NOT DRAIN RESOURCES A NETWORKED APPROACH TO SOLVING
COMMON CONFERENCE ROOM CHALLENGES
CONFERENCE ROOMSTHAT DRIVE BUSINESS
Now, more than ever before, IT professionals are expected to contribute
to the company’s bottom line. This means significantly reducing
budgets for maintenance or “keeping the lights” on activities. One area
of business that consumes considerable IT resources is the corporate
meeting room. Whether through user error or system complexity,
these rooms, which should improve productivity and drive business,
are instead draining resources.
This white paper takes a close look at the type of equipment found
in meeting rooms and discusses the core problems that are driving
support tickets. It presents an alternative approach that uses the
network to solve these common challenges and reduce costs.
Biamp Systems | Conference Rooms That Drive Business 1
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
CONFERENCE ROOM: (kon-fer-uhns rům) (Noun) 1. A meeting space containing touchy AV equipment and even touchier participants. 2. A continual source of help-desk tickets. 3. A solid business driver when networked with proper AV equipment.
The business managers and executives at a Fortune 500 financial services
company had so many problems using their audio and video (AV) conferencing
equipment they required an IT person to be present in every meeting. The lost
productivity and impact on their partner relationships cost more than staffing
every meeting room.
This company is not alone in the struggle to clearly and easily collaborate
with remote partners, customers, and workers. A July 2010 study of large UK
businesses found, “10% of an IT manager’s working year is eaten up by helping out
with meeting room technology problems.i” Also troubling for IT staff is that while
40% of users blame meeting room equipment for the problems, 23% blame IT.ii
While there are many components to a meeting room, audio is the linchpin
that holds meetings with remote participants together. In this white paper,
we’ll discuss how IT managers can use the power of networked audio to create
conference rooms that drive business.
Biamp Systems | Conference Rooms That Drive Business 2
THE ANATOMY OF A MEETING ROOM Meeting room equipment ranges from simplistic conference phones to multiple
audio visual systems designed to deliver an “in person experience.” Integrated,
installed audio visual systems typically include the following:
Audio Component Function
Mics and loudspeakers Picks up and amplifies meeting room audio.
Telephone interface Allows VoIP or analog connection to
remote participants (meeting room, landline, cell,
bridge).
Audio processor Improves clarity of the audio signal, removes echo and
noise. Provides inputs and outputs to connect mics,
loudspeakers, consumer electronics, video codecs, PC, etc.
Video Component Function
Video codec Encodes and decodes video signal for transmission to
and from remote site. Connects to audio mixer to send
and receive audio signal.
Display Shows video feed from remote site.
Laptop Interfaces with projector to share presentation.
Interfaces with audio mixer if connecting web callers.
Control Component Function
Touch panel Controls all functions in the room (curtains, lights,
HVAC, volume, dialing, projector).
Wall control Controls volume and dialing features.
Remote control Controls volume and dialing features for video
conferencing.
The more complex the room, the greater chance you’ll have for equipment
integration problems and user errors. The illustration below shows the typical
connection points in a small conferencing room.
Biamp Systems | Conference Rooms That Drive Business 3
HOW MEETING ROOMS DRAIN RESOURCES
Reducing the time and expense of supporting and maintaining meeting rooms
frees IT resources to innovate and move the business forward. Consider these
sources of meeting room trouble tickets.
Poor Audio Quality
Demand for clear audio during conference calls is one of the leading reasons
businesses invest in new audio conferencing systems, according to a study
conducted by the National Systems Contractors Association (NSCA). About one-
third of the study respondents cited audio quality as a significant factor in these
purchase decisions.iii
As more companies take their business global, the need for clear, natural-
sounding audio becomes more critical. However, fixing audio problems
is time consuming because there are many factors that can affect quality.
FIGURE 1: COMPONENTS OF AN INSTALLED CONFERENCING SYSTEM
Video Codec
Audio Processor
Web Conference
Ceiling Loudspeakers
Mics
Biamp Systems | Conference Rooms That Drive Business 4
If users complain about...
The issue could be...
Reverberant, tinny audio Hard surfaces in the room, glass walls, mics too far from participants
Hearing echoes Echo cancellation not functioning properly, mics too close to loudspeakers
Not hearing the remote participants well enough
Conference phone that is inadequate for room size, improper loudspeaker coverage, mic problems on the far side
Not being heard Not enough microphones for room size, mute is on, problem on the far side
Difficulty with foreign accents, general intelligibility issues
Could be a combination of several sources; speakers, signal processing, line quality or it could be incorrect speaker placement
Not hearing audio from DVD player or other audio device
Audio signal is not routed properly to the loudspeaker
Too much background noise Noise cancellation settings, open mics
Remote participants calling in from landlines can’t hear video conferencing participants
Audio is not routed properly to and from all participants, bridging capabilities
Integration Issues
Many companies take a phased approach to implementing conferencing
equipment. This typically results in a variety of video and audio conferencing
equipment being used, built on an infrastructure that was designed by multiple
vendors.
Corporate Network
Room Equipment- Audio Processor- Amplifier- VoIP Interface- Echo Canceller
Server Rack Ceiling Speakers
Tabletop Mics
Biamp Systems | Conference Rooms That Drive Business 5
Any time IT infrastructure is cobbled together to accommodate disparate
or proprietary systems, IT teams struggle to manage the combination of
technologies and users struggle to remember how each room works.
Lack Of Remote Management
When meeting room equipment doesn’t allow Ethernet connections
for control purposes, the only option for IT is to go to the room and service the
system in person. Not only does this take IT time from other projects, but it adds
unproductive time to the meeting participants as well.
IT personnel responsible for multiple buildings or remote offices
will spend enormous amounts of time and budget supporting
meeting rooms.
FIGURE 2: SILOED MEETING ROOMS, EACH WITH ITS OWN SET OF CONFERENCING EQUIPMENT.
Corporate Network
Room Equipment- Audio Processor- Amplifier- VoIP Interface- Echo Canceller
Server Rack Ceiling Speakers
Tabletop Mics
Biamp Systems | Conference Rooms That Drive Business 6
Inflexible Configurations
Users expect conferencing and collaboration tools to work how and when
they need them. And this demanding user environment requires a mix of high-
performance, intuitive controls, and flexibility.
If the room set up or the type of meeting changes, the meeting room equipment
must be able to accommodate the new requirements. What is one day a
presentation may be a panel discussion the next and a sales meeting with remote
participants the following week. This level of flexibility keeps pace with business
needs and enables effective collaboration.
4 WAYS NETWORKED AUDIO DRIVES BUSINESS
By bringing audio conferencing systems onto the network, IT managers can
transform their meeting rooms into collaborative environments that give their
companies all the benefits that collaboration is intended to provide, especially
improved business outcomes.
When the audio conferencing systems used in a company’s meeting rooms are
connected to the network, employees can initiate an audio conference in the
meeting room as easily as they can from their desktops. Network-based audio
systems also improve audio quality and facilitate future expansion of the system to
additional meeting room locations. Here are four ways moving audio conferencing
to the network can drive business.
IT managers report that, on average, they walk a distance of 300 feet
from their desk to the meeting rooms and back each time they have
to go to help with a meeting room technology incident. With an
average of 8.6 incidents a week, that’s the equivalent of walking
25.85 miles a year—practically a marathon.iv
THE MEETING ROOM MARATHON
Biamp Systems | Conference Rooms That Drive Business 7
#1. Increases Collaboration With Professional Audio Quality
Audio quality influences communications effectiveness. It can make the difference
between a successful sales pitch to an international customer or a frustrating
exchange that ends in misunderstanding. It is
important to the well-being of company personnel
as well, who can become frustrated and fatigued
when struggling to hear or be heard over a sub-par
audio system.
When networked, an audio system can share
resources, specifically the digital signal processing
equipment, which enhances the audio quality.
An audio transport protocol, such as Audio
Video Bridging (AVB) or CobraNet®, is used to
transport audio signals over Ethernet. This form of
networking allows IT managers to reduce costs by
sharing equipment between rooms. For example,
a company can use the network to transport audio
between rooms, such as a boardroom, the CEO’s
private conference room, a training room, and a
marketing conference room. By comparison, a
siloed four-room environment would require four sets of equipment because each
room would need its own digital signal processing hardware.
#2. Reduces Support And Maintenance Costs
A networked meeting room also eliminates many of the challenges caused by
disparate systems. It eliminates room silos and it makes it easy for IT personnel
to remotely manage and troubleshoot the network. This helps the IT department
reduce legacy equipment maintenance costs, which is becoming more important
to businesses as technology continues to accelerate.
Networked audio systems are controlled and configured through an Ethernet
connection. This allows IT personnel to manage the system remotely and fix
problems—even those as simple as unmuting a microphone—via desktop-based
software controls. This is especially advantageous for businesses in multiple
geographic locations or multi-building campuses where IT personnel are centrally
located.
MOST IMPORTANT IP COMMUNICATIONSiv
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Biamp Systems | Conference Rooms That Drive Business 8
#3. Adapts To Your Business
If today’s small meeting room becomes part of tomorrow’s large
training room, your audio system needs the flexibility to meet this
new requirement. This may mean adding microphones or integrating
a video conferencing system.
When all audio conferencing systems are networked, you can route audio from
any input in any room to any output in any room. This makes it easy to change
configuration, combine rooms, or even create an overflow meeting room.
Adding a couple of microphone inputs is as easy as creating a network drop.
And since rooms can share resources, it’s no longer necessary to purchase an
additional audio processor to accommodate the new mics.
Corporate Network
Room equipment- Audio processor- Amplifier- VoIP Interface- Echo Canceller
Server Rack
Audio Network
Ceiling Speakers
Tabletop Mics
FIGURE 3: NETWORKED MEETING ROOMS THAT SHARE CONFERENCING EQUIPMENT.
Biamp Systems | Conference Rooms That Drive Business 9
#4. Improves The User Experience
Ease of use is essential to the effectiveness of the audio conferencing system and
the collaboration process these systems facilitate. Every minute spent trouble-
shooting a system is lost time for everyone involved.
Networked audio systems support a number of user control options, which al-
lows meeting participants to activate and utilize the system effectively. When the
meeting-room audio systems are standardized and networked, companies not
only reduce support and maintenance costs, but they can also reduce training and
travel costs for their personnel by providing a cost-effective alternative.
For business managers • Saves time
• Increases efficiency
• Enhances communications
• Enhances learning
• Accelerates decision making
• Shortens time to market
• Works with global partners
ADVANTAGES OF DIGITAL AUDIO NETWORKS
For IT managers • Simplifies maintenance
• Eliminates interoperability challenges
• Creates a future-proof system
• Delivers high quality audio, better user experience
• Allows remote troubleshooting
• Integrates with VoIP
• Decreases support costs
Biamp Systems | Conference Rooms That Drive Business 10
GET NETWORKED WITH AUDIA® AND NEXIA®
Biamp Systems takes audio quality far beyond
what’s common for IP conference phones or
analog telephone adapters. The Audia series of
professional audio conferencing solutions makes
it easy for IT professionals to transform their
meeting rooms into collaboration rooms that meet
their demands.
Using a unique modular card-based design, Audia-
VOIP delivers a completely preconfigured, net-
worked audio solution for all VoIP conferencing needs. With AudiaVOIP, you can
minimize expenses by networking all your conferencing audio and sharing digital
processing resources between rooms.
If you demand high quality distance-conferencing
or need to distribute audio throughout multiple
rooms, there’s no smarter choice than Nexia.
More than cost-effective, Nexia is a robust system
with high-fidelity sound and industry-leading
software. The entire Nexia line is designed with a
network-friendly open architecture to help create
economical, intuitive solutions. You’ll save time,
effort, and resources–both physical and financial.
Designed specifically to provide crisp, clear audio
in teleconferencing and videoconferencing applications, Nexia TC and Nexia VC
deliver true 20Hz to 20kHz bandwidth during multiple participant conversations,
with natural, true-to-life sound, and full duplex transmission of speech, including
doubletalk.
All Biamp conferencing products feature Sona™ AEC, our most advanced
wideband acoustic echo cancellation algorithm. Conversations come through full,
rich, and echo-free. Adding Biamp DSPs to your conferencing solution guarantees
low maintenance and professional quality sound with no additional headaches.
FIGURE 4: THE CARD-BASED PRECONFIGURED AUDIAVOIP NETWORKED AUDIO SYSTEM FROM BIAMP
FIGURE 5: NEXIA TC (TELECONFERENCING) AND NEXIA VC (VIDEOCONFERENCING) DIGITAL SIGNAL PROCESSORS
Biamp Systems takes audio quality far beyond what’s common for IP conference phones or analog
telephone adapters. The Audia series of professional audio conferencing solutions makes it easy
for IT professionals to transform their meeting rooms into collaboration rooms that meet their
demands.
Using a unique modular card-based design, AudiaVOIP delivers a completely preconfigured,
networked audio solution for all VoIP conferencing needs. With AudiaVOIP, you can minimize
expenses by networking all your conferencing audio and sharing digital processing resources
between rooms.
Biamp Systems | Conference Rooms That Drive Business 11
ABOUT BIAMP SYSTEMS
Biamp Systems has been a leader in high-performance audio systems since 1976.
Through a worldwide network of systems integrators and distributors, Biamp
delivers products that meet the professional audio requirements for a range of
applications, including corporate boardrooms, conference centers, performing-
arts venues, courtrooms, hospitals, transportation hubs, campuses, stadiums, and
recreational facilities.
Biamp is headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon (USA), with additional engineering
operations in Brisbane, Australia.
To learn more, talk with a Biamp representative:
+1.503.718.9168
@
References
i The Meeting Room Marathon - A Waste of Corporate Time, Dynamic Markets research
commissioned by Casio, July 2010.
ii Ibid
iii Market Intelligence Briefings, Q3, Audio & Video Teleconferencing/Telepresence Market, June
2010. NSCA Research, p. 12.
iv The Meeting Room Marathon
CONTACT US
A: 9300 S.W. Gemini Drive Beaverton, OR 97008 USAT: 1.800.826.1457T: +1.503.641.7287E: [email protected]: www.biamp.com
