Over the past year, we’ve seen huge progress in how technology brings people together across spaces, sectors and platforms. From AI-powered meeting rooms that manage the conversation for you, to immersive setups that make remote collaboration feel effortless – it’s clear that video conferencing has become as much an AV story as it is an IT one.
Smarter, simpler, more human
The goal of modern VC isn’t just to connect people, it’s to make meetings flow.
AI is now doing the heavy lifting: automatically framing speakers, transcribing meetings, and assigning action points, while new hardware is making that experience natural and consistent.
All-in-one video bars now combine cameras, mics, and speakers for smaller rooms. For larger environments, multi-camera systems with beam-forming microphones are bringing remote attendees closer to the conversation than ever before.
We’re even seeing immersive meeting spaces emerge in sectors like design and engineering, where interactive displays and AR overlays allow teams to review 3D models together in real time, cutting travel and speeding up decisions.
Hybrid spaces and meeting equity
One of the biggest shifts in the past year is who’s investing in video conferencing, and why.
It’s no longer just corporates. SMEs, education, councils and healthcare are all using VC for client presentations, training, and even events.
The return-to-office movement has raised expectations: hybrid spaces must look and sound professional on camera, with AV that just works. That’s where the integration of audio, lighting and display becomes critical. Meeting equity, ensuring remote and in-room participants feel equally present, depends on it.
What organisations really want
Across every sector, the priorities are clear:
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Simplicity – rooms that “just work”, with one-touch join and zero training.
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Consistency – the same experience across spaces and platforms.
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Interoperability – no platform lock-in; Teams, Zoom and Webex must all coexist.
Manufacturers are responding with smarter, integrated systems that combine analytics, security, and seamless device management, all while keeping the user experience effortless.
The challenges that remain
We’ve come a long way, but bad AV is still the biggest cause of bad meetings.
Poor sound, awkward camera angles, and mismatched displays still break the illusion of connection. The fix? Proper AV design: the right microphones, intelligent cameras, acoustic treatment, and thoughtful calibration.
Zoom fatigue is real too, but shorter meetings, AI summaries and better tools are helping teams reclaim focus. And while privacy remains a concern, new advances in encryption and background anonymisation are closing the gap fast.
What’s next for video conferencing
Looking ahead, AI and automation will keep driving progress. We’ll see real-time meeting coaching, sentiment analysis and proactive problem-solving become part of daily workflows.
AR and VR will move from novelty to necessity in design, engineering and training, while sustainability will shape purchasing decisions, from energy-efficient displays to smart power management.
We’ll also see VC systems tie into smart building platforms, controlling lighting, HVAC and occupancy from the same interface. For resellers and integrators, the opportunity is clear: bring it all together.
Our take
The biggest misconception we still see is that video conferencing is “just software”. It’s not.
The experience lives or dies on AV design, audio quality, camera placement, lighting, and display choice. When the AV is right, meetings stop being a chore and start becoming an advantage.
At Solstice, that’s what we help our resellers deliver: meeting spaces that feel effortless, integrated, and built for the way people really work today.
