Hybrid Working Has Changed Expectations (Again)
Since the rapid shift to hybrid working in 2020, organisations have invested heavily in collaboration platforms, meeting spaces, and workplace technology. Employees now expect meetings to start on time, audio to be clear, video to just work, and technology to feel effortless. At home, people rely on simple, familiar setups that rarely require intervention.
So why, when they come into the office, do they still encounter meetings delayed by technical issues, rooms that behave differently from one another, or systems that require trial and error before anyone can collaborate effectively?
As we enter 2026, hybrid working is no longer new or experimental. It is embedded. Expectations have risen accordingly, and tolerance for friction has dropped. AV systems are now business critical infrastructure, not optional add ons. Yet the way many organisations support those systems has not evolved at the same pace.
The Gap Between Installed Technology and Ongoing Support
Meeting room upgrades carried out during and immediately after COVID were often reactive by necessity. Speed and availability outweighed consistency and supportability. Today, many organisations are living with the consequences of those decisions, including fragmented AV estates, unclear responsibility between teams, and support models that no longer align with how the business operates.
The result is familiar. Issues are fixed only when users complain. Minor faults escalate into major disruptions. IT teams inherit AV problems they are not resourced to manage. End users lose confidence in meeting spaces and quietly revert to workarounds that undermine the value of the office altogether.
The technology itself may be capable and modern, but without the right support model behind it, performance degrades over time. The problem is not the AV investment; it is the lack of strategic thinking around how that investment is maintained, monitored, and supported.
Why January Is the Moment to Reassess
January is one of the few points in the year when organisations genuinely pause to review how things are working. Budgets are reset, priorities are clarified, and service models are reassessed before the year gains momentum.
Yet AV support is often missing from these conversations. It sits between IT, facilities, and workplace teams, which makes it easy to overlook. The risk is that another year begins with the same issues being tolerated, rather than resolved.
Refreshing your AV support strategy at the start of the year allows problems to be addressed proactively, before they impact productivity, employee experience, or confidence in the workplace.
What a Modern AV Support Strategy Looks Like in 2026
Effective AV support today is not about waiting for something to break. It is about visibility, consistency, and accountability. A modern approach includes proactive monitoring, clear ownership, fast remote resolution, and predictable user experiences across all spaces.
It also recognises that AV is no longer isolated. It sits alongside networks, unified communications platforms, and smart building systems. Support models need to reflect that reality, rather than treating AV as a standalone discipline.
Moving from Reactive Fixes to Reliable Experiences
Organisations that take AV support seriously see fewer disruptions, higher adoption of meeting spaces, and less frustration among staff. Meetings start on time. Spaces are trusted. Issues are resolved before users even notice them.
Those outcomes do not happen by accident. They come from treating AV support as part of the wider workplace strategy, not as an afterthought or a break fix service.
Supporting Collaboration That Actually Works
A modern workplace should enable collaboration, not undermine it. As organisations look ahead to 2026, the question is no longer whether AV systems are good enough on paper, but whether the support behind them is fit for purpose.
January presents a rare opportunity to step back and reset. By reviewing how AV is supported, not just how it is installed, organisations can ensure their technology continues to deliver value long after the initial project is complete.
From design and delivery through to ongoing support, ISDM helps organisations create AV environments that people trust, rely on, and actually enjoy using.
Written by Josh Lee,
Head of Operations, ISDM Solutions
