As the business world evolves from an entirely office-based model to a new hybrid workplace model, we are all adopting a new way of working.

For example, IT now routinely provides tech support to thousands of employees whose technology and equipment they cannot directly see or handle. And employees are learning to get by as they go back and forth between the office and a home environment that may not be ideal for working.

For some, that means participating in meetings with whatever headset or webcam they have on hand – whether optimized for business or not. Or relying on their laptop’s built-in hardware for video conferencing. That can be a problem because laptop audio and video capabilities are often subpar, and do little to recreate the in-person experience or create a sense of immersion.

What remote employees really need to be at their best is to be able to transition fluidly between the office and home, or other remote workspaces. One way IT can help employees–and the IT organization itself–is to provide a set of personal collaboration tools that employees can use when working remotely. It might include a purpose-built headset and webcam in addition to the standard mouse/keyboard/monitor combination.

Why It’s Important to Provide Employees with Purpose-Built Headsets and Webcams

Employees who had never worked from home before learned some hard lessons quickly. Many realized, for example, what IT already knows: consumer-grade audio and video equipment are not ideal for business.

While great for many applications, such as gaming or music, consumer devices are not optimized for video meetings because they:

• Often lack noise-canceling technology to help both the speaker and listener focus on what’s being said.
• Are not certified or optimized to work with video conferencing software from vendors such as Google, Microsoft, and Zoom.
• Don’t include features employees want, like voice-level adjustment and high-res video, that help users look and sound their best.

These same limitations apply to the embedded audio and video in laptops. And laptops have another disadvantage as well: their cameras, mics, and speakers are useless when the screen is closed, as it often is when the laptop is attached to a remote keyboard, mouse, and monitor.

By contrast, consider the benefits of business-grade headsets and webcams. 

Webcams designed for the enterprise typically have:

• Better resolution, framerate, field of view, and lens quality, enabling people to look their best and feel like they are in the same room
• Adjustable mounting so users can position the camera at eye-level
• Automatic adjustment for lighting conditions, which is very important in home offices where lighting is seldom ideal
• Integrations with video software providers to support problem-free meetings
• Privacy shutter for user reassurance when the camera is not in use and the separation of home and work

Headsets designed for the enterprise usually have:

• Noise-canceling to eliminate background sounds and distractions and give your voice a presence
• Digital signal processing to make your voice sound natural
• Certifications with major video software platforms and built-in functionality such as a mute button
• Materials that provide comfort for longer periods of time, like extra-thick foam and soft ear pad covers
• Long-lasting battery or reliable cabling for all-day use

How Standardizing Productivity Tools Benefits IT

It’s clear that a set of personal collaboration tools like headsets and webcams can help employees create a more efficient workspace outside the office. But standardization provides several advantages for IT as well, including:

• Reducing calls for support by providing plug-and-play devices that are easy for employees to install and set up
• Simplifying support when problems do occur by allowing IT personnel to quickly identify the issue or replace a malfunctioning component
• Enabling more efficient procurement from an approved list of vendors

Moreover, when you provide users with Logitech headsets and webcams, you can also deploy Logi Tune to manage those devices. This free app lets users customize their Logitech headsets and webcams to adjust sound quality; zoom, tilt, and pan a webcam; or adjust the colors in their video. A feature for mass deployment lets IT manage and instantly update users’ devices.