AV integrators require technologies that are easily integrated with third parties, simple from design to implementation, and that are cost-effective, enabling more dynamic and volume sales.
By Taís Ribeiro
With the sudden and accelerated digitization of the workforce, collaboration technologies have become fundamental to the maintenance of human relationships, and extremely vital to the survival of global organizations. In the middle of 2022, it is a "cliché" to talk about how these two years of pandemic have changed the ways of working, and how much the tools that allow remote integration have helped companies stay connected with their employees and customers.
Although studies on the impact of the isolation of remote workers on organizational culture are advancing, creativity, collaboration in large groups, control of the working day and productivity, and digital transformation in corporate communication have undergone rapid and unprecedented changes.
Microsoft Corp. released a report recently, showing a 400% growth in monthly usage of its Teams collaboration platform among frontline workers, since March 2020. Other communication platforms such as Zoom, Bluejeans and Google Meets also became exponentially popular in the times of confinement.
Unlike the initial explosion of softcodecs and communication applications, with the reduction of workers going to offices, at the beginning of the pandemic, the complex corporate AV project industry focused on the sale of mass consumption products for home office, in the same period.
In a short time, the hybrid model was established as the most appropriate in many organizations and educational institutions, although we continue to adjust to how to balance remote and face-to-face work, without negatively impacting the personal lives of professionals, or the productivity of companies. There are several uncertainties about what the Future of Work will look like. But we can be sure of one thing: the digital transformation we are experiencing in our organizations is here to stay.
Although companies equip their employees with collaboration tools that allow them the flexibility to attend virtual meetings, and interact from anywhere, many companies defend the importance of returning to offices. And this implies some changes in audiovisual technological trends. Open common areas, fewer closed meeting rooms or tables assigned to each person, simpler, more intuitive and efficient technologies. Videoconferencing increases productivity, the quality of communication and the possibility of having smaller physical spaces.
Much of today's all-in-one end-points feature excellent video quality, which is very important in the experience and feel of "physical presence" in video conferencing, but generally sacrifices sound quality. With audio being responsible for more than 75% of communication, and knowing that organizations today are looking for high-end technologies, but without high costs or complexity, there is a new trend of advanced but simple solutions. Systems that offer superior sound quality, with the flexibility to integrate into any camera and online platform on the market.
In this current model, users prefer devices that facilitate their work in a plug-and-play way, with high quality, intuitive user interface and without complications to manage virtual meetings.
Small businesses are looking for budget options, but they also don't want to settle for standard, lower-capacity devices. Large companies are looking for scalable, fast-to-install solutions that fit meeting rooms of all shapes, sizes, and configurations.
AV integrators require technologies that are easily integrated with third parties, simple from design to implementation, and that are cost-effective, enabling more dynamic and volume sales. Already IT leaders need systems that allow them to improve the audio in the meeting rooms of their organization, with the possibility of management and control to solve problems remotely, but without the difficulty of programming, present in advanced audio and video systems.
That's why shure's Stem Ecosystem was designed to provide businesses of all sizes with a top-of-the-line audio solution that can be tailored to the needs of any meeting space. With six devices that connect in network and via usb, this solution allows you to mix and combine audio end-points, customizing your coverage, without leaving your budget. Stem meets most of the modern needs of corporate communication, through devices that integrate microphones and speakers (ceiling, table or wall) with automatic DSP processing that reduces external echoes and noise, a touch screen and a web control interface.
The Stem Ecosystem is ideal for meeting rooms, hybrid classes or multipurpose spaces, offering unparalleled ease of implementation, less complexity in the project and remote administration. All added to the benefits of having a complete Audio and VC Ecosystem from a single vendor.
Need to modernize your collaboration technologies? To learn more about the Stem Ecosystem and its benefits, visit shu.re/StemLatam
Taís Ribeiro, CTS, is Market Development Manager for Shure Latin America. You can contact her through [email protected]
