By Jeremy Keefe, Area Sales Vice President - UK, Ireland and Benelux, Polycom 

You are a modern day worker who enjoys being mobile so you can work from different locations and believe in flexible working as it allows you to be productive. Yet every time you manage to secure yourself a meeting room often it feels like you have walked into a blank space which can definitely do better with a little more hint of technology.

While most workers have moved on, some employers are still trying to catch-up but there is no respite with the rising cost of real estate and inflation hammering down on the economy. Businesses are aware that their workforce is battling time zones every day and it is time they gear up for 2017 by thinking about the types of meeting rooms their workforce requires for delivering the good work while being mobile and flexible.

As a regular participant of meetings, there are several different types of meeting styles that I see frequently.

Type 1 – Meeting room for an in-person discussion:

Mind the word ‘discussion’ here. This is the most common type of meeting room that will be needed as while conducting business across borders is becoming more common some 1-2-1 chats still need to take place. These are often the meetings that kick off a partnership or significant reviews and are the catalysts for driving the next type of meeting room requirements as they often lead to the need for sharing information or for third party participation.

Type 2 – Meeting room for sharing content:

This type of meeting room will attract the most traffic across all groups whether they have two, a few more or a fairly large number of participants. Sharing content in the format of documents such as PowerPoint presentations is not uncommon and it is important to have the right content sharing software solution that is easy to use.

Type 3 – Meeting room for an audio call:

Audio is the backbone of all meetings and the most common way of conducting meetings. Also, it is quite obvious that without proper audio you cannot have a video meeting. A popular means for both booked and ad hoc meetings, more than often you will need to ring someone on their phone for work. Whether it’s on fixed line, mobile, conference phone or Skype for Business, audio-only meetings are essential.

Type 4 – Meeting room for a video call:

You cannot attend all meetings in person at all times, and as more and more people are working from home nowadays, video is becoming an essential part of the day-to-day work. We still believe face-to-face meetings are essential in a working life and therefore travel is still a part of it. If you cannot travel but still want to make the meeting more impactful, you need to attend it on video. Video meetings are important and this is a no-brainer for the digital time we live in today. The benefits felt from video meetings can range from not needing to travel great distances, to being able to get home in time for dinner with the family.

Type 5 – Meeting room for working from anywhere:

Work From Anywhere – a new way of working that doesn’t require you to work from one set location. A small meeting space or a ‘huddle room’ can cater to the needs of workers when they are visiting one of their office sites or any other location. All the other pieces of technology listed above will enable them to find the right meeting space when needed. In addition, software solutions that allow collaboration from the devices of their choice will empower them to work from anywhere.

Today’s government departments and agencies are faced with increasing demands for efficient citizen services, legislative requirements and public safety concerns.  With limited budgets available, how can they better leverage thier existing video technologies to address these challenges?

Consider how an organization can use existing video conferencing investments in new ways. When combined with the the right infrastructure, video conferencing solutions can be used to reach hundreds or even thousands of viewers to create quality recordings and webcasts to streamline the communications around training, one-to-many messages, and knowledge management initiatives. 

Of course, the technology needs to be easy and affordable. I recommend looking into the Polycom RealPresence Capture Server. It complements video conferencing investments with simple self-service workflows - there’s no video production expertise required. End users are empowered to capture what they know, and share those insights with others, creating a more connected and informed organization.

For government departments and agencies, here are the top 5 benefits for using capture-server technology to create great video assets and webcasts:

1. Extending access of information to citizens and employees - when and where they need it. Capture Server offers government organizations a new way to improve services, organize and deliver information anytime, anyplace, any device. One-to-many communications can be made available through webcasting and recorded video archives that are accessible through a browser.   
2. Integration with voice, videoconferencing, and Microsoft Skype for Business for real-time and on-demand content. Justice organizations improve public safety, decrease operational and capital costs and improve training by leveraging a complete unified collaborative communications solution in new ways. Thus, creating high return on investment. 
3. Improved communications such as training, which helps organizations to be better informed, especially during times of emergency. Capture server technology improves public services, increases departmental efficiency, emergency responsiveness, and promotes inter-agency collaboration.
4. Easy-to-use browser-based solutions. Now anyone in the organization can create, share, stream and view videos with simple self-service workflows.   
5. Files are secure  – Capture Server can help governmental organizations archive national defense, internal security, border security and other national security issues in a secure archive.