Built-in Techniques Europe (ISE) 2026 might not have delivered a single breakout “must-have” gadget, however the Barcelona present ground was filled with incremental — and more and more AI-driven — updates throughout assembly room {hardware}, collaboration platforms and office shows.
Whereas a lot of the trade consideration targeted on main LED, projection and immersive AV launches, a gentle stream of enterprise collaboration distributors used ISE to showcase new {hardware}, platform integrations and hybrid work instruments geared toward making assembly rooms smarter, easier to handle and extra constant throughout room sizes.
Lenovo deepens its clever assembly room ecosystem
Lenovo used ISE 2026 to broaden its ThinkSmart portfolio, asserting deeper integration between its ThinkSmart Core Gen 2 compute platform and Huddly’s AI-powered digital camera and videobar vary.
The corporate unveiled new bundled assembly room options combining ThinkSmart Core Gen 2 with Huddly units together with the Huddly C1 videobar and Huddly Crew multi-camera techniques. The goal is to supply a extra tightly built-in, full-room collaboration expertise throughout Microsoft Groups Rooms and Zoom Rooms deployments.
Lenovo positioned the up to date ThinkSmart Core Gen 2 as an AI-optimised assembly room compute gadget, powered by Intel Core Extremely processors with built-in NPUs. The corporate mentioned this permits extra superior on-device AI processing for digital camera framing, speaker monitoring and room intelligence options, whereas sustaining constant efficiency throughout completely different room sorts.
By Lenovo ThinkSmart Supervisor, IT groups can centrally handle units, monitor room well being and deploy updates throughout fleets of assembly rooms — a rising precedence for enterprises standardising hybrid collaboration environments.
The Lenovo-Huddly bundles are designed to scale from huddle rooms by to bigger, multi-camera areas, with Huddly Crew appearing as an “AI director” that dynamically selects digital camera angles primarily based on speaker location and room exercise. Lenovo mentioned the brand new bundles shall be out there instantly by its channel companions from Q2 2026.
MAXHUB expands unified collaboration and administration
MAXHUB arrived at ISE 2026 with one of many busiest product slates within the unified collaboration class, launching a number of new units alongside expanded partnerships with Microsoft and NDI.
On the centre of MAXHUB’s bulletins was the brand new XBar Sequence videobar, an all-in-one collaboration gadget that mixes 4 cameras and a Home windows-powered system right into a single unit. Designed for Microsoft Groups Rooms, the XBar helps versatile set up choices supposed to go well with completely different room sizes and layouts.
MAXHUB additionally launched its Common Console, described because the trade’s first contact console designed to work throughout Floor Hub and MAXHUB XBoard environments. The corporate positioned the console as a method to simplify room management and create a extra constant person expertise throughout combined {hardware} estates.
On the show facet, MAXHUB showcased its new Digital Signage CMB Sequence, which it claims is the world’s first NDI-certified good show optimised for Microsoft Groups Rooms. The shows are designed to routinely change between digital signage and assembly room modes, lighting up when conferences start and returning to signage when rooms are idle.
In large-format shows, MAXHUB unveiled the Raptor Sequence V3 Lite LED all-in-one show, specializing in ultra-slim design, wi-fi display screen sharing and BYOD performance. The corporate additionally launched Pivot+, a brand new web-based platform for unified gadget administration throughout its product vary.
Alongside {hardware}, MAXHUB introduced the “Co-Create 100” initiative with Microsoft, which can present absolutely geared up Microsoft Groups Rooms to chose International 3000 corporations as a part of a wider programme to showcase greatest practices in trendy assembly room design.
Owl Labs targets bigger rooms with Assembly Owl 5 Professional
Owl Labs used ISE 2026 to introduce the Assembly Owl 5 Professional, increasing its widespread 360-degree digital camera portfolio additional into enterprise-grade and larger-room use instances.
The Assembly Owl 5 Professional builds on the corporate’s signature panoramic digital camera design, combining 360-degree video seize with AI-driven speaker detection and auto-framing. The corporate mentioned the brand new Professional mannequin is designed for larger assembly areas and extra complicated hybrid collaboration situations, with improved audio pickup, increased video high quality and enhanced integration with main conferencing platforms.
Whereas earlier Assembly Owl fashions gained reputation in smaller rooms and huddle areas, the 5 Professional is positioned as a extra scalable enterprise possibility, geared toward organisations trying to standardise room expertise whereas sustaining a well-recognized person expertise.
The corporate highlighted improved processing efficiency and expanded compatibility with room techniques, in addition to tighter integration with Owl Labs’ broader ecosystem of enlargement microphones and companion cameras.
Promethean strikes additional into office communication
Recognized primarily for its schooling expertise, Promethean additionally used ISE to push additional into office communication and company collaboration shows.
On the present, Promethean showcased new workplace-focused communication shows designed for inner communications, digital signage and collaboration in workplace and shared areas. The corporate is more and more positioning its large-format interactive shows as multi-purpose office instruments, combining assembly room use with company-wide messaging and content material supply.
Promethean’s office messaging shows are designed to help hybrid work environments, the place organisations wish to maintain distributed groups aligned by shared content material, bulletins and visible collaboration instruments.
Whereas the corporate has historically been related to classroom environments, its ISE presence underlined how schooling and company collaboration applied sciences are persevering with to converge, with many distributors focusing on each markets with comparable {hardware} platforms.
Incremental innovation, not radical reinvention
Throughout all these bulletins, a typical theme at ISE 2026 was incremental enchancment somewhat than radical reinvention.
Distributors targeted closely on tighter ecosystem integration, AI-powered digital camera and room intelligence options, and simplified administration for IT groups overseeing giant assembly room estates.
Slightly than launching totally new gadget classes, most suppliers refined present product traces with higher AI processing, extra versatile set up choices and stronger platform partnerships — notably round Microsoft Groups Rooms.
For enterprises, this regular evolution could also be extra beneficial than headline-grabbing {hardware}, as organisations look to standardise hybrid collaboration environments which are simpler to deploy, monitor and scale.
