National Bank of Canada Case Study
Organization
National Bank of Canada
Location
Montreal, QC, Canada
Market
Financial Services
Solutions
Biamp, Bose, Epson, HP | Poly, Legrand AV, Microsoft Teams, Peerless-AV, Q-SYS, Samsung, Sennheiser
Intuitive and standardized AV/UC tech powers new Montreal HQ vision
National Bank of Canada is Canada’s sixth-largest bank and leading one in Quebec. The bank provides financial services to individuals, businesses, and clients domestically and internationally to positively impact people’s lives. The financial institution has provided these services since 1859.
National Bank Place: a hub for employee, client, and community collaboration
In 2018, the bank set out to build National Bank Place – an immaculate headquarters in downtown Montreal. The vision? Create a space for employees, clients, and the local business community to collaborate and thrive.
Headquarters designs feature floor-to-ceiling windows and a vast lobby with massive video walls, digital displays, audio equipment, and museum-quality art. The building also features multi-purpose common areas, large conference rooms, huddle spaces, a wellness center, a cafeteria, auditoriums, and more.
“The new building was designed with a hybrid work model in mind,” said Manuel Vallée Léger, Experience Leader, Physical Workplace at National Bank.
This forward-thinking approach helped expand headquarters staff from 8,000 to 11,000.
Shifting work trends spark tech upgrades and expert support needs
Evolving AV/UC tech and user needs meant National Bank’s collaboration infrastructure needed future-ready upgrades.
In 2022, the bank sought third-party assistance to optimize forty floors of meeting spaces, the lobby, auditoriums, the wellness space, and the cafeteria.
AVI-SPL Canada was the ideal partner for its:
- Audiovisual and unified communications design and deployment expertise
- AV solution that balanced tech innovation with ease of use and scalability
- Global reach (ability to serve Canadian, New York, and London offices)
- Strong corporate social responsibility commitments
- Bilingual support
“We felt well taken care of by your team,” said Maxime Migneault, AV Solutions Integrator at National Bank. “Our initial meetings were productive, and we efficiently established a plan and clearly defined the roles of each stakeholder. This was extremely useful because, soon after, we could smoothly integrate the deployment of the conference rooms with the general contractor and other stakeholders.”
Consistent collaboration driven by standardized AV solutions
Employees familiarized themselves with Microsoft Teams while working remotely. The bank aimed to ensure a smooth transition to a new facility and provide consistent, user-friendly hybrid meeting experiences. So, they chose Microsoft Teams Rooms as their primary meeting space design.
AVI-SPL Canada proposed a custom AV solution tailored for Microsoft Teams Rooms, featuring HP Poly cameras, Samsung displays, and soundbars.
HP Poly cameras automatically adjust to presenters in real time for clear visibility. Simultaneously, soundbars and Samsung displays ensure in-office and remote teams can clearly communicate.
Microsoft Teams Rooms, powered by HP Poly cameras, Samsung displays, and Nureva soundbars, provide a consistent hybrid meeting experience – flexible enough to evolve as new technologies emerge.
Additionally, the benefits of this custom solution extend beyond Montreal. Standardizing hybrid meetings enabled the bank to foster seamless collaboration across its offices across the country and abroad.
“We achieved a high adoption rate, which for us meant ‘Mission Accomplished’,” said Léger. “We succeeded in providing a technological environment in our meeting rooms that met our users’ expectations.’’
Customizing AV tech for inviting, intuitive gathering spaces
The layout of National Bank Place is sleek, spacious, and refined. As soon as you enter the lobby, the facility captivates you. You are further engaged in the auditoriums, cafeteria, and health and wellness center. That feeling comes from the elaborate art and content featured on video walls, wayfinding displays, projectors, speakers, and microphones.
AVI-SPL Canada tech experts worked closely with National Bank’s experience leaders to design the audiovisual technology for these interactive environments.
“This is where AVI-SPL’s expertise truly came into play,” said Migneault. “Your expertise and knowledge allowed us to make the right choices for these non-standard rooms with atypical design. We needed to select the right products to meet our core objectives: simplicity, intuitiveness, and customer experience.”
AVI-SPL tech experts and bank experience leaders selected Bose speakers, Draper projection screens, Epson projectors, Q-SYS core processors, Samsung digital signage, and Sennheiser microphones.
Perceptive integration powered by quality control and adaptive tech support
Supply chain issues and labor shortages created construction delays, requiring last-minute adjustments. AVI-SPL technicians adapted to each delay, efficiently implementing solutions with minimal corrections.
Migneault shared, “I believe this is where the delivery process offered by AVI-SPL distinguished itself. The quality control during the planning and execution and the project manager’s knowledge made a remarkable difference and allowed us to deploy our rooms as needed and with a very high level of confidence that the technology would be in place.”
Result: A modern workplace in tune with the heartbeat of a city
National Bank Place designers and architects crafted a contemporary workplace experience supporting hybrid work and fostering community. By partnering with AVI-SPL, National Bank delivered on that vision. The result was a streamlined, flexible workplace that meets today’s and tomorrow’s demands.
A total of 425 conference rooms feature user-friendly collaboration technology solutions. Dynamic AV solutions foster connectivity and engagement across the building’s gathering spaces. And employees and stakeholders are enjoying the enhanced experience.
“People are happy in this modern and functional environment,” said Migneault. “Most importantly, leadership member office technology received an extremely positive welcome because they finally had access to simple and functional systems. Most employees appreciate that every floor had the same types of rooms and technologies. It made it easier for them to use.”
Future-ready collaboration solutions delivered, inspiring ongoing support
AVI-SPL enabled National Bank to achieve its vision for a modern, collaborative headquarters through strategic planning, expert deployment, and proactive long-term support. Our personalized AV and UC solutions and expertise helped:
- Overcome construction delays and labor shortages
- Transition the organization to a user-friendly hybrid work model
- Standardize meeting experiences across 425 rooms
- Build a scalable infrastructure supporting international offices
- Create engaging and intuitive gathering space experiences
The successful partnership led to investment in AVI-SPL Onsite Managed Services and Global Support and Maintenance for long-term AV and UC solution management.
Migneault noted, “[AVI-SPL] technicians are incredibly useful and enable us to be more efficient in supporting our users. Thanks to the integration of our platforms and the simplicity of communication, they can be proactive and act before issues even arise. Many of our users are pleasantly surprised by AVI-SPL’s ability to solve problems with speed and precision. We call that true efficiency and effectiveness!”
AVI-SPL is your trusted partner for large-scale workplace technology upgrades. We provide personalized guidance and technology solutions that bring your vision to life. From design to deployment to management, we’ll help you confidently navigate the future of workplace technology. No matter where you are on your journey to plan, deploy, operate, or optimize your collaboration environment, we can support you. If you’re planning such upgrades, contact us today to explore how we can assist.
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