Google Beam has been in the making for some years but this week at InfoComm, HP Poly and Google officially announced their partnership to bring immersive meetings into reality.
Artificial intelligence is playing a starring role in reshaping how we collaborate, and this launch puts it firmly in the spotlight.
I recently had the chance to explore it for myself and lets just say, it might be the biggest leap in meeting tech since the webcam. This isn’t your average video call. It’s a radically immersive experience that brings people together as if they were sitting across the same table, without leaving their desk. I was lucky enough to get hands-on (or should I say, eye-to-eye) with the prototype created by Google and HP Poly. Spoiler: it blew my mind.
What is Google Beam?
Imagine talking to a hyper-realistic version of someone, not a pixelated face on a screen or a cartoonish avatar. This is a full 3D representation, life-sized, photorealistic, and rendered in real-time. It’s the kind of thing you have to see to believe. Unfortunately, I couldn’t snap photos because the unit I tried is still in production, but you can find visuals online. Even then, images don’t do it justice.
Luckily, demos are popping up at Google and HP offices worldwide. If you get the chance, you have to go.
The long road to real presence
I’ve seen a fair few trends in the collaboration world. I even went out and bought a VR headset back when Meta and Microsoft started talking up virtual workspaces. While the concept is solid, adoption’s been slow. Case in point: only 15% of meeting rooms today are video-enabled. There’s work to do on the basics before we get fully futuristic.
Still, the idea of more “real” remote experiences is compelling. With Beam, we move beyond avatars. Think: your exact likeness, 3D, rendered live. And it’s not just visual. During the demo, I was handed an apple that looked like it was coming out of the display. My brain said, “take it.” That’s how convincing it was.
Now picture reviewing product prototypes or discussing a shoe design with a factory in Taiwan, from your office in Brussels. It’s not just cool. It’s useful.
Can it replace travel?
Not yet, but maybe soon. Google Beam is currently designed for one-to-one meetings where body language, expressions, and micro-cues matter. Executive catch-ups, HR conversations, legal consultations, all of these could benefit from Beam’s realism.
Yes, travel has long been a target for reduction with video conferencing. But in reality, video hasn’t quite delivered that same connection, until now. With Beam, you can see the whites of someone’s eyes, the nervous twitch of a hand, even the sweat on their brow. That level of human detail could change everything. And it’s not just corporate use. Healthcare. Education. Remote regions. The impact could be huge.
What’s under the hood?
Let’s talk about tech. Google Beam is powered by HP Dimension, a sleek unit with cameras, speakers, a display, and plenty of AI compute at the edge. This isn’t plug-and-play with your laptop. It’s a high-spec, purpose-built device that renders photorealistic 3D using light field and AI technology.
So yes, it’s going to cost more than your average huddle room kit. And yes, you’ll need one at each end for it to work. But the experience? Nothing else compares.
When can you get one?
Google Beam is expected to hit the market by the end of this year. Pricing hasn’t been confirmed, but we can safely assume it’ll be in the premium bracket. That said, it offers an entirely new dimension (literally) in communication.
And as your go-to pan-European distributor for HP Poly and a leading Google partner, TD SYNNEX Maverick is ready to support demos, discussions, and deployment. Just give us a shout!
