Teamwork without boundaries: Meet the new Surface Hub 2S

Empowering teams and embracing collaboration is about to get a whole lot easier following Microsoft’s announcement of the all new Surface Hub 2S. This all-in-one digital whiteboard, meeting platform and collaborative compute device raises the bar for modern businesses by bridging the divide between physical and virtual workspaces – it’s no wonder the Hub 2S has been dubbed “the ultimate business companion”.

So, with pre-order now available, it’s time to meet the newest member of the Surface family.

Surface Hub 2S at-a-glance:

• Striking 50.5 inch, 4K screen and 4K camera, including pen and touch functionality
• Versatile, lightweight design suitable for mounting on a wall or mobile stand
• Crystal clear video conferencing with native Microsoft Teams and Skype for Business integration
• Brainstorm and collaborate across devices with Microsoft Whiteboard
• Seamless transition to the digital world with a new 3:2 aspect ratio – comparable to A4 paper
• Project wirelessly to share content with Miracast
• Run Windows 10, Microsoft Office and Microsoft Teams for Surface Hub
• Achieve ultimate mobility with a new battery pack launching in late 2019
• Accessible on-premises, in the Cloud or Hybrid environments

Designed for the modern workplace

The impending release of the Surface Hub 2S adds another impressive chapter to Microsoft’s history of empowering collaborative and productive teams. Don’t be mistaken by thinking this is merely another smart board or interactive whiteboard; the Hub 2S connects remote and mobile workers with their co-located colleagues to tap into the power of mobility and teamwork, anytime, anywhere.

Whether you’re a long-time user of the original Hub and are wanting to add to your fleet, or are looking to introduce the Hub to your organisation for the first time, the Surface Hub 2S promises to revolutionise the way your team works – no matter which industry you’re in.

Embrace a connected workforce

According to a Forrester study, 75% say that working from the office is better for feeling like part of a team and 76% believe working from the office is better for getting work done with others¹. The reality is, remote and mobile workers now form a significant percentage of the workforce. So, just how can you convince the three quarters of respondents that working with remote colleagues can be as productive as if they were sitting beside you? Enter Hub 2S.

Connect remote workers with the rest of the team with a physical collaboration space that staff love to use and can simply walk in and get started with – no complex sign-on steps required.

Draw, annotate, and explore ideas via the natural and intuitive pen and touch functionality. Tellingly, employees avoid 29% of meeting spaces due to insufficient tools or design when collaborating as a group¹. Consider this a thing of the past and keep 100% of your staff engaged with Hub 2S.

Take collaboration from conference rooms to breakout areas and beyond thanks to the mobile and lightweight design. In another win for mobility, a new APC Charge Mobile Battery is slated for late-2019 release. It promises to untether your team and turn any space into a team workspace. The battery will keep the Surface Hub 2S powered for up to 2 hours and can be recharged in less than 90 minutes.

Drive powerful clinical collaboration

On any given day, healthcare professionals interact with countless different people in order to deliver the best care possible. It’s not an easy job to begin with, but when you consider the often life-saving outcomes these people are relied upon to deliver, any one of a host of familiar challenges can quickly become dangerous – from communication breakdowns when multiple clinicians interact with each patient, to teams working in silos, or physical distance separating patients and providers. The Hub 2S offers a powerful way to tackle these head on to ensure patient health isn’t compromised.

Share vital images and data such as medical records, CT scans and X-rays between clinicians and specialists with crisp and clear 4K imagery, enabling real-time analysis and group diagnosis.

Deliver remote patient communications to meet with and explain complex procedures to patients who are unable to visit facilities with specialists.

Facilitate virtual training and education for students, clinicians, and faculty staff with seamless video conferencing and content-sharing capabilities.

Power the Anywhere Classroom

Despite an ongoing shift to the digital classroom, communication and technological barriers continue to plague classrooms and campuses across the country. For educators and the latest tech-savvy generation of students, reliable, easy-to-use technology is paramount to driving richer learning experiences and achieving better learning outcomes.

Present engaging, interactive multimedia with native integration of the complete Office 365 suite allowing you to view embedded videos in a PowerPoint presentation or annotate a Word document with responsive touch and digital inking.

Invite external experts to deliver lectures or presentation via video conferencing with native Skype for business integration on the brilliant 50.5-inch screen.

Encourage students to have a more interactive role in learning by engaging curious young minds with collaborative whiteboarding spaces and Microsoft Teams for brainstorming, or connect student devices to get real-time input and deliver personalised feedback.

What’s next?

Microsoft continues to innovate with another exciting addition to the portfolio just around the corner. In 2020, the Surface Hub 2X will hit our shores, bringing with it a number of impressive new features including an incredible 85-inch option, screen tiling, dynamic rotation and fingerprint scanning for even faster access. Rest assured we’ll bring you up to speed on the latest 2X developments as they’re released.

But don’t worry, purchasing the 2S now doesn’t mean you have to miss out. Thanks to an interchangeable compute cartridge on the back of the 2S, users can upgrade on-site for a fraction of the cost of purchasing the new device.

The Data^#3 difference

Don’t be left behind – be one of the first to truly take collaboration and productivity to the next level.  Surface Hub 2S is now available. Contact Data^#3 to learn more about the Surface family and order your Hub 2S today.

As Microsoft’s largest Australian partner, Data^#3 is uniquely positioned to help your organisation realise the benefits of the anywhere workplace. With pre-site inspections, installation, deployment, adoption and ongoing management, our expert team will ensure you get the most from your Surface Hub experience.

1. Forrester (2016). The Total Economic Impact™ Of Microsoft Surface Hub. [Online] Available at https://data3.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Forrester_TEI_Surface_Hub.pdf