Microsoft

Microsoft Surface Hub is the only interactive display on this site that is really a decision about software rather than hardware. You specify it when the organisation has already decided that meetings happen in Teams and the room should behave like the desktop.

The case for it

For a Microsoft-standardised organisation, the Hub removes the gap between the room and everything else. Sign-in uses the same identity, files come from the same tenant, the whiteboard persists into the same Teams channel after the meeting, and the device is managed by the same team with the same tooling. Nobody has to be taught a second system.

The case against

Cost per room is at the top of the market, and the proposition collapses outside the Microsoft ecosystem. An organisation running Google Workspace or Zoom gains almost nothing from a Hub and should not pay for one. A certified Teams Rooms device from another manufacturer paired with a conventional interactive panel delivers most of the integration at a lower cost, and is often the better answer for a large rollout — see Logitech, Yealink or MAXHUB.

Where it fits

Executive boardrooms and flagship collaboration spaces in Microsoft-first organisations, rather than estate-wide standardisation.

Buying and support

Quote-only, with pricing set by destination country, duty, quantity and installation scope. Related: Room Systems, Software & Licenses.

Send room counts, your conferencing platform and countries for delivered and installed pricing.

Microsoft Surface Hub and Teams Rooms for the GCC and Africa

Microsoft brings Surface Hub interactive collaboration devices and Teams Rooms to organisations that want meetings to feel the same whether people join in person or remotely. Surface Hub combines a large interactive touchscreen with digital whiteboarding and video, while Teams Rooms turns meeting spaces into consistent, easy-to-join environments.

Enterprises and government teams in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Jeddah and Doha commonly adopt Surface Hub for executive briefings, design reviews and co-authoring, and Teams Rooms to standardise conferencing across floors and sites. Universities and training providers use the same tools for interactive teaching and hybrid seminars.

Choosing the right setup starts with room size and use: an interactive device where whiteboarding and touch matter most, or a Teams Rooms configuration where reliable video calling is the priority. Consider licensing, existing infrastructure and how rooms should be managed centrally across offices in Kuwait, Muscat, Manama and African hubs such as Lagos, Nairobi, Accra, Johannesburg and Cairo.

Smart-Boards supplies and delivers Microsoft collaboration hardware across the GCC and Africa, importing to order where required. Products are covered by the manufacturer's (OEM) warranty with our supplier assistance. Request a quote today.