Managed.IT - issue 59

24 01732 759725 COLLABORATION where different technologies and scenarios need to be combined. Focus on the needs of users and let a knowledgeable reseller guide you to the right decision. Will workers be using their own laptops with meeting apps such as Microsoft Teams or Zoom or are you looking for an all-in- one meeting room solution? 3 Home working trends The coronavirus pandemic has forced businesses and organisations to take a more balanced and agile approach to working arrangements, with some people wanting to work permanently from home, others preferring the office and many wanting a mixture of both. Over the next six to 12 months, we expect to see major growth in hybrid video solutions, suitable for board rooms and huddle rooms as well as dedicated home working environments for users that demand the highest quality audio and video experience. Demand for hardware and software that are easy to install, easy to use and give users at all locations the same guaranteed, enterprise-quality standards will surge. 4 Make room in the office What are the spaces like where your organisation is going to hold video meetings? Don’t restrict yourself to traditional conference rooms but In an unpredictable and uncertain world, businesses need reliable solutions to keep staff safe and maintain performance no matter where they are based. Here at Konftel, we make it easy for people to get together without a physical meeting, from their office, from their home or from a mixture of both. Just follow the six steps below to ensure all your employees enjoy high quality, natural collaboration wherever they choose to work. 1 Needs analysis Start by assessing the requirement for distance meetings in your organisation. How many participants might there be, which service or platform do you want to use, and will you need to offer, and sometimes combine, multiple offerings? It’s important to adopt ‘agnostic technology’ that works seamlessly with different conferencing platforms, such as Zoom, WebEx and BlueJeans, so that you can communicate effectively with any customer or supplier that joins a call. 2 Choose mode of use Next, decide which use cases and types of distance meeting are to be supported. There are user-friendly solutions for all services and platforms, also for environments think, too, about equipping smaller spaces, such as huddle rooms. The size of the room and the furniture layout will dictate the type of camera you need. A suitable camera for a huddle room, where participants will be close to the display, should have a wide field of view – ideally around 120 degrees – so that everyone fits easily into the picture. In deep rooms, it is useful to have a good- quality optical zoom, combined with panning and tilting. 5 Installation If you choose a video kit from Konftel, installation is quick and easy whether at home or in the office. If you don’t want to spend time on advanced cable installations, Konftel’s smart One Cable Connection HUB lets you connect the camera, audio device and display to a computer with one USB cable. Some high-performance cameras don’t even need a computer. 6 In the meeting It’s a good idea to check what everyone in a meeting will be seeing. An extremely muddled or noisy background makes it more difficult for participants to concentrate on what’s being said. Try to look into the camera at regular intervals during a meeting, even if you are taking notes, so that everyone feels involved. Final Thoughts People’s requirements, applications and preferences are many and varied, so it’s important to consider as many options as possible. For today’s dispersed workers, a high performance video solution like the new all-in-one Konftel CC200 collaboration camera is a perfect fit – you don’t even need a computer. Also popular are simple but high quality add-on USB devices like the Konftel Ego portable Bluetooth speakerphone, C20Ego, and the Cam20/Cam50 camera systems. With a complete range to choose from, there is bound to be a Konftel solution that meets your needs. www.konftel.com Jeff May, UK Sales Director at conferencing specialist Konftel, explains what to look for when choosing a video collaboration solution for a hybrid workforce Distance no object Jeff May