Editor’s Note: Commercial Integrator has teamed up with the IMCCA, the New York-based non-profit industry association for unified communication and workplace collaboration, to produce a quarterly supplement, titled Collaboration Today and Tomorrow, that focuses on all things collaboration from multiple perspectives.
We’ve been talking about hybrid spaces for a while. Hybrid spaces, huddle spaces and general upgrades are happening everywhere.
These are key drivers for employee retention. Studies have indicated that a substantial number of workers are not happy with the audio and video quality they have at home. It can make them feel like they’re on the sidelines during meetings. An ongoing challenge is designing a system that takes advantage of new and better technologies without having to scrap the current system.
To retain workers, industries will continue to put user experience at the top of the priority list as they refresh collaboration spaces and systems. The term “meeting equity” expresses the desire of participants to feel like they’re meeting in the same space, no matter where they are.
There’s a continuation of reinvention in every space, keeping pace with consumer expectations using a human-centered approach. Digital signage will become more and more important, as it facilitates the use of artificial intelligence to meet broader expectations.
As systems become “smarter,” they also become more complex—and, consequently, more vulnerable. So, the need for increased attention to network security takes a top spot on the priority list. Along with providing customers bespoke services and solutions, guarding against intrusions is mandatory. Yet, the picture is incomplete if the user experience becomes clunky, unreliable or confusing. Simplification of use goes hand in hand with adopting cutting-edge technologies and ensuring that the system is secure.
Remember the red “easy” button that Staples rolled out with its brilliant marketing campaign back in 2005? The button is still relevant, and it’s more important than ever that collaborative workspaces are easy to use and have an intuitive design.
But there’s another critical group that needs some help navigating integration design and installation challenges moving forward: the people tasked with making disparate systems work. Now more than ever, the complexity of what’s required for a knockout collaboration solution depends on a highly complex infrastructure, design and installation.
The good news is that technological advances are abundant. The best news is that the merger between Tech Data and SYNNEX Corp. in September 2021 put multiple complexities under one roof, and this serves to simplify things in a big way for virtually everyone working in the collaboration space.
As we’ve witnessed, AV/IT vendors have been keen to ramp up and provide solutions that will make things easier for customers. TD SYNNEX is dedicated to making things easier for the providers themselves, along with our partners. Bringing AV, IT, CE and financing under one roof simplifies everything for collaboration installations and upgrades, regardless of where you are in the solutions equation.
If you’re an AV expert, we can help you with the IT side of things. If you’re more knowledgeable about digital signage or are only familiar with the way cloud-based applications work, we can help bridge any gaps. There are so many reasons to consult with us, and, as a large and well-established distributor and solutions aggregator, we have a breadth of expertise in house to ensure your success.
For more Collaboration Today and Tomorrow content, check out our website archives.
Sandi Stambaugh is SVP, product management, with TD SYNNEX.
