Freelancing vs. Full-Time Remote Work

The term audio visual technician might seem straightforward, but the role itself is often misunderstood. It's more than just fixing speakers; it's a specialized field distinct from IT management. With the surge in video conferencing and hybrid work, the demand for skilled AV technicians is rapidly growing. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 13,000 annual openings for these professionals through 2033, highlighting their essential role in today's technology-driven organizations. View the full article

Modern workspaces being confined to traditional office settings are becoming more of a distant memory by the second. Distributed teams, remote work, and hybrid models have become increasingly prevalent, increasing demand for robust virtual collaboration tools that foster seamless teamwork. View the full article

The flexibility and adaptability of Owl Labs' hybrid collaboration solutions allow them to be used in a variety of different settings and verticals, including local, state, and federal government agencies. We know that security and reliability are of utmost importance to our customers in the government sector, and we’re excited to announce that we now offer a solution to meet those needs: our TAA compliant Meeting Owl 4+. View the full article

Some may find today’s work environment to be fast-paced. With notifications pings ringing throughout the day and multiple meetings, it may be easy to feel overwhelmed or scattered. Workers are constantly striving for a healthy work-life balance, yet often find themselves drowning in a sea of to-dos. And that brings us to time management’s secret weapon: calendar blocking. View the full article

We’re excited to announce that, in addition to our recent Microsoft Teams peripheral certifications, Owl Labs is furthering our partnership with Microsoft by joining the Microsoft Device Ecosystem Platform (MDEP). View the full article

Your coworker updated their status on Slack with the abbreviation, WFH — they even included an emoji of a house. But, what does WFH mean? View the full article

We’re excited to announce that the Meeting Owl 3 and the Owl Bar have earned Microsoft Teams certifications, with the Meeting Owl 4+ currently in process. For IT teams and businesses looking to enhance their hybrid meeting experience, this certification provides peace of mind that our products meet Microsoft’s rigorous standards for seamless integration. View the full article

Managing a team has always been challenging. Juggling deadlines, team dynamics, and the occasional awkward, “Can everyone hear me?” moment on Zoom can feel like herding cats—cats that are on mute and probably multi-tasking. View the full article

Office management is about maximizing office efficiency and ensuring effective office work. It involves coordinating office activities and helping to maintain employee satisfaction. The keywords here are efficiency and effectiveness. When a business is managed correctly, there is control over office activities, a reduction of company costs, happy employees, and coordination of all enterprise activities. View the full article

The future of work has arrived, and it’s decidedly hybrid. Our 2025 predictions paint a clear picture of a workplace transformed by evolving employee preferences, technological advancements, and the undeniable permanence of flexible work. Forget the full return to office – 2025 is the year hybrid work truly takes hold. View the full article

With the rise of education technology, schools have adopted teaching methods that diverge from the typical classroom environment. Distance learning is being used globally, and many educational institutions have implemented hybrid learning models. View the full article

Social media has transformed the way we communicate and consume information, and it continues to do so day by day. From sharing personal life updates to discussing global events, platforms like TikTok have become integral to our daily lives. But what happens when the workplace becomes a trending topic on these platforms? Enter the world of #WorkTok. View the full article

Hybrid work continues to reshape professional landscapes around the globe, and as a result, companies are increasingly recognizing the need for effective hybrid meeting technology to support seamless collaboration between remote and in-office employees. Hybrid work offers numerous benefits to businesses, from employers to employees and all the way down to a company's consumers. View the full article

According to a 2023 study, nine in 10 consumers consider online reviews when they make a purchase decision. Think about the last time you spent more than $100 on an online purchase. Did you use a recommendation from a friend? Did you buy the first listing you saw on Amazon, or did you read through the reviews first? When it comes to office equipment, having to submit expense reports or prove the value of a purchase makes it so that you are even more conscious of the product you are buying. View the full article

Can you believe the end of the year is almost here? The holidays can sneak up on all of us, but shopping for all the different people in your life can be simpler if you plan ahead and take the guesswork out with a curated guide of great gift ideas. View the full article

As the workplace continues to evolve, technological innovation is never more than a half-step behind. With such a rapid pace of change in today's modern business environment, there is no shortage of new business challenges, either. View the full article

Video conferencing can improve communication and cohesion for both remote and hybrid teams. However, hybrid meetings can quickly become a frustrating experience for remote participants if the technology used makes communication difficult for team members. View the full article

We know our Meeting Owl line is special - why else would Time Magazine name itas one of the 100 Best Inventions of 2020? But it’s always exciting to see Owls recognized out in the wild. That’s why we’re excited to announce that our latest-gen Meeting Owl, the Meeting Owl 4+, has won a PC Pro Excellence Award! View the full article

Picture seamless virtual meetings that automatically integrate into your organization’s calendar with a platform that’s easy to use and does not require additional setup– whether you’re in the office or working remotely. View the full article

Companies today know that hybrid work and letting employees choose where to work is the key to employee satisfaction and productivity. In fact, 40% of employees feel so strongly about hybrid/remote work that they said they’d look for a new job if the ability to work from home was taken away - and nearly one in five (19%) said they’d take a pay cut of 10% or more. View the full article

The rise of return-to-office mandates requiring employees to come back in person a certain number of days a week has caused many workers to adjust their commuting behavior. Coffee badging and other workplace trends have created new traffic patterns, commuting schedules, and expectations around office culture. View the full article

Commuting has always been a necessary part of an in-person work schedule, but workers are increasingly dissatisfied with the long trek in, and they have been adjusting their commute times and workday accordingly. Unfortunately, the trend of changing transit times has cut into actual time spent in the office, with more employees heading in later and leaving earlier. View the full article

As workplace culture continues to evolve, remote and hybrid work schedules are here to stay– and newly flexible schedules are shaping employee behavior and office culture in ways that demand new vocabulary. Every day, it feels like new terms pop up in the workplace lexicon to describe new trends that have emerged. From #Worktok to polyworking, here are 2024’s biggest workplace buzzwords, inspired by the 2024 State of Hybrid Work. You’ll notice that many of them are shaped by the popularity of hybrid and remote work. View the full article

Owl Labs today released its eighth annual State of Hybrid Work Report. Owl Labs surveyed 2,000 full-time knowledge workers in the United States to uncover the latest trends and perspectives around remote and hybrid work. Findings include a crackdown on coffee badging, appreciation for the “green flag boss,” office avoidance due to political talk during election season, and employees posting complaints on #WorkTok and other social media. View the full article

We’ve all had it happen to us before: you go to hop on a video call and are met with blurry, grainy video instead of getting the clear face-to-face chat you were expecting. No platform is immune: whether you use Zoom, Teams, Google Meet or another video conferencing platform, it’s a common issue. View the full article