On May 26, 2020, HP announced new additions to its Personal Systems line of products. New EliteBooks are designed to connect and collaborate with business-grade power. Integrated cameras delivering an 88-degree field of view combined with AI-based audio will minimize background noises. Along with quiet keys to reduce sound from typing, there are privacy shutters for the integrated webcam to afford additional privacy. The EliteBook line provides long battery life, powerful processors, and responsive performance, too.
HP looks to deliver a premium commercial experience to the home worker during this unprecedented time of business transition. Users now expect all the benefits of office technology, and businesses realize that not all technology was ready for the rigors of the home. According to Reviewed.com, the 24 most popular items to acquire during the pandemic were not just toilet paper and hand sanitizer…but also printers, monitors, laptops, and webcams. With similar products selling out online, it’s no wonder we are seeing vendors such as HP make announcements for the home worker. HP has been working diligently to support home workers, initially as a stopgap before workers returned to the office, but now they are realizing many will continue to work from home for the foreseeable future.
| The HP Collaboration All-in-One G6 with Zoom Rooms features touch controls, an eye-level camera, integrated speakers, and microphones |
Conferencing and collaboration solutions have become vital tools to workers at home in lieu of face-to-face interactions. HP’s Collaboration All-in-One G6 with Zoom Rooms works as a dedicated Zoom Room appliance with pre-installed software. While workers slowly transition back to offices, identified focus spaces and huddle rooms present a great opportunity to quickly stand-up meetings with colleagues, partners, and customers. Meeting-ready appliances, such as the All-in-One G6 with Zoom Rooms, can make the transition back to the office easier.
In addition to laptops and desktop computers, external monitors have become a popular tool in home offices. HP will release new E series monitors in August, while a new HP E14 Portable Monitor will be available in June. The addition of an external monitor can provide visibility and access to multiple applications simultaneously without the need for switching back and forth between programs. In many cases, the additional monitor can eliminate the need to print out a document to review it while working within another program.
As technology specific to business comes to the home, security becomes a priority for any organization. Enterprise-grade technology requires tight security, and IT has always worked hard to secure the office infrastructure environment from inside and outside threats. Home users now place IT in the unenviable position of extending security services to multiple workspaces—not to mention requiring an entirely new set of policies and management. HP is working to educate and bring awareness to all users of technology and warn of an enormous amount of computer scams related and unrelated to COVID-19.
Keypoint Intelligence sees the conferencing and collaboration space as an opportunity during this transformative time in business history. Businesses continue to clamor for technology to help them drive efficiency, productivity, and better workflow with a wide swath of users working remotely.