Poly & Microsoft: Working To Deliver Equality In Hybrid Meetings

Related Article: Poly Sync 20 & Sync 40 Smart Speakerphones

In today’s hybrid work environment, it’s critical that participants who are joining a meeting remotely, no matter where they are working, feel as if they are sitting alongside team members. The key to that seamless connection is professional-grade collaboration gear to level the playing field for all meeting participants.

Poly and Microsoft continue to work together to introduce intelligent hardware and software features that will help all participants feel engaged and empowered on every call. Even if your seat at the table is virtual, it is important that you’re able to pick up on all the small gestures, expressions and body language cues across the room (or across the screen) and feel confident in your ability to be seen and heard from anywhere.

Poly Solutions & Microsoft Teams Rooms

Poly's previously written about how they work with Microsoft Teams to deliver seamless meeting experiences, using their innovations in camera technology and Microsoft Teams Rooms. This includes intelligent features like Acoustic Fence, Group Framing and industry-first technology like Conversation Mode and Smooth Tracking to provide effortless video conferencing every time you select Microsoft Teams for your meeting using Poly tools. Poly's excited to showcase the Poly Studio E70 as part of Microsoft’s announcements for hybrid work.

“Microsoft is committed to creating experiences that are equitable and inclusive for people no matter where they work,” said Ilya Bukshteyn, GM, Microsoft Teams Devices. “The power of Microsoft Teams Rooms paired with the Poly Studio E70 intelligent camera reflects our commitment to meeting design that helps people truly be seen and heard.”

Benefits of using a Smart Camera

The in-room camera serves as the eyes for remote workers; therefore, it should be dynamic and smart. Here are some ways that the Poly Studio E70 can power more efficient meetings for hybrid work and put all participants on equal footing:

1. Getting the right View – Everyone has seen the bowling alley view, where you are staring down a long conference table with faces that are difficult to see. You may recognize who they are, but there’s a lot that you are missing by not being physically there. Poly DirectorAI is the brain behind Poly’s cutting-edge video experiences delivered in the Poly Studio camera line, using tried and true video production rules to deliver a great experience. It uses AI and machine learning to deliver real-time automatic transitions, framing and tracking that makes everyone feel like they are in the room together. Poly DirectorAI enhances the hybrid work experience by effortlessly connecting the meeting room to the home office using Microsoft Teams.

2. Quality by design – A smart camera should have a brain, but it should also have intelligent design and be purpose-built for its environment. With the Poly Studio E70, we’ve created a unique two-lens solution that can cover large rooms with ease thanks to life-like video with dual 20 Megapixel 4K sensors. Having both a wide angle and narrow lens means that people close to the camera and those way in the back can be seen equally. Having a fixed EPTZ camera means there are no moving parts to distract participants of a meeting. It also means that we can create high production value with smooth, seamless transitions between different views, like Presenter Mode, that lets a presenter get in the zone and move around freely without the worry of being out of frame. Simply put, the Poly Studio E70 can do things that optical zoom cameras cannot.

3. Feeling like you are there – If a participant feels like an onlooker, they’ll be hesitant to contribute to the meeting. A combination of great audio, brilliant optics, and dynamic speaker tracking allows everyone to feel like they are in the same room, even if they are on opposite sides of the world. A camera like the Poly Studio E70 breaks down the walls between the virtual and physical world, and builds a meeting experience that just works, for everyone.

A Camera Optimized for Microsoft Team

Poly has always delivered cutting-edge technology, and each day, they strive to create new features that intelligently enable the perfect hybrid work experience. Their shared vision of the future of hybrid work with Microsoft has allowed us to further our long-standing partnership to offer new smart cameras like the Poly Studio E70, purpose-built for today’s meeting environments. And we can’t wait to show you what’s next.

Contact Kathea for more information and pricing on our Poly Solutions!

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