In this article we break down the five factors that must be taken into account to succeed with effective and high-impact professional video-collaboration solutions in security environments.
by Renan Lazcano*
In the last year, having a secure and efficient video collaboration system went from being something "not bad" to have, to becoming an indispensable technological solution, as it allows teams to feel more connected to remote locations and collaborate with members who work from a distance. The restrictions on mobility and social distance that limit face-to-face meetings today force, more than ever, to resort to face-to-face video-communications in safe environments. Right now, there are system integrators around the world updating technologies that support their users against the clock. But before contacting an integrator to update our video-collaboration system or investing in a new one, there are a number of factors to consider. Here are five key aspects that will guide you in your consultations with the system integrator.
The goal
First of all, we have to define our expectations based on our experience as users of the system. Is it enough for us to "see" and "hear", or do we want a communication tool that truly connects us with our interlocutors, brings us closer to them and facilitates a more productive dialogue? Who uses the system and where? For what purposes do we use it? They are all pertinent questions when addressing the design of a system.
Personally, like most of my clients, what I want is as realistic and natural an experience as possible. That my interlocutor feels as comfortable as if we were talking in a shared physical space. To be part of an exchange so fluid that we forget the technology that connects us from a distance.
Display technology
We have at our disposal a wide range of high-performance display solutions suitable for video-collaboration and control room environments, whether in the form of projection systems, LCD or LED panels. In the case of specific applications for video-collaboration, all technologies have advantages and disadvantages. There is no one that prevails over the others in all applications, and the good integrator or partner must be able to prescribe, impartially and dispassionately, the best solution for our environment.
Some visual factors to consider are, among many others, the size of the display, the distance of the viewer in relation to it, its aspect ratio, the viewing angles, adequate brightness depending on the ambient lighting inside the space, and the lighting of the room depending on the time of day. Many of these factors– which go beyond the simple technical information we find in the product description – can affect more the overall performance of a display system compared to another type, and the saying "cheap is expensive" is usually confirmed by a bad user experience.
Content processing and management
A system is much more than the physical display. The content must travel from the source to the display without losing quality. We need to focus on the content, on managing the applications that the user uses and deploying them on the display without affecting the user's workflow.
The content is transferred to the display through a video collaboration system, thought and designed in the real needs of the operator not the display. The quality of streaming content to the display will be crucial for it to look as it should look, without considerable latencies or loss of information. An intuitive processor expressly adapted to a security environment, control room, or command and control should provide great flexibility to the end user both in use and in future growth.
Source and application management
Content is what makes a video-collaboration system truly useful and what contributes to the overall experience. We need the content to come from the sources themselves, and if the source is not consistent, the result will inevitably disappoint. The management system of these sources must be intuitive in order to create a transparent link between the operator and its multiple applications, which does not complicate their interaction in their day to day and much less in case of an event or emergency that requires greater operational efficiency.
Network connectivity
To connect with multiple locations, an adequate infrastructure must be considered that allows the connection between these points. Elements of a quality system, a reliable infrastructure with sufficient bandwidth, security standards and an efficient network architecture and management must work in close harmony so that the user enjoys the desired experience. Without all that, we will suffer the –frequently" latency problems that we have all, unfortunately, experienced and that will deprive us of a truly immersive, lively and natural experience even if the collaboration system is the right one.
Today it is more important than ever to have in our organizations video-collaboration solutions that help us develop our business and achieve our goals.
My advice is to consider a system in which even its weakest point is of impeccable quality, well thought out and aimed at a design based on the needs of the end user, the operator. It will be enough to neglect a single aspect of the signal path (be it the display, the processor or the management) so that the impact of the entire system is negatively affected, taking away from users the illusion of proximity, of sharing the same space. Manufacturers that produce complete ranges of display solutions and products are the ones that can guarantee the efficiency of each element along the entire transmission path, sending the display a high-quality signal and offering an immersive and effective video-collaboration solution.
* Renan Lazcano, represents Christie from his office in Mexico. You can be contacted at the email: [email protected]
