Anytime, Anyplace

An increasingly mobile workforce has led to a significant change in the way organizations meet. It has given rise to the modern meeting. And with distributed workers across the world or just across town, IT leaders have started to recognize the impact of the modern meeting by integrating videoconferencing capabilities as a key component of their mobile strategy.

Although videoconferencing might have evolved out of necessity, it has become much more than a stop-gap solution. One of the greatest paradoxes of modern meetings is that despite being more dispersed than ever, teams can actually be more connected.  This move toward video collaboration is only going to increase. The modern meeting is also becoming more dynamic. Videoconferencing allows users to include participants with mobile phones, tablets and desktop browsers with a high-quality output, and it lets them present, share and interact with a variety of content in real time.

A number of physical, cultural and economic factors led to the rise of the modern meeting: 

Meetings Can Happen Anywhere

Teams aren’t just spread across disparate offices today. How they work is fundamentally different. Whether it’s from home or a coffee shop, videoconferencing technology means that meetings can virtually happen anywhere. At CDW, every call we make is a video call. It helps our meetings feel more personal, and we feel more connected to our teams. 

Technology Is More Accessible

Today it’s easier than ever to buy high-end equipment such as cameras, and devices come with incredible cameras built right in. Plus, LTE is giving people everywhere the ability to connect anywhere.

Technology Is Better

The modern meeting is supported by technology that’s simpler and more dynamic than ever. Users can share information, pause and start meetings, record, and so much more with solutions that make videoconferencing better, in many ways, than face-to-face interactions.

Work Life Is Fundamentally Different

When we talk about work today, we think less about the office and more about what is being produced. Videoconferencing technology is giving workers the increased ability to produce quality results regardless of surroundings and at a moment’s notice. 

Turning the Virtual into Reality

To get the most out of the modern meeting, organizations need to successfully integrate and adopt solutions that work well both inside and outside of the office. But integration remains only one of several hurdles to navigate. Organizations must also guide teams through the adoption process with training that dives much deeper than an email or tutorial video. Often, we assume that workers are more tech savvy than they are. Making sure they understand the technology is a critical step.

Additionally, BYOD has introduced a new set of challenges for organizations. Any videoconferencing solution has to work across all devices — even if half of an organization works on Apple and the other half on PCs. Giving every team member an even playing field, regardless of device or platform, is essential.

The modern meeting has the potential to support the changing way that organizations and workers collaborate. But that’s just the start. They’re giving workers a greater sense of connection and freedom.