MS Teams video meeting

MS Teams and Zoom in a video conference enabled room

The question often arises whether you can conduct a MS Teams or Zoom video meeting in a video conference enabled room?

Zoom

All the video conference enabled rooms at JCU are Zoom compatible which means the room camera, microphone and speakers are used. If a laptop is used for a presentation and the laptop is also used to control the Zoom participants, be mindful to mute the laptop microphone as it otherwise will interfere with the room audio.

MS Teams

The simple answer is no due to the MS Teams environment not being compatible with traditional video conference hardware, the room equipment cannot be used. However, should your only meeting option be MS Teams, you can bring a laptop to the room and connect it to MS Teams while showing the laptop on the display system in the room. Bear in mind the meeting will not be using the room camera nor the room microphone, the inbuilt devices on the laptop will show what is covered by its camera angle and microphone and will depend upon how the laptop is positioned.

The remote participants' experience will be limited by the laptop camera angle (marked in blue limits on the image) and what the laptop microphone picks up. If you are the only participant in the room, this will be of no consequence however if you and your team are meeting in the room connecting to remote participants, there will be limitations as to who in the room will be visible and who can be clearly heard.