Meetings are a waste of time

Most of us spend a lot of time in business meetings – and I’m sure we all daydream once in a while, or miss part of the meeting as we check our e-mail or consult news sites. Harmless as this might sound, there’s clearly something going on.

So many costly meetings…

When Googling the topic, I came across this interesting infographic which shows that there are about 3 billion meetings per year in the US alone. Yet, 71% of the meeting participants feel that these meetings are not productive. So, we knowledge workers are spending the bulk of our time in meetings that we consider unproductive.

Imagine what this loss of productivity costs an organization. At a conservatively estimated hourly rate of $50 (USD) per meeting participant, the average 5-person meeting could cost up to $250 per meeting. Or, as Group Vision estimates: each year, the Fortune 500 companies lose $75 billion on unproductive meetings. Anything but harmless, if you ask me…

From presentation to true collaboration

Over the last two decades, technology has changed the way people collaborate – from telephone and fax, to e-mail, online chat and social media. With the help of internet connectivity, microblogging, conferencing tools, groupware platforms, and more, people are working together like they never have before. But many people feel it’s time for yet another revolution in the meeting space – to help us move from monologue to dialogue, from presentation to true collaboration.

We are convinced that technology can help turn collaboration into a competitive advantage for your business. And that’s what we want to explore in our SWITCH blog, as we share collaboration facts, figures, trends and updates, with a sprinkling of product news from Barco’s AV world.

Wireless presentation system for standard meeting rooms

ClickShare makes connecting to the meeting room’s video system a matter of clicking a button. This one click wonder not only helps the presenter get the presentation on-screen in a second, but it also allows the other people in the meeting to participate more actively. This is done using the unique ClickShare Button, or by installing a simple app to share content from an Android or iOS smartphone or tablet. The result is enhanced meeting efficiency and better decision-making.

Instantly on screen, using any device

A ClickShare CSM-1 set consists of two USB-powered devices (the ‘ClickShare Buttons’) and a Base Unit. The Base Unit has a fixed connection to the meeting room’s visualization system, and takes care of all the needed processing. Users who want to get their presentation on the large meeting room screen, simply connect a Button to their PC or MAC. They start the application, click the ClickShare Button and immediately their desktop is wirelessly transferred to the large visualization system. Alternatively, when using a smartphone or tablet (either iOS or Android-powered), a simple app allows you to share content as well.

A new meeting dynamic

ClickShare changes the way you meet. Instead of focusing on one presenter, ClickShare encourages all attendees to participate. By showing visual content on the large meeting room screen, it becomes easier for everybody to prove their point. The system’s stability and ease-of-use, also drastically limits the number of needed interventions by the IT department.

The Power of Wireless Collaboration Presentation System

Get everyone involved in the meeting

ClickShare is Barco’s wireless presentation system and collaboration system, that allows any meeting participant to share content on the central meeting room screen.

An unmatched user experience

At the click of a button, the content of your laptop, tablet or smartphone is displayed on the large screen. The result is that all participants are involved more intensely in the decision-making process. Coupling extreme simplicity with an unmatched user experience, everybody who has used ClickShare is immediately hooked.

Two flavors of ClickShare

In order to perfectly answer your needs, ClickShare comes in two flavors: the CSM Base Unit (for standard meeting rooms) and the full-featured CSC Base Unit (optimized for high-profile meeting rooms, boardrooms and conference rooms). In this way, you choose exactly the system you need. The table underneath shows the main features of the two base units.

Download the ClickShare Presenter app and receive a great gift

We’ve teamed up with our ClickShare distributors COMM-TEC and TD Maverick – also exhibiting at ISE – for a ClickShare demonstration. Learn how easy it is using your tablet or smart phone to click and share content on the big screen through the now more powerful ClickShare Presenter app. We encourage you to download the new ClickShare Presenter app and see for yourself!

A gift for your ClickShare Presenter app download 
AV experts COMM-TEC and TD Maverick have been distributing Barco’s ClickShare solutions on the European market for some time now and will be happy to demonstrate the presentation system at their ISE booths (COMM-TEC: hall 2, booth A42; TD Maverick: hall 5, booth F82;). To highlight how ClickShare is fully compatible with smartphone and tablets too, Barco, TD Maverick and COMM-TEC want all of you to download the ClickShare Presenter app.

If you do and show us your new ClickShare Presenter app on your smartphone/tablet on any of our booths, you will receive a great Click & Share gift box. And that’s not all. Some of the gift boxes contain a golden coin, which you can immediately exchange for an exquisite Belgian delicacy. Now isn’t that a fantastic reason to go ClickShare?

Download our new Click Share Presenter app and show it to our sales reps at the Barco, COMM-TEC or TD Maverick booths!

The ultimate hotel experience … with Barco Clickshare

What do you expect of a good hotel, during your holidays? A clean room, a good bed and a great breakfast, of course. For those who want that little bit extra: Barco can help!

The world’s largest hotel chains have called in our help to create amazing projection mappings, to equip their theaters with the best digital cinema projectors or to install ultra-bright projectors in the event rooms …

From Abu-Dhabi to Qatar and Ibiza 
A party, an opening or a conference: a spectacular video mapping will amaze the audience at any occasion or celebration. When the global Starwood Hotels group – with big-name brands like The Sheraton, Aloft, W hotels and Le Méridien – organized its annual meeting in 2013, it asked Belgian companies Beam-Inc and Jorizon to design an impressive video mapping to project onto the hotel façade. Four HDX-W18 projectors brought the images to life. In Doha, Qatar, six of the same projectors helped create a spectacular nine-minute 3D video mapping show on the opening of the Souq Waqif five-star hotels. Maybe even more unique: in Ibiza, our HDF-W26 projectors created an unbelievable projection mapping onto the swimming pool of the Ushuaia Ibiza Beach Hotel.

The Hilton chain 
In northern Europe, we found Barco projectors at two hotels of the prestigious Hilton chain. For example, the 530m³ conference hall at the Hilton Reykjavik Nordica, Hilton’s first and only hotel in Iceland, features a three-chip RLM-W8 projector. At the ‘DoubleTree’ Hilton hotel in Poland, a Barco F32 WUXGA projector ensures crisp, high-contrast projection in the 300-person ballroom. In addition, Barco also supplied a DP4K-23B digital cinema projector for use in the hotel’s theater. And did you read our most recent hotel-related issue of the Barco newsroom? One of our top-range DP4K-32Bx projectors has just found itself a very stylish home in London, at the 188-seat cinema theater of the spanking-new Ham Yard boutique hotel.

Barco for business 
More than providing solutions related to entertainment, our ClickShare meeting roomsolution is gaining inroads in the hospitality sector. The Marriott Hotel in München and East Hotel Hamburg in Germany, for example, have recently converted their existing meeting rooms into truly collaborative working spaces, featuring ClickShare in a starring role. Watch the interview with the Marriott München Management and keep an eye on our reference story section, as we’ll be publishing the East Hotel Hamburg story soon!

ClickShare boosts collaboration in the classroom at the Charter School of San Diego

Unlocking human potential
For more than 20 years, The Charter School of San Diego has been working to change the way students learn, employing innovative techniques and resources to meet the individualized learning needs of at-risk children.
“Our students come from all walks of life, with many several grade levels behind in basic math and language skills. It is critical that we find new ways to engage them with different tools than they were exposed to at their traditional schools,” said Tiffany Yandell, Operations Coordinator for CSSD. One solution that has made a difference is Barco ClickShare, a wireless presentation and collaboration system. “ClickShare is helping bring classroom instruction to life with real-time visuals that reinforce concepts and encourage students to participate in lessons.”

A powerful technology integration tool
ClickShare fits with the school’s model to infuse the curriculum with appropriate technology-based activities and assignments that facilitate learning. With 22 workstations, including dozens of computers, iPads, and other devices, CSSD needed a way to bring all of the technologies together in a cohesive, collaborative way to facilitate instruction and communication.

Offering a unique knowledge-sharing experience, ClickShare allows users to present their content from a laptop, tablet or smartphone on the main classroom or meeting room display with one click. Up to four users simultaneously can project a document(s), an internet browser, or a video to enrich the discussion. At CSSD, instructors are using ClickShare to integrate a PowerPoint with notes, annotate a picture, and pull in a web browser, all at once, to reinforce concepts.

Everyone loves ClickShare
ClickShare makes learning ‘live’ and more interactive, so teachers can immediately address questions or students can help each other. It also allows students to easily share ideas and collaborate in new ways, expressing themselves like never before. “ClickShare has really helped create a more inclusive educational experience, and for these kids, that is what it’s all about.”

“ClickShare is the perfect solution for dynamic collaboration in many environments, with education being a shining example,” comments Patrick Lee, Vice President Entertainment and Corporate for Barco North America. “The engagement and empowerment the Charter School of San Diego is experiencing with ClickShare is great to see, and echoes the sentiment expressed by many other institutions making it part of their instructional technology plans.”

Can technology save the meeting

ast time, we touched upon the productivity issues in today’s meeting culture and the pressure from management to treat collaboration as a competitive asset.

In Barco’s ‘Meeting Room of the Future’ survey, held last summer, 8 out of 10 business leaders indicated that technology could help provide a solution to the quest for greater productivity, and (wireless) presentation tools were considered the No. 1 priority when updating meeting rooms. You can consult the full results of the survey on SlideShare and YouTube.Link below -

Survey on SlideShare

Improving decision-making

Investments in visualization and presentation technology are usually made with one goal in mind: improved decision-making. In fact, 70% of the people we surveyed cite improved decision-making as the top benefit of data visualization tools.

But there are many aspects to be kept in mind when choosing the right technology for your organization, including: technology requirements, implementation needs, managing user expectations, and proving return on investment. Such a decision is never taken lightly – not even by those of us who go for consumer-like presentation and collaboration gadgets or other budget-friendly, functionality-light tools.

6 challenging dimensions

In my opinion, there are six key elements to consider when you are weighing your options for having technology take you to the next level of collaboration:

ease of use
open standards
technology
enterprise integration
security
and, of course, the user of the solution.
Six dimensions – and each of them creates unique challenges.

The perfect Barco showroom? You’ll find it in Bogotá

Excitingly trendy, stylish and high-tech: that is the first impression you get when entering the showroom that Barco set up in its Colombia office. As trusted partners in state-of-the-art control room projects in Spain and Latin America, Barco and system integrator Gesab decided to take their partnership a step higher still and equip the Barco showroom together. As you can see in the pictures, the end result is definitely worth a visit!

Best of both worlds 
Located in Colombia’s capital Bogotá, the corporate showroom exhibits the best of both worlds: Barco’s high-tech visualization solutions as well as the technical consoles and control room furniture made by Gesab. “As our showroom is frequently visited by customers and end-users, we installed our very best solutions like a 3×2 LED-lit video wall, a 2×2 OBLX freestanding system, an F32 projector, our networked visualization solution and the ClickShare wireless presentation systems,” said Manuel Navarrete, Barco Colombia Sales Manager. Sleek and good-looking, the solutions seamlessly blend into the showroom with smartly designed Gesab desks, chairs and consoles.

Control rooms need not be boring! 
“This is a special place where you can see, touch and feel the emotions that provoke work environments with this attention to detail, with clean lines, a minimalist look with high-quality materials and a unique design that delivers distinct added value,” added Francisco Fandiño, General Manager of Barco Colombia. They’ve definitely convinced us: control rooms need not be boring!

Large meeting room screen, Presentation and collaboration system

Barco’s ProAV solutions give new meaning to “Connecting the World” at InfoComm 2014

“We want to show our customers how Barco is transforming the way people present and share information and ideas across the enterprise and around the world,” comments Wim Buyens, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Entertainment & Corporate for Barco. “Our solutions fulfill the critical need for high-quality visualization, real-time video processing and collaboration – all of which are necessary to engage stakeholders wherever they may be located to maximize situational awareness and speed decision-making.”

Collaborative visualization enhances situational awareness
Barco enables true networked visualization via a wide array of high-resolution LCD displays, video walls, controllers and software, which combine to stream numerous sources to any end point across any IP network. Barco’s TransForm N and TransForm C controllers allow users to optimally use their pixel real estate to dynamically configure layouts for multiple displays to enhance collaboration. Users can quickly and easily configure a robust common operational picture with unlimited perspectives to view better, share faster and resolve quicker.

One-click presentation and collaboration, from the executive briefing room to the control room
From huddle spaces to executive briefing rooms, ClickShare makes it easy for anyone to share their content with the click of a button. Integrated with Barco business projectors, high-resolution video walls and any computing device, ClickShare brings meetings to life, enhancing collaboration for faster decision-making.

High-quality projectors for meeting rooms offer a clear view
Conference and situation rooms outfitted with Barco business projectors provide the perfect setting for incident handling and issue resolution. Optimized with video conferencing for true anytime, anywhere collaboration, Barco solutions help users quickly share information and collaborate more effectively.

Large-venue projectors add impact to live events
Pump up the visual volume of live events with ultra-bright, high-lumen projectors that enliven shows with brilliant imagery. Multi-projector blends, 4K resolution, steep angles, and ambient light are a snap thanks to Barco’s proprietary scaling and light engine technologies. Barco’s new Screen Management empowers event producers with enhanced creativity and control for producing dynamic live events.

LED and LCD display systems bring brands to life
Make a bold impact and engage your retail customers with bigger-than-life digital signage that’s not only eye-catching, its interactive! Many options feature touch technology, cameras for audience measurement and gesture control, NFC, WiFi and compatibility with social media and mobile devices to connect with your audience.

Real-time source distribution for connected visualization
Barco’s X2O technologies go beyond basic video streaming, allowing users to create real-time, customized information channels combining TV-quality graphics, animations, video, social media and live data in a visually stunning format.

Barco introduces game-changing meeting room technology

When you know that 30 million PowerPoint presentations are produced around the world every day, you can imagine how much time – and money – is lost waiting for technicians to get them working properly. ClickShare is Barco’s answer to this inefficiency, making connection to the meeting room’s video system a matter of clicking a button.

A solution for PC and MAC

A standard ClickShare set-up consists of four USB devices (the ‘ClickShare Buttons’), a storage basket (the ‘ClickShare Tray’) for neatly storing the Buttons when they’re not in use and a Base Unit. The Base Unit has a fixed connection to the meeting room’s AV system and handles all processing. Users who want to put their presentation on the large meeting room screen simply connect a Button to their PC or MAC, click it … and immediately their desktop is transferred wirelessly to the large visualization system. What’s more, ClickShare doesn’t interfere with the laptop’s resolution, and it automatically displays the screen content optimally. ClickShare also allows you to show video clips with frame rates of up to 20 fps.

Collaborate in style

But there’s more: ClickShare enables the other meeting attendees to participate more actively. When they too connect a ClickShare Button to their laptop, they can put their content on-screen as well. In total, four participants can be on-screen simultaneously. This saves people the hassle of disconnecting the video cable and passing it to a colleague.

And, as appearances matter as well, ClickShare couples usability with good looks – so, it’s a solution that people are eager to use, during every meeting.

Changing meeting dynamics forever

“ClickShare is one of those innovations that really excite people,” says Eric Van Zele, CEO of Barco. “You can immediately see that it’s a spot-on concept that will make life easier for millions of people every day. And the best thing is: ClickShare is so incredibly simple to use. Click and you’re on-screen. Everybody can do it. And because people are encouraged to share more information with the other participants, ClickShare will change meeting dynamics forever. Barco is very proud to launch this product today – we really believe ClickShare will strengthen our company’s position in the Corporate AV market.”

Barco goes 3D at Petrotech 2014

From 12 through 15 January, professionals from India’s growing oil and gas industry assembled in the India Exposition Mart in Greater Noida for the Petrotech international oil and gas conference and exhibition. Here, Barco presented its latest innovations, including a 3D video wall, ClickShare, and the projectiondesign F35 AS3D 3D projector. In addition, Barco partner Schlumberger—a system integrator for the oil and gas industry and a Petrotech crystal sponsor—displayed its latest sector solutions on a Barco MVL-621 video wall.

Drilling for opportunities 
For the eleventh year straight, Petrotech acquainted professionals in India’s growing oil and gas industry with the latest tools and solutions to both overcome the sector’s most pressing challenges and seize every possible opportunity. Technology can play a key role in both objectives. “Over the years, Barco’s appearance at Petrotech has become a tradition,” says Abel Garamhegyi, managing director at Barco India. “This year, we are happy to showcase our latest collaboration 3D technology: stereographic cubes that help the oil industry make wiser, more effective, and more cost-effective decisions.”

At this year’s edition, Barco presented a range of products designed to help professionals work more efficiently. For the very first time, Petrotech visitors experienced our 3D video wall solution, as well as the unique features of the projectiondesign F35 AS3D projector. These features include the display of fully uncompressed 3D images with the highest amount of detail at an affordable price. With these solutions, Barco is proving once more that 3D technology can play a large role in facilitating both oil and gas exploration and the management of existing wells.

Slick collaboration 
The ClickShare presentation tool, developed to foster collaboration in the meeting room, was also demonstrated. Visitors experienced its intuitive, wireless interface for themselves and discovered why so many companies are adopting the system to make their meetings more productive and enjoyable. And while we’re talking collaboration: Schlumberger—a leading technological supplier and system integrator in the industry—used Barco’s OverView MVL-621 video wall to display its products under the best possible conditions.

Video conferencing leaves participants baffled and irked

An internet based survey conducted to evaluate the efficacy of video conferencing and online meeting room tools sparked a discussion that invariably garnered attention of the millions of people. A prime reason here was the flow, which wasn’t very positive; especially when it came down to the suitability of meeting room tools as the constructors of the new age conference rooms, a particular section was clearly not amused. Now the question is why…why are people annoyed with a technology that is simply outstanding. An online meeting room tool is the fastest possible way to connect with a group and engage in discussions that lead to fruitful conclusions. Without actually having to meet in a room, the participants of a meeting are able to collaborate, all thanks to these video conferencing gadgets and presentation systems. The costs are significantly lower and meeting time is unimaginably condensed; then why the chaos…?
Well, a closer look at the remarks clears the air. Assertions like ‘my system administrator is a compulsory attachment with the presentation system’ or ‘it is a wire fiddle’ and ‘more wires less talks’ shed light upon the actual reasons. Users of such online meeting room tools aren’t particularly against the technology; rather their dismay is indicative of the issues associated with the average quality products available in this category.

Explore the options

A presentation and collaboration tool that is not wireless is actually a set of entangled cables, each demanding to be adjusted in a highly structured manner. Professional expertise of a system administrator with high end knowledge in this domain is thus essential. Moreover, with these systems, even if one participant is not able to figure out the connections, the entire group could face connectivity issues. The troubles of such wired presentation systems that claim to be the best in India are simply many. Every meeting mandates an engaging session with the instruction manual and thus while the administrator is terribly occupied getting it all right, decisions and discussions related to business matters are coerced to assume a back seat.

From wire to wireless

Embrace the technology right to experience the true benefits – give Clickshare’s one click meeting room tool a shot. This wireless presentation and collaboration system comes with a large meeting room screen that not only seamlessly connects, but also imparts a feel of a physical get-together. Barco Clickshare is minus cables and thus while discussions via this large scale video wall collaboration tool are convenient, setting up is even easier! With just a few clicks, the participants can connect and thanks to the video and audio quality, the members of the group can engage in the most crucial discussions that seamlessly lead to vital solutions.

Vote for Barco’s 4 InAVation Awards 2014 finalists

Today, InAVate magazine revealed the jury’s choice of nominees for the InAVation Awards 2014. Barco is proud to have 4 products in the running for an award. Help us win all 4 by voting now!

Each year, European trade magazine InAVate honors outstanding companies and products in the professional audiovisual industry with an award. On 5 February 2014, the second day of the AV trade show ISE, the awards will be distributed during a ceremony in Amsterdam. Now is the time to vote. Go to this page and make sure to vote in every category for a valid entry. Encourage your customers, partners and peers to also cast their vote before 26 January 2014.

These are the nominated Barco products:

‘Most InAVative Conferencing or Collaboration Product’

The CSM Base Unit for the standard meeting room, recently added to the ClickShare wireless collaboration and presentation system portfolio.

‘Most InAVative Display Product’

LiveDots’ V14m lightweight outdoor transparent LED display for the rental and staging market.

Meeting Room Tool, Collaboration, Presentation System

The ClickShare presentation system is quickly making inroads in meeting rooms around the world. The secret of its success? Its easy set-up, single button interface, the absence of cables and excellent collaboration features. A leading French energy company that extensively tested the ClickShare prototype resolutely confirms how ClickShare changes meeting room dynamics.

“ClickShare sets itself apart by its exceptional user-friendliness. It is so simple to connect ClickShare to up to four computers, with just one click, and then visualize the presentations,” said Alain Despiau, IT research manager. “As everyone has a chance to put their data on the screen, people are much more involved in the meetings and stay tuned. In this way, ClickShare truly fosters meeting room collaboration.”

ClickShare with panoramic impression

Collaboration is the first priority in meetings. That’s why Barco’s new portfolio for the Corporate AV market has everything to enable people working together in the best possible way. Combining ClickShare, Barco’s wireless meeting room presentation and collaboration system, with the CRPN-52B panoramic projector for example, offers you an extremely wide canvas that is perfectly suited for side-by-side projection of multiple user screens.
The CRPN-52B Panorama projector displays an exceptionally wide image of 2,560 x 1,080 pixels – allowing you to share more information and thus improve collaboration. That’s why Barco has adapted ClickShare – our signature collaboration product – to work perfectly together with the CRPN-52B. Instead of distributing the user screen content over the four quadrants of the screen, ClickShare displays the content in a side-by-side manner, optimally using the available pixel estate. The result is a remarkable collaborative experience, combining ClickShare simplicity with CRPN-52B impression.

Why ClickShare and CRPN-52B is a perfect match:

• Panoramic canvas for better collaboration
• Up to four meeting participants can share content simultaneously
• User screens are displayed side-byside to optimally use pixel real estate

‘The invasion’ introduces Barco’s corporate AV range

‘The Invasion’ – an exclusive event to celebrate the launch of Barco’s corporate AV range. While our Collaborate, Impress and Present projectors and our ClickShare system took center stage, the event also introduced the unique Engage™ package. Engage™ bundles ClickShare with other technology and office furniture to spur collaboration in the meeting room. The Imago group will support the rollout of Engage across Europe.

Fantastic feedback
The launch event, which took place at the prestigious Royal Society of Arts building in London, was the first opportunity for Imago’s reseller partners and their customers to see the full range in one place. They were treated to extensive demos of the projectors and of ClickShare, as well as to presentations by Barco on its corporate AV strategy and the long-term plans for technology development. “We have had some fantastic feedback from our customers,” wrote the Imago Group on its LinkedIn page, after the event.

Engage™ by Herman Miller
More than showcasing the new projector range, the Imago Group also gave a sneak peek of Engage™ – a concept designed by specialist corporate furniture manufacturer Herman Miller that includes Barco’s ClickShare. The combination of ClickShare with Samsung displays, audio conferencing from Revolabs, display stands from CBS and Herman Miller furniture leads to turnkey collaboration solutions for today’s meeting rooms.

Read AV Magazine
Want to learn more about meeting-room efficiency and the Engage™ offering? Well, AV Magazine has dedicated a two-pager to this topic in its November-December issue. Don’t miss it!

Herman Miller offers Barco ClickShare wireless collaboration technology

Barco, a global leader in visualization and collaboration solutions, has forged a North American alliance with Herman Miller, an international contemporary office furnishings company, to offer Barco’s ClickShare wireless collaboration technology to enhance meeting dynamics.
Traditionally, commercial office furniture and ProAV industries rarely intersect, but with the need for collaborative work spaces, consumerization of IT and growth of personalized technology, these two industries are finding ways to combine their offerings, providing turnkey collaboration solutions.

Shared approach to enhanced meetings
Herman Miller and Barco collaboration products are an ideal marriage of furniture solutions and collaboration technology. This partnership revolutionizes and simplifies the way people work together and share content. Additionally, Barco’s ClickShare design fits discreetly into Herman Miller’s products.

“A sleek and efficient product, ClickShare integrates seamlessly with both our AV carts and our furniture,” comments Wayne Baxter, Director of Herman Miller’s “Thrive” ergonomic portfolio of products.

Enhancing collaboration and efficiency in today’s meetings
Barco ClickShare makes it easy for professionals to present their content on the meeting room main display with just a click of a button. Comprised of only a few simple components – a base station, ClickShare buttons and easy-to-use software – ClickShare allows users to instantly connect, communicate and collaborate by mirroring their computer screen content on the meeting room display.

“Like Herman Miller solutions, ClickShare enhances collaboration and inspires productivity, making meetings more impactful and efficient,” continues Baxter. “I personally never want to have another meeting without ClickShare!”

New inroads to new markets
“By forming alliances with market leading, progressive companies like Herman Miller, we can greatly expand our reach to create new business opportunities in new markets, ultimately empowering thousands of professionals with the ability to greatly enhance collaboration and meeting dynamics,” comments Patrick Lee, Vice President Barco North America.

Embracing the BYOD Trend
The relationship between Herman Miller and Barco comes at a time when an increasing number of professionals are using personal technology for business communication and presentation, known widely as “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD). ClickShare allows companies to fully embrace this trend by providing a system that enables users to easily share content from these devices on the main display without the complexity if connecting to the company network. The combination of platform flexibility and the ability to simultaneously share different types of documents – including PowerPoint, spreadsheets, and pdfs – make ClickShare a highly versatile and flexible content-sharing tool.

An integrated collaboration solution
Barco’s value-added distributor, Starin, is supplying ClickShare to Herman Miller dealers in the US and Canada as an integral component of the “Engage™” system, which provides customers with everything they need for effective wireless screen sharing within a collaboration space. This product bundles Herman Miller’s VCALL AV Support for audio visual and video conferencing needs in either single or dual screen format with ClickShare to foster interactive information sharing.

Why ClickShare is the best solution for your meeting room?

Conferences and discussions will happen online and meeting room tools are a necessity. Thus, the question is not if one should buy an online presentation or collaboration tool, but the imperative issue is which one to buy and how to decide? Well, the precise answer is sort of company specific, because to an extent it depends upon the user’s requirements. Few features say wireless connectivity and presentation are pertinently required in certain cases, while certain users might feel they could do without this add-on. Thus, the perfect meeting room tool for a setup is defined based upon the specific requirements and budget; however a more general analysis can certainly be conducted. Elucidated below are a few points that play a pivotal role in determining if a wireless presentation system is of decent quality and is reasonably feature equipped. While the essential features of a meeting room tool are analyzed, ClickShare as a wireless presentation system in India is scrutinized alongside.

1.Wireless abilities – Wires are simply out; from printers to laptops to mobile devices, every gadget is flourishing on the wireless connection technique, why should these conferencing tools by any exception? ClickShare is a wireless presentation system; this one click meeting room tool thrives on the wireless technology and thus, for the meeting participants and online users, connecting with this device is hassle free.

2. Sans the bells and whistles – A wireless presentation and conferencing tool can be termed acceptable if in order to setup a meeting, it does not mandatorily demands time for the setup or a technical expert to enable the collaboration. The wireless presentation system software should simply be a discussion platform that is easy to manage. Barco’s ClickShare fits into this definition of a perfect online presentation system; it is a one click meeting room tool, which a non-technical person can totally operate.

3.Interactive enough – Meetings are not just about verbal communications or simple presentations where the presenter runs through the prepared slides. For a discussion to be constructive enough, a lot of information is exchanged and the members communicate effectively by not just engaging in a verbal discussion, but by making use of boards, editing stuff, pulling in supplementary documents and pictures, making notes, reviewing and hence on. A diligent online meeting room tool accommodates the stated and more. ClickShare lets you share audio and video clips, edit files, instant document transfer, messaging and other related tasks, thus qualifying this criterion as well.
4.Secure – For a company, its information is sacred and any leaks in the communication channel can cost millions. With internet as the correspondence enabler, security of data has reached a new level. ClickShare is not just an easy and effective meeting room tool with a large meeting room screen, but it is also a robustly secured wireless presentation system.
5.Cost – Stated features are best explained, if enwrapped in an affordable bundle. Barco’s ClickShare wireless presentation system India is well configured to suit not just the working style of an entrepreneur, but also the pocket of a money-wise investor.

Barco announces Android app for its ClickShare meeting room presentation system

Barco, a leader in professional meeting room visualization and collaboration systems, has extended BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) support for its ClickShare product with the release of a new Android app. The app extends ClickShare support for mobile devices beyond Apple’s iOS.
With ClickShare – Barco’s revolutionary meeting room collaboration system – users can present their content on the main meeting room screen with just the click of a button. Now users of Android phones and tablets can also enjoy the ClickShare experience with the new ClickShare mobile app for Android. The app provides a virtual button allowing users to show documents, pictures and screen shots in the ClickShare composition. As Android is now one of the most widely used platforms for smart devices in the world, this hugely expands the applicability of ClickShare.

“The BYOD trend is becoming increasingly significant for businesses and we want to offer users the flexibility to share their content within a meeting room environment from any device and in the most straightforward way possible. Therefore, it was of key strategic importance for us to extend support for the ClickShare technology to the Android Operating System,” explains Guy Coen, General Manager Collaboration at Barco.

“The market response to ClickShare has been overwhelmingly positive, and the app for iPhone and iPad has been very popular with users. Extending this to Android undoubtedly opens the way to a new wave of ClickShare enthusiasts.”

The ClickShare iOS app has also been updated and is now compatible with Microsoft Office documents, as well as JPEG images and PDF documents. The ClickShare Android App is available to download free from the Google Play store now.

Barco ClickShare

Barco’s ClickShare occupies a new market segment – collaborative meeting room technology. ClickShare is a wireless single-click meeting room presentation system that allows any number of users to display content from up to four devices at once on a single screen, and all in the correct resolution. It is compatible with Windows and Apple Mac computers, as well as tablets and smartphones running on the Android and iOS operating systems. For more information, please see http://www.barco.com/clickshare.

The best in presentation and collaboration become one

Today, Barco introduced a brand-new option that couples two of its cutting-edge products: the ClickShare wireless presentation system and the stylish Present projectors. With the ‘ClickShare Inside’ option the best in collaboration and the best in presentation become one. After integrating this option under the hood of a Present projector, meeting participants can wirelessly share their content on-screen, for true collaboration. ‘ClickShare Inside’ is the first in a row of optional modules to integrate future-proof and simple collaboration technology.

Easy integration for true collaboration
Commercially available as of Q2 2014, the ‘ClickShare Inside’ option consists of a CSM Base Unit and an integration kit containing a bracket and three cables – HDMI, USB to RS-232, and a power cable – and can be nicely integrated and neatly hidden under the hood of the projector. Featuring a fully wireless connection, the projector is automatically switched on when users plug in a ClickShare Button. Meeting participants can then easily share their content on-screen by means of a unique ClickShare Button, or by installing the ClickShare Presenter app on their Android or iOS smartphone or tablet. And with the new update of the Button Manager software – available for download from 20 January onwards – users can easily pair their ClickShare Buttons via their laptop as well as via the Base Unit’s USB port.

Real time collaboration solution for business meetings

Here’s how a typical annual board meeting goes. CFO presents the annual performance, followed by the CMO who presents the next big marketing plan and advertising buy, then it’s the turn of the CIO, CTO, CEO and so on. Each of them struggles with the laptop and projector connection and screen resolution adjustment, thereby distracting the business discussion on hand. Sound familiar?

Just think, what if in the same annual meeting, the CMO could display the sales strategy when the CFO presents next year’s forecast? Finance plan and sales plan displayed on-screen simultaneously with just a single click from both the presenters without interrupting the flow of the discussion. Woudn’t you call it a one click wonder! This is exactly what ClickShare is.

ClickShare is the first visual collaboration product enabling participants to wirelessly share their PC’s content on conference room’s display in just one click. Clickshare also allows other meeting attendees to participate more actively. In total, four participants can be on-screen simultaneously, thus enabling effective collaboration during meetings to increase meeting and business efficiency.

Users who want to get their presentation on the large meeting room screen simply connect a Button to their PC or MAC. They start the application, click the ClickShare Button and immediately their desktop is wirelessly transferred to the large screen. What’s more, ClickShare does not interfere with your laptop’s resolution and automatically displays the screen content in the most optimal way. If more people need to present, it is no problem, simply click the second laptop button and the image appears alongside the first image. Up to four laptops can be displayed at the same time.

This diagram shows how four presenters can display their slides on the screen simultaneously.