Take it from me: working remotely is awesome. But sometimes it would be nice to have some face time with my National Magazine Award-winning colleagues without having to fire up iChat in my dumpy looking apartment. Maybe my local co-working space could invest in the media:scape videoconferencing solution from Steelcase, which just won a Bronze medal from the Edison Best New Product Awards. Instead of a drab conference room full of intimidating cables and adapters, Media:scape is designed to be casually comfortable for a “walk-up and connect” experience.
The big idea with Media:scape -- which Steelcase hit upon after doing extensive ethnographic research -- is that videoconferencing should be just as fluid and casual as trotting over to someone's desk down the hall. Their innovative Puck system allows just that: an employee steps up to the suite, parks in one of Steelcase's appealing, cafe-like chairs, and pulls a Puck out of the countertop which connects to their laptop. One tap on the Puck and poof, the video conference begins, including file and screen-sharing from multiple computers in the group.
Media:scape integrates with industry-standard videoconference hookups and provides a user-friendly shell around them that makes long-distance meetings feel more like informal coffee klatches. Says Steelcase,
"Most videoconferencing environments are formal meeting spaces, with little emphasis on sharing and developing content. In contrast, Media:scape with HD videoconferencing environments encourage engagement, and allow access to and sharing of information by any meeting participant with the touch of a button."
Indeed. If the next version of Media:scape comes with a built-in espresso maker, they'll have the total package.
COMMENTARY: When you think of video-conferencing this conjures up horrible visions of a not very user-friendly, complicated and nightmarish system of specialized software, audio-visual equipment and computers. It's Murphy's Law ready to happen. And believe me, something always goes wrong.
Steelcase's Media-Space video-conferencing system is the first system that I have seen that combines a 'Cafe-like' office workspace environment with a user-fiendly PUCK plug-in system that makes collaborative HD video-conferencing a breeze. The beauty of the system is its simplicity and ability to make interactive and collaborative virtual meetings, sales presentations and training sessions uncomplicated and very informal events.
According to Steelcase,
"Through the integration of furniture and technology, media:scape is reshaping the way people collaborate in a connected world.
media:scape with HD videoconferencing boosts collaboration across the table or across the globe – by transforming meeting rooms, connecting distributed teams, and sharing information seamlessly in dynamic new ways.
Most collaborative work spaces today support leader-led presentations where information is controlled and shared by one person at a time. media:scape removes these barriers and democratizes how people access and share information by allowing all participants to contribute their ideas – equally, quickly and seamlessly."
I am in the process of obtaining additional information about Steelcase's media-scape HD video-onferencing system
Courtesy of an article dated April 15, 2011 appearing in Fast Company Design
This is so artistic! Thanks for sharing!:)
Posted by: papasan chairs | 07/10/2011 at 10:52 PM
Thank you everyone for your nice compliments about the Steelcase's media:space workspace and videoconferencing system. I am glad you enjoyed it.
Posted by: Tommy | 05/02/2011 at 07:11 AM
We appreciate your work and it had been a massive and crating furniture..http://www.vivamagonline.com/index.php The article is simply superb!! Very much appreciated.. Keep on hosting more interesting articles!!!
Posted by: New furnitures | 05/02/2011 at 03:04 AM
Ryan, thank you for the compliment. Looks like Steelcase has a sure fire winner on its hands. It's good to know Steelcase's product manager, just in case I have further questions. Thanks again.
Posted by: Tommy | 04/21/2011 at 06:48 AM
We appreciate the post! For more info, see www.steelcase.com/mediascape
Ryan, media:scape product manager
Posted by: Ryan Anderson | 04/20/2011 at 02:05 PM
Hi,
Thanks for this wonderful post. It is a very innovative and artistic act of work.
Awesome work by Steelcases.
:)
Posted by: Outdoor Furniture | 04/20/2011 at 04:20 AM