While almost every aspect of “the workplace” has shifted significantly in recent years, you can argue that the meeting room has changed the most.

Gone are days where people sat around boardroom tables in uncomfortable chairs, equipped with just a telephone, whiteboard, and maybe a projector.

Now, audio video conferencing is the standard way for people to collaborate in the workplace and with those who are at a different physical location.

So what exactly is an AV room? What does an AV conferencing room consist of? And more importantly, how can an audio video conferencing company help you design and configure the room for the best possible outcome.

So let’s dive into the different components that make up a state of the art meeting space.

“An audio visual integrated room is a meld of art and science. The art is in the design of the room itself; the lighting, furniture, and the selection of the right technologies that will eventually come together. The science comes in with the building of those technology connections and making each device work together as if it were one.”

-Tim Hennen, CTO at IVCi

With that being said, let’s take a look at the components of a successful AV room.

Video – Video in an AV room is about the display of content, how you see meeting participants, and how everyone sees presentations and documents. This includes cameras, displays, a matrix switcher, digital video processors, computer connections, and digital displays.

Audio – It’s important that audio is crisp and clear, and set up in a way that does not echo or interfere with any other part of the meeting. This includes speakers and microphones, as well as audio control systems.

Lighting – You can have the highest quality cameras in the world, but have your picture ruined by poor lighting. This will be unique to each individual room based on lighting fixtures, windows/doors, and the availability of shades. You definitely don’t want to overlook this important aspect.

Management Systems – Organizations often minimize the management AV rooms require to make sure that technology is working properly and that scheduling, launching, and troubleshooting are seamless.

Cloud Connection – While many organizations will have a physical AV room in their offices, it’s important that meetings can happen from anywhere. Cloud connection is now essentially mandatory in an AV setup because it allows remote employees to participate in meetings or access meetings from different devices. This allows organizations to scale their current AV room setup to limitless endpoints.

The Right AV Integrator – An overlooked component of an AV room is the technology partner that helps design, implement, and support it. The right integrator will act as a trusted advisor every step of the way, providing expert guidance for organizations looking to have the latest technology or the most seamless integration experience.

What’s even better is that if you have the right AV solution provider, the rest will fall into place because they will guide you to the right video, audio, lighting, management, cloud connection — and more.

Electronic gaming isn’t just a hobby anymore. For some, it’s a way to engage in a challenging activity, collaborate with others, and even earn a living.

With that being said, it’s no surprise that esports is gaining popularity at the collegiate level. A lot of colleges and universities — large and small alike — have created esports programs and are seeing significant benefits.

While offering an esports program requires an investment in AV conferencing equipment, it’s becoming more and more apparent that the investment is worth it.

How can schools benefit from esports at the Collegiate Level?

There are many benefits that schools and universities see when they create an esports program. They include:

• Having an activity available to students that can withstand a number of circumstances such as remote learning and can change and adapt quickly.
• While esports requires teamwork, it does not require physical contact so it can be done while maintaining social distancing and presents less injury risk than other team sports.
• Fostering student engagement and bringing together students with similar interests who may not have otherwise met.
• Attracting new students through a program that is still relatively unique — students who tend to excel at problem-solving, teamwork, and critical thinking, since those are the skills necessary to succeed at team video games.
• Growing STEM programs since there’s a parallel between people who enjoy video games and those who are interested in academic programs related to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM).
• Offering students an opportunity to express themselves and their passions, which improves retention rate.

What’s needed to implement a collegiate esports program?

For an esports program to thrive, colleges and universities need to set them up for success. They need to create an environment where esports teams can practice, host tournaments, and practice their skills with the proper equipment.

To achieve this, colleges and universities should enlist the assistance of an audio video conferencing company. AV setup is a critical component of esports.

Here are some of the AV components needed for an esports environment:

• Computers
• Gaming keyboards
• Large display screens
• Interactive displays
• Audio equipment
• Live streaming platforms
• Real-time streaming capabilities

It might seem overwhelming, but AV solution providers like IVCi are here to help. Our IVCi Engage program brings the ability to customize your esports program while providing expert guidance every step of the way.

Since esports is likely new to your institution, you may not be sure where to start, and that’s okay! Our team will guide you to help select all of your customizable essentials from furniture selection, to hardware, to mousepads — nothing is too big or small for your dedicated esports configurator.

ENGAGE is offered as a subscription-based service to ensure predictable costs and budget flexibility. In building out your unique subscription, we will carefully consider all your needs and help to create the environment your school needs for a successful esports team.

You can learn more about IVCi’s experience with esports here — once you’re ready to get started, drop us a message and an esports expert will get back to you!

Update of: https://ivci.com/news/qr-code-evolve-service/

What is a QR code?

By now, we’re sure you’ve seen Quick Response (QR) codes in many places throughout your daily life. Simply put, they take a piece of digital media or communication and allow you to instantly access it on your phone via a unique code.

In the past QR codes were most popular on signs, t-shirts, flyers, and other items where a brand wants to take your experience from something physical to somewhere digital to learn more. Now in the post-COVID world, it’s used to provide touchless shopping and dining experiences.

For example, instead of having to touch physical menus that are handled by other customers and staff, diners can scan the QR code on the table to access the menu safely on their phones.

What are QR codes good for?

In addition to on-demand digital content and touchless retail experiences, QR codes make great additions to a company’s AV setup.

QR codes allow users to summon on-demand support. By having individual QR codes per room or piece of equipment, you can quickly scan into the specific support you need without having to be routed through a general help desk.

From there, you’ll be connected to a technology expert that can help solve the issue quickly and get you back to the task at hand in the same amount of time it would take to just reach a support staff member with traditional methods.

Benefits of using QR codes for your AV technology

Beyond keeping your conference space on par with the latest technology, a QR code support can offer the following benefits:

• Increased uptime. If the meeting starter experiences any issues, they can quickly scan the code and get help to resolve the issue rather than having to take the time to get support over the phone or email. This leaves you with more time to conduct your meeting and less time troubleshooting, with available resources that can help you prevent the issue from arising in the future.
• Higher levels of confidence. With educational resources only a scan away, you can build your AV technology knowledge base and get answers to all of your questions. Over time, you’ll become more confident in your ability to use and troubleshoot your system. And if issues do arise, you’ll know you have support at your fingertips.
• Better productivity. Nothing derails productivity like technical issues. Everyone’s time is valuable and a lot of people are on tight schedules, so even a delay of five or ten minutes can seriously derail an agenda. Having custom support that’s on-demand from any smart device will keep things moving according to plan, even if technical difficulties arise.

Implementing QR code support for your audio video tech setup is not only beneficial, it’s simple to do.

Get QR support through Evolve AVaaS

The revolutionary in-room QR code support solution is available through the Evolve AV as a Service (AVaaS) subscription. One subscription allows you to access the best AV has to offer, including the latest equipment and on-demand support via QR code.

It’s time for an AV evolution — and the QR support feature of IVCi’s Evolve subscription will help you get there.

If you’re ready to take the next steps into the future of AV solutions, speak to one of the experts at IVCi today.

You can see the vision in your head — the perfect collaboration space for your team. It seems so simple as an idea, but actually executing your AV integration is a different story.

While upgrading your AV technology is certainly a worthwhile investment, there are certain challenges that can appear along the way, making the process more difficult than anticipated.

The good news is these challenges are not insurmountable, especially with the right technology partner by your side. Let’s talk a little more about common challenges organizations face during AV integrations.

Budget Constraints

Sometimes organizations are asked to do more with less. Undertaking a large expense like an AV conferencing system installation can be overwhelming for many organizations, or simply just not possible.

The good news is there’s a new way to invest in video conferencing solutions. With Audio Video as a Service, an organization is only responsible for a predictable monthly fee rather than a large upfront cost. The as-a-service model also ensures organizations have access to support, technology upgrades, and expert knowledge every step of the way.

Lack of Communication

The most important challenge of any AV integration is creating a vehicle for information flow. Without a dependable delivery system for communication, mistakes happen. Critical information needs to be provided in real-time so every member of a team is instantly informed.

Without proper communication channels and means for a timely response, organizations won’t be able to understand the function, benefits, and best practices for using video conferencing equipment. Then a trickle down effect starts where team members hesitate to adopt the technology or won’t make an effort to resolve any technical issues, rendering the investment useless.

So how can you ensure proper communication the entire process? Be sure to partner with a technology provider that doesn’t just install your solutions, but supports your AV technology journey from start to end. For example, IVCi Evolve subscribers can access help with the simple scan of a QR code, so communication is literally just a click away.

Unfamiliarity with solution options

It seems like there are more and more options for technology introduced every minute. It can be overwhelming to grasp the pros and cons of each one, let alone understand what will be best for your organization in five minutes, five months, or five years.

It’s important to have a trusted partner by your side to have to help you navigate the landscape and know what would be best for your organization. At IVCi, we work closely with our clients, not only as technology integrators but as trusted advisors who can provide the guidance you need. We’ve worked hard to be an industry leader, but what good does that do if we’re not willing to share it with others?!

Consider the challenges addressed above before choosing an AV partner. Make sure there is an established system for communication, so in the end, there are no nasty surprises.

Then, when you’re ready to start, give yourself peace-of-mind. Contact IVCi to get the room you want and the service you deserve. And, with our proven systems in place, we’ll make sure this happens before your due date.

It’s amazing just how impactful the design of a room can be. A few key tweaks can be the difference between a purposeless room with some furniture and an innovative, user-driven collaboration space. With the assistance of an audio video conferencing company, this can be done easily and stress-free.

A successful communication strategy is made up of a carefully-selected combination of meeting room technologies — and the team at IVCi can help you figure out which AV conferencing system is right for you. Here are some common examples:

Huddle rooms

Replacing standard meeting rooms with huddle rooms improves collaboration and breaks the physical barriers that prevents people in different locations from having face to face meetings. You’ll need a few strategic pieces of equipment to form your huddle room, including audio video conferencing equipment, and strategically placed furniture and lighting. With those few small adjustments, you’ll be able to instantly connect with other team members or learners.

Video walls and displays

Reinforcing key information is important in learning environments and business presentations alike. Video walls and digital displays are a visually appealing, effective way to do so. Strategic placement and the ability to easily control and change the content will help digital signage and video walls be even more effective communication tools.

Extended classrooms

Remote learning is no longer just an option for a handful of colleges and universities. Now, it’s a standard practice by which all schools are expected to be prepared to operate. Extended classrooms allow educators to communicate with students, share material, and create interactive lesson features (like quiz questions and polls), for an immersive and effective learning experience.

AV as a Service

For organizations looking for a communication strategy without significant capital expenditure or maintenance, Audio Video as a Service (AVaaS) is a great communication and collaboration technology. The subscription-based model keeps costs predictable while granting access to white-glove service and QR-code accessible support. Subscribing to AVaaS ensures your organization always has access to the latest technology at all times with the ability to scale, upgrade, or change at any time.

Strategy for Success

IVCi’s highly efficient audio visual conferencing solutions will provide optimal classroom participation and learning opportunities. Maximize the value and spontaneity that huddle rooms offer for peak meeting outcomes. Your team will include input from all staff with IVCi’s conference room tools, even if they are located across the country.

Remain competitive and stay in touch with today’s increasingly remote workforce. Via tablets and mobile devices, IVCi’s conferencing packages turn any setting into an opportunity for seamless, wireless collaboration.

More and more advertisers and businesses are utilizing video walls and digital signage displays to attract shoppers, convey information, or just to interact.

However your team collaborates or interacts with prospects, clients, and customers, IVCi provides the audiovisual products and services to allow your business to continue its success story.