The Digital Workplace: Solutions – The Three Pillars

The rapid expansion of video conferencing platforms has led to a massive rise in the number of
businesses whose staff includes a mix of remote and hybrid employees.

So how do you choose what’s best for your digital workplace? Choose a platform that will
provide effective solutions for each of three pillars of the digital workplace: video conferencing,
wireless presentation, and scheduling.

Next, you’ll need to think about your business-specific needs.
Ask yourself the following:
• What types of spaces will best serve your organization — perhaps a few huddle rooms and a larger conference space? How many rooms do you think you’ll need? Is a big boardroom or auditorium in the mix?
• Will on-premises or cloud functionality best serve your remote and mobile workers? How can you support — in real-time — every member of the team?
• What distribution paths will push organizational content to all devices?
• Which broadband paths and topologies will prevent overloading your corporate network?
• What kind of operating systems and conference platforms will match your needs?
• Today’s workplace is constantly changing, so the need for scalable, flexible platforms that grow and change with the business is critical. How can we make the solutions adaptable — “future-ready?”
• What resources are we using to prop up what may be a legacy system? What are the costs of operating and maintaining those systems as technology advances beyond their capabilities?

The right video conferencing solution is key to the success of your digital workplace. Aspects of
a system include video, audio, and wired vs. wireless.

Let’s start with the video aspect. To ensure you have the right camera for the space, whether
coverage for a room full of people or a single individual at their desk, make sure that camera is
supported by an intelligent video solution with features such as framing and tracking to ensure
that all participants have an “equal seat” at the table.

The audio aspect, speakers and microphones, is just as important as video considerations and
arguably, even more so. (As long as a team member has audio, they can participate in a
meeting.) Microphones should provide proper coverage for the size of the room, speakers
should be free from distortion, and feature echo-cancelling to facilitate more natural
conversations and effective presentations. Remote workers or participants from a single desk
or office space may choose a headphone rig with an attached microphone and this important if
the employee is joining the team from a crowded space and needs to shut out ambient noise.

With wired vs. wireless, several things should be considered. Whether a meeting participant is
presenting from a laptop via Wi-Fi® or sharing content via USB and/or HDMI, you need to make
certain that their connection is reliable, and that the platform allows for both. You also need to
ensure the same for your remote workers joining a meeting via Wi-Fi or a cabled connection.

Hybrid work requires a solution that provides the flexibility to share, present, and host a local
or hybrid meeting from one device. Whether you’re in a huddle space, auditorium, board room,
together with everyone in one location or distributed across time zones, you need a system
that efficiently integrates devices for effortless collaboration, presentation, video conferencing,
and digital signage throughout your enterprise.

To address these evolving needs, a robust hybrid wireless work solution is required. These advanced systems not only integrates various devices but also offers enhanced functionality to ensure effortless collaboration across different settings. It empowers teams to seamlessly share and present content, regardless of their physical location. Whether colleagues are physically present in the same room or participating remotely, this solution enables everyone to actively contribute and engage in meetings.

As hybrid work becomes the more widespread, businesses must ensure every employee has a
space to meet, collaborate, conduct independent work, and be productive, as well as having
the necessary technology. An effective scheduling system prevents the team from wandering
around the facility, hunting for a space to work.

There are several scheduling elements to consider, including booking (managing available
spaces), availability (identifying the right space), utilization (designing the workspace), flexibility
(easily change the workspace), scanning (badges) and sensing (occupancy).

Along with the scheduling features mentioned above, room control is another factor. Two
aspects to consider here are localized, automated control (a sensor triggers room to a specific
state) and integration with third-party devices (automatically recognizes and integrates
devices).

CREATING A HIGH-PERFORMANCE DIGITAL WORKPLACE
The right digital workplace seamlessly links team members anywhere in the world. While specifics can vary wildly — from the physical footprint of a room to a team member’s individual needs for, say, sharing content — there are some fundamental considerations when choosing a solution:
• Is the platform easy to use? Easy to deploy? Easy to support, monitor, and troubleshoot? Are
clear and concise training resources available?
• Does it include devices that are purpose-built? Can those devices provide intelligent
video, clear audio, localized AV options, intuitive content distribution, and effective video
conferencing solutions?
• Does the solution include scheduling tools to ensure that rooms, desks, and equipment are all
available?
• Is the solution scalable — can you easily add or change spaces, and support those spaces?
• Is the platform “future-ready” — can it handle upgrades as new technologies are developed?

If your organization is ready to bring intelligent Digital Workspace solutions to your new building, Creation Networks is here to help. We design, install, and program state-of-the-art AV systems in businesses across California and nationwide. Contact Us Today

For more info and a handy checklist of action items, download the full Crestron eBook “Keys to
the Digital Workplace.”