collaboration system that allows up to 25 participants to join a single physical conference, on top of your online participants. This makes it really great for large conference rooms where everyone needs to be seen and heard equally. The complete setup includes the Polycom Group microphone, EagleEye camera, power supply, cables, remote, and the 700-1080 codec.
Compatibility and integration
This system has highly reliable noise cancellation features to ensure the conference is pleasant for all participants. It also comes with facial recognition technology which automatically tracks meeting participants, keeping them in frame. Poly is one of the biggest conferencing brands for businesses in the industry, and is known for building really reliable, functional products.
The Polycom RealPresence Group 700 is a relatively expensive solution, as it caters to so many physical participants, so it may not be the best option for businesses on a tight budget. It also requires a dedicated network connection, which may be difficult to set up in some environments.
Hybrid Solutions
Right in the middle of these two first solutions sits the hybrid, which comes with all the equipment you need to plug and play, but doesn't have quite as many individual pieces to deliver the high-end videoconferencing solutions. For example, the microphone, speakers and camera are all integrated into the soundbar, allowing for a more compact final product but likely sacrificing some quality in the process. However, these do come with a PC as standard, and therefore the meeting participants don't have to bring in their laptops if they don't want to.
A good example is the Cisco Webex Room Kit. This advanced videoconferencing solution is designed for large conference rooms and features a 4K camera, an audio system with noise cancellation, and a touchscreen display. It is also compatible with a wide range of software solutions, making it ideal for businesses that require a powerful, all-in-one solution.
Compatibility and integration
The Cisco Webex Room Kit is compatible with Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Skype for Business, providing businesses with the flexibility to integrate their existing software solutions into the device. The Room Kit is designed to be easy to set up and use, so businesses can quickly get up and running with their new hardware. The device also offers APIs for developers and businesses to customise their experience, giving them more control over their videoconferencing solutions.
A potential drawback is that the APIs that are offered for customisation may be too advanced for some businesses. It is recommended to have professional support on hand if you’re looking for any integrations beyond the very basic videoconferencing features.
360° Tabletop Webcams
For those who want to make sure their meeting participants feel less like they're observing and more like they're seated at the table, a table top 360° camera is a great option. Like the BYOD devices, not all of these come as standard with their own PCs and therefore may act as a BYOD setup.
A great example is the Meeting Owl 3, an eye-catching device for small to medium conference rooms. It features a 360-degree camera with 8MP resolution and an audio system with noise cancellation technology and echo reduction. Through it’s integrated software, it automatically identifies people within the room and gives them their own video screen inside the video conference. This makes it much easier to follow who’s speaking at any one time.
Compatibility and integration
The Meeting Owl 3 is compatible with your expected suite of videoconferencing solutions like Teams, Zoom and Skype for Business, and is easy to integrate with your existing technology.
One potential downside to the Meeting Owl 3 is that the device does not have the most powerful sound processing capacity. For rooms with a lot of participants speaking at varying levels, this may present an issue, but OwlLabs do offer an additional microphone solution to help resolve this.
Digital Whiteboards
Finally, for those more collaborative meetings and huddle spaces, digital white boards or interactive screens might be the best soolution.
The Yealink MeetingBoard is a great example of this, with a 4K camera and an audio system that has an 8-meter voice coverage and noise cancellation built-in. It also comes with a whiteboarding capability to help participants draw, write and share their ideas with ease. Ideal for agencies or classrooms, handling remote brainstorming and creative sessions.
Compatibility and integration
The MeetingBoard is built completely around teamwork and collaboration, but of course the fact it's a large touchscreen drives cost of the system up a bit. It is compatible with all your expected videoconferencing solutions like Microsoft Teams and Zoom, and it has the added bonus of being able to take and share notes in real-time and hand them out to all participants after the meeting.
The integrated 4K camera provides smooth and stable HD teams meetings, and includes AI framing, Speaker tracking, and other smart features that make everyone feel like they’re in the room collaborating. Because the idea is to interact with the screen itself, you’ll likely use this in a slightly larger meeting space that offers some flexibility to move around.
At the end of the day, the videoconferencing solution you choose for your space needs will depend on the size of your room, the number of participants, and your budget. We hope this list offers a good starting point for you to find the perfect solution for your business. If you need any help finding the right solution, or integrating it into your overall office systems, our team are always happy to advise and support.