Collaboration has become a necessity in this day and age with flex hours and contract workers becoming more prevalent, and companies becoming more global. Advancements in technology have facilitated this need and have made collaboration easier than even before, increasing productivity by decreasing set up time and providing a more natural experience to users with high quality audio and video as well as providing easy and fast methods of content sharing. When choosing the right collaboration method for your company, the decision should encompass numerous considerations.
Size of Room
A small to medium conference room could easily only require one or two cameras to adequately cover the space. A large conference room or training room will need more cameras and possibly more sophisticated equipment to identify and even track those people who are speaking as well as more audio sources to ensure a microphone is never too far from the person speaking, no matter where they are in the room.
Lighting
There are cameras available to adjust for dim or ambient light conditions so that video will remain clear to any remote users. If the lighting is not accounted for, it can severely detract from the quality of the remote user’s experience and reduce the overall productivity of the meeting.
Video Quality
If a remote viewer can’t clearly see who is speaking or content that is being displayed such as on a whiteboard, then collaboration becomes difficult. Selecting and installing cameras so that a view of the meeting attendants as well as whiteboards and any other important, meeting-specific elements are in range of view is very important. Video quality is a prime consideration, as it will ensure that information can be clearly viewed and understood by remote users.
Audio Quality
We’ve all been in those meetings where you’re all huddled over a speaker straining to hear what the person on the other end is saying. These days, there are specifically designed collaboration products that provide audio clarity and even identify who is speaking at any given time so there is no confusion or guessing involved, making for much more relaxed and efficient meetings.
Method of Content sharing
Can remote users easily display their content? Can users quickly connect a mobile device or laptop and easily display it on a larger screen? These questions are vital in providing users with an easy and intuitive way to quickly display relevant content. Being able to simply connect via Wi-Fi or a USB connection is a game changer in collaboration. Content can now be shared with little to no effort or technical knowledge for meeting participants. Making sure people can connect easily is vital to effective collaboration.
Software
There are many collaboration platforms available, but you want to ensure that you choose one that will integrate with the technology you have in place as well as any you may install to enhance collaboration. Most are compatible with popular technology, but you still need to carefully research this to avoid any snags.
