Embrava Blynclight Standard - Busy Light for The Office

Update March 2022: I am raising my rating from 3 to 5 stars, because all of the issues identified in my original review have now been solved through software updates. Teams can be used to set status from the client side now without any issues, no network privileges needed. And as of the latest update, there is the option to turn off the light in manual mode. With those issues solved it does exactly what I need, and after nearly two years of daily home office use it is still working great.Original review:I bought this for the home office to let others know when I'm on a call or otherwise unavailable. It's a terrific concept and almost very good in execution, but the few problems I've encountered are enough to knock off a couple of stars.First, and most importantly for me, I can't get it to integrate with Teams without network administrator access. My office has switched to heavy use of Teams in 2020 while we are all virtual, and I thought something linked to my Teams status would be perfect for alerting the family to my availability. In order to do this, though, I was surprised to learn upon installation that the software requires administrator access. Note that this is NOT referring to administrator access for your computer (which I have--I'm working off my own personal machine), but rather administrator access for your Teams account/network. In a massive org like mine, the odds of getting an administrator to sign off on granting access to a random app that hasn't been fully vetted and tested within our network is less than zero. So Teams integration is out, and the usefulness of the product is significantly decreased. It appears there was once a client-side Teams option, which I imagine is what I need, but this is now depreciated.The second big limitation is that in manual mode there is no way to just switch off the light. All the connected modes have the option of certain statuses turn the light off, but in manual mode the only options are to set the light to one of the color choices. This just seems like an oversight in the software--clearly the light is capable of turning off while the software is running--but it's an annoying one (particularly since I can't set up the link to Teams).Overall I still think it's a very useful idea but in need of further fine tuning. Since none of the issues are with the hardware but rather the software that controls it, I'm hopeful that it will improve over time with future updates.

I love the Embrava Blynclight and have it setting up on top of my cubicle wall so anyone in the whole office can see it. I often use noise cancelling headphones at my desk just to focus, even when I'm not in a meeting, and my coworkers constantly come up behind and try to look at all of my 3 screens to see if I'm in a meeting, or just drowning out the background noise, before trying to get my attention. Now I have them trained that if the light is green, headphones or not, they can go ahead and talk to me, but if the indicator is red, then I'm on a call. I use MS teams, and so far the integration is good. There have been a couple buggy times when the light wasn't changing, but it could also be that my Blynclight is plugged into a dock and I'm constantly moving and plugging and unpluging my dock throughout the day. A "Reset Status" in teams usually fixes it. The only thing I don't like is that it doesn't integrate with normal WebEx meeting client, just their collaboration tool. We use Teams and WebEx for meetings, so if I go into a WebEx meeting, I have to manually change my status in teams to "In a call". I'm probably going to be buying a Stream Deck soon though, and that will be the first thing I program as a button!

"ARE YOU ON THE PHONE?!" a coworker bellows into my cubicle.I look away from the presentation I am giving over a Teams call, my eyes shooting daggers that riddle my coworker's hulking form. My Jabra headset is blinking aggressively to alert any passerbys that I am indisposed.He is unaffected. I see cobwebs dusting the vacant halls that lay behind his glassy eyes. He is eagerly awaiting a verbal response to indicate that I am, in fact, on a call and unavailable."Yes, I am on a call," my tone is pleading, begging him to cease his interruption."OK, I'LL COME BACK LATER," my coworker shambles away as I issue an apology to my Teams audience.This light is a beacon to those coworkers that just can't take a hint. It syncs to my Teams status and has trained my office mates to distantly watch for a green light, like a modern-day Gatsby. The Embrava app lets you set the light to any primary color depending on your Teams status. You want the light to turn blue when you're busy? You got it. Are your coworkers red/green color blind? How about solid purple for available and blinking orange for busy? The world is your oyster with this light.This thing is great, and I no longer have to worry about direct coworker interruption while presenting from my cubicle. My cube neighbors notice when the light is flashing red, indicating that I am on a call, and they make an effort not to shout their opinions about Ohio State/Nebraska Football when they see that I am busy (very considerate of them).You may need a longer cord. Plan accordingly.