The “hybrid workplace” is getting a lot of public attention these days, but it’s not the only industry undergoing a massive paradigm shift in the post-pandemic landscape. The future of colleges and universities is heading in the same direction as the workplace.

Bring your own beer to the party? How about bring your own device (BYOD) to the office meeting? As employees start returning to the office, employers are seeking innovative touchless AV solutions to host meetings and collaborate safely. Luckily, all-in-one communication and collaboration solutions like Zoom Rooms and Crestron conference rooms offer plenty of tools, features and integrations that promote low-touch or no-touch meetings while also prioritizing video conferencing to bring in remote team members.

Keep reading to learn how your business can take a hands-off approach while keeping everyone connected.

Bring a human element to your teaching, even when you are not face to face. Today’s educators need to be able to create engaging video for streaming, sharing and recording during lectures, demonstrations, video conferences, speeches, and more. Innovation is the key for adapting to a variety of educational needs. Video is a powerful tool that allows instructors to continue teaching in online, flipped, blended, and hybrid learning environments, or even connect with students and parents when they are away from school. Whether it’s for distance learning, guest lectures, staff meetings, or community outreach, it is essential to bring a human element to teaching and present engaging content when face-to-face interaction is not possible. Educators must develop innovative learning strategies and distribute to students across a variety of platforms for optimal student interaction. Access to affordable and easy to use live streaming solutions allow them to do just that with a video production system and professional cameras.

Everyone is aware of the effect of COVID-19 on education. In many states, including Arizona, school districts are delaying the start of in-person classes due to concerns from parents, teachers, and school administrators. Right here in Tempe, Arizona State University has launched its fall semester with a hybrid approach, aiming to offer distance learning options to minimize classroom density and enforce social distancing.

What does that mean for the classroom? Whether in elementary classrooms or higher education, schools need to embrace easy-to-use collaboration technology to enable flexible learning models. Keep reading to learn about essential classroom technology to cope with current education challenges.

While video is a medium that older generations are still getting used to—as anyone who has FaceTimed with their parents’ or grandparents’ foreheads can attest—for the generations currently entering the workforce, video chatting and collaborating is second nature. Millennials and Gen Z's think nothing of walking down the aisles of a grocery store video chatting with friends, and they expect that same type of video communication to be available at work as well. For your business, video collaboration is a win-win that gives workers the flexibility they crave while also providing opportunities for cooperation and collaboration that can drive innovation and growth at your company.

Video collaboration in the workplace is more the rule than the exception. For example, 55 percent of organizations use Skype For Business—but not every tool out there will be the right fit for your particular needs and business case. Here are some best practices; to help you pick the right video collaboration tool and get the most out of it.

Even if skinny jeans are “in,” they may not be the best choice for you if you don’t like the way they look and feel. The same logic goes for choosing video and other collaboration technology—just because everyone else is doing it doesn’t mean it’s necessarily right for your organization. Providing employees with technology-rich meeting and collaboration spaces is important, but the most commonly used video collaboration and conferencing tools might not be what’s best for supporting productivity and user work styles at your organization. Keep reading for some ways to ensure you choose technology that is the right fit for your huddle spaces and conference rooms.