Noro portals at JLL: Connecting long-distance teams via large format video conferencing 

Last year, in a previous blog post on the Noro Portals, we described why JLL Spark invested in this technology to bring cutting edge collaborative tools to modern workplaces. In this post, we’d like to focus on telling the story of the emerging use case for our own employees at JLL. 

As a brief reminder, the portal technology recreates in-person interactions very closely, enabling a natural conversation where body language and direct eye contact are experienced by the participants.  Add to this the full suite of technology available in other video conferencing solutions and you have a winning combination. 

We have installed portals in three JLL offices with a high concentration of international teams and senior leadership: Atlanta, Chicago and London. 

Using the portals comes with several key benefits for our organization: 

• Helping distributed workforces work together with more engagement, as if they are in the same room 

• Creating superior, office-based experiences that attract employees back 

• Reducing travel costs and travel induced CO₂ emissions; eliminating same day, cross country round trips for one meeting  

The first JLL use case is about supporting internationally distributed teams among business support functions like HR, Finance, IT / Technology. Individuals in these groups do not necessarily get a chance to travel much and get together in person. Using the portals can help them build deeper connections. In this case, the portals can be used for one-to-one meetings or team meetings, with all the attributes of an in-person meeting (eye contact, freedom of movement, full body language perception), without the typical “Teams or Zoom fatigue”. 

The second use case supports frequent traveler profiles (Executive suite, consulting teams) to reduce the need for business trips that are costly, exhausting, and leave a carbon footprint. Typically, one day cross country trips for a single team or board meeting can be eliminated and conducted comfortably via the portals.  

The third use case is creating cross office events, where we use the portals to connect happy hours or networking sessions between two offices. We recently held a happy hour between our Chicago and Atlanta offices, using the portals to connect both locations.  

“The Noro Portal in our Atlanta office has transformed how our team connects, creating authentic, interactions with colleagues while reducing our carbon footprint. At JLL, we believe workplace experience centers on human connection, and this technology exemplifies our commitment to innovative solutions that enhance how we work. The Portal has helped strengthen our global community by fostering belonging despite physical distance, while supporting our environmental goals – showing how technology can simultaneously improve workplace experience and sustainability.”

– Stuart Bern, Managing Director, Americas, JLL Technology Advisory Services 

Using the Noro portals supports a more vibrant corporate culture, fosters a stronger sense of community and deeper belonging. It also supports increased efficiency in time and cost savings. Assuming as few as ten business trips per year are avoided between the three locations, this represents savings of $60K in travel costs and 40 tons of CO₂ emissions.  

The portals provide a powerful alternative to traditional video conferencing that is ideal for longer meetings, collaborative sessions, and building deeper connections – a great tool to drive return to the office.  

Connect with Arnaud Bouzinac via LinkedIn to learn more about Noro and how your company can benefit from its innovative digital meeting technology.

Interested in a strategic partnership with JLL Spark? Apply for an investment here.