We’re thrilled to announce that customers can now migrate Surface Hub 2S devices to the same1 Microsoft Teams Rooms on Windows software platform that ships on all new Surface Hub 3 devices.
We have heard clearly from Surface Hub customers that consistency across collaboration spaces is critical – both for end user and IT administration experiences. This has been a key consideration driving the transition of Surface Hub to the Teams Rooms on Windows platform, starting with the launch of Surface Hub 3. Now we’re enabling software consistency between in-market Surface Hub 2S devices and new Surface Hub 3 devices.
Migration for Surface Hub 2S devices, from the legacy Windows 10 Team edition OS to the Teams Rooms on Windows platform, is a free, straightforward, and flexible offering. We designed it to fit the deployment and management approaches of both small-to-medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and large enterprises alike. And we’re excited to make it available so soon after Surface Hub 3.
How migration works
When I said migration is “straightforward,” I meant it. In fact, any Surface Hub 2S fully updated on Windows 10 Team edition is already migration-capable. However, migration for a given device only takes place when a customer decides to initiate the process by choosing to install the new Migration Launcher app.
Installing the Migration Launcher app via the Microsoft Store on Surface Hub 2S
SMBs or customers with smaller deployments can install the Migration Launcher app manually, directly from the Microsoft Store, on the selected Surface Hub 2S device. Enterprise customers can remotely deploy the Microsoft Launcher app using Microsoft Intune – addressing requirements we heard clearly: that enterprise-grade migration should be able to be initiated remotely, to select Surface Hub 2S devices, and in bulk, so organizations can tailor their migration strategy and batching approaches as appropriate for their needs.
Once the Migration Launcher app is installed, the migration process begins on the next reboot of the device – either manually initiated or when the system automatically restarts during the default nightly maintenance window. Learn more in our full documentation: Migrate Surface Hub 2S to Microsoft Teams Rooms on Windows.
Remotely driven deployment after migration, coming with support for Windows Autopilot and Auto-login of Teams Rooms
We understand some customers may wait to migrate Surface Hub 2S fleets until support is broadly available for Windows Autopilot and Auto-login of Teams Rooms, so they can leverage both offerings for a more seamless, remotely driven end-to-end transition process. As we previously announced, the new Autopilot + Auto-login experience is in Private Preview – stay tuned for more info on expanded availability as we complete testing for broader release. In the meantime, customers should feel free to at least start lab-testing migration now that it’s available, to get familiar with this portion of the process!
A few reminders about Surface Hub 2S migration
While migration brings the Teams Rooms on Windows software platform to Surface Hub 2S, some highly requested capabilities are only possible on Surface Hub 3 hardware (new Surface Hub 3 devices, or Surface Hub 2S devices upgraded with a Surface Hub 3 Compute Cartridge), formerly Surface Hub 3 Pack. These capabilities include:
- Smart Rotation and Portrait: physically rotate Surface Hub 3 50” between Portrait or Landscape at any time to adapt the screen layout to suit your needs, whether for a natural Whiteboarding session or a more personable one-on-one call.
- Intelligent Audio: The Surface Hub 3 50” features two microphone arrays and speaker pairings. Smart AV optimizes audio based on device orientation, delivering the best stereo experience whether in Portrait or Landscape.
- Faster Performance: With a 60% CPU performance increase and a 160% GPU graphics performance increase gen-on-gen, Surface Hub 3 customers will enjoy a more powerful system that is also primed to capitalize on future software innovation.
Software-migrating a Surface Hub 2S versus hardware-upgrading it with a Surface Hub 3 Compute Cartridge isn’t a binary choice (yes or no)—customers tell us it’s about using migration as part of the right transition approach to meet the organization’s needs. And that’s great! Some may use migration to pilot the Teams Rooms experience before making a new Surface Hub 3 bulk purchase. Others may migrate their Surface Hub 2S fleet in the nearer term while waiting on budget (perhaps phased over the medium-term) for Surface Hub 3 Compute Cartridge upgrades. And those are just a couple examples. We can’t wait to learn how different customers tailor migration to their organization’s Surface Hub strategy.
There are two scenarios to call out where this migration offering cannot be leveraged. First, the Teams Rooms on Windows experience is not supported on first-generation Surface Hub models, so if the Migration Launcher app is installed on those devices, migration will not occur. Similarly, a Surface Hub 2S device that has been converted to run Windows 10/11 Pro or Enterprise will not be able to leverage this migration offering to transition. Those devices will need to be reimaged using the Surface Hub recovery image for Teams Rooms on Windows.
Thank you again to those Surface Hub customers who have been with us on the journey. We are excited for you to get going with Surface Hub 2S migration as a key step in pushing the limits together for what’s possible with interactive meetings and collaborative teamwork, with Surface Hub as a Microsoft Teams Rooms on Windows device.
References
1. See the section on this page: A few reminders about Surface Hub 2S migration.
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