Wendy serves as personal assistant to the managing director of the South African branch of a major international stationary company, situated in Germiston, Johannesburg. The company has invested in a single Barco ClickShare as a stand-alone unit for their boardroom.
What motivated your decision to invest in a Barco wireless presentation solution for your boardroom?
When we decided to upgrade the AV system in our boardroom, we recognised that it was not cost-effective to make alterations to the office building or furniture in the process. We, therefore, decided to go with a wireless solution.
Due to budget constraints, our AV integrator originally suggested that we use another brand of wireless presentation devices, which was half the price of the ClickShare. He explained to us that we would need to install software on our laptops to connect to the projector. After we received the quote and sent it off to the IT department at our head office in Germany, the IT manager suggested that we use ClickShare, because of its network security features and trusted name in the market.
What was your experience of the technology?
When we first installed our ClickShare unit, we were a little sceptical. It was quite a change from the way that we used to connect to our projector because, for years, we plugged a VGA cable into our mobile projector on the table for our presentations.
I quickly overcame my reservations because of how easy it is to use. It was as simple as plugging in a USB flash drive and opening a file. When I used the ClickShare for the first time, I asked our IT specialist to come and assist. However, I never ended up consulting with him, because it was so easy to use and quick to get my presentation up on the screen.
How do you feel about your investment in Barco ClickShare?
We are well impressed and satisfied with the product that we have purchased.
When I used the ClickShare for the first time, I asked our IT specialist to come and assist. However, I never ended up consulting with him, because it was so easy to use and quick to get my presentation up on the screen.
Marius is the marketing manager of a leading grocery retail chain with offices in Boksburg, Johannesburg. The management team as four main meeting rooms, including a large-scale boardroom, all equipped with Barco ClickShare units.
How has the adoption of Barco ClickShare affected workflow?
When my team get together to share ideas about new products or artwork that we need to launch, we always use the main boardroom where we have access to the ClickShare CSE-800, which is connected to our video conferencing system.
With this AV system in place, we can have multiple people up on the screen simultaneously and compare our artwork and documents with one another, as well as make a VC call to our head office in the USA. Since we have started using ClickShare together with a VC solution, our company has saved hundreds of thousands of Rands in travelling expenses and time alone.
In my opinion, our marketing team is far more productive as a result of the adoption of Barco’s wireless presentation solution in our meeting rooms. Things happen quickly in meetings, and there is no more frustration or scuffling around to locate HDMI cables or install software to get our PC to display content on the screens.
Would you say that Barco’s ClickShare is user-friendly?
The CliskShare wireless presentation solution is extremely user-friendly. The name really does say it all – you simply click and share.
In summary, ClickShare is everything that you want in a meeting room solution, as it is simple and effective. After using multiple other wireless presentation devices in my career, I find the ClickShare far superior to any other product out there.
How have guest presenters responded to the meeting experience in your boardrooms?
A fair percentage of visitors, whether it be clients or sales reps, have prior experience with ClickShare, which makes it easy to collaborate effortlessly and securely. However, some have not encountered ClickShare before, and they are typically impressed. Those that are familiar with ClickShare may not have experienced all of the features of the CSE-800, like the annotation and whiteboard functions. Also, our guests are typically impressed with the way that we have set up a dual LCD display on 4K in our main boardroom, especially when using content sharing over our preferred VC platform.
In my opinion, our marketing team is far more productive as a result of the adoption of Barco’s wireless presentation solution in our meeting rooms.
Richard is the IT manager for a leading university in Johannesburg. He is responsible for overseeing an installation of nine Barco ClickShare units on the institution’s network.
How do you manage the need to connect guests to your network so that they can present from their laptops?
The fact that all you have to do is plug in a USB device, provide a lecturer or student with a button and they are instantly able to present from their private laptops has saved us an immense amount of time, frustration and has had a positive effect on productivity.
Being an institution of higher learning, it is imperative that we uphold strong cybersecurity prevention procedures. We appreciate the fact all we have to do is issue a button to a new user, without handing out our WiFi password too. Guest lecturers and presenters are, however, always welcome to use our guest network, because ClickShare does not use the person’s wireless card to connect to the base unit, just the button.
What was the most important factor in your decision to invest in Barco ClickShare?
The central management suite software that manages and monitors all ClickShare units across the enterprise LAN was the functionality that decided the final vote on the implementation of this product for our institution. We currently manage nine ClickShare units on our network, and appreciate how simple it is to update, programme buttons, manage and even reboot all our units simultaneously if required.
In the past we have had multiple security threats and viruses on our server due to corrupt content or illegal software that students had on their devices and shared onto our network, so when we had to upgrade our AV, we did a proof of concept (PoC) for two weeks, and loved it after the very first day.
How has the adoption of Barco ClickShare affected support call volumes from meeting room users?
Since we have integrated ClickShare, the amount of time wasted due to IT staff having to run around to boardrooms across the building, trying to get people connected to projectors and monitors by finding the correct adapters or cables for the table pop-ups or wall-plates, is a thing of the past.
When a room is booked for a meeting, we leave a tray of ClickShare buttons on the boardroom table, and anyone who wants to present simply takes one. The executives do not typically need to call for assistance, because there is invariably at least one person in the meeting who is familiar with the technology, so help is always just a seat or two away.
Some of our top executives have their own ClickShare USB-C buttons, and they simply send support an email ahead of the meeting to confirm which boardroom they will be utilising and IT can link the desired button to the correct base unit remotely.
The Barco ClickShare family of products is distributed locally by some of the leading AV distributors in the country, and is fully backed up by certified technicians that are able to provide comprehensive aftersales support.
Should you wish to learn more about deploying Barco ClickShare wireless presentation solutions in your meeting spaces, kindly contact Peripheral Vision (www.peripheralvision.co.za) or SkyGroup Communications (www.skygroupcom.co.za) for more information, or speak to a reputable AV integration specialist in your area.
