As workers transition to their new reality, many are still remote for the foreseeable future and still many more are now working in a hybrid situation. Workspaces everywhere are transforming to accommodate these new standards with desk sharing protocols such as hot desking and hoteling becoming common practice in offices across the country. The rise in online meetings is clearly a major component of this alteration in working norms brought on by the pandemic. Data gathered in a study conducted by Microsoft indicates that in the last year, meeting time has more than doubled for Teams users to 148-percent and continues to rise.
In response to these new trends, Crestron has recently announced their Crestron Flex Phones for Microsoft Teams—a dedicated enterprise phone conferencing solution for the home or office that frees other devices to be used as productivity tools.
Offering audio and videoconferencing capabilities, one-touch connectivity, security and a host of additional features, the Crestron Flex Phones provide the convenience of easy collaboration from your conference room, office, home office, or shared workspace. By handling all audio, video, and content sharing, the Crestron Flex Phones free a user’s laptop or PC to be utilized for other tasks during a meeting, fostering a collaboration experience that is more fruitful and less frustrating. This minimizes inefficient task-switching, streamlines ad hoc communication, and allows users to segment their schedule and workload more effectively.
Key features include:
- Video or audio-only options
- 1080p Cameras (for Video version)
- Oversized touchscreen display (8” and 10” HD options)
- Omnidirectional microphone array with 360-degree audio pickup that ensures everyone in a meeting is heard whether on the Teams call or on speakerphone
- Built-in support for Teams allows users to plug the device into a PoE cable, sign in, and get started
- Scale deployment and management with integrated cloud management and monitoring with Crestron XiO Cloud Service
- Embedded occupancy sensor supporting a range of 6.5 feet, for capturing meeting-space data and usage analytics
