Microsoft Announces Project Rigel, Bringing Skype Meeting Experience To Every Meeting Room

Most of the meeting rooms in the enterprise only have traditional projectors or displays and only a telephone. For an effective meeting, you need web and video conferencing with features like screen sharing, IM and whiteboard. To fix this issue, Microsoft is announcing an initiative, codenamed “Project Rigel.” It will bring a Skype Meeting experience which was available on Microsoft Surface Hub to nearly any meeting room with a display or projector.

It will use Windows 10 devices for center-of-room touch control and Skype for Business online meeting technology to easily connect remote users. Hardware partners including Polycom and Logitech will certify elements of their portfolios for use with Project Rigel systems, including the Polycom RealPresence Trio and CX5100, and Logitech ConferenceCam Connect, ConferenceCam GROUP and PTZ Pro Camera. Logitech also plans to deliver a purpose-built smart dock for Project Rigel to seamlessly connect the system elements in a meeting room, while Polycom plans to deliver a portfolio of complete Project Rigel systems.

First systems based on Project Rigel are expected to be available in the second half of 2016.