InfoComm 2022 recently took place in Las Vegas, demonstrating some of the latest and greatest in Audio-Visual technologies for businesses. The Align Workplace Technology team attended the event and encountered some of the most exciting improvements, advancements, and additions to the hybrid workplace.
InfoComm Highlights from the Align team:
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Multicamera Systems
by Crestron built for large integrated AV systems are equipped with AI auto tracking to improve your hybrid meeting experience. The system tracks speakers in dynamic environments, and they demonstrated this with cameras in different areas with various orientations to showcase the automation. The cameras can switch angles, auto frame, and follow speakers based on audio-visual cues within the room. This comes alongside Creston’s recent acquisition of 1 Beyond, with plans to further refine and develop this technology and expand offerings. -
Fully Wireless Conferencing
by Crestron allows users to connect to conference room sound and camera systems wirelessly. Say goodbye to boardroom tables cluttered with wired connections and passing around the HDMI cable for presentations! -
Extenders over CAT6
by Sound Control can make any room a conference room. This offering, which Sound Control is continually extending, allow for ease of connectivity from table to conferencing units over one CAT6 cable so HDMI, USB, multiple microphones, touch screens, and the under-table boxes can all be set up using a single cable. This allows rooms that lack conduit pathways for deployments can be set up as a conference room. -
All-In-One-Conference Bars
by Biamp are equipped with 27 individual microphones to track speakers and focus audio pickup to improve your conference room experience. The device features sound canceling algorithms that eliminate the noise of keyboards and other distracting sounds in the room, as well as auto-tune (not the T-Pain kind), that can optimize the room’s audio pickup with the push of a button. Best suited for small and medium conference rooms, the conference bar is also offered at an affordable price point. -
Automated Setup of Complex Room Audio Systems
by Biamp takes away hours of setup that would normally require a specialized audio tech. The LAUNCH feature can be easily deployed on a mass scale if needed, and the Biamp DPS components are designed to work together and seamlessly cover all audio needs within conference spaces. -
Cisco Room Kit device refresh
features a new room bar and more features than ever before. When configured along with your calendar and an interop, this low-cost system can provide one-touch meeting connectivity to WebEx, Zoom, and Teams meetings. There are many new features that make conferencing and using in-room systems more seamless, including the ability to use Cisco table microphones which was previously limited to the higher-end system. From connections to USB audio devices and microphones, BYOD connections via USBC to run conferences from a laptop while using in-room camera and sound, and Airplay compatibility for iOS devices, this hints at what further improvements will be implemented into the Room Kit.
Align’s Takeaway
A recent survey found only 8% of New York City office workers are back full time and that 78% of businesses have adopted a hybrid work model, making it clear that the hybrid workplace is here to stay. And with the extensive presence of collaboration tools and technologies demonstrated at InfoComm, it’s safe to say the workplace technology industry is on board. With these continual improvements, employees will be able to collaborate seamlessly whether they’re in the boardroom or their home office.
However, there is still the sobering reality of lingering supply chain issues stemming from the pandemic and international tensions that has resulted in shortages of vital materials and chips. Many manufacturers are predicting that new stock of their most popular items won’t be available for purchase until next year. While some products are available now, other critical items are not, and even the design of new products to fill these gaps are suffering longer lead times due to the materials shortages.
Align Workplace Technology solutions are built with the hybrid enterprise in mind, and our experts have extensive experience navigating challenges even on a global scale. To learn more about our solutions and how we can help transform your workplace, talk to an expert today.
