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The Importance of Collaboration Equity in Hybrid Workspaces: Cameras

Written by Craig Heiman | Oct 19, 2021 3:00:00 PM

As hybrid meetings and conferences have become more common, certain limitations have inevitably arisen regarding creating seamless interaction between in-person and remote attendees. Collaboration equity is something all companies engaging in hybrid meetings should strive for to make all employees feel valued and be heard. There are many tools and technologies that can be used to increase collaboration equity, and cameras are a great place to start.

Cameras connect meeting participants in hybrid settings and aim to emulate face-to-face interactions. It’s important that the quality and functions of conferencing cameras allow for equal exposure and take into account that not everyone is in the same physical space. Incorporating different camera angles and positions into conference spaces can greatly increase meeting quality for remote participants. This might mean adding more cameras and placing them at an optimum angle or moving existing cameras so that remote attendees can better see other participants. Other features, such as wide-angle lenses, can help to capture more meeting participants in a room and allow the participants to sit with ample distance between each other. There is even a new technology emerging that frames in-person attendees’ faces on a screen so that all participants are shown equal size, making it easier for remote participants to identify who is speaking. During an initial site visit, AV Planners will outline technology needs and provide appropriate solutions.

Huddly’s conference room cameras are state-of-the-art products that can accommodate meeting spaces of all sizes. The Huddly L1, designed for large meeting rooms, has full HD video capabilities and a custom lens that allows remote viewers to see everything in precise detail. Remote meeting participants can pick up on facial expressions and nonverbal cues from attendees in the room thanks to the quality of this camera. The camera is easy to use and has the ability to automatically zoom in and out when it detects that there are more or less people in the room. 

Jabra’s PanaCast is the world’s first intelligent 180-degree panoramic 4K video solution. Through face detection, it is able to adjust accordingly to optimize screen real estate and allow all viewers to see everyone present. The PanaCast is easy to set up and use and even utilizes a whiteboard sharing feature, a great tool for collaborating in the hybrid workspace that allows physical and virtual presentation and saved content for later recall. The camera captures whiteboard content in the room and projects it back onto the screen so that regardless of where a participant is seated, remote or in-person, they can see and understand whatever is being presented. 

High-quality cameras on the Huddly and Jabra products go a long way in helping replicate an in-person meeting experience for those who attend remotely. Detail and precision in visual components is vital for making people feel connected in hybrid settings. AV Planners can provide you with the tools and expertise you need to update your camera systems to accommodate a hybrid environment. Contact AV Planners to learn more about our services. Keep up with the latest news from AV Planners on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.