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Kensington USB Docking Station Enables 4K Video Displays Share This on LinkedIn   Share This on Google   Tweet This   Forward This

9 June 2015

Kensington has unveiled its SD4000 Universal USB Docking Station. The device enables Windows computers to use Ultra High Definition monitors via HDMI or DisplayPort without upgrading to a 4K graphics card.

The new SD4000 also supports dual 2K monitor set-up, which when combined with its ability to also support larger sized monitors.

"The innovative Kensington SD4000 Universal USB Docking Station enables its users to get more and clearer screen space to work with, which not only saves time and improves accuracy, but also increases user satisfaction," said Louie Yao, Kensington global product manager.

"User satisfaction is a critical measurement in a business environment, as studies have shown that it is also directly related to higher productivity. For our strategic channel partners, the SD4000 provides them with an opportunity to ride the wave and significantly take advantage of the recent 71 percent decrease in 4K monitor pricing and the corresponding growth in demand, to an expected 32 million units sold by 2020."

FEATURES

  • 4K Ultra HD resolution (3840x2160) to one monitor via an HDMI cable or DisplayPort connection
  • Enables 4K UHD even if laptop does not have 4K graphics card
  • 2K resolution (1920x1200/2048x1152) for two-monitor setup via DisplayPort or HDMI/DVI
  • 3 universal USB 3.0 ports for seamless productivity with your accessories
  • 2.1A fast charging port to power up a tablet or smartphone
  • Gigabit Ethernet port for wired connectivity to the Internet
  • Includes speaker port, microphone jack, Kensington Security Slot
  • Compatible with Windows 8.1/8/7
  • Kensington Security Slot

PRICE, AVAILABILITY

The SD4000 lists for $229.99 and is available now directly from Kensington as well as the usual suspects.

For more information see the news release following this story.

PRODUCTIVITY SURVEY

The company also released the results of a productivity study conducted by Forrester in the second quarter of 2015.

Among the findings:

  • 60 percent of professionals surveyed use multiple devices in the office at least half the time, with nearly 60 percent sending files back and forth between a mobile device and computer at least three times per week.
  • 74 percent of employees have two devices that they use for work, and just over half of users juggle three devices.
  • When sending files between a mobile device and computer, most rely on multiple resources - including email, Dropbox, iCloud, and/or Google Drive - as well as a range of external accessories like monitors, keyboards, and chargers to try to boost productivity.
  • The top five business tasks of respondents using a smartphone are phone calls, emails, texts, maps, and photos.

For more information see the second news release below.

Kensington Launches SD4000 Universal USB Docking Station -- Enables Business Users to Leverage 4K Monitor or Dual Monitors in Business Applications

Unsurpassed Compatibility Drives Increase in User Productivity and Satisfaction

SAN MATEO, Calif. -- Kensington has announced the launch of its SD4000 Universal USB Docking Station, enabling business users to leverage 4K (3840x2160) Ultra High Definition monitors with their current laptop or tablet. Previously reserved for fields such as digital television and digital cinematography, the new Kensington SD4000 Universal Docking Station is one of the first USB docking stations on the market that supports 4K output via HDMI or DisplayPort, providing general purpose business users unsurpassed compatibility. If the user is not ready to migrate to a 4K display yet, the new SD4000 also supports dual 2K monitor set-up, which when combined with its ability to also support larger sized monitors, enables users to dramatically increase productivity. For more about user productivity, see the announcement issued separately today revealing the findings of a survey recently conducted by Kensington.

Today's typical business user views a document, while multiple applications such as email run in the background. To move from one window to the next or to pull up a completely new app or web browser, requires the user to defocus from the work at-hand. Once the user has moved to the new window/task, oftentimes they forget about the original work altogether, at least for a time. This is commonplace -- we have all experienced it. Add to that, the devices on which we work are getting smaller and thinner, with the available screen size shrinking in-tandem -- necessitating extensive scrolling up-and-down, back-and-forth across the document. This makes it more challenging and time consuming to complete tasks. It therefore stands to reason that increasing screen size with ultra-high resolution would eliminate these issues. And, numerous research studies have in fact demonstrated this to be true.*

"The innovative Kensington SD4000 Universal USB Docking Station enables its users to get more and clearer screen space to work with, which not only saves time and improves accuracy, but also increases user satisfaction," said Louie Yao, Global Product Manager, Kensington. "User satisfaction is a critical measurement in a business environment, as studies have shown that it is also directly related to higher productivity. For our strategic channel partners, the SD4000 provides them with an opportunity to ride the wave and significantly take advantage of the recent 71 percent decrease in 4K monitor pricing and the corresponding growth in demand, to an expected 32 million units sold by 2020."

Kensington SD4000 Universal USB Docking Station (SKU K33983AM) SRP $229.99

  • 4K Ultra HD for One Monitor -- Give your computer the screen space, power & clarity of Ultra HD, with 3840x2160 resolution via USB 3.0, increasing the content available on your monitor for improved productivity.
  • No Need for 4K Graphics Card -- The SD4000 takes care of all the work for you so you don't have to upgrade or modify your laptop to enable the higher resolution on the screen.
  • HDMI or DisplayPort Options for 4K -- Both connections are available on the back of the dock and can be accessed through a sliding panel that covers the connection port you're not using to protect the electronics.
  • 2K for Dual Monitors -- Ideal for users not ready to make the transition to 4K, this option can support the typical two-monitor setup with 1920x1200/2048x1152 resolution for each screen.
  • USB 3.0 Ports/2.1A Charging Port -- Expand your device's productivity capabilities by plugging your peripheral accessories into any of three USB 3.0 ports that support transfer speeds up to 5 Gbps, which is 10 times faster than USB 2.0. One port allows you to fast charge a tablet or smartphone.
  • Gigabit Ethernet Port -- Provides a reliable wired connection to a network or the Internet.


Kensington Survey Data Reveals that 3 in 5 Professionals Use Multiple Devices at Work More than 50 percent of the Time

Industry Study Finds that 90 percent of Executives Surveyed Believe Integrating Devices Would Enhance Productivity

SAN MATEO, Calif. -- Kensington has announced findings from a North American survey on productivity and the use of mobile devices in the office/desktop environment. The data shows that more than 60 percent of professionals surveyed use multiple devices in the office at least half the time, with nearly 60 percent sending files back and forth between a mobile device and computer at least three times per week. For more about Kensington's productivity solutions, see the announcement issued separately today introducing the new SD4000 Universal USB Docking Station which enables users to leverage 4K monitors -- expected to become a common standard -- in business applications.

Research by Forrester shows that 74 percent of employees have two devices that they use for work and just over half of users juggle three devices. When sending files between a mobile device and computer, most rely on multiple resources -- including email, Dropbox, iCloud and/or Google Drive -- as well as a range of external accessories like monitors, keyboards and chargers to try to boost productivity.

"The limitations caused by a cluttered digital landscape show a clear need for employees to have access to more flexible accessories at their desktops," said Louie Yao, Global Product Manager, Kensington. "More organizations need to move toward a standardized process that allows professionals to conveniently use a single solution in their work environment, rather than always worrying about how to sync their devices."

Kensington's productivity survey also revealed that professionals in organizations large and small, across diverse industries, are concerned with the effects on their productivity from lack of integration among their various computing devices. Over 80 percent of those polled use email for file transfer between two devices and 90 percent of IT management, IT staff and corporate managers believe that integrating their computing devices would enhance their productivity.

The survey also identified that the top five business tasks of respondents using a smartphone are phone calls, emails, texts, maps and photos. Kensington conducted the survey in the second quarter of 2015.

The Productivity Survey report may be downloaded at: http://www.kensington.com/a/261835

An infographic representing the Productivity Survey results is available at: http://www.kensington.com/a/261836


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