How are early-year predictions stacking up? What's gaining momentum? And what are the new trends emerging?
More than halfway through the year, familiar themes like hybrid work and cloud-based collaboration are continuing to pop up and influence the market. But tools and user expectations are quickly evolving. Organizations are no longer satisfied with platforms that simply connect people. They're looking for something more.
Here are five videoconferencing trends currently shaping the industry and offering a glimpse into where collaboration technology is headed next.
1. Cross-Platform AI Assistants
Throughout 2025 and early 2026, experts predicted that AI meeting assistants would be the next big thing. And that’s largely come true. AI is increasingly handling notetaking, summarizations, and other time-consuming tasks.
What's most notable now is that AI is starting to work across platforms, not just inside a single meeting app. For example, Zoom has expanded AI Companion capabilities into Microsoft Teams and Google Meet environments.
2. Intelligent Meeting Rooms
AI is also reshaping physical meeting spaces through intelligent automation, smarter workflows, and more effective collaboration.
At InfoComm 2026, Espen Løberg, Vice President and General Manager of Collaboration Devices at Cisco, talked about smart meeting rooms during his keynote. He challenged the audience to wonder, “What would work look like if the room was just as intelligent as the people in it?”
Check out a snippet of his talk below to learn more about agentic AI and a concept he calls “connected intelligence.”
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3. Cloud-Based Collaboration
Cloud-based videoconferencing solutions are continuing to grow in popularity.
Businesses are looking for tech that can adapt as needs change, whether they're supporting a hybrid workforce, opening new offices, or scaling operations. Cloud platforms offer flexibility and tend to be more cost-effective over time, making them an appealing alternative to traditional on-premise systems.
The rise of AI-powered collaboration tools has also accelerated cloud adoption, as many advanced features rely on cloud infrastructure to deliver real-time experiences.
Although cloud adoption isn’t new, what’s changing is that it’s now being driven by the need for easier management and faster deployment.
4. Enhanced Meeting Experiences
The race for a better user experience is fueling demand for higher-quality audio and video.
According to DiMarket, many businesses are turning to solutions that feel more engaging, equitable, and effective for everyone involved, regardless of location.
Features that are becoming more notable include:
Intelligent noise suppression
Speaker tracking
Automatic camera framing
Spatial audio
Multi-camera views
Multi-camera solutions, for example, allow businesses to take their meeting game to the next level. In an article for AVER, writers Michael Reid and Maggie Chu stated that, “By introducing multiple angles, online meetings and conferences can offer dynamic engagement.”
5. Outcome-Based Collaboration
Another major change? A new KPI is emerging. Vendors are increasingly being evaluated on, “what happens after the meeting?” rather than just call quality.
As a result, the industry's definition of success is evolving. In today’s market, the winners are platforms that can turn conversations into measurable progress and help teams move seamlessly from discussion to decision to execution.
This shift reflects a broader trend toward outcome-based collaboration, where organizations place greater value on productivity, follow-through, and business impact than on meeting performance metrics alone.
Major Takeaways
More than ever, users want meetings to start instantly and work reliably. They're looking for simplified room controls, seamless device connectivity, wireless sharing, and technology that fades into the background.
We’re seeing ease of use becoming a major priority for smart meeting rooms, but more importantly, businesses are turning to solutions that feel more engaging and equitable, regardless of location.
At the center of most of this change is artificial intelligence. As AI capabilities continue to mature, the role of videoconferencing platforms is expanding.
For AV professionals, some of the fastest-growing areas to watch currently are AI-enabled meeting rooms, cross-platform collaboration, and agentic meeting assistants.
