Seamless video conferencing for a new work model

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It’s an accepted fact that the COVID pandemic changed a great deal about how people all over the world live, and work. One example is the rise of remote working and videoconferencing. Statistics says that Europe’s videoconferencing market was valued at US$ 1,653.8 million in 2019 and is projected to reach US$ 3,727.8 million by 2027. Of course, this is dependent on technology to help us communicate wherever we are. Now the market has reached another phase – an expectation of quality and clear collaboration. An integrated audiovisual solution delivering seamless video conferencing can provide this.

Why seamless video conferencing is key

Today’s working life is much more flexible than before. Many roles are now described as ‘hybrid’ or even remote – on average 50% of businesses worldwide have a hybrid schedule between remote and work hours¹ The forced ‘work from home’ situation through the pandemic proved to many that they could do an effective job remotely. This has led companies to reassess their working models and many are looking to support their employees in this more flexible working world. They are exploring new ways to collaborate, using virtual team tools, video conferencing, and sharing platforms.

Collaboration is much more than simply communicating a message. For that, you can simply pick up the phone. However, research has shown that seeing a person you are talking to makes the collaboration much more interactive, and therefore valuable. Lip synchronization and body language add a layer of understanding that is just not possible with audio only. In fact, researchers say that at least 70% of communications is non-verbal.

On the other hand, of course, you also need to be able to hear reach other clearly, which can be the bane of any online meeting - with ‘Can you hear us’ a seemingly constant refrain.

It’s clear that people will be much more engaged if they can properly see and hear colleagues on a call without problems. Many see isolation as the biggest downside to remote working and a fully-integrated video conferencing experience will also help with that. Some companies arrange social video calls and activities, for example, which proved popular and welcome in the pandemic. Trends also show that video conferences are typically more efficient and productive than face-to-face ones, with participants making decision more quickly, for example.

So, to meet the needs of the evolving workplace, technology needs to keep up.

Seamless videoconferencing with combined audio and visual

Hikvision looks at two types of collaboration – how the team works together and how the individual contributes and can function remotely.

Team collaboration requires flexible meeting spaces, depending on the number of people required. For 3-8 people, a meeting room (eg 15m²) is equipped with a conference flat panel monitor, with all-in-one design. It incorporates a camera, four microphones and a speaker so everything needed for the meeting is in one place. The HD screen is designed with a 120° viewing angle without distortion, so people all around the room can see clearly. Conference webcams and sound cubes are added to make the meeting more interactive to remote participants and to enhance the sound.

For larger scenarios of 8-20 people (25m), more is required, so the solution includes an interactive flat panel 4K monitor, auto focus to frame the person speaking, voice pick up, and clear voice collection with AI noise reduction. The audio is delivered through a sound cube, or all-in-one sound bar, depending on requirements. For an even more enhanced experience, a PTZ camera is added to give more detail on the speaker, or physical items being shown, for example. This gives 5x zoom, rapid focus and 120dB true WDR so that the image stays crisp, even if there’s strong backlighting in the room.

These options all include echo suppression - so the microphones do not pick up audio from the speaker, and anti-reverberation technologies - to reduce the potential ‘echo’ caused by hard surfaces (walls, ceilings, tables, etc.). The focus is to make the audio and visual elements of a meeting support each other, rather than competing’ and possibly failing.

Compatibility is also an important feature, with a wide range of platforms and operating systems used across businesses. The solutions are platform-agnostic, with a range of platforms supported, from ZOOM to Webex and Skype. Users with all kinds of device can participate – whether they have Windows, Mac OS, Android, or Linux devices.

Engaging the individual, wherever they are

On the individual side of the equation, a range of smart webcams can cater for different needs. The ‘Value’ series is designed for remote learning, for example. If the user is attending business meetings often, the ‘Business’ series webcams provide an enhanced and more professional experience. Finally, for Live streaming use cases, there is the ‘Live’ series, which provides a higher quality and flexibility for constant streaming – for example a user who is vlogging. The Live series also includes some new AI-powered webcams, which allow the user to be constantly in the frame, using an auto-focus feature. The cam can also automatically adjust brightness and tone to ensure the best possible picture and representation of the user.

The webcams are all designed with the user in mind, to enable them to make the most of their collaborative efforts and connect with others, whatever they are doing, and wherever they are.

Teams working together are the central driver of any business. But in recent times, changes to the working models of many companies have made this more of a challenge. Combined audio and video solutions looks at both ends of the collaboration scenario – using technology to bring people together wherever they are. Whether in the office or working remotely, colleagues can fully participate, knowing they can be seen and heard clearly. This means they can all engage completely, maximizing the team’s potential.

Find out more about HIkvision’s office solutions

Find out more about our webcams

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