Videoconferencing solutions manufacturer Owl Labs is launching the Owl Bar, a new all-in-one front-of-room conferencing bar with an embedded camera, microphone and speaker designed to work with the company’s other solutions, including a 360-degree center-of-room camera.
With the company’s AI-powered software, the camera view will automatically switch between cameras to capture the best view of in-room participants to bring more natural face-to-face conversations to remote participants.
However, the new Owl Bar device can also work as a standalone device, similar to other all-in-one conferencing bars from providers such as Poly, Cisco, Logitech and others.
Like other Owl Labs devices, the Owl Bar uses the company’s Owl Intelligence System software to automatically focus on in-room attendees as they speak and move.
The device is compatible with all major videoconferencing platforms and can be paired with other devices such as the Meeting Owl, Whiteboard Owl and Expansion Mic to scale and support different room types and sizes.
The Owl Bar features a 114-degree, 4K, 30-megapizel camera, as well as four omnidirectional microphones and integrated speaker that can be paired with eight smart mics in the Meeting Owl.
It can be mounted on a wall, television screen or placed on a table, the company says.
IT can support and manage the Owl Bar and other Owl Labs devices via a tablet phone or desktop app with remote fleet management capabilities through the Nest customer portal.
Frank Weishaupt, CEO of Owl Labs, says the company has been focused on making 360-degree conferencing products for nearly a decade, and is now the first to combine front-of-room and center-of-room views from every angle.
“Our goal is to take the stress out of managing hybrid teams with industry-leading technology solutions and we’re looking forward to doing that even more effectively for organizations of all sizes by expanding our product ecosystem with the Owl Bar,” Weishaupt says.
Organizations can purchase the Owl Bar for $1,999 or bundle it with a Meeting Owl 3 for $2,999 on OwlLabs.com or through third-party resellers and distribution partners. Both the Owl Bar and the Meeting Owl 3 bundle will also be sold on Amazon in the coming months, according to the company.
Another version of this article originally appeared on our sister-site My TechDecisions on March 30, 2023. It has since been updated for Commercial Integrator’s audience.
