2 minute read
Room solutions or BYOM
Room Solutions or BYOM: What is better?
After over a year of working remotely or hybrid, a debate has emerged in the UC&C sphere. Is room based solutions or Bring Your Own Meeting (BYOM) best for your business?
The pandemic has led to a surge in remote meetings and a need for UC&C tools. We relied on video conferencing to keep our businesses and personal lives engaged and connected. This new way of working isn’t going anywhere, and we must equip our offices with the right solutions to further success.
What is a room solution? Technology in a room solution relies on a dedicated in-room system. It typically includes a display, a camera, a microphone and a collaboration device to control the meeting from the room.
The main advantages of room solutions are that participants do not require a personal device, it’s intuitive and easy to use as the room system links to the camera and microphone.
Although a meeting can be run with a personal device, a room solution does not rely on it.
What is BYOM? A BYOM solution relies on a participant bringing their own ‘meeting’ with a personal device, connected to the room technology and controlling the meeting. This solution includes a display, a camera and microphone, and a personal device that supports screen mirroring. The meeting room technology responds to the user’s device, personalising the experience.
BYOM enables participants to use familiar apps and tools and the PC owner is in direct control of the meeting. However, the device cannot be used for anything else other than the call and the set-up is managed by the device owner. How do they compare? Room solutions are quick and easy because anyone can walk into the room and turn on the device to start a meeting. They are designed to be intuitive and user-friendly, so no training is required, relieving the stress on IT. As no personal device is running the meeting, all users are also free to engage in other activities such as emails or taking notes without worrying that it will be mirrored on the display.
In comparison, BYOM relies more on the individual and their device to know the software and run the meeting. This can be empowering for some teams and while this may be a relief for IT departments, it requires more individual training and may cause difficulties when guests want to control the meeting.
Flexibility is a key component of the agile era. Meetings are not only being conducted in the meeting room anymore but all around the office and remotely. BYOM facilitates flexibility, allowing users to connect in any space that has a camera or display. BYOM also does not limit users to a single platform.
Many people favour BYOM because it provides users with already familiar technology and eliminates the need for specialised hardware. However, modern UC&C room solutions are designed with ease in mind as they typically adopt familiar tools and work straight out of the box.
The bottom line However, it’s not a case of which solution is better. It really does depend on your business and what works best for your team. You should consider factors such as your IT department capabilities, your budget and flexibility.