The News: Yamaha Corporation’s release of CS-800 and CS-500 video collaboration systems targeting the hybrid work market were recently announced. These new devices will also be equipped with Yamaha’s latest speaking tracking technology. Read the full Press Release from Yamaha.

Yamaha CS-500 and CS-800 Video Collaboration Solutions Announced, a Timely Offering Targeting the Hybrid Work Market

Analyst Take: Yamaha’s announcement of a CS-500 and CS-800 marks the end of the integration of Revolabs, the UC vendor acquired by Yamaha in 2014, and I see this as a timely offering by the company targeting the hybrid work market. With these two new solutions, Yamaha announced the products under the corporate branding instead of the Yamaha UC logo we’ve become familiar with over the last few years. I view this as a positive step for the company as it points to an alignment of product and sales under one strategy.

Yamaha’s CS-500 and CS-800 are the Japanese-based company’s next generation of video collaboration solutions, including “SoundCap Eye™” and a newly developed Hexa-Microphone to automatically recognize both the conference space and participants. Yamaha’s CS-800 is an all-in-one video collaboration bar (microphone, camera, speakers, and HDMI out) for the small to medium meeting space, while the Yamaha CS-500 fits into smaller spaces by relying on the in-room display speakers. Both devices benefit from a new technology “SoundCap Eye™” that leverages high accuracy positioning data from the camera to pinpoint the voice of the speaker. This new technology works in conjunction with the new beamforming “Hexa-Microphone” to capture speakers and provide a clear signal even in noisy environments.

Yamaha’s CS-500 and CS-800 both feature a 4k, 120° camera with ‘Smart Framing’ technology to better capture in-room participants. The new camera and microphone come together with the power of AI to accurately frame and follow meeting participants, even in open or noisy spaces. To ensure a simple deployment, both the CS-500 and CS-800 benefit from single cable connectivity, regardless of connecting to a room system, or a user’s laptop.

If you’d like a first look at Yamaha’s CS-800 and CS-500 check out this video produced by the company:

Wrapping up, Yamaha’s CS-500 and CS-800 both include the added benefit of being Zoom Rooms certified at time of launch, giving IT decision makers piece of mind that these next generation Yamaha collaboration solutions will scale with the organization. If the Yamaha brand is any indicator of these solutions, we’ll likely see the two devices across meeting spaces for years to come.

Disclosure: Wainhouse Research, part of The Futurum Group family of companies, is a research and advisory firm that engages or has engaged in research, analysis, and advisory services with many technology companies, including those mentioned in this article. The author does not hold any equity positions with any company mentioned in this article.

Analysis and opinions expressed herein are specific to the analyst individually and data and other information that might have been provided for validation, not those of Wainhouse Research as a whole.