The FINANCIAL — HP Inc. on March 12 at Enterprise Connect 2018 unveiled a set of conferencing and collaboration technology designed for the office of the future, the latest in a series of HP innovations that reinvent the PC experience and extends it into modern meeting spaces.
The HP Elite Slice for Meeting Rooms G2 and an all-new 43-inch diagonal 4K conferencing display are part of HP’s growing ecosystem of PC-based conferencing tools and displays designed to make the collaboration experience simple, scalable and versatile.
“We’ve heard from our customers that conferencing technology should be easy to deploy and manage, secure for sensitive information, and most importantly easy-to-use,” said Alex Cho, vice president and general manager, Commercial PCs, HP Inc. “Collaboration is a vital tool for the modern workforce and HP is on a mission to design collaboration technology – like the new HP Elite Slice for Meeting Rooms – to be a simple, meaningful and personal experience.”
Today’s workforce works from multiple locations both in and outside of the office, and innovative companies are five times more likely to have workplaces that prioritize both individual and group workspaces1. With a 34 percent growth of huddle spaces expected in the next 12 months, there are 40 million meeting spaces3 that need a conferencing solution IT departments can deploy, secure and manage as easily as their PCs, and an experience that eliminates the common pitfalls of the conference call – from time spent setting up calls to dealing with dongles and cords, according to HP.
Unified Communications (UC) based collaboration technology – solutions that integrate voice, video, and data for real-time collaborating – is growing and HP Elite Slice for Meeting Rooms G2 with Skype Room Systems (SRS) provides a seamless technology experience for the unique demands and needs of businesses and their workforce. This innovative collaboration PC enables a high-quality audio and video experience using Skype for Business.
“Online collaboration continues to fuel growth around the globe, and we are pleased that HP Inc. is bringing the next generation of Skype Room Systems solution to market,” said Bob Davis, corporate vice president, Microsoft. “The easy-to-deploy and use HP Elite Slice for Meeting Rooms for Skype Room Systems will transform meeting spaces and enable rich collaborative Skype for Business and soon, Microsoft Teams, experiences.”
Curated for collaboration, HP Elite Slice for Meeting Rooms SRS is designed with a variety of features to make the meeting experience simple and pain-free. To reduce time spent setting up calls, the optional Center of Room Control4 is a 12.3-inch diagonal touch screen that easily manages conference calls, and includes the HP Presence Sensor that senses when a participant enters the room to start the meeting. The control includes a 1.3 m cable to easily move around the room for use by multiple participants, features multiple viewing angles and is built with smudge-resistant glass coating to help reduce the unsightly fingerprints that can accumulate throughout a day’s use.
To ensure that meeting participants can be heard clearly and avoid the dreaded “I thought I was on mute” mishap, the device features 90 dBa audio for sound and clarity, a far field microphone that can capture sound up to five meters away, HP Noise Cancellation to avoid unwanted sounds/conversations in a room, and a tri-colored light ring that indicates volume level and mute. To avoid the dongle drama and cable clutter experienced in many conference rooms, HP Elite Slice for Meeting Rooms SRS features a wireless display module that eliminates the use of cables with easy sharing via Skype for Business. There is also an option to allow guests to connect directly to the device through the HDMI port.
HP Elite Slice for Meeting Rooms SRS is as easy to deploy, secure and manage as a traditional PC, with a standards-based user interface, HP Manageability Integration Kit, and a tool-less set up. As conference devices are typically shared across multiple users, always on, and often unattended for long periods of time, HP Elite Slice for Meeting Rooms SRS features HP Sure Start with Dynamic Protection and is the only conferencing solution with a self-healing BIOS6. The device also features tamper-proof port covers to prevent tampering or damage by users.
The HP Elite Slice for Meeting Rooms is part of HP’s growing collaboration ecosystem announced in September, which includes: HP Elite Slice for Meeting Rooms G2 with Intel Unite is ideal for customers needing a high degree of customization and flexibility with their collaboration solutions; the HP ShareBoard for an interactive whiteboard experience; the HP Thunderbolt Dock with an audio module to turn any small huddle space into a meeting space; HP EliteOne 1000 All-in-One for on-demand conferencing; HP Elite Presenter Mouse to lead meetings; and HP conferencing displays including the new HP LD4312 4K Large Format Display for a more interactive collaborative experience. Ideal for a meeting space with one to four users, the HP LD4312 is a high resolution 4K display with convenient connectivity and integrated speakers for video conferencing.
Pricing and Availability
HP Elite Slice for Meeting Rooms G2 for Skype Room Systems is expected to be available in April for a starting price of $1,799.
HP Elite Slice for Meeting Rooms G2 with Intel Unite is expected to be available in April for a starting price of $1,299.
The HP LD4312 4K Large Format Display is expected to be available in June for $599.
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