Suppose your company wants to lead a presentation, training session, or any other type of meeting that will include multiple presenters who all need to share content to a display for the audience. The most convenient way to ensure that the meeting can flow smoothly without lengthy transition times between speakers is to ensure that speakers can share wirelessly from their own devices, enabling them to BYOM (bring your own meeting) and also avoiding any issues with passing cables or other hardware. A simple option for presenters or audience members to share their content to the room display is to simply share their screen. Screen mirroring allows you to share the screen of your device to seamlessly present to your intended audience.
What Is Screen Mirroring?
Screen mirroring technology allows you to wirelessly display your phone, tablet, or computer screen to another device. The primary use for screen mirroring is for presenting during a meeting to display relevant content to others in a workspace. Screen mirroring allows you to watch your documents, photos, videos, and mobile applications on a big screen and immediately involve your team in an interactive meeting.
To mirror your screen, you must have a display such as a TV or a monitor that can receive content wirelessly, using either built-in technology or an adapter. Screen mirroring duplicates your exact display onto another screen in the meeting space. There is a wide range of presentation tools available for a user to wireless share content with, which can be very beneficial for your company when presenting essential information in a meeting.
The Benefits of Wireless Screen Mirroring for Office Spaces
For your business, there are many benefits to having the ability to share your device’s information via screen mirroring. Here are some of the benefits your company can see when you start using screen mirroring in your office spaces:
Completely Wireless
The elimination of cables and connectors to become completely wireless is a crucial benefit to many who utilize screen mirroring. Wireless screen mirroring features have done away with the need to do a complete setup whenever you want to present and share slides or other content. By mirroring your devices, you allow seamless connectivity between the presenter and the audience. Anyone in the room can share an idea, graph, sketch, or document directly from their own device.
Fast DIY Connection
Traditional room setups and display devices can become tedious and time-consuming for attendees to connect and get started. Sometimes, an IT team needs to be utilized to set up the device for a meeting to run smoothly. Screen mirroring can reduce or eliminate the laborious process and facilitate a seamless connection to all devices. The DIY nature of screen mirroring setup also ensures that your team is not wasting time or requiring help from an IT professional to run your meetings.
Control Over Shared Content
Sharing your screen with a wired connection leads to a lack of control over what is being shared with your team during a meeting. If there is content you don’t want to share or you need to stall your screen mirroring, you will need to pull out the cable or turn off your display device entirely. Screen mirroring allows you to set up what needs to be shared on the screen so that only your presentation or video is shared based on the setting. Your screen mirroring solution will have the ability to stall or stop your presentation connection when needed.
Present From Mobile Device
Your mobile device has now become a business application for an everyday office. You can’t use an HDMI cable to connect your mobile device to a sharable screen, but you can use screen mirroring technology to cast your mobile device to a display screen. Most screen mirroring devices can facilitate both Android and iOS systems to connect your handheld mobile device with the presentation screen on demand.
What Should You Look for in a Screen Mirroring Device?
When your company is looking for the right technology to broadcast your information, several factors should be considered. As your business looks to make decisions on which screen mirroring device fits your needs, you will want to consider the following capabilities:
Works With a Wide Range of Devices
Your company needs to consider screen mirroring technology that works with a wide variety of devices. Many screen mirroring applications depend on what application you choose as your broadcasting tool. For example, suppose you are considering setting up Apple TV. In that case, your company needs to recognize that that technology will only work with Apple-branded devices like an iPhone, iPad, iMac, or MacBook. If your team works on multiple operating systems — Microsoft, Apple iOS, Google’s Android, or Linux — your company will need to consider multiple casting options or a screen mirroring technology that works with a wide range of devices.
Seamless Connection
Seamless connectivity is a significant factor to consider when your company is purchasing your next screen mirroring device. Does the device use Bluetooth or WiFi to connect devices to the screen? Is there a plug-in option? Is there a particular program required to mirror, or does it copy what is on your device? It’s essential to consider your company’s goals and how you plan to utilize the technology for your employees and clients when using a screen mirroring device.
Unlimited Sharing
Another consideration is how many people you would like to enable to share content to the room display. Most screen mirroring technologies enable only one device to share to the screen at a time; however, some excellent workplace collaboration technology options enable unlimited simultaneous sharing, which enables content to be shared more fluidly throughout meetings, increasing collaboration and productivity.
Video Conferencing Integration
With the evolution of the hybrid workplace, hybrid meetings are the new norm. It seems rare these days to take a meeting where there isn’t at least one remote participant. Given this increase in remote work, it may make sense to look at screen mirroring technology solutions that have integrated video conferencing. This will enable those at home to be part of the collaboration, viewing everything that is shared to the screen in the meeting room.
The Four Best Screen Mirroring Devices for Your Business
There are multiple screen mirroring tools on the market to consider for your business. As technology advances, there are many devices to evaluate with specific features to meet your business needs. Here are some of the most popular screen mirroring solutions you can use in your meeting space.
Apple TV
Pros: Apple TV utilizes AirPlay to screen mirror from devices. Users also have the option to screen mirror with a connective cable or through a WiFi connection. Like most Apple products, the user interface is simple to understand and use.
Cons: Like most Apple devices, the Apple TV will provide a screencast only to an iOS or Mac device. The device is also larger than most options and requires its own AC plug, which means you can’t connect it to a power source via the device alone.
Google Chromecast
Pros: Portable and compact, the Chromecast plug-in is about the size of a standard flash drive, so it’s easily portable.. Chromecast is also not limited to devices, and it functions with Apple, Android, and Google.
Cons: While working with different devices is an advantage, it may only work with some if you have the correct software application to connect the two. Unfortunately, some standard programs – Keynote or PowerPoint – are not compatible with Chromecast. Another con, Chromecast won’t work within a VPN. If your company is highly secured, you could have some connection issues. Finally, while portable, small devices can often go walking or be easily lost, which can be both a maintenance and security issue.
Miracast
Pros: The Miracast screen mirroring technology is designed to be a cross-platform standard. Miracast doesn’t require a wireless access point or an existing network, which can benefit your company if you are spread out in multiple locations. Miracast’s wireless network allows users to connect directly – peer-to-peer or P2P – without compromising their personal WiFi connection.
Cons: A limitation of the peer-to-peer connection is that only one Miracast device can be shown on screen at a time. This disadvantage can be limited to creating a collaborative meeting space for your team members.
Mersive
Pros: Mersive software and cloud services allow multiple users to wirelessly display content and connect with remote team members utilizing any video conferencing service. Sharing options include the app, AirPlay, Miracast, web browser, and HDMI input, allowing for multiple sharing options depending on device or personal preference. Its intuitive interface makes content sharing, collaboration, and video conferencing simple for all team members. Mersive products also include deployment monitoring and management, workplace analytics, digital signage integration, and other capabilities to meet business needs, while utilizing industry-leading security best practices.
Cons: Mersive does not include a whiteboard feature, which may or may not be a priority depending on your business goals. Customer feedback has indicated that users prefer technology that enables them to share content and collaborate using only their own devices.
Which Screen Mirroring Device is Right for My Company?
As your company weighs the advantages and disadvantages of screen mirroring technologies, it’s vital to focus on the goals for your organization and your employees. Whether you’re in a large corporate office or a small business, if you’re considering your options for screen mirroring as part of your daily integrations, there are many options available.
Collaboration technologies that enable wireless screen mirroring have become an essential tool in the workplace, enabling more collaborative and productive meetings. With the growth of the hybrid workplace, technologies that enable remote collaboration will also be an important consideration as you investigate screen mirroring technology options for your business.
Want to learn more about screen mirroring solutions for your organization? Reach out to speak with an expert.
