In an increasingly connected world, where distance is no longer an obstacle, videoconferencing has become an essential tool for businesses and organizations. Whether for meetings with colleagues on the other side of the world, remote training courses or negotiations with international business partners, videoconferencing offers a practical and effective solution for communicating at a distance. However, to take full advantage of this technology, it's essential to properly design and equip a videoconferencing room.
Take your environment into account when designing your remote meeting room
Already important when designing a more conventional meeting room, there are two main criteria not to be forgotten when designing a videoconferencing room.
The first concerns the sound and acoustics of the videoconferencing room. Did you know that the main obstacle to regular videoconferencing is sound quality? If you're not very well equipped with videoconferencing tools, and you add to this poor room acoustics, you can be sure that your employees will shun any opportunity to hold a remote meeting.
And if the sound of a videoconferencing session echoes around your premises, other members of your team will also be annoyed by it. It's enough to break all ties with the outside world for good.
The second important environmental criterion is the brightness of your room. It's important to remember that it should be neither too high nor too low, so that your remote partner can see what's going on at a distance, especially if you have prototypes to show or a screen behind you to brainstorm.
There are also other minor elements to take into account: making sure that the internet connection is as favorable as in other rooms, setting up rules for living together, etc. so that everyone can use this room in the best possible conditions.
Recommendations from our partner Speechi
Don't be afraid to start with an atypical architecture and make the necessary improvements to turn it into a cool meeting and videoconferencing room.
What equipment should you choose for your videoconferencing room?
To transform your traditional meeting room into a real videoconferencing room, you'll need tools that facilitate remote communication.
In some cases, particularly for intimate "one-to-one" videoconferences, a PC equipped with a webcam, microphone and videoconferencing software is all you need. But if you want to take things to the next level and offer high-quality remote meetings, you'll need to choose more substantial videoconferencing equipment.
Opt for an all-in-one videoconferencing screen...
It's the latest solution in our range of interactive screens that will change the way you switch between face-to-face and remote conferencing: an interactive screen that integrates videoconferencing equipment (camera, microphone, speakers) into its frame. Perfect for small and medium-sized rooms, the SpeechiTouch Visio touchscreen combines the collaborative benefits of a conventional interactive screen with a videoconferencing system.
... or build your own videoconferencing system
Perhaps you're already equipped with an interactive screen or a conventional display? If so, simply add the camera, speakers and microphone you need to suit your requirements. Putting together your own videoconferencing kit can also be interesting if the architecture of your room is atypical, if your needs are particular or if your face-to-face audience is large.