The nature of how we work is disappointing. We’re socially isolated, working asynchronously with Skullcandy ear buds on ignoring that thing on the desk called a phone.
Workplace human interaction is typified by endless, boring conference calls or meetings in which no one really pays attention because they’re too busy doing email, IM or updating their multiple social media sites. Spending time chatting with co-workers is a necessity only because visibly networking with the "right" people is good for your career, not because it’s the grist for the mill of being human.
Work used to be more collaborative. If you had a question, you got up, walked over and talked to the person. Driving cross-town to sit down face-to-face and talk was seen as easier way to build business relationships; something we rarely do today. We all laughed at the movie Her not because it’s funny but because it rings true for each of us. What we crave is more quality, stimulating human interactions.
Cisco is on a mission to change how we work by enabling "in the moment, anywhere you are" human-to-human collaboration. “Internet of Everything” message is not about machines serving us but about connecting humans in new ways. “As technology evolves, if people don’t evolve with it, you’re stuck solving yesterday’s problems,” according to Peder Ulander, VP of Marketing, Cisco Collaboration Technology Group. “We look at the world from the human perspective, not from IT’s viewpoint, because collaboration drives culture.”
Cisco’s strategy is to converge hardware, software and the network around the user. Jonathan Rosenberg, chief technology officer of Cisco Collaboration, believes “the user is the most disruptive force to technology and it is Cisco’s mission to deliver user delight in new ways.”
That philosophy is evident not only in Cisco’s new culture but also in their products, notably their video collaboration products. I don’t like the video collaboration label, it has too much baggage. I prefer remote presence because it enables and encourages us to be fully present and engaged in distant environments.
Today, Cisco announced a line of new products that brings high-definition video presence to everyone, anywhere. Imagine the capabilities of a Cisco Telepresence room in your conference room, on your tablet and everything in-between. No longer reserved for large corporations, HD video is now available to individuals, social clubs, and small businesses at a fraction of the price, at half the regularly-needed bandwidth and as easy to use as dialing into a conference bridge.
One unique new capability is the ability to stay in a video conference while moving across devices – between conference rooms or to a tablet or smartphone – without interruption. You can start in a physical conference room sharing a PowerPoint presentation and then continue the video discussion on a tablet in your car.
Cisco supports, and encourages, video connecting to people who aren’t using Cisco solutions, and has followed through on this by open-sourcing the Cisco codec of the H.264 industry standard and providing it for free. “Taking the licensing piece out of the picture tears down the walled gardens for everyone,” according to Snorre Kjesbu, VP and General Manager of Cisco Collaboration Endpoints Technology.
The secret sauce in Cisco’s new collaboration systems are four innovations in software:
- Precision 60 offers the industry’s best image quality (1080p60) regardless of light conditions and has a large zoom range, ensuring the entire view is captured.
- SpeakerTrack 60 is a dual camera system that intelligently finds the active speaker in larger rooms and quickly zooms in. It’s like having a director in your conference room, automatically moving the camera and adjusting angles to frame each speaker. The cost is comparable to a day in a video studio.
- Intelligent Proximity senses if users bring any smartphones and tablets into a meeting and asks if the user would like to pair these devices so they can view and navigate shared materials independent of the presenter. This is a completely new way to extend video collaboration to mobile devices.
- The Jabber app was first introduced in March 2011, and delivers voice, video, IM and presence as a collaboration app on any device and any platform, from your PC to your smartphone. Existing Cisco UC customers can get Jabber with instant messaging and presence for free, and for an additional minimal cost per user, add voice and video functionality to any device.
In addition to the software announcements, three new plug and play "all in one box" video collaboration systems were introduced. Each system can be installed in under 30 minutes and has a new simple, intuitive user experience. No more fumbling with wires, multiple remote controls, guessing at settings or dropped calls. Cisco has made connecting to a video conference as easy as pushing one green button that even the most technology challenged individual can master.
The new systems are:
- Cisco TelePresence SX10 Quick Set leverages equipment many companies already have in place—flat panel displays—to create incredible quality video meeting spaces. The system turns any standard flat panel display into an HD video collaboration system with a camera and installs in ten minutes or less at a cost comparable to the price of a PC. You’ll probably spend less for the SX10 than you did for the flat panel screen.
- Cisco TelePresence MX200, in its second generation, is optimal for smaller rooms, incredibly easy to install, and offers premium HD resolution out of the box in a standalone video unit on a pedestal. The cost is comparable to what you would pay for a home theater system that includes a TV, sound system with speakers and soundbar.
- Cisco TelePresence MX700 and Cisco TelePresence MX800 represent the performance line and are ideal for medium- to large-sized rooms.
How do these change the nature of work? In creative ways.
Place these video units amongst geographically dispersed teams and leave them on 24x7. The effect is that distance is folded and team members spontaneously include remote members in their discussions. Collaboration, productivity, employee morale and work quality all increase.
Telecommuters have them on their desks and it’s much like an open door to an office with colleagues dropping by to just chat or ask questions. It helps telecommuters to be more informed, focused, feel like a valuable member of the team and reduces the tendency to work long hours which is a primary source of telecommuter stress.
“The cold, hard truth is that today’s collaboration tools are forcing users to do today’s jobs with yesterday’s technology. It is time for a change,” shared Rowan Trollope, SVP and General Manager, Cisco Collaboration Technology Group. “The industry is ready for a great leap forward, and Cisco is making that leap. These new products represent the first phase of a multi-phase rollout in how Cisco is re-imagining collaboration and setting the foundation for a revolution in the industry; stay tuned for more.”
There are no excuses for changing up your work environment. Redefine what work means to you by opening your world to friends, peers and colleagues via video. Involve them in your brainstorming, problem solving or expand your network. You just might find work a lot more fun and come up with something innovative as you disruptive the status quo.
Post note: I had the opportunity to play with this technology firsthand at the Cisco Innovation Center in San Francisco, CA without any restrictions. What I experienced was truly disruptive and just so we're all clear - I have no connection with Cisco in a consulting or other capacity.
