Make Video Conferencing Work for Your Meeting Spaces

How to Improve Your Video Conferencing & Hybrid Experience

There’s no denying that video conferencing will be (and already is) an everyday part of modern business. Employees can now work hybrid schedules with the flexibility to meet from anywhere. And large organizations can meet with other branches without needing to book flights. Amazingly, video conferencing platforms like Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet now offer live translation captions so people can communicate across time zones and language barriers. 

But video conferencing poses its own challenges. For in-office staff, getting everyone into the camera frame is tricky, and in certain rooms, audio may echo or be difficult to hear. Many companies are frustrated with the hybrid video conferencing experience and aren’t sure how to make it work. 

That’s why businesses in Houston, TX, and beyond are working with custom integrators to design conferencing systems customized to each space’s needs. Here’s how we design room systems with the latest video conferencing software and hardware to improve the remote meeting experience. 

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Large & Small Meeting Rooms

A room’s size and the number of people meeting in it will impact the amount of hardware you’ll need. 

Huddle rooms and smaller spaces for around five people may only require one tabletop or overhead microphone to capture the room’s conversations. A soundbar may be sufficient for audio, and one or two video screens can display the call and any other relevant content. One camera may work, but we recommend adding another smart camera that can separate each person into their own forward-facing video square. 
In large conference rooms, we recommend installing in-wall or in-ceiling speakers to distribute audio to the whole space. We install multiple beam-tracking microphones on tables or suspended from the ceiling to capture voices across the room. A network of smart cameras can track who’s speaking and share their face on the video call, so remote participants clearly understand who to focus on. You may want to mount multiple displays or a video wall so everyone can see the video conference and virtual whiteboard.

Familiar Interface

Although some rooms may require specific technologies, like an extra microphone or motorized shades to block glare, all your conference rooms can use the same control system interface. Touchscreens and control panels will display the room’s technologies on user-friendly icons. With a button tap, you can start video calls instantly, and all the necessary hardware will be connected. You won’t have to finagle different devices whenever it’s time for a call; it will all be integrated and ready to start.

Platform Agnostic

Your organization may use Microsoft Teams, but you’re meeting with a partner that uses Zoom. They send you a Zoom link to meet later today—will that be a problem? 

Not in a customized video conference system. We design solutions to be platform agnostic so you can use Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, Cisco Webex, RingCentral, and more video conferencing systems. The audio, video, and all other components will still work over different platforms. 

If your business in the Houston area is ready for a seamless video conferencing experience, Crunchy Tech is here to help. Contact our team of integrators here to get started on your new conference room systems today!