In the not-too-distant past, setting up a video conferencing room was an exercise in integration. Separate cameras, microphones, speakers, processing, interconnects, and control interfaces all had to be integrated into a cohesive system. Many conference rooms are still custom-built this way, depending on the specific needs of that space and the organization. However, there has been a rise in the “appliance” meeting room solution, an integrated solution that solves the audio and video communication needs of most conference rooms. 

Some of the best of those solutions come from Poly, a longtime player in conference room AV, starting with the ubiquitous Polycom conferencing phones from the 1980s that were found in most corporate meeting rooms. Now, you might think, does an appliance-type solution work for the enterprise? One of the things that aids in deploying meeting room solutions across hundreds or thousands of rooms in disparate locations is standardization. If you can operate a solution in each space that is consistent in usage and operation, you decrease complexity, downtime, and cost. Aided by the fact that Poly is now part of HP and has worldwide distribution and support, solutions like the Poly Studio appliance series are a smart choice for enterprises in Phoenix, AZ, and around the world. 

Keep reading below to explore the benefits of Poly meeting room solutions for your organization.

As technology continues to advance rapidly, businesses may find themselves replacing their AV systems every few years to keep up with modern demands—or be stuck with outdated solutions. If only there were a simpler way to update and expand…

There is—the “as-a-service” model applied to technology integration. Integration as a Service works like a subscription plan in which your provider integrates disparate systems and technologies, providing them as a working, on-demand service to your organization. IaaS includes systems monitoring and maintaining the infrastructure for you. 

And just like phone plans allow customers to upgrade their smartphones every few years, IaaS is a convenient, simple way to outsource AV management. So rather than pay one time for an integration installation, you’ll pay a monthly subscription for much less of a hassle.

Here’s why Integration as a Service is worthwhile for your business.

As a term, service delivery management seems self-explanatory. If you’re in the information technology world, you also understand how it applies to your sphere of influence. In the AV world, let’s say that considering your AV infrastructure – like conference rooms and meeting spaces – as a service might not seem intuitive, but it is. Your AV investments are not a collection of rooms, microphones, projectors, screens, cameras, and audio mixers; they are a service to facilitate communication and collaboration for your organization. 

How, then, do you apply principles of service delivery management best practices to your AV systems? If you’ve adopted the mindset that AV is a service, you're halfway there. We can take many of the same techniques applied to IT services to AV and adapt them accordingly. Let's take a closer look at five essential practices and metrics to ensure your Tempe, AZ, organization can properly evaluate the quality of service delivery management. 

The old adage “Close enough for government work” is a cheeky way to justify results that almost hit the mark. But when it comes to audiovisual technology solutions, many government agencies don’t come close to having the capabilities they need. That can end up costing governments—and citizens—a lot of money. For example, the Government Accountability Office recently reported that the federal government’s 10 legacy technology systems most in need of modernization cost taxpayers $337 million a year to operate and maintain, while newer systems are must less expensive to manage. The catch is, updating outdated AV is also an expensive proposition, and government agencies and organizations may struggle to find the necessary funding in their year-to-year-budgeting cycle. However, strategic updates to government AV can improve processes and create better experiences for citizens, making government organizations and entities more effective in the long run. Keep reading for insights into the best ways to update your government AV technology.

If your organization hires a third party for managed AV, you’ll want to ensure you’re getting the best service possible. So what does that look like?

With more IoT devices than ever in our conference rooms and offices, these cloud-connected gadgets are as vulnerable to cyber threats as any computer or laptop. You need an IT management company that consistently updates your network and ensures all endpoints are protected. 

A great managed AV provider should work with your existing network processes rather than bulldoze through with their own standards. They should be transparent and proactively update your network. Before partnering with a company for managed IT solutions, make sure they provide an SLA with detailed metrics and look for the following six features.

The hybrid work model raised many questions for businesses—and Poly has been ahead of the curve in addressing these issues. Poly’s hardware and software solutions streamline the video conferencing experience and simplify device management for IT teams. 

As a full-service AV integration firm, we're big advocates of Poly’s meeting room solutions. One of Poly’s major advantages? Businesses that use more than one video conferencing system don’t have to choose between Zoom or Teams. With Poly, you can use your existing equipment to join different meetings. 

But Poly knows that large businesses need a way to manage and monitor conferencing hardware and understand how the technology is actually being used. Enter Poly Lens, the management software that unifies all video conferencing endpoints. In this blog article, we’ll dive into how Poly Lens works and why it’s invaluable to modern businesses.

What’s an AV manager’s worst nightmare? If you’re responsible for your company's AV systems, you likely have a few stories to insert here. But perhaps nothing is worse than incurring the wrath of your CEO and executive team. Imagine a video conference that went south because the camera stopped working. Or the audio stopped working or experienced constant dropouts. The meetings in your boardroom are high-profile and involve people who are highly paid for their time, so any glitches in the AV setup are magnified at this level. Having a boardroom that experiences sporadic problems is a sure way to make the responsible manager fear for their job security. 

How do you ensure the reliability and robustness of the boardroom technology in your Phoenix, AZ, company? Please keep reading below for our take.

When smart technology first entered our collaboration spaces, the interactive whiteboard was heralded as a meeting game-changer. With e-whiteboards, we would brainstorm digitally and save and share our scribblings company-wide.

But since the e-whiteboard's inception in the 1990s, the technology has often missed the mark and proven less useful than we previously anticipated. But why? The idea is there. Who wouldn't like to take notes, draw ideas, and brainstorm, only to save the sketchings for later reference?

In this article, we’ll dive into why e-whiteboards have historically failed in conference rooms and how new cloud-based virtual solutions let whiteboards perform the way we always wanted.