Today’s meeting space is all about instant connectivity and better collaboration. No one has time to waste searching for the right cable or dongle. Employees want wireless solutions to maximize meeting time.
“The expectation today is mobility and wireless,” says Rich Nockels, Intel business client marketing manager. “We all want an easy way to communicate and collaborate within the meeting room.”
Meeting overload
Survey after survey shows that employees and managers often feel trapped in meetings that do not make the best use of their time.
When office workers were asked how they split up their work day, they noted that 8% of the day was spent in “wasteful” meetings.
That’s significant. Those same workers said they spend just 45% of their time actually doing the work they were hired to do because of email overload, endless meetings and interruptions.
“Meetings are meant to be an engine of productivity in the workplace. But what’s meant to be an efficient way for people to get together to discuss ideas, debate issues, overcome obstacles and drive outcomes often doesn’t turn out like that at all,” according to The Ugly Truth About Meetings.
Consider these findings:
- We hold 25 million meetings per day in the U.S.
- More than 67% of executives consider meetings to be failures.
- Roughly 15% of an organization’s collective time is spent in meetings, a percentage that has increased every year since 2008.
It can be hard for remote participants to stay engaged, follow along and feel like they can contribute.
More than $37 billion is spent per year on unproductive meetings.
Boost productivity
A small study by Intel reveals that, on average, employees working with wires can spend up to 10 minutes setting up for a meeting. Those without wires spend 2 minutes.
“Ten minutes times the number of people in the room is too much lost productivity,” says Paul Imhof, an enterprise technology specialist at Intel.
Improving communication and productivity in the meeting room is vital. That’s where the Intel Unite solution comes in.
Intel Unite powers secure, connected meetings that allow for real-time collaboration with employees near and far. The tool is transforming the meeting space. Here’s how.
Get started. The solution starts with an Intel Core vPro processor-based mini PC in the meeting space and the Intel Unite application on client devices. Meeting participants enter a rotating PIN code and instantly connect to displays, projectors or interactive whiteboards.
Collaborate. Everyone can share and edit content in real time. Up to four displays can be shown at one time so colleagues can easily share and compare ideas. Each person can use a pen tool to mark, revise or add certain information or data. A colleague can also create a document on the spot and share it instantly. This takes meetings to a whole new level.
Be secure. The PIN code protects meeting access, while hardened, enterprise-grade security ensures that meeting data is 256-bit Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encrypted and stays within the corporate network at all times.
No searching for the right dongle. No messy cable collection. No more wasted time. “It’s a very seamless, very easy, very quick way to get the meeting started,” Imhof says.
Clients are turning to the Unite solution for a range of business needs, he says. Take these two healthcare clients:
One client relies on a mini PC in the conference room to enhance collaboration, but also in smaller teaching rooms to make teaching and sharing presentations easier. Another client is using the mini PC in exam rooms, allowing physicians to fire up their Surface Pros and securely share information such as MRI results with a patient.
“There is a lot of use and functionality with the Unite solution,” Imhof says.
Real time
Tech analyst Patrick Moorhead decided to take Intel Unite out for a spin and was up and running in no time. He set everything up in his home conference room equipped with a 70-inch display and seating for about 15.
“Normally, one would need to pass a cable around the room or use an Apple TV if someone had a Mac,” he says. “I loaded the Unite app on three Windows PCs, connected to the mini PC over Wi-Fi, entered the six-digit PIN and we were in business. One, two or three people could have content on the display at the same time. I could annotate the presentation. I could send files peer-to-peer. I give Intel a lot of credit for biting off one of business's biggest time and productivity suckers, meeting cable hell.”
As an Intel Technology Provider Platinum partner for more than 10 years, Insight has served clients in all industries, delivering massive networking mobility and technical solutions. Even so, you may not be sure which Intel-powered device would fit your business best. Our Battle Pack helps you make an informed technology purchase by letting you test-drive different Intel-powered devices first. Order your kit and receive a variety of desktops, notebooks, tablets or 2-in-1s. Contact an Intel specialist for help or with questions.
While you wait for your Battle Pack, learn how to create a workplace that includes both mobility and a no-wires experience.