The Tech Simple Podcast

There are many elements to consider when designing or refreshing a workplace. Workflows, employee experience, customer experience, interior design, tech tools and connectivity, building services, lighting, air quality. The list is long. In this episode of the Tech Simple podcast, we are talking about acoustics, which is so important to consider when planning and creating your workplace. As always David and Jonathan are joined by an expert in the field Daniel Natoli, the Director and founder of AKA Acoustics. 

Daniel reminds us how he and professionals in his field can optimise comfort levels for people in all types of environments – whether it be a conference room, open working area, building lobby area, or an entertainment venue. We can all think of times or locations where we were straining to hear or overcome by unwanted noise, which subconsciously sapped our energy. When the opposite is true, and a listening experience is joyful we can sometimes take for granted how this came to be. Enter the work of an acoustics professional. 

Tune in to learn about the dos and don'ts of acoustics in the workplace as well as some tips and tricks that Daniel shares. He also talks through acoustics in meeting spaces and details some example case studies, which are highly insightful and a must listen. 

Contact konnectus TODAY to:

• Book a free 30-min scoping call → https://www.konnectus.com.au/contact-us-konnectus/
• Watch our free AV Health-Check video → https://youtu.be/XMHccVVjsTc
• Email your AV question → [email protected]

It's amazing how quickly AV technology in the workplace is evolving and improving right now. In this episode of the Tech Simple podcast David and Jonathan are joined by Paul Falzon, the Regional Director of Neat in Australia and New Zealand. Paul brings a wealth of experience in video, collaboration, unified communication, cloud, desktop and more. This experience spanning decades really helped to compare today's workplace technology with that of years gone by, which made this conversation so interesting. 

In this show the guys look at three AV technology trends and discuss how they are being utilised in certain types of spaces to improve end user experience, increase collaboration and productivity, and lower the costs of the tech investments. 

Take a listen to learn all about the details on the three trends: 

• Video conferencing at the desktop and in small 1-2 person focus rooms 
• Collaboration spaces. Powerful interactive tech tools that are finally easy to use 
• Meeting space designs and using multiple cameras paired with AI 

Contact konnectus TODAY to:

• Book a free 30-min scoping call → https://www.konnectus.com.au/contact-us-konnectus/
• Watch our free AV Health-Check video → https://youtu.be/XMHccVVjsTc
• Email your AV question → [email protected]

There are many reasons an organisation should consider conducting a trial or proof of concept of a technology solution before rolling it out into a wider environment. In this episode of the Tech Simple podcast David and Jonathan are joined by Mark Samuel who is the Head of Workplace IT at TPG Telecom in Australia. Mark has a wealth of experience when it comes to technology for the workplace in large organisations and is kind enough to share his insights around the when, why, and how to conduct successful proof of concepts. 

We start by talking about best practices and the steps to follow when conducting a proof of concept, which includes interpreting the results. Mark then walks us through a recent case study example of a proof of concept he and the team at TPG Telecom completed. It covers the seamless integration of Cisco meeting room technology with Microsoft Teams. He goes into detail about why it needed to be done, how he and the team worked closely with manufacturers to assess all the options, and how they went about gathering the all-important feedback from different end users within the company. 

Lastly the conversation covers our collective thoughts on what we can expect to see from technology in the workplace in the coming years. In a nutshell – further simplicity, more seamless experiences, and using software and artificial intelligence was our consensus. 

Contact konnectus TODAY to:

• Book a free 30-min scoping call → https://www.konnectus.com.au/contact-us-konnectus/
• Watch our free AV Health-Check video → https://youtu.be/XMHccVVjsTc
• Email your AV question → [email protected]

AV technology is our friend when it comes to creating positive and equitable experiences for people with a disability. Often this is overlooked or misunderstood due to a lack of information and/or effective messaging about the options and possibilities. In this episode of the Tech Simple podcast David and Jonathan aim to close that information gap. They are joined by industry expert Christopher Ling from Jands who has a passion and wealth of experience on the topic. 

We get started by discussing hearing assistance, and Chris provides the details on the local compliance to be aware of in Australia. We also discuss the different solution options on the markets and provide examples of the most suitable applications for each. Next, the AV technology options available for the vision impaired is discussed. This includes advancements in camera technology, user interface design best practices, and text to voice. 

Chris provides his valuable insights on a range of other topics that include lighting design, sound masking solutions, heights of control panels and interfaces, and more. 

A very important topic that adds significant value to any environment and a discussion not to be missed. 

Enjoy! 

Contact konnectus TODAY to:

• Book a free 30-min scoping call → https://www.konnectus.com.au/contact-us-konnectus/
• Watch our free AV Health-Check video → https://youtu.be/XMHccVVjsTc
• Email your AV question → [email protected]

AVaaS is a relatively new concept for the AV industry and in this episode of the Tech Simple podcast David and Jonathan are joined by Peter Tylor of PwC Australia to discuss AVaaS in detail. Peter leads the workplace technology team at PwC Australia and effectively is the owner of employee technology experience, which is something the firm takes very seriously. 

In this episode we firstly learn from Peter why AVaaS is so attractive to a large enterprise organisation when compared with the normal Cap Ex model of procuring and maintaining the technology. Amongst other reasons, he explains how the ever-shortening life cycles of AV technology and the key goal of guaranteeing the systems to “work first time and every time” for end users are the top drivers to AVaaS being such a desirable model. 

AVaaS has some strong benefits for organisations to consider but at the same time there are limitations. We discuss those and how the vendors in the industry could improve current offerings to make the model more appealing - like other technologies in the workplace that have mature aaS models in place.  

Another remarkably interesting and relevant conversation, and we feel AVaaS will soon be commonplace in the AV industry. 

Contact konnectus TODAY to:

• Book a free 30-min scoping call → https://www.konnectus.com.au/contact-us-konnectus/
• Watch our free AV Health-Check video → https://youtu.be/XMHccVVjsTc
• Email your AV question → [email protected]

In this edition of the Tech Simple podcast David and Jonathan have the privilege of speaking with Domino Risch, a highly regarded and experienced workplace designer. Domino is a Principal at Hassell, and the firm’s global sector leader for commercial and workplace. In this conversation Domino shares insights into a range of observations around workplace design over the past 18 months. Of particular interest is the wide gap that exists between cultural change and physical workplace design change. She provides a view into what we can expect to see in the future as well. 

Domino explains the importance of considering the technology in a workplace design as early as possible. She also shares some details on how they are leveraging AI technology in one of their larger workplace projects to deliver the two positive outcomes of: 

• Enabling workers to always be in the best fit/suitable location on each day at the office 
• Lowering daily operation costs of the physical workplace 

Lastly, Domino shares the key questions that now must be asked when going through the initial briefing and discovery process on a new workplace design project. 

Contact konnectus TODAY to:

• Book a free 30-min scoping call → https://www.konnectus.com.au/contact-us-konnectus/
• Watch our free AV Health-Check video → https://youtu.be/XMHccVVjsTc
• Email your AV question → [email protected]

John Preece is a highly experienced expert in commercial property and workspace who is helping to build the fast-growing co-working business Hub Australia nationally as Chief Property Officer. He is passionate about Future of work and on this episode of the Tech Simple podcast we are fortunate to cover this topic extensively with John and gain some insight into what he is seeing. 

John introduces us to the topic of “Liberating Working” and explains its meaning as well as how it differs from hybrid working and even flexible work. Further
detail around the topic can also be found in a whitepaper published by John in
late 2021 “Liberated work: Responding to the unshackling of work from
place”. 

In the show we also discuss the role of technology and how important it is to the user experience. The office is and will not die, according to John, it will simply
take on a different form. However, the office as a product must add value and
provide a quality experience for people – hence the need for seamless technology.
This is especially important for an organisation like Hub Australia who
supplies a service to paying members and their guests. 

Contact konnectus TODAY to:

• Book a free 30-min scoping call → https://www.konnectus.com.au/contact-us-konnectus/
• Watch our free AV Health-Check video → https://youtu.be/XMHccVVjsTc
• Email your AV question → [email protected]

Mark Mitchell is Oceania Premises & Workplace Director at Ernst & Young. An outcome focused leader guiding the firm to optimise staff and client experiences in this new age and drawing on expertise built up from senior positions with other large corporates including JLL, KPMG, and Baker McKenzie. 

In this Tech Simple podcast Mark provides insights into some of the changes he is seeing in the workplace off the back of the pandemic and explains the importance of the various AV technologies in supporting people, place, and Ernst & Young as a whole. 

Key points covered include: 


AV technology in an office needs to be easy, seamless, and work “first time every time.” 

An equitable experience when people come together to meet and collaborate is extremely important – whether in a room at the office or joining remotely. 

A proactive approach to support of the AV systems is now critical. It is necessary to ensure people have a positive experience with the technology. 

Contact konnectus TODAY to:

• Book a free 30-min scoping call → https://www.konnectus.com.au/contact-us-konnectus/
• Watch our free AV Health-Check video → https://youtu.be/XMHccVVjsTc
• Email your AV question → [email protected]

Are the AV systems in your organisation easy to use and consistent across the board? Are they the right tools to help the organisation and people achieve valuable outcomes? Are their operational costs trending upwards or downwards? 

This show is all about why you should consider standardising your AV to achieve positive answers to the above questions. AV technology is no longer a nice to have in most organisations. It is a must have that needs to be well planned and considered from a range of different perspectives.  

Fortunately, advances in technology are making it easier than ever to standardise an AV ecosystem. David and Jonathan have identified the Top 3 reasons for standardising AV in a business, which they discuss at length in this episode:  

User Experience 

Maintenance and Support 

Security 

Contact konnectus TODAY to:

• Book a free 30-min scoping call → https://www.konnectus.com.au/contact-us-konnectus/
• Watch our free AV Health-Check video → https://youtu.be/XMHccVVjsTc
• Email your AV question → [email protected]

As the technology in modern sound systems continues to improve, it can be tempting to believe that it is now possible to pay less attention to the base line acoustic properties of a space, and still achieve great sound system performance. 

In this edition of the Tech Simple podcast David and Jonathan dive into this topic in more detail. There are some situations where the sound system technology can improve overall performance without relying on acoustic treatment to a space. The guys run through a series of examples.  

In most situations though, the best outcomes are still achieved when both the acoustic properties of a space and the sound systems are considered together as one. 

The guys also run through some tests to perform to understand the acoustic properties of a space. Finally, they provide some tips and advice to address and improve the acoustics in a room. 

Contact konnectus TODAY to:

• Book a free 30-min scoping call → https://www.konnectus.com.au/contact-us-konnectus/
• Watch our free AV Health-Check video → https://youtu.be/XMHccVVjsTc
• Email your AV question → [email protected]