Most work we do involves teamwork; interacting, informing, brainstorming and put quite simply, we humans need each other. Most studies find that efficiency and effectiveness improve when we discuss tasks, share responsibilities and in essence, work together.
Any team is only as good as their collaboration tools – it is imperative that audio and visual should be of a high quality and be synced so that no time is wasted, and everyone involved can hear every word and see clearly – whether that’s looking at the whiteboard or seeing the speakers’ mannerisms and gestures.
Jabra PanaCast 50 VBS
The Jabra PanaCast 50 has made remote collaboration easy and engaging. Ideal for small and large rooms, the Jabra PanaCast 50 VBS (video bar system) is a plug and play all-in-one collaboration solution. The videobar fits discreetly into any room environment, it can be versatilely positioned on a wall, table or screen and so if customers choose a wall or screen mount they can do away with those space-hungry devices on valuable working space areas such as tables. The concern of positioning the videobar in the absolute optimum place is eased, because the three 13 megapixel cameras catch all the action – the intelligent zoom and 180 degree view means no angle of the room or movement is missed, even if you have quite a few people in the meeting room. It is as if you have a “virtual director” in the videobar – detecting active speakers and intelligently framing the action accordingly.
Integration and Compatibility
The PanaCast 50 VBS offers a Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) Mode, allowing users to join meetings on other platforms from their own laptop by plugging a USB cable into the video bar.
Jabra PanaCast is optimised and certified for use with Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Teams Rooms, Zoom, Zoom Rooms and is compatible with Cisco Webex and many more. Built with the latest AI-enabled technology, video conferencing becomes easy and enjoyable.
The Jabra PanaCast 50 can be managed on its own, or as part of the Jabra+ for admins, which is a cloud-based software platform that enables remote monitoring and management of meeting rooms, providing a clear visual overview of rooms, locations, and devices for seamless management of Jabra solutions.
Mounts/Installation
We tested the Grey Table Mount – and were suitably impressed with its sleek design and robustness. There are 5 Jabra Panacast 50 mounts to choose from – Wall (in black or grey), Table (in black or grey) or some might opt for the Screen Mount. Installation is very easy as with all Jabra products that are plug and play. Assembly was relatively easy – no technician required.
Key Features:
• 180° field of view – gives a wall-to-wall natural view without distortion
• Panoramic – 4K quality – everyone looks sharp and in focus
• 8 beamforming microphones for crystal clear conversations
• 4 speakers in vibration-free, stereo setup for high-definition audio
• Ease of Use and Plug-and-play connectivity to enable instant collaboration
• Whiteboard sharing – captures anything you write on a whiteboard in real-time, enhancing readability
Sales Tips for Resellers
Think Sector – focus on Corporate and Education sectors – conferencing rooms, boardrooms, meeting rooms and training spaces, and all SMBs looking for affordable video conferencing rooms.
Show it Off – respond to sales enquiries by video calling your customer from a showcase or demo room. Proactively forward videos to your customers e.g. YouTube 90 second video demonstrating the intelligent camera features.
The Investment is Justified (or Offer Finance) – Do the financial and space calculations for your customer for separate cameras, separate microphones, separate speakers, cables and plug points and show the customer the space and cost savings. See handy tool at https://www.jabra.com/business/video-conferencing/jabra-panacast
New-normal-ready – It is plug and play – an absolute selling point for customers who just want something to work. No more configurations trying to get devices to talk to one another, the Jabra PanaCast 50 is ready to work the moment you take it out of the box.
Mounts and Cables – Sell your customer the entire solution – there are 3 mount options – wall, table or screen. The PanaCast 50 videobar is so light – approx. 2kg. so there is no fear of heavy outdated tech falling off the wall. Additionally USB cables are available in 2.0 and 3.0 speeds with lengths of 2m, 3m and 5m.
At InfoComm in June 2024, Jabra announced that the PanaCast 50 intelligent bar was the first video bar certified for Microsoft Intelligent Speaker – a feature that can pinpoint speakers in a room and attribute their names to the transcript, as well as provide more accurate input for Intelligent Meeting Recap and Copilot. The PanaCast 50 VBS includes Enhanced Noise Suppression, which intelligently separates voice from disruptive sounds like typing and paper crunching to provide high-quality sound to remote participants.
UC Advanced’s Verdict
When it comes to video bar systems, it is easy to understand why the Jabra PanaCast 50 has won so many awards, and it thoroughly deserves UC Advanced’s Editor’s Choice award.
The sound delivery is superb – both to and from the system, perhaps something you come to expect with Jabra’s extensive history in superior-quality sound systems.
The 3 in-built cameras that clearly catch everything in the room and intuitively zoom in on those who are talking or giving demonstrations certainly takes collaboration to a higher level, making those not in the room feel like they are. Whilst the cameras are in zoom, the microphones and speakers are catching the audio, so there is no drag or delay in delivering the action in real-time.
Having reviewed the Jabra PanaCast 50, my suggestion is to get rid of the devices cluttering your work space and causing trip hazards, and get your meeting room one. It is at an affordable price point for large or small businesses, and an investment well worth making.
