The software giant’s all-in-one system will leverage Windows 10, OneNote and Skype for Business in an attempt to define a new category of collaborative device, and a potential new market in SMB meeting rooms and corporate Huddle Spaces. But will the new product coexist with the existing Lync /Skype for Business Room Systems?
Microsoft Lync / Skype for Business Room System – offers flexibility for systems integrators to optimise the solution to the end-users’ needs.
Previewed at ISE earlier this year, Microsoft’s Surface Hub, the company’s new large format collaboration device, will be available to order in 24 markets from the 1st July. Hardware innovations in touch and ink allow Surface Hub to combine Windows 10, Skype for Business, Office, OneNote and Universal Windows apps to deliver a productivity experience optimised for groups. The Surface Hub experience is designed to be just as engaging for people working together in the same room as those connecting remotely.
While Surface Hub is produced by a full-on IT manufacturer, AV distributors and resellers are genuinely excited at the prospect of selling Surface Hub, with its dollar price, for the smaller 55-inch unit, of $6,999, and $19,999 for the 84-inch.
The launch of the new device has raised questions about the long term future of the Lync / Skype for Business Room System, that offers similar digital whiteboarding and video conferencing capabilities. Forrester analyst Philipp Karcher said: “Buyers will have to make the comparison between purely Lync-optimised solutions and a more flexible Windows 10 experience in Surface Hub that can run multiple applications on the same screen.”
Microsoft Surface Hub: a standardised, all-in-one collaboration solution now shipping now in 24 countries.
What can it do?
So what are these capabilities? The first and most obvious characteristic of the new product is that it reflects Microsoft’s emerging interest in hardware. The all-in-one solution is said to deliver the power and versatility of a complete, cloud-connected Windows 10 device along with “the simplicity and consistency of a custom interface that is built for shared spaces”. The device is designed for users to walk-up and use, providing an engaging way to share ideas and information in a group context.
Straight from the welcome screen it’s easy to start whiteboarding, or initiate a videoconference or to share content. In addition, users will be able to draw from a wide variety of Windows apps to put real-time data and business tools at the centre of meetings, helping participants gain insights and reach decisions faster. By connecting the industry-specific Universal Windows apps that organisations rely on to manage their business processes with a remote meeting and collaboration solution, Surface Hub is said to bring a new level of innovation and efficiency to the way people work. And as a Windows 10 device, the Surface Hub benefits from Windows Update for Business, providing access to the latest innovation and security updates on an ongoing basis.
Mike Angiulo, corporate vice president at Microsoft Devices, explained: “While there are a number of devices designed to improve our productivity as individuals, there has yet to be a device that is truly optimised 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: Just as the PC revolutionized productivity for individuals, Surface Hub will transform the way groups of people work together.”
Both versions of Surface Hub are integrated with optically bonded displays capable of detecting 100 points of multitouch, 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.
Route to market
Microsoft is working closely with a set of strategic partners to make it easy for businesses to deploy Surface Hub in a way that integrates naturally into their existing rooms and IT environments. A variety of companies are taking advantage of the Surface Hub opportunity, including distributors enabling global reach like ALSO, Ingram Micro Inc., Synnex Corp, Tech Data and TD Maverick.
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 UK.
In the UK and EMEA, TDMaverick was the first distributor to set out its stall, with its announcement of product availability from the official launch date. Microsoft has also concluded agreements with strategic resellers like Atea, AVI-SPL, Bechtle, CSI Collaboration Solutions, Inmac, Insight, Kelway, Misco, PCM, Red Thread, Telstra and Whitlock. The software giant is also working with a number of development partners – for example, global leaders in advanced control, automation and conferencing like AMX and Crestron.
Package deals
At the recent InfoComm event, Crestron announced bundles combining Surface Hub with Crestron control technology. Crestron will sell the integrated solution in two complete turnkey packages, plus optional accessories. These packages will enable organisations to maximize room usage, efficiency and productivity when deploying Surface Hub.
Built on the Crestron .AV Framework platform, the packages include Crestron’s TSW touch screen technology, without any programming. The integrated solution pairs an enterprise standard Crestron DigitalMedia Presentation System (DMPS); a TSW touch screen; a TSS scheduling touch screen; and a set of USB extenders to add the flexibility of complete room control from the conference table or Surface Hub. These capabilities include the ability to:
- Display any content on the Surface Hub from any device anywhere in the room or enterprise
- Pass touch functionality from the Surface Hub to touch-compatible connected devices
- Present HD and Ultra High Definition 4K video
- Launch Windows 10 apps on the Surface Hub from the table touch screen
- Adjust room and environmental settings including shades, lights, and temperature using Crestron’s App on the Surface Hub or from the Crestron TSW touch screen
- Book and schedule meetings from the Crestron TSS touch screen just outside the room
- Perform centralised enterprise room management, monitoring, and control
Crestron’s base packages include options optimised for either the 55 inch Surface Hub, or the 84 inch Surface Hub (which is Crestron 4K Certified) in a total of four configurations. All four solutions are Crestron Certified Designs, which means they are 4K enabled, validated by Crestron system engineers and backed by Crestron’s True Blue Support team. A Crestron Certified Design also includes a five-year extended warranty and a free Crestron Fusio enterprise license.
- Package 1 includes a DMPS 4K presentation system, a TSW 7 inch tabletop touch screen for room control, a Crestron Connect It cable caddie for wired connectivity and simple source selection at the table, cables, and a TSS 7 inch touch screen for outside the room scheduling.
- Package 2 includes everything in Package 1, and adds Crestron AirMedia for enhanced multi-platform BYOD wireless presentation capability, and a second Crestron ConnectIt (TT-100) enabling increased capacity for wired connectivity.
Customers can select additional accessories including wall mount brackets and stands for installation, and can purchase an extended warranty on the Surface Hub.
Market education
Microsoft’s existing solution for corporate collaboration, the Lync / Skype for Business Room System (LRS), took longer to establish in the market, firstly, due to a late start in shipping product; secondly, a consequence of over-estimating Microsoft users commitment to the Lync platform; and, finally, adverse customer reaction to important features present in previous collaboration platforms being omitted from the initial versions of some LRS solutions.
But Surface Hub is not merely a tidied up version of the LRS. Sean Goldstein, Crestron Marketing VP, said that Surface Hub is primarily a meeting solution enhanced with collaboration: “We’ve been working with Microsoft for many months to ensure native compatibility with Surface Hub. As a result of our efforts, our Surface Hub packages meet the need for any room or meeting in which collaboration is a priority.”
Angiulo again: “It’s engineered to be inviting and engaging, making meetings more productive. Built in sensors help the device to wake up when you’re near and track your movement so cameras can follow you. Meetings start instantly with a single touch. Meeting participants can share content wirelessly from Miracast capable devices, making meetings engaging and productive. By removing the points of friction throughout the meeting process, the process of starting and ending meetings, sharing content and collaborating as a remote participant is simple and natural.”
Surface Hub v LRS?
These criticisms have been resolved by Microsoft and its development partners, with the one remaining barrier, perhaps, being the migration of corporate IT estates to Windows 10. Nonetheless, market reaction to Surface Hub has been more than positive. Karcher again:“We’ve been wowed by devices that cost $100,000 or more, and underwhelmed by lower cost devices that try to deliver the breadth of what Microsoft is offering here.”
Collaboration is a market in transition. With such trends as greater worker mobility, the consumerisation of IT, big data and the cloud, vendors are under pressure to offer tools to make collaboration easier regardless of where users are, what time it is or what device they’re using.
Both Surface Hub and the Lync / Skype for Busines Room System share a portfolio of technologies, but there are differences in their implementation. Crestron product manager Stijn Ooms explains that the company will continue to offer solutions built around both Surface Hub and RL2 – the company’s Room System variant (although Surface Hub won’t be available until the end of September). Ooms believes that there will continue to be a market for both, with Surface Hub being an integrated all-in-one product, while RL2 is more targeted towards the system integrator. As a custom solution, the RL2 offers the integrator the opportunity to add their choice of display, camera and audio technology. Both solutions will be available with Crestron integrators’ packs. Ooms says that customers will not be supplied with barebones Surface Hub units.
Ian Goodhind and Claire Coogan of SMART Technologies’ distributor Steljes know of no plans to introduce a SMART solution based on Surface Hub, adding that customers adopting the SMART Room Solution (SRS) invariably want the flexibility offered by the SRS. For example, many of the early adopters of the SRS have ordered dual screen configurations, to enable users to whiteboard on one display and show different content on the other. Rather than use the standard configuration for audio, the SRS allows custom microphone and speaker set-ups. They also point out that Surface Hub demands Windows 10, whereas the SRS uses the Windows 7 operating system that is virtually omnipresent in businesses and organisations.
Steljes argues that Surface Hub is an ideal solution for Huddle Spaces where meeting participants site shoulder-to-shoulder with half a dozen colleagues and share content via the single display. They point out that all of Microsoft’s promotional videos show meetings where the presenters are up on their feet interacting with the content on the Surface Hub display.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Surface Hub is potentially a great product, with a positive impact on the overall market for interactive collaboration. It is configured to satisfy the needs of a new market of SMB buyers as well as supplementing the provision of more formal collaborative spaces in the corporates. As a standardised all-in-one product, there are sure to be instances where Surface Hub is less than an optimum solution. For these occasions, resellers and integrators have a choice of several flavours of Microsoft’s Room Systems. We hope that the company with its new found enthusiasm for hardware continues to develop along both paths, growing the overall market for collaboration solutions.
