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Have meetings in your Dallas, TX, office been less productive or engaging than you would hope recently? Your audio might be to blame: Sound issues are one of the most distracting issues you can face while video conferencing, but we have a few solutions to try. Keep reading to see how to mitigate audio setbacks and engage your staff with the help from the DeVance Electronic Lifestyle team.

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Maximize Your Microphones

You want everyone on the call to hear your message, loudly and clearly, but you’ve probably experienced poorly installed incoming audio that sounds garbled, quiet or staticky. Figuring out exactly where to place your microphones often requires a professional audio-video integrator’s skills, so that’s where we come in.

Have you ever asked someone to speak up in the conference call, only to get louder volume with more distortion? When we perform video conferencing equipment installations, we place microphones close to the people speaking so that sound quality doesn’t depend on volume. Digital sound processors, or DSPs, can distinguish between people speaking and noise, while automatic gain control can fine-tune your sound so that your microphone balances both your louder and softer-spoken participants.

Also consider whether omnidirectional or directional microphones work best for you. Many people think omnidirectional microphones at first because they pick up sounds from multiple directions: This effect captures audio from people speaking all around the room. However, omnidirectional mics pick up ambient noise, too.  Directional microphones target the meeting participant close by, and many microphones include DSP processing capabilities to clarify incoming and outgoing audio alike.

Are you dealing with slow, awkward, glitchy A/V technology in your conference room? Tech issues can quickly become tedious, tiresome problems that eat away at valuable time and prevent work from being done. Why not eliminate these problems with commercial automation systems?

With a new and improved audio video system for your Frisco, TX, business, you can get more work done in a more efficient and productive manner. Don’t settle for dropped calls, stubborn software and mismatched connections. Read on to see how upgrades to your audio video system can help your office work smarter, not harder.

SEE ALSO: 5 Must-Have Technologies for Your Boardroom Automation System

STRONGER BETTER NETWORK

The strength of your business’ computer network impacts all the technology in your office. This includes everything from projectors and speakers to computers and anything else in your conference room. A weak network means blurry video, stuttering audio and other problems during presentations. You want the best components and a professional installation to ensure your network meets your needs.

DISTRIBUTED A/V

Can’t fit your team into one conference room? Do people in multiple locations or offices need to see your presentation? Want simpler controls while increasing your system’s capabilities? A distributed A/V system takes care of all these problems and more by creating one centralized channel for any audio or video feed to flow through. Instead of struggling with a tangle of wires and ad hoc connections, you can stream your presentation through one interface with the certainty that anyone can clearly see and hear it. Plus, you only have to deal with one device instead of juggling remotes to accomplish a simple task.

When you’re planning a conference room and considering all the commercial audio video details, you’ll likely first think about the most noticeable elements you need -- like your display and speaker technology.

In our many years of experience installing automated boardrooms, we have found that often, the smaller, less flashy components make or break the meetings. Keep reading to better understand what we mean, and which three factors you should no longer ignore!

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Room Scheduling Software

Many hiccups can arise during a meeting scheduling process. It’s not uncommon, for example, for someone to set up a video conference but forgets to send the link to your calendar. A software glitch can allow a room to get double-booked.

Designating a place and time for a simple meeting should never be painstaking. Crestron’s Fusion room scheduling software connects everyone in your office to an easy-to-use scheduling platform. Employees can see which rooms are available on touch screens throughout the office, and press a few buttons to book a meeting, set a space and invite attendees. For your convenience, Fusion syncs with standard email tools, like Outlook and Google.

The new year is just around the corner, and savvy Dallas business owners have started to consider what improvements they want to make in 2017. While many of these planning sessions focus on increasing operational efficiency, you might want to consider an alternative approach: improving the customer experience. Whether you’re running a restaurant, a retail store, or a car dealership, creating the right atmosphere for a relaxed and happy customer is a key component of business success.

So how do you do that? There are many different ways, but some technologies are rising to the top. Below, we cover five great commercial audio video trends that we predict will hit it big in 2017. 

SEE ALSO: 3 REASONS TO UPGRADE YOUR COMMERCIAL AUDIO / VIDEO SYSTEM

1. Interactive Displays

Waiting in lobbies isn’t fun for anyone, but technology can help make the time go by faster. Interactive displays use motion or touch technology to allow guests to manipulate what’s on the screen. These customizable screens could be as simple as ambient art that reacts to hand motions or a trivia game that gives points for selecting the right answer. Restaurant patrons waiting for a table, children waiting for a dentist appointment, or key clients waiting for a business presentation—interactive displays can help all of them have a more enjoyable experience.

2. Serve Yourself Technologies

People know what they want better than any waiter or customer service representative could, so why not let them control the service experience? This “do it yourself” automation technology started out as a way for businesses to save money on staffing costs, but it turns out that customers actually prefer this approach. Common applications are ordering kiosks at restaurants or price check scanners at retail stores. You’re essentially giving your clients instant gratification. There are no delays or miscommunication—just an intuitive screen that provides simple options for your clients to choose from.

The modern boardroom is about more than just conducting meetings. It’s about collaborating with people all over the world, closing deals with key clients, and making strategic plans that could impact the company for years to come. If you’re relying on outdated or insufficient technology, you’re hindering your company’s ability to operate at peak efficiency and effectiveness.

Below, we cover the five technologies that are absolutely essential if you want a boardroom automation system that is reliable and capable of meeting all the needs of your Dallas, Texas area business.

SEE ALSO: 5 Commercial Audio Video Trends for 2017

1. High-End Sound System

Stop struggling to hear remote team members through weak, poorly placed speakers. A boardroom should utilize sound equipment that provides crisp, pure audio throughout the room. Brands such as Mark Levinson and Revel are a safe bet. These hi-fi audio systems are the product of decades of superior design and engineering. Your boardroom automation installer can strategically place the sound equipment and speakers so that you get perfect sound without any cords or devices cluttering up the room.

2. Lighting and Shading Control

Window shades or overhead lights aren’t typically what you might think about for boardroom technologies, but they should be. After all, the lighting in a room ties directly into the quality of your visual displays—too much lighting can wash out the imagery, but you still need a well-lit room to conduct meetings.

Given the surge in commercial automation and audio-video technology, today’s customer arrives with heightened expectations. Tech-drenched hospitality centers, including hotels, pubs and restaurants, grow more commonplace and accessible, and your guests will expect more businesses to raise the bar. It’s unfortunate but true: If the hotel down the road from your Frisco, TX, location offers voice control, your prospective guest might choose to go there instead.

Attract more guests, and keep returning customers safe and entertained, whether you own a hotel, restaurant, bar or resort. We’ll share a few of the top commercial audio and video and automation trends and how you can apply them to your hospitality business with the expert help of DeVance Electronic Lifestyle. Curious? Keep reading.

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Big, Immersive Entertainment

As video displays get more and more expansive and even cover entire walls, hospitality-sector managers should think bigger when it comes to entertainment. Whether you’re preparing your new bar for a busy SEC season or building a more competitive resort property with poolside TVs, don’t dismiss the power of video walls and massive displays. They’ll keep guests entertained and therefore more likely to say “Yes!” to a second round or dessert, increasing your profits. Size isn’t the only consideration: Ensure you have enough displays dispersed around the property to entertain a diverse fan base.

Every vertical within hospitality will also benefit from audio. Spas rely on music to help relax their guests while they enjoy a massage or facial service. Hotels need the right ambiance to greet lobby customers. Restaurants require masterful sound dispersion and volume control so diners can hear the music and their conversations.

Did you know that more than half of people identify as visual learners? Those people, likely many of your staff members, want to see and interact with pictures when they process important company information.

Are your presentations speaking to them? At DeVance Electronic Lifestyle, we recommend giving people tools that facilitate open, impactful communication. Engage your staff and empower them to participate with conference room equipment. If you want to combine the perks of visual tools with hands-on application, there’s no better place to start than interactive whiteboards. Keep reading to see why we find these devices beneficial for engaging employees and building stronger teams right from your Irving, TX, conference room.

SEE ALSO: Conference Room AV Upgrades You’ll Want for Your Business

Work the Room

As a manager or business owner, we’re sure you’re familiar with this scenario: You’re presenting and trying to get everyone engaged, but instead you see blank stares around the conference room. Spare yourself this embarrassment by breaking the ice with interactive whiteboards that ensure feedback from even the most reluctant or introverted employees.