How Surface Hub 2 Brings Remote Teams Together

The highly-anticipated Microsoft Surface Hub 2 is finally set for release. Initially launching in North America, the next generation of Microsoft’s innovative all-in-one digital whiteboard will be released in two separate phases, with the Surface Hub 2S pencilled in for a June 2019 release date, and the more advanced 2X model expected in 2020.

The new device features a stunning 4K resolution 50.5-inch display, with the thinner and sleeker design making it much more mobile and allowing teams to collaborate in different spaces. In Microsoft’s own words, the Surface Hub 2 is built to provide “teamwork without boundaries”, and this is a collaborative computing device which builds upon the existing Surface Hub software.

Perhaps more importantly, in a world where remote and flexible working is continuing to rise, the Surface Hub 2 helps businesses to keep remote teams connected with colleagues, collaborators and clients. Integrating seamlessly with Microsoft Teams, Skype for Business and other familiar applications, this is a device which turns any meeting space into a truly collaborative zone.

Digital Whiteboarding

Collaboration is an essential part of the modern workplace, regardless of whether team members are based remotely or in the same office building. Efficient collaborative sessions can often inspire brand-new ideas and improve the quality of results, while they inevitably bring teams much closer together and encourage them to connect, discuss and engage with one another.

Creative brainstorming sessions are vital for building such a collaborative meeting environment, ensuring that meetings become much more activity-based and allowing all participants to really get involved. The Surface Hub 2 provides the perfect platform for hosting these sessions, with the interactive touch-screen display making it easier for teams to edit and share relevant files.

Users can naturally interact directly with the display through an innovative digital pen, allowing them to draw, write and annotate across multiple devices. The device can be used to pool all of your ideas into one central pool, acting as a teamwork-focused hub which works seamlessly with Office and Edge applications.

This sense of involvement is crucial for all remote workers, who can quickly become detached from projects if they’re unable to regularly communicate with colleagues. The new Surface Hub helps teams to establish an efficient group workflow which involves everybody, ensuring that all team members are seen, heard and valued.

Video Conferencing

As previously mentioned, the Surface Hub 2 integrates faultlessly with Microsoft Teams and Skype for Business, making it easier for teams to arrange, host and carry out effective video conferencing sessions. For the remote worker, these face-to-face meetings are absolutely essential towards developing strong working relationships.

Of course, these relationships can often keep remote workers more motivated and focused on projects, and video conferencing is one of the most effective methods of making these employees feel like part of the team. Due to the sheer size and quality of the Surface Hub 2S display, this creates the illusion of remote workers being in the same room as other participants; while the crystal-clear audio helps to enhance this immersive experience.

According to a recent Owl Labs study, 93% of people agree that video conferencing improves the connectedness of remote employees, while Alfresco research found that 83% of professionals depend on technology to collaborate. The new Surface Hub is built to improve this connectedness, helping to build the collaborative working cultures which modern professionals now find so valuable.

Flexible Communication

Boasting a thinner, lighter and more streamlined design, the Surface Hub 2 brings a new level of flexibility to your communication and collaboration processes. Instead of limiting your collaborative meetings to a single office building, the new Surface Hub brings team members together from different places across multiple devices.

This kind of flexible communication is obviously incredibly useful for remote workers who want to connect with the rest of the team, since it allows them to collaborate regularly without expensive travel costs. This can ultimately result in more spontaneous, creative collaborative sessions which really spark creativity, a culture which is backed up by the Surface Hub’s additional attachments.

These include a Steelcase Roam stand, wall mount and APC battery pack, all of which are specifically designed to help teams work together in different places. Collaboration is no longer limited to a single building or conference room, and teams can now get to work wherever inspiration strikes them.