Microsoft starts shipping its Surface Hub displays to businesses

Microsoft today announced that it has started to ship out its large Surface Hub touch-friendly displays to business customers.

The displays are available in 55- and 84-inch models, for $8,999 and $21,999, respectively. Microsoft first announced the device in January 2015 and since then has talked up its potential here and there. However, in July its launch date was pushed back.

Now, as Microsoft enters the phase where it’s commercializing the product, it’s using cost savings as a talking point. Here’s how Brian Hall, general manager of Microsoft Devices marketing, breaks it down in a blog post:

Companies that conduct meetings in rooms and collaboration spaces with a Surface Hub installed experienced a 75 percent improvement in remote attendee setup and post-meeting productivity, saving about 15-20 minutes per hour-long meeting spent on setting up video or screen-sharing services and completing meeting notes. Organizations saw decreased printing costs of up to $9,000 in the first year, using Surface Hub with pen and touch-enabled screen to make changes and take group notes instead of paper copies. Companies that conducted sales meetings using Surface Hub as a platform for presentations and collaboration with clients estimate a 20 percent sales improvement with those clients.

A number of apps specifically support this new device, including Microsoft’s own Power BI business-intelligence tool, Hall wrote. The device works with Windows Update for Business. Organizations using the device include AstraZeneca and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Updated at 3:07 p.m. Pacific to add updated prices.