Why End Users are Driving Innovation in UCC with Scott Wharton of Logitech

How should the AV industry develop new solutions to drive technology and innovations in their markets? Here is an often forgotten secret, it should focus on the end user. In emerging markets such as hospitality, healthcare, and education, the demands from the end user help drive these innovations. Scott Wharton, VP & GM, Video Collaboration Group at Logitech, spoke with Ben Thomas on what end-user trends are driving innovation in VCC (video conferencing and collaboration) and UCC (unified communications and collaboration.)

Wharton said the past couple of years shifted the conversation from should I be using video conferencing to how should I be using it. “And the pandemic and hybrid work has uncovered all these new scenarios and use cases where it’s actually harder, and things broke, and we need to relook at things and do it differently.”

What is exciting about these emerging markets is the opportunity to learn new things from end users who are not traditional AV users. It’s no longer only about providing video solutions for large conference and board rooms. Today, organizations recognize the need for video capabilities everywhere. Customization and expense are out; scale is what’s required. And with more end-user interaction with the technology, these solutions need to be accessible and easy to use.

One size does not fit all is undoubtedly apropos in today’s end-user-driven UCC world. Wharton said solutions need to accommodate much smaller rooms and areas than they did pre-pandemic. “There are now focus rooms where maybe it’s just two-to-three people, and maybe one. That might need a different solution, where now there are these rec rooms or breakout rooms where you can’t have it fixed or nailed down. So, there’s an emphasis on modularity, putting stuff on wheels, and moving things around.”