Success Story: Province of South Holland – Province of South Holland holds hybrid meetings thanks to Neat

Challenges

• Hybrid meetings? They hardly took place.
• Home workers felt less involved in online meetings.
• The province did not have enough suitable meeting equipment.

Solutions

• Bechtle suggested Neat products, which are easy to use and do not require complex installation.
• Devices switch on automatically upon arrival and meetings start with a single push of a button.
• Neat Pulse offers central management and updates, while Neat Symmetry ensures an equal view of all participants.

Results

• More personal, productive hybrid meetings in which all participants are equally visible.
• More involvement and more natural communication between home workers and office employees.
• Easy management and hassle-free installation, which significantly reduces the burden on the IT department.

Taking hybrid meetings to the next level

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, many employees of the Province of South Holland were already working partly from home. But meetings were mostly held in the office. Microsoft Teams and Skype for Business were only used by a handful of employees for informal conversations. Telephone calls were the most important means of communication at the time.

So you can imagine that when the pandemic made working from home mandatory, the IT department had to switch quickly. Thijs Stobbelaar, AV consultant at Bechtle at the time, currently Product Specialist at Neat, says: “Fortunately, the Province of South Holland had already switched to Microsoft 365, which allowed them to use Teams. But logically, the demand for hybrid meeting solutions grew.”

The biggest challenge was the perspective of home workers. Because the camera in the office often showed the entire meeting room, facial expressions and non-verbal communication were difficult to see. A solution was sought to make digital meetings just as personal as physical meetings. “Employees who worked from home often did not feel part of the Teams meetings,” says Daniel de Korte, ICT project officer at the Province of South Holland. “With that feedback, we started looking for an alternative.”

Neat technology as a solution

Bechtle introduced Neat products. These devices are ready to use immediately and require no technical knowledge. Thijs: "Neat devices are not only stylish, but also extremely user-friendly. Installation is simple and operational within minutes." The on-screen instructions guide users step by step. Thanks to the custom-made mounting systems, such as the Neat Bar that is attached to a monitor with sturdy tape, installation is quick and hassle-free. The devices activate automatically when entering the room and a meeting can be started with just one push of a button.

For an organisation with multiple meeting rooms, it is essential to keep an overview of the equipment used. Neat Pulse offers the Province of South Holland the possibility to manage devices remotely, adjust settings and roll out software updates centrally. This ensures efficient and problem-free operation of the meeting solutions. We have linked Neat Symmetry to this. Previously, the camera showed the entire meeting room, making it difficult for home workers to see faces and expressions. The Neat Symmetry feature displays all participants individually and at the same size, creating a more natural and equal meeting experience.

Reliable collaboration and future-proofing

The Province of South Holland is very pleased with the collaboration with Bechtle. ​​“Bechtle is a reliable IT partner that really listens to our needs,” Daniel concludes. The Province of South Holland now has a hybrid meeting system that fully involves employees in the meeting, regardless of their location. “Thanks to Bechtle and Neat, we can now collaborate and meet efficiently, with technology that works well both now and in the future.”