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Case Study

Enhancing Meeting Productivity with AI and Smart Audio | Te Kamo High School

Digital Transformation Education
Pauline Thomson, Personal Assistant to the Principal at Te Kamo High School in Whangārei and Secretary for Te Manihi Tumuaki Northland Principals, manages minutes for a range of meetings, from board sessions to leadership huis with up to 30 attendees. Her dual roles require accurate, detailed records of lengthy and often complex discussions.
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Challenges

  • In-person and hybrid meetings lacked consistent audio clarity across participants
  • Important discussion points and action items were difficult to capture accurately
  • Staff needed a more efficient way to support productive collaboration and follow-up

Solutions

  • Introduced smart audio technology to improve meeting clarity and room coverage
  • Applied AI-enabled tools to help capture conversations and support note-taking
  • Created a more reliable meeting environment for staff communication and collaboration

Results

  • Meetings became clearer, more focused, and easier for participants to follow
  • Teams were better equipped to retain key discussion points and next steps
  • The school gained a stronger foundation for more effective and efficient collaboration
Introduction

Improving Collaboration Through Smarter Meetings

Clear communication is essential for effective collaboration, especially in education environments where staff rely on meetings to align priorities, make decisions, and support day-to-day operations. For Te Kamo High School, improving meeting productivity meant addressing both audio quality and the need for better ways to capture and retain important discussions. By introducing smart audio technology and AI-enabled meeting support, the school created a more efficient and reliable collaboration experience that helped staff stay focused, informed, and better connected. 
Challenges

The Challenges Limiting Meeting Effectiveness

Manual note-taking was a constant source of pressure. Pauline often had to transcribe long all-day hui’s, capturing input from multiple speakers. Even when using her phone to record, the sound quality in large or echoey rooms was inconsistent and resulted in lost detail and added stress.

“Some of these meetings go all day and I’d be relying on my phone to pick everything up, which wasn’t very reliable, especially in larger rooms.” ~ Pauline. Common issues included missed or inaccurate meeting details, poor audio pickup, difficulty identifying speakers and time-consuming manual processes

The Solution

A Smarter Approach to Meeting Productivity

New Era Technology responded with a bundled solution tailored to Pauline’s workflow. The setup included:

  • Two Jabra Speak2 75 Speakerphones: These portable, wireless speakerphones deliver crystal-clear audio pickup across large rooms, ensuring every word is captured clearly. “The speakerphones were perfect - they picked up everything in the room.”
  • Google Gemini (Paid License): This AI-powered tool transcribes meetings in real
    time, generates summaries, and creates structured outputs, reducing the need for
    manual note-taking. Importantly, because Gemini is part of the school’s existing
    Google Workspace for Education environment, all data is securely stored within their domain. This gives added peace of mind, avoiding the risks of storing sensitive meeting notes in third-party platforms.
Conclusion

The Impact of Smarter Meeting Technology

This simple yet powerful setup transformed Pauline’s meeting workflow:

  • Improved transcription accuracy
  • Reduced stress and manual effort
  • Greater focus during meetings
  • Clear, reliable records for leadership and compliance

From day one, the solution was easy to use and required minimal setup, giving Pauline peace of mind before, during, and after meetings. “It was so easy to get started. Everything just worked.”

The Bigger Picture: AI’s Role in Schools

While Pauline is still exploring everything Gemini can do, the potential is clear. Beyond meeting support, Gemini’s AI capabilities offer future applications for educators and students, like personalised lesson plans, student support, and efficient report writing. Pauline encourages other schools and education administrators to explore AI-powered tools and smart audio solutions. Especially those with admin-heavy roles like PAs and office managers.

A Strong Partnership

“I really like that I can ask New Era a question and they always find a solution.” ~ Pauline.
At New Era, we don’t just install technology, we partner with schools to understand their
pain points and recommend the best-fit solutions. With nationwide coverage and responsive support, we’re here for the long haul.

Ready to Work Smarter?

If you'd like to learn more about Jabra speakerphones or how Google Gemini’s paid license could support your team, speak with one of our experts today.

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