How to Select the Right Projection Solution for Your Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Meeting?

Have you considered adopting a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy in your organisation? Then count yourself amongst the long list of companies who have seen the merit in replacing company devices with employees’ personal devices, and rightly so. BYOD is not only the latest trend on the block, it has also proved to increase employee morale, engagement, and productivity. But it doesn’t come without challenges. And in order to tackle those problems, the pressure is laid upon IT teams and business owners to select the right projection and collaboration device to use during meetings.

●     Smart Projectors

●     Wireless Projectors

●     Projectors or displays with Wireless Projection Solution (WPS)

●     Smart projectors allow wireless casting and are compatible with all personal devices regardless of type of device, brand, operating software used, etc. They also provide direct access to the internet and wireless mouse/keyboard connection for a PC-free environment.

●     Wireless projectors also provide compatibility with many kinds of devices, though the features are limited as compared to smart projectors. But if your requirement is for simple wireless projection/casting, then wireless projectors are good tools to consider.

●     Displays and Projectors that do not have wireless capabilities usually have compatibility restrictions. Here, you need to adopt the right Wireless Projection Solution (WPS) to enable your display or projector with wireless casting by considering the compatibility features offered by the WPS. 

●     Smart projectors equipped with Android Operating Systems (OS) provide an intuitive user experience while supporting wireless casting from all devices. They have multiple features like built-in business applications, high connectivity, IT support applications, etc. which nullify the need for additional softwares and don’t require the attendees to download any extra apps to access the company’s network.

●     Wireless projectors, in comparison to smart projectors, require more steps to connect for casting, and do not support all kinds of devices, only Windows and Android. They require additional software to be pre-installed by the IT team to enable casting. For projection using iOS and macOS devices, attendees will need to install applications on their personal devices.

●     As mentioned, to transform a projector or display with no wireless casting capabilities, you need to use an extra accessory such as Wireless Projection Solution (WPS). There exist two types of WPS:

          –   Hardware Based: This type of WPS like BenQ InstaShow, requires no application to be downloaded on the attendees’                                            personal device and allows wireless casting by a simple plug and play feature.

          –   Software Based:  Such a WPS requires an application to be pre-installed in the meeting attendees’ personal devices.                                                Most brands use this type of wireless projection solution. 

●     Smart projectors are by far the most efficient land easy-to-manage option for the IT team. They come with an Account Management System (AMS) and Device Management System (DMS) which allow the IT personnel to monitor and manage access to company networks and data, as well as grant individual and group configuration control over the projectors, all in a remote way. Over-the-Air (OTA) software updates further guarantee less maintenance tasks for the IT team.

●     Wireless projectors also have a DMS but they only allow the IT team to manage one device at a time remotely. They don’t allow OTA firmware updates.

●     Wireless presentation solutions for projectors or displays cannot be accessed remotely. In case of issues or problems, they require the IT members to personally go to each meeting room to troubleshoot the issues. WPS are good solutions for organisations with few meeting rooms and less chances of issues. 

●     Smart projectors are perfect for companies with few or many meeting rooms which require wireless projection and casting with no compatibility issues. They are also great collaboration tools if you want to conduct application free and IT management hassle free meetings.

If you think smart projectors are perfect for your company, you can check out BenQ Smart Projector for Business, it is the only all-in-one solution available in the market.

●     Wireless projectors are good solutions for companies with only one meeting room where compatibility will be required with just Windows and Android devices.

You can check out wireless projectors offered by Panasonic and Epson.

●     In case you already have projectors or displays in your company’s meeting rooms and simply want to transform them to have wireless capabilities, investing in a wireless presentation solution could be your answer.

Here, a hardware based WPS will be a better alternative over a software based WPS because of the ease of connectivity it offers along with information security, as no additional application needs to be downloaded to access company networks.