Microsoft’s range of Surface devices includes not only notebooks and tablets, but also a tool designed for ease teamwork and collaboration, both in presence and remotely: Microsoft Surface Hub 2S . We could define this device as an interactive whiteboard based on a generous multi-touch screen from 50 “, but the definition is narrow: Surface Hub 2S is equipped with a video camera and not only serves to show notes to participants, but is designed to integrate with the software of the company Redmond, starting with Teams, the most used collaboration tool in the business environment.

Surface Hub 2S is not just a simple touch screen and includes a calculation unit that allows you to run major business applications, such as Skype for Business, Teams, Microsoft 365 and basically any application available for Windows 10. Its fields of use are business collaboration and the world of education. Surface Hub 2S is designed to make business meetings more effective, both those that take place in person, in the meeting room, and those that include participants connected remotely with a normal computer, but also to facilitate distance learning.

Usage scenarios: team collaboration at the highest levels, even remotely

The data on the world of work tell us that the 80% of working time is invested in collaboration , which in this period takes place mainly remotely due to the pandemic. After the emergency, it is very likely that companies will continue to adopt some form of smart working, seeking a balance between working in person and remotely: more than one study has shown that productivity in this period has increased, and there are advantages for both workers and companies to find the right mix between the two modes.

One of the most used applications for collaboration is Microsoft Teams, which has the advantage of being integrated with other Microsoft software. Inevitably, Surface Hub 2S revolves around Teams and its functions and for this reason it can be a valid tool to improve productivity. When having a meeting, having a whiteboard can make a difference: beyond the presentation of the slides, with the application Microsoft Whiteboard you can take notes, underline information, quickly draw diagrams, all in a natural way, using the integrated stylus and share the work with both those present, who will view it on the screen at 50 ”of the blackboard, both with those who are connected remotely. The documents on the participants’ computers can then be easily shared with all the participants.

The 4K camera wide angle ensures high quality images, while the microphone array can pick up the audio of everyone in the meeting room, even if they are far from the Surface Hub 2S. The same attention was paid to the loudspeakers, thus ensuring intelligible communications. In case it is necessary to move the whiteboard from one room to another, it will not even be necessary to turn off and restart the system, if you rely on the APC battery made by Schneider Electric which is integrated into the Steelcase Roam transportable stand and is able to guarantee a ‘autonomy greater than 100 minutes.

But in which scenarios can Surface Hub 2S come in handy? What changes compared to a computer connected to the typical large screen (or projectors) that we now find in many meeting rooms? Well, first of all, as we said, it is a whiteboard: the touch screen allows not only to show presentations, but also to interact, to elaborate schemes, to take notes, in short, all those typical actions that take place during a meeting, usually with the help of a classic magnetic board and relative markers. With the difference that here the data can be shared on the screens of those who are not physically in the same room. and, above all, saved. It will no longer be necessary to take photos with your mobile to write down what is written before it is deleted. The fact that it is possible to buy a stand with wheels to move it from one room to another is a plus , since it will not be necessary to purchase one for each meeting room in the company.

The fact that the interface and tools are the same that people are used to using on a daily basis computer only simplifies its use: there will be no need to learn how to use a new tool. The support for Teams, then, makes remote presentations particularly effective, especially when the speaker has to interact with the board itself, for example by writing formulas or drawing diagrams to better express some concepts: doing it on a computer, even if equipped with a touch monitor screen, it is not the same as doing it on a screen with a diagonal of 50 “. If this can improve group work, let’s think about how much this tool could improve the training sessions or distance learning , an activity where the blackboard is often an indispensable tool, the center of the lesson itself.

Microsoft Surface Hub 2S: the technical specifications

Surface Hub 2S is basically a big monitor from 15 “with aspect ratio 3: 2 to place of the classics 16: 9: the resolution, consequently, is 3840 x 2560 (higher than 4K, therefore), instead of 3840 x 2160 typical of TVs and PC screens. The display is PixelSense type, based on IPS technology and supports a color depth of 10 bit. It integrates stereo speakers and an array of microphones capable of recording the speech of the participants wherever they are inside the room where the whiteboard is installed.

Under the profile of the unit calculation, Surface Hub 2S integrates an 8th generation Intel Core i5 processor, equipped with 8 GB of RAM and a SSD GB. There are 3 USB 3.0 ports, an ethernet connector, (but there is also Wi-Fi) as well as an HDMI 2.0 input and a video output in Mini DisplayPort 1.2 format, to connect the whiteboard to a projector.

The package includes a stylus and the Surface Hub 2 Camera, capable of capturing wide-range 4K images, so as to frame all participants in the meeting.

The basic equipment is completed by a series of optional accessories, to be purchased separately: brackets for wall mounting, the Steelcase Roam, a kind of tripod equipped with wheels that allows you to move Surface Hub 2S from one room to another without effort, and an APC battery, which allows you to use it even disconnected from the power. The calculation unit can also be removed and replaced with a more powerful model in a very simple way: it is extracted like a cartridge and the new module is inserted. At the moment, however, the calculation modules have not yet been announced.

Coming soon Surface Hub 2S 85 “

If the screen from 50 “was not enough, shortly (from January 2021) it will be possible to purchase a new model with display from 85 “. The screen is still a multi-touch IPS with Microsoft PixelSens technology (introduced with Surface tablets), but the aspect ratio changes.

Instead of the 3: 2 aspect ratio, Surface Hub 2S 85 “will boast a more classic 12: 9, with resolution of 3840 x 2160 points. The integrated calculation module, on the other hand, is identical to that of the model currently on the market and, like this one, can be replaced with a more powerful one, if necessary.

The proposals of Maverick AV Solutions

L The sole distributor for Italy of Microsoft Surface Hub 2S is Maverick AV Solutions , audio video division of Tech Data specialized in smart meeting and smart signage solutions. The company has created a series of offers, some of which are designed for resellers and distributors, which will become partners of Maverick AV Solutions to resell the solution by integrating it with value-added services.