ClickShare - New developments
Barco's ClickShare range of wireless presentation systems has long been popular in modern meeting rooms and presentation spaces, and has been installed in many different projects by Crossover over the last few years. We’ve had great feedback from our clients about the ease of use, and the flexibility offered by ClickShare.
Chris Ault, Barco’s Business Development Manager for the UK and Ireland visited the Crossover offices to update the team on the new developments with ClickShare and to train our engineers on the latest tips and tricks.
ClickShare Desktop App
A common concern about prospective ClickShare customers has been the use of hardware USB buttons; 'What if people accidentally walk off with or steal the dongles?'
With a firmware update due July 19th 2019, ClickShare will now be compatible with a free-to-download Desktop App for PC and Mac. This will allow users to share content from their laptop or desktop via any ClickShare wireless collaboration solution without the need for a ClickShare USB hardware button.
Tech Note: If the ClickShare base unit hasn't been integrated into the local network, then to make use of the Desktop App the laptop must join the ClickShare’s Wi-fi. This could be an issue if you also need to use your regular WiFi to access data over the internet. There is a workaround – to connect the ClickShare base unit to the network by hard-wired Ethernet cable, and checking ‘Enable over LAN’ option in the ClickShare settings. This might not be straightforward for all existing installations however, as e.g. the ClickShare base unit may be mounted behind a screen with no network ports nearby.
Tech Note: ClickShare base units must be upgraded to firmware version 1.7 to be compatible with the Desktop App.
In-room authentication (a passcode) can be enabled as a security measure, to prevent users sharing content to the wrong meeting room screen by accident.
Download a Quick Start guide for the ClickShare Desktop App here.
ClickShare USB-C Button
Another interesting development is the release of a ClickShare USB-C button, meaning the hardware button is available for use with newer Apple laptops.
It's worth noting that should you need to pair these buttons with a ClickShare base unit, you will either need to use the ClickShare Button Manager software (which is Windows only), or separately purchase a USB-C to USB-A adapter so that you can connect the button to the USB port on the front of the ClickShare base unit.
ClickShare Network Integration
The Crossover team would be happy to talk your IT or facilities team through the available options for deploying ClickShare within a corporate network environment. There are three main strands of ClickShare network deployment:
* Standalone - ClickShare is not integrated with the local network. Content is streamed over the ClickShare base unit's own Wi-Fi.
* Network connected - ClickShare base unit is given a wired connection. Content is still streamed over the ClickShare's own Wi-Fi.
* Network integrated - The ClickShare base unit's Wi-Fi is disabled and hardwired to the local network, with content streamed over local wifi and wireless access points.
You can also read the whitepaper on ClickShare Network Deployment for full details.
Contact us for any enquiries about ClickShare wireless presentation systems and any other AV for meeting rooms and presentation spaces.
Read more about our recent project work here.
