Sometimes meetings can be meandering, unproductive affairs at which a lot is said but very little achieved. There are ways to counteract this, especially if you invest in these must-have tech products which will streamline the process of collaborating with colleagues and help you to deal with whatever problems you may face.

High-End Printer

In a digital age it may seem as if printed documents have become somewhat redundant, especially now that meeting rooms tend to be replete with tablets and smartphones that can play host to a range of content. But as a result of this it is easy to overlook the important role which a high-end, cutting-edge printer, such as those available at Concorde, can play in ensuring that meetings are as informative and impactful as possible.

The good thing about modern printers is that they are smarter than you might expect, with an office systems provider such as concordcecorp.co.uk able to offer networked devices that can be accessed both locally and remotely. This means critical documents can be printed out on the fly and distributed to those present, allowing for direct engagement with physical, editable pages of data.

So whether you are simply providing the minutes to attendees at the end of a meeting or passing out agendas, itineraries and instructions, a printer should be the one bit of equipment that your team does not go without.

The Cloud

The age of restrictive and expensive IT hosted on-site has come to an end, with cloud computing ushering in an era in which scalable, flexible and affordable solutions are within reach of all businesses.

In a meeting room the cloud can facilitate an almost unlimited range of features and functions, from enabling voice, video and web conferencing between parties dispersed across the world to enabling easy access to important software suites and hardware infrastructures that ensure productivity is improved.

Because the cloud is largely platform- and location-agnostic, colleagues, clients and partners can access its services from a range of devices. This is perfect for businesses that are having to accommodate a BYOD (bring your own device) culture and move away from centralised procurement.

Wearable Tech

By this point, smartphones and tablets have effectively become ubiquitous, sitting alongside laptop and desktop computers as staples of the workplace. But forward-thinking businesses will be addressing the future of portable computing and looking into the rise of wearable tech.

2014 is likely to be the year in which smartwatches become a mainstream product, with companies such as Sony, Samsung and Motorola all working on a fresh batch of devices to complement existing models. And Apple’s iWatch, which may arrive in the autumn, is set to be a real game-changer.

There is also Google Glass to consider. This is the headset that puts a heads-up display offering augmented-reality features right in front of the wearer. And although this may be a little further away from widespread adoption, it is only a matter of time before it is influencing the way that meetings are run.

Wearable tech can perhaps be preferable to other portable devices because it is less of a distraction to users. Notifications and messages can be checked without the recipient having to pull a separate device out of their pocket. Instead they are delivered to a wrist- or head-mounted unit that offers a discreet alternative way of keeping people informed.

Businesses will clearly have to create workable strategies for embracing all of these tech essentials, but those that do will be able to make sure that meetings really do live up to the promise of boosted productivity. In the future, meetings could be much more efficient and productive thanks to new technology.