VC: Building a better experience

• Features

• 06/12/2022

As videoconferencing’s critical nature becomes more widely accepted demand for VC is rising. Accompanying this higher demand is a closer examination of the VC experience through the lens of the user.

VC as a tool is so critical to the hybrid workplace that an improvement in experience is required.

We all know that videoconferencing cannot work without audio. So, let’s skip the conversation around the importance of being heard clearly; it’s a given. Instead, what can be done to start establishing a baseline ‘good’ experience for VC?

Jeffrey Lim, managing director for PAVE Systems, starts the conversation: “I think it is essential that we realise that the remote participant might be joining via laptop, some of them might be joining in from their mobile devices while on the move. The screen real estate available to them is a variable so we have to implement camera tracking and auto-framing features in meeting spaces. We don’t want the remote participant to just see a bunch of small little people sitting in the conference room on their screen. The AV in the room should be able to track and frame the speaker so that the remote participant can engage with the meeting and the discussion. It is good to see that these features are becoming more common in products and solutions.”

Terence Lee from Dacoms agrees and says: “The key thing to pay attention to for the remote participant is to focus on the person who is talking. It goes without saying that the audio for the speaker must be clear and must be heard at the near end and the far end. We have to make sure that we avoid the ‘can you hear me’ problems. But the person who is talking must also be properly represented on every screen. There are a lot of systems and solutions that can achieve this.”

It is telling that the integrators both focused on the remote participant experience first. There are more variables in play and less control available, but it is the part of VC that can most benefit for improvement. Thankfully, part of the remote participant experience is created in the ‘meeting room’ and hence we shift focus towards the users on the near end.

Lee from Dacoms says: “Users have become very familiar with videoconferencing, but that does not mean that they are familiar with videoconferencing systems. For about two years, their whole experience of VC was just to open their laptop and join the meeting. It is simple and effective, but it does not necessarily provide the best experience. Now, as we move towards hybrid work, they have access to dedicated meeting spaces but the process to join meetings is not the same as on their laptops. They might not really know how to join meetings or share content. They might not be able to immediately identify where the camera or the microphone is. I think we have to look at training and education tailored to needs of the users for the specific spaces and meeting rooms that they will be using.”

Educated and trained users should be able to more fully use the tech resources available to them in meeting spaces.

Lim from PAVE believes training can be broadened in its scope: “I think education can be expanded and we need to start having conversations with clients about what makes good meeting spaces. From a personal perspective, I am starting to see ceiling lights pop up as a feature in a lot of big meeting spaces and boardrooms. And while that makes it challenging from an installation standpoint, the real problem is that the ceiling microphone specifically becomes hidden. We have to have conversations with clients about what makes an effective meeting space.”

Improving the VC experience is not a solo mission and the people who create VC platforms and technology systems are stepping up. Lim from PAVE discusses one particular advancement and says: “Customers are very hyper-aware of features, especially when they come from Microsoft. So, I don’t think we will be seeing a lot of 16:9 aspect ratio. Features like Front Row are bringing 21:9 to the fore and that is resulting in larger screens being looked at. There aren’t many manufacturers that are making screens in 21:9 aspect ratio at the moment, but I think the trends for larger screens and more inclusivity means that this will change with time.”

The real question now is when and how these new features will be adopted. Lee from Dacoms says: “In Taiwan, we begin slowly and that means the market tends to follow after the early adopters. So, while the US and maybe Singapore are already looking and trying out the 21:9 aspect ratio and the new platform features, we will see movement in that direction perhaps a little while later. There is also the fact that Taiwan is a bit more agnostic when it comes to VC platforms, Microsoft Teams does not dominate here, which makes it harder for features like Front Row and the 21:9 aspect ratio required for it to shape the market.”

To truly improve the VC experience for all, end users need to put in the legwork. Lim from PAVE concludes: “Customers need to really pay attention to and maybe rethink how they structure meetings and how these meetings flow. We have to start considering the remote participant experience from the start because it is obvious that meeting participants who are in the room have an advantage. Hence, they are also the ones who end up with more screen time and a larger share of the discussion. We have to implement processes and meeting management to ensure that the remote participant is included together with the technology.”

Image: Shutterstock.com/ST.art