Less is more. In difficult economic times, this principle stands out above all others. While the Fed might have ruled out a recession, high interest rates have still taken their toll, and most companies are preparing for a slowdown with a bumpy landing. This situation puts pressure on executives to do more with less as they face potential hiring freezes or layoffs to cope with softening economic conditions. Thus, the race is on to find collaboration software that helps workers be more efficient and productive.

Communication and collaboration software are the bedrock of efficient business; without the ability for information to flow, workflows slow or stop. In an era where information is digitized, audio-visual (AV) technologies are critical to the flow of information, keeping organizations productive and agile.

In Business Collaboration Software, Interoperability is Key

Ensuring that information flows effortlessly between different tools is critical to creating a smooth employee experience while managing operating costs. No one wants to throw more technical staff at configuring complex AV setups with cameras, business displays, and switching consoles that don't talk to each other. All collaboration technology should speak the same language, from business collaboration software and the cameras that connect, through to the back-end switching equipment and business displays that channel and reproduce it.

At Panasonic Connect, we provide a rich ecosystem of AV products that comply with multiple industry standards while delivering a rich layer of Panasonic functionality that makes our AV ecosystem more than just the sum of its parts. We offer end-to-end solutions that ensure every byte of audio and video fuels advanced friction-free functionality.

Our ecosystem begins with the third-party collaboration software that fronts many employees' experience with AV. That's why Panasonic has certified many of its cameras with the Zoom video conferencing service to ensure the best integration between AV systems and collaboration services. This makes camera setup simple and fast for busy companies that don't have the time or resources to spend on complex setups for collaboration technology.

PTZ Camera Technology Supercharges Collaboration Software

Zoom certification makes our cameras especially easy to install and configure for use with this third-party service. We also provide Zoom Room certification for many of our PTZ (point, tilt, and zoom) cameras.

A PTZ camera can focus on different parts of the room, reducing the need to invest in additional camera units. Combined with auto-tracking software, it also reduces the need for operator interaction by autonomously following people around the presentation space. Panasonic's machine learning-based auto-tracking software, combined with the ability for microphone sound to trigger specific cameras, enables us to create AV spaces for our customers that are practically self-sufficient.

Using a PTZ camera is important not just for senior stakeholders who expect top-quality video sessions, but also for animated talkers who pace or otherwise move around while talking. In room-based environments, auto-tracking PTZ camera functionality lightens the workload for operators so that they can concentrate on switching shots and swapping in presentation slides.

Digital Displays Power Collaborative Productivity

Digital signage keeps employees or visitors informed and up to date on where and when events are happening before they even get to the conference room. A digital display in the lobby or on different floors makes it easier to direct and inform hybrid workers when they come to the office while helping managers take advantage of scaled-down office space and hot-desk opportunities.

4K Projector Technology

Panasonic Connect's professional displays and projectors are also designed with cost-effective usage and employee experience in mind. Offering 1080p projector and 4K projector options for all budgets, Panasonic projectors cater to non-technical staff, with simple HDMI connections and easy switching between multiple input devices that can turn the 4K projector on and off via the source device.

An office projector with the right specifications creates crisp, sharp images even in the brightest of rooms, whether you're using 1080p projector technology or 4K displays. Many DLP projectors are especially energy efficient, with eco settings that optimize brightness to ambient levels for power savings.

Eye-Catching Interactive Displays

Immersive, collaborative displays are the future, lauded for their highly responsive experiences that will keep employees feeling satisfied and productive. Panasonic Connect's interactive digital screens feature touchscreen displays that enable people to interact directly with presentations using a swipe of the finger, encouraging in-person engagement in meetings. A simple investment in an interactive digital display can contribute to downstream employee retention, and a large touch screen display — especially a sharp 4K display — can empower employees even in larger classroom or conference room settings.

Augmented Reality-Enhanced PTZ Cameras

Our advanced solution functionality also extends into more unique live event production that goes beyond interactive displays in boardroom or classroom-style setups. Many of our PTZ cameras support FreeD, a protocol that sends positioning data to virtual and augmented reality systems to enable them to dynamically position subjects within virtual sets. Before, crews needed hours to set up camera positions for virtual sets. Now, executives are able to present on virtual sets from their own living rooms.

Integrated Collaboration Software Drives Efficiency with KAIROS

The right integrated systems make it easy to coordinate these various inputs and outputs with minimal effort. Our KAIROS live production platform brings multiple inputs together, ranging from simple PTZ cameras to higher-level broadcast AV systems. It can also drive IMAG image magnification to very large screens and video wall installations.

KAIROS supports all major industry standards, including newer SMPTE standards along with protocols like NDI, enabling all digital signals to travel along a single cable for simpler AV connectivity setups. It is designed with simplicity in mind, enabling operators to get up to speed on the system in just a couple of hours. Our on-premise KAIROS system can manage multiple presentation screens from a single point using fast GPU-powered hardware.

Thanks to our forthcoming KAIROS Global Live Control Room, customers will be able to control remote video production from any location using the same GUI as our on-premises KAIROS Core unit, but leveraging the power of the Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud, reducing investment and footprint of on-site hardware and control rooms.

The potential for integrated systems featuring NDI-powered Panasonic Connect cameras and switching solutions, along with robotics systems from our robotics partner Tecnopoint, is stunning. In the past, it would take many crew hands and operators to create a six-camera shoot with vertical and horizontal tracking. Today, a single person can operate the same remote video production shoot using remote-managed systems, controlling a robot jig and crane from home, and render images locally on a video wall with 4K display technology.

Panasonic Connect Services Increase Productivity at a Lower Cost

To truly maximize the efficiency potential of our collaboration software, customers can rely on Panasonic Connect for both training and integration services. This often unlocks features in our equipment that customers were not even aware of.

Our integrated systems also boost employee performance by making people more comfortable in front of the camera. Smoothly functioning technology reduces anxiety, leading to faster shoots or interactive sessions. Easy setup and operation also cut down on support calls, further reducing technical and operational overhead.

In fact, well-designed technology shouldn't even be noticeable. The best collaborative integrated systems should simply disappear, leaving employees free to engage fluidly through cameras and interactive 4K displays without technical anxieties. When the enhanced IMAG image shows up on the video wall, it should be as if by magic.

Learn how to do more with less today. When planning your technology roadmap, explore our technology solutions for business and corporate environments.