Built-in Programs Europe (ISE) 2026 could not have delivered a single breakout “must-have” system, however the Barcelona present flooring was full of incremental – and more and more AI-driven – updates throughout assembly room {hardware}, collaboration platforms and office shows.
Whereas a lot of the trade consideration centered 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, less complicated to handle and extra constant throughout room sizes.
Lenovo deepens its clever assembly room ecosystem
Lenovo used ISE 2026 to develop its ThinkSmart portfolio, asserting deeper integration between its ThinkSmart Core Gen 2 compute platform and Huddly’s AI-powered digicam and videobar vary.
The corporate unveiled new bundled assembly room options combining ThinkSmart Core Gen 2 with Huddly gadgets together with the Huddly C1 videobar and Huddly Crew multi-camera techniques. The purpose 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 system, powered by Intel Core Extremely processors with built-in NPUs. The corporate stated this allows extra superior on-device AI processing for digicam framing, speaker monitoring and room intelligence options, whereas sustaining constant efficiency throughout completely different room sorts.
By way of Lenovo ThinkSmart Supervisor, IT groups can centrally handle gadgets, 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 performing as an “AI director” that dynamically selects digicam angles primarily based on speaker location and room exercise. Lenovo stated the brand new bundles shall be out there immediately 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 gadgets 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 system 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 swimsuit 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 approach to simplify room management and create a extra constant consumer 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 sensible 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 sharing and BYOD performance. The corporate additionally launched Pivot+, a brand new web-based platform for unified system administration throughout its product vary.
Alongside {hardware}, MAXHUB introduced the “Co-Create 100” initiative with Microsoft, which is able to present absolutely outfitted Microsoft Groups Rooms to chose International 3000 firms as a part of a wider programme to showcase finest 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 common 360-degree digicam portfolio additional into enterprise-grade and larger-room use circumstances.
The Assembly Owl 5 Professional builds on the corporate’s signature panoramic digicam design, combining 360-degree video seize with AI-driven speaker detection and auto-framing. The corporate stated the brand new Professional mannequin is designed for greater assembly areas and extra complicated hybrid collaboration eventualities, with improved audio pickup, greater 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 choice, geared toward organisations seeking to standardise room know-how whereas sustaining a well-recognized consumer expertise.
The corporate highlighted improved processing efficiency and expanded compatibility with room techniques, in addition to tighter integration with Owl Labs’ broader ecosystem of growth microphones and companion cameras.
Promethean strikes additional into office communication
Recognized primarily for its training know-how, 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 need to preserve 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 training and company collaboration applied sciences are persevering with to converge, with many distributors concentrating on each markets with related {hardware} platforms.
Incremental innovation, not radical reinvention
Throughout all these bulletins, a typical theme at ISE 2026 was incremental enchancment fairly than radical reinvention.
Distributors centered closely on tighter ecosystem integration, AI-powered digicam and room intelligence options, and simplified administration for IT groups overseeing giant assembly room estates.
Moderately than launching fully new system classes, most suppliers refined current product strains with higher AI processing, extra versatile set up choices and stronger platform partnerships — significantly 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 might be simpler to deploy, monitor and scale.
