Financial Services Workplace Modernization Case Study: Microsoft Teams Rooms and AV Renovation
A leading financial services firm with a strong focus on operational excellence, employee experience, and long-term workplace strategy was undergoing a renovation project of a crucial facility. With business-critical teams based across its campus, the organization has invested in creating environments that support secure collaboration, consistency, and a modern experience for employees returning to the office.
Challenges
- Structural and design constraints required technology plans to fit within an established environment
- The project demanded close coordination across architecture, power, networking, furniture, lighting, and millwork
- Client needed highly reliable, secure workplace technology delivered on a tight timeline
- Shifting schedules and partial occupancy during construction reduced flexibility and made access, sequencing, and disruption management more complex
Solutions
- Served as the AV subject-matter expert, working closely with the architect, engineers, and other trades to align technology design with the overall renovation
- Planned and coordinated the infrastructure required for each space, including power, networking, device placement, and integration
- Designed and deployed conference room technology, Microsoft Teams Rooms, digital displays, and other AV systems
- Applied proven deployment and security best practices to support a consistent, well-integrated technology environment
Results
- The client gained a modernized workplace with updated meeting technology, digital displays, and shared spaces that better support in-person collaboration
- Business-critical teams moved into an environment with reliable, secure workplace technology aligned to the client’s broader standards and operational needs
- The project was delivered in a way that reinforced the client’s confidence in New Era Technology as a trusted partner for future campus modernization efforts
Reimagining a Mission-Critical Workplace for a Leading Financial Services Firm
New Era Technology partnered with a large financial services organization based in the suburban Philadelphia area to support the renovation of a key building on its main campus. A long-standing relationship and years of collaboration on workplace technology standards positioned New Era Technology as a trusted advisor for the project, working alongside the architect and design team to deliver a modern, reliable AV environment.
The client set out to convert an existing building into a more collaborative, employee-friendly workspace that aligned with a broader campus modernization effort. The renovated building would house business-critical teams, so the organization needed a partner to help design and implement secure, reliable meeting spaces, digital displays, and workplace technology while minimizing disruption and supporting a fast, coordinated project timeline.
Modernizing Within the Constraints of Established Structures
As the project focused on renovating an existing building rather than new construction, New Era Technology had to work within the constraints of an established structure while helping the design team create a modern workplace experience. That meant carefully coordinating technology requirements with architecture, power, networking, furniture, lighting, and millwork to ensure every space functioned as intended and reflected the overall design vision.
The building was also slated to support critical business teams, raising the bar for reliability, security, and execution speed. As is common on large construction projects, timelines shifted and compressed — especially the window between network readiness and room turnover — leaving little margin for delays. In addition, portions of the building became occupied before all work was complete, requiring New Era Technology to adapt to a partially live environment where noise, access, and sequencing had to be managed more carefully.
Using Expertise to Put the Right Infrastructure in Place
New Era Technology served as the AV subject-matter expert throughout the project, collaborating closely with the architect, engineers, and other trades to design and deliver workplace technology across multiple spaces in the building. The team helped ensure each room had the right infrastructure in place—from power and networking to physical placement within walls and furniture layouts—so the technology could be deployed cleanly and perform reliably from day one.
The solution included conference room technology, Microsoft Teams Rooms, digital displays, and other AV systems tailored to the client’s workplace standards. These standards had been refined over years of partnership between New Era and the client’s technology teams, making them a natural fit for the project. By applying proven standards and secure deployment best practices, New Era gave the client consistent user experience while reducing risk during implementation and accelerating turnover as spaces came online.
A Modern Workplace to Better Support Team Members
The completed renovation delivered a refreshed workplace designed to support collaboration, comfort, and day-to-day productivity for teams returning to the office. Employees gained access to modern meeting technology, updated shared spaces, and a more cohesive neighborhood-based environment that better supports how people work together in person.
For the client, the project reinforced the value of working with a partner that understands both its technology expectations and its operational priorities. The successful delivery of the building—and the immediate continuation into additional projects—demonstrated confidence in New Era’s ability to help modernize the campus while supporting business-critical teams with dependable workplace technology.
High-Level Benefits
The project delivered meaningful benefits for both employees and stakeholders by improving the workplace experience, supporting reliable collaboration, and enabling efficient project execution within a complex renovation environment.
Improved collaboration across teams
The renovated building gives employees access to updated meeting rooms, digital displays, and collaboration spaces that make it easier to connect and work together. A neighborhood-based layout and enhanced shared spaces support stronger day-to-day interaction among teams.
Reliable technology for business-critical operations
Because the building supports key teams, dependable AV performance was essential. By aligning the deployment with established client standards and secure best practices, New Era helped deliver a consistent and trustworthy user experience.
Reduced risk through early coordination
New Era’s close coordination with architects, engineers, and other trades helped identify and address issues before they became larger problems during construction. That proactive planning reduced project friction and supported a smoother path from design through turnover.
By combining long-standing client knowledge with deep AV design expertise, New Era Technology helped transform an existing building into a modern workplace that supports collaboration, reliability, and employee experience. The project illustrates how thoughtful planning, close coordination, and proven technology standards can help organizations modernize critical spaces with confidence.
Frequently Asked Questions
A successful modernization effort usually starts with a clear set of workplace technology standards. That includes defining common room types, approved hardware and platform choices, consistent user experience, and support expectations so employees know what to expect in every space and IT can reduce complexity over time.
The right technology depends on how each space will be used. Small huddle spaces, medium conference rooms, larger boardrooms, and open collaboration areas often require different combinations of audio, video, displays, control, and scheduling tools. Defining those needs early helps avoid overbuilding some spaces and underdelivering in others.
For organizations supporting critical business functions, workplace technology cannot be treated as an afterthought. Secure deployment practices, proven room standards, careful infrastructure planning, and close coordination with internal IT teams all help reduce risk and create a more dependable user experience from day one.
Early involvement is essential. Bringing IT and AV stakeholders into the planning process during design helps ensure power, networking, furniture integration, display placement, and room functionality are addressed before construction is too far along. That reduces rework, delays, and costly changes later in the project.
Minimizing disruption requires careful sequencing, flexible project management, and close coordination across teams. This becomes especially important when timelines compress or parts of the building become occupied before work is complete. A phased turnover approach and clear communication can help keep the project moving while limiting operational impact.
The business case usually goes beyond technology alone. Organizations invest in modern workplace environments to improve collaboration, create a more consistent employee experience, support return-to-office goals, reduce support complexity, and lower project risk through standardization and better planning.
Let’s Build What’s Next—Together
Today’s challenges don’t sit in one category. Neither should your solutions. When infrastructure, digital transformation, and security work together, complexity fades and progress accelerates.