It seems there is always a buzzword that has profound conceptual impact but very little agreement on practical application. Collaboration has been talked about and written about exhaustively for the last 6 years but it seems the only thing everyone agrees on is that everyone’s definition of what collaboration means is different. As a solution provider for the last 50 years we have spent a great deal of time dissecting what exactly people are looking for when it comes to collaboration.
By definition, collaboration quite simply is the action of working together with someone to create something. So how is this accomplished? For some people collaboration is giving large groups of people the ability to share content with one another in the same room. Others need collaboration to accommodate people working together across the globe. Sometimes just sharing information is not enough, sometimes the ability to manipulate other people’s content is necessary. Sometimes the ability to save and distribute the newly created content to an individual or group is required. Collaboration requirements can be simple or complex and so can the technology that is implemented to achieve collaboration. Networked collaboration can require a more advanced infrastructure than same room collaboration. Wireless collaboration can require more advanced configuration, security and processes to safely and reliably connect one another than wired collaboration solutions. The ability to connect up to 4, 16, or 100 people at a time and the ability to show one or multiple screens can add to complexity and the cost of a large group collaboration environment. This is precisely why there are so many collaboration devices available.
For some people collaboration is about small groups, 4-6 people sitting together in close proximity with resources available to share information with one another and/or the group. Many times these applications are called huddle spaces and they provide a place and a means for small groups to come together. A functional piece of furniture can be the foundation of most huddle spaces. A table with device charging capability, a display with video hook up capability, a simple, stable, self-contained system that may be moveable without complication. This is the concept. The specifics of the application can vary. How many people should the table accommodate? What size should the display be? Should there be wired or wireless video connectivity? All of these specifics make choosing a huddle space solution very personal. A good starting point is a flexible piece of furniture than can accommodate all of these varying needs.
Whether you are looking for large group collaboration or small group collaboration Dukane AV can help guide you towards a solution that meets your individual needs. Because when it comes to collaboration if we’ve learned anything over the last 6 years it’s that your definition of collaboration is unique and requires a unique solution.
