Google is getting ready to put its smart whiteboard on sale. The company announced Thursday that the Jamboard, its big touchscreen that’s designed to serve as a digital collaboration space for business users, will be available in May.
The board, which was first revealed last year, gives business users a large workspace to make notes, share content from the web, and more. It’s backed by a cloud service that can be accessed by users’ other devices so that people can collaborate on “Jams” without having to be in the room or touching the Jamboard.
For example, one team in San Francisco could be using the Jamboard as a whiteboard, while another person is contributing using their iPad or Android tablet from New York, and a third team is looking on using a Mac or PC in London.
It’s designed to help companies turn meeting rooms into digital collaboration spaces. The display comes with built-in videoconferencing capabilities, so that users from afar can be brought in alongside the work that people are doing in real time.
Interested companies will have to pay US$4,999, plus a $600 per year service contract for the device. Those companies purchasing the device by Sept. 30 will get the service contract for $300. For that price, customers will get the board, a rolling stand, two styluses, and an eraser that doubles as a cleaning cloth.
Jamboard will be available in the U.S. in May, with a gradual worldwide rollout following that.