Today, most employees bring their own laptops to work, eliminating the need for a shared conference room PC. However, many companies still like it the old way and insist on having a shared PC in their meeting room even if it is more of a headache than of a help.
In fact, one of the major challenges for the IT professionals tasked with supporting conference room technology is maintaining shared PCs. Here are some reasons why companies no longer need a shared PC in their meeting rooms:
BYOD
The latest survey by Tech Pro Research shows that the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) movement is booming, and over 74 percent of organizations are either already using or planning to allow employees to bring their own devices to work. This rising BYOD trend has resulted in immense benefits to both employees and organizations. It obviously improves opportunities for collaborations and makes meetings more efficient and straightforward.
BYOD also brings significant benefits to conference rooms. Sharing content across tablets and smartphones makes these devices useful for various meeting scenarios ranging from training to sales presentations to planning sessions.
Failure of PC as a Connectivity Hub
There are several effective methods for accessing content during a meeting such as connecting to a tabletop AV content, connecting directly to a display or projector, accessing files from USB storage device connected via DVI or HDMI cable portable storage, etc.
However, many of these methods frequently fail because they rely on the shared PC as a connectivity hub. Whether accessing files on the corporate LAN, connecting a USB drive, or accessing the web, the shared conference room PC has serious shortcomings, including constant software updates, long boot times, and complex login procedures. As a result of this, shared meeting room PCs or laptops can be nightmares for the IT support staff.
Compatibility Issues
By relying on a single shared PC or laptop to run a presentation, you open yourself up to the following scenarios: Not having the latest version of a software that supports a particular file, having to update to new software minutes before a presentation, and dealing with users who want to share documents that only run on apps compatible with Macs.
Quite often we see conference room users run around and stress out trying to figure out a way to get the presentation to run, especially if it contains some sophisticated attachments.
Requires Extensive Maintenance
The shared conference room PC often keeps the IT team on its toes. Making sure the laptop is in proper working order, that the cables are connected to the display, software is updated, and various other tasks eat up a lot of IT team’s time.
Eliminating the shared conference room PC and investing in a wireless presentation system can help businesses save on a lot of time, energy, maintenance expenses, and above all, make meetings much more productive and effective.
ADDITIONAL READING
Wireless Conference Rooms vs. Cabled Conference Rooms: Which Has the Better ROI? 
Top 10 Conference Room Cable Management Fails of 2016
5 Must-Have AV Products For Your Conference Room