The workplace is changing fast. Not because people are being replaced, but because artificial intelligence is finally stepping in as a true collaboration partner. And one of the first companies proving this shift isn’t theoretical anymore is Ricoh. According to McKinsey, 75% of global organizations plan to expand AI adoption across workflows by 2025, with collaboration and productivity tools identified as top priority use cases.
On November 6, 2025, Ricoh announced a global partnership with Neat to deliver AI-powered audiovisual (AV) solutions for businesses. This isn’t just about better video calls or sleeker meeting hardware. It’s a message: the future of work is AI-collaborative – and Ricoh just pressed “Go.”
Why Ricoh’s Move Matters
For decades, upgrading workplace tech meant replacing printers, laptops, or VC tools. What Ricoh is doing is different. Through this partnership, Ricoh will combine its AV Managed Services (AVMS) with Neat’s AI-driven AV devices to create friction-free meeting and collaboration spaces that scale across organizations.
A few highlights from the announcement:
- Ricoh achieved Mastery level in Neat’s Global Partner Program.
- Neat hardware like Neat Board and Neat Bar will be rolled out as part of Ricoh’s managed service model.
- The aim is to remove technology complexity so people can focus on creative work, not troubleshooting.
When a major global brand known for workplace solutions embraces AI-collaborative work, it signals a transformation that will soon shape every industry – not just tech.
From Friction To Flow: A New Work Experience
Let’s be honest – how many meetings start with awkward phrases like:
“Can you hear me?”
“Your screen hasn’t been shared.”
“Is someone typing directly into the mic?”
In an AI-collaborative meeting space, those issues simply disappear. With smart AV tools that handle layout detection, noise suppression, device syncing, and remote participation automatically, work starts to feel like… work again – not tech setup.
Ricoh’s strategy is simple but powerful: technology should fade into the background so humans can take center stage.
Neat’s Global Partner Program has achieved great success to date, and we are thrilled to welcome Ricoh Global to the program,” said Ivar Johnsrud, CTO and Co-founder at Neat. “We share a passion for solving customer challenges in modern workplaces and delivering innovations that shape the future of video collaboration. We look forward to working closely with Ricoh Global to make Neat meeting spaces even more accessible to businesses of all sizes around the world.
Takahiro Irisa, Senior Corporate Officer and President of Ricoh Digital Services Business Unit, Ricoh Company, Ltd., said,“ We are delighted to embark on this journey of global partnership with Neat, who shares our vision for workplace innovation and collaboration. As workstyle continues to diversify and evolve, this partnership marks a pivotal step forward in expanding our capabilities to enhance workers’ creativity and empower fulfillment through work, and also advancing our Workplace Experiences business. By deepening our collaboration, we are committed to unlocking even greater value for customers seeking excellence in quality and innovation. We look forward to working closely with Neat.”
What Changes For People – Not Just Companies
The AI-collaborative workplace isn’t cold or robotic. It’s more human than before because AI clears space for the work only humans can do.
With AI handling repetitive, technical, and coordination tasks, people gain time to:
- Think
- Build ideas
- Collaborate deeply
- Strengthen relationships
- Focus on outcomes instead of operations
Imagine walking into a meeting room where everything – remote participants, shared screens, audio, recording, and whiteboard – just works. No cables, no wasted minutes, no distractions. Simply productive collaboration.
A Broader Shift Is Coming
Ricoh’s move won’t be the last. Once AI-enhanced collaboration stops feeling futuristic and starts feeling normal, the business world will accelerate toward:
- AI-assisted project rooms
- AI-generated recaps and action summaries
- AI-enabled knowledge sharing across global teams
- AI-driven workplace orchestration
AI will not replace teams. It will boost them, amplify them, and support them. The winners will be the organizations that embrace this shift early – and the individuals who see AI as a teammate, not a threat.
Key Takeaway
The future of work isn’t AI-versus-humans.
It’s humans + AI = better work, less hassle, more creativity.
Ricoh just became one of the first major global companies to design workplace infrastructure around that equation. Others will follow.
Conclusion
AI-collaborative work is not about removing the human element – it’s about elevating it. As AI becomes a dependable partner rather than a background tool, the quality of work and life at work improves. When technology handles complexity, people finally get room to think, create, and lead with purpose.
FAQs
1. What does AI-collaborative work mean?
It means AI and people work together, with AI handling repetitive or technical tasks while humans focus on strategy, creativity, and problem-solving.
2. What makes the Ricoh + Neat partnership important?
It combines managed workplace services with AI-powered meeting devices to enable smoother, smarter collaboration across teams.
3. Will AI-collaborative tools benefit small teams or only big enterprises?
They can support any size team because the solutions scale based on need.
4. Does AI-collaboration require replacing all existing workplace technology?
Not always. Many solutions are designed to integrate into current meeting spaces and hybrid workflows.
5. Is AI-collaborative work about replacing human jobs?
No – it’s about letting people spend less time on repetitive tasks and more time on meaningful, high-value work.
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