Pankaj Jha on Interactive Devices for Education and Enterprise

In this interview, Pankaj Jha, Managing Director of MAXHUB India discusses their latest innovations in both education and enterprise technology, particularly focusing on their new interactive devices, including the E30 and U30 series. These products, featuring advanced hardware and software capabilities like built-in microphones and Android 13, aim to revolutionize classroom and meeting room experiences. The spokesperson also highlights the company’s efforts to expand into Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, leveraging a strong partner network to create interactive, immersive learning and corporate environments across India.

Excerpts:

DQ: Can you provide an overview of your latest product offerings and how they differentiate from the existing market solutions?

Pankaj: We have recently launched the E30 series, a Google EDLA-certified product that offers the complete Google suite, including access to the Play Store. This allows educators to download a variety of applications directly for classroom use. What makes this product stand out is the built-in microphone, which isn't commonly found in other products available on the market. It's a very different category in itself.

In addition, we have the E21 series, which is more affordable yet equally robust. The E21 is a highly accessible option in terms of pricing but still offers an excellent user experience. We’ve also introduced our U30 series, which is particularly unique due to its octa-core processor. With 8GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, it provides ample space for various applications, ensuring a seamless user experience across education platforms.

These devices aren’t just limited to the education sector; we are seeing their adoption in corporate environments as well. We are also manufacturing in India, which makes these truly “Made in India” products, with manufacturing taking place in locations like Silvassa and Bhiwandi.

DQ: What are some of the specific features in your enterprise solutions that cater to modern corporate needs?

Pankaj:  In the enterprise vertical, we have a range of products designed to meet the demands of modern business environments. One of our standout products is a 92-inch display panel with built-in mics and cameras. This is a major step forward in terms of integrating interactivity within meeting rooms. Typically, meeting rooms require separate cameras, mics, speakers, and displays, but our product combines these elements into one solution.

For instance, the device comes equipped with a 50-megapixel triple camera and 16 microphones, providing an all-in-one package. We also have solutions like Microsoft Teams Rooms devices that offer complete meeting room control from a single touch device. These products are Microsoft-certified and Zoom-certified, ensuring compatibility across platforms. Our displays also support the unique 21:9 aspect ratio, making them ideal for environments like boardrooms where signature room experiences are essential.

DQ: How does your partner network help in delivering these products to the end customer?

Pankaj: We strongly believe in working with a channel ecosystem. With more than 500 trusted partners across India, we rely on their expertise to reach customers in metro cities and beyond. These partners have been with us for five, seven, and even ten years, which speaks volumes about the strength of our relationships.

In Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, we are actively expanding. We’re encouraging partners to create experience zones in their regions, where potential customers can come and interact with the devices. This not only helps our partners grow but also provides customers with a first-hand look at the quality and innovation we bring to the table.

DQ: What are some of the challenges in expanding to smaller cities with advanced tech solutions?

Pankaj:  The challenge in reaching smaller cities is mainly related to infrastructure. It's relatively easy to deploy these advanced solutions in metro areas, but in smaller cities, the market demand and setup can be a bit more challenging. That said, we’re working on scaling down some of our offerings to make them accessible for these regions.

This is where our experience zones come into play. By enabling our partners to set up these zones, we provide the infrastructure and support needed to introduce our products into smaller cities. This strategy will help customers in these areas experience the full potential of our solutions.

DQ: What is the future direction of product development for your interactive devices?**

Pankaj: Our devices are constantly evolving. We’re focusing on upgrading both hardware and software. For instance, we’ve introduced Android 13 in our devices, which allows for a broader range of applications from the Play Store. But the innovations don't stop at hardware.

We’re also incorporating tools that improve meeting room experiences. For example, our corporate series panels come with group whiteboarding software. This allows participants in different offices to collaborate on the same whiteboard in real-time. One customer even requested a feature that would allow them to annotate on the whiteboard during a meeting without needing additional software or licenses. We were able to deliver that with our built-in solutions.

DQ: How are these products integrating with established platforms like Microsoft Teams?

Pankaj: Many of our devices are Microsoft-certified, which makes them fully compatible with Microsoft Teams Rooms. We are constantly working to ensure that our devices offer seamless integration with the most popular business platforms. We are developing more products certified by Microsoft, and these will soon be available to cater to a wide variety of meeting room configurations.

DQ: Are your devices currently being used in educational or institutional settings, and are there plans for further deployment?

Pankaj:  Although I can’t name specific institutions due to confidentiality agreements, many of our devices are currently in use across India in both educational and corporate environments. For instance, some of the biggest coaching institutes are using our interactive flat panels throughout the day—from morning till night—and they’ve been very satisfied with the performance. A quick online search will show you customer feedback and testimonials on how our products are being used.

DQ: What future innovations can we expect from your company?

Pankaj: We have exciting new developments on the horizon. We are introducing large-format interactive solutions, ranging from 120 inches to 220 inches, to create a more immersive experience for both educational and corporate sectors. These large displays come with built-in speakers to provide a seamless audio-visual experience.

We are also working on more advanced features for these devices, such as better integration with other collaborative platforms and tools that will make meetings and classroom sessions more interactive and productive.