Smart workplace technology powered by AI helps hybrid and remote teams be more productive and feel more connected. Read on for a rundown of the latest advancements in smart technology for businesses. 

But first — let’s review what constitutes “smart technology” and how AI and machine learning can improve a work environment.

What is smart technology for the workplace?

Smart technology uses machine learning, data processing, and artificial intelligence to improve the user experience. In the workplace, smart tools help create a more seamless and equitable environment. Many smart technologies use the data they collect to continually learn and become more efficient. 

As smart devices collect and process data, they catch trends and adjust their operations accordingly, like when an office’s automatic lighting system realizes that lunchtime is a great time to turn lights off in unoccupied meeting rooms. Or when a video conferencing camera can automatically focus on the speaker during a lively discussion, like the Meeting Owl 3.

Current challenges and future solutions for smart hybrid office technology

Despite major advances in hybrid video conferencing technology and communication tools, there are still significant gaps in the workplace experience for employees working remotely. This can be due to workplace culture, resource allocation, or outdated hardware and technology. 

Remote participants in hybrid meetings often feel overlooked or left out, and in-person participants aren’t always equally heard on the remote side, depending on their distance from the microphone. Plus, subpar tech can lead to interruptions during meetings, with crackly audio, glitchy video, and valuable time wasted troubleshooting tech issues. 

Over time, tech-based issues can spiral and grow into workplace culture or growth challenges: 1 in 2 workers (49%) feel that managers see in-office workers as more trustworthy and hardworking than their remote peers — even though 62% of workers report being more productive when working remotely.

Our latest research revealed that 78% of employees prefer to work remotely or in a hybrid capacity, but only 36% of employers have upgraded their video meeting technology, and only 19% have expanded in-office collaboration and meeting spaces.

Letting employees choose where they work is one of the best ways to improve diversity in your company — but only if you’ve invested in building a supportive culture and in setting up a tech infrastructure that lets every employee shine. Building a seamless hybrid work experience is a key investment for growing organizations, helping to attract top talent and leading to a more equitable workplace. Plus, organizations will be rewarded with more productive meetings, more engaged employees, and smoother operations. 

New smart technology makes hybrid work seamless and inclusive, and it’s always being optimized for new use cases and employee needs. We’ll cover a few of the most impactful tools on the market today. 

The best new AI-powered smart tech for the workplace

Meeting Owl 3 + Owl Bar: the first AI-powered multi-camera meeting experience

The Meeting Owl 3 is the ultimate all-in-one video conferencing system, with a camera, microphone, and speaker built right in. Its unique auto-focus camera and panoramic room view help create a truly immersive meeting experience, no matter if participants are in the room or calling in from across the world. 

Powered by AI, the Meeting Owl 3 identifies and spotlights whoever’s speaking in the meeting so they can be seen and understood by all participants. It also has best-in-class background noise removal and noise leveling to ensure there are as few interruptions as possible.

The Owl Bar, paired with the Meeting Owl 3, makes for the smoothest, clearest hybrid meetings yet — with every angle captured, and the best angle shown. It’s a game-changing front-and-center hybrid video conferencing solution that connects wirelessly and uses 360° vision, multiple camera angles, and automatic speaker-framing to make sure everything in the room translates to on-screen collaboration. 

HP Proactive Insights + TechPulse smart device management

A big part of running a hybrid company is keeping track of how systems are currently working — and which ones are creating more chaos than productivity. HP Proactive Insights helps workplace experience and IT teams manage inventory, device health, and performance of a wide range of technologies that power your business — even for employees who use company tech from home and not in the office. And HP TechPulse is a telemetry and analytics platform that keeps track of how devices and applications are working in real time, so IT can be alerted to potential issues before employees are impacted. 

These tools are particularly helpful for workplace planning and device optimization for hybrid companies, who must distribute and manage everything from laptops to complete workstations wherever employees are working. 

The Whiteboard Owl: a smart whiteboard camera

The Owl Labs Whiteboard Owl is a dedicated whiteboard camera that makes hybrid brainstorming meetings equitable and effective for all attendees. It automatically captures the whiteboard, even if someone is standing in front of the board. This smart capture technology makes the presenter transparent, allowing remote participants to read the whiteboard at all times.

Robin’s hybrid experience platform for workplace management

The Robin Hybrid Experience Platform helps companies track and display occupancy and plan attendance so they can more effectively manage their flexible hybrid workplaces. The platform lets teams book desks and find rooms for meetings and helps workplace experience professionals better understand office utilization. Transparent workplace communication platforms like Robin’s help make hybrid work enjoyable for employees. And when companies take a data-backed approach to office space rightsizing and management initiatives, everyone benefits.

Invest in a hybrid workplace experience that your employees want to be a part of

The best tech fades into the background and facilitates more human connections among colleagues, no matter where they’re located. It helps every employee feel valued and sets your whole company up for success. 

Learn more about how the AI-powered Owl Labs ecosystem can help boost productivity and make hybrid meetings more equitable and engaging for everyone.