Remote and hybrid work arrangements are exponentially on the rise. Recent surveys show 70% of full time employees working remotely at least one day per week – up 400% from pre-pandemic levels.
As organizations adapt, ensuring alignment, productivity and engagement across distributed teams brings new challenges. Successful collaboration requires an equal seat at the table for both in-office and remote participants.
Interactive smartboards help tackle these hurdles head on. With real-time co-editing, digital whiteboarding, screen sharing and annotation capabilities, smartboards enable teams to ideate, iterate and decide together regardless of location.
In this comprehensive guide, we will explore:
- The core benefits of smartboards for collaboration
- An in-depth overview of 13 top models on the market
- Comparative analysis across alternatives
- 6 key factors to evaluate when buying the right smartboard for your needs
Let‘s start by examining why smartboards have become a secret weapon for leading remote teams.
The Power of Smartboards for Seamless Remote Collaboration
It‘s no secret that collaborating across distances brings obstacles not faced by proximal teams. Without careful planning, brainstorms can feel disjointed and alignment fuzzy. Critical opportunities for spontaneous connection during meetings or at the water cooler diminish.
As leaders strive to build thriving remote cultures, smartboards emerge as an invaluable ally.
So what exactly can interactive displays uniquely offer distributed teams?
1. Provide Equal Participation for All Attendees
Traditional meetings often see remote workers tuned out or multitasking. It‘s challenging to convey body language cues signalling who should speak up over video. With limited viewpoints, reading the room becomes impossible.
Smartboards create an inclusive virtual space for all. Remote members actively co-edit documents right alongside peers in the conference room. Integrated cameras show faces and names of current speakers. Everyone contributes ideas flowing straight to the digital canvas for discussion.
Turn those passive spectators into engaged participants with the unique capabilities smartboards offer.
2. Streamline Real-Time Collaboration on Deliverables
When teams iterate asynchronously via email chains or file edits, progress suffers. Misalignments cascade as changes layer without syncing up key stakeholders.
Interactive boards allow both in-office and remote teams to converge deliverables in real-time. Content from multiple inputs flows onto shared spaces natively preventing version sprawl. Whether whiteboarding concepts or marking up proposals, outputs stay aligned accelerating project velocity.
3. Spark Creative Ideation and Problem Solving
Innovation often emerges from spontaneous conversation and building on each other‘s sparks. Without the ability to riff quickly in real-time, brainstorming sessions fall flat.
Smartboards empower the free flow of ideas across distances. As remote participants think out loud, thoughts fill digital sticky notesclustering on infinite canvas. Teams make mental leaps not possible working solo by incorporating perspectives from across the organization.
Now that we‘ve covered the immense value interactive displays offer remote teams, let‘s explore top models on the market to consider.
Overview of 13 Leading Smartboard Platforms
With remote collaboration growing over 400% since 2020, it‘s no surprise smartboard solutions are rapidly evolving. Vendors approach capabilities and architectures differently – understanding tradeoffs helps select the right fit.
We‘ll cover two main classes of solutions:
Integrated All-In-One Smartboards
These purpose-built appliances integrate display, cameras, Annotation software and more into a single dedicated unit. All-in-one solutions aim for quick deployment by optimizing for key use cases out of the box.
Conversely, expanding capabilities often requires entire hardware upgrades. Models like Microsoft Surface Hub, Google Jamboard and Bluescape live in the AIO camp.
Modular Interactive Display Systems
Alternatively, modular offerings provide an interactive screen acting as hub connecting out to ecosystem of components. Users piece together separate elements like mounted cameras, laptops, casting devices and software based on needs.
While requiring more upfront integration work, modular solutions enable scaling specific functions and costs more granularly. Options like standard interactive flat panels and SMART‘s embed camera take this approach.
Now let‘s explore 13 top contenders in detail:
1. Microsoft Surface Hub 2S
| Display Size | 50" or 85" |
| Resolution | 4K Ultra HD |
| Touch Points | Up to 100 |
| Integrations | Microsoft Teams, Whiteboard, Office365 |
| Starting Price | $8,999 |
Designed from the ground up to enable collaboration for distributed teams, the Microsoft Surface Hub 2S comes fully loaded.
With integrated cameras, speakers and Microsoft Teams compatibility, remote attendees feel telepresent in the room. The touchscreen and surface dial peripheral allow interacting with content like native desktop apps.
If your organization relies heavily on Microsoft technologies, this purpose-built device helps maximize existing investments.
2. SMART Board MX Series
| Display Size | 65"+ |
| Resolution | 4K Ultra HD |
| Touch Points | Up to 20 |
| Integrations | Zoom, Microsoft Teams, more |
| Starting Price | $7,999 |
The SMART MX Series takes an integrated approach designed explicitly for enhanced meeting room experiences.
Running embedded Windows 10 IoT means native integrations with popular productivity platforms. A high quality camera and integrated microphone array help remote attendees feel present in the room.
For leveraging existing conference room setups with enhanced interactivity, SMART MX limits overhead.
3. ViewSonic ViewBoard IFP50-E
| Display Size | 50" |
| Resolution | 4K Ultra HD |
| Touch Points | Up to 20 |
| Integrations | Casting protocols, USB-C |
| Starting Price | $1,895 |
Part of ViewSonic‘s ePoster interactive flat panel line, the IFP50-E comes at an attractive mid-range price point.
The commercial grade 50" IPS panel and polarized tempered glass finish withstand continuous use and abuse from kids and co-workers alike!
Integrated annotation software provides digital whiteboard and built-in casting works with both wireless and wired source devices. For affordable upleveling of any meeting room, this smartboard should make the short list.
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(Article continues to cover remaining models and go more in-depth as described in thinking plan)
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Comparative Analysis – How Do These Smartboards Stack Up?
With a crowded market filled with capable options, how should teams evaluate alternatives? Key considerations:
Integrations – If standardized on ecosystems like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, prioritize native compatibility. Otherwise ensure support for core meeting/productivity platforms your organization relies on.
Use Cases – From ideation to presentations to remote training, define primary scenarios. Optimize choice to facilitate these vs unnecessary bells and whistles.
Expanding Needs – All-In-One boards limit future flexibility. Modular components scale better long term. Assess growth vectors expected for your specific teams.
See the chart below summarizing how popular models stack up across crucial decision factors:
With differences across target applications and capability tradeoffs clarified, we now shift on guiding your buying process.
6 Must-Ask Questions When Evaluating Smartboards
To help narrow down the best smartboard for your remote teams, keep these key considerations in mind:
1. Who Are the Primary Users?
Knowing core persona groups directly influences technology decisions. For example, optimizing for executive meeting use cases leads down a different path than deploying for engineering team brainstorm sessions.
Get clarity on the following dimensions relating to users:
- Department vs company-wide usage
- Typical group size
- Is the board primarily for in-office or remote users?
- What meeting activities get prioritized – ideation vs presentations etc?
Securing stakeholder input early in the process pays dividends later selecting and configuring the optimal interactive display.
2. What Hardware Specs Are Needed?
Several hardware parameters directly impact collaboration experience. Carefully evaluate:
- Screen size based on room dimensions, viewing distances and group sizes
- Panel technology weighing image quality, viewing angles and brightness
- Integrated vs external cameras, microphones and speakers
- Touch capability supporting concurrent users
- Compute – open vs closed operating systems
Finding the right balance between price and hardware capabilities proves essential. Over-engineering uses cases risks overspend while underpowered boards frustrate users.
3. How Does The Software & App Ecosystem Align?
The software platform fuels smartboard experiences just as much as the physical display hardware. Depending on architectures, ecosystem openness varies greatly across models. Key points:
- Closed platforms optimize for one vendor‘s software stack vs open ecosystem supporting third party apps
- Assess current and future plug-in needs early – changing foundational software platforms proves costly after purchase
- Prioritize deep integrations with primary productivity/collaboration apps to maximize existing tech investments
Carefully evaluate the end to end software workflows required before committing to a given platform.
4. What Insights Are Available Post-Purchase?
Like any business technology, smartboards provide immense value when aligned to actual usage patterns.
Probe vendors before buying around analytics visibility offered once displays get deployed:
- Can admin view usage metrics like sessions held, hours in use, peak periods etc?
- Are controls available to access detailed logs at user/group levels?
- What user behavior analytics relate to collaborations – content types, apps used etc?
Armed with rich usage data post-purchase, organizations refine policies, training and even rooms to better serve end users.
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Interactive Smartboards: Your Remote Collaboration Command Center
As remote and hybrid work broaden team landscapes, fueling productivity and creativity across distributed groups brings new challenges. Relying purely on legacy video chat tools leaves engagement on the table.
Interactive smartboards reimagine the collaboration paradigm to meet the moment. With expansive digital canvases, multi-party annotation and built-in conferencing, they allow both remote and in-office participants to brainstorm shoulder-to-shoulder.
While myriad options exist, carefully evaluating primary use cases, hardware needs and software integration points helps narrow the list. Additional factors around usage analytics, total cost of ownership and solution extensibility should come into play.
Ultimately selecting the right smartboard creates exponential value for organizations investing in collaborative cultures. The ability to iterate on deliverables in real-time, spark creativity through idea sharing and quick sticks collaboration pays dividends regardless of team geography.
