Your Collaboration Spaces Aren’t Working, Part 3: Death of the E-Whiteboard
What Went Wrong with the Interactive Whiteboard—and How Can You Make It Work for Your Business?
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.
SEE ALSO: Your Collaboration Spaces Aren’t Working. What Can We Do?
What Went Wrong?
Outside primary school classrooms, we’ve seen less demand for e-whiteboards in office settings. But why?
First, most interactive whiteboards don't integrate with popular conferencing systems. Today, we expect e-whiteboards to work in the platforms we already use, like Zoom, Google Workspace, and Microsoft Teams. Traditional e-whiteboard hardware is expensive, often relies on its own interface, and doesn't work for remote participants. In today's hybrid world, we need whiteboarding software built into our existing tools and intuitive for everyone to use.
A Better Option: Virtual Whiteboards & Cloud Capture
Most companies already use the Teams, Google, or Zoom suite of virtual tools for both in-person and remote communication. Why pull yourself out of your familiar platforms for another whiteboarding interface?
That’s exactly why virtual whiteboards are the smarter approach. A virtual whiteboard is a cloud-based whiteboard application that works like a traditional whiteboard but is hosted digitally. Digital whiteboards can be accessed across all devices, from interactive touchscreen displays to laptop screens. The digital whiteboard integrates with your video conferencing platform, and many popular systems like Microsoft and Zoom offer their own whiteboarding solutions. So even if people aren’t in the room, they can join the brainstorming session and contribute to whiteboard sketching.
And if your staff prefers the old-fashioned way with markers? Cloud-based whiteboard capture utilizes a camera to automatically digitize and vectorize what's written on your whiteboards. Writing and drawings are automatically secured in the cloud into organized slides. Even if someone's standing in front of the board, a transparency view will make it easier for remote participants to see the information. Cloud-based capture integrates seamlessly with the conferencing system your staff already uses, so you don't have to deal with new apps and platforms.
Ready for New Conferencing & Whiteboarding Technology?
If your collaboration spaces need a hybrid makeover, Level 3 Audiovisual is here to help. We provide technology solutions to businesses here in Tempe, AZ, and across the country. Contact our team here to learn more about our services and simplify technology for your business.
