Business and tech specialist, Frost & Sullivan, has published a new global report forecasting “significant growth” in the adoption of collaborative AV technology as workplaces begin to reopen.

The report, entitled ‘7 Steps to Improve Virtual Meetings in the New Era of Work’, features insights from pro audio giant Shure and outlines the areas in which businesses are looking to improve their offering when it comes to virtual and socially distanced meetings. With many businesses seeing staff working either entirely remotely or in a socially distanced manner in an office/workplace, demand for collaborative AV tech, such as cloud-based services and touches technology, is rising rapidly. 

There are, however, a number of concerns about how to incorporate such technologies securely and effectively. Of the various business leaders and IT operators surveyed in the report, 35 per cent cited quality and reliability as their key concern, with 34 per cent citing security concerns. Limited interoperability with third party solutions was the primary issue for 26 per cent, while 25 per cent highlighted a ‘lack of the latest features and capabilities’ as their top concern.

The report also found that despite the spike in people currently adopting remote or hybrid working (83 per cent of professionals now rely on some form of technology to participate in meetings) , some 95 per cent of meeting rooms were equipped with only ‘minimal technology’. According to survey participants, 87 per cent are ‘frustrated and stressed’ due to tech failures in meeting rooms. 

This demand from remote and hybrid workers is expected to fuel substantial growth in the adoption of more advanced AV tech in the new year and beyond. Not only will be businesses be keen to solve the issues they are currently facing (as outlined above), there are several key drivers pushing business leaders to upgrade their infrastructures, as outlined below:

• Improve teamwork – 35 per cent

• Improve information management – 32 per cent

• Improve customer experience – 31 per cent

• Improve operational cost – 29 per cent

• Improve marketing effectiveness – 29 per cent

• Boost creativity and innovation – 28 per cent

• Accelerate decision making – 26 per cent

 “Once offices reopen, health and well-being regulations will require employees to have minimal contact with shared surfaces,” explained Robert Arnold, principal analyst, connected work, Frost & Sullivan. “Therefore, there will be a great demand for touch-less conferencing. As enterprises build a robust conferencing ecosystem, the adoption of AV technologies that aid simple deployment, intuitive operation, and seamless compatibility with leading collaboration platforms will experience significant growth.”

Jim Schanz, vice president, global integrated systems sales at Shure, added: “To optimise audio performance in rooms connected to any conferencing service as well as to streamline room audio management, organisations must emphasise standardisation of certified audio devices. As no meeting can be effective without quality audio, investing in a scalable infrastructure can position businesses of any size for greater success as they battle evolving market factors.”

You can download the report in full here.