Today we’re excited to launch the Poly API Marketplace, a new platform where the Poly developer community can find, connect to and manage Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) across Poly’s vast partner ecosystem. The Poly API Marketplace is an open, future-proof platform with support for dozens of API types, including those from our awesome Poly Lens insights and management platform and Poly Clariti – our highly secure meeting platform.

Why has a communication company like Poly gone through the effort of opening an API marketplace to foster and support a community of developers? Because we listened to you – our partners and customers.

Hybrid work, transitions to the cloud, divergence from standards and a return to office have all led to a crowded marketplace of unified communication offerings, which has in turn made managing these separate, yet critical systems incredibly complex. The Poly API Marketplace centralizes our APIs into a single location while providing visibility into all the available developer assets across Poly’s products.

Enabling Developers

You told us you needed an API marketplace platform that enabled developers to discover relevant APIs, fostered developer community support and offered fast integration with code snippets in multiple languages. Poly provided the APIs and RapidAPI helped us bring the Poly API Marketplace to reality. “Meeting the experts at RapidAPI was all it took,” said Robert Manassero, Director of Product Management at Poly. RapidAPI is the world’s largest API hub with more than four million developers that discover test and connect more than 40,000 APIs.

“The Poly API Marketplace makes it easy to find everything, catalog and access tools, and with the continual expansion of new developer experiences from the teams at RapidAPI, the Poly API Marketplace will only get better over time. Empowering a positive and collaborative developer experience is primarily why we picked RapidAPI to partner with on this initiative,” explains Robert.

Rory Ferguson, Senior Product Manager at Poly, adds, “The marketplace brings us closer to the developer community allowing them to innovate and customize our products in ways we hadn’t thought about. We at Poly are excited to see partners and customers leveraging the Poly API Marketplace to create high-value solutions.”

Examples Available to the Poly Developer Community

Accessibility, Support and Community

Another important goal with the marketplace was to build a community, complete with a “playground”, where developers can meet, share ideas, test those ideas, tear them down and rebuild them to continually improve. “We want to facilitate, encourage and support our developer community in every way possible to ensure our mutual success as we build new collaboration experiences together,” said Rory.

“The guiding principle of the new API marketplace is to provide our developer community opportunities to innovate and create in ways that continue to build new experiences, making collaboration easier for everyone by leveraging our platforms. Of course, building a rich community of developers takes time and expertise. We can’t wait to see what this community creates,” explains Robert.

Poly Lens and Poly Clariti

Poly API Marketplace was born from our private video conferencing software, Poly Clariti, and our cloud-based device management and insights platform, Poly Lens, where there has been a growing need to share and leverage existing APIs within the Poly ecosystem. Over the last two years, Poly has been laser focused on consolidating the management and insights platform into Poly Lens, which encompasses our entire Poly portfolio of video and voice technology, from personal devices to large room systems.

With the introduction of Poly API Marketplace, we are empowering organizations with the tools they need to create a single pane of glass centered around their entire unified communications infrastructure. This means simplified management, monitoring and reporting—all of which make life easier for IT teams and service providers. With this, IT professionals will be able to customize the end user experience, improve response times, enable faster onboarding and build custom dashboards for return-on-investment calculations.

We have already seen creative uses of APIs with Poly Clariti. For example, a large government contractor in Europe is using Poly APIs to customize call scheduling. The standardized approach has benefited the large organization by simplifying a common task and, therefore, speeding the call entry process. Another creative use has come from a global consultancy firm who used APIs to provide recording controls, meeting a business need for centrally recorded meetings. Rory explains, “In some cases, call recording is set to automatic mode to meet the policy requirements, while others are more on-demand recordings—but all of them are powered by our Poly API flexibility.”

A New Horizon for Customers

Poly and RapidAPI’s partnership is a perfect fit, matching our shared commitment to the developer community. Together, we provide an optimized, approachable experience. Customers with private video infrastructure will look towards the marketplace to further grow custom applications in their specialized environments, while other organizations will consistently leverage robust data and management from Poly Lens into their own platforms. The capabilities for video and voice collaboration will continue to evolve and grow, which is exciting news for Poly and our customers.

To learn more about the Poly API Marketplace, come find us here.

When the Poly Edge B Series launched last year, it hit the sweet spot for service providers offering stylish design, plug and play provisioning and a packed set of features at a shockingly low price point. It’s no surprise that Poly’s partners have moved quickly to make these IP Desk Phones part of their lineups.

Today we’re excited to announce that Poly Edge B phones are now certified by five more leading cloud communications platforms: 8×8, Cisco BroadWorks, GoTo, Metaswitch and NetSapiens. These five platforms join the certification line up alongside Zoom Phone and Google Voice, proving this pure-value, low-cost phone is the ideal device for growing businesses.

The Edge B phone family has two and four-line key options and is targeted as an entry-level phone for small businesses and emerging markets; however, it also has many enterprise-based use cases. The Poly Edge B Series IP Phones’ design and functionality deliver the best-in-class features you’ve come to expect from Poly products, including Poly Acoustic Fence technology, Poly HD Voice and hardcore reliability so you can enjoy clear, uninterrupted conversations. Desk and wall mount options are included right out of the box so every customer can deploy the device with ease.

What it Means for Customers

Certification for Cisco BroadWorks, Metaswitch and NetSapiens in particular make it easier for UCaaS and VoIP service providers to streamline their testing and support of Poly Edge B phones. This is important because it also helps providers get the phones to market faster. Speaking of speed and efficiency, 8×8 customers can easily add Edge B phones to their service today by ordering directly through 8×8, while GoTo customers can add the Edge B to their GoTo Connect service.

To read the full list of platform certifications for Edge B and to find more information, visit our Interoperability & Compatibility page.

Headsets To Complement Your Workstyle

The Poly Edge B Series can support a wide range of headset options using RJ9, EHS or 3.5mm jack connections. For those who prefer the reliability of a wired connection, add a Poly Blackwire 3320 and 5200 Series (using 3.5mm plug) or Poly EncorePro 500 and 700 Series headsets (using RJ-9) to your repertoire. For users who need mobility, the Poly Savi 7200 and 8200 Series headsets are a great choice as they can be used at greater distance by adding a APD-80 EHS cable. Lastly, a Poly Voyager Office Base with either a Voyager 4300 UC Series or a Voyager Focus 2 headset gives the ultimate flexibility to connect your computer and headset to a Poly Edge phone. No matter your workstyle, Poly has you covered.

Learn More

Click here to learn more about the Poly Edge B Series IP phones and download the datasheet.

As organizations and businesses in China and globally navigate their way through adopting hybrid work policies for the long-term, there is significant room for growth when it comes to the availability of high-quality audio and video conferencing solutions to help enable a hybrid future. Research agency Oviyun reports that there are 20 million enterprise conference rooms in China as of 2021, of which just 10% have video conferencing capabilities, and less than 5,000 of these conference rooms can reliably manage video conferences in high-definition video.

Business leaders have come to the realization that video will be central to a hybrid future, and that having pro-grade technology and solutions will be essential. Tencent Meeting, a leading cloud conferencing solutions provider in China, has seen a dramatic acceleration in demand for its video conferencing platform recently. The number of corporate meeting rooms in China adopting the Tencent Meeting platform has increased four-fold over the past year, with at least 2-3 hybrid meetings in every one of these rooms daily throughout the work week.

 As one of the most popular cloud video conferencing platforms in China, Tencent Meeting offers a rich array of cloud video conferencing solutions, which include online meetings, webinars, Tencent Meeting Rooms, conference room connectors, as well as open platforms.

Tencent Meeting Room solutions are geared for conference rooms for the enterprise segment. The solution integrates both HD audio and video conferencing features, wireless screen projection, as well as a collaborative whiteboard function, all into a comprehensive software platform. Tencent Meeting is committed to working closely with world-leading hardware partners like Poly to create innovative video conferencing solutions ideal for the many ways and places where work can be done today.

Poly and Tencent Momentum

Recently on June 28, Poly and Tencent Meeting co-hosted a virtual launch event to announce the release of Tencent Meeting Rooms’ intelligent solutions powered by Poly. At the same time, Tencent Meeting also kicked off the “Thousand Perfect Meeting Room” initiative with Poly as its key hardware partner.

Tencent Meeting “Thousand Perfect Meeting Room” Initiative

What does the perfect meeting room look like? What does the ideal meeting experience feel like? To answer part of that question, Tencent Meeting is designed to deliver both crystal-clear audio and HD video in a package that is not only easier for the office worker to use, but also easy for IT teams to manage.

万室如意- The Thousand Perfect Meeting Room initiative was launched by Tencent Meeting in 2022 with the aim to redesign and build 10,000 intelligent meeting rooms over a three-year period, working in partnership with select world-class audio and video conferencing manufacturers like Poly. Tencent Meeting enterprise customers who apply for the program can get their existing conference room spaces upgraded to modern smart conference rooms outfitted with the latest collaboration gear at no charge.

The Poly Value Proposition

Poly’s extensive suite of innovative audio and video conferencing solutions can provide the right products for a diverse array of collaboration scenarios. And now, customers that select Tencent Meeting as their cloud communications platform of choice will now be able to select Poly as their preferred hardware partner.

Poly has the right audio and video tools for employees whether they’re working from the office, home, on the road or anywhere in between. Especially with features like DirectorAI, NoiseBlockAI and Acoustic Fence which work together to capture each speaker’s voice with crystal clear sound, as well as to block unwanted background noise and distractions.

Learn More

Poly has an extensive range of Tencent Meeting-certified products, from video cameras to headsets (like the Voyager 4320) and speakers (like the Poly Sync 10) to video and audio-conferencing solutions, covering small, medium, and large meeting rooms, as well as the demands of personal communications. Poly and Tencent Meeting will continue to work together to introduce intelligent hardware and software features that will help all participants feel engaged and empowered on every call.

To learn more visit, Poly.com

The tremendous growth of Zoom Phone over the past three years proves that the desk phone is here to stay. End users expect their desk phones to have high reliability, privacy and security, along with the table-stakes of delivering high-quality audio.

Poly continues to raise the bar on delivering the best Zoom Phone experience. Last summer, we partnered with Zoom to launch Zoom Phone Appliances, featuring the Poly CCX 600 and CCX 700, to deliver a perfect blend of video and audio innovations.

This summer we are taking our Zoom Phone Appliance portfolio to the next level with the addition of the Poly CCX 400 and CCX 500! The addition of these powerful desk phones with 5-inch multi-touch LCD displays means Poly now provides Zoom users with a full range of native Zoom-certified solutions that check all the boxes.

LEGENDARY SOUND TECHNOLOGY FOR THE CLEAREST CALLS

Poly’s award-winning HD voice technology ensures better comprehension, productivity and less fatigue. The Poly CCX series is embedded with Opus Codec technology that delivers premium interactive speech and music transmission over the Internet, so you get the best audio experience. Not to mention Poly’s Acoustic Fence and NoiseBlockAI technology which ensures Zoom users can be heard clearly by filtering out distracting background noises.

EASY-TO-USE INTERFACE AND DESIGN

The Poly CCX series is truly built for the modern hybrid workforce. This line-up of desk phones is equipped with color touch displays that showcase the familiar Zoom interface making it super easy to use. Zoom users can access voicemail, calls, calendar, and even escalate audio calls to video all with one touch.

HANDSET OR HEADSET OPTIONS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

With Poly CCX 500, 600, and 700, Zoom users have the option of selecting a handset phone or a no-handset phone that pairs with one of our Poly headsets like the fan-favorite, Voyager Focus 2 UC, which is equipped with Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) technology. The flexibility of these desk phones ensures both IT and management will have success with Zoom Phone adoption and productivity.

TAKE CONNECTIVITY TO THE NEXT LEVEL

As workstyle needs have evolved over the years, it became clear that both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity were key features of a modern desk phone. And as usual… Poly delivered. We’ve elevated the Zoom Phone experience by enabling Bluetooth support on the CCX 500, 600, and 700 so Zoom users have the freedom to move around during a Zoom call. Ethernet support is a given, but when you can’t connect to a physical ethernet, Zoom users can connect the 600 and 700 to Wi-Fi in the office, at home or on the go.

LEARN MORE

Poly is proud to expand our suite of Zoom-certified solutions and add the Poly CCX 400 and CCX 500. Giving our customers a full range of products that best fit their needs and workstyle is Poly’s highest priority. We have no doubt you will find a solution that best fits your needs from our CCX series suite.

Want to learn more about Poly’s Zoom Phone Appliances? Visit the Poly site to explore how the CCX series takes Zoom Phone experience to the next level!

Is your organization ready for hybrid work? If not, you’re not alone. Poly’s recent research found that just 37 percent of respondents who planned to implement a long-term hybrid work model are fully prepared with a strategy ready to go. 

 This isn’t a surprise. After all, we’ve never seen such a fundamental, long-term change in how and where we work. When the pandemic first started two years ago, IT Leaders had to react on the spot to maintain business continuity when teams were first forced to work from home. In most cases, the technology solutions rolled out were short-term solutions, intended to help remote workers get by until everyone could return to the regular office environment. 

Now that we’ve arrived fully in the era of hybrid work, IT teams and business leaders need a well-planned strategy to enable employees to be effective and productive working, no matter where the work is getting done.  

CHART YOUR OWN COURSE 

Because we’ve never lived through such drastic changes there’s no playbook or road map. You can’t reach out to your peers who’ve successfully made this transition, because we’re all still sorting it out. And since your organization is one of a kind, with specific challenges and advantages, you need to plot your own unique strategy.  

 Navigating the transition to supporting hybrid teams is a complex undertaking, so it makes sense to start with some key considerations: 

How hybrid will your company be? Will everybody be in the office four days a week and remote on Friday? Or can employees come into the office on two days each week that they choose? Or does everyone only have to come in on the day of the monthly all-hands meeting and are otherwise free to work where they choose? Are there set hours during the day when everyone must be online and available, regardless of their location? 

What will your office look like? Is the office your traditional office, or will you also have co-working spaces or hubs where remote workers can gather? And when employees are in these workspaces, how will they work? Will desks be assigned, or will they be hot desks that workers will need to reserve? What kinds of collaboration spaces do you need to create? Do you need more conference rooms or more huddle spaces? 

How will you support your remote workers? With the perception that they need to be “always on” is a common complaint, how will you help them balance productivity and well-being? Can you provide them with an equality of presence with employees in the office? 

There are many moving parts and the picture is changing rapidly. While this can seem overwhelming, it doesn’t have to be. 

TWELVE CONSIDERATIONS TO NAVIGATING HYBRID WORKING 

While hybrid working remains a largely unmapped territory, some guideposts are emerging as experts from a variety of disciplines consider its challenges, explore their impact on organizations, and provide insights for planning how your business moves forward. 

To help you navigate this journey to hybrid working, Poly has partnered with Worktech Academy on a white paper that incorporates insights and original research into twelve key considerations to help you develop a strategy tailored to your business.  We examine the contours of the emerging hybrid work landscape and chart some of the pivotal decision points and dichotomies that you face en route to making a successful transition. 

This is just the first step in our rolling program to create new thinking, define the main challenges, and explore emerging opportunities around hybrid working. Start by downloading The Journey to Hybrid Working: Twelve Considerations, then stay tuned as we continue to develop insights into the new corporate landscape for hybrid work. 

With more companies preparing for a return to office in some capacity (full-time, hybrid), deployment of Microsoft Teams Rooms into meeting spaces has seen a huge boom as a way to allow workers to effectively communicate with dispersed teams. As a longtime Microsoft strategic alliance partner with the industry’s most comprehensive portfolio of certified solutions, it should come as no surprise that Poly offers a full portfolio of Teams Rooms Kits on Windows, optimized for meeting spaces of all sizes from focus rooms to large conference rooms. 

This morning at ISE, Poly announced the new Poly Studio R30, a USB video bar optimized for small rooms, and introduced a new room kit specialized for small rooms, the Poly Studio Small Room Kit for Microsoft Teams Rooms. The new Poly Studio R30 packs the same UltraHD 4K camera with a 120-degree field of view as the original Poly Studio USB video bar, including PolyDirectorAI features such as automatic group and speaker framing, Poly NoiseBlockAI and Acoustic Fence technology. However, Studio R30 comes in a significantly more compact form that can be easily mounted on top of a room display.  

More MTR Room Kit Options 

While the new R30 is custom-built for small meeting rooms, we offer MTR Room Kits for meeting spaces of all sizes. The original Poly Studio USB video bar with stereo speakers and optional expansion microphone support remains an ideal solution for medium-sized rooms, with other kit options built around Poly Studio E70 available for larger spaces. The introduction of our Small Room Kit rounds out a complete lineup that can support the full spectrum of rooms and their specific needs. 

But wait…there’s more! We have other enhancements coming that make it easier to deploy and maximize the use of Microsoft Teams Rooms.  

Poly Camera Control App 

This new app lets users take control of a Poly conferencing camera from the convenience of a touch controller and make the most of smart Poly conferencing cameras that support multiple camera framing modes. Users are able to turn the auto-tracking on/off and manually control the camera or adjust the auto framing mode (group, speaker and people framing*) on the fly.  This means users can experiment and select the best camera setting that is most suitable at that moment, such as a presentation, brainstorming session or group discussion. This app will be available in June as a free-of-charge download.    

USB Extender for Poly GC8, Easier installation in Large Rooms 

Installing a Teams Room in a large conference room just got easier with the introduction of a USB 2.0 extender for Poly GC8. The USB extender option makes use of a standard category 5e/6/7 cable to extend the distance between the room PC and Poly GC8 touch controller up to 100 m/330 ft, which comes in handy when you need to wire the cable through raceways in large room settings. This USB extender for Poly GC8 will start shipping in late June in US, Canada, UK, EU/EEA, Australia and New Zealand.   

BYOD Solution for Poly Studio Room Kit 

Even when a user receives a video meeting invite that’s not a Teams meeting,  they will still be able to enjoy pro-grade video and audio quality in the conference room, through the use of a new BYOD solution option. Simply connect a USB cable on the conference table to your laptop and instantly, you will be able to select Poly camera, mic and speaker on your video client. In this way, users can leverage conference rooms for much broader use cases. The BYOD Solution for Poly Studio Room Kit will start shipping in late June in US, Canada, UK, EU/EEA, Australia and New Zealand. 

These are incremental enhancements to the Microsoft Teams Rooms solution that simply make the experience better and more flexible. When you are trying to design and implement consistent meeting rooms that cater to more hybrid work and meeting equality, these changes collectively deliver big improvements and big results.   

To learn more about the complete lineup of Poly’s Microsoft Teams Room Solutions, visit Poly.com 

 *People framing feature support for Poly Studio E70 forthcoming with future software update 

As part of our mission to support hybrid workers and take steps towards meeting equality, Poly continues to develop solutions for every workstyle and situation, which leads us to the introduction of our newest USB video bar for small rooms: Poly Studio R30.  

Certified for Zoom and with Microsoft Teams certification pending, Poly Studio R30 shares many of the same functionalities and features found on other Poly video bars but is optimized for small room performance at a small room price. At an MSRP of $799, this USB video bar packs quite the punch with a built-in speaker, 4k camera with a 120-degree field-of-view, 3-element beam-forming microphone array, and Poly DirectorAI smart camera technology. 

With Poly Studio R30, we strategically chose the most important group video elements from our larger group devices and combined them with some user-friendly attributes of our personal devices, like USB connectivity and a removable monitor clamp, to create a device that is thoughtfully optimized for small meeting rooms.  

We’ve doubled down on elements of the videoconferencing experience that are crucial for hybrid meetings. Poly DirectorAI technology is the brain behind our cameras, delivering features like group framing, speaker framing and presenter tracking. It’s like your meeting room director whose job is to make sure that everyone is seen clearly and has an equitable seat at the table. 

We accomplish this by thoughtfully crafting a set of production rules, inspired by TV and movies, using machine learning and AI to automate those rules based on the dynamics of your meeting. The magic all happens in the camera; it uses facial recognition algorithms and voice triangulation to identify the nuances of your meeting and then create the best frame based on those nuances as well as your preferences.  

No meeting is the same, and that’s why Poly Studio R30 provides you with the flexibility to use the best framing mode for your unique situation. Scaling down to a small room price also means that this experience is more accessible than ever before.  

With the introduction of Poly Studio R30, we continue to build out our strong portfolio of certified USB video bars with a dedicated solution for every size room.

• Poly Studio P15 is optimized for your home office or in a personal space at the office such as a focus room.  

• Poly Studio R30 has got your small conference rooms covered for all its USB video bar needs.  

• Poly Studio USB is ideal for those mid-sized rooms that are a bit too big for Poly Studio R30.  With stereo speakers, impressive camera performance, and the option to add an expansion mic, Poly Studio makes the perfect device for those “in-between” rooms.  

Our portfolio of USB video bars, including the newly introduced Poly Studio R30, provides an accessible and professional video conferencing option for meeting rooms of every size. Regardless of what company you work for, what industry you are in, and where your work is getting done, Poly’s collaboration solutions ensure you an equal seat at the virtual meeting table. 

To learn more about the Poly Studio R30, visit Poly.com 

While the discussion rages about when we will return to the office, many companies are realizing that they now need a defined strategy to support home working, and hybrid working. Over the past two years, we’ve made do – working on the kitchen table, making calls with the microphone and speakers on a laptop, and yes, telling people they are on mute… 

We’ve now reached a point where “make do” solutions for home working and hybrid working just aren’t cutting it. It’s time to look at how you set up a dedicated area at home for working – either for permanent home working, or for the days you are at home as part of a hybrid working approach. 

For many home workers, support from IT is a long way away. They are using new tools, learning new ways of working, and need to ensure they have equality in meetings when everyone else is gathered in a meeting room in the office.  

The ideal technology for home working that delivers this has three attributes: 

• Lets you hear and be heard  
• It is simple and easy to use 
• Matches your workstyle 

Poly’s new Sync 10 delivers on all these challenges. 

Clear audio delivers enterprise-grade acoustics in a compact design, turning your home workspace into an impromptu conference room. A two-microphone steerable array works in the background to ensure conversations focus on your voice and not the background noise. Audio is further enhanced with full-duplex audio for simultaneous conversation flow to ensure you don’t miss a word. 

The Sync 10 gives you everything you need in a speakerphone, and nothing you don’t.  Easy to use touch-sensitive controls with clear LED indicators help you control calls and ensure your speech will have an impact. It works with all major communication and collaboration applications and is certified by Microsoft and Zoom so you know it will just work when plugged in. It’s USB powered so you have no concerns about battery life. And you are keeping hydrated, aren’t you?  Don’t worry…. the Sync 10 can get hydrated as well. If you spill your water or coffee on it, it’s IP64 dust and waterproof.  

Working from home gives you the option to start and end your day differently – music, a podcast, a webinar? No problem with the Sync 10 as it has a Hi-Fi quality music speaker and power amplifier, so it serves as a portable speakerphone and high-performance music speaker in one. The Sync 10 is also ready for any future technology updates as it comes with USB-A and USB-C connectors and can be updated with new software via the Poly Lens Companion app. And if you feel the urge to get into the office, the Sync 10 is small and light enough to fit into your bag when you need to travel. 

The Sync 10 is an ideal product for individual home workers looking to enhance how they work at home. For IT departments it’s also a great complement to the existing Poly Sync family and provides more choices for devices optimized for different workspaces with a consistent interface across all devices. 

The Poly Sync 10 is available now in all countries at Poly.com, Amazon and select resellers worldwide.

Wall Street is once again buzzing. And after false starts, the finance industry is hoping return to office plans will finally stick this time around. Banks including Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, J.P. Morgan Chase, and Bank of America have begun bringing employees back to the office.

The question remains– how do you get staff back to the office and want to be there? It’s a question that’s rattling an industry with split opinions on the future of work.

The challenge facing Wall Street banks and mid-market investment shops alike is this: employers want in-office workweeks of four to five days to strengthen connectivity and collaboration. Employees want far less, pointing to first-hand experience that working remotely is both convenient and productive.

No one is sure what comes next, but the sense is that those who get it right earn a new competitive advantage in retaining talent, boosting client relationships, and optimizing collaboration workflows.

FINDING THE OPPORTUNITY IN HYBRID WORK

Client relationships are at the heart of the debate surrounding the hybrid workplace. Nurturing strategies have long run on face-to-face meetings, a firm handshake, and the experience of sharing physical space. Over the past two years, many of your clients have come to appreciate what, and how much more, they can get done when they don’t have to travel to routine meetings. The opportunity for you then is in being able to replicate the in-person experience through virtual meetings and bringing your soft skills to the digital realm when and where clients prefer video over in-person.

Employee communication and collaboration are equally important, and you may have made extensive investments in systems to enable this for an in-office environment. But a Humans in Finance study found that 63% of finance professionals believe they are more productive when working from home. Tapping into cloud-based solutions can expand this increased productivity by improving the quality of communication and collaboration while protecting and extending your existing infrastructure.

Retaining and developing employees is another foundation of success that has been complicated by not having everyone in a single location. Hiring is competitive, talent is in short supply, and hybrid working has become an essential perk. The 2021 Riverbed/Atenity Global Work Survey reported that 96% of financial services decision-makers believe hybrid work schedules will help with recruiting top talent and remaining competitive. In October 2021, American Express announced its Amex Flex program, and it, Wells Fargo, and BNY Mellon have adopted hybrid work into their return to the office.

MAXIMIZE BENEFITS, MINIMIZE RISKS

By its nature, the financial industry is risk-averse, and that can get in the way of making changes. But, in this case, the benefits of blending on-site and remote work are rich. Firms that learn how to create clear and effective experiences across many locations can build stronger customer relationships, improve operations with better communication and collaboration, and attract and retain top talent in a tight labor market.

Download our eBook, Hybrid Work in Financial Services: Risk or Opportunity, for tailored advice on how to help your business thrive, wherever your employees are working.

Back in 2007, Bill Gates caused a sensation when he announced that voice software would spell the end of the PBX. He was speaking at the launch of Office Communications Server, the centrepiece of Microsoft’s unified communications strategy to bring together e-mail, instant messaging, presence, voice, and video. Although there was a lot of scepticism around that remark, he knew a new era of communications was starting that day.   

Fast forward 17 years, and we have the latest evolution of that vision with the launch of Front Row, Microsoft’s latest innovation to help further blur the lines between virtual and in-person meeting participants.  

With Front Row, Microsoft has moved the video gallery to the bottom of the screen, so remote participants are eye-level with people in the room. Microsoft has also made it possible for everyone in a Teams Room call, whether virtual or in-person, to see and react to chat comments during a meeting. 

 Of course, some things never change – as has always been the case, the experience is only as good as the enabling technology, and that’s where Poly comes in. Since those early days of OCS, Poly has worked hand in hand with Microsoft, partnering with them to bring their vision of seamless collaboration to life with the absolute best of Video, Audio and Wearable solutions, maximizing the power of Microsoft Teams. 

Poly has an unparalleled track record of innovation in video conferencing, and now with Front Row available to further drive meeting equality, we are thrilled that our Pro-grade range of intelligent cameras will continue that tradition of facilitating the best possible experience for every meeting participant, whether in person or virtual, levelling the playing field and ensuring an equal environment for all.  

Whether you’re in a focus, small, medium, or large room or not in the room at all, Poly MeetingAI intelligent features like Acoustic Fence, NoiseBlock AI and Group Framing will provide effortless collaboration and enhanced experience every time.  

In addition, speaker tracking, which includes industry-firsts conversation mode and presenter mode, will be particularly powerful with Microsoft Front Row, as it will highlight the speaker in the room rather than just a group shot. With the recent certification of the Poly Studio E70 camera, this unique Poly experience will now be available in medium and large rooms.   

And watch this space- our continuous drive for improvement is set to deliver an even more innovative and inclusive experience in the future, further leveraging the power of Microsoft Teams Front Row to create a truly blended world where all have a seat at the table.   

Please see the original announcement and latest from Microsoft here and on LinkedIn here.