Zoom is expanding into hardware. The company has announced a new touchscreen device designed in partnership with DTEN to help with remote work. The appliance, called Zoom For Home — DTEN ME, will cost $599 and will ship in August.
The DTEN ME is a 27-inch touchscreen device with three smart webcams and eight noise-reducing microphones built in, and it comes preloaded with the Zoom software. Zoom isn’t actually building the hardware; San Jose-based DTEN actually makes videoconferencing appliances.
The DTEN appears to have a pretty simple interface that provides quick access to Zoom’s various features, including meetings, whiteboards, and contacts. It also syncs with your calendar and displays your upcoming meetings in a menu. If you need to share your screen, you can link the DTEN to your phone or laptop via “ultrasonic pairing,” according to TechCrunch.
The DTEN is the first device certified with Zoom for Home, a category of hardware and software products that Zoom says is optimized for home offices. Zoom told TechCrunch that it will launch with more partners in the future, including the Neat Bar and the Poly Studio X Series.
Here’s more detail from the company
Remote work and distance education are becoming increasingly prevalent in businesses and schools across the globe, and organizations must ensure that their staff have the tools they need to get the best possible communications experience at home. As part of our effort to support everyone working from home, Zoom is announcing the launch of our new category, Zoom for Home, which allows anyone to deploy a dedicated personal collaboration device for video meetings, phone calls, and interactive whiteboarding. This category combines Zoom software enhancements with compatible hardware to upgrade the home office experience.
The first Zoom for Home device is the Zoom for Home – DTEN ME, an all-in-one personal collaboration device that will be available for $599. Zoom Meetings and Zoom Phone users can easily log in to the Zoom for Home – DTEN ME for one-touch video meetings, crystal clear phone calls, seamless content sharing, interactive whiteboarding, and co-annotation. The 27-inch, all-in-one device includes 3 built-in smart cameras for video, an 8-microphone array, and an ultra-responsive touch display that can also serve as a second monitor. Setup is simple, and it works right out of the box to create an immersive and productive workspace. Zoom for Home – DTEN ME is available for pre-order today and is expected to ship in the U.S. in August 2020.
Zoom for Home is also compatible with all Zoom Rooms Appliances, including hardware solutions from Neat and Poly, allowing users to select the hardware they need to create the perfect work-from-home communications experience across spaces such as living rooms.
Zoom for Home brings enhancements that are available to Zoom users:
- Included with Zoom Meetings: Log in to a Zoom for Home compatible device with a Zoom user account to instantly create immersive office experiences without additional licenses (Zoom for Home is available with all Zoom Meeting licenses, including Basic).
- Always ready: Easily start ad-hoc or scheduled meetings, virtually collaborate with content sharing and annotation, and make and receive phone calls (Zoom Phone license needed).
- Personalization: Syncs with the user’s calendar, status, meeting settings, and phone for an integrated video-first unified communications experience.
- Flexible management options: Zoom for Home devices can be set up to be IT-managed remotely through the admin portal or self-managed by the end user.
- Purpose-built devices: Ensures hardware is designed specifically for simplified setup with little to no IT support, optimized for desk setups, and meets the price point for a home office setup.
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Empower employees with Zoom for Home
With a competitive price point, unrivaled ease of use, and dynamic functionality, Zoom for Home provides a seamless communication experience that benefits a wide range of users, including:
- Zoom power users: For those who rely on Zoom as one of their main forms of communication, Zoom for Home provides hardware that allows for increased productivity and a professional communications experience. With built-in smart cameras for video, 8-microphone array, and an ultra-responsive touch display that can also serve as a second monitor, the Zoom for Home – DTEN ME works right out of the box to enhance your productivity.
- IT admins: Enabling a remote workforce as an IT admin can present significant challenges when it comes to managing and provisioning hardware. With Zoom for Home, IT admins can easily manage turnkey devices through the Zoom admin portal, allowing for simple remote provisioning and updates.
- Remote educators: Educators can utilize a dedicated video-enabled device to instantly start classes or meetings with HD video and audio-enhanced whiteboarding and co-annotation capabilities with the Zoom for Home – DTEN ME touch display.
To learn more about Zoom for Home and other aspects of the program, please visit our Zoom for Home webpage.
