The coronavirus pandemic has locked people inside the homes for weeks, prompting businesses to shift to an online platform. To stay connected with employees, videoconferencing has become the top pick for employers.
To keep up with the rising demand, Asus rolled out new videoconferencing hardware specifically designed for Google Meet.
Asus rolls out new Google Meet hardware kits for better videoconferencing at home
The new equipment includes a small computer that runs the calls, an external speaker, and a camera or a touch screen, depending on the configuration one buys. 9to5Google reported that the hardware is intended for office conference rooms that rely on Google Meet.
Asus previously launched an ASUS-Google Meet kit in 2014, which the tech company has rebranded for the current high demands in the videoconferencing market.
The main inclusion in the package is the new Google Meet Compute System, which ASUS previously called Chromebox. It's a mini-computer tailored to run Google Meet. It runs Chrome OS on an Intel Core i7 processor with a storage of 128GB and magnetic chassis, allowing users to attach it to the stand or mount it instead.
It supports 4K video and can be linked to multiple displays at the same time. It also comes with a dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi and ports, which are placed on one side for a more organized setup.
Three Google Meet bundles to choose from
There are three bundle categories that users can choose from depending on their needs. The basic one is the Google Meet Starter Kit, which includes the Google Meet Compute System, Google Meet Speakermic, Huddly IQ camera, and remote control.
The second one is the Google Meet Small/Medium Room Kit. Aside from the Google Meet Compute System, Google Meet Speakermic, and Huddly IQ camera, it also includes a MIMO touchscreen controller.
Both the Starter and Small/Medium Room Kits can be used in conference rooms with up to eight participants. It comes with a 120-degree field of view camera that can zoom in up to 4X without losing 720p image quality.
The third package is the Google Meet Large Room Kit, which also includes the Google Meet Compute System and Google Meet Speakermic. It also has the MIMO touchscreen controller and a Logitech PTZ Pro 2 camera.
The Large Room Kit can be used for conference rooms with a maximum of 20 people. It will use Logitech's PTZ Pro 2 Camera, which captures 1080p video and offers 10X zoom. Both the Small/Medium and Large Room Kits come with a touch screen panel that allows users to manage the call.
The Google Meet kits will be available from June in 28 countries. Google and ASUS are promoting these kits and hardware to businesses that, thanks to social distancing protocols, are increasingly falling back on videoconferencing tools.
Google Meet is Google's video conferencing app. It can now be accessed directly from Gmail, allowing users to join video calls easily. This makes Google Meet available for all Gmail account holders who no longer need to switch apps to attend calls. Previously, Meet was only available to G Suite subscribers.
