Five years later, you can finally buy Google Beam
$25,000 per unit. Google Beam, five years in the making, is finally shipping — but the network-effect problem might kill it before it scales.
Why it matters
Google's immersive 3D videoconferencing platform launches as a premium enterprise product after a half-decade in development. Adoption hinges on both parties owning the hardware — a classic two-sided marketplace problem that could limit reach despite impressive early user data.
The key facts
18 to knowGoogle Beam now generally available built into HP Dimension hardware
Dimension hardware costs ~$25,000 per unit
Launch in six countries: Canada, France, Germany, Japan, UK, US
Internal study: 50% of Googlers felt more connected; 21% drop in follow-up meetings
Early adopter Bain & Company uses Beam for remote hiring interviews
Combines AI-generated 3D images with spatial audio
65-inch display renders participants at full size
Group calls currently experimental stage
Requires Beam on both ends of call (network-effect constraint)
Partners with Industrious co-working spaces for trial access
Google Beam GA available built into HP Dimension hardware, ~$25,000/unit
Rolling out to 6 countries: Canada, France, Germany, Japan, UK, US
Internal study: 50% of Google staff felt more connected, 21% drop in follow-up meetings
Early customer Bain uses Beam for remote hiring interviews
Group calls currently experimental; one-to-one meetings live
65-inch display, 12-microphone array, AI-generated 3D participant rendering
Compatible with Google Meet and Zoom
Partnership with Industrious co-working spaces to trial in US cities
Go to the source
Computerworldcomputerworld.com
Publisher excerpt: It’s been five years since Google first offered a glimpse of Project Starline, a three-dimensional videoconferencing platform billed at the time as as a “magic window” that enables realistic and immersive calls. On Wednesday, Google announced that Google Beam — as the software element of the…