How Remote Meetings Can be Productive When Using VR Meeting Software

Does productivity in the virtual workplace look different from an in-person environment? In an in-person office space, having a productive and efficient workforce can sometimes be a hassle. There’re many aspects that contribute to an unproductive workspace. From workplace distractions to coworkers who fall short of carrying their own weight, some distractions are impossible to eliminate from in-person work environments.

This is a struggle that is also apparent in remote work environments.

Remote work has its own unique sorts of distractions, from online shopping while in meetings to playing with pets when you’re supposed to be focused on a task. Working remotely can be highly productive, but sometimes it’s just a matter of using virtual reality (VR) meeting softwares with the right stuff.

Meeting software that allows for incredibly productive work? Yes! When meeting software takes into account–and I mean truly takes into account–remote work’s own unique features, a workplace with high levels of productivity is possible.

Here’s what it looks like when VR meeting software bears in mind how to make remote work actually work.

How non-immersive VR meeting softwares can prompt productive remote work

The immersive-levels of VR meeting-software can be broken down into three categories: non-immersive, semi-immersive, and fully-immersive. In non-immersive meeting softwares, like the ones included here, users collaborate and communicate with each other using avatars and/or webcam feeds.

And this plays a role in increasing levels of productivity in the virtual office.

While productivity ultimately stems from the range of productivity tools a VR meeting software provides and the accessibility of a product, the way users perceive each other is also important. Interacting with your team via webcam feed rather than as avatars certainly feels more like you are working with real people, no?

So with that in mind, webcam feeds are certainly more ideal than avatars because webcam feeds help meeting softwares create the feeling of being in-person. Digital avatars are not always a distraction, per se, but they do nothing to help users feel like they are realistically surrounded by their team.

When users feel like they are in-person, it opens the door to collaboration and brainstorming. Productivity naturally stems from these two concepts, as a collaborative work environment is one that is effectively productive and dynamic. If VR meeting softwares can successfully recreate the in-person feeling of coworkers working together (as they would in a non-remote environment), any hindrances–or distractions–to productivity that come with working with a team through a computer screen diminish.

Exploring Vowel’s agendas and meeting templates in Vowel

Vowel is a meeting platform that promises to make remote meetings “delightfully productive.” Without the need for add-ons or additional downloads, Vowel users can host, capture, search, and share video meetings.

To help make their meetings more productive, Vowel highlights three crucial keywords that make up the core components of great remote meetings: “prepare,” “meet,” and “act.”

When users “prepare,” they can plan and share their meeting agendas, ensuring that participants enter a meeting prepared and ready to contribute. To do this, Vowel users can connect to Google Calendar to easily create agendas that can be sent out to meeting participants.

To help users “meet,” Vowel’s platform allows participants to react to discussions with emojis in the chat and raise their hands to make make comments, ask questions, or piggyback off points.

As a productive and collaborative virtual meeting tool, Vowel also keeps a running live transcript of the meeting. This no doubt amplifies Vowel’s status as a platform that hopes to make meetings “delightfully productive” because there’s no need to frantically scribble meeting notes: everything can be found in the live transcript, which ultimately keeps users on-track and focused on what is being said in the meeting. Users can also utilize the “action items” in the transcript by marking important points that they want to remember or highlighting timestamps that they want their coworkers to review.

Users continue to “act” even after their meeting has ended. With a link to instantly watch past meetings, users can access meetings they missed or want to rewatch–or only the sections of meetings they want to review–as they can jump right to the highlights, decisions, or action items and even watch the meeting at 2X or search for keywords in the transcript to quickly get the information they need.

As a productive meeting software, Vowel hosts a number of meeting types, including one-on-ones, research sessions, all-hands, sales calls, design reviews, and weekly team meetings–all with their own meeting template that feature shared notes. Not only does this spur productivity, but it also helps increase collaboration as well because users can collaborate seamlessly with coworkers in shared notes.

To maintain productivity and decrease unproductive aspects like having sidetracked conversations or having one person dominating a meeting, users can set agenda timers in their templates and see talk time percentages. Not only do these features keep meetings on-track and productive, they also encourage people to contribute to the discussion.

Pricing:

• Free: record and transcribe all meetings, host meetings up to 50 minutes long, rewatch and search through past meetings for 14 days after they were recorded, up to 12 participants per meeting, basic integrations (such as Slack, Google, Calendly)
• Pro ($8.49 per member/month): includes everything included in Free + the ability to host meetings up to 120 minutes long, ability to rewatch and search through meetings for 60 days after they were recorded, up to 25 participants per meeting, and advanced transcription
• Business ($16.49 per member/month): includes everything in Pro + no time limit on meetings, ability to rewatch and search through past meetings forever, up to 50 participants per meeting, and priority support

Overall Rating:

• Accessibility: Vowel is easy to access, as it–like Kickback Space–does not require users to have a VR headset or download additional software to use. Participants simply have to use their Google account to access the meeting software. (★★★★★)
• Price: Vowel’s different pricing options make it so there is a plan for everyone, based on the features they want and their budget. (★★★★★)
• Ease of Use: Vowel clearly describes each feature included in the meeting platform. Once registered to begin meetings, Vowel provides users with a demo video that outlines how to navigate meetings and maintain productivity while working remotely. Additionally, each meeting’s live transcript allows users to easily return to and navigate meetings, ensuring that team members remain up-to-date with what was discussed in meetings if they were absent. (★★★★★)
• Ability to Network: Though it is easy to communicate with others in Vowel, this meeting software is primarily centered on keeping team members productive in a virtual environment. Unlike Kickback Space, for example, Vowel users cannot go between conversations as though they were in-person. (★★★☆☆)

Arthur’s pinboards and audio zones

As a non-immersive VR meeting software that typically requires a headset, Arthur strives to enable deep collaboration and inspire new levels of productivity for its users. If you do not have a VR headset though, have no fear: you can still access Arthur with just a laptop, or desktop users can access the virtual meeting software without a headset–they just have to use 2D viewing options. By combining the best of virtual environments and real worlds, Arthur gives users access to tools that are unique to in-person experiences and those that are special to VR.

With more than 30 sample rooms, users can hold virtual meetings in a variety of customizable environments, such as in the mountains, among the forest, an auditorium hall–even on Mars! With the capacity to hold 70 or more participants, users can experience dynamic and productive meetings.

Equipped with productivity tools, Arthur recognizes the importance of remaining productive in virtual meeting environments. For example, pinboards allow users to see which tasks are in progress or done while 3D flow charts help team members see the sequence of steps needed to move assignments to the “done” category.

To make sure that team members are productive and can easily access files, Arthur contains a file management system where users can easily access saved 3D objects, documents, images, and videos. Additionally, to further diminish any roadblocks to productivity, Arthur integrates Google Drive, One Drive, Sharepoint, Jira, and Trello, ensuring there is no excuse to not have access to work.

Unlike Vowel but like Kickback Space, Arthur uses a 3D, remote office space. While Vowel is similar to a 2D platform like Zoom, Kickback Space and Arthur allow users to feel like they are in-person at the office and around their coworkers, which spurs engagement and thus productivity, as engagement leads to increased levels in brainstorming and collaboration. Versatile, meetings in Arthur have a number of settings for teams, clients, and partners including workshops, client meetings, team meetings, events and team bonding, and training. Though each is different in theory, each setting offers productivity tools to help events on-track.

Arthur users must create a digital avatar to navigate the remote meeting space. Though not entirely “true-to-life,” Arthur avatars allow participants to move around somewhat realistically with head turning and arm motioning.

Kickback Space, on the other hand, amplifies the experience of navigating virtual environments by projecting real-time video into 3D environments. This naturally produces productivity because users feel like they are in an in-person environment with their team even though they are actually remote: Kickback Space’s use of real-time video helps eliminate screen barriers.

Pricing: Pending

Overall Rating:

• Accessibility: Though Arthur states that it’s not necessary to use a VR headset to access the meeting software, users either have to download the Arthur app or join with a VR headset or laptop. That being said, Arthur recommends using a VR headset (they support most common VR headsets, such as HTC and Oculus) with the platform to get a fully immersive experience. This is unlike Vowel and Kickback Space, where users don’t need to download additional hardware to use. (★★☆☆☆)
• Pricing: –
• Ease of Use: While this VR meeting software is easy to use, and users certainly feel like they are in the same room as their coworkers, a VR headset amplifies the experience. That is, a VR headset makes the software easier to use, allowing for a more seamless navigation. (★★☆☆☆)
• Ability to Network: Arthur’s “Audio Zones” are productivity tools that allow users to create breakout sessions to talk in smaller environments, and anyone outside the Audio Zone cannot hear: Audio Zones are private. Certainly a highlight, this feature helps users network in a smaller setting, allowing for better conversations without outside interruptions. (★★★★☆)

Conclusion

A VR meeting software’s workplace success is based on its ability to inspire productivity among a team. If users fail to be productive in a remote environment, a meeting software’s chances of continuing to be used are dramatically reduced.

And that’s where Kickback Space comes in.

Dedicated to providing users with a more human experience, Kickback Space helps users navigate remote conversations more easily by allowing users to move around realistic virtual spaces. In this non-immersive VR meeting software, participants and team members can experience heightened levels of productivity because communication feels like it is happening in-person: Kickback Space erases the online screen barrier.

By projecting real-time video into 3D virtual environments, Kickback Space helps to boost engagement (and subsequently productivity) in the virtual workplace because team members engage with each other as though they were in-person. In Kickback Space, users efficiently maintain productivity, which means tasks and goals can be completed in a timely manner, helping to make the best use of company or meeting time.

About the Author

Brett Zach is the Lead Editor of Kickback Space, a VR meeting software centered on creating a more human experience to drive communication and connection.

References

Arthur, “3 ways our clients are using private Audio Zones feature.” https://www.arthur.digital/blog/3-ways-our-clients-are-using-private-audio-zones.

Arthur, “Arthur | Case studies & Use cases for collaboration in VR.” https://www.arthur.digital/use-cases.

Arthur, “Helping you meet and collaborate in VR.” https://www.arthur.digital.

Arthur, “Product.” https://www.arthur.digital/product.

Vowel, “Free Meeting Software with Recording.” https://www.vowel.com/product/.

Vowel, “How Vowel is Different.” https://www.vowel.com/features/why-vowel/.

Vowel, “Pricing and Plans.” https://www.vowel.com/pricing/.

Vowel, “Video Conferencing & Meeting Transcription Software.” https://www.vowel.com.

Vowel, “Video Meeting Solutions.” https://www.vowel.com/solutions.