IoT
The End Of Purpose-Built Collaboration Devices? The answer might not be as clear-cut as we think. By Mike Brandofino Yorktel
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to see a few gaps, and it’s causing some customers to rethink their approach. The n prior articles, we’ve disgaps are in a few key areas—namely, user experience, monitoring and management, cussed the fact that the huddle-room and security. trend is growing. What we haven’t yet With regard to user experience, we’ve been sold on the idea that software-based talked about is what is going into those solutions provide ease of use, flexibility and mobility. The challenge that has arisen rooms to support collaboration. The is that “self-ser vice” doesn’t mean “no ser vice.” This is because, now, we must supdebate about whether this is the end of port individuals rather than rooms. Software running on a PC in the room might be purpose-built collaboration devices in competing with other applications; and, if you are running Microsoft OS, then those the meeting space is heating up. What frequent updates can pose challenges. I mean by “purpose built” is a device The purpose-built appliances are designed for a specific function, with cameras specifically designed and optimized and audio equipment tightly integrated to provide a consistent experience. This is for collaboration experiences, as opno longer the case when you have USB devices connected to a PC or laptop running posed to a PC in the room or a laptop Microsoft and potentially other applications. Some of these other applications might that runs one of the myriad collaborabe tr ying to use the ver y same camera tion software and microphone that the collaboration The days of having one homogenous collaboration platform solutions on the software wants to use, causing a potenmarket. are probably gone, but it’s important to keep the user tially inconsistent user experience, or I have always experience and the operational requirements as key factors. even a poor one. been a propoFrom a monitoring and management nent of develperspective, it is relatively easy to capture information from a purpose-built device, oping and leveraging software-based many of which support Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) to provide collaboration solutions. The benefits details about the performance of the device. However, tr ying to monitor a PC that appear pretty clear and impressive, with is running multiple applications with USB-connected devices is a difficult task. Curthe ability to deploy software solutions rently, there aren’t too many good ways to do it. About the best you could do is to on your own ser vers, PCs and mobile know the PC is online and that it has the collaboration application running. devices. There is an ability to scale Finally, security is another big challenge. Purpose-built devices are capable of more easily and leverage virtual ser ver being locked down and having encr yption as a default setting. Although softwaretechnology to build high-availability colbased solutions have the ability to do the same, the fact that they’re running on a laboration platforms. This has opened shared device, with potentially multiple applications, and multiple people maybe the door for cloud-based solutions and having to log on to them, poses serious security concerns. ser vices to take hold, and, in many casI don’t think is an all-or-nothing decision for customers. There is a growing trend es, to replace the legacy, purpose-built for what I would call a “hybrid solution,” where we do have purpose-built devices, appliances that were a mainstay for the but with the flexibility of running software-based collaboration tools. These new enpast 20 or so years. It would appear the trants attempt to take the best of both worlds in that they are better tuned to provide debate is pretty one-sided. a consistent experience and be monitored and managed, but they also can leverage Well…not so fast…. the leading software solutions. If we look at this from an operations Yes, the days of having one homogenous collaboration platform are probably perspective, there are some things to gone. But it’s important to keep the user experience and the operational requireconsider. Customers who are making ments as key factors when designing and deploying collaboration solutions, regardthe transition to huddle rooms with less of whether we’re using purpose-built appliances or software-based solutions. software-based solutions are beginning 18 Sound & Communications June 2019