Exclusive: Neat's Graham Walsh on AI-powered collaboration in tech

Neat's video technology evangelist, has revealed how the company's cutting-edge AI solutions are transforming video collaboration globally.

Graham Walsh, who describes his role at Neat as "probably the best job in the world," is at the forefront of revolutionising video conferencing technology.

As a video technology evangelist, Walsh plays a critical role in bridging the gap between customer needs and the company's research and development (R&D) team. This position allows him to shape products that are intuitive and user-friendly, ensuring that they meet the demands of a fast-evolving market.

One of Neat's key missions is to create video technology that is simple and intuitive for users.

"One of our main focuses is making it so intuitive that a user can walk in and start a video call easily," he explained. Neat's products, according to Walsh, are designed to be effortlessly user-friendly, a feature that is particularly valued in the corporate world where time is of the essence.

Neat, founded in 2019, entered the market at an opportune time, just before the pandemic struck. Initially partnering with Zoom, the company later expanded its offerings to include Microsoft Teams, catering to a broader range of customer preferences. The team behind Neat boasts a wealth of experience, with veterans from companies like Tandberg, Cisco, and Polycom.

"We've got such a rich history in video," Walsh noted, adding that this expertise has been instrumental in Neat's rapid success.

One of the standout innovations from Neat is the Center device, which Walsh proudly highlights as a game-changer.

"It's an all-in-one room camera that sits in the middle of the table, picking up people around it to enhance the experience for remote participants," he said. This device, which was launched in Q2 this year, addresses a common issue in video conferencing: the tendency to overlook remote participants. The Center device ensures that everyone in the room is equally visible and audible, creating a more inclusive meeting environment.

Neat's approach to product development is heavily informed by machine learning, a technology that Walsh describes as central to the company's strategy. "We continually feed our machine learning database with images of different conference rooms, which helps us understand and adapt to various environments," Walsh explained. 

The company's AI capabilities extend beyond video to audio as well.

Neat's products are designed to filter out non-verbal noises like the rustling of crisp packets or the sounds of traffic, focusing solely on the human voice. Interestingly, one of the most challenging sounds to block out is a dog barking, as it closely mimics the human voice. 

Neat's technology is making significant inroads in various industries, including education, where it is helping to bridge the digital divide. Walsh highlights that Neat's all-in-one devices are particularly suited to educational settings because of their flexibility. "You can really set them up anywhere, connect them to video, and start a session in no time," he explained. This ease of use is crucial in environments where room layouts frequently change, such as classrooms or training centres.

The company's products are also gaining traction in the Australian market, where Walsh noted a forward-thinking attitude towards technology adoption. "The ANZ region is more forward-thinking and adopts new technology quicker than the rest of the world."

Looking ahead, Walsh sees AI and machine learning playing an even more significant role in the collaboration space.

"The biggest trend we're going to see this year is AI-driven features like transcriptions and meeting summaries, which will become increasingly common," he predicts. These innovations, spearheaded by companies like Microsoft and Zoom, are expected to make meetings more efficient by automating follow-up actions and generating summaries of key points.

As Neat continues to grow, the company is focusing on evolving its products and maintaining its edge in AI technology. Walsh emphasises that Neat's commitment to innovation is unwavering. "We're leading the market, and others have to play catch-up," he said.

"It's exciting to see the technology we've developed come alive and transform the way people collaborate."

It's clear that Neat's approach to video collaboration technology is not just about making meetings more accessible - but about enhancing the entire experience, ensuring that everyone, whether in the room or remote, feels equally included.

"If my mother can press a button and join a meeting, then anyone can do it," Walsh said.

Integrate, Australia's premier annual AV and Integration trade show, is currently taking place in Sydney, where Walsh will be speaking. 

The event, running from the 21st to 23rd of August, is a hub of activity for local and global brands to showcase solutions and products to AV professionals, integrators, technicians and corporate end-users.