How big is your office? What shape is it? Do you make the most of its spaces? 

In a tech-dependent world, these are questions many businesses would be forgiven for thinking were no longer pressing. 

However, the hybrid way in which the world now works not only supports a more agile workforce, it also presents opportunity to optimize the value of any physical office environment. 

The key to it all, of course, is video conferencing: now a critical component of all businesses’ unified communication and collaboration stacks, and now also at the heart of enhanced employee experience and bottom-line cost savings. 

Most have along ago discovered the myriad benefits of virtual, face-to-face interaction: less time wasted travelling to meetings, reduced associated costs, work-from-anywhere convenience, improved work-life balance. 

Now the most innovative and progressive AV providers are helping organisations kick-on yet further; modifying, adapting, and leveraging the ‘actual’ office in ways which derive added advantages. 

“The evolution of technological features over the last few years have driven enhanced user experience, meeting equity, and trust in meetings; now attention is turning to supporting smarter office configuration and layout to unlock yet more return on investment,” says James Spencer, Video Solutions Director at leading global AV solutions vendor Jabra, which is at the very cutting-edge. 

“Fewer people may be occupying an office five days a week; because of increased video conferencing, meeting rooms may be at a premium; and meanwhile real estate costs at best remain static but at worst may rise.

All of that means opportunities exist for video conferencing technology to meet those new challenges.”   

Indeed, many businesses large and small are redesigning offices; partly to attract people back in following the Covid-induced explosion in fully-remote working, and partly to attract new, high-quality employees who look for modern, fit-for-purpose, and energizing environments in which to thrive. 

Hybrid working is certainly a huge part of that mix, particularly for younger, digital-native members of the workforce. 

A recent report by Jabra titled ‘Mind the Gap: How Gen Z is Disrupting the Workplace in 2024’, revealed that, when asked what makes them feel connected with their colleagues at work, 34% of Gen Zs found face-to-face interaction with their peers and manager to be a key factor in feeling a sense of belonging.  

“A lot of workplace designers are now inspired by that approach,” says Spencer. “They want to create a sociable, open plan space in which people are energized and in which all meeting and collaboration experiences are of a high quality. Feeling in a good mood about the work you do, and how you do it, ultimately leads to increased productivity in and outside the office.” 

Opting for more open plan spaces can create a social yet dynamic vibe; and deploying clever AV hardware and software can make that kind of makeover easier and less costly than might be imagined. 

In the case of Jabra in particular, its award-winning, plug-and-play, UC-certified PanaCast 50 suite of video conferencing solutions have all the intelligent features needed to make it happen. 

Baked-in Room Usage data insight functionality provides decision-makers from Facilities Management, IT, and Human Resources with anonymous real-time information on how meeting rooms are being used, and by how many people. 

Helped by a 180-degree field of view camera which sees all meeting participants, it shows whether rooms are being used at full capacity or not, and helps managers make informed space-optimization decisions around redesign and downsize. 

In addition, the Jabra PanaCast 50’s same 180-degree field of view functionality enhances meeting equity as it means everyone in a meeting is seen by everyone else all of the time; its Virtual Director automatically tracks speakers; its Intelligent Zoom dynamically frames all visible people within six meters of the camera. 

Also, brilliantly in terms of office space reconfiguration, its ability to create virtual walls which demarcate an open plan area and only capture meeting activity within it means any space can be easily converted into multiple smaller ones.  

“We are seeing video conferencing taking place in more open spaces,” says Spencer. 

“Our technology ensures our cameras and microphones focus only on participants and does not pick up audio or video of someone who might be walking past. That obviously presents huge opportunity to reconfigure an existing office in ways which may mean space is either better utilized or is rendered completely superfluous. With real estate rents in all of the world’s biggest cities continuing to rise, that can be a real game-changer. 

“Also, virtual communication and collaboration is now a lot more spontaneous. Before, there would be an element of preparation required, now people simply hop onto a call at will, whether they are speaking with colleagues in a different area of the same office or elsewhere. Certainly, all our solutions are designed to get people straight onto a call whenever they want. 

“There is undoubtedly a case to be made for some physical face-to-face interaction at the office, which is why the hybrid model is so attractive. It’s about striking the perfect balance and, most importantly, having the tools to facilitate it.” 

  • To learn more about how Jabra can help your and your customers’ businesses optimize the physical office, visit the website.


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