In association with its distributors, MSPs, resellers and customers, conferencing manufacturer Boom Collaboration has pinpointed its top five conferencing trends for 2026. In a market expected to grow by more than 10 percent, Boom identifies changes reshaping an industry toward simplicity, interoperability and flexibility being the most in-demand.
“The video conferencing market continues to evolve, but the priority is clearer than ever. We’ve reached the point where simplicity beats features. If a system isn’t easy, it won’t get used, and that’s what will drive conversations and decisions in 2026,” said Boom co-founder, Holli Hulett. “There’s no need to overcomplicate, overspec or oversell. The simpler approach often delivers the best results.”
Boom co-founders Holli Hulett & Fredrik Hörnkvist
Fellow co-founder Fredrik Hörnkvist continued, “Bring Your Own Meeting (BYOM) has moved from an alternative to the primary workflow in many environments. We’re seeing clear acceleration, particularly in smaller rooms where cost, flexibility and real-world usability win over complex in-room systems.”
Here’s Boom’s top trends:
Simplicity
People want everything to be simple. They expect their video conferencing experiences to be easy, platform agnostic and user-friendly, based on the ability to just plug in and go.
BYOM vs In-Room – The Battle Is Over
BYOM deployments are outstripping in-room systems 5:1. They rule the roost with lower total cost of ownership, especially in the medium to smaller spaces. Customers can have the best of both worlds, combining the advantages of BYOM deployments with existing in-room systems. The latest connectivity hubs ensure organizations don’t need to rip out their existing equipment and start again. It’s a have your cake and eat it approach.
Interoperability
The market has changed forever. People no longer wear just a Teams or Zoom badge. It’s about being vendor agnostic – any device, on any platform in any room. Users demand total flexibility.
Certification
Officially certified products are often part of an ecosystem that isn’t actually end-to- end certified. Certification still has value, but real-world meeting rooms rarely use fully certified ecosystems. Displays, switches, ceiling mics, laptops, smartphones and BYOM workflows are almost never certified end-to-end. And yet they’re what people actually use. As meeting rooms become more flexible and more complex in 2026, organizations will prioritize compatibility and real-world performance over strict certification checklists.
AI Balance
The rise of AI in both hardware and software will continue to accelerate. But “over speccing” can be a big problem. Often, the newest systems that offer every bell and whistle, including multiple cameras and extensive automated controls, come with not only a higher cost, but also a steep learning curve and ongoing investment in maintenance, licensing and support. A balance needs to be struck, especially in challenging economic times.
