Cisco presents extensive innovations around hybrid working at ISE – including the Webex Room Bar
How do you work hybrid optimally – that’s the question that all manufacturers at ISE are actually trying to answer with their solutions, because ultimately it’s about bridging the gap between people on-site in the office and people in the home office. A recent industry survey conducted by Webex found that 88 percent of knowledge workers are dissatisfied with technology in the office. That’s why our partner set out to provide solutions that enable seamless, inclusive and flexible collaboration.
When designing the meeting room, the following questions arise:
For physical meeting spaces, how can we ensure meeting access is as simple as possible so that employees are not burdened with complex hardware management
How can we improve face-to-face interactions so that everyone has a similar or equal meeting experience
Finally, what role does collaboration technology play in the return to the office? How can technology positively influence company culture and thus contribute to a better well-being among employees. The Webex Room Bar, for example, also plays a role in this context.
If you are currently working on the redesign of your meeting rooms, then our conference room technology checklist will certainly be useful for you. You can download it here free of charge.
Webex Room Bar – a new benchmark for hybrid meetings
We took a closer look at the Webex Room Bar at ISE 2022 and were impressed. The Webex Room Bar is targeted at huddle spaces, small and medium-sized meeting rooms in hybrid environments.
Webex Room Bar Videos
According to surveys, the biggest sources of frustration in the hybrid work environment are background noise and poor sound or video quality. Other issues, as described above, are the “equivalence” of meeting participants (home office versus conference room) and possible hurdles such as language barriers. These are precisely the sticking points that the new Webex Room Bar addresses.
Webex Room Bar: the most important features at a glance
The device uses AI to ensure that everyone in the room is in view and all participants are engaged in the conversation. Everyone in the room is optimally framed, so each participant is equally represented. The new 12-megapixel camera provides a wide field of view, so even people sitting closer to the device, such as in smaller meeting rooms, are captured. In our opinion, this is a very good and so far unique solution.
Spatial Audio, according to the manufacturer, gives the feeling that the various team members are in the room with you.
Thanks to dual-screen support, it’s possible to work on a second screen in parallel with the video chat, it adds.
The AI also minimizes distracting background noise.
The Webex Room Bar is compatible with meeting tools, such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, among others.
One can access live captions, gestures and responses, and embedded apps like Slido to make meetings more inclusive and interesting for all participants.
Essential in hybrid meetings is that all participants understand the content. Simultaneous interpretation is now available for Webex devices. With this feature, meetings are translated by a live interpreter, allowing organizations to easily overcome language barriers.
Another unique feature is that the Room Bar goes beyond “just” video activation of conference rooms. Sensors integrated into the touch panel allow you to track room conditions in real time to ensure your teams have an optimal environment. Smart macros can trigger automatic alerts to remind users of security policies, for example.
Cisco emphasizes that in a hybrid work model, powerful technology is coupled and you achieve great potential with deliberate design to prevent fatigue and ensure an optimal, inclusive work environment.
