Newmind Group is already riding the Chromebox for Meetings train—we use the standard Chromebox for Meetings kit every week for company-wide meetings, team huddles, and even simple one-on-one touchpoints. Today, Google is introducing a new option for organizations looking to bring people together on an even larger scale with their Large Conference bundle for Chromebox for Meetings.
The idea behind Chromebox for Meetings is pretty simple: it combines a high-quality webcam, a 360° microphone/speaker, and a beefed-up Chromebox, all to create a small, affordable alternative to the older, pricey options out there.
The standard Chromebox for Meetings only supports a suggested number of 8 local users – or roughly enough to fill smaller conference room or huddle area. At Newmind Group, we flex ours to connect about 12 people in the same room, but many of us end up being off-camera (though the microphone can pick up everyone in the room).
Fit for enterprise-level organizations
One problem of the original Chromebox for Meetings was that it was so small and basic that it wasn’t ideal for large organizations, who need to videoconference in a room with 12+ people at the same time! With their Large Conference bundle, they’re hoping to change that—while remaining a fraction of the cost of similar enterprise-level videoconference options.
While the standard version is intended for smaller conference rooms or huddle areas, Google is now offering a bundle to greatly increase the suggested room size—from 6 people up to 20 in the same room. They reached that requirement by adding a 2nd microphone/speaker unit, a USB-enabled 1080 HD Pan-tilt-zoom camera.
What sets it apart?
- USB-enabled 1080 HD Pan-tilt-zoom camera
- Two microphone/speakers
- Attachments to link the camera to two monitors
Google obviously hopes that these new additions will catch interest from larger corporations. Whether they’re up to the task or not, when the alternatives are products in the tens of thousands of dollars, it should give enterprise-level organizations something to think about.
