Does Microsoft’s MDEP pose a threat to device diversity?

The Microsoft Device Ecosystem Platform (MDEP) is an initiative that aims to bring greater standardization to the Teams Rooms device operating system.

Available for manufacturers to integrate with their Teams Rooms products, MDEP is based on the open-source Android platform but provides additional security and management features that meet Microsoft standards. In the initial release, these include secure device pairing and syncing, secure and verified boot, rollback prevention, and data encryption.

One sec Jabra was the first company to announce the launch of a device for MDEP conference rooms last year, the Jabra PanaCast 50 video bar system.the platform gained even more popularity this year with the announcement at InfoComm that MDEP will be adopted by Barco in future versions of Clickshareand Yealink for the Teams series of desk phones.

Now, an industry analyst wonders whether MDEP not only brings certain benefits but also challenges so-called supplier diversity and raises questions about the balance of power in the industry.

In a new opinion piece,MDEP’s Dilemma: A Bold Move by Microsoft or a Blow to Supplier Diversity? Omdia’s principal UC&C analyst, Prachi Nema, notes that more than 30 hardware vendors have created their own, separate Android operating systems for videoconferencing products. This has required years of research and development and establishing a supply chain from the device’s System On Chip (SOC) to other components.

Today, a proprietary operating system allows them to offer customized solutions and features that are unique to their ecosystem, and also enables premium pricing. Examples include Logitech with Collab OS, Cisco with RoomOS, and HP Poly with Video OS. Devices with these operating systems have achieved multiplatform certifications, with Microsoft Teams Rooms, Zoom, and other options. And those multiplatform certifications can be achieved for the same device with its own independent Android-based operating system.

If Cisco, Logitech, and HP Poly followed the lead of Jabra, Barco, and Yealink, they would be able to release certified Teams Rooms devices more quickly, Omdia says, but they could end up competing in a commoditized market with less room to differentiate, at least in small- to medium-sized rooms. The need to integrate sensors, multiple cameras, and perhaps even immersive environments would still allow differentiation in larger spaces.

Certifying Windows-based devices is a straightforward process for Microsoft, since they use the company’s own proprietary operating system. Microsoft also offers significant support in certifying devices for Teams Rooms on its partners’ own versions of Android, including Cisco, Crestron, DTEN, HP Poly, Huddly, Logitech, Maxhub, Neat, and Yealink. However, the certification process can take up to 18 months for each new device a vendor introduces, Omdia says.

Providing security and manageability across multiple versions of Android is a complex task, and project implementation schedules can be delayed while waiting for certification of Android-based devices from a preferred brand. And yet, despite this complexity, Android-based devices are becoming increasingly popular in meeting spaces, not least because of their user-friendly interface, compact design, and cost-effectiveness.

Approval of MDEP-based devices will likely be faster because they include Microsoft-approved security, reliability and management features, Omdia says. MDEP devices will not only address the security challenges of Android deployments, but also offer a consistent and simplified user interface and ease of installation. This will help enterprises expand videoconferencing capabilities in meeting spaces in an efficient and cost-effective way.

So what could be the downside? It turns out that MDEP could lock companies into dependence. Currently, certified Teams Rooms devices running their own separate operating system, such as Logitech Collab OS, can be re-launched on alternative platforms, such as Zoom or Meet, assuming the device is certified for those other platforms. We could see the industry having to develop devices that are exclusive to Zoom and Google Meet. And with The European Commission is still investigating whether Microsoft is addressing its competition concerns regarding the Microsoft Teams platform.MDEP may also come under regulatory scrutiny.

Omdia notes, however, that interoperability can still be achieved with solutions like Pexip, which Microsoft reportedly supports for any-to-any connectivity.

In summary, the analyst’s opinion is: “MDEP is a key innovation for Microsoft. It streamlines the device certification process, provides robust security, manageability, and scalability for video across the organization, and helps standardize user experience, maintenance, and refresh.”

And equally interesting for end users is the forecast for commoditization in small and medium-sized spaces, where he adds, “The big news is that all device vendors can now offer MDEP-integrated devices to such a degree that, apart from aesthetics, there is little differentiation between them, forcing device manufacturers to compete on price.”

You can find more information here: MDEP’s Dilemma: A Bold Move by Microsoft or a Blow to Supplier Diversity?