Collaboration Surface Connected Home Interactive Table | Corning's Collaboration Surface | Corning

There’s little doubt in the minds of business experts and trend-watchers – the more effectively people collaborate, the better they can take on, and solve, tough problems.

And when everyone has fast access to content in an inviting, energetic environment, they’re eager to come together and participate.

Working jointly at today’s collaboration tables and other active surfaces, co-workers find a digital canvas to easily access, manage, and share the content they need to collaborate effectively.

Enabled by the latest in glass innovations, teammates can integrate rich media, draw and analyze whiteboard concepts on the fly, and join high-definition video calls. They can capture and share screens, and do research seamlessly on one glistening surface.

 This transformative concept is no longer a scene from science fiction – it’s a reality in your home, conference room, doctor’s office, or classroom. The global enterprise collaboration market is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of more than 9 percent through 2019.

And no wonder. Rich visual imagery, physical involvement, and the ability to instantly integrate different types of content makes for a memorable learning experience for students of any age. And medical teams can consult with multiple partners, draw in patient information and treatment options, and monitor conditions remotely -- all on the same intelligent surface.

Here’s how glass is pairing collaboratively with this new way of working, learning, and staying healthy:

It’s just like the mobile technology experience – only bigger

To work effectively on a collaborative surface, employees and students alike need the same sort of experience they already have on smartphones and tablets. Surfaces need to respond instantly to touch and produce content as quickly as they could find it on their personal devices.

That’s exactly what visitors experienced with Corning at CES 2016. A spectacular 85-inch diagonal Collaboration Surface covered with Corning® Gorilla® Glass enabled capacitive touch capabilities. The concept resonated strongly with visitors as they viewed videos, doodled notes on documents, took pictures, and sent content sailing to the other end of the table with the sweep of a hand.

Gorilla Glass also reduces issues of parallax, which can distort images if viewed in large format.

While Gorilla Glass provided an optically clear overlay, Corning’s powerful optical solutions kept the data moving. Built inside the table were Corning® Pretium EDGE™ fiber trucks for connectivity and backhaul, and Optical Cables by Corning®, which connected the four cameras and delivered 4K content.

It stands up to tough conditions

Mobile devices encounter plenty of hazardous conditions in purses and pockets over the course of the day, but collaboration surfaces face threats of their own.

Buttons, bracelets, buckles, and coffee cups are almost certain to drag across the glass surface many times a day. And lots of hands means more than a few microbes could be shared, too.

Corning Gorilla Glass has both issues covered.

Gorilla Glass is renowned for its toughness and damage resistance. Its composition also helps manage the deep chips and scratches that degrade appearance and can cause glass to break.

It brings all hands on deck

Corning’s concept table at CES drew people in with its inviting glow, fast-moving images, and ease of touch. Hands automatically reached for the surface and started pulling up content.

That’s a must-have for the most productive work environments, many experts are saying.

Traditional conference tables and desks can serve as inert barriers between employees, students, or project teams – and video conferences can often come through clunky monitors and slow interfaces. No wonder the off-putting infrastructure can prevent many from being fully engaged with the tasks at hand.

In a connected collaboration setting, the surface is active – and the people are, too.

Collaborative surfaces represent an entirely new workplace and classroom culture enabled by today’s advanced glass solutions. The combination of an inviting atmosphere and fast access to content is one sure way to get everyone to the table, working together as a true team.

Corning’s exhibit at 2016 CES showcased Corning’s vision on how glass enables a more connected, collaborative, and interactive world. The company introduced that vision in 2011 with the video series “A Day Made of Glass.” Since then, many leading brands, designers, educational institutions, and others have been inspired to collaborate with Corning to make this world a reality. Through our CES exhibit and our Glass Age campaign, we aim to continue inspiring innovators in the relevant supply chains to make prototypes like these commercially available.