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.

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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.