2018 Kraków
When Andrew Sieja, the son of Polish immigrants, founded his own company 17 years ago, he had no idea that three years later he would sign a contract to create a platform that would change not only his life, but also the way the world’s largest companies gather and analyse data. Today, the platform is used by over 13,000 organizations in 43 countries, including 73 Fortune 100 companies, the US Department of Justice, and more than a hundred of the 200 largest US law firms. To say that Relativity is a successful firm, is to say nothing at all. It introduced machine learning to the legal sector and conquered the whole world with its product, becoming a global leader in the e-discovery market, and now – as it expands – its founder fulfills his dream by opening a branch in Poland. That said, when working on a new AV system design for the company’s new office, we knew that in the first place we must focus on innovative solutions that guarantee maximum operating support (also for group work) and reliability. The result of our efforts is the company’s headquarters in Kraków, which is a visionary example of a modern office, which – we hope – in a few years will become a standard for furnishing conference and coworking spaces.
The 6,000 square meters of the Kraków headquarters boast the sector’s most innovative technologies, which can be seen at the entrance. When you enter the company, you are greeted by a video system in the reception area. It consists of a Sony 4K display screen with a HD scaler, connected with twisted pair transmission. The screen is used for displaying advertising or information content for the people waiting for a meeting.
However, the heart and the most important place in the company is the training room where team meetings are held and innovative concepts are born. To maximise support for teamwork, the room has been equipped with Microsoft Surface Hub, a modern conference solution. This is a 84-inch interactive whiteboard with a 100-point multi-touch panel with a 4K resolution, which guarantees perfect image quality. The built-in computer with Windows 10 operating system facilitates work with a number of programs and applications. It is fully integrated with the Microsoft software environment such as Skype for Business, Office 365, Microsoft Teams and Azure, and a full array of specialized software for the Windows platform. With the Nvidia Quadro 2200 graphics card and the extremely precise pen, you can comfortably use professional graphics and 3D programs, such as AutoCAD.
We used Crestron AirMedia system to ensure that work effects can be shared with team members on their mobile devices in real time and the content received from their devices can be displayed on the screen, which also facilitates remote cooperation with people outside the company. In turn, after work, people can continue their projects on their PCs.
With the wide range of available applications, Microsoft Surface Hub is a complete conference solution which will help you get rid of projectors, teleconferencing systems, whiteboards and excess cables from office rooms, while addressing problems with system integration. The SurfaceHub in the training room is supplemented with HDMI switches and in-ceiling Crestron Saros sound system. The whole set is controlled by the Crestron CP3 management system with a wall-mounted keyboard.
The 84-inch Microsoft SurfaceHub display screen with the receiver and twisted pair transmission was also placed in the break room. The system is used for presentations at corporate meetings and events. Intuitive operation, responsiveness and compatibility with personal devices help minimize the time needed to prepare the equipment, so you can just focus on celebrating events in the life of the company.
In turn, smaller, 55-inch Microsoft SurfaceHub monitors have been installed in conference rooms and meetup rooms. A built-in microphone reduces noise and echo, while speakers optimised for human voice reproduction and two wide-angle full HD cameras ensure perfect quality of conference calls. With multiple functionalities of the system and superior image and sound quality, they are an excellent solution for video conferences and presentations.
The office is customised to the current needs of employees, but goes beyond the work environment. The many-year research proves that for a long work to be effective it needs to be interspersed with short rest breaks. For this reason, Relativity provided its employees with a game room, which we have equipped with a large-format Sony 4K display screen connected to the XBOX console. The video system is controlled by a wall-mounted Crestron wall keyboard, which is convenient and easy-to-use. Relativity’s Kraków headquarters is a flexible space that can be customized to the needs of its users. To facilitate the day-to-day functioning of the office, we have also equipped it with a mobile SurfaceHub monitor on a stand. It allows people to work in a team anywhere in the company, changing even the smallest space into an additional place for teamwork.
The fastest-growing companies are well aware of the fact that the company’s headquarters is a major factor influencing the choice of the new place of employment. This applies both to young people entering the labour market and qualified specialists that are much in demand in that market. They expect the headquarters not only to be conveniently located and comfortable, but above all they want to find modern technological solutions that will improve their work. This has a positive impact not only on the well-being and satisfaction of employees, but also on the company’s financial results. According to research carried out by Forrester*, the use of Microsoft Surface Hub in corporate environment allows printing costs to be reduced, causes sales to increase by 20%, brings time savings of 12–23 minutes for each meeting and results in ROI of 138%. This gives a real boost to the development of the company and its corporate culture. This is why we hope that the AV systems used at the Relativity headquarters in Kraków will become a new standard in office equipment.
*The Total Economic Impact™ Of Microsoft Surface Hub. Cost Savings And Business Benefits Enabled By Surface Hub, Forrester, 2016