By Bob Aoun, Regional Sales Director – Poly
We are in 2021, but in 2019 itself, remote and voice-controlled systems were already in high demand. The EMEA smart home market is forecast to reach 193.2 million units shipped in 2022, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.2% for 2018-2022 according to IDC. In Europe, smart speakers and related services recorded a 50% year-on-year increase in interest.
No one doubts anymore, that the future will belong to contactless or voice-controlled technologies. Remote one is already available in many devices, and its importance has definitely increased when restrictions were imposed to prevent the spread of the corona virus. Because viruses, among which Covid-19, are transmitted by droplets it was necessary to limit physical contact, not only with other people, but also frequently touched objects, such as door handles, desks and worktops, telephones or printers, which virus pathogens could accumulate on.
In this situation, non-contact, remote control provides the best solution. Among these, gesture- and voice-controlled solutions stand out for their potential as the most natural way to give commands. It should be noted that when operating in a three-dimensional world, interacting with a two-dimensional screen seems ‘flat’ and unintuitive, which is why cameras and electric field sensors are becoming increasingly popular.
The dynamic development of audio and video conferencing systems has led to the emergence of professional telecommunications solutions with compact dimensions, making them suitable for both office spaces and home offices. The latest video bars and speaker phones do not differ from the previously known business solutions in their technical parameters, and what is important, allow contactless operation. It is worth noting that current devices enabling videoconferences no longer require a company to make expensive renovations in conference rooms or find dedicated specialists to install the equipment. The use of videoconferencing sets and their initial deployment has become very intuitive, allowing every employee to use them independently. For example, the Poly Studio P15, Poly Studio X or Poly Studio video bars, with built-in AI technology, transform small or medium-sized office spaces and home offices into professional meeting rooms. Thanks to the solutions used in the devices, the user does not have to worry about manually framing the image on the person speaking – the device will do it for us, allowing us to limit physical interaction between the person and the device. At the same time, one of the most important aspects is the possibility to join the meeting in a ‘zero-touch way’ – through the intelligent integration of the system with voice control.
Voice solutions are becoming increasingly common in consumers’ homes, so it’s no surprise that we’re seeing more and more of them in business devices. Expectations are constantly rising when it comes to the development of technology, so it is no wonder that new solutions are always surprising. However, it must be acknowledged that great inventions and major discoveries have always shocked and aroused uncertainty – but can anyone imagine their daily life without the technology that surrounds us now a days?
