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Hewlett-Packard is rolling out a new collaboration system that uses Intel’s new Unite technology to make it easier to share presentations during meetings.
HP officials unveiled the Collaboration PC June 4 as part of a larger set of collaboration offerings that include a new keyboard and monitor, all of which are being touted as tools for removing some of the pain and frustrating associated with remote meetings and conference calls. Much of the frustration comes with the challenge of getting the technology to work at the beginning of the meeting, they said.
The Collaboration PC is based on HP’s EliteDesk 800 mini-PC, which leverages Intel’s Unite offering to provide a wireless connection to any display or projector available. Intel executives announced Unite this week during the Computex 2015 show. The technology is part of Intel’s larger vision of wire-free computing experience that does away with everything from wires for charging the systems to cables for connecting them to monitors and other peripherals.
The chip maker in January introduced the 5th Generation Core vPro processors, which include wireless technologies to let notebooks easily connect to displays and peripherals. Among the technologies is Intel’s Pro Wireless Display (WiDi) technology, which enables notebooks to connect wireless devices to displays via a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) adapter. Businesses worldwide have lost billions of dollars due to reduced productivity in the minutes it takes employees to attach the various cables needed to get meetings running, company officials have said.
Skylake, the upcoming next-generation PC chips due out later this year, will include even more capabilities for driving the wire-free workplace, according to Intel.
Unite enables businesses to use a mini-PC powered by an Intel Core vPro chip in the conference room and the Unite applications running on devices to connect to displays and projectors. The connection is made through a secure WiFi connection and a unique, rotating PIN for users to quickly and securely join a meeting. Those in the meeting can communicate, share files and edit documents, while IT departments can manage and secure the devices and deploy the technology in rooms of varying sizes without the need of wires or dongles.
“Making the Intel Unite solution easy to deploy in corporate environments is key to ease of use, not only by end users but also by IT departments,” Tom Garrison, vice president and general manager of Intel’s Business Client Platforms unit, wrote in a post on the company blog.
HP’s Collaboration PC, which will be available this month starting at $719, is powered by Intel’s Core i5 or i7 chips with vPro technology, and—at about the size of most office phones—is designed for smaller rooms, officials said.
The company also this month will release Chromebox for Meetings, another video collaboration system that is designed to make it easier for users to get into meeting using their PCs, smartphones or tablets and to share screens and edit documents in real time using Google’s Apps for Work offerings. It’s powered by an Intel Core processor, is compatible with other video conferencing systems and supports access capabilities available from various unified communications (UC) providers. It can connect to most TVs and display through DisplayPort and HDMI outputs.
Chromebox for Meetings, which will start at $999, is a bundle that includes an HP Chromebox, HD webcam, speaker, microphone and a wireless handheld remote.
The ProDisplay P222c video conferencing monitor is a 21.5-inch system that includes keys on the bezel for controlling call settings and is certified for Microsoft’s Skype for Business. It will be available next month starting at $199. HP’s Conferencing Keyboard is a USB keyboard optimized for Skype for Business that includes dedicated conferencing keys for managing calls, devices and content, officials said. It’s available now starting at $79.