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Should I choose Chromecast for Wireless Presentations in A Meeting Room?

  • BenQ
  • 2020-09-02
While the price is attractive, there are four things you should know about Chromecast for collaboration
Wireless Presentation at home versus wireless presentation in an office

Do you feel frustrated with cables every time you are about to start a meeting? If you want to get rid of cable clutter, there is no need to change your existing setup or buy a new projector.

With myriads wireless connectivity options available on the market, choosing the right solution for your business is a time and money consuming task. As a result, many companies go for something they are already very familiar with: browser-based wireless streaming devices such as Google Chromecast. While these consumer-oriented devices work great in a living room, they are not necessarily the best choice for your company’s meeting rooms.

Chromecast Is Designed for Home Use

Many different solutions on the market allow sharing content from your computer or mobile devices to displays and projectors via HDMI. Some of these solutions are focused on consumer and home usage, while others are tailored to business settings. The key differences between the two are how each device accomplishes this, as well as selling price and usability. 

Consumer-oriented solutions are very affordable and often come in the form of a dongle that is plugged in into a TV’s HDMI port. They are suitable for sharing content when lag and security are not the most critical factors. These devices are usually used for watching TV shows and sharing media at home.

On the other hand, business solutions are optimized for office use and are much more reliable. Since these business solutions provide reliability and data security, they are usually somewhat pricier. 

Chromecast Supports Casting of Data through the Internet

Consumer and business wireless connectivity devices use different ways of delivering content to a display: screen mirroring and screencasting. 

Consumer solutions take entertaining content from content streaming platforms like Hulu, YouTube, Netflix, or even the Chrome browser and cast it on a TV.  Such a solution works excellently at home but is not necessarily suitable for a more versatile business environment. 

A couple in a living room casting content from a mobile device to a TV with Google Chromecast.

Business solutions operate differently and mirror or extend your Mac, Windows, or Linux computer screen to a bigger display. That allows you to share your slides, graphs, and reports professionally using presenter mode and referring to your notes whenever needed. 

Chromecast Does Not Support WPA2 Enterprise Networks

Connection to an enterprise network is needed to operate most content streaming devices. Most consumer-oriented streaming devices work with WPA personal networks that are commonly used at home and do not support enterprise networks.  This means that you are not able to connect such a device to your enterprise network. On the contrary, business-oriented solutions are optimized for WPA2 enterprise networks. 

InstaShow from BenQ stands out among business-oriented solutions because it bypasses the need for a connection to your network altogether, ensuring fast, easy, and worry-free delivery of content. 

Colleagues in a meeting room mirroring screens using InstaShow

Consumer Solutions Do Not Encrypt Data

Security is perhaps a make-or-break feature when it comes to choosing a streaming device for business. Since consumer devices are not meant to share sensitive data, there is no strong data protection provided.  

So, to make sure that the content that you share during presentations or confidential data on the company’s servers is protected from eavesdropping, choose a business-oriented wireless presentation system. Streaming devices for businesses usually have data encryption that ensures that corporate intellectual property remains private. They also help safeguard your information from tampering or unintended disclosure.

Summary

Many devices on the market serve the same function of enabling wireless presentations. In such a scenario, it might be appealing to go for an affordable consumer device instead of a more pricey business-oriented wireless presentation solution. However, consumer solutions do not protect your data and intellectual property that is crucial to any business. 

Perfect for Business Meetings - BenQ InstaShow

InstaShow from BenQ is a business-oriented wireless presentation solution that does not need any connection to a corporate network. With InstaShow, you do not have to worry about the security of your data and equipment. Enjoy easy and smooth wireless presentation with AES-128 bit encryption and the WPA2 authentication protocol.

A businesswoman using InstaShow to wirelessly present content.