The COVID-19 crisis reinforced the importance of having the right digital collaboration tools to help workers maintain contact with their colleagues when working remotely. Even before COVID-19 hit, many organizations had come to realize the importance of using technology properly to foster multiparty collaboration and create better outcomes for workers.
But while tools for audio- and videoconferencing have been in existence for many years, they have often been seen as providing an inferior experience to face-to-face engagements.
Now, however, leaders are coming to understand that remote working will play a more significant role in our working lives on an ongoing basis, while many have also come to appreciate the cost savings that have accompanied the slowdown in global business travel.
As a result, many are now investing in solutions that overcome the negative associations of older systems and instead create seamless experiences that maximize worker productivity.
The goal today is to provide systems that enable workers to achieve their goals with the least effort and in the most natural way possible.
Modern work requirements
One of the most obvious drawbacks of remote working is the reduction of face-to-face contact among team members. In-person meetings allow participants to convey and receive much more information than just what is exchanged verbally thanks to the cues of body language and other subtleties of human interaction. Furthermore, in-person human interaction is rarely impeded by technology failures such as faulty equipment or limited bandwidth.
These issues have led to a tendency for people to believe face-to-face meetings are easier and more effective than digital alternatives.
To meet the new reality of greater dependence on digital interaction, leaders need to invest in systems that provide experiences that are as close as possible to what people expect from face-to-face interactions, and where the technology does not impede the desired outcome.
This means investing in new-generation technology that can enhance the collaboration experience. This includes the use of high-definition or ultra-high-definition 4K video at high frame rates, which replicates presence and ensures non-verbal information is also being communicated.
The use of low latency connections and high-speed processors can also go a long way toward eliminating the lag often seen in presentations, particularly when sharing interactive content. And the process of creating and attending sessions should also be as simple as possible, regardless of whether the interaction is a meeting, conference session, workshop, or any other form of meeting.
And with modern systems it is also possible to include capabilities that actually go beyond what is possible in normal interactions, such as the use of handwriting recognition to directly input and record notes.
Advancing the collaboration experience
These ideas are brought together in the Huawei IdeaHub, which integrates a variety of capabilities including intelligent handwriting recognition, high-definition projection, video conferencing, and open office applications.
Sporting a modern look designed around user needs, the IdeaHub maximizes visual interaction through the use of 4K video running at 30 frames per second, coupled with Huawei proprietary Video Motion Enhancement. The viewing experience is further enhanced by features such as active speaker tracking, which centers on the person speaking to ensure clarity in communication.
Audio quality has been designed to match, with a built-in microphone array that features an 8-meter sound pickup zone, and which can be extended through an external array. Acoustic baffle technology allows users to define the sound pickup scope to eliminate the impact of ambient noise, making the IdeaHub suitable for use in shared spaces.
For listeners, the IdeaHub features active echo cancellation, automated noise suppression, and automatic gain control, with additional audio enhancement technology that ensure the clearest audio experience for attendees.
Whiteboard collaboration enables interaction between local and remote users, and numerous apps come pre-installed with the IdeaHub. And when not being used for collaboration purposes it can also function as a digital advertising or bulletin board solution.
Conclusion
With more and more workers likely to be participating from remote locations, and many organizations looking to reduce their staff travel requirements, leaders need to invest in technology that ensures they can still gain the greatest benefits from collaboration and presentation sessions.
By combining the latest in audiovisual technology with high-speed networking and advanced presentation functionality, the Huawei IdeaHub provides the perfect solution for organizations that wish to maximize staff productivity and collaboration without the expense and inconvenience of constantly bringing people together.
Copyright © 2020 IDG Communications, Inc.
