Crestron Electronics has introduced Collab Engine, a scalable collaboration platform that brings conferencing, content distribution and room control together in one device. Designed for workplaces and learning environments, the solution aims to simplify how organisations deploy and manage AV technology across rooms of different sizes and requirements.
Certified for Microsoft Teams Rooms, Collab Engine provides a common hardware platform that can be adapted for everything from small huddle spaces to larger meeting rooms and training facilities. Rather than deploying different systems for each room type, IT teams can use the same foundation while tailoring the experience to individual spaces.
The platform also integrates Crestron Intelligent Video and Intelligent Audio technologies, allowing camera coverage and audio performance to be configured around each room’s layout and acoustics. This helps keep participants visible and conversations clear, even as people move around the room.
One Platform for Teams Rooms and BYOD
Collab Engine supports two operating modes, giving organisations the flexibility to choose how users connect and collaborate.
In Microsoft Teams Rooms mode, users can join meetings directly through a native Teams interface with one-touch meeting access. Alternatively, Crestron AirMedia mode supports wireless presentation and conferencing through bring-your-own-device (BYOD) connections, allowing participants to use their preferred devices and collaboration platforms.
Built on the Android operating system and Microsoft’s Device Ecosystem Platform (MDEP), Collab Engine also incorporates enterprise security capabilities and familiar IT management frameworks, helping organisations maintain consistency across their collaboration environments.
Built-In Room Control and Centralised Management
The platform will be available in two models, the Collab Engine 4100 and Collab Engine 4200, both of which include an integrated Crestron 4-Series Control System.
This allows organisations to extend beyond video conferencing and incorporate room automation into the same platform, reducing the need for separate control hardware.
For IT teams managing multiple rooms or facilities, integration with Crestron’s XiO Cloud platform provides centralised deployment, monitoring and management capabilities. This makes it easier to maintain consistent configurations and oversee connected spaces across different locations.
The Collab Engine 4200 adds built-in DM NVX AV-over-IP distribution, enabling network-based content delivery and supporting more extensive AV system configurations.
A Consistent Experience Across Different Spaces
As organisations expand their hybrid meeting and learning environments, maintaining a consistent user experience across different rooms can become increasingly challenging.
Collab Engine addresses this by bringing conferencing, content distribution and room automation into a shared platform that can scale according to room requirements.
For systems integrators, the approach provides a more consistent foundation for designing and deploying collaboration spaces. For IT teams, it offers a way to simplify system management while accommodating different working styles and room configurations.
Collab Engine is scheduled for availability in the first quarter of 2027 and joins Crestron’s growing Collab family, following the introduction of Collab Compute earlier in 2026. More product detail can be found on Crestron’s blog.
