Poly Studio X as Google Meet Hardware | Setting up an Android System as Meet Hardware

Hello, everyone!! I hope you're doing well. This blog post is one of the most anticipated posts of 2023, I know it, and I'm going to answer all your questions.

First of all, Google Workspace provides productivity and collaboration tools such as Gmail, Drive, Meet, Docs and stuff, and Google Admin console is where admins can set up business email and mobile devices, add users, turn on/off and manage services that employees need to use, manage devices, and much more.

Why Google Meet hardware is important? Well... Are your in-office employees taking video calls with many people and they're using a laptop or a mobile phone? You should know that they can use an endpoint to make it easier, be heard and look like a boss. Today, I'm gonna show you how to set up a conference system (Studio X) with Google to help your in-office employees join meetings and collaborate.

Do you prefer a video over a reading? Check out the following video:

 

Before enrolling your device, read Prepare your network carefully to optimize the network and provide high quality meetings, and remember, I always recommend you use wired network connection to get the best audio and video quality. You should check my how to set up Studio X post before getting started. 

Note: A Meet hardware license is required, and your system must be running PolyOS 4.0 or later. In order to upgrade your Studio X to 4.0, please take a look at this post to learn how to upgrade/downgrade your system

Enrolling a System

Go to admin.google.com, and type in your email address and your password. Keep in mind that you must use an administrator account and sign in with it.

Select Devices > Google Meet Hardware > Devices and click on Enroll a device with a code

Where I can find that code? On your meet hardware, you can see it displayed.

Enter a name and the code, and click ENROLL.

 

 

Your device has been enrolled, and you can click on it from the list of devices under Devices section to find more options. 

Display

 

Controller

 

Assigning a Calendar

Now, we need to assign a calendar to the device. You can associate your meet hardware with a calendar for a specific user or, a room. However, there's a 3rd option, it can be used with no calendar, but I don't recommend you that option, but if you plan to use your devices for unscheduled meetings, go ahead, you don't need to assign one calendar.

Now, let's click on Calendar Assignment.

 

As I mentioned, you can assign either a room calendar or a personal calendar. In this case, I'll choose personal, but you should choose the best option for you, and then click Save.

What is the best option for you? Please read the following information:

• Room Calendar: Meet hardware that will be installed in a conference room. There must be a calendar resource created, see the information below.
  
• Personal Calendar: Devices for a single user (WFH, for instance). The devices and user must belong to the same OU (organizational unit), see the information below.
  

Keep in mind that you can associate a room calendar with only one device or a personal calendar with multiple devices!!

Managing/Adding Organizational Units (for Personal Room)

Your user and Studio X belong to the same OU? Or, are you looking for applying different settings to a set of users or devices? Let's talk about it! An organization unit is a group that you can create to apply configurations to a certain set of devices/users. You may need to apply the same set of settings to other users/devices, but only one thing is changed... Create child OUs. For example:

• MX Org
  
• Remote workers
• Sales team
• IT Department
• HR
  
• USA Org
• L&D
• Finance
  

As you might expect, it's like a family, the son inherits his father's traits, but they're not the same, something is different, so child OUs inherit settings from above but you can enable/disable services at anytime. I mean, the settings can be changed to meet the needs of a child OU. To create organizational units, go to Directory > Organizational units

By default, your provisioned devices will be added to the main organization unit, but you can change its unit. Get back to Devices > Google Meet Hardware > Devices, select your system, and a folder on the right side.

You need to choose an organizational unit, click on Continue, and then on Move.

Adding Features, and Calendar Resources (for Conference Room)

In order to allow users book meeting rooms from Google Calendar, you must add a room resource that is attached to a certain building. Also, you need to define features to let the in-office employees know where the systems are located, they may need to use certain systems such as jamboard, communication equipment and things like that. Select Manage resources > Manage resource features.

 

 

Make sure that there is Google Meet hardware feature, or Click on Add Feature, if appropriate.

Type in feature name and choose the type.

You may ask yourself "What type should I select?" Well, it's really easy, the information is as follows:

• Other: Whiteboards, projectors, cars, wheelchairs, and sutff.
  
• Video Conferencing: Video communication equipment
  
• Telephony: Audio communication equipment.

Select one option, enter the name, and click on Save.

Now, the feature is added, you need to add the resources. Click on the yellow button with the plus sign.

Fill up the blanks, and choose a category and a building, and click Add resource. Read the following details carefully:

• Category: 
• Conference: Video or audio enabled rooms, this resource is used for meetings or conferences.
  
• Other: This isn't used for meetings, it can be a bike, car, mother's room, or whatever your company provides for employees.
• Type: It depends on category, for this example, it could be meeting room.
  
• Floor: where is the room located?
  
• Floor Section: on the "n" floor, where is your room? North, West, etc.
  
• Resource name: Room's name
  
• Capacity: How many people can be in the room?
  
• Features: which features are applied to this resource?
  

 

This Puebla Room resource has its own calendar, and a Studio X may be added to this room calendar, like I did above. I mean, you can assign this Puebla Room calendar to your Studio X, and after that, you and your employees can schedule a meeting in your Google Meet Hardware enabled Room and the system because they have the same calendar. Open calendar and create a test event, select "Add rooms", and select one.

 

 

For instance, I decided to schedule two meetings and book Puebla room, as you can see. Now, all of you users can book the rooms and they know where the systems are.

And that's all! You have any questions? Feel free to reach out or, leave a comment. Don't forget to subscribe to this blog and follow me on my social media. 👀

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