Microsoft's massive 55in and 84in Surface Hubs will open for pre-order from 1 July, with a shipping date of September, the company has revealed.
Mike Angiulo, corporate vice president of Microsoft Devices Group said: "With the announcement that we'll begin taking orders for Surface Hub on 1 July, we are one step closer to bringing a new way of working to our business customers and delivering a tool that will bring teams together in more efficient and engaging ways."
Designed for use in conference rooms and other public areas in businesses, the Surface Hub comprises a 4K multitouch display, powered by an Intel Core i5 or i7 processor. The smart display also features dual 1080p cameras and background noise-reducing microphones for better video calls. Bluetooth, NFC and various ports including USBs are all packed in too. Both the 55in and 84in models run on a stripped-down version of Windows 10, which means you can run a decent range of apps on them.
The main aim of Microsoft Hub is to help people work more collaboratively, whether they want to jot down notes in a meeting, like an interactive whiteboard, make a video conference call using Skype or present to a group of people using PowerPoint.
"It won't come as a surprise that our ultimate goal is to put Surface Hub in every meeting space to truly create a HUB where people can gather physically or virtually to connect, share ideas and make decisions," continued Angiulo.
The 55in Surface Hub will set businesses back a minimum of $6,999 (4,500), while the larger 84-inch model will cost $19,999 (13,000).
Angiulo finished: "There is no doubt in our mind that Surface Hub is going to change the way groups work together. Just as the PC revolutionised productivity for individuals, we see Surface Hub as a transformative tool for group productivity. We look forward to seeing how customers and partners apply their own creativity and innovation to this new category."
