News in the Channel - issue #24

NEWS

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individual devices is taking over. From our conversations, sales and interest from around the world, it's an 80/20 split. BYOD is back with a bang with plug-and-play simplicity, lower costs and a platform agnostic approach some of the main driving forces. “Our new approach sees the creation of complete ‘meeting room in a box’ kits. These are designed to simplify the process of choosing the right equipment for the right rooms, to optimise the overall user experience and take away any installation headaches. Our new videobar kit for larger rooms will add further fuel to the BYOD fire.” The solution is spearheaded by the HALO videobar which boasts ultra HD 4K performance, a wide angle 120° field of view, AI Auto-framing and speaker-tracking, 10x ePTZ, six digital array mics plus the option of up to eight additional expandable mics. Many businesses are now opting for flexible, cost-effective solutions, adds fellow

Boom founder Holli Hulett. “The pandemic created a shift towards more agile, plug- and-play systems, where users wanted to use their own devices without relying on permanent room systems. There’s more personalisation too such as when screen sharing,” she said. “The flexibility and lower cost of BYOD solutions – where users bring their laptops or mobile devices to connect to a room's AV system – have seen a significant rise, as hybrid and flexible work models became more common. “This is especially popular for SMBs embracing hybrid work. They greatly outnumber bigger organisations by around 1000:1 so there’s more volume and more reseller opportunities compared to fully- fledged room systems. Our new dedicated kit for larger rooms makes it easy for installers and their customers to create the optimal BYOD meeting experience.”

Holli Hulett Co-founder

boomcollaboration.com

UK economy missed £111 billion boost from digital tech adoption

If all British-based firms had increased their digital technology usage in 2021, the economy could have seen a staggering £111 billion boost in turnover by 2023, according to a report from Virgin Media O2 Business and Cebr. The report’s findings, ‘ The economic and social benefits of digitalisation ’, exposed a key challenge to unlocking digital growth: a perception gap between businesses’ confidence in their digital readiness and the reality of their digital progress. Across all British-based firms, 75% have not significantly increased their digital usage since 2021, yet they still identify as having a ‘strong digital culture.’ The report reveals 81% of organisations with a strong digital culture feel their workforce is well-prepared for the future, compared to just 43% of those with weaker digital cultures. A strong digital culture embraces tools to boost performance and financial results, enhance customer and employee satisfaction, and create a positive societal impact. Digital leaders – organisations actively investing in digital solutions – experienced 12% turnover growth, compared to only 5% for their counterparts. On average, they also more than doubled the productivity growth of those lagging in digital adoption. Additionally, gross value added grew by 8% for digital leaders, while their peers saw no

growth at all. This illustrates digital culture is not just a competitive advantage, but a crucial component of business success. The shift to digital technology is not just an economic imperative, it has a broader societal impact. Increased tech adoption between 2021 and 2023 could have created 676,000 new jobs, including more than 313,000 new roles in small and medium-sized companies. This demonstrates the potential of digital culture to drive significant societal benefits through job creation and economic growth on a larger scale. “There’s a £111 billion boost to the UK economy to be unlocked for those organisations who build strong digital cultures, where technology underpins the way people connect and collaborate with colleagues and customers to drive business outcomes,” said Jo Bertram, managing director at Virgin Media O2 Business. Nina Skero, CEO at Cebr added: “Our findings clearly illustrate how digital leadership is directly linked to higher turnover, increased productivity and better performance across every economic metric. We encourage UK leaders to use this report as a guide to navigate the challenges and opportunities of a digital workplace. By prioritising cultivating a strong digital culture, organisations can unlock their full potential and drive sustained growth for the UK economy and wider society.”

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The economic and social benefits of digitalisation

A Cebr report for Virgin Media O2 Business October 2024

© Centre for Economics and Business Research

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