Microsoft rethinking collaboration with big-screen Surface Hub

USA: Microsoft aims to deliver a new kind of productivity experience optimized for groups and board room meetings with its new Surface Hub.

Surface Hub is the new large-screen collaboration device from Microsoft will be available for businesses next month.

The experience is designed to be just as engaging for people working together in the same room as for those connecting remotely by harnessing the power of Windows 10, Skype for Business, Office, OneNote and Universal Windows apps.

The device is designed for anyone to walk up and use, providing an engaging way to share ideas and information. The Surface Hub experience is designed around a highly responsive screen built for ink and touch.

To meet the needs of a variety of rooms and spaces, Surface Hub is available in two different screen sizes and prices: Surface Hub 55-inch for $6,999, and Surface Hub 84-inch for $19,999.

Both versions of Surface Hub are integrated with optically bonded displays capable of detecting 100 points of multitouch and up to three simultaneous pen inputs, dual 1080p front-facing video cameras, and a four-element microphone array that detects and follows voice to eliminate background noise during videoconferencing sessions. Surface Hub also features built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC and a variety of ports for easy wired and wireless connectivity options, allowing devices to share content to the screen.

It’s easy to start white-boarding, initiate a videoconference or share content on this large-screen device. Businesses will be able to draw from a wide variety of Windows apps to put real-time data and business tools at the center of meetings, helping them gain insights and reach decisions faster.

“While there are a number of devices designed to improve our productivity as individuals, there has yet to be a device that is truly optimized for a group of people to use together — designed not just for what we need to do, but how we want to work. Until now,” said Mike Angiulo, corporate vice president, Microsoft Devices. “Just as the PC revolutionized productivity for individuals, Surface Hub will transform the way groups of people work together.”

Microsoft is thinking about collaboration spaces holistically and putting Surface Hub at the center of workspace transformation initiative and is partnering with global leaders in advanced control, automation and conferencing systems like AMX and Crestron, and working with innovative design thought leaders like Herman Miller,

Surface Hub and related accessories will be available to order starting July 1 and will begin shipping worldwide in September in 24 markets: the United States, Canada, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Qatar, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.