The Corona period has boosted digitization and video conferencing has found its way into many private and especially work environments. But at work it’s not so easy to involve all participants – whether in the office, home office or on the road – in a way that really benefits everyone. Microsoft has now – shortly before the opening at the Austrian headquarters in Vienna – presented “the next level” for such meetings.
This should ensure more inclusion, there is even talk of “total immersion”. It’s about a fusion of the different presences, a better integration of those who are connected. Colleagues who are in the meeting room are addressed in the further development of “Teams” – “Teams Rooms”. At some point there will also be holograms.
“After the Covid phase with intensive measures, meetings almost always take place in such a way that some people participate on the road or from their home office,” Hermann Erlach, boss of Microsoft Austria, told journalists on Tuesday. “New reality will be hybrid setups.” It’s about getting everyone’s attention and “staying there”, “that you are heard, that you also notice interaction in the room, that those who are physically present have no advantage over those dialing in”.
“The topic has arrived at the CEO level”
How other companies could use the new MS technology depends on the degree of digitization of the companies and also on the industry in which they operate. “The topic has reached at least at the CEO level, at least with CFO and HR managers,” says Erlach.
The demonstration showed that the participants in the conference room practically share a table with the participants from the outside – two halves of the table must meet. For employees who prefer to stay away from the camera, avatars can be used to avoid suddenly speaking a still image and diverting attention from others. Technical details, such as a 45-degree camera, ensure that the session is experienced more spatially.
Since much human communication takes place through the unconscious, which has so far been largely omitted in teleconferences and makes attention difficult, unconscious perception must also be enabled. When connected from the outside, one perceives those present as a group and not just as individual images. Depending on the monitors used, where there are large price differences, about 15,000 euros are needed for the technical equipment.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
