Methodology ........................................................................................................................................... 1

Key Finding #1 – The Shrinking Conference Room ................................................................................ 2

Key Finding #2 – Meeting Rooms, More Unified and Essential ............................................................. 3

Key Finding #3 – New Technology to Equip Small to Mid-Size Rooms ................................................... 4

Key Finding #4 – “Personal” Collaboration in the Conference Room..................................................... 4

Key Finding #5 – Challenges Are Evolving ............................................................................................. 5

WR Recommendations - Maintaining a Consistent User Experience ......................................................... 6

Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................... 8

Figures

Figure 1 – Conference Room Sizes ........................................................................................................... 2

Figure 2 – Room Size Trends Over Time ................................................................................................... 2

Figure 3 – Conference Room / UC Strategy .............................................................................................. 3

Figure 4 – Locations attendees join a conference from ............................................................................ 3

Figure 5 – Conference Room Technology Deployments ........................................................................... 4

Figure 6 – Laptop Usage in Conference Room .......................................................................................... 4

Figure 7 – Mobile Initiated Audio/Web Conferences ................................................................................ 5

Figure 8 – Barriers to Conference Room Technology Deployment ............................................................ 5

Figure 9 – Optimizing the End User Experience ........................................................................................ 7

WR Paper: The E vol u tion of th e C onference Room

The Evolution of the Conference Room

Executive Summary

Many IT teams are confronted with the task of taking a holistic approach to communications, creating

roadmaps that integrate and unify multiple communication solutions across their user’s changing needs

and preferred devices. Understanding how to optimize the use of smartphones, tablets, and desktops

across the various locations users collaborate from – “the road”, home offices, enterprise workspaces,

and conference rooms is a challenge in-and-of itself. This challenge is compounded as the supporting

communications technology and solutions are shifting rapidly.

A number of key trends are poised to impact conference room collaboration. These trends range from

changes in technology, new user preferences and communication habits, and shifts in organizational

strategies:

- The mobile workforce: Workers are increasingly mobile and have adopted the tools they need

to be productive working from home, while the road, or from wherever they may be. Their

mobile devices have become increasingly powerful and are able to handle advanced

communications workloads. The effectiveness of these tools, combined with their social

acceptance, makes it no longer necessary to have everyone physically meet in the same room in

order to conduct a successful meeting.

- Communication preferences: The introduction of cloud-based personal communication

services such as Skype, Lync, and Jabber are changing how workers prefer to communicate. For

example, instant messaging (IM) is increasingly popular for short, ad hoc messages, and the use

of personal and group video conferencing solutions is increasing rapidly. This is catalyzing a shift

in work processes from structured, scheduled meetings to on-demand, just-in-time exchanges.

- The shift to software: Communication solutions are shifting from hardware to software-based

architectures, allowing for a wider distribution of download-and-install audio, video, and data

sharing communication clients – which in turn enables mobile workers and distributed teams.

- Real-estate initiatives: Enterprises continue to evaluate their real-estate strategy in an effort to

contain costs and maximize efficiency. These initiatives are coupled with trends towards

telecommuting, open seating environments, hot-desking, and other strategies to reduce an

organization’s real estate footprint.

Are these changes impacting the conference room? Are ad-hoc communications and distributed teams

changing the demand for collaboration within the conference room? Are conference room sizes, as a

result, shrinking? Or are conference rooms immune to these observations? To find out, WR conducted

a survey targeted directly at individuals closest to their organization’s conference room strategy.

Methodology

Wainhouse Research fielded a formal on-line survey to quantify what is changing in regards to today’s

enterprise conference room, and what can be expected to change in the future. The survey targeted

mid-to-large enterprise IT Decision Makers and end-users with direct knowledge of their organization’s

conference room technology and strategy. The results reflect the feedback from approximately 150

mid-to-large enterprises.

The Evolution of the Conference Room

In addition, this paper includes observations based on qualitative data gathered by Wainhouse Research

– data gathered during enterprise consultation, interactions and briefings with communications service

providers and vendors, and additional survey data.

This paper is meant to serve as a guide post to the IT decision maker by providing a state-of-the-art

update on today’s conference room usage trends using survey data to identify the major shifts in user

demands, and providing related best-practices in an effort to help IT teams to adapt their conference

room strategy to meet these needs.

Key Finding #1 – The Shrinking Conference Room

The following categories define small, medium, and large conference rooms for the purpose of this

survey:

- Small conference rooms: for up to 4

participants (includes offices used for this

purpose)

- Medium conference rooms: for up to 10

participants

- Large conference rooms: for more than 10

participants

Today’s conference rooms are weighted towards

medium sized conference rooms (44%), with small

(26%) and large (30%) sized rooms distributed

somewhat evenly.

It is anticipated that the number of small and medium conference rooms will increase at a much faster

pace (48%, 41%) than large rooms (27%). In fact, over the past 24 months, survey respondents reported

that their large rooms had decreased most notably (12%) when compared to medium (3%) and small

(1%) rooms.

Estimate the % of your conference rooms

that fall into these categories

Figure 1 – Conference Room Sizes

Has the conference rooms in each category changed over the past 24 months?

Expect it to change over the next 24 months?

Figure 2 – Room Size Trends Over Time

Small

26%

Medium

44%

Large

30%

43%

40%

12%

27%

Decreased Increased

Previous 24 Months

Small Medium Large

48%

41%

12% 27%

Will Decrease Will Increase

Next 24 Months

Small Medium Large

The Evolution of the Conference Room

Key Finding #2 – Meeting Rooms, More Unified and Essential

With the ever-increasing mobile workforce

and the shift towards software-based

communications, IT teams are actively

deploying solutions that integrate between

conference rooms, desktops, and mobile

devices – taking a more holistic approach

when deploying collaboration technology.

As conference rooms continue to shrink,

technology decisions are increasingly tied to

a unified communications plan or strategy.

Over 2/3’s (68%) of survey respondents

confirmed that their conference room

strategy is aligned with a broader UC

strategy.

Although personal collaboration solutions

are gaining favor with end users, 60% of

conference attendees continue to join audio,

video, and/or web conferences from a

conference room rather than their

workplace desk, home office, or mobile

device.

These trends pose a clear challenge to

today’s IT decision maker as they keep up

with a proliferation of personal devices and

software-based solutions while delivering a

consistent, integrated, and unified

collaboration experience within their

enterprise conference rooms.

Is your plan for future conference room technologies

tied to a Unified Communications plan or strategy?

Figure 3 – Conference Room / UC Strategy

What percent of your participants join a conference

(audio, video and/or web) from the following locations?

Figure 4 – Locations attendees join a conference from

Yes, 68%

No, 14%

Don't know

/ NA, 19%

Align Conf. Rooms w/UC Strategy

60%

23%

11%

Conference Attendee Locations

Conference Room

Enterprise Desk

Home Office

Mobile Device

The Evolution of the Conference Room

Key Finding #3 – New

Technology to Equip Small to

Mid-Size Rooms

The current technology deployments

listed in Figure 5 show, on average,

that IT teams are more likely to deploy

collaboration solutions into medium

and large sized rooms. The story is

expected to change over the next 24

months however. Moving forward,

respondents report they expect to

slow the rate of technology

deployments in large conference

rooms. In fact, while displays and

dedicated video units are expected to

continue to proliferate the most in

mid-sized rooms, the mix in small

conference rooms will shift to

dedicated PCs and webcams.

Key Finding #4 – “Personal” Collaboration in the Conference Room

As shown previously, dedicated PCs and webcams are growing in popularity and will be increasingly

deployed in smaller conference rooms. Note, with a large number of displays currently deployed across

all room types (Figure 5), interestingly, respondents separately report that dedicated PCs are often

disconnected from the in-room display by users preferring to use their own laptop. As shown in Figure

6, a clear majority of respondents (93%)

report that personal laptops are primarily

used in conference rooms to share data

(i.e. desktop or presentation sharing).

Over 2/3’s (68%) of respondents connect a

laptop to a room display to participate in a

web conference (68%). A little less than

1/3 (30%) connect and use a laptop to

participate in a video conference.

How many of your conference rooms are permanently equipped

with the following meeting / collaboration technologies?

Expect it to change over the next 24 months?

Figure 5 – Conference Room Technology Deployments

When laptops are brought into the conference room

and connected to an in-room display, what are they used for?

Figure 6 – Laptop Usage in Conference Room

52% 39%

19% 7%

83%

55%

29%

87%

67%

34%

10%

LCD or Projector Video System Dedicated PC WebCam

Current Deployments

Small Medium Large

33% 41%

22% 19%

41% 52%

13% 15%

33% 47%

7% 16%

LCD or Projector Video System Dedicated PC WebCam

Deployments 12-24 Months

Small Medium Large

30%

68%

93%

Joining Video Conferences

Joining Web Conferences

Sharing Data

Laptop Use in Conf. Rooms

The Evolution of the Conference Room

The popularity of personal collaboration

solutions within the conference room is

driven, in large part, by the widespread use

of use of mobile devices. As shown in

Figure 7, only one-third of survey

respondents (33%) have never initiated an

audio or web conference from a mobile

device. The remaining two-thirds of

respondents report to have initiated a

conference using a smartphone (45%),

mobile phone (31%) and / or a tablet (27%).

The increase in use of smart phones and,

more specifically, tablets is creating a user

base that is familiar and comfortable engaging in collaboration from a personal computing environment.

Key Finding #5 – Challenges Are Evolving

Of course, conference room collaboration is not without its challenges. While traditional challenges

such as costs and support complexities persist, new challenges are emerging as IT teams are charged

with deploying new technologies and integrated solutions:

- Mobile challenges: As teams deploy solutions on desktops and mobile devices (smart phones

and tablets), the primary barriers are not cost related. Rather, network bandwidth concerns

(52%), ability to support (40%), and quality of service concerns (audio / video quality, etc - 39%)

are most prominent.

What are the top barriers preventing you from deploying more audio, video, & web conferencing

in your conference rooms and on your desktops and mobile devices moving forward?

Figure 8 – Barriers to Conference Room Technology Deployment

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Quality of service (audio-video quality)

Support requirements

Network bandwidth Concerns

Equipment cost

Barriers to Technology Deployment

Desktops and Mobile Devices Conference Rooms

As a conference host / leader, have you initiated

an audio or web conference from a mobile device?

Figure 7 – Mobile Initiated Audio/Web Conferences

45%

31% 27% 33%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Smartphone Mobile Phone Tablet Have not

accessed via

mobile device

Mobile Initiated Conferences

The Evolution of the Conference Room

More importantly, while laptops are rising in popularity to facilitate conference room collaboration, we

are noticing they are still somewhat error prone and we are seeing a new set of challenges that IT

decision makers will face unique to their users:

- Authentication: While dedicated PCs may provide a familiar user interface and set of

collaboration tools, many users separately report issues signing in to use the PC as a primary

challenge

- Configuration:

- Audio Quality: When using the laptop for video conferences, audio issues are still common

as about 2/3’s of users report difficulty hearing participants, echo, etc. (63% of those that

use laptops for VC).

- Connect to a Projector: A little over half (54%) of end-users often have issues connecting

laptops to the display, i.e. trouble selecting the right display or matching screen resolution.

- Video issues, i.e. selecting the right camera, are also common (41% of those that use laptops

for VC), as are general connectivity challenges (39%).

Note: Not all desktop communication tools handle change well. For example, changing

configuration from a docked desktop environment into a conference room setting may require

the user to select the right microphone and camera – many users likely find this process

challenging. WR notes that conferencing application providers are working to make device

selection easier.

- Familiarity: End-user knowledge is separately reported a lack of understanding of how to use

conference room equipment as a roadblock to conducting meetings.

In addition to these findings, survey respondents volunteered that there are still traditional challenges

blocking successful conference room collaboration:

- User Habit: Although video is rising in popularity, some users continue to default to audio

conferencing even though video is available – likely due to habit or comfort with the audio

conferencing solution and process.

- Disparate Technologies: Respondents note the availability of multiple video technologies

including desktop UC, dedicated VC units, Telepresence solutions and the additional need to

interface video solutions with audio conference bridges, all of which leads to a manual / difficult

/ complex process in order to communicate across these platforms.

WR Recommendations - Maintaining a Consistent User Experience

As the conference room continues to evolve, IT teams are faced with making decisions regarding the

potential deployment of new, integrated, and cost effective communications technologies while

maintaining a positive user experience. WR recommends IT teams establish a roadmap that drives

towards a consistent collaboration experience across mobile devices, personal workspaces, and

conference rooms. As users leverage their familiarity with a consistent tool set, they become experts,

allowing them to focus on the collaboration event itself rather than the use of specific point solutions.

As collaboration effectiveness increases, the need for support will commensurately decrease. While this

The Evolution of the Conference Room

strategy supports a lower cost conference room technology mix, i.e. displays and dedicated webcams, IT

resources must now shift to support a new, multi-device environment.

As shown by the survey data, many IT teams are taking this approach as over 2/3’s of respondents

indicate that their UC roadmap will influence their conference room plans. While no two roadmaps are

ever the same, the following best practices can help UC-influenced enterprises work towards a

consistent and integrated experience across their communication environments:

1) Define your user’s

requirements: Many IT teams

try to carry legacy requirements

forward as they deploy new

technologies. However, as end

user’s communication

preferences change, so do their

requirements. Be aware that

ease of use, accessibility, and

availability may have become

more important to users than

supporting legacy equipment –

which in turn allows for a more cost effective and broadly deployed solution moving forward.

2) Define your enterprise requirements: It is critical to anticipate the organization’s needs over the

same timeframe. Available capital, real-estate strategies, and M&A plans are good examples of

organizational directives that may run counter to your user’s preferences. WR experience shows that

many IT teams are not as connected to organizational strategies as they should be.

3) Define conference room integration requirements: There are a number of components to an

integrated collaboration environment that an enterprise should plan for:

- Identity: Most enterprises manage user identities from a central directory. However, not

everyone follows the same approach for their conference rooms. As a result, rooms and users

are often separate islands, requiring independent scheduling and authentication processes –

steps that add complexity and confusion.

- Scheduling Workflow: A standard scheduling process is perhaps the most important component

in a unified experience. Users should schedule people, rooms, and conferencing resources

within the same workflow thus eliminating complexity and improving adoption.

- Conference Control: The process and toolset used to start, join, and host a conference should

be universal regardless of the people, rooms, devices, and infrastructure involved.

- Network Capability: Adding real-time communications across personal devices and workspaces

often requires additional network investment. This must include sufficient bandwidth and

secure access for collaborators joining from outside the corporate firewall, as well as those

joining from various campuses and remote enterprise locations.

Figure 9 – Optimizing the End User Experience

User Requirements Enterprise Requirements

and Limitations

Integration and

Interoperability

Conference Room

Equipment / HW

Optimal User

Experience

The Evolution of the Conference Room

- Device Interoperability: As conference rooms become increasingly device agnostic, audio-only

integration across devices is not going to cut it. Data sharing and video between all target

devices is critical.

4) Deploy equipment across all room types: As shown by the survey data, organizations tend to budget

to equip larger conference rooms and ignore smaller rooms. This is a mistake as a small room without

any equipment leaves collaboration success vulnerable to whatever the participants happen to bring in

– typically just a laptop or a mobile device. This is hardly ideal: for example, both of these devices make

poor speakerphones for an audio conference (audio quality is flagged in the survey data as a concern).

As the demand for smaller conference rooms increases, WR recommends investing in the equipment

required to insure successful collaboration, such as a quality, small group-oriented USB webcam /

speakerphone, a collaboration-enabled PC, and a reasonably-sized wall mounted monitor. This will help

insure success – especially for enabling quick ad hoc conferences, which are typical for smaller rooms.

Conclusion

The forces creating this change in conference room include the emergence of an increasingly mobile

workforce, the availability of effective on-line collaboration solutions (both personal and group-

oriented), and the desire to achieve reduced facilities costs through consolidated real-estate strategies.

Savvy IT teams should be conscious of these forces and be pro-active in formulating a strategy for

ensuring successful collaboration in conference rooms. Moving forward, it is important to include small-

and medium-sized conference rooms when investing in collaboration equipment including monitors and

USB speakerphones / webcams. The ideal strategy will create a flexible collaboration environment

which accommodates ad-hoc meetings and delivers a consistent experience across a range of personal

and group-oriented devices.

These suggestions reinforce the need for IT teams to plan for conference room solutions that will play

well with their UC platform and roadmap. Providing users with a standard tool set that accommodates

the majority of their collaboration needs, regardless of their device or location, will improve

productivity, reduce IT support needs, and ultimately increase user adoption.

The Evolution of the Conference Room

About the Authors

Bill Haskins is a Senior Analyst at Wainhouse Research with a strategic focus on unified communications

products and services. Bill has over 15 years of experience supporting, delivering, and designing

converged collaboration services in a global communications environment. He has authored multiple

white papers and articles detailing the keys to a successful UCC implementation and delivered various

UCC presentations, highlighting his experience integrating collaboration solutions into business process

and enterprise applications. Bill can be reached at bhaskins@wainhouse.com.

Andy Nilssen is a Senior Analyst at Wainhouse Research where he manages the firm’s coverage of audio

and web conferencing solutions. Andy has been analyzing the rich media conferencing market for over a

decade. He previously held management positions in marketing, product management, and market

research for PictureTel, Sun Microsystems, and two start-ups. Andy has over 30 years of experience in

bringing high-technology offerings to market, holds B.S.E.E. and M.B.A. degrees from the Univ. of New

Hampshire, and has two ease-of-use related patents. Andy can be reached at andyn@wainhouse.com.

Andrew W. Davis, Senior Analyst & Partner at Wainhouse Research, is a researcher, analyst, and opinion

leader in the field of collaboration and conferencing. Prior to co-founding Wainhouse Research, he held

senior marketing positions with several large and small high-technology companies. Andrew has

published hundreds of trade journal articles and opinion columns on multimedia communications, video

conferencing, and corporate strategies as well as numerous market research reports. He holds B.S. and

M.S. degrees in engineering from Cornell University and a M.B.A. from Harvard University. Andrew can

be reached at andrewwd@wainhouse.com.

About Wainhouse Research

Wainhouse Research, www.wainhouse.com, is an independent market research firm that focuses on

critical issues in the Unified Communications and rich media conferencing fields, including applications

like distance education and e-Learning. The company conducts multi-client and custom research studies,

consults with end users on key implementation issues, publishes white papers and market statistics, and

delivers public and private seminars as well as speaker presentations at industry group meetings.

Wainhouse Research publishes a variety of reports that cover all aspects of rich media conferencing, and

the free newsletter, The Wainhouse Research Bulletin.

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