3 Solutions for Integrating Unified Communication in Your Spaces

It’s no secret that businesses in St. Louis and all across America are embracing digital transformation. Unified communication may sound like a buzzword, but it represents a shift in communication and collaboration within and across businesses, enabling individuals and teams to work together intelligently without the boundaries of physical location.

But unified communication isn’t all about everyone being on Zoom. While organizations adapt to the new realities of hybrid work, in-person collaboration is still critical in most organizations, and the modern meeting space needs to embrace the new reality. That’s where unified communication solutions can help, combining video conferencing, content sharing, room management, and more into a platform that seamlessly integrates with leading solutions like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Cisco WebEx. 

Read below to learn more about how organizations are redesigning meeting spaces for hybrid meetings leveraging the power of unified communication platforms. 

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Personal, Professional Offices

In this day and age of the do-it-all mobile phone, are office phones dead? There are many reasons why they’re not, from increased security to more stable connections for voice and video communication inside buildings. And specific phones designed for the unified communication model help staff collaborate productively and efficiently in the office. An excellent example is the Crestron Flex. More than a phone, it’s a comprehensive meeting and collaboration device designed for desktop use, making it a perfect fit for individual offices. The Flex Phone is equipped with a built-in high-fidelity microphone, ensuring clear audio calls. This is crucial for remote or hybrid work scenarios where voice communication is the backbone of day-to-day operations. 

The phone also features a 10-inch high-resolution touchscreen, which serves as a screen for video calls as well as touch-activated controls. The integrated controls enable people to manage their meetings, calendars, contacts, and events from one place, reducing the need to switch between different devices or applications. Native integration with the popular Microsoft Teams unified communication platform means that all the features and capabilities of Teams, such as private and group chats, video calls, voice calls, and shared documents, are available directly on the Flex Phone. Other examples with similar functionality from other manufacturers are the Polycom Trio and the Cisco Webex Room Phone. 

Also, Crestron debuted new modern workplace solutions at Infocomm, including the Video Bar 70, an all-in-one collaboration bar, featuring four AI-driven cameras, stereo speakers, and 24 beamforming built-in microphones. Couple that with easy plug-and-play deployment, and this Android™ OS device is perfect for easy setup in medium and large conference rooms. Crestron also introduced Crestron Flex Pods, a scalable tabletop wireless microphone and speaker platform, and Crestron Desk Q and Crestron Desk Touch for desk scheduling.

Smaller Spaces and Huddle Rooms

With the rise in hybrid work, many smaller groups in offices will be working with remote teams. The Sennheiser TeamConnect Bar S is an excellent example solution for these scenarios, designed specifically for small meeting rooms and collaboration spaces. Its all-in-one design features 4 microphones and 2 speakers, ensuring trusted Sennheiser audio quality for every meeting, whether participants are in the room or joining remotely. The device’s Integrated Beamforming Technology allows for freedom of movement, ensuring seamless transition among presenters and capturing their voices clearly no matter where they are in the room. This is particularly beneficial for dynamic, collaborative sessions where participants may not always be stationary. The 4K Ultra HD camera, equipped with advanced AI features, provides high video quality, making remote participants feel like they’re in the room. Autoframing and Person Tiling features ensure that everyone in the room is clearly visible, further enhancing the sense of connection between in-person and remote team members. The TeamConnect Bar S also offers brand-agnostic integration, with certifications pending for 3rd party media control systems and platforms like Microsoft Teams and Zoom. This means it can easily fit into your existing tech ecosystem, making it a versatile solution for hybrid meetings.

Large Conference Rooms and Spaces

In larger rooms, ensuring the visibility of shared content and remote participants is critical for successful meetings to keep everyone engaged. Many companies are employing video wall solutions to enable a larger canvas to have all the information visible and large enough without undue context switching. These expansive displays offer a visual platform that can accommodate multiple video feeds simultaneously, ensuring that every remote participant is visible and engaged. High-definition resolution and large screen sizes make it possible to share detailed presentations, data visualizations, or documents, enhancing clarity and understanding for both in-person and remote attendees. Moreover, video walls often come with interactive features, turning a passive display into a dynamic tool for collaboration in the room. Users can manipulate content directly on the screen, highlighting key points or annotating documents in real time, which can significantly enhance discussions and brainstorming sessions. When integrated with unified communication platforms like Microsoft Teams and Zoom, remote attendees can also view and annotate through the software interface. 

Does your organization need assistance integrating unified communication with your meeting spaces? McCann Systems is ready to help. Give us a call or fill out our online contact form at the bottom of the page. We look forward to hearing from you!