Featured Article from Conferencing

HP Addresses Huddle Trend with Elite Slice

By Paula Bernier
Executive Editor, TMC

HP next month will release two Elite Slice for Meeting Rooms G2 huddle room solutions.That includes Intel (News - Alert) Unite version and Skype Room Systems versions.

The Skype solution, which starts at $1,799, includes 8GB of RAM, 90dBa audio, and up to 256GB of internal storage. It features a Core i3-7100T; a far-field voice microphone; HP Noise Cancellation technology; a wireless display module for cable-less operation; and a 12.3-inch FHD touchscreen.

The Intel Unite version, which starts at $1,299, has many of the same features. But, it does not come with a touchscreen.

HP also has announced the LD4312 4K Large Format Display, priced at $599. This solution was designed for rooms with one to four users. It’s available starting in June and has integrated speakers.

These solutions are just among the latest to be introduced for huddle rooms, a space HP expects to generate 34 percent growth in the next year. Indeed, just the other day Dolby Laboratories Inc. introduced Dolby Voice Room, a new solution for huddle rooms and small conference rooms.

“In the past, it was cost prohibitive to video-enable a small meeting space, so a room that could fit half a dozen people might have only a speakerphone or a display to plug a device into for local presentations,” says David Kung, vice president of product strategy at Oblong Industries Inc. “With costs coming down, you can video-enable a room with a low-end videoconferencing codec, or a simple USB camera. Connecting to other spaces and to remote collaborators with voice and video presents obvious advantages for geographically dispersed teams and increases the utility of huddle spaces.”

Robin Gareiss of Nemertes Research says that meeting rooms are “badly in need of transformation.” However, she adds that creating better meeting rooms is becoming more of a priority for IT leaders.