Google LLC is doubling down on videoconferencing with the launch of its new Google Meet Series One hardware in partnership with Lenovo Group Ltd.

The Google Meet Series One room kits (pictured) are designed for companies that have embraced the idea of having more flexible, distributed teams in light of the coronavirus pandemic. Those teams will need a reliable way to connect and collaborate, and that’s what Google is providing with its new hardware.

“As companies consider their safe return to the office, many are planning for a mix of remote and in-person work environments,” Google Meet’s group product manager TJ Varghese wrote in a blog post. “This makes it more critical than ever to implement video solutions that are helpful and inclusive. Series One is designed for this and comes with the best of Google AI built in.”

These high-end room kits are powered by the Google Meet Compute System, which serves as a kind of nerve center for the hardware and uses much of the same technology found in Google’s cloud data centers. The Meet Compute System is powered by Coral M.2 accelerator modules with Google Edge tensor processing units. That enables onboard artificial intelligence-based audio and video processing to ensure both high performance and privacy.

The hardware can be securely managed via the Google Admin console in G Suite, enabling remote device setup, status checks, and minor issue resolution without needing to step foot inside the physical meeting room, Varghese said.

Meetings are managed via a 10-inch touchscreen controller that serves as a kind of visual dashboard and presents an overview of participants, for example. However, the kits also integrate with Google Assistant, which makes it possible to perform many tasks, including starting and ending meetings, using voice commands.

The kits come with a regular or extra-large true 4K smart camera for capturing video and a Smart Audio Bar based on eight beam-forming microphones, with the largest configuration able to process up to 44 channels simultaneously. The cameras make use of AI to automatically frame meeting participants without any loss of image quality. Audio quality is a big deal too, and the hardware incorporates AI-based noise cancellation and voice amplification technology to filter out background sounds while ensuring that people’s voices are crystal clear.

There are lots of add-ons available too, including additional mic pods and audio bars for room-filling stereo sound in larger rooms.

Analyst Holger Mueller of Constellation Research Inc. told SiliconANGLE that the COVID-19 pandemic has raised the level of collaboration demands for enterprises. In recent months, he said, most companies have seen meetings delayed or performed with restrictions because of AV equipment not working properly or people not understanding how to use it.

“There are lots of reasons why collaboration technology fails, but one of the main culprits is the separation between hardware and software,” Mueller said. “Google aims to address that with dedicated partnerships that certify the integration between hardware and software. So the new hardware should have a higher chance to succeed in demanding, real-life collaboration situations. If it all works properly, the Series One room kits will reduce a lot of friction for Google Meet users.”

The launch of the Google Meet Series One hardware comes a few months after Google said it was making Meet available for free to all users. There are some limitations though. Google allows a maximum of only 100 participants and a time limit of 60 minutes per meeting, with viewers restricted to an audience of 100,000.

Image: Google