Video Conferencing and AV Integration

With over 40 percent of U.S. employees working remotely at least part-time and remote work trending permanent, digital meetings are becoming the norm. And with more virtual communications, ensuring high-level video conferencing capabilities is critical for businesses today. However, a lot of companies don’t have an optimized audio-visual system. That’s where video conferencing and AV integration come into play.

By making sure you have all the right audio-visual tools working together, your company can thrive in this emerging hybrid work world. From better quality video meetings to exceptional virtual events, let’s look at the impact AV integration can have on your business.

What Is AV Integration?

Audio-visual (AV) integration is the process of combining audio and visual equipment in a way that enhances the viewing and listening experience while video conferencing.

The goal is to ensure that all meeting participants have an excellent experience. They should clearly see presentation materials and speakers. Everyone should also be able to hear what’s being said and to feel heard when speaking.

Without a good setup, people won’t be engaged. Whether you’re running interactive online classes or meetings with co-workers or clients, if you aren’t achieving a “real-life” level of audio-visual quality, you’re not getting the most out of your video meetings.

How Does AV Integration Work?

AV integration is usually performed by an audio-visual specialist – an AV integrator.

An AV integrator designs the best solution for combining cameras, user interfaces, data-sharing tools, projectors, and other audio-visual equipment. They build a system based on a business’s unique needs.

Your company might hire an AV integration expert to ensure all your communications technology and hardware are set up in the best way possible for your video conferencing needs.

Why Audio-Visual Integration Is Important

Today, a lot of work communications happen online because so many employees are working remotely. While the number of remote workers has decreased since the height of pandemic lockdowns, there’s still a huge chunk of the workforce out of the office.

Often, video conferencing involves people in different parts of the country or even the globe.

For everyone to experience high-quality audio and visuals – and to feel like they are a part of the meeting – you need two things:

Feature-rich video conferencing software – Your platform should have all the tools you need to maintain high productivity levels, no matter where your teams are located. These include HD video, collaboration features, screen sharing, remote control, and application sharing.
An integrated audio-visual system – For virtual conferences, you’ll want the right monitors, audio equipment, projectors, and other tools, and they should be integrated with your software. This allows you to host seamless meetings without having to put together all the AV equipment you require each time. Just plan your meeting, invite your participants, and you’re ready to go live.

AV integration is a great asset for video conferencing, but virtual meetings and work training events aren’t the only reason to use it. Optimizing your audio-visual setup can also be a smart investment if your business hosts virtual events for customers.

Virtual events are a great tool for customer engagement and brand building. According to The State of Virtual Events Report 2021, which looked at responses from 100 companies that manage about 20,000 events a year in total, for nearly 65 percent, creating engagement or building brand awareness is the number one reason for holding events.

When you have a full AV setup that’s integrated with your communications tools, you can develop immersive online events, webinars, and classes because you have set up your system to let you do anything. Share slide shows, feature an entire panel of speakers, interact with participants and hold polls and Q&A sessions – it’s all at your fingertips with AV integration for video conferencing.

The Benefits of Audio-Visual Integration

In addition to being able to host engaging meetings and events, with a properly integrated AV system, your business can enjoy higher productivity and better relationships.

When you have the ability to host video conferences that make everyone feel like they’re physically present because the AV system is top-notch, you can run more effective meetings. There’s less time wasted on setup and making sure everyone can see and hear clearly. This ability enables everyone to jump into the meeting agenda, communicate clearly, and walk away ready to make well-informed business decisions.

Good quality video also allows those all-important visual cues, like facial expressions, hand gestures, and posture changes, to come through. You also need stellar audio to pick up on when a speaker changes the tone, intonation, and volume of their voice. According to experts, anywhere from 70 to 93 percent of communication consists of these non-verbal factors. With AV integration, you can have total confidence that your clients and employees are getting the right message during your online meetings.

How Much Does Crystal Clear Communication Matter for Your Business?

AV integration may not be a priority for every company. It depends on how much your teams rely on video conferencing and whether or not you’re using your communications technology for virtual events and meetings with customers.

You also may already have everything you require if you are using a reliable video conferencing platform. If you have equipped it with the tools and capabilities you need to engage meeting participants and deliver a superior audio-visual experience, you may not need extensive AV equipment.

Let us help you enhance your video conferencing experience with Intermedia AnyMeeting, our cloud-based communications solution, purpose-built for remote and hybrid organizations.