Neat launches Neat Center in Australia & New Zealand

Neat, a pioneering Norwegian video technology company, has announced that its Neat Center is now available in Australia and New Zealand. This development comes as hybrid work continues to be a prevalent mode of operation for many organisations.

The Frost and Sullivan study indicates that the global video conferencing adoption rate is set to more than double from 2020 to 2028, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.7%. This surge is driven by the increasing need for video-enabled meeting spaces that facilitate hybrid work environments.

Neat Center is a video companion device designed to elevate meeting spaces and ensure remote participants are fully engaged in the conversation. The device provides a 360-degree meeting experience, consistently keeping in-person team members' faces in frame. This capability is intended to create a more inclusive and connected meeting environment for hybrid workers.

Jason MacBride, Neat's Regional Director for ANZ, emphasised the importance of smart, user-friendly video tools in the current hybrid work landscape. "With many workers now hybrid, it's more important than ever to have smart video tools that are easy to use, regardless of location and create a sense of really being together. With Neat Center, we believe we have delivered this. It makes video meetings feel more natural, flexible and easy to set up," he stated.

Andrew Upshon, Head of AV at Dicker Data, supports the value of Neat Center in hybrid meetings. "With the flexibility to work across both MS Teams and Zoom, we fully expect Neat Center to raise the bar even higher when it comes to creating the optimal hybrid meeting experience that will boost productivity and ultimately give organisations a competitive edge," he said.

The device enhances remote attendees' view of the room, providing a comprehensive visual experience that includes clear speech, gestures, and movements. Neat Center is aimed at making remote meeting attendees feel as though they are genuinely part of the conversation, despite not being physically present.

Jason MacBride underscored the design ethos behind Neat Center, stating, "At Neat, we believe that good design encourages compelling communication. However, as humans we constantly shift focus and filter out distractions through our senses and this can be hard to replicate digitally through video. Likewise, most of us don't have time to adjust settings to join a video call, we just want it to work. That’s where Neat Center truly comes into its own."

The device is enhanced by Artificial Intelligence (AI), which frames each team member effectively, ensuring remote participants can follow conversations more closely. This is particularly beneficial in situations where in-person team members are far from the main device or are engaged in discussions among themselves. The Neat Center is simple to set up, offers flexible placement options, and elevates the functionality of existing Neat devices, including the Neat Bar Gen 2 and Neat Board.

Neat Center has been recognised for its design excellence, winning both the Red Dot Award and a Red Dot Smart Award earlier this month. These accolades underscore the company’s commitment to delivering high-quality video conferencing solutions that enhance user experience.

The Neat Center is now available in Australia and New Zealand, retailing for USD $2,290. This release comes at a time when businesses are increasingly turning to advanced video technologies to meet the demands of a hybrid workforce and maintain a competitive edge.