The audio-visual tech that can
help get SMEs back to the office
December 7th, 2020
For those who can, working from home remains the set up for many businesses across the country. But as we come out of our second lockdown, business can once again start to think about a return to the workplace.
The quick shift to working from home has definitely helped us take a closer look at our work life balance and for some employees it’s been a welcome opportunity to spend less time in the office. But it doesn’t work for everyone. Lots of people don’t have room in their homes for a dedicated office space or it just might not be practical, especially if they have small children, pets or a very poor internet connection.
To help small and medium sized businesses get back on track, the government is offering access to grants of between £1,000 – £5,000 for new technology, equipment and specialist advice to adapt. So, from desk booking to interactive screens, what audio-visual technology can help you work in the office safely?
Digital Signage
Digital signage will be a key tool in educating the workforce as they return to the workplace. Displays can be positioned throughout the office and reception areas to ensure employees and visitors can view instructions relevant to the area they work in. Using digital signage means that offices can ensure messaging is updated as needed and that specific instructions are displayed in specific areas where required.
The future usage of interactive screens and meeting room control panels may decrease in an effort to avoid unnecessary contact with screens. We may see a shift towards more automated meeting rooms without the need for control panels. Where interactive screens are present, clear instructions on cleaning equipment will need to be outlined by organisations.
Follow the links below to find out more on the display technology our partners offer:
Desk Booking Systems
It’s likely that we’ll see desk booking systems adopted in corporate offices. These systems allow employees to book a desk, which leads to the immediate booking of surrounding desks or spaces which further ensures social distancing measures. This type of functionality lets staff pre-plan visits to the office and be sure they have a safe environment to work for both employees and guests.
Touchless and Touch-less technology
Moving forward we are likely to see more touchless and touch-less systems in place. At home we use virtual AI assistants which achieve this, but with a range of security considerations these assistants are not best placed in a corporate environment.
Until virtual assistants are ready for the corporate environment, we are likely to see an increase in solutions that support bring your own device (BYOD) or bring your own meeting (BYOM) such as Barco ClickShare Conference and Solstice from Mersive. These are wireless conferencing solutions that give users control of their meeting and room equipment from their laptop or mobile device.
In a similar vein, manufacturers such as Crestron are developing smartphone control systems which will reduce the number of physical touchpoints in meeting spaces. Whilst there will be a need to physically interact with some systems, keeping this at a minimum is crucial. One-touch-to-join solutions are a great way of achieving this; enabling users to join or book a meeting with one click regardless of conferencing platform.
If you are considering your return to the office and would like more information on any of these solutions, please get in touch with our team. We are perfectly placed to help.
