This blog is an update to the original “Boost hybrid meeting experiences with interoperable Cisco solutions,” released in August 2023.
At least 30% of work days in the United States are remote, indicating a continued need for efficient and equitable hybrid work experiences. To ensure users remain productive in the hybrid workplace – remote or in the office -businesses are realizing interoperability via a standard solution experience that supports all meeting use cases regardless of platform, will improve agility, security, and user experiences.
Organizations will need interoperable AV and UC solutions to deliver everyday experiences. Not exploring an interoperable hybrid workplace limits meeting platform connectivity and the total meeting value during calls. These limitations reduce flexible communication and collaboration between departments and customers.
If you are exploring a transition to an interoperable hybrid workplace infrastructure, here are several ways AI-powered devices from Cisco can boost your hybrid meetings and how your hybrid teams work.
AI infusion across Cisco systems
Cisco is a market leader in artificial intelligence (AI) in the hybrid workspace because of its long-term partnership with NVIDIA. Cisco devices, powered by the world leader in AI computing for hybrid workspaces, are supported by its RoomOS operating system. RoomOS is the only hybrid workspace platform that supports artificial intelligence throughout the entire portfolio of video devices. Additionally, it enhances the cloud experience on WALL meeting platforms.
RoomOS also connects teams to prominent hybrid meeting platforms by introducing interoperable meeting capabilities. The digital communications technology conglomerate also partnered with Microsoft to support seamless native Microsoft Teams platform control on Cisco devices.
“We want to make sure that those users get to their work and get their work done as quickly as possible.” – Patrick Eustace, Cisco – How Cisco RoomOS Power Native Webex Meetings & Microsoft Teams experiences.
The goal is to improve flexible workplace user experiences, customer support experiences, and meeting equity in video-enabled meeting spaces.
Enhance hybrid workplace interaction and productivity with Webex Suite
The Cisco AI strategy for Webex will improve communication and collaboration. Unlike other AI offerings that only focus on text or documents, Webex uses real-time communications for audio and video to solve everyday challenges to ensure crystal-clear audio and video calls in meetings despite where work takes us. In addition, Cisco’s new Webex AI Assistant has capabilities that improve productivity and bolster accuracy for customers.
The Webex AI strategy and Webex AI Assistant will be applied across the entire Webex portfolio — The Webex Suite, Cisco Collaboration devices, Webex Contact Center, Webex Connect, and Webex Control Hub.
Artificial intelligence stimulates the virtual workplace experience by keeping team members up to speed with meeting and message summaries. If a team member has to step away, the Webex AI assistant shares a recap of what was discussed while the person was away.
When individuals are ready to draft content, the AI assistant is there to help users craft messaging with their preferred tone.
In addition to meeting and messaging support, Webex Suite’s use of AI extends to video and live events. AI assistant will organize recorded video into chapters so users can get to parts they care about most. For live events, AI can translate what is said on screen into 30+ languages during an event.
Beyond a centralized workplace platform, AI is enhancing personal workplace experiences. Audio intelligence removes background noise in virtual or hybrid meetings, making it easier to understand speech on platforms beyond Webex. AI is also growing in other areas, including interactive video sharing, hand gestures, meeting transcription and closed captioning, and virtual backgrounds.
Create streamlined customer support experiences with AI
Cisco’s AI assistant is also making a name for itself by amplifying the customer support experience for clients and support agents.
With the help of AI, support agents can track every communication with a client, convert conversations into summaries, and offer chat responses to user needs.
Cisco’s use of AI is empowering agents by providing each customer with conversation assessments and best practices. The system can detect agent burnout and provide articles that address user challenges.
Cisco’s intuitive capture software and AV solutions elevate meeting equity
An auto-tracking video bar can focus and shift from person to person. But remote hybrid meeting viewing experiences can still be uncomfortable. And for in-office teams, video bars mounted on one side of a room can limit the visibility and voice of participants. Meeting attendees in the middle or at the back of a room can be forgotten. And depending on where microphones are placed, some individuals may not be heard as clearly as others.
Video-enabled meeting spaces require multiple cameras to capture every angle of a meeting effectively. But cameras must know when to capture each interaction. And AI-powered technology advancements are making that possible.
Cinematic meetings on Cisco devices
And for those times when you need to ensure the people in the room are the only ones seen or heard, Cisco’s Meeting Zones can help.
New office layouts can offer interesting meeting space challenges as organizations like yours modernize designs. When glass is used as meeting space walls, your camera, and remote viewers can pick up passers-by.
Meeting Zones lets you or a third-party support team set virtual borders in your collaboration spaces to ensure distraction-free meetings. The system maps and understands your workplace and only captures the voice of attendees – keeping your hybrid meetings focused and productive.
Elevate video capture to ensure everyone is seen and heard
In an office or remote meeting, participants want to be seen and heard equally, regardless of their room position. Cisco’s Room Bar Pro is an easy-to-deploy video bar that uses artificial intelligence to capture and frame individuals. The camera’s 48MP lenses capture a broad view to keep everyone in sight. And depending on the setting, the camera can zoom and frame individuals.
From a tablet or Cisco’s Room Navigator device, you can:
- Manually adjust the video bar camera
- Shift to automatic group overview
- Switch to dynamic speaker view
- Enable AI direction to crop and frame participants or groups
Room Bar Pro uses spatial audio detection with a tabletop three-channel stereo speaker array. The video bar also features a 16-element microphone array. Spatial audio projects sound from specific speakers to make it feel like virtual attendees are in your space. In addition, Room Bar Pro supports AI-powered noise removal and acoustic echo cancellation. Background audio suppression ensures that meeting audio focuses on each person’s voice.
The AI video bar for any medium meeting space
Room Bar Pro is compatible with Cinematic Meetings. And it will soon be available for Microsoft Teams Rooms.
AVI-SPL can help elevate interoperable hybrid meeting user experiences with Cisco
Looking to elevate your hybrid experiences further?
As organizations continue to navigate modern work environments, Cisco Spaces emerges as a vital tool for optimizing meeting experiences. The workplace management platform turns your buildings into smart spaces to connect people and devices with no additional hardware to drive efficiency and cost efficiency.
Cisco Spaces also provides real-time analytics and insights into how spaces are being used, helping organizations make informed decisions about resource allocation and workspace design. Features like location-based services and environmental monitoring enhance collaboration by ensuring teams can effectively engage in meetings, whether in-person or remote.
Create a more responsive and adaptable workspace that fosters productivity and innovation by integrating Cisco Spaces into your hybrid meeting strategy,
Additionally, Cisco technologies powered by AI, including Webex Suite, RoomOS, Room Bar Pro, Cinematic Meetings, and Meeting Zones, can streamline and boost workforce experiences anywhere.
And AVI-SPL’s Cisco-certified experts can help integrate these systems into your spaces. Or our VR design engineers can help you build new layouts with Cisco solutions as core room components.
Contact us today for more information.
