In this edition of the Tech Simple podcast David and Jonathan have the privilege of speaking with Domino Risch, a highly regarded and experienced workplace designer. Domino is a Principal at Hassell, and the firm’s global sector leader for commercial and workplace. In this conversation Domino shares insights into a range of observations around workplace design over the past 18 months. Of particular interest is the wide gap that exists between cultural change and physical workplace design change. She provides a view into what we can expect to see in the future as well. Domino explains the importance of considering the technology in a workplace design as early as possible. She also shares some details on how they are leveraging AI technology in one of their larger workplace projects to deliver the two positive outcomes of: Enabling workers to always be in the best fit/suitable location on each day at the office Lowering daily operation costs of the physical workplace Lastly, Domino shares the key questions that now must be asked when going through the initial briefing and discovery process on a new workplace design project. 

John Preece is a highly experienced expert in commercial property and workspace who is helping to build the fast-growing co-working business Hub Australia nationally as Chief Property Officer. He is passionate about Future of work and on this episode of the Tech Simple podcast we are fortunate to cover this topic extensively with John and gain some insight into what he is seeing. <div style="display:flex;">  <div style="flex-basis:50%;">    <p>John introduces us to the topic of “Liberating Working” and explains its meaning as well as how it differs from hybrid working and even flexible work. Furtherdetail around the topic can also be found in a whitepaper published by John inlate 2021 “Liberated work: Responding to the unshackling of work fromplace”. <div style="display:flex;">  <div style="flex-basis:50%;">    <p>In the show we also discuss the role of technology and how important it is to the user experience. The office is and will not die, according to John, it will simplytake on a different form. However, the office as a product must add value andprovide a quality experience for people – hence the need for seamless technology.This is especially important for an organisation like Hub Australia whosupplies a service to paying members and their guests. 

Mark Mitchell is Oceania Premises & Workplace Director at Ernst & Young. An outcome focused leader guiding the firm to optimise staff and client experiences in this new age and drawing on expertise built up from senior positions with other large corporates including JLL, KPMG, and Baker McKenzie. <div style="display:flex;">  <div style="flex-basis:50%;">    <p>In this Tech Simple podcast Mark provides insights into some of the changes he is seeing in the workplace off the back of the pandemic and explains the importance of the various AV technologies in supporting people, place, and Ernst & Young as a whole. <div style="display:flex;">  <div style="flex-basis:50%;">    <p>Key points covered include: <div style="display:flex;">  <div style="flex-basis:50%;">    <p>AV technology in an office needs to be easy, seamless, and work “first time every time.” <div style="display:flex;">  <div style="flex-basis:50%;">    <p>An equitable experience when people come together to meet and collaborate is extremely important – whether in a room at the office or joining remotely. <div style="display:flex;">  <div style="flex-basis:50%;">    <p>A proactive approach to support of the AV systems is now critical. It is necessary to ensure people have a positive experience with the technology. 

Are the AV systems in your organisation easy to use and consistent across the board? Are they the right tools to help the organisation and people achieve valuable outcomes? Are their operational costs trending upwards or downwards? <div style="display:flex;">  <div style="flex-basis:50%;">    <p>This show is all about why you should consider standardising your AV to achieve positive answers to the above questions. AV technology is no longer a nice to have in most organisations. It is a must have that needs to be well planned and considered from a range of different perspectives.  <div style="display:flex;">  <div style="flex-basis:50%;">    <p>Fortunately, advances in technology are making it easier than ever to standardise an AV ecosystem. David and Jonathan have identified the Top 3 reasons for standardising AV in a business, which they discuss at length in this episode:  <div style="display:flex;">  <div style="flex-basis:50%;">    <p>User Experience <div style="display:flex;">  <div style="flex-basis:50%;">    <p>Maintenance and Support <div style="display:flex;">  <div style="flex-basis:50%;">    <p>Security 

As the technology in modern sound systems continues to improve, it can be tempting to believe that it is now possible to pay less attention to the base line acoustic properties of a space, and still achieve great sound system performance. <div style="display:flex;">  <div style="flex-basis:50%;">    <p>In this edition of the Tech Simple podcast David and Jonathan dive into this topic in more detail. There are some situations where the sound system technology can improve overall performance without relying on acoustic treatment to a space. The guys run through a series of examples.  <div style="display:flex;">  <div style="flex-basis:50%;">    <p>In most situations though, the best outcomes are still achieved when both the acoustic properties of a space and the sound systems are considered together as one. <div style="display:flex;">  <div style="flex-basis:50%;">    <p>The guys also run through some tests to perform to understand the acoustic properties of a space. Finally, they provide some tips and advice to address and improve the acoustics in a room. 

In Part 1 of this two-part series on networked AV devices, Jonathan and David covered the different applications and shared some best practices when implementing a networked AV system. This Part 2 episode focuses on the benefits of connecting AV devices to a central network in the context of saving operational costs for a business as well as improving user experience and utilization. <div style="display:flex;">  <div style="flex-basis:50%;">    <p>We address the benefits in three distinct categories: <div style="display:flex;">  <div style="flex-basis:50%;">    <p>Remote monitoring and management. Now more cost effective than ever and can help reduce AV support and maintenance costs through a proactive approach. <div style="display:flex;">  <div style="flex-basis:50%;">    <p>Collecting and analysing data. Use the information to make tweaks and adjustments to improve user experience and utilization rates. <div style="display:flex;">  <div style="flex-basis:50%;">    <p>Keeping your AV devices up to date. Ensure the firmware and security patches are current and you take advantage of the latest features and functionality upgrades. 

Most AV devices these days can be connected to a network of some kind – whether wired or wireless. Does that mean you should connect AV devices to your network? That depends. The clear trend is to have the devices connected, but there are different applications to be considered. <div style="display:flex;">  <div style="flex-basis:50%;">    <p>This Tech Simple podcast is the first of a two-part series. In this episode Jonathan and David explain the different applications, which are divided into two broad categories: <div style="display:flex;">  <div style="flex-basis:50%;">    <p>Transmitting Audio, Video, and Control signals over IP. <div style="display:flex;">  <div style="flex-basis:50%;">    <p>Managing and monitoring AV devices over an IP network. <div style="display:flex;">  <div style="flex-basis:50%;">    <p>Jonathan also shares his experiences from working with a particular security conscious client. Tune in to learn about some best practices to follow on your next AV project. 

Some massive leaps forward in video conferencing technology have taken place in recent years. The global pandemic definitely accelerated the growth. </div>  <div style="flex-basis:50%;">    <p>The #1 complaint or challenge we hear time and time again from customers is "remote participants feel they are excluded from the conversations and activity happening inside a meeting room or classroom. What can be done to make those people feel more included and be able to better follow the conversations?" <div style="display:flex;">  <div style="flex-basis:50%;">    <p>Hybrid working and learning means nearly all VC calls have a mix of people in physical rooms as well as those joining remotely - predominantly from a home environment.  </div>  <div style="flex-basis:50%;">    <p>In this Tech Simple podcast Jonathan and David review some of the technology that is now available, and how it is improving the VC experience. </div>  <div style="flex-basis:50%;">    <p>Tune in to learn about the advancements in audio and video in particular that are now enabling equitable experiences for in room and remote participants on VC calls. 

What is the end user uptake of the AV systems in your business? High? Low? Medium? Unsure? </div>  <div style="flex-basis:50%;">    <p>Great AV technology in your business is not a good investment if it isn't being used in optimal ways. <div style="display:flex;">  <div style="flex-basis:50%;">    <p>In this Tech Simple podcast Jonathan and David identify the Top 3 reasons the people in your business may not be using the AV technology as effectively as possible. They also provide some tips to make proactive change and elevate end user uptake of your AV systems to maximum levels. <div style="display:flex;">  <div style="flex-basis:50%;">    <p>Tune in to learn the Top 3 Reasons. Assess where your business is at, and gain clarity on what could be implemented to optimise the end user uptake of your AV.