Tag: wireless presentation system

Want to set up a wireless Conference Room?Try Now

5 Benefits of Wireless Presentations

Posted on

If a time traveler from the year 2005 were to set foot in your living room, they would have a hard time figuring out your home entertainment system. Apple TV? Netflix? How are you supposed to insert the DVD into the Apple TV box when the DVD is nearly twice the size of the box? And how come this remote control only has one button on it? Has the world gone crazy?

And yet if that same time traveler were to set foot in your conference room, they would be completely at home. Although business meetings rely on pretty much the exact same technology as home entertainment (TVs, projectors, media to play on said TVs and projectors), many meeting rooms are still stuck in the Blockbuster era, relying on HDMI, VGA, and countless other cables and adapters for their presentation solution.

Things don’t have to be this way. With a wireless presentation system such as the Ubiq Hive, you can bring your conference room into the Netflix/Apple TV-era and briefly confuse any time travelers that happen to wander in.

Here are just some of the benefits:

1. Easy Set-up.

dsc03613

Have you ever successfully plugged an electronic device into a wall socket such as a vacuum cleaner or hair dryer? Then you shouldn’t have any trouble setting up the Ubiq Hive. Once the device is powered on and connected to your conference room TV or projector, all you have to do is download the Ubiq app or go to present.goubiq.com and you can begin streaming right away.

2. Less Strain on IT.

internal-users-sept-9

Like E.R. doctors, IT people are always on-call in case of an emergency. If a project manager is having issues hooking up his 2008 MacBook to a projector, the first person to hear about it is usually the system admin, who is then expected to drop everything he’s doing and rush into the conference room and try to diagnose the problem.

With Ubiq, however, IT does not need to be physically present in the conference room. To monitor a presentation, all you have to do is log in to the Ubiq dashboard.

3. Increased Productivity.  Keep employees in the loop by sending notifications to your conference room displays.

Ubiq integrates with calendar tools (like Google Calendar) so teams can schedule meetings, reserve rooms, and request “hive” access. It also allows IT to post notifications and digital signage to meeting room displays in order to help teams stay organized.

4. Security.

Ubiq integrates with multiple networks so internal users stream over the corporate network and guest users stream over the guest network.

The Ubiq application ensures that internal users stream over the corporate network and guest users stream over the guest network. Since Ubiq integrates with your company’s Active Directory, internal users do not need to create their own accounts. Simply enter your Active Directory domain during installation and Ubiq will check credentials against the domain.

5. Better Looking Conference Rooms.

No conference room is complete without the Ubiq wireless presentation system.

Wires are ugly, and hiding them is difficult. Some people try to run them behind their baseboards or under their carpets, but few succeed. This is especially true if we’re dealing with multiple cables like HDMI, VGA, HDMI to VGA, DVI, and Thunderbolt (which is the bare minimum of what you’ll need to have on-hand in today’s BYOD era in lieu of a wireless solution). Hiding that many cables is like trying to hide 6% of the world’s aluminum in the Mexican desert; it’s only a matter of time before it shows up on Reddit.

Discover how Ubiq can work for your organization. Request a demo today!

Want to set up a wireless Conference Room?Try Now

Why you should NOT cable up your meeting rooms?

Posted on

It may have been considered the norm to have wires and cables installed throughout company meeting spaces a few years ago. Now, however, cables are more often viewed as an unnecessary clutter. When upgrading working spaces and conference room technology, businesses are thinking wirelessly.
If your organization is upgrading its facilities in the near future, here are some of the top reasons why you should think wirelessly too.

Cables are eyesores.

One of the top considerations when re-thinking a meeting room setup is appearance. When it comes to office aesthetics, cables are eyesores, especially when they are hanging everywhere. In time, they’ll likely get tangled or risk becoming a tripping hazard. Meeting spaces without cables are more visually appealing and secure.

Mobile eliminates installation and maintenance costs.

Cables also come with cost installation and maintenance fees. Adding cables to a meeting room usually means hiring professionals to install them. They often break or simply wear down over time too, which means you’ll need to repair or replace them eventually. Wireless solutions like wireless presentation systems save businesses from the burden and costs associated with maintaining cables and equipment.

Mobility creates more flexibility.

With wireless technology, businesses free themselves from being locked in one place. Should your organization ever decide to relocate, it will not have to unhook the cables or reinstall them in a new location. Instead, with wireless solutions, it can be as easy as moving a mobile device from one room to another.

Wireless is the future.

Companies no longer need to be tied down by cables because of poor wireless performance. Wireless technologies and mobile performance has greatly advanced in the last decade. Cables simply are not as necessary as they may have been in the past. Instead, wireless solutions have become more vital.
According to a recent study by Constant Contact, over 66 percent of small business owners use mobile solutions as part of their daily business processes. Another two-thirds of SMBs say that they would struggle to survive without wireless tech. Collaboration tools, software and other business technology has evolved to meet the demands of an increasingly mobile workforce and population. Renovated meeting spaces should be equipped with cutting-edge technology, which means that they should be designed with mobility in mind.
It is important to be forward-thinking when renovating office space. Cables are a thing of the past. If organizations want their meeting room to remain relevant and useful for years to come, wireless is the way to go.

Want to set up a wireless Conference Room?Try Now

4 Reasons Your Meeting Room Setup Should Look More Professional

Posted on

Executive conference rooms often serve as a window into your business. As the central meeting spot, it is the most likely place that you will hold important meetings with prospective clients and employees, current staff, board members, press, and other constituents. It is where organizations deliberate, collaborate, and come to important decisions that could have a lasting impact on their future. Therefore, the executive meeting room setup is important to consider.
A meeting room that could be mistaken for a college dorm will have a hard time attracting visitors; a meeting room that looks like it was designed in 2046 will have a hard time turning visitors away. More importantly, a more professional meeting room is often a more productive and more collaborative meeting room. Here are some critical reasons why:

Make positive first impressions.

Even though people often remind themselves not to judge a book by its cover, they still do–at least when it comes to first impressions. Several studies have shown that within seconds of meeting people decide a person’s wealth, trustworthiness, success and other characteristics solely based on appearance. Another study claimed that it is an unpreventable part of human nature to judge based on first impressions. A meeting room setup that is unprofessional could make a poor first impression which could impede companies from closing deals or recruiting the most talented workers.

Host visitors and special guests.

One of the most important necessities for organizations is a shared meeting space that can accommodate visitors and guests. Whether it is through video conferences or in-person meetings, visitors often find themselves in the conference room. Professional areas are more welcoming to an array of visitors and guests.

Establish a conducive work environment.

A more professional meeting room setup helps to eliminate non-work related distractions and boost productivity. It can also encourage the executive team and other employees to be more professional while influencing others to take them seriously.

Hold secure events and presentations.

Having a space to host events and presentations can open doors for organizations. It helps companies network with influencers and prospective business interests. A conference room that is equipped with meaningful and necessary technology like a wireless presentation system, collaboration tools, and other devices shows that your organization is prepared. It also protects company data from being leaked during private presentations and other confidential meetings.
A large portion of time spent in the office takes place in the conference room, so it is important that it reflects the type of business that you are and displays a sense of professionalism. Making your conference room more professional looking doesn’t mean that you need to stifle the creativity and unique character of your organization. It should, however, be more presentable to outsiders and comfortable for insiders.
 

Want to set up a wireless Conference Room?Try Now

Your Users Don't Like the Collaboration and Communication Tools at Work

Posted on

Technology has revolutionized the way that we communicate and collaborate with each other, especially in work environments. The instantaneousness of social media and cloud-based apps has raised expectations for response time and communication. Therefore, apps and other technologies are aiming to improve the way that we work together.
Collaboration tools can include video conferencing, wireless presentation systems, meeting room software, instant messenger, cloud technologies, and mobile apps. The goal of these technologies is to turn your meeting room into a collaborative meeting room. When managed effectively they make it easier to access files remotely, to talk face-to-face in a digital environment, and to simultaneously create and edit projects with others.
However, in order to implement them effectively, users must be open to using them to their maximum potential. If users think the apps are useless, then they will be useless. It is crucial to know more about what your users think about collaboration and communication technology at work in order for it to be successful. What do most users think?
Collaboration is crucial
When asking employees about collaboration in the workplace, most of them will agree that it is vital. In one UK study, three out of four respondents said that collaboration is crucial to the way that they interact with coworkers and clients. Studies have also shown that when employees work together closely on projects and tasks, they are more engaged and satisfied with their jobs. In general, users want to use technologies that foster and support collaboration. However, the challenge is finding the right tools for your organization.
Is it easy to use?
Users may want more collaboration, but what they don’t want is just another tool that they have to learn how to use. Technology should promote collaboration, not stifle it. If the technology is too difficult to use, it can do more harm than good.
Users are often hesitant to try a new tool, especially if it has a steep learning curve. This is perhaps the most crucial stage when introducing a technology into the workplace. In order for a tool to be even remotely successful, organizations must first overcome hesitation by ensuring that it is easy-to-use and useful.
How is it improving my job?
Collaboration technology is only truly successful when it improves overall business performance or satisfaction. Users want to know that the tech has had a significant, positive effect on how they do their job. This means that tools must go beyond simply increasing communication or improving response time. They must be embedded into the business processes, making them an important part of everyday operations.
Organizations are trying to increase collaboration and foster communication by introducing new technologies. Knowing what your users think about the tech is an essential step towards successful deployment and implementation. Organizations will know that these technologies are effective, when users begin to say statements like: It’s actually made my job easier, or I never want to go back to the way that we did it before.

Want to set up a wireless Conference Room?Try Now

3 Reasons Meetings Should Always Start on Time

Posted on

Meetings are often regarded as boring, unproductive wastes of time. In one study by Hubspot, 47 percent of respondents said that meetings were the top time waster in the office. However, that is largely due to how they are conducted. When conducted effectively, meetings disseminate valuable information, increase workplace communication, and boost morale and productivity.
One major contributor to meeting success is punctuality. Punctuality greatly affects the value of meetings. In some cultures, starting a meeting a little later than the scheduled time is completely normal or even expected. However, in general, there are several reasons why starting on time is crucial to its success.
It Fosters Productivity 
According to a recent study by Bain & Company, a meeting that starts five minutes late will be eight percent less productive. When given an exact time limit for completely meeting objectives, people are more likely to work harder to accomplish them.
Keeping the time limit for meetings below one hour can help increase the effectiveness by helping to maintain attention. Online collaboration tools and conference room technology have also helped to decrease the time we spend in unproductive meetings. Save small updates and information for emails, instant messengers or other collaboration tools. This way, you can more easily stay within your time limit and meet the objectives that you set.
It Makes a Good First Impression
Imagine that you are attending a meeting with two different presenters. When you walk into the first one, the speaker is already there. His or her equipment is not ready and not functional, they hand you an agenda with objectives, and they cannot start exactly on time. The second speaker arrives five minutes late and spends another 15 minutes setting up presentation technology.
Which presenter made the best impression? Most likely, none of them. When you are leading a meeting, attendees expect organization and promptness. If your meeting room setup relies on wires and cables and your end users spend the first 15 minutes of their presentation struggling with connectivity issues, they may as well be presenting to an empty room. Individuals can eliminate set up time and worries by using wireless presentation systems and by arriving a few minutes before the scheduled time.
It Shows You Value Attendee’s Time.
By starting a meeting on time, presenters are also showing that they value the time of their attendees. When meetings continuously start and end on time, presenters build a reputation of respect, professionalism, and competence. On the other hand, when the start time fluctuates, people are more likely to show up late, daydream during them, or stop attending them altogether.
Along with a number of other positive benefits, meetings can be an effective way to bring your team together, share updates, boost morale, and improve communications. However, when they start late, presenters already set them up to be less productive and effective. Starting meetings on time is one of the top ways to ensure that they are successful and engaging.
ADDITIONAL READING
5 Must-Have AV Products For Your Conference Room
Top 10 Conference Room Cable Management Fails
Wireless Screen Sharing vs. Conference Table Cable Management

Want to set up a wireless Conference Room?Try Now

When Technology Fails: 5 Tips to Save Your Presentation

Posted on

When organizing a presentation, one must always ask the question, “What could go wrong?” The visions of worst-case scenarios in our minds can be frightening, hilarious, or both. Nevertheless, we have a job to do and a message to get across to our audience.
A lot of details often go into planning a presentation—from the content to the technology that supports it. While the presentation may be a one-person show, colleagues and partners play significant roles making sure things run smoothly. No matter how tight your set-up is or how prepared you are, there is always the possibility that something could go wrong.
Anything can happen during a presentation. You can never be too ready. However, with wireless presentations, you’re working with multiple devices and audiences from various locations and time zones. Technology is critical to support everyone across barriers because it’s the technology that brings people together. Therefore, there should be contingency plans to ensure not all is lost when technology fails.
Here are 5 tips to help you salvage your wireless presentation:

  1. Dress Rehearsal. Coordinate with IT on a date/time the day before or the morning of the presentation to run through your presentation set-up. This is an opportunity to perform system checks for Wi-Fi, security and network access to the wireless presentation. You may want to ask one remote colleague to also participate in the dress rehearsal to make sure external connections work as well.
  2. Communication Chain. Depending on the number of people and locations participating in the presentation, create a phone/contact chain. Should technology fail, you need to get in touch with everyone as to the next steps. Whether you’ll need to reschedule or change platforms, make sure you have at least a phone number for each person or team lead. This is especially important for those colleagues or partners who work remotely.
  3. Rain Date. When coordinating the presentation, be sure to schedule a “rain date” using the necessary resources, including the conference room and equipment. When you schedule the presentation date, also have this date set on the calendar.
    Should anything go wrong and you’re unable to bring participants back together, all participants will know there’s another meeting set. If all goes well, you simply need to cancel the “rain date” to make resources available to those who need it.
  4. Documents in Advance. If possible, share your slides or any necessary documentation with participants before the presentation. This could be in the form of a hard copy handout or electronic files. If there is a technical issue that prevents you from moving forward with the presentation, at least your team members will have information readily available.
  5. Record Presentation/Webinar. If you’re unable to reschedule your presentation for everyone, a great option is to record the presentation for team members to review on their own time. Invite them to join you live.

However, by recording and saving the presentation, you create a new document that can be archived and act as a reference. The interaction of a live presentation may be lost, but there are ways to make recorded presentations just as interactive.
Technology fails can be stressful for the host and the participants. Certainly, your IT team should be on hand to lend support. However, by having contingency plans set, you can be better prepared to handle the issues.
What are some ways you’ve saved your wireless presentation? Share your tips with us in the comments!

Want to set up a wireless Conference Room?Try Now

Why You Need Wireless Presentation For All Educational Institutions?

Posted on

Where one learns is no longer restricted to space and time. More students, from high school to graduate school, are finding opportunities to get an education beyond the traditional classroom. Classrooms can now connect students and instructions far and wide from classroom to classroom or classroom to coffee shop.
Depending on the school, courses are offered in a variety of formats: discussion forums, pre-recorded lectures, live instruction, etc.. Every student has a different method of learning. In a University of California at Davis study, students taking an online course at a community college were 11% less likely to pass than those taking a course in a traditional classroom. The study found that for students, there was something to be said for social connections made during a course to boost comprehension. This could very well be where collaboration is key in many successful online learning programs.
Wireless presentation systems can turn the classroom into a collaborative space. Ubiq creates a wireless presentation where students and staff members can share content easily and have discussion on a subject and learn from one another.
How can wireless presentations work in education?

  • Connect students across multiple campuses & off-site. More time to learn, less time to travel! Whether they’re in the classroom or at home, students can connect to their class sessions from wherever they are.
  • Promote Bring Your Own Devices (BYOD). Whether you use a tablet or a desktop, the device doesn’t matter as long as you meet the requirements to connect to the presentation. By supporting multiple device types, institutions are promoting greater accessibility to learning
  • Secure access to wireless presentation. One less thing to worry about while getting an education. Wireless presentation systems like Ubiq use hives which require codes to attend the presentation at its access point
  • IT monitors from afar. Having a problem with your wireless presentation? Your institution’s IT administrator can manage activity and service levels from a single dashboard. There’s no need for check-ins, class interruptions or wasted resources
  • Shared experiences. Whether it’s small group project or a full class lecture, the opportunities are endless. Instructors can work with IT to create special sessions for student groups to work together through assignments or continue class discussions
  • The school administration can also benefit from wireless presentations for presentations with trustees, faculty, partners and other institutions

In 2012, the National Center for Education Statistics in the U.S. revealed that approximately 25.8% of students had enrolled in at least one online course. In January 2015, Kent State University in Ohio reported that 40% of their students had taken at least one online course during their study. As education becomes more accessible and flexible, the number of education institutions creating online courses and degree programs will rise to meet the needs of their students.
Education is just one example of how wireless presentations can work outside of the business world. Throughout schooling, students learn the tools to work in the “real world” and develop their social skills. The benefits of collaboration can easily be applied in and out of the classroom, now on a global level. Wireless presentations break down barriers for open communication and learning.