We’re incredibly excited to announce our new distribution partnership with NEXTHub, bringing one of the most interesting new collaboration products we’ve seen to the UK channel.
NEXTHub takes a refreshingly different approach to display technology. Rather than replacing perfectly good hardware, it gives existing displays a significant technology upgrade – adding the latest Android platform, 4K video, upgraded audio, wireless collaboration, device management and much more through one simple solution.
Why replace a perfectly good display when you can upgrade it?
There are thousands of interactive and commercial displays installed across education, corporate and public sector environments that still have years of useful life left in them.
The display itself often isn't the problem. The panel still looks great and the touch still works – but the built-in Android platform, processing power and collaboration technology have moved on.
That's where NEXTHub comes in.
Connecting to compatible displays via HDMI and USB, NEXTHub gives existing hardware a new lease of life and brings many of the features you'd expect from the latest generation of collaborative displays.
Packed with the Latest Collaboration Technology
At the heart of NEXTHub is a modern Android platform, bringing Google services, applications and a familiar user experience to the display.
It then goes much further, adding a 4K ultra-wide 120° camera, ideal for bringing everyone in the room into view during video calls and hybrid meetings.
A built-in six-microphone array with voice pickup of up to eight metres provides the audio capture needed for larger meeting and teaching spaces, while integrated speakers upgrade the display's audio experience without requiring additional hardware around the screen.
Together, the camera, microphone array and audio turn an existing display into a much more capable video conferencing and collaboration solution.
Android 15 and Beyond
One of the biggest advantages of NEXTHub is the ability to separate the technology lifecycle from the display itself.
Rather than being limited by the operating system originally built into a screen, NEXTHub provides a modern Android environment with access to Google services and the Google Play Store via the Google EDLA certification.
That means organisations can keep the displays they're happy with while upgrading the technology their users interact with every day.
Wireless Sharing and Collaboration
NEXTHub also brings modern wireless screen sharing to existing installations, allowing users to quickly share content from laptops and mobile devices.
Built-in collaboration tools provide functionality for whiteboarding, annotation, presenting and sharing, creating a much more modern experience for classrooms, meeting rooms and collaborative spaces.
For education customers, the platform also opens up additional teaching and collaboration possibilities, including interactive lesson tools and AI-assisted functionality.
Built-In Device Management
Upgrading an individual room is useful. Being able to manage an entire display estate is even better.
NEXTHub brings centralised device management into the solution, giving IT teams greater visibility and control across deployed devices.
This becomes particularly valuable for schools, universities and larger organisations operating displays across multiple rooms, buildings or sites.
It can also help create a more consistent technology experience across estates containing displays from multiple manufacturers.
Better for Budgets. Better for the Environment.
Perhaps the part of NEXTHub we're most excited about is how simple the proposition is.
If the screen still works, why replace it?
Displays are a significant investment and, in many cases, the panel itself can remain perfectly serviceable long after its original Android hardware has become outdated.
NEXTHub provides an opportunity to reuse and repurpose that existing hardware, extending its useful life while still giving users access to modern technology.
That means less unnecessary electronic waste, less disruption from removing and replacing displays, and potentially significant savings compared with a complete hardware refresh.
A Huge Opportunity for the Channel
For Mentor Distribution and our reseller partners, NEXTHub creates an entirely new conversation with customers.
It's no longer just about selling the next display.
It's about looking at what the customer already has, understanding what still works and finding a smarter way to bring their meeting rooms, classrooms and collaborative spaces up to date.
Whether it's a single meeting room or an estate containing hundreds of ageing displays, NEXTHub gives resellers another way to add value, extend the lifecycle of existing installations and create new upgrade opportunities.
We're incredibly excited to welcome NEXTHub to the Mentor Distribution portfolio and can't wait to start introducing the technology to our reseller partners across the UK.