Certification comes to several products that are key to the hybrid workplace

May 28, 2024 - A few months ago, Microsoft gave Crestron some excellent news: Our Automate VX multi-camera speaker tracking solution officially received Microsoft Teams® Rooms certification. Achieving this is no easy feat, as Microsoft notes on their site:

The Microsoft Teams Devices Certification Program ensures certified devices meet a high standard, with higher performance targets and quality metrics across the entire Teams experience (audio, video, user interface). Microsoft and OEM partners are actively working together to ensure devices meet all certification requirements, including security, audio and video quality, Teams experience, and accessibility.

Peripherals — such as Crestron’s 1 Beyond Cameras and Crestron Flex Pods — are eligible for this certification, provided, of course, they meet Microsoft’s stringent requirements. In addition to the devices meeting those aforementioned quality standards, it’s absolutely essential that these products deliver seamless interoperability with Microsoft Teams Rooms software to maintain a consistent user experience. They further need to meet very specific privacy standards and Microsoft’s guidelines for USB connectivity — two requirements that have never been more important.

Crestron’s had great success in this regard. In fact, the Automate VX multi-camera speaker tracking solution so impressed the Microsoft team that they deployed it in their Signature Microsoft Teams Rooms boardroom.

Crestron Flex Pods and 1 Beyond Cameras

We’re happy to inform you that those Microsoft Teams Rooms certified devices now include Crestron Flex Pods and 1 Beyond Cameras — devices that can help bring that all-important experience of meeting equity to a wide variety of deployments in any organization. As we’ve mentioned before, “meeting equity” is a big factor in keeping your hybrid workforce engaged: Every collaborator or presenter needs to hear and be heard and see and be seen.

The devices that have been added to Crestron’s portfolio of Microsoft-certified products include:

• Crestron 1 Beyond Cameras with Optical Zoom
• Crestron Flex Pods

Crestron 1 Beyond Cameras with Optical Zoom

Microsoft has certified all four of our Crestron 1 Beyond cameras. These cameras utilize AI-directed tracking and framing to offer clear close-ups and multiple angles that create a superior, broadcast-quality video image for remote participants, with intuitive functionality and a premium look and feel of “in-person” meeting attendees. Two of these models feature intelligent video technology built right into the camera, while the other two can be connected to a room system and controlled as PTZ cameras or seamlessly leverage the Crestron Automate VX voice-activated speaker tracking solution. (The latter are excellent for larger spaces with high occupancy where you need head-on close-ups of speakers as they contribute, as up to 12 1 Beyond cameras can be leveraged with the Crestron Automate VX system.)

These cameras utilize optical zoom — as opposed to digital zoom — to bring the remote viewer a close-up of a contributor. Optical zoom occurs within the physical lens of a camera, while digital zoom “blows up” and crops an image in close-up. That process reduces the pixel density of an image, rendering it less clear — an issue that’s magnified as the distance between subject and camera increases. Optical zoom is a much better solution for larger, high-impact meeting spaces, bringing the remote viewer a clear view of their colleagues — even those up to 60 feet away from the lens.

The Family of Crestron 1 Beyond Cameras — Now Microsoft Teams Rooms Certified

Intelligent PTZ Cameras with Optical Zoom

i12:

• With built-in AI for group framing and presenter tracking
• Best for medium to large rooms
• 12x optical zoom

i20:

• Enhanced presenter tracking with group tracking and preset zones
• Best for large and extra-large spaces
• 20x optical zoom
• PTZ Cameras with Optical Zoom

p12:

• Speaker tracking with Automate VX technology
• Best for medium to large rooms
• 12x optical zoom

p20:

• Speaker tracking with Automate VX technology
• Best for large and extra-large spaces
• 20x optical zoom

Crestron Flex Pods

The modern hybrid workplace needs excellent, flexible sound solutions to accompany that video, and Crestron Flex Pods are a flexible, scalable system that is simple to set up and manage. Crestron Flex Pods are a “hub and spoke” audio solution: Each pod connects wirelessly to a central Crestron Flex Pod Hub, and each hub can accommodate up to four pods.

The devices aren’t large — they’re mug-sized cubes that can move easily around in any space — but they’re packed with features. Each unit delivers 360° microphone coverage over a radius of seven feet, with high-quality echo cancellation, automatic gain compensation and noise reduction, and a speaker that delivers crystal-clear audio at consistent levels. Intuitive controls on each unit allow users to instantly mute the device and control the speaker volume.

The solution’s infinitely scalable: Need to expand to an even larger space? Simply add another hub to the mix. Since the pods connect to the hubs wirelessly, there’s no need for any cabling beyond a power supply, and the hubs can run via PoE, too. As far as flexibility’s concerned, they’re perfect for rooms that see multiple seating configurations, such as moving tables from a U-shaped setup to multiple rows of seating for a training presentation.

It's worth noting that Microsoft Teams Rooms certification represents the second round of thorough and rigorous testing these devices have undergone. Nothing Crestron produces is “market ready” until it’s passed Crestron’s stringent durability and reliability testing. That means that two firms with incredibly high standards for quality — Crestron and Microsoft — have deemed these products more than ready for the demands of the modern workplace.