In the second floor’s reception lobby, an area designed for meet-and-greets — a 2×2 NEC digital signage array runs promotional videos. This floor is also home to a training area with two multipurpose Learning Centers. Instead of table microphones, each center has a highly specialized Meyer Sound Constellation system of ceiling mics. These microphones control reverb that might otherwise impede clarity, and they allow participants to talk in a normal tone of voice and still be clearly heard by attendees across the room. Biamp Tesira audio digital signal processors can connect with other rooms in the building through direct dialing or an audio bridge. Both Learning Centers feature digital displays (including three Sharp 90-inch panels in one of the forums) and a lectern with a Crestron confidence monitor that allows the presenter to see material before it’s shared with the room. AVI-SPL handled this aspect of the integration working from AV designs by SLR Consulting.
Enbridge catered to each business unit to build out the rest of its floor the way it sees fit. Each floor has an enterprise zone that everyone can use, as well as an operations room, which meets special requirements that are specific to the way that division does business. For instance, in the IT department’s security operations room, a video wall of four Sharp displays gives insight into the health of Enbridge’s network and servers. The network logistics room’s video wall of six NEC displays (two vertical, three horizontal) works with software that helps Enbridge plan work on existing and future pipelines. The top three displays are dedicated to run Enbridge’s custom-built software, while the bottom three are available for users who want to connect their personal devices.
As plans to implement certain types of equipment were met with room limitations, AVI-SPL adapted. When a projector intended for the large meeting rooms wouldn’t work, the team switched to 90-inch Sharp LCDs.
“We had scoped our projectors as part of the large meeting room solutions,” says Ladha. “Once a 90-inch digital display was available, we decided to change from the projector to the LCD. AVI-SPL is always available to assist us and is open to making changes.”
Enbridge wanted consistency from its revamped meeting spaces, and that’s what the company and its staff now enjoy. In every general meeting space, the presenter station is on the right side of the display, at the front of the conference table. While the number of a particular type of equipment, such as microphones, varies depending on room size, the equipment — e.g. Biamp Audia digital signal processors — generally remains the same.
The rooms also share a common, simplified way to connect devices. Staff members connect their devices via the cable cubbie; instant switching then places that device’s content on the room display.
“We created a user-friendly interface,” says Newson. “If you bring in a laptop, you know what connection you need to give a presentation, because the touch panel shows a picture of the connection. People are not second-guessing themselves anymore.”
They can bring in any device – laptop, tablet – and know they can connect them to the room system and start a meeting underway in less than a minute. Since the integration, Ladha has noticed a reduction in the amount of calls by staff needing technical support.
“There’s been 80 percent positive feedback in terms of the experience of booking and using rooms,” Ladha says. “We’ve increased productivity because the rooms are easy to find and it’s now easier to start meetings.”
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