When your business revolves around software and cloud-based solutions, your workspace becomes more than just an office – it’s a living example of innovation in action. It’s an opportunity to show, not just tell, customers how to transform collaboration and engagement. For Softchoice, creating a cutting-edge hybrid workspace wasn’t just an upgrade; it was a mission to redefine the hybrid work experience, for people and their businesses.

Jeff Gwinnett, Senior Director of Workplace Experience & Sustainability, and Lisa Walkden, Senior Manager of Workplace Experience & Sustainability, share how they brought this vision to life.

A fresh take on hybrid meetings

Softchoice, a World Wide Technology (WWT) company, operates across 12 offices in North America and more than 15 flexible, on-demand markets, delivering AI-powered cloud and digital workplace solutions. When it came time to enhance their own work environment for 2,300 team members, they didn’t just want a new look – they wanted a whole new approach to hybrid meetings. One that was seamless, intuitive, equitable, and powerful.

Enter Neat. Having already tested and recommended Neat’s cutting-edge devices to their customers, Softchoice knew exactly who to turn to. 

Elevating the meeting experience

Our rooms needed to be incredibly easy-to-use, so easy that you don’t have to think about it. In fact, we have a mantra of ‘making it easier to work here’. The experience also had to be equitable for everyone. We will always have people who aren’t physically present, so those on the far end need to feel like they’re a part of every single session, regardless of distance. We wanted to demonstrate to our people and customers that we understand the challenging reality of the hybrid experience, but we’re trying to tackle it head-on.

Jeff Gwinnett

Neat’s innovative video collaboration devices allowed Softchoice to completely redefine the hybrid meeting experience. No more frustrations, no more tech hiccups – just seamless, engaging interactions.

Their solution? A full suite of Neat devices, including Neat Board, Neat Board Pro, Neat Centre, Neat Bar Generation 2, Neat Bar Pro, and Neat Pad.

With 4K ultra-HD resolution, Neat ensures every detail is crystal clear, while intelligent auto-framing keeps speakers in focus, making remote participants feel as if they’re right there in the room. Advanced audio technology filters out background noise, ensuring every word is heard loud and clear.

Initially, Softchoice planned to install acoustic treatments in smaller meeting rooms to reduce reverb. But with Neat Bar Gen 2, they found it wasn’t necessary – a surprising win that also saved them a nice chunk of change.

Neat’s intelligent features have been a game-changer. Instant wake-up, virtual whiteboarding, and intuitive controls ensure meetings flow naturally. Plus, Neat devices integrate seamlessly with Microsoft Teams, Softchoice’s existing collaboration platform, making adoption effortless.

Keeping a finger on the pulse

One of the most impactful tools was Neat Pulse. This remote monitoring and management solution allows IT teams and facility managers to oversee multiple locations without stepping foot in a room.

Remoting into the devices is a dream; it’s so easy to commission and troubleshoot from afar. Our Workplace Experience team isn’t local to every market we operate in. Using Pulse, it’s almost if we have people on the ground.

Jeff Gwinnett

Neat Pulse provides premium support, extended warranties, and access to the Neat App Hub. It also streamlines software updates and device deployments – in fact, Softchoice deployed their entire office in under 60 minutes.

Not only do we want the experience to be easy for our people, but we also want it to be easy for our team to commission and manage. During one project, Neat Pulse enabled us to bring 10 rooms into our Microsoft Teams environment within an hour. It was unreal, talk about easy.

Jeff Gwinnett

Greater participation and portability

Since rolling out Neat, Softchoice team members have noticed a major shift in collaboration: record high engagement scores, specifically around workplace environments, collaboration, and breaking down silos within the organization. Foot traffic in Softchoice’s Vancouver workspace has more than doubled quarter over quarter since deploying Neat.

One standout feature was portability. Neat Board and Neat Board Pro, equipped with movable stands, have opened new doors for hybrid collaboration.

We often use three Neat Boards in one large room to support ‘big room audio/visual’ when our regular meeting spaces can’t accommodate our needs. Whenever we give customers office tours, this flexible, mobile meeting story resonates the most. We recommend that they invest in portable devices, not static, because there are just so many conundrums we workplace professionals are trying to solve.

Lisa Walkden

Smarter office planning with data

Softchoice has been focused on measuring a variety of workplace dimensions for the past three years. In fact, data is critical to their hybrid work strategy called “Work. Your Way”, which supports workplace planning. Queue Neat Sense, a tool that tracks room occupancy, air quality, and other environmental factors. With these real-time insights, they can optimize office layouts, turning underused areas into buzzing collaboration hubs or quiet focus zones. Plus, by monitoring CO₂ levels and humidity, they’re creating a healthier, more comfortable workspace.

Commitment to sustainability

The epicenter of Softchoice’s sustainability strategy is their “Sustainable Places” program, where the spaces they operate and the people within them, use products and services aligned with their path to Net Zero. Neat is a great fit with this vision. From eco-friendly materials and recyclable packaging to lower power consumption, Neat helps reduce environmental impact without compromising performance.

As more businesses prioritize sustainable solutions, Neat’s steps towards more responsible manufacturing makes it a smart choice.

Softchoice is setting the bar

Looking ahead, Softchoice remains committed to evolving its hybrid workplace. Their “Work. Your Way” strategy is all about flexibility – no top-down mandates, just trust and autonomy for employees to work wherever they thrive. This approach unleashes the potential in people and technology to unlock value in the hybrid work model, benefiting both teams and customers.

We want people to feel compelled to come into our workplaces, with bespoke spaces for a variety of different activities, and of course, awesome vibes. Hybrid is a long-term movement. So, while we recognize that desks are still important, you’ll notice a dramatic reduction in ‘Me’ spaces, and a rise in ‘We’ spaces, the majority of which are video enabled.

Lisa Walkden

With 20 consecutive years on the Best Workplaces in Canada list, and a 2025 ranking of number five in the large organization category, Softchoice is well on its way to achieving its vision. 

We’ve hit the highest score for overall workplace satisfaction since we first started tracking it, and it’s two points higher than the tech benchmark.

Jeff Gwinnett

Softchoice’s words of wisdom

After successfully transforming their hybrid work environment, here’s Softchoice’s advice for others looking to do the same:

1. Put user-experience first – If people have to wrestle with clunky tech, you’ll lose them. Choose plug-and-play solutions that make video collaboration effortless.
2. Think beyond fixed spaces – Embrace portable, flexible setups that spark creativity anywhere.
3. Build today for tomorrow – Choose scalable solutions that adapt to your needs, and a partner who is looking to the future, not just the here and now.
4. Stay in control effortlessly – Your team can’t be everywhere, but having a finger on the pulse is critical, and doable with remote monitoring tools.
5. Create places people want to be – Workplaces are still critically important to our everyday work lives, and now they need to do much more than ever before. Focus on creating a workplace people want to be, not have to be, and you’ll be on the right track.

Feeling inspired? Explore what makes Neat devices stand out, or book a demo with one of our experts today.