We’ve all seen technology seep—or rather, flood—into our lives during this past pandemic year. Perhaps most notably are what seem to have become ubiquitous Zoom meetings! Perhaps we will have fewer of these as we get back to a more normal working environment. Or perhaps not—one thing the pandemic has demonstrated is how virtual meeting technologies make it easier for employees to work from home yet collaborate with team members in a way that is almost, but not quite, as productive as in-person meetings.

Virtual meetings have encompassed many other types of gatherings as well, including conferences and even product demonstrations. We’ve heard a number of stories about equipment manufacturers, for example, selling multimillion dollar solutions, even to new customers, with nary an in-person demo in sight! We think this approach will stick around—creating more of a hybrid sales cycle where in-person visits to demo centers are likely to be put off until later in the sales cycle, with increasingly sophisticated virtual demos being used in the front-end of the sales cycle, making it faster, easier, and less expensive to get through this part of the process. A couple of manufacturers we have spoken with have installed up to 30 cameras in their respective demo centers for an integrated virtual demo experience that customers tell them is almost like being there in person.

Another technology that was in somewhat limited use pre-pandemic is Smart Glasses. A recent article published by Tech Native noted, “Unlike in previous years where these glasses were seen as a ‘nice to have’ technology gadget, people have now come to appreciate this wearable technology as a valuable tool that frees up hands and helps employees get their jobs done more effectively. In a world increasingly heading toward remote or flexible work, the power of smart glasses is also being explored for its ability to make videoconferencing more immersive and dynamic. For example, Advanced AR could enable the projection of colleagues in front of the wearer, virtually replicating the office environment inside your home.” The article also points out the technology’s utility for the service industry.