The video-first enterprise is here. Consider this stat: the number of video meetings skyrocketed by as much as 400 percent in 2020, according to Frost & Sullivan.¹ That trend has enormous implications for the IT team responsible for deploying and managing meeting room infrastructure.

Along with this rapid change, the number and types of video conferencing devices and meeting spaces within the enterprise has also spiked, creating “infrastructure sprawl.” IT organizations are now managing an increasing number of meeting rooms of various sizes with varying types of video conferencing equipment. They are also responsible for the video conferencing equipment that employees use in their home offices.

Needless to say, this is a big job. IT teams need the ability to perform a number of tasks quickly and efficiently:

• Roll out new video conferencing equipment to meeting rooms

• Provide individual employees with webcams, headsets, and other personal collaboration tools

• Quickly locate problems, such as malfunctioning or disconnected devices

• Track all devices for security purposes and inventory

• Easily apply updates to software and firmware

Managing Meeting Infrastructure and Devices

The meeting infrastructure sprawl that IT teams face is real. But sprawl doesn’t have to mean chaos. The key is having tools to help you get your arms around all of that video conferencing equipment so you can manage it easily and efficiently.

That’s why Logitech developed Sync, a cloud-based web application that helps IT remotely manage meeting rooms and hardware. As a web app, Sync can be accessed anywhere, allowing IT to track video conferencing equipment from any location. Sync also makes it easy to support large-scale video deployments while reducing site visits and trouble tickets. With Sync, you can:

• Manage rooms and devices from a simple browser-based interface

• Remotely deploy product updates and bug fixes

• Get insights on how to configure rooms for optimal usage

• Identify room or device issues

Minimizing meeting room downtime is one of the key benefits of Sync. An integration between Sync and ServiceNow makes it possible to detect problems, automatically create alerts, and route them to the right technician before those problems impact a meeting. A trouble ticket may be generated for issues such as equipment failure, disconnected devices, and errors in software or firmware updates.

Simplifying Deployment and Management with All-In-One Video Bars

All-in-one video conferencing appliances, or video bars, offer another way to simplify meeting room deployment and management. All-in-one meeting room devices like Logitech Rally Bar and Rally Bar Mini combine a camera, speakers, microphones, and the compute engine in one turnkey solution.

Deploying video bars is the simplest and fastest approach for adding video conferencing capabilities to a meeting room or space. According to Frost & Sullivan, the video bar category “has emerged at a fast pace to become the predominant technology of choice for IT buyers as well as users.”

Video bars cut deployment time by reducing the number of physical devices in a conference room and simplifying cabling. With fewer components and connections, video bars also reduce problems caused by cables being disconnected or damaged.

Because video bars integrate video conferencing hardware and software into a single form factor, they also make it easier to update devices as needed. They eliminate the need to install or maintain software on a separate PC.

All-in-one video conferencing devices like Rally Bar and Rally Bar Mini offer a number of advantages:

• User friendly and simple to use

• Easy to deploy and manage

• Designed for video-first cloud services

• Enhanced with analytics and insights

   

Thinking Beyond Everyday Meeting Room Management

Simplifying deployment and management of meeting room solutions will save time and effort for IT. And that could free up bandwidth for higher-level strategic planning and recommendations.

With the growing integration of data and analytics in video conferencing, IT can get deeper insight into user experience and meeting performance. For example, by surfacing the right data you can track room usage, identify underutilized rooms, get notified when rooms are overcrowded, and so on.

This data can be used to forecast space and equipment requirements. You might learn that you need more huddle rooms and fewer large conference rooms. Or that you need more mid-sized rooms to accommodate social distancing.

One of the benefits of deploying Logitech Rally Bar or Rally Bar Mini with Logitech Sync is the surfacing of data and analytics in a way that is easy to understand and actionable. These insights can inform decisions on meeting room planning.

Promoting a properly used and comfortable workplace is more important than ever as companies adjust to the pandemic, hybrid offices, and the eventual return of employees. Managing video conferencing equipment and infrastructure will certainly play a key role during this transition.