ClickShare winter release: more inclusive, engaging meetings and better control over devices

New year, new ClickShare enhancements! Kick off 2025 with better collaboration and productivity thanks to our latest firmware release.   

At ClickShare, we understand that effective, inclusive collaboration in hybrid meetings hinges on truly feeling connected, no matter where you are joining from.  

With this firmware release, we´d like to introduce you to SmartFocus (in Private Beta), an AI-powered feature that bridges the distance between remote and in-room participants, so that everyone feels equally involved in hybrid meetings. 

1. Camera switching

ClickShare leverages the laptop cameras of in-room participants and the room camera to capture and display multiple angles of the meeting room. 

The feature smartly selects the right view for the remote participants by switching between the room camera and the speakers´ laptop cameras, depending on in-room interactions. 

Remote participants benefit from a clearer understanding of the in-room dynamics. They get to capture every angle of the conversation and notice non-verbal cues such as facial expressions and body language. This enhanced visibility allows them to respond more effectively and contribute actively. 

For in-room participants, SmartFocus enhances communication with remote colleagues, providing an intuitive, effortless, and high-quality audio experience.  

2. Audio switching

When in-room attendees join a hybrid meeting with ClickShare, the system automatically optimizes the audio by connecting them directly to the room audio instead of their individual laptop´s audio system. 

By using the same room audio source ClickShare prevents audio inconsistencies and echo that often occur when participants rely on their laptop microphones. No more adjusting audio settings, muting individual devices, or using on a single laptop to capture sound in the room. 

This is not just a win for in-room participants — remote attendees also get to enjoy the same high-quality sound as those present in the room.

Finally, active speakers are now correctly highlighted in Teams, making it easy to identify who is speaking. Transcripts are assigned with precision, offering a reliable record of the meeting. Now everyone can get a clear record of the meeting.  No more confusion over who said what or which tasks are assigned to whom — everyone stays on the same page. 

For meeting rooms equipped with a touchscreen and powered by ClickShare CX-30, CX-50 Gen 1, or Gen 2, we are bringing enhanced interactivity with this release! 

We have optimized memory usage and drastically improved the performance of our annotation, touchback, and blackboarding features. 

Meeting participants now enjoy a noticeably smoother and more responsive experience with near-instant touch response and reduced latency. 

This improved responsiveness ensures uninterrupted collaboration, fostering more dynamic and engaging meetings that ultimately drives more productive outcomes. 

And there´s more below!

With our autumn release, we launched the dual content sharing feature for the dual display setups available on ClickShare CX-50 2nd gen and ClickShare Bar Pro devices.  

Thanks to this feature, meeting participants can use their laptop to share not only one but two distinct content items.  

Previously, this feature was available only with the ClickShare Desktop App. With this release, we are making this feature available also with the Button! 

At Barco, we believe in supporting our products with the latest technology even as some reach their end of life. A prime example of this commitment is the latest update to our older models. Despite the ClickShare CSE 800 being phased out, we are dedicated to ensuring users continue to receive value from their investment. 

Users of the discontinued ClickShare CSE 800 will continue to enjoy critical features like the moderator function, seamlessly integrated into the new ClickShare UI. 

The ClickShare CSE 800's moderator feature allows a host to manage content shared by multiple participants within a meeting. This functionality, only available to this model, will now be ported to the new UI, ensuring that users who depend on this feature continue to have access without disruption.

In our continuous effort to enhance device management in large organizations, this firmware update brings an addition to XMS Cloud: location-based scheduling.   

For organizations with devices distributed across multiple locations, keeping every unit updated and functioning optimally can be a challenge.  

Location-based scheduling reduces the burden on IT Admins.  

They can now schedule firmware updates and device reboots per location, streamlining maintenance across an extensive network of ClickShare devices. This approach ensures all units within a specific area are always operating with the latest software and settings.  

What´s more, any Base Unit added to a designated location in XMS Cloud will automatically be included in the scheduled tasks for updates or reboots. Conversely, removing a Base Unit from a location removes it from future schedules, keeping your device management adaptive and up to date. 

Lastly, if a location is removed from XMS Cloud, any associated scheduled jobs are automatically canceled. This prevents unnecessary operations and keeps your system efficient. 

With this firmware release, we are introducing additional settings in the Web Configurator for ClickShare Bar Pro. Now IT admins can tailor the ClickShare experience to their specific needs and preferences. 

Thanks to the wired room dock, you can share high-resolution content and connect to the room audio and video over a wired connection. 

With this update, we are introducing new options where one can choose their connection: access both room displays and peripherals for full room integration or connect via USB-C for display-only access. 

• Choose Wired RoomDock for a dedicated connection to room displays which does not allow other sharing methods for the cases where only one laptop in the meeting room will suffice 
• Or, select DisplayPort over USB-C for a wired connection that works seamlessly with ClickShare Button/App sharing and peripheral access. This provides maximum flexibility for collaborative meetings and allows other users to share content. 

A screensaver will automatically be displayed when the ClickShare system has been idle for a set amount of time. 

This firmware update brings two new options:  

• Default which will translate into the standard Barco screensaver being displayed 
• Display port over USB-C which will allow IT admins to display a custom screen saver by using the signal from an external source.