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Dell adds Microsoft Teams to video conferencing monitors
Dell introduced three video conferencing monitors with Microsoft Teams integration this week, as part of its emphasis on a hybrid work model. It also announced new laptops.
Dell has announced three video conferencing monitors with a dedicated button for launching Microsoft Teams.
The company will start selling the curved Dell monitors Feb. 16. Introduced this week, the offerings include 34-inch, 27-inch and 24-inch models at $1,150, $720 and $520, respectively.
Dell said the displays are the first certified for Microsoft Teams. They include a Teams button that provides quick access to the collaboration program. The monitors also have facial recognition sign-in using Windows Hello and voice commands through Microsoft's Cortana assistant. Other features include:
- a noise-canceling microphone;
- two 5-watt integrated speakers; and
- a 5-megapixel camera that pops up and can be hidden out of view when not in use.
Video conferencing has become critical for at-home workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Teams usage has boomed. In October, Microsoft reported the platform had 115 million daily active users. A June Nemertes Research study had Teams as the most-used video conferencing service, with 31.5% of the 525 companies surveyed using it.
New laptops
Dell also announced a slate of new laptops: the Latitude 9420, 9520, 7520 and 5420, and the Precision 3560. The Latitude models have the 11th-generation Intel Core vPro processor and feature Wi-Fi 6 and mobile broadband options.
Dell will ship the Latitude 9420 and 9520 in the spring. The 14-inch 9420 has a starting price of $1,949, while the company has not revealed a price or specifications for the 9520. The laptops have an automatic shutter that activates the webcam when a person launches a video conferencing application.
Dell will release the 15.6-inch Latitude 7520, the 14-inch 5420 and the Precision 3560 on Jan. 12. Pricing starts at $1,649, $1,049 and $1,189, respectively.
