If you have decided to take advantage of boardroom automation technology in your Tampa, FL business, the next logical step is choosing which products will give you the reliable, convenient experience you want for your clients and employees. Our boardroom integrators understand which products excel at improving productivity and client experiences. Below, we’ve covered some of the best boardroom automation technologies available today.

SEE ALSO: Newest Must Have - The Huddle Room

Networking

A strong network is the backbone of any boardroom technology. You need a networking solution that is secure, reliable, and fast—and that’s what you get with Pakedge. Pakedge’s networking products enable you to control a vast number of devices on the same network, handling everything from teleconferencing to firewalls.

Lighting and Shading

Turn down the lights for a presentation or raise the shades to bring energetic lighting to an afternoon meeting by integrating lighting and shading control technology in your boardroom. Lutron offers lighting and shading solutions that truly are top quality. From automatically turning the lights off after everyone leaves the room to dynamically changing the shades depending on the sunlight levels, Lutron’s control solutions will make your boardroom lighting perfect for any circumstance.

Teleconferencing

Never struggle to hear during a teleconference again. With ClearOne’s line of microphones, audio, and video connectivity solutions, you’ll get pure sound and visuals no matter how large your boardroom is. ClearOne’s systems optimize audio to avoid feedback and noise during teleconferences so that you don’t have to deal with garbled speech during your meetings.  

Projectors

If you’ve never tried a Hitachi projector before, now is the time to experience it. Hitachi has a broad line of projectors perfect for each corporate need, from a simple huddle room to a large auditorium. Their projectors are reliable and long-lasting, and they provide super clear visuals for your presentations.

If you are planning on upgrading your conference and board room speaker systems, the speaker placement and configuration is essential. One way to tell if you are in need of a conference room sound system upgrade is if you are experiencing inconsistent sound and volume levels throughout your space. When you are making the decision on new speaker installations, there are a few things to consider for installation.

The layout of the room will directly affect the number of speakers you will need to use for your conference or boardroom. A good rule of thumb is that you want the sound to be at the same level regardless of where you are in the room. The size of the room and the height of the ceiling are also important. The more speakers you have in the ceiling of the room, the more even the sound will appear across seating positions. If you have a presenter or a display for video conferencing it is a good idea to have some speakers that make it appear that the sound is coming from the screen or where the presenter is positioned.

In some rooms with high ceiling positions like a church or large meeting hall it may make more sense to use a single speaker or a cluster of speakers where the sound comes or appears to come from a single point. Because of the high ceilings the speakers can usually be mounted at a higher point. The higher mounting position makes the distance from the speaker to each seat close to the same. Speaker manufacturers also use different engineering designs to correct this distance even further for various speakers.

In large rooms sound levels can recede drastically from the front to the back of large rooms. If you find that the amplified sound does not reach all the way from the front podium to the back of the room, perhaps because of a balcony, rear fill speakers can be used to fill in the gaps. In these cases the speakers are usually delayed using an electronic processor to make the speakers seem in time with the front speakers and eliminating what could appear as an echo.

Your choice in speakers can make a huge difference in sound quality and sound pressure levels at various listening positions. We recommend and only install uncompromised quality audio products for conference, boardroom and other speaker systems. Here are a few of our favorite brands we have been installing lately.

One of the best things you can do for your business is to keep your conference room equipment updated. To your customers and clients, this shows you are on the cutting edge. When people see your technology and engage with you through it, it needs to be a modern, clean and effective system. A system considered modern and functional, that complements the technology others are using, will go a long way in better helping your organization communicate, teach and sell. Your interaction with people through technology speaks volumes about who you are as a company. It tells people that you are offering them the latest conveniences by making the greatest use of the current technology.

So if your business is not up-to-date, or has seen some aging over the years, don't despair. There’s help for your system.  To help you evaluate your system, here is a list of 7 things to watch for that may indicate that your conference room needs a serious overhaul. 

7 SIGNS THAT YOU NEED TO UPDATE YOUR CONFERENCE ROOM

1. Your video or teleconferencing system has wires running all over your conference room table. In terms of conference room equipment, these systems are on the front lines. If you find your group is huddled over a central speaker on the table, and attendees must sit close to the sound source to hear it or be heard at the other end on the conversation, it may be time to upgrade. Newer systems with ceiling mounted microphones and speakers allow you to sit back in your chair and relax while you talk or listen.

2. You have a tube or projection TV, or an old projection screen with the outdated 4:3 (more square) screen ratio. These older square formats don’t match up to today’s widescreen laptops and PC’s. There is no longer any need for bulky TV equipment. Try updating it with a nice, large flat screen display sized 55-80” with VGA and digital video inputs.

3. You have a multimedia projector with a dull projection bulb and it hasn't been replaced in years. For older projectors you may find that new updated HD projectors are not much more than replacing your bulb.  Having a better sharper and brighter image will enhance your video conferencing experience.

The workplace can be quite chaotic, and the last thing you want to worry about is figuring out how to set up and control the technology. When you have an important meeting, you need to make sure the system is working and easy to use. Otherwise, you may end up looking disorganized and unprofessional. The team at AV Specialists is experienced on how to customize your boardroom with the newest technology. We'll make it easy to operate and intuitive enough so that anyone can figure it out. Continue reading to learn more about our boardroom automation solutions.

SEE ALSO: Newest Must Have – The Huddle Room

Simplify the Controls

Leading a meeting or facilitating a presentation can be difficult when there are many systems to run at once. There are a few technical aspects that need to run smoothly; just one error can ruin a large opportunity for success. We can integrate your microphones, telephone, video conferencing system, lights, shades and even the thermostat in your boardroom so that you can get your meeting ready in one touch. Hit “presentation” or “meeting” and the lights will dim to a comfortable level, the projector and screen comes down, and the speakers turn on. Your time is precious and you don’t want to waste it on creating the right environment for attendees or troubleshooting the projector.

Install New Audio Video

Audiovisuals can help your team make a positive impression when you’re leading a presentation or discussion. If your audio and video is out-of-date, or isn’t working properly, the meeting won’t go smoothly as planned. Our partner ClearOne has a line of wireless microphones to make communication easy to hear and understand. They also have full HD video so when you host a video conference, your remote partners can see your office crystal clear. We also know that you want the room to look clean and organized, so we install speakers in the ceiling to avoid bulky-looking equipment or loose wires, and we can hide your projector and screen as well so that you only see it when in use. If the room has a lot of echo, or the walls are too thin, we can fix that as well. Acoustic treatments and white noise systems help create the right environment so speaking isn’t uncomfortable.

Tailor a Professional Network

 One of the most important aspects of installing technology is making sure the network is strong and secure. Your video conferencing system and smart controls will need a commercial-grade network to operate properly. We’ll check your office to make sure you have the right requirements and give you a quote if you need a new router or other network essentials. A reliable network can be the difference between making the deal or not. Your presentation will go smoothly, your calls and video conferences will never drop and the technology will work seamlessly with our network packages.

Make your business operations a priority by updating your boardroom. Our products and systems will last years into the future and make your meetings go smoothly. Give us a call or fill out our contact form to get a quote.