Microsoft first revealed the Surface Hub in January 2015, although it didn't start shipping the mammoth collaborative toolset until March 2016 after initial delay.
Despite the fact that the last significant Surface Hub news came five months ago, Microsoft today is building momentum around version two in a surprise pre-announcement:
Surface Hub created an entirely new device category, and we're thrilled with the strong momentum we have seen across the globe. We're working on V2 and will share more in the first half of this year.
This announcement is one of the first times Microsoft is not only acknowledging a new version of the Surface Hub, but it's also well ahead of any planned press-event or shipping details.
Coming in two sizes – 55-inch and 84-inch, priced at $6,999 and $19,999 respectively – Microsoft is giving current companies a small heads-up that a new version is on the way so they can begin planning around the tools and ecosystem (and budgeting).
There is no word on what specifically will be new in Surface Hub V2, but refreshed hardware, improved display, inking and things like Microsoft Teams support on the software front are expected.
So far so good with Surface Hub
Microsoft was quick to tout the success of Surface Hub, noting it has now sold Hub to more than 5,000 customers across 25 markets. That's double the amount sold as of December 2016 when the company revealed it had sold Hub to 2,000 customers, which Microsoft said at the time exceeded expectations. (There's no firm number on actual units, sold, but Microsoft has mentioned companies on average buy 50 units).
The company also noted that over half of the Fortune 100 corporations have purchased Surface Hub and 60 percent of Surface Hub sales come from large enterprise customers.
Update: This article originaly noted that "more than 5,000 units" have been sold, but it has been corrected to "more than 5,000 customers".
Microsoft is promising on a Surface Hub OS upgrade for existing devices to try to keep parity with Surface Hub V2 and that more in-depth integration with Microsoft Teams and Office 365 will continue.
Collaboration has been a significant focus of Microsoft lately with Teams, Whiteboard, Skype, and Office 365. Surface Hub serves as the primary hardware for that initiative and Redmond appears to be having success with it.
Expect to hear more about Surface Hub V2 "in the first half of this year," which could hint at a Microsoft Build's May 7 timeframe.
