Google heads to the boardroom with Chromebox for Meetings (pictures)

Chrome is Google's not-so-secret weapon, and after taking aim at your living room with Chromecast, the new Chromebox for Meetings wants to change the boardroom.

Seth Rosenblatt

Feb. 6, 2014 3:46 p.m. PT

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Seth Rosenblatt/CNET

Meet Chromebox for Meetings

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- After taking aim at your living room with Chromecast, Google's new Chromebox for Meetings wants to change the boardroom.

Caesar Sengupta, Google's Chromebook chief, explained how Chromebox for Meetings can be a low-cost way for small businesses to get into video conferencing at Google's headquarters on February 6, 2014.

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'Redo the meeting room'

The new Chromebox for Meetings will cost $999 per set for the first year, and $250 per set per year thereafter, said Sengupta.

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Based in Google services

Sengupta touted the ease with which people can join meetings in the new Chromebox for Meetings during the unveiling at Google's Mountain View, Calif., headquarters on February 6, 2014.

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New hardware

The Chromebox for Meetings will come with a high-powered version of the Chromebox, a remote control with keyboard, a high-definition Webcam, and a microphone/speaker.

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Core i7-powered Chromebox

Google stuck Core i7 CPUs into these Chromeboxes in the hopes of ensure better video stream processing.

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Two-sided remotes

Chromecast for Meetings remotes come with standard controls on one side, and a full keyboard on the other.

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Ports for all

The centerpiece of the Chromebox for Meetings set comes with four USB 3.0 ports, several video ports, an Ethernet port, and multiple band support for Wi-Fi.

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Available now in the US

The Chromeboxes are made by Asus, Dell, and Hewlett-Packard.

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Radio-frequency based

In addition to the full QWERTY on the reverse, the remote control sports a "nano-sized" USB adapter. It's radio-frequency based, so line-of-sight isn't necessary.