Videoconferencing phenom Zoom Video Communications Inc. today rolled out a new all-in-one personal collaboration device aimed at the home office, the Zoom for Home – DTEN ME.

The device, produced by Zoom partner DTEN Inc., takes Zoom teleconference software and combines it with a large tablet touch screen and device that will sell for $599.

The tablet combines a 27-inch screen, three wide-angle high definition cameras and an eight-microphone array in a lightweight design that can be set up on any surface for video conferencing or used as a whiteboard for team collaboration.

The display is a multitouch interface to make it easy to just reach out and interact with documents and other information and provides up to 1080p resolution. The microphones have a pickup range up to 16 feet and integrate acoustic echo cancellation and automatic gain control, with noise reduction, so peers can hear each other with crystal clarity, Zoom said.

The entire DTEN device is 0.5 inches thick, includes its own stand, and weighs 14.5 pounds. For networking, the Zoom for Home can connect via Ethernet cable and every Wi-Fi standard common in homes today including 802.11 a/b/g/n and 802.11ac (in both 2.4 and 5 GHz ranges).

“After experiencing remote work ourselves for the past several months, it was clear that we needed to innovate a new category dedicated to remote workers,” said Eric S. Yuan, chief executive of Zoom.

And Zoom believes that Zoom for Home will be the vanguard of this category by providing the best in class support and hardware with a device that simplifies working from home. To make the experience as simple as possible, the company said, the Zoom for Home appliance can be ready to go minutes from its unboxing with an easy setup.

Using Zoom for Home, employees can join and participate in meetings without any startup time, since the device is always ready and, using Zoom’s service, users can launch ad-hoc meetings with only a few button presses. Its integration with Zoom also allows for scheduled meetings, sending and receiving video conference calls and easy virtual collaboration including document sharing, editing and annotation.

Zoom and DTEN’s solution comes during the midst of a global pandemic caused by a novel coronavirus that has led many companies to stretch their teleconference capabilities. To keep people safe from potential infection, more corporations have been pushing workers who can work from home to do so as often as possible.

According to a recent study by IBM Corp., 81% of respondents, up from 75% in April, indicated that even after the COVID-19 epidemic they will want to continue working remotely at least part of the time. More than half, at 61%, indicated they would like this to become their primary way of working. Many corporations surveyed have also indicated that it is expected that this will most likely continue as a long-term trend.

“With employers and employees working through what the future of work will look like, it is important that people feel set up for success,” said Rich Costello, senior research analyst at IDC. “Three months ago, it was making sure employees had the right ergonomic setup. “We’ve now moved to the phase of making sure employees have the right devices to enable productivity.”

The DTEN appliance is currently in the pre-order phase. The device is expected to begin shipping next month.

Photo: Zoom