Match Game: What Collaboration Tech Do I Need in Which Space?

Conference Rooms

Conference rooms present unique technology requirements because they can be used for so many purposes. Employees may hold meetings there in the morning, work on projects through lunch, and pitch sales to a client in the afternoon of the same day. You need a system that can lend itself to all of these practices with as little hassle as possible.

Turn to a large, touchscreen video wall to help your purposes. Connect the system to the internet to allow presentations an added dynamic, being able to pull videos from a web browser or import documents directly to the system to be pulled up when needed. The touchscreen capabilities allow for a more dynamic and fluid presentation, while the separate components of the video wall allow for documents to be segmented and delegated to aesthetically pleasing fractions of the screen. Screen sharing and content capturing can make it so that these documents are shown to those videoconferencing in live, or sent to them later on.

If you do wish to attach a videoconferencing camera to the system to allow for remote presentations and meetings with remote employees, this is relatively simple for an integrator to accomplish. The biggest problem will be capturing audio correctly. Ceiling microphones can be great, unless there is a load of ambient noise coming from outside and sometimes within the conference rooms. Gooseneck microphones provide great sound but can be bulky and aesthetically unpleasing, and allow little mobility to the speaker. Microphones can be built into tables in front of designated seats, but can’t be moved. You’ll need to use your best judgment based on size and use of the space.

Corporate Boardrooms

Corporate Boardrooms often utilize less function that a conference room would. Often, it is simply a place for the highest members of the company to gather and decide on big picture moves that the company will make. Often it consists of a large number (ten or more) of managers and officers that all might need to weigh in.

This is where gooseneck microphones probably are best suited. They get closest to the speakers mouth and allow for crisp, clear audio, which is especially helpful for employees that are calling in or video conferencing from another location. Take it a step further and get a conferencing system with gooseneck mics attached. They can be wired and built into the table or wireless and left to charge when not in use. They should include a base unit that allows members to vote yea or nay by clicking a button on their system. They should also involve a designated ‘speaker’ unit for the CEO or employee in charge. These units are able to mute all other microphones when necessary, making it possible to keep the meeting moving forward when members get restless.

Be sure to include a simple videoconferencing system for travelling employees if necessary. Nothing too complicated is necessary, but the remote employee should see/be seen and hear/be heard.

Mix & Match

In an ideal world, your company will have designated areas for all of these spaces and the practices that go along with them. However, many companies will have a huddle room that doubles as a conference room that triples as a corporate boardroom. Many companies won’t have room for huddle spaces. It’s not so much about the title as the functionality of the space. Think about what your employees will be doing in there, how they will be collaborating, and include the appropriate equipment.

Just make sure you’re collaborating correctly. You don’t want to be left behind.