RingCentral and Logitech have announced a new partnership aimed at improving team video meetings.
The announcement means that Logitech’s range of Rally hardware will now come pre-loaded with RingCentral Rooms video conferencing software, challenging an increasingly competitive market for remote working solutions.
The collaboration will be rolled out in the first half of this year, with a beta for customers starting in March. Could it disrupt the surging success of Zoom?
RingCentral Rooms
RingCentral Rooms is Ringcentral’s video meeting platform, designed to turn any room into a conference room, using existing equipment. As well as the announcement that it will now be compatible, and pre-installed on Logitech’s Rally hardware, it also works with Poly, Aver and other hardware devices.
Features of RingCentral Rooms include:
- Instant join
- Direct sharing
- Device management
- Dual screen support
- Enterprise-grade security
- Real time and historical analytics
The main benefit of RingCentral Rooms is that it removes the need for dedicated meeting hardware – a compatible device, and a TV are the only components that businesses need to get up and running. Having the software pre-installed on Logitech’s Rally hardware will remove another barrier to entry for companies.
Read more: Is RingCentral the best business communications provider?
Logitech’s Latest Rally Hardware
Logitech’s latest additions to the Rally range were officially unveiled this month, and the news that they are now to be compatible with RingCentral Rooms only makes them more compelling, as businesses try to manage meetings in office/home spaces, with most participants accessing calls remotely.
The three new products in the Rally family are the Rally Bar Mini, aimed at smaller rooms and starting at $2,999, the Rally Bar, designed for mid-sized rooms and priced at $3,999, and the Logitech RoomMate, which is pitched for use in large meeting rooms, and starts from $999.
As well as the news that these devices will be RingCentral Rooms compatible, they also offer integration with a variety of other systems, including Microsoft Teams and Zoom.
The Future of Team Meetings
As many companies struggle to adjust to the new normal of working in a pandemic world, video meetings have hit their stride. The convenience of being able to speak to teams virtually has largely replaced the prevalence of physical meetings, that are currently not possible for many.
We’ve seen something of a gold rush in the industry, with video conferencing services in high demand, and many of the main players offering more and more features and improvements to their customers in order to stay competitive. Among them is RingCentral, who has been continually making its video conferencing solutions more compelling. Just this month the company announced Glip, what it dubs a ‘smart video meetings experience’.
RingCentral’s latest partnership with Logitech is unlikely to knock 2020-winner Zoom out of step. It’s better suited to assist larger businesses or those who remain partially in-office and are looking to improve meetings for those who can’t make it in physically. Meanwhile, Zoom’s free, consumer-friendly solution is a convenient option for the every-day personal caller. The partnership will, however, offer a smoother experience for new business conferencing users, and an attractive hardware upgrade for existing RingCentral Rooms customers.
As for the future of video conferencing, the consensus from many experts is that investing in the solutions now will pay off dividends in the near future. Data has shown that up to 80% of employees want to work from home in some capacity, and that 25 – 30% of the workforce will be working from home in some capacity by the end of 2021.
With this in mind, the video conferencing system looks to be as much a part of the office going forward as the printer and coffee machine.
