“It’s definitely a game-changer for hosted meetings.”

About Kolbe Windows & Doors

In 1946, brothers Herb and Ervin Kolbe started repairing window frames and building sash on their family’s 80-acre dairy farm. Within two years, they moved into their first office in Wausau, Wisconsin. Seventy years later, they provide windows and doors to homes and businesses all over the world.

Industry

Building Materials

Company Count

1000

Problems:

IT had to be called into the conference room on a regular basis to troubleshoot connectivity issues. Other wireless presentation solutions didn’t adequately support video or integrate with multiple networks.

Solution:

Ubiq offered a seamless wireless alternative which could support video and integrate with multiple networks.

Result:

Every user who has tried Ubiq has returned to it repeatedly.

“Prior to Ubiq, we were just hooking up cables here,” reports Kolbe’s Chris Bauer. “That didn’t work out so well. Anytime someone was giving a presentation, whether it was Mac or Surface, numerous cables and different adapters were required and IT always had to be involved. It was time to move forward.”

Bauer decided to explore wireless alternatives such as Cisco’s Meeting Place and AirMedia. “The issue with the Cisco product was the cost. And then you have SmartNet on top of it. It wasn’t a per site fee, it was a per user fee. They didn’t support video very well. AirMedia was straight up presentations only. No video whatsoever.”

The third wireless alternative that Bauer tested out proved to be quite a bit better than the others. “One of the things that really drew me to Ubiq when we were first testing it out was that it sits on our DMZ guest network. The Cisco product and AirMedia did not work well with our guest network. The ease of use was also a deciding factor. All you have to do is download an app. And now that Ubiq has the new Chrome extension, the ease of use is even better. You don’t even have to download the app anymore.”

Bauer wasn’t the only one smitten with Ubiq’s ease of use. The end users at Kolbe noticed it too. “Our primary meeting room seats 50-70 people and we have multiple meetings there. It’s been pretty easy for repeat users. We’ve had no push back whatsoever. As soon as someone tries it out once, they never go back. They are instantly hooked.”

Since adopting Ubiq, Bauer has recommended it to colleagues outside of Kolbe at every available opportunity. “I’ve had discussions with several school districts in the area. They want to incorporate wireless presentations,” says Bauer. “They looked at the Ubiq site and they agree that’s its a cool product. So I’ve already recommended Ubiq to several people.”