UC Today

HP has unveiled one of its most expansive collaboration announcements in years at InfoComm 2026 – spanning headsets, video conferencing hardware, intelligent cameras, and a platform play that reframes how IT teams think about meeting room management.

At the heart of it all is a concept Greg Baribault, VP of Product and Portfolio Management, calls ambient technology. “We want the conference controller, the microphones, the displays and cameras to just disappear,” he explains.

“The room makes smart decisions so people can focus on what they’re there to do – have a meeting, have a discussion, have impact.”

That vision is being driven by AI across the entire portfolio. On the software side, HP is integrating Poly Lens into its Workforce Experience Platform (WXP) – a move designed to shift the conversation for IT from device management to workforce productivity. Room Visualiser AI exemplifies the ambition: walk into a space, take a few photos, and the platform detects room dimensions, chair count, window placement and recommends the right camera and microphone setup automatically.

On the hardware side, the new Studio Room Compute brings a Windows-based MTR and Zoom Rooms system built specifically for integrators, complete with magnetic backplane, colour-coded ports, and a 50 TOPS NPU for edge AI processing. Alongside it, VideoOS 5.1 introduces DirectorAI – multi-camera switching that tracks where participants are looking in real time, ensuring the right face is always in frame.

But perhaps the announcement Baribault is most eager to talk about is the Poly Focus 6 headset series. Lightweight, foldable, with swappable ear cushions and a discreet boom mic, it’s designed to look as good on camera as it sounds. “It’s beautiful,” he says simply. Hard to argue.

With WXP managing devices across multiple vendors and AI embedded at every layer, HP’s message at InfoComm is clear: the era of fiddling with meeting room tech should be over.

Can hybrid teams, AV leaders, and enterprise technology buyers keep moving fast if trust breaks down?
 
At InfoComm 2026, UC Today’s Marcus Law speaks with Mariana Atencio, journalist, public speaker, and trust expert, following her keynote at the AVIXA Women’s Breakfast.
 
Mariana explores why trust has become a critical competitive edge across collaboration technology, ProAV, cybersecurity, finance, healthcare, and AI. She explains how leaders can build trust through screens, how teams can strengthen culture in hybrid working environments, and why safe, reliable, and transparent technology is now central to business confidence.
 
The conversation also covers the risks and opportunities of AI, including deepfakes, human instinct, responsible adoption, and the guardrails industries need to protect users and organizations.
 
Mariana also shares why she remains optimistic about the future, drawing on her personal experience leaving Venezuela and rebuilding her life through storytelling, purpose, and community.
 
Watch the full interview to hear why trust may be the defining factor for leaders navigating the next wave of workplace and technology transformation.

Is InfoComm becoming one of the most important unified communications events on the calendar?

At InfoComm 2026, UC Today’s Marcus Law speaks with Neil Fluester, Head of Portfolio & Alliances - Logitech For Business EU, about how the show has evolved from a traditional AV gathering into a major stage for UC, collaboration, and AI-driven meeting experiences.

Neil reflects on Microsoft’s first InfoComm keynote, the growing role of Teams and Copilot, and how platforms such as Zoom, Google, and Cisco Webex have changed the way organizations think about meeting rooms. The conversation also explores why interoperability has become central to the user experience, and why buyers are increasingly focused on outcomes rather than specifications.

Neil also shares his thoughts on the AVIXA Women’s Council Breakfast, the importance of diversity in UC and AV, and why human trust, creativity, and connection remain essential as AI becomes more embedded in work.

In this episode of UC Today, host Kristian McCann sits down with Ivan Jackson, President of Interim Technology at Korn Ferry, to explore why traditional hiring models are struggling to keep pace with today's rapidly evolving technology landscape and why the concept of "renting tech talent" is gaining traction.  

The technology talent market is changing rapidly, and organizations that rely solely on traditional hiring may struggle to keep pace. 

In this conversation, Jackson explains why more businesses are turning to flexible technology talent models to accelerate transformation and gain access to hard-to-find expertise. 

Key discussion points include: 

• Why the accelerating pace of AI, cybersecurity, cloud, and data initiatives is shortening the lifespan of technical skills. 

• How interim technology professionals help organizations execute projects faster than traditional hiring processes allow. 

• The difference between hiring contractors for additional capacity and engaging interim leaders to drive business outcomes. 

• When businesses should leverage flexible talent, and where permanent teams remain essential for long-term success. 

Whether you're navigating digital transformation, workforce planning, AI adoption, or technology leadership challenges, this discussion provides practical insights into building a workforce model designed for today's business environment. 

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Why are so many organisations still stuck in AI pilot purgatory – and what does it actually take to move from experimentation to real operational impact?

In this interview, Christopher Carey sits down with Alex Ayers, Sales Director at Gamma, fresh from the company's GX 2026 event. Alex shares what he's hearing from enterprise leaders across every major sector: the real barriers to AI execution aren't the technology – they're strategy, governance, workflow design, and organisational complexity.

From the dangers of replacing people before redesigning processes, to why doing one pilot brilliantly beats running dozens badly, this is a frank and practical conversation for any IT or business leader trying to close the gap between AI ambition and operational reality.

For more Unified Communications & Collaboration Tech News visit https://www.uctoday.com/

When Nyere Hollingsworth describes InfoComm as “summer camp,” he means it as a compliment.

For the Managing Director of Endpoints and Workplace Experience Technologies at law firm Winston Taylor, the annual AV industry gathering in Las Vegas is a chance to reconnect with peers, absorb new ideas, and take stock of where the industry is heading.

But beneath the enthusiasm lies a serious message – one he delivered from the stage this year.

Hollingsworth spoke at a session exploring cybersecurity practices that AV professionals and end users alike need to take seriously.

“It has to be intentional,” he told UC Today.


“You have to be thoughtful and strategic about how you deploy systems, what systems you actually buy and purchase, and the things that you do to secure and configure them on your network.”

For a law firm like Winston Taylor – whose clients include some of the world’s largest corporations and most powerful individuals – the stakes are particularly high.

But Hollingsworth is quick to point out that the underlying challenges are not unique to legal. Secure connectivity, reliable support, and strategic technology planning are universal concerns. What differs is the pressure to get it right.

That pressure, he argues, is something end users should be channelling directly at manufacturers. AVIXA has made a deliberate effort to amplify the end-user voice at InfoComm – and Hollingsworth wants that voice to be heard clearly. “If you don’t have the certain features in your security stack in order for me to reliably put it on my network, then I’m not going to buy it,” he said. “And that’s not in your interest.”

It’s a straightforward message, but one the AV industry would do well to take seriously. End users aren’t just consumers – they’re a force for change.

How can businesses make hybrid work feel less fragmented for employees, IT teams, and business leaders?

At InfoComm 2026 in Las Vegas, UC Today’s Marcus Law speaks with Keith Yandell, EVP of Innovation at FORTÉ, from the Smart Workplace Experience on the show floor.

Created through a collaboration between AVIXA and FORTÉ, the installation shows how modern workplace technology can come together around real user experiences rather than standalone products. Keith explains how the experience reflects a Class A office environment, covering spaces such as the lobby, experience center, cafe, wayfinding areas, personal workspaces, intelligent meeting rooms, monitoring and management, and broadcast communications.

The conversation also explores why AI is now front of mind for workplace and collaboration leaders, and how the Smart Workplace Experience demonstrates practical ways AI can improve productivity, reduce friction, and support work-from-anywhere strategies.

Keith also highlights the partners involved in bringing the experience to life, including Q-SYS, Crestron, Logitech, Shure, Legrand, and Sony.

How can universities deliver consistent learning experiences when students, faculty, and classrooms are spread across an entire state?

At InfoComm 2026, UC Today’s Marcus Law speaks with Kevin Reeve, Academic Technology Officer at Utah State University, about how the institution uses Zoom Rooms to support distance education across 30 locations.

Kevin explains why faculty demand helped drive the move to Zoom, how Canvas LTI improved adoption, and why access to tools like whiteboarding, chat, and AI Companion has created more interactive learning experiences for students.

He also shares how Utah State University has reduced room deployment costs by 30 percent to 50 percent, why institutions should avoid overcomplicating AV design, and what comes next as the university explores self-healing classrooms.

The conversation also looks at the wider InfoComm 2026 trend toward network-based AV, software-led infrastructure, and more proactive classroom support.

What does it take to build AV for a campus arena that needs to serve student-athletes, commencements, external events, and 24/7 operations?

Live from InfoComm 2026 in Las Vegas, UC Today’s Marcus Law speaks with Patrick Eisenhauer, Director of Audio Visual and Event Services at the University of St. Thomas, about the university’s major athletics and events facility project with Panasonic.

Patrick explains how the University of St. Thomas made the jump from Division 3 to Division 1 athletics, why that move required a new multi-purpose facility, and how Panasonic professional displays became a key part of the AV strategy.

The discussion covers the scale of the arena, the importance of aligning technology choices with university standards, and why consumer-grade displays were not the right fit for a venue expected to support heavy daily usage.

Patrick also shares why InfoComm remains essential for higher education technology leaders, from education sessions and vendor relationships to spotting the solutions that will shape future campus experiences.

For Mike Pedersen, Infocomm always feels like coming home. "It's a little bit like a family reunion," he told UC Today at this year's show in Las Vegas. "I get to see so many people I know and acquaintances I've made." But beyond the networking, Pedersen, Audiovisual Experience Manager at Iowa State University, had serious business to attend to, including speaking at the HETMA Higher Education Summit, a day-and-a-half event dedicated entirely to higher education AV professionals.

His session focused on a topic close to his heart: standardisation. For universities managing dozens or even hundreds of classrooms, standardising AV systems delivers benefits that ripple across the entire institution. "Instructors can walk into any room, and it looks familiar," Pedersen explained. "They don't have to worry." From an operational standpoint, fewer SKUs mean bulk purchasing and tighter cost control, a significant advantage for institutions under constant budget pressure.

Day-to-day, however, the challenges are more human than technical. Helping instructors feel comfortable with classroom technology remains an ongoing task. "Sometimes you've got to tell them how to share their laptop screen onto the projector," Pedersen admitted. The solution, he finds, is patience and careful one-on-one support.

On the wider industry landscape, Pedersen is watching AI closely. He highlighted a prototype system from an Australian university that uses AI to autonomously test classroom AV equipment overnight, checking projector output and audio quality, then raising a ticket if something is off. "Those are the types of things that are coming," he said. "Labour savings and improving overall reliability, that's going to be huge."

AV over IP is another trend he expects to accelerate, with falling price points making the technology viable for an ever-growing number of spaces.

His takeaway from Infocomm 2026 was unambiguous: "AI is everywhere. If you're not coming up to speed on it quickly, you're getting behind."