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IT Insight: Meet the Meeting Owl

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The Global Pandemic changed how we work and the future of work. “Zoom” and “Teams” are now recognized as  verbs and hybrid work isn’t going anywhere. 50% of employees are now working hybrid (some office/some remote) according to Gallup. In fact, almost half of employees surveyed have stated that if they were not allowed a hybrid work situation, they would choose another job.

73% of employees have now returned to work at least one day per week with many stating they feel more included when within their physical office space.  With other employees working remotely, how your office is wired for technology will impact hybrid collaboration. Tools, products, processes, and space need to be upgraded to facilitate this new work model. The key to a great video conference setup includes three major items: a quality television/screen that fits the room, a video conference system, and solid infrastructure including wiring and a PC. Whether working remotely or at your desk, make sure you invest in a quality webcam that offers a sharp image and a great microphone to speak your presence. Delivery is key for a successful video call.

In a world of virtual meetings, it can be difficult to find the right product to meet your conference room needs. What solution are you using for online meetings? It is not unusual for companies to have multiple solutions such as Teams, Zoom, Webex, GoTo Meeting and Google. For instance, you may use Microsoft Teams for combining team chat and video conferencing, Zoom for reliable large number video callers, Google Meet for Google Workspace users, Webex Meetings for video quality or GoTo meeting as options. Without recommendations from your Managed Service Provider, you may be paying for multiple technologies that do the same thing.

The Meeting Owl is one of the top new products on the market to help provide a quality meeting experience. It uses a 360- degree camera which allows everyone sitting at the table to be seen during your meeting. The Owl also becomes your microphone and speaker, which makes the setup extremely easy with less cables and devices in your space. Every participant receives an immersive, equal experience. You can pair multiple Owls together to help with bigger rooms or multiple rooms being used at the same time. Owl Labs has also added some great features such as zooming on the current person speaking, “follow-me” which will have the camera focus and follow you around a room, intelligently zooming in on whoever is speaking. It is Wi-Fi capable, and you can use a mobile app to configure your Meeting Owl.  With its plug and play ease, simply plug in the power and USB, launch your preferred video conferencing platform, and start your meeting. While there are options from other vendors, PCG has found Meeting Owl to be a perfect meeting room addition that helps us feel more connected with our team, clients, and vendors.

With guidance from your MSP, you can create a strong video-conferencing solution that you control to communicate, collaborate, and work efficiently with, both now and in the future.

JoAnn Hodgdon is vice president and co-founder of Portsmouth Computer Group (PCGiT) with her husband David. PCG provides comprehensive managed IT services, business continuity, security, cloud computing and Virtual CIO services to their clients.  You may reach her at joann@pcgit.com or at www.pcgit.com.