Before that, one tended to think of Ring Central as a PBX-replacement, a telecom-as-a-solution provider.

Now they’re launching RingCentral Rooms for Poly, to be built into the simple Poly Studio X all-in-one video bars.

Additionally, RingCentral Rooms for Poly consolidates any workspace needs into a minimal number of devices while enabling a new wave of rooms intelligence, analytics, and manageability. The solution is specifically designed to simplify large-scale deployments.

RingCentral Rooms for Poly is currently in beta and integrated with Poly Studio X30 and Poly Studio X50-- and RingCentral hopes to go from a very strong UCaaS player to a leader in video and collaboration as well.

Don’t stop reading yet. There are some important points to come.

While the press coverage of Zoom’s new touchscreen device (the first device certified as Zoom for Home), the DTEN ME is not the big story.

$599 DTEN ME is a 27-inch touchscreen device with three smart webcams and eight noise-reducing microphones--and it comes pre-loaded with the Zoom software. But Zoom isn’t building the hardware; San Jose-based DTEN makes this videoconferencing appliance.

While interesting, already last year Zoom Video Communications had introduced Zoom Rooms Appliances, their first purpose-built, turnkey appliance endpoints designed to make it easier to build a full solution around Zoom Rooms.

Making hardware, or rather partnering on hardware, is already de facto at Zoom.

The bigger news: Zoom is launching a Hardware-as-a-Service [HaaS] model with Zoom Hardware. With Zoom's size in the market, a successful HaaS execution holds BIG implications for the industry.

This program was started in the USA but it’s on trial for global expansion—and may also  inspire competitors to try their equivalent actions.

Nuvias Group's Konekt, for one, has Master Agent status in Europe. 

Jeff Smith, Head of Zoom Rooms at Zoom Video Communications, told Channel Buzz.ca that “It enables customers to deploy Zoom Rooms and hardware easier than ever, and both gets around upfront costs and concerns about being locked in with a specific hardware vendor.”

Zoom HaaS bundles the Zoom software and the hardware (from DTEN, Neat, Poly, Yealink and, no doubt, more to come) into a single invoice.

In addition to participating in Zoom’s Hardware as a Service (HaaS) program available in USA, Neat of Norway will launch Neat as a Service (NaaS), its global hardware subscription program that provides customers with innovative hardware solutions for a low monthly price.

Zoom provides all the support, as well as any required professional or managed services.

Big IT resellers and proAV integrators will see little opportunity here because Zoom Rooms Appliances aims at the SME audience, especially the smallest.

It’s a turnkey offering and not likely to appeal to margin-conscious value-added partners.

But Master Agents are a different story…

In March of this year, Zoom quietly added “Master Agents” to their channel program—and quickly signed up three American UCaaS players.

The Program offers Master Agents a number of rich Partner Benefits and operational efficiencies including:

• Access to represent Zoom’s entire industry-leading product suite
• Ongoing commission on Zoom’s products for the life of the customer
• Simplified and streamlined sales engagement, and
• No-cost tools and resources to ensure Partner success

In the HaaS program, Zoom directly handles the financing (not the hardware vendor or another partner), but Smith says Zoom Rooms Appliances isn’t just a financing program.

“In addition to the financing, there is a lot of integration,” he told Channel Buzz.ca. “The shipment status is now updated in the Zoom web portal. In addition, when you go to install the device, the device is now uniquely identified in your account so it can be installed in minutes.

“At the end of the 3-year commitment you ship them back without needing to depreciate them, and can either just return them or elect to get a new device.”

“For those kinds of channel partners who engage with us, there’s a lot of space in larger rooms that isn’t covered by our HaaS portfolio,” Smith adds. “We go to market directly with this or through our master agent program because it is aimed directly at small and medium spaces.”

But Smith indicated Zoom may well come up with as-a-Service offerings more suited to integrators and Pro/AV resellers.

“We are getting our feet wet with this,” he said in the interview.

But while Zoom gets its feet wet, others worry the same waters may swamp their business.

Go Zoom Tries Out Hardware-as-a-Service in USA

Go Channel Buzz.ca Interview with Jeff Smith, Head of Zoom Rooms

Three hybrid active noise-canceling (ANC) levels allow users to adjust, to fit to the work environment and to tune out household noises such as vacuum cleaners or workplace chatter. A noise-canceling microphone enhanced with Poly Acoustic Fense technology also reduces background noise, like nearby talkers or barking dogs.

Flex MX ships with either native Microsoft Teams (UC-MX150-T) or Zoom Rooms (UC-MX150-Z) capability. Both versions seamlessly switch to BYOD mode for all other conferencing software. Thus organisations using Microsoft Teams or Zoom Rooms get a native experience, while guests can plug in laptops and use the software they are already running on their devices. The result, Crestron says, is the elimination of concerns meeting rooms will not support a user's call.

Together the two companies launch NEC Univerge Blue Connect, an integrated and born-in-the-cloud UCaaS solution, and Univerge Blue Engage, a CCaS solution for business of all sizes. Both solutions are built on proprietary Intermedia technology, and offer support through the NEC partner ecosystem. Connect combines a cloud-based phone system, chat, videoconferencing and file sync and share, all available through desktop, web and mobile applications.

The Evolve2 range integrates with software/monitoring vendors to allow IT directors and other decision makers to analyse the performance of each Jabra headset. They also identify the root cause of poor call quality, be it due to the wifi router, UC infrastructure or individual headset settings. Jabra Xpress software enables headset management, allowing for firmware updates and new feature implementation.

The program unites what the company describes as the top AV, IT, CE, UC, cloud, mobile and secure networking technologies essential to building integrated enterprise, video and team collaboration solutions. It supports a range of platform options for enterprise, mid-market and small business customers, with applications for remote workers, BYOD, hot-desking, huddle rooms, meeting rooms, collaboration rooms and customer experience centres, with support for technology solutions for market verticals including corporate, healthcare, education, public sector and house of worship.

“Jenne is excited to offer Avaya Cloud Office which will allow our agents to offer their end-customers the ability to quickly transition to the communication mode that’s right for them,” the company says. “One click is all it takes to start a call, join a meeting, contribute to a team chat or share content.  Plus, Jenne offers our agents unparalleled value-added service and support to help them get started.”

StarLeaf Huddle is an all-in-one meeting room solution designed for video meetings in smaller spaces. It consists of a microphone, wide-angle camera, touchscreen and Pronto Cable USB, with cable management for smaller spaces, and the company claims it is easy to install.

Console combines a web client installed on Windows and Mac meeting room computers and a cloud-based dashboard users can access remotely. Together, they create a platform to enroll, configure and maintain every Nureva audio system. As a byproduct, customers can also configure any HDL system using a Mac PC.

Through Console IT managers can remotely determine the state of a Nureva audio system to check if it is set as the default audio device, if the firmware is up to date and whether it is powered and connected to a computer. System information, such as model details and serial numbers, is also available. Once a Nurevea audio system is enrolled through Console, customers receive an additional year of warranty, from 2 years to 3.