WHY THE VIDEO CONFERENCE ROOM STILL MATTERS

What’s inside.

IntroductionIn today’s digital age, it’s tempting to wonder if the video conference room will soon become obsolete. After all, with our personal devices and always-on connectivity, people can meet wherever they are, whenever they need to collaborate. Currently, nearly 67% of the global workforce take advantage of anywhere working. Compared to May 2012, when only 14% benefited from remote working, this is a huge and relatively fast shift in working culture.

With the growth in remote workers, the need for collaborative meeting spaces is on the rise to connect on- and offsite workforces. Aragon Research reports that there will be a fivefold growth in video-enabled conference rooms between 2015 to 2020. The trend is to digitize not only conference rooms, but open workspaces and smaller huddle areas.

Your video conference spaces are prime real estate and they have the potential to offer a high ROI in productivity, efficiency and usage.

In this eBook, we’ll explore how you can maximize your video conference rooms to drive video adoption, facilitate deeper collaboration, defy distance across your organization and lead in the workplace of the future.

By the year 2020,

of conference rooms will be

video-enabled.

50%

- The Aragon Research Globe™ for Web and Video Conferencing, 2016: Video Powers the Digital Enterprise

by Jim Lundy

Prediction:

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Select the right tools for the right space

While traditional video conference rooms remain an anchor in most organizations, today’s accessible video technology means any space can be turned into a video collaboration space. However, to realize the most ROI around your technology investments, you need to select the right tools and technology for your collaboration needs. Most enterprises

are only realizing

of technology’s business potential.

43%

- Gartner CIO Agenda Report global survey of over 2,000 CIOs by Gartner, Inc.'s Executive Programs.

vs

2

Traditional conference room

• Long, boardroom style

• People unable to hear/see far end

• Camera at far end of room

• Low-resolution video blown up on large screen

3

• Meeting in the round

• Everyone can see/hear clearly

• Collaborative experience

• Touchscreen sign-on

Today’s conference room

4

The rise of team collaboration spaces

of knowledge workers say they feel the need to collaborate with

others in their day to get work done.

82%

- Steelcase Research,How the workplace can improve collaboration.

In addition to transforming previously unused spaces into meeting rooms, we’re seeing a return to an ancient collaboration design principle: the circle. Whether gathering around a campfire in the Stone Age, students sitting in a circle around Socrates or families eating at a round table—the circle has powerful collaborative qualities.

• No hierarchy. In a circle, no one sits at the “head” of the table. Each person has equality.

• Everyone is heard and seen. There is no “far” end of the table.

• More comfortable. People naturally feel more relaxed and creative when gathered in a circle.

• Better engagement. Gathering in a circle elicits an openness that encourages people to participate in the discussion and feel more connected to one another.

With these advantages, more businesses are creating collaboration spaces that incorporate a circular design. These spaces complement and do not replace huddle rooms and other conference spaces. They are perfect for creative and design teams, ad hoc meetings, brainstorming and collaborating on projects in real-time.

5

Inviting, open environment encourages participation

Technology is at the center and does not disrupt the connection

between those in the circle

Relaxed, comfortable seating

To learn more about Polycom® RealPresence Centro® or to download an idea book “13 Compelling Use Cases for Polycom RealPresence Centro”, visit polycom.com.

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1. 2. 3.

Make user experience your top priority

To avoid wasting time on late-start meetings, fumbling with technology or running into meeting distractions, every video-enabled meeting space needs to focus on creating a consistent, easy, high-quality user experience. There are three must-have UX principles that each space should incorporate:

Touchscreen logins and apps allow people to easily join a meeting, even when they walk in late. Also, built-in scheduling assistants that already know the dial-in info when you enter the room save time and make joining as simple as the push of a button. Crystal clear visuals and audio ensure that everyone is seen and heard, every time.

Traditional video conferencing can feel intimidating because of how complicated it is to run the meeting. Today’s video systems automatically adjust to speaker’s volume, autofocus on the speaker’s face, eliminate background noises such as keyboard typing, rustling papers, dogs barking, etc., without you having to do anything. And the mute button is clear and easy to see the whole time.

Collaboration nearly always hinges on sharing content that needs input or decision-making. You should be able to share content to and from multiple devices without having to reconnect cables. See content easily and simply. Every time.

At least

of the time spent in meetings was a waste of time.

30%

- Industry Week survey

Deliver an easy experience

Use tools that auto adjust

Share content with a touch of a button

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Equip the room for the ultimate user experience

Think simplicity, flexibility and performance when it comes to deciding how to outfit the room. The right features will enhance your business processes and create a user experience that encourages adoption.

Virtual meetings should be as natural as communicating in person. Hover over red

circles to reveal the ultimate

user experience features.

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What size is your space?

The size of your meeting space will influence the type of technology you need and the way people will collaborate in that space. vSmaller rooms evoke more informal interactions that often come up at the spur of the moment. As you contemplate your spaces, consider the type of feeling and experience you want your users to have. Always keep the end goal in mind: clear, unhindered visual and audio communication. Hover over

images to reveal specific space details.

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Drive adoption

Up to

of people don’t realize video is available to them or don’t know they are

allowed to use it.

80%

With the right equipment in place, it’s time to drive adoption.

Connect people to technology

• Promote your video solutions. Make sure people are aware of the technology and what it can do. Oftentimes, up to 80% of people don’t realize video is available to them or don’t know they are allowed to use it.

• Set expectations that video should become a natural part of their work life.

• Help people understand what’s in it for them.

• Have them try it out in a no-pressure environment. Make it fun.

• Show them with an open house, have video ambassadors in every department to help people learn how to use it.

• Avoid using the word “training” as it can make it sound too complex or daunting.

• Place cheat sheets on the table in the room for initial use.

• Have executives and managers set the example by using it for meetings.

- 2016 Polycom Utilization Benchmark Report

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Measure successDefine what success means to your organization. We see many companies setting a utilization goal in the 50–60% range. This is not realistic, considering that desktop phones have a utilization rate of 3–4%. A sound video utilization goal should be around the 10% mark.

Take into account differences in departments—HR will probably use video far more than a manufacturing department, for example.

• Utilization rates by room and department

• Top rooms/most used rooms/least used rooms

• Performance of calls, any technical issues during calls

• Bridge capacity for calls being made

• User experience

• Impact on productivity

Here’s what we recommend you measure:

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ConclusionYour video conference spaces are some of the most important real estate in yourbuildings. Equipping them with powerful tools that create exceptional user experiences will enable you to unleash the full power of human collaboration.

To learn how Polycom can help your organization optimize your video collaboration spaces, visit Your Workspace.

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