In the post-pandemic workplace, companies have been facing new challenges to old work models. Whether companies go with mandatory "X days in the office" policy or a more liberal approach to in-office presence, the need to better support hybrid work models is evident. And most companies, in reality, are still muddling their way through this new world. 

Fortunately, the companies that enable remote work with technology are paying attention and adapting the platforms to create more seamless collaboration models. Microsoft, of course, is a big player in every aspect of productivity and collaboration software. Its latest updates to its Teams platform have focused on bridging the divide between remote and in-office workers for more flexible and inclusive collaboration. Keep reading below to see how the latest Microsoft Teams Rooms enhancements can help your Tempe, AZ, company accommodate hybrid work.

Do you ever play Box of Chocolates: Netflix Edition? It’s where you just pick whatever show the algorithm picks for you... but you go in blind. You don’t look at the cast list, the description, the language, etc. It’s a risky game. Sometimes you get directed to Squid Game, and it’s a wild ride. Other times... if the young’uns forgot to change Netflix user accounts... you get Season 12 of Bluey, an Australian animated television series for preschoolers. You just don’t know what you’re going to get. It’s a young person’s game, though. This used to be fun, but now I just don’t have the time or the patience for it. I want to know what I’m getting into, what genre, who’s in it, and how many seasons. I want to know exactly what I’m getting before pressing that Play button.

We often talk about the modern conference room and outfitting the space with cameras, microphones, and displays for successful video conferencing. And while it’s crucial to prepare your conference rooms for the hybrid future, many people are discovering that these long table layouts are not ideal for brainstorming and collaboration. 

When designing your office for a collaboration strategy, each room needs to have a specific purpose. Not every meeting room will make a good collaboration space, and that’s okay. Here’s how you can think strategically about your meeting rooms, so you can create the best environment for every forum.

In terms of microphones, some mics exhibit a “proximity effect” causing an increase in bass as you move physically closer to the microphone. It’s not that it just gets louder, the deeper frequencies are amplified more than the high frequencies are. A good example of this is the Shure RE20 microphone which has been the personal favorite of live radio DJs, since it makes their voices sound deeper.

In other circles, “the proximity effect” is a social psychology theory proposed by Leon Festinger, which is that physical and/or psychological closeness between individuals increases interpersonal attraction.

In an era of email, Slack, text, and videoconferencing with screen sharing, is audio still as important? It may be true that with all the communication and collaboration tools available to businesses these days, some meetings might be less necessary. It’s also true that with hybrid work environments, with workers both in and out of your Phoenix, AZ offices, meetings may not be as convenient to hold as before. 

However, that doesn't mean communicating by voice has gone out of style. Unfortunately, voice sometimes takes a back seat to more visual communication. That is sometimes reflected in the choice of equipment for conference rooms. The trend in many spaces is to install all-in-one soundbar-style videoconferencing systems with a microphone, camera, and speaker. While the microphones and speakers in these systems might work well in ideal conditions, sometimes they're not up to the task. Stay with us below as we explore audio issues in modern collaboration spaces and how distributed audio can help.

Hybrid workplaces—what a great idea! Work-from-home enthusiasts can take their laptops on the go and work from their home offices, cafes, or wherever they roam. Those who prefer the office’s face-to-face camaraderie can work on location. And a few times a week, everyone collaborates in person.

In theory, it may sound like a dream, but hybrid work models are proving to be more difficult than some imagined—especially during hybrid meetings. Without proper cameras, microphones, displays, and speakers, your teams at the conference table will hardly see or hear remote participants. And those at home won’t feel included in the spur-of-the-moment discussions happening in the conference room.

Luckily, technology brands like Logitech are working to fix this problem with solutions like the new Sight AI-powered camera. We think Sight is a great step in the right direction—here’s why.

Do you guys remember that Verizon guy? He’d walk around the US on his cell phone asking, “Can you hear me now? Good. *Take a few steps* Can you hear me now? Good!” His character’s name was literally “Test Man”. Paul Marcarelli was a phenom with that one character and that one line. He’s now worth over $10M and has not only worked for Verizon, but also for Old Navy, Merrill Lynch, Dasani, T-Mobile, and Heineken in a similar capacity. Clearly, he was on to something. The idea that a company would pay someone to walk around the nation and stop every few feet to make sure the performance was good struck a nerve with the public. That’s a company that cares about their users’ experiences, right? (Well, at least their marketing department painted a great picture.)

Much has been written about the newer generations, especially millennials and GenZ, and their propensity toward less ownership and more paying for things as services. Think Uber and Lyft for transportation, Airbnb for vacation rentals, HelloFresh for food, and Rent the Runway for special occasion clothing. Even automakers like Volvo and Porsche have experimented with automobiles as a service. In addition, Apple has offered iPhone plans that effectively turn smartphone ownership into a subscription of sorts. 

What's the attraction to these services? It's mostly about convenience, paying a set price for a (mostly) all-inclusive service, and the flexibility of little or no upfront investment and few long-term commitments. What's the downside? You might pay a little more for all the convenience and work being done for you. But even then, you might argue that few people ever account for the total cost of ownership of cars or what they really spend on food overall. 

What does all this have to do with your conference rooms and AV infrastructure? Walk with us below as we explore how AV integration as a service can make great sense for your Scottsdale, AZ, company.