Video conferencing - meetings of the future

Video conferencing has become an integral part of the business world and is the meeting of the future. Video conferencing systems increase productivity and reduce costs. Due to more flexible ways of organising work (home office or even in times of crisis), employees are not always on site at the company. Nevertheless, things have to be discussed and planned. With video conferencing, all desired participants can take part. Travel costs are also saved by eliminating train journeys or flights to conference partners. This is not only easy on the wallet, but also benefits the environment. Emissions can be significantly reduced in this way. The range of video conferencing systems / remote meetings and individual components is huge. Often there is only a telephone conference where only audio is transmitted.

What equipment do I need to set up a video conference?

Equipment / hardware for the office or conference room
- Video conference camera
  Depending on the size of the conference room or office, the viewing angle of the camera for video conferencing is crucial so that all participants can be seen. Special wide-angle cameras and cameras with 180° recording angles are available. The orientation and position of the camera is important accordingly; camera mounts / shelves can assist.
- Loudspeakers for video conferences
  The voices of the participants should reach the other party clearly and without noise. Therefore, a good sound and a good positioning of the loudspeakers in the room are necessary. Appropriate loudspeaker holders (wall holders, floor stands) are available on the market.
- Microphone for videoconferencing
  The microphone is one of the main factors for the quality of the videoconference. For larger video conferences, several microphones should be set up so that each participant can be heard clearly. Modern wireless microphones are a particularly elegant solution here.
- Monitor for video conferences
  The diameter of the monitor should increase with the size of the room. All objects and participants should be clearly visible. The monitor should not be placed too high or too low. As an alternative to the monitor, a beamer can also be used. With a suitable projector mount, it is securely and inconspicuously mounted and provides just as good a picture as a conventional monitor.
- Mounts for video conferencing solutions
  A wall mount or monitor stand (with or without castors) is recommended so that the monitor can be placed perfectly at eye level. Monitor stands are often electrically height-adjustable and thus particularly flexible and convenient. High-quality monitor wall mounts can be tilted, swivelled and / or adjusted in height. This means that the best view for the participants can always be set. A camera rack and shelves are usually offered with the video conference stands.
Technical equipment for external participants

For external participants, a notebook or normal PC / computer with webcam is often sufficient for a meeting with other colleagues or the entire team. An external microphone, if the PC is mounted under the table, and external loudspeakers optimise the workplace.

The workstation / desk of external participants can be designed with monitor holders, swivelling telephone holders, PC holders and ergonomic mice or keyboards.
Conference software

The best-known conference tools are Microsoft Teams, Cisco Webex Meetings and Skype. Some of the providers offer a free version, which is then partly limited to participants or functions. In most cases, a user account must be created for each participant, as with Skype for Business or Microsoft. Depending on the solution, chat rooms are possible, the sharing of different screens or the recording & saving of meetings. The number of participants varies per conference solution, as do time limits. If no internet access is available, some solutions also offer dial-in via telephone. The decision for the conference software is made accordingly based on the requirements and nothing stands in the way of an online meeting.
Conference Room Systems

Barco ClickShare

Barco ClickShare is a wireless presentation solution for small and large conference rooms / meeting rooms. Up to 64 participants can present or share content from their PC / laptop / tablet / smartphone on a central screen, monitor or canvas with one click. Each participant of the meeting either connects a "button" via USB to their laptop or connects their tablet / smartphone via WIFI system to the Bacro Base Unit and clicks on the virtual button. With Barco's ClickShare solution, content can be presented quickly and easily.

The ClickShare system from Barco is available in different variants. The variants differ, for example, in the number of "buttons" and participants. Thus, the CS-100 / CS-100 Huddle is suitable for up to 8 participants, the CSE-200 / CSE-200+ for up to 16 participants and the CSE-800 for up to 64 participants.
Crestron Mercury

Crestron Mercury enables teleconferencing and videoconferencing, multimedia presentations and web collaboration. The conference room system makes location-independent collaboration and content sharing quick and easy. All that is required is to connect a laptop or computer equipped with an application such as Zoom, Skype for Business, Cisco WebEx, GotoMeeting, Slack or Microsoft Teams. Remote participants are connected via SIP (VoIP).

It is offered in the variants CCS-UC-1 W/PS KIT (basic package) and CCS-UC-1-AV W/PS KIT (video package). The basic package supports SIP VoIP hands-free devices, Bluetooth and USB audio, the video package adds functions for multimedia presentations and video conferences and includes a USB camera.

Set up a videoconference - buy equipment / get support

Do you need help setting up your conference room or would you like advice on mounts and/or video conferencing all-in-one systems? Please feel free to call us or send us an e-mail! We offer manufacturer-independent and neutral advice. Our range includes products from Barco, Crestron, Cavus, SMS, Vogels, peerless, dataflex, Novus, i3 technologies and B-Tech.