Cisco Collaborates with Microsoft and Samsung to Deliver Superior Meeting Room Experiences

Integrated video solutions for seamless and inclusive hybrid meetings that are easy to use and deploy at scale

News Summary:

• New integrated video collaboration solutions for Cisco Room series will feature Microsoft Teams Rooms with Front Row, and Samsung’s Smart Signage displays.

• The partnership will give all meeting participants—remote or in person—an inclusive hybrid meeting experience with the best view of each attendee.

• Purpose-built Cisco devices for Microsoft Teams combined with Cisco verified displays from Samsung make it simple for IT teams to deploy and manage at scale.

Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2024, Cisco, Microsoft Corp. and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. announced new meeting room solutions to deliver enhanced collaboration experiences for hybrid meetings. With a collective vision to enable seamless and inclusive meetings for all, the companies unveiled integrated video collaboration solutions for Cisco Room Series. The solutions feature Front Row – an inclusive content layout for Microsoft Teams Rooms, with either Samsung’s newly unveiled 105″ Smart Signage (model name: QPD-5K) with 21:9 aspect ratio and 5K resolution, or Samsung 4K Smart Signage screens.

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Today, 98% of meetings include at least one remote participant. Yet, of the 87 million meeting spaces out there, less than 15% are equipped with video conferencing technology. As companies work to attract employees back into offices, meeting experiences need to be better than what people experience at home. This means workers have increased expectations for seamless and easy-to-use technology, equipped with high-quality audio and video. Meanwhile, to meet these demands for frictionless collaboration experiences, IT teams need standardized solutions that can be rapidly deployed and managed at scale.

“In today’s era of hybrid work, it is essential that workspaces are reimagined to enable great collaboration. This means outfitting conference rooms with intelligent video systems designed to bring immersive collaboration experiences to all participants, regardless of their location,” said Jeetu Patel, EVP and General Manager, Security & Collaboration, Cisco. “Through our collaboration with these industry leaders, we’re delivering something we call Distance Zero, eliminating second-class experiences no matter where you are working.”

The combination of Cisco’s RoomOS-powered collaboration appliances, Samsung’s Smart Signage displays, and the Front Row layout available on all Microsoft Teams Rooms certified collaboration devices, provides seamless collaboration that virtually eliminates distance between meeting participants. This collaboration delivers a new standard for fully scalable, manageable and secure solutions for flagship meeting spaces.

“Our vision is to deliver enhanced collaboration experiences that meet the needs of today’s hybrid workforce for all organizations and workspaces. We are pleased that the collaboration between Cisco and Samsung supports this vision, with integrated solutions supporting equitable meeting experiences that organizations can deploy and manage at scale.” – Ilya Bukshteyn, VP, Microsoft Teams Calling and Devices, Microsoft

“We’ve entered a new era in which hybrid work is an integral part of the work experience. Employees simply must be able to have full functionality while working online. Our partnership with Cisco provides users with an accessible work environment, and at the center of that is our 105-inch QPD-5K display that gives users the feeling they are sitting in the same room as their colleagues.” – Hoon Chung, Executive Vice President, Visual Display Business, Samsung Electronics

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Benefits of the partnership include:

• Immersive views: Samsung 5K (5120 x 2160) and 4K UHD displays deliver lifelike, immersive hybrid meetings experiences with vibrant colors, in an ultra-slim design.
• Advanced, AI-powered collaboration: Customers benefit from advanced camera, audio and speech intelligence capabilities on Cisco devices and in Microsoft Teams Rooms.
• Simplified management and deployment: IT admins get a fully managed solution in the Microsoft Teams Admin Center alongside unrivalled insights into the meeting room with Cisco Control Hub.
• Increased scalability: The tight integration of purpose-built devices, enhanced software experiences, and comprehensive management tools make it possible for IT and Facilities to deliver hybrid work at scale.
• Seamless interoperability: Users can join fully featured Microsoft Teams or Webex meetings on the same device, without needing to reboot or reconfigure the system.

The products in these solutions are generally available today. Cisco support for 21:9 displays will be available starting March 2024.

The integrated video solution featuring Cisco Room Kit EQ and Room Kit EQX will be available on the ISE 2024 show floor. To find out more about Cisco’s full portfolio of certified devices for Microsoft Teams.