I couldn’t agree more, but we still have work to do. How can we ensure that hybrid meeting attendees and students learning online feel included? That their voices are heard and faces seen, no matter where they are?
Born of insight and propelled by necessity, in many ways our hybrid world is only just getting started.
2. Always-On collaboration
Collaboration is a fundamental part of our work and school lives. ‘Always-on’ means that technologies supporting our collaborations must always and immediately be available whenever we need them.
But more than simply available, communicating and collaborating should be intuitive and easy, supported anytime, anywhere, via any device.
While the solutions exist, questions remain in terms of the user experience. Can teachers use existing in-room screens, whiteboards, and in-class AV peripherals to create inviting learning experiences for students in the classroom and at home? If an organization holds dozens or thousands of meetings a day, how can the IT department manage them easily and securely?
In an era when we constantly stream and consume content in our professional and personal lives, we now expect technologies supporting these advances always to work and be available whenever we need them. The need for always-on collaboration at work and school in 2022 will increase the need for effective and secure solutions.
3. Seamless technology
Challenges remain for seamless integration between platforms, preventing connection ‘hiccups,’ and having all technologies work well together. We expect technology to work without a glitch. But have you ever tried talking on Zoom or Teams, without realizing you were on mute? I expect we’ve all done it. This is a perfect example of the challenges we regularly face.
For many of us, hybrid and remote interactions make up most of our daily communication, yet somehow, they still don’t feel natural. We spend too much time and energy operating helpful communication solutions, rather than simply engaging and collaborating with one another. This makes us frustrated and tired.
Meeting rooms should offer complete, holistic approaches for starting, managing, and finalizing meetings. They should be seamless. The standard should be ‘zero-click’ meetings, and I am sure that we will be there soon.
It’s about much more than automation. I‘m talking about AI-based solutions that help you prepare, execute and summarize meetings with your team. A seamless experience without the need for advanced training, complex company policies or troubleshooting audio and video malfunctions.
I know, for example, that many educators are begging for better and more natural solutions for teaching a mix of in-class and remote students. Hybrid classrooms should allow teachers to show a mechanical model or math formula remotely on the whiteboard with the same ease and effectiveness as if the teacher and students were all together in the same room. Every teacher (and student) should have a seamless experience that facilitates engagement and learning wherever they are.