Computer peripherals and software manufacturer Logitech is aiming to provide video conferencing and other solutions for the “new world of work” to the South African market, through its Logitech for Business offering.

At a “New Logic of Work” event, held in Johannesburg on September 10, Logitech Africa, Middle East, Turkey and Central Asia business-to-business head Loubna Imenchal pointed out that the pandemic expedited the adoption of video and other virtual technology solutions, and that the company was already poised to meet these needs, having positioned itself for this future of working some 45 years prior.

He further noted that there was no single answer to what the new world of work looked like, with some companies opting for a full return to office and others operating on a fully remote or hybrid model.

There was increasingly popularity of the hybrid option; however, this did pose some threats, such as products and technology being compromised. The company had identified this as an opportunity to enhance its innovations and integrate its solutions to be secure, Imenchal said.

He also pointed out that research had shown that about 90% of people were distracted during video conferencing.

The company aimed to respond to this and other pain points by providing “plug and play” solutions, she highlighted – solutions that were secure, but not complicated.

Moreover, Logitech is also gearing itself for what the future world of work will look like and the innovations that will be required to meet the needs of future generations of employees.

Therefore, its latest releases focus on workspace management, with the offering able to cater for all possibilities of what the future of work will entail – be it hybrid, remote or full time office work.

The company will also soon be releasing new offerings in both hardware and software.

Logitech Emerging Markets business-to-business head Angelos Stefanidis pointed out that there still had not been a full adoption of technology, with about 80% of corporates not having video conferencing technology. This presente an opportunity for Logitech.

He said that the South African market was ripe for the uptake of such solutions, but there were some structural changes required in the market to facilitate this.

Imenchal said that, when developing technologies, the company adopted a human-centric innovation approach, to ensure the end-user was catered for.

These must allow for easy collaboration and enhanced performance, and services and solutions must also be safe, reliable and scalable.

Imenchal also emphasised the importance of sustainability to the company, with the aim being to be net zero by 2030.

Moreover, its packaging is Forest Stewardship Council-certified and includes carbon labelling.

The company has also re-engineered several solutions to be more sustainable and it is considering the best options for the recycling of its products when they meet their end-of-life. Some pilot projects with partners are currently under way.

Meanwhile, at the event, the company showcased some of its latest technologies, including its Rally Bar family and Logitech Sight.  

Logitech Rally Bars are video bars for meeting rooms.

Imenchal highlighted that Logitech integrates AI into its technologies. In the Rally Bars, built-in AI video intelligence capabilities ensure all meeting participants can be seen clearly, aimed at providing a better meeting experience for remote participants.

Logitech Sight is a tabletop companion camera with intelligent multi-participant framing. It works in tandem with the Rally Bar to provide a front-and-centre view of meeting participants around the table.

This provides full exposure of everyone sitting at a table in a meeting or conference, enabling equitable viewing for those that are not actually present at the meeting.

Moreover, Sight is being further progressed, with innovations that would allow for a secondary site to be added and for larger sites to be catered for.

AI capabilities used in Sight include automatically framing of meeting participants, automatic light and colour optimisation and adaptive audio adjustments.