Client: Zenetec Thornhill  

About Zenetec: Zenetec is a well-established collision repair and auto services brand that is renowned for its state-of-the-art facilities, dedication to quality, and exceptional customer service across Ontario. Their Thornhill location deals with high numbers of cars on a daily basis and requires seamless internal communication to support speedy, accurate, and swift operations. 

The Project: ACT360 was engaged to design and install a dedicated Microsoft Teams Rooms (MTR) boardroom solution for a client experiencing ongoing meeting-room reliability issues. 

The core challenge was not a lack of technology, but inconsistency. Each meeting required users to connect their own laptops, troubleshoot cameras, microphones, and speakers, and deal with compatibility issues across different meeting platforms. This resulted in wasted time, disrupted meetings, and frequent technical support requests. 

The goal was to create a “walk in and start the meeting” boardroom experience that worked reliably across Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Webex, and other platforms, while remaining secure, easy to use, and future-proof. 

Objective 

The objective of this project was to deliver a stable, platform-agnostic, and secure meeting room system that met the following criteria: 

  1. Always-Ready Meeting Room – All AV equipment needed to remain permanently connected and correctly configured. 
  1. Multi-Platform Compatibility – The room had to support Microsoft Teams natively while allowing Zoom, Webex, and other platforms. 
  1. Ease of Use – Users should not need to plug in, configure, or troubleshoot their own devices. 
  1. Security & Device Control – The system needed to be locked down to prevent misuse, viruses, or configuration drift. 
  1. AI Meeting Assistant Compatibility – The room should join meetings as a dedicated participant to support AI-powered meeting tools. 
  1. Operational Reliability – Audio, video, and display settings must work consistently, regardless of who is hosting the meeting. 

 

Key Tasks and Solutions 

Dedicated Microsoft Teams Rooms Device: ACT360 installed a dedicated Microsoft Teams Rooms (MTR) device as the core of the boardroom system. The TV, Meeting Owl camera, microphones, and speakers are permanently connected to this unit, ensuring the room is always configured correctly. This eliminates the common issues of devices not being detected, incorrect audio routing, or incompatible drivers when users bring their own laptops. 

Native Teams Integration: For Microsoft Teams meetings, users can simply invite the room as a participant, and the boardroom joins automatically; no cables, no setup, no troubleshooting. This creates a seamless experience for internal meetings and supports consistent audio and video quality. 

Direct Guest Join for Zoom & Webex: The Teams Rooms system supports Direct Guest Join, allowing the room to join Zoom or Webex meetings by entering the meeting ID directly on the room console. This ensures the same room hardware – camera, microphones, speakers – can be used reliably across platforms without requiring separate systems.  

HDMI / Wireless Screen Sharing for Other Platforms: For any platform not supported natively, the room includes an HDMI input (or ClickShare). Users can share their laptop screen while still leveraging the room’s professional-grade camera and audio equipment. This maintains flexibility without sacrificing reliability. 

Secure, Locked-Down Device Configuration: ACT360 recommended and implemented a Teams Rooms unit rather than a general-purpose computer because it is locked down by design, reducing the risk of viruses, unauthorized software installation, or configuration changes. 

Redundancy with Secondary Computer (Temporary Solution): In this specific installation, a secondary Windows computer was mounted under the desk and connected as an additional input. This allowed meetings to proceed even if no participant brought a laptop. This was implemented as a short-term operational workaround, with plans to phase it out as the organization migrates fully to laptops. 

 

Outcomes 

The new boardroom setup has significantly improved meeting reliability and user experience: 

  • Meetings now start on time with no AV troubleshooting 
  • Users no longer need to connect or configure personal devices 
  • Consistent audio and video quality across all platforms  
  • Reduced IT support requests related to meeting room issues 
  • Improved compatibility with AI meeting assistants due to the room joining as a dedicated participant 

 

Conclusion 

This project demonstrates ACT360’s ability to design practical, secure, and user-friendly collaboration environments that eliminate daily friction while supporting modern hybrid work. 

By standardizing the meeting room experience around a dedicated Teams Rooms device, ACT360 delivered a solution that is reliable, secure, and adaptable, regardless of meeting platform or user behavior. 

Looking to eliminate meeting room issues and create a reliable, walk-in-and-start experience for your team? 

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