NEW YORK – Dating isn’t working, according to a recent white paper from Verizon and the Boston Consulting Group. An issue long before the pandemic, it’s an issue that has grown in today’s anytime, anywhere work environment. To better adapt to the changing dynamics of the workforce, Verizon Business today announced updates to all BlueJeans Meetings desktop, mobile and Portal applications to help simplify and facilitate more inclusive and engaging meetings.
Between the personalization of work, high turnover, severe skills shortages across industries, and the younger generation becoming the dominant majority in the workforce, employee experience has quickly risen to the top of the business priority list. With new BlueJeans Meetings features aimed at personalizing the meeting experience to improve one-on-one and team meeting interactions and engagement, or remove the need to meet altogether, Verizon Business is helping to drive effective collaboration.
“No two meetings are the same, and neither are the people who attend them,” said Chris Lewter, VP and General Manager, BlueJeans by Verizon. “Similarly, we are all striving for commitment, both in our personal and professional lives. And as organizations continue to place more emphasis on enhancing the employee experience as a way to drive engagement and retain and attract top talent, this next phase of remote and hybrid work will be about ensuring the right tools to foster flexible work practices that accommodate different work engagement styles and personalities.”
Comprehensive meetings are more attractive
Establishing best practices and acknowledging that existing expectations of “work” are outdated is a good place to start. But creating an inclusive and productive meeting environment also requires intuitive technology to help facilitate immersive, fluid and effective meeting experiences for all participants, regardless of how they work – office, home or remote/field.
From the BlueJeans Meetings desktop app, enabling weatherman mode allows users to overlay the presenter on top of the content being shared to facilitate a more natural, immersive experience that simulates an in-person presentation for virtual and hybrid settings. The feature enables presenters to be placed in front of any type of content or application, extending beyond slideware to create more dynamic and creative meeting opportunities. Additionally, the addition of Auto Camera Framing removes the need to purchase high-end camera equipment and the possibility of human error in camera setup, while limiting distractions by zooming in to focus on the person rather than the background. his.
On the BlueJeans Mobile app side, custom updates for foldable devices, such as the Samsung Galaxy Z series, use every available screen to maximize the video conferencing experience and make it easier for users to focus on both content as well as other meeting participants—fostering a more equal and efficient meeting experience. Similarly, participant movement improves the user experience in the Active Speaker view to better display the keynote speaker and other meeting participants, and the addition of HD Content and Video Sharing for iPhone and iPad allows mobile users to split Content and 1080p Video.
Customizations for meeting efficiency
Business leaders have a responsibility to make hybrid work arrangements work for everyone, which requires a focus on creating more individual and inclusive workflows for teams. New BlueJeans Dating features that allow users to customize the dating experience include:
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Multilingual closed captions and transcripts: More language options to better support diverse and distributed teams
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Hide Self View: The ability to hide self video while allowing others to see you reduces video fatigue caused by constant hair checks
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Binge Meetings (iOS and iPadOS): Gives users the flexibility to easily get notified and move on to their next call
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CallKit Support (iOS and iPadOS): Providing time management assistance for remote workers, Call Kit Support for iOS and iPadOS allows users to better manage incoming calls during a BlueJeans meeting by switching either call
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Breakout Sessions: The ability to “Ask for help” by broadcasting a message creates better communication among distributed participants
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Virtual wallpapers: Virtual wallpapers available on iOS, iPadOS and Android devices means more options to customize or minimize unwanted background distractions
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RTMP Streaming: On desktop, stream your meeting to any source with a URL and stream key (previously only available on BlueJeans Events)
Additionally, updates to the BlueJeans app on the Meta Portal can help account for different work patterns and preferences. These include Collab Board Support and a shared screen connection for quick second screen input/split input.
Providing flexible meeting and collaboration options is an important aspect of addressing inequalities and enabling better work/life balance. With strong analyst report placements and award wins in 2022, including a PC Mag Editor’s Choice, a TrustRadius Award Most Commended in the Web and Video Conferencing category, G2’s Best Software List for collaboration and productivity and a leading provider of Metrigy 2022 for Meeting Apps ranking, BlueJeans Meetings is leading the way to provide a more unifying and comprehensive meeting experience for all users. For more information visit www.bluejeans.com.
