with Smart’s business tools to create a fully functioned mobile collaborative solution (see the box below for full details). Creating a connected ‘meet- ing room’ allows staff in remote locations to set up a data con- ference, utilise touch screen commands, write in digital ink over any application, generate and integrate data, share desk- tops, and write and save notes immediately with colleagues anywhere in the world. The TeamMate portfolio also includes mobile alternatives to traditional fixed installations

Connectivity

But having delivered the AV resource to the required site, the question then remains of providing power and data con- nectivity remains. Fortunately, there have been developments on both fronts that can really help achieve a safe and elegant solution in situations where there is less than perfect struc- tured wiring.

Davidson says that the trends in workspace design definitely favour AV devices with built-in connectivity that is accessed

audio, and control.

On the power front, one prod- uct that caught the eye at trade shows earlier in the year was Mainline (see the box below for full details).

This is a wall-mounted power track available from Steljes. Not only is it fast to install, it allows users to add, reposition or remove power sockets, provid- ing truly flexible access to mains electricity wherever it is used. Mainline is said to be safe and to conform to all relevant elec- trical standards once installed correctly.

of the fixed installation cost. The adoption of flexible workspaces can also make the difference between companies relocating to larger premises or not.

For the reseller and inte-

grator, the opportunity to sell the principle AV asset, the integration components, the integration service and the support services for novice users can provide outstanding margin opportunities.

“Business leaders should not overlook the importance of creating a work environment that supports collaboration and is designed to improve productivity.”

of LCD large format displays. The Executive range features a glass worktop with a number of veneer options to help blend in with existing furnishings. Source components and other integrated peripherals are securely protected behind a lockable smoked Perspex door.

Video communications

These products provide a mobile option for displays up to 65” in size, or twin screens for videoconferencing – an appli- cation that Richard Wilks, cor- porate sales manager at NEC Display Solutions, expects to grow as collaborative working techniques are adopted. “NEC has now a global collab- oration with Smart Technologies to take meeting room collabo- ration to a new level, using Smart tools with short-throw projection or interactive touch based LCD solutions. The latter allows the LCD to be the sole focus in the meeting room for videoconferencing and presen- tation or interactivity.”

Linking colleagues with videoconferencing and simul- taneous data sharing,” says Wilks, “makes collaboration and remote meetings interactive and live.” It also allows resourc- es to be shared, removing the need to accommodate larger workgroups in costly dedicated meeting spaces. This trend, Wilks says, is by no means limited to large enter- prises: “Price reductions on video conferencing are making it more affordable, allowing SMEs to deploy as well.” Wilks has also noted a spread of video communication to the desktop, enabling communica- tion and meeting participation without moving at all.

“Financial customers are investing in IPTV and in-house broadcast to desk as a way of getting CEO presentations and latest news to as many person- nel as possible. Headphones on desktop LCDs are becoming more prevalent due to this, and the addition of webcams and webconferencing is also bring- ing the need for audio at the desk to forefront.”

wherever they are installed: “Another demand that resellers are seeing from businesses transitioning to newer style workspaces is the delivery of information effectively and quickly over a network, to ensure employees can share informa- tion and documents easily. The EB-450Wi is network- ready and enables employees to send presentations from another computer, meaning they don’t even need to be in the same room as the projector to deliver the presentation.”

Data connectivity has been revolutionised with the advent of wireless. Mobile collabora- tive devices, like the VTRON IDB 4650, available from AVM, provide automatic recognition of compatible devices (laptops or smart phones, for example, used by meeting participants. (The VTRON can be made mobile using the optional V Power height adjustable motor- ised stand.)

Non-wireless solutions

But if your customer cannot or doesn’t want to use wireless, even structured cabling often doesn’t provide a sufficiently wide selection of connectiv- ity options. In this situation, a subtle option that appealed to us was that of installing the required slots into table and desktops using theTechcon- nect2 Tilt.

This is a connectivity face- plate which mounts into the top of a table. It is simple to install, and uses standard Techconnect modules, enabling integrators to use a limited stock of compo- nents to build a custom solution for their customers.

A motorised mechanism allows users to raise and lower the faceplate as required by touching the Vision logo on the top.

Other models in the

Techconnect range boast an architectural front surrounds that are entirely in keeping with the corporate environment, with clip-in modules that make it quick to install and to modify as required. It allows seamless integration of connectivity,

Opportunities

In conclusion, Dodwell-Bennett believes that the opportuni- ties available to resellers in this emerging market for flex- ible workspaces are huge. She argues that the market will continue to generate new opportunities as more organi- sations realise the benefits of collaborative technologies and decide to implement them. Flexible workspaces and reconfigurable AV resources are two trends supported by rock solid ROIs even in the context of stretched IT and AV budgets. Within a properly calculated resource allocation, the usage of mobile AV assets is extraordinar- ily high, more than eradicating any premium charged in excess

Changing workspaces: mobile displays

M

obile displays can represent the high- est degree of utilisation and so the best return-on-investment for corporate users. This benefit is conditional upon the fact that the devices must be both move- able and operable by the user.

Anything that requires the services of a technician immediately wipes out much of the ROI benefit.

Last month saw the official launch of

TeamMate’s VariHite for Smart interactive whiteboards. The mobile element of the solution is manufactured by Performance Enclosures, but the product sits in Steljes’ portfolio of business collaboration prod- ucts.

Designed as an ‘all in one’ interactive dis- play and collaborative resource, TeamMate VariHite helps organisations adapt meeting spaces and offices into collaborative suites as requited.

Used in conjunction with Smart’s collabo- rative solutions, users can easily create their own connected ‘meeting room’. VariHite comprises a mobile height adjust- able stand which can support a Smart Board and a Unifi55 or UX60 short throw projector. It also has a built in 6U rack unit for integra- tion of audio visual peripherals complete with input/output connections.

The lift and lower mechanism of the VariHite allows easy height adjustment, so

TeamMate’s VariHite (above) takes collabora- tion to the workgroup, providing flexibility to corporate users, high rates of utilisation and a potentially impressive ROI.

Epson’s EB-450Wi (left) provides interactivity without a whiteboard, resulting in fast, compact installation on a wall plate style bracket.

Martin Large is CEO at Steljes, which has added TeamMate VariHite to its corporate product set.

it could be used, for example, by meeting participants seated around a table. Martin Large, CEO of Steljes said: “VariHite is the ideal solution for the corporate market. It can be easily deployed across any enter- prise without the need to call in AV or support staff enabling users to be up and ready within minutes.

June 2010

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