Transforming the Meeting Room with Next-Generation Compute

Frost & Sullivan’s latest research shows that workplace transformation and office modernization are top priorities for C-suite executives. With employee presence in offices surging to its highest level in five years, companies are realigning their workspace and technology investments. Moreover, as hybrid work policies stabilize, office modernization projects are moving forward at an accelerated pace.

Today, business leaders fully recognize that the office is more than just a place to work; it's a powerhouse for innovation and collaboration. As the physical workplace becomes even more essential for supporting productivity and employee engagement, the business case for investing in a high-performance workplace is stronger than ever. This transformation is particularly relevant for meeting rooms, which are critical components of the modern office and hubs for teamwork and creativity. Traditional meeting rooms are no longer sufficient to address the demands of modern work. The rise of AI-driven audio and video technology is revolutionizing how we hold meetings, collaborate, and make decisions, driving the need to reinvent the meeting rooms.

Frost & Sullivan's latest data shows that AI has emerged as a key market accelerator, eliminating many friction points that previously hindered widespread video adoption in meeting rooms. The global video conferencing devices market is on a strong growth trajectory, registering 10.4% year-over-year growth in 2024 to reach $3.80 billion in revenue. Fueled by advances in AI-driven collaboration and the rapid modernization of meeting spaces, the market is expected to more than double to $8.12 billion in five years. The penetration rate of video devices in meeting rooms is also expected to more than double over this period, driven by growing investments in meeting room modernization.

The value of AI-powered meetings was recognized even in the early days of AI, and today, it stands as one of the most widely used AI applications in business. Features like meeting transcription, translation, and summarization have become table stakes. Many other emerging AI capabilities enable the automation of repetitive tasks, allowing users to focus on more strategic discussions and making meetings more efficient. AI-powered features also supercharge pre-, in-, and post-meeting workflows with powerful content creation, actionable insights, and data-driven decisions. With a plethora of capabilities already available, the power of AI in meeting rooms is just starting. The best is yet to come.

 The Benefits of AI in Meeting Rooms

A recent Frost & Sullivan global survey of business leaders and IT decision-makers revealed that 90% of organizations believe AI is key to achieving their business goals. Additionally, 74% have already rolled out AI solutions, from pilot projects to full-scale implementations. These figures clearly show that AI is top of mind, even in its early days.

AI is revolutionizing video meetings, making them more engaging, personalized, productive, and inclusive. AI-driven audio improves clarity and removes distractions, while intelligent video features such as multi-camera switching and speaker tracking ensure natural interactions. Virtual assistants help reduce time and errors in scheduling and managing meetings, and automated summaries and action items keep everyone on the same page. Transcription and translation features enhance accessibility and provide valuable data for insights.

For IT admins, AI-driven automation and intuitive tools reduce help desk tickets and facilitate faster adoption, freeing up resources for strategic projects. Policy-based controls ensure that only authorized participants can join meetings, aligning with privacy and compliance standards. Real-time monitoring and predictive analytics improve performance, while usage and room optimization insights ensure efficient space and technology utilization.

From a business perspective, AI-driven efficiencies enhance meeting outcomes. Data from AI-powered collaboration helps improve decisions across business, technology, and facilities. AI-driven sensors manage energy, safety, and space utilization, improving sustainability while better video experiences foster engagement and inclusion, leading to better employee experiences and a positive company culture.

Future Proof Your Meetings:  How Lenovo is Transforming the Meeting Room Experience

As AI-powered audio and video continue to redefine the meeting room experience, there is a demand for more computing power and flexibility to take advantage of advanced feature sets available now and in the near future. Recent advancements in AI-optimized compute devices that are purpose-built for video conferencing rooms are unlocking more productive meeting room experiences and use cases while delivering greater security, privacy, and inclusivity.

At the forefront of this innovation is Lenovo’s ThinkSmart Core Gen 2, an AI-optimized compute device that is purpose-built for meeting rooms to handle current and future AI-heavy workloads. Powered by the Intel® Core™ Ultra processor and Intel vPro®, the ThinkSmart Core Gen 2 is powering next-gen meeting rooms with Neural Processing Units (NPUs) that provide a robust, scalable platform for AI features, enhancing sustainability by consuming less power, and ensuring security by handling data processing on-site. In this new paradigm, Lenovo envisions AI as a hybrid of edge and cloud computing that delivers advanced real-time processing for cutting-edge features, superior video and audio quality for immersive experiences, and optimized resource allocation for better performance.

By investing in the next-generation AI-driven rooms powered by ThinkSmart Core Gen 2, businesses gain significant capabilities:

• Advanced Real-Time Processing: Its complex AI algorithms and data tasks work in real time, enabling cutting-edge features during meetings.
• Superior Video and Audio Experience: Its significantly enhanced video and audio quality create immersive and engaging experiences, particularly for remote attendees. ThinkSmart Core Gen 2 supports collaboration platforms like Microsoft Teams Rooms and Zoom Rooms, providing leading AI-enabled features.
• Optimized Resource Allocation: Offloading AI tasks to the edge allows for more efficient use of resources and overall better performance of meeting room systems.
• Sustainability: ThinkSmart Core Gen 2 efficiently manages heavy AI tasks with up to 40% lower power consumption than its predecessor.
• Secure by Design: By handling the data processing on-site, businesses can maintain tighter control over information, minimizing the risk of data breaches and ensuring meeting content remains secured for advanced meetings.
• Flexibility and Ease of Use: It offers a built-in cable management system and supports various peripherals for easy installation and deployment.

Opportunities Ahead

As businesses navigate the challenges of modern work, AI-powered meeting rooms are no longer a luxury but a necessity. Innovations in AI-optimized computing for meeting rooms are continually unlocking new meeting experiences, and it is time to understand and fully embrace these advancements. As AI feature sets continue to evolve, NPUs will play a crucial role in delivering more sophisticated collaboration experiences, ensuring that meeting rooms remain equipped with the latest advancements while guaranteeing security, flexibility, and manageability.