Future-proof videoconferencing

Over the past few years, videoconferencing (VC) has evolved from an emergency necessity during the pandemic to a business-critical cornerstone. As companies move from reactionary implementations to strategic investments, the conversation is shifting. It’s no longer about simply connecting people. It's about creating equitable and platform-agnostic meeting experiences.

At Lightware, we’re seeing firsthand how organisations are recalibrating their approach, putting infrastructure and user experience at the heart of their videoconferencing strategies.

Convenience vs Complexity

Tamás Lehel, Product Portfolio Manager at Lightware, points to a significant shift in hardware trends. "There is a move towards all-in-one conference bars to serve small to medium rooms. The goal here is to make the system less complex with fewer separate hardware boxes. These solutions can be effective in very basic scenarios; however, we see the demand to expand the functionality in hybrid use rooms."

The contradiction is clear: users want both simplicity and expanded capability, particularly in hybrid spaces.

That’s why USB Type-C has become the connector of choice. "USB Type C connectivity must be in every room, so more devices are being equipped with this connector,” continues Lehel. “However, not all USB-C connectors offer the same functionality, and it can still confuse system design."

Indeed, one of the most common expectations now is to plug in a laptop via USB-C and have everything (video, audio, control  and charging) ‘just work.’ The problem? Not all USB-C ports or cables are created equal, leading to inconsistent user experiences and headaches for AV integrators.

At Lightware, we see USB-C not just as a connector but as a critical enabler for the future of flexible meeting rooms. 

Growing user expectations

Hybrid working has trained users to expect universal compatibility. "People have gotten used to having all video, USB and charging on the USB-C connector of their laptop,” explains Lehel. “They expect to use all these features in every environment, no matter if they are in a home office, at their desk or in a meeting room."

This creates tension between user expectations and technical realities, especially when using equipment from multiple manufacturers. AV systems need to support diverse technological ecosystems.

Meeting equity: a work in progress

The industry's push to democratise the experience between in-room and remote participants hasn’t fully succeeded. "It is still an issue,” continues Lehel. “Most of the time, there are several people in the room, but there is only one camera. There were a lot of developments with speaker tracking, different framing options, etc, but in many cases it ends up with annoying camera behaviour, so people tend to disable these."

Meanwhile, remote participants often rely on subpar webcams and poor lighting, meaning everyone is at a disadvantage in some way. Technology isn't just about connecting people; it must do so equitably.

Interoperability, reliability and UX

Even as VC becomes essential, many pain points remain, particularly in interoperability and user experience consistency. As Craig McQueen, Director of Enterprise Sales – EMEA at Lightware, explains: "Users often face delays or failures when switching between meetings due to incompatible USB peripherals, poor signal management or overly complex control interfaces."

The ongoing issue of platform lock-in also presents challenges: "Another drawback is the lack of platform interoperability, especially in hybrid work environments where Teams, Zoom, Webex, and others are used interchangeably."

Lightware is tackling these problems with hardware that is platform-agnostic and user-friendly. 

A shifting market

While mass-market platforms dominate, the landscape is more nuanced. "We’re seeing a definitive shift toward mass-market VC platforms such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Google Meet,” continues McQueen. “However, many enterprise and government clients still maintain high-end VC systems from manufacturers like Cisco, Poly, and Lifesize, especially for boardrooms, crisis centres and executive spaces." 

But, integrating multiple platforms and device types is still difficult due to proprietary ecosystems. Hardware lock-in and proprietary protocols often make it difficult to blend solutions from multiple vendors without risking reliability or control issues.

Infrastructure is the priority

Organisations are moving away from chasing the latest endpoints and toward building durable, scalable infrastructure.

Growth is especially strong in corporate, education, healthcare, and the public sector, whilst segments like retail and hospitality focus more on localised AV rather than VC. We anticipate a continued hybrid-work expansion, with increased demand for USB-C integration, platform flexibility, and AV-over-IP solutions.

AI, AV-over-IP, and Touchless Tech

VC is moving rapidly toward platform-neutral, touchless, and AI-enhanced environments. Some of the next major features we expect to see include AI-driven camera tracking and noise suppression, room automation that adapts to participants and meeting types, and native AV-over-IP integration.

Final thoughts

By partnering closely with tech leaders like Microsoft, Cisco, and Zoom, we ensure that our products are certified and compatible for the future of videoconferencing. This focus on collaboration rather than separation is key to the future of videoconferencing.