Microphone Nib

Microphone Nib

Five Gotta-get Cool Ip Phone Features

1) Phone or PC?

Over the years, many different things have been implemented in order to produce VoIP desk phones able to accomplish tasks that your grandfather's (actually even your older siblings') phone cannot do. Let's begin with the soft keys (the buttons you program depending on what you wish to achieve). When you combine large, brightly colored LCD functions that appear in words and pictures with easy-to-follow graphic instructions – you get a phone that mirrors the comfort and familiarity of the better personal computers on the market or other convenient consumer devices. No longer will you have to sift through the pages of a manual.

Also, don’t forget to add one more development – the integration between applications relying on enterprise servers and VoIP phones that are becoming more and more useful and easy-to-use. This means that when you have the appropriate IP PBX and network structure, you will gain the same capabilities as if you were sitting at your desk; scanning and replying to email from the head honcho; reviewing a video message, or receiving access to corporate databases. All of this is displayed on a large, crisp screen. It is key to recognize that the quality of the user interface and the application integration are very important. If they seem harder to use than your cell phone, you may not want to bother.
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2) The Power of the Gigabit…

Voice conversations can work on 8 Kbs and when you encounter an Ethernet connection that possesses a gigabit – you probably think this is way too much. However, all of this has to do with the ever-changing interest in desktop VoIP phones. Why? VoIP phones and computers are both data devices and when you connect them to a corporate LAN – two data ports are used. Yet, if you hook up your computer to your phone, and then connect your phone to your LAN – the number of ports your office network requires is cut by half the amount.

Up until recent times, the majority of phones had been created to connect at the 10 Mbps or 100 Mbps speeds associated with most office LANs. Nowadays, GigE enterprise networks, computers, and applications that find benefit in such speeds are becoming the norm. This means that when you buy a GigE-capable phone, the payoff continues to increase into the future of the IP telephony system used within your company.

3) Isn't HD Just For TV?

The Polycom term known as HD Voice sheds light on the broader movement taking over desk phones. Companies that manufacture such phones are making strides in improving the sound quality of conversations. They believe that if your work becomes more efficient, then you won't have to work extra hard just to be heard. One glaring effort is seen in the use of wideband codecs, which are associated with voice audio samples 16,000 times a second, as opposed to 8,000 times with telephones of the early 1900s. A new crop of possibilities regarding enhanced clarity is emerging. All of this can make it easier for the interactive voice response system to realize when you are experiencing trouble with your order instead of…let’s say – doubling your order.

4) Using Space to Your Advantage

Do you know the difference between the quality of a call and speakerphone quality? Today, there have been many attempts to create desk phones that work just as well as a specialized conference room speakerphone. Overall, this can allow you to conduct business within the boardroom while the SEC is attending to your Hard Drive. To accomplish this, a bit of cleaver design in the physical sense is needed. One approach is to place a Great Deal of space between the microphone and the speaker. This cuts down on interference. The base of the desktop phone will become larger than a laptop computer as a result. Another trick is to leave a large empty space behind your speaker – allowing the sound to vibrate in the same manner as high-end audio systems.
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5) No Moving Parts to Worry About

Steve Jobs may have made efforts in making touch controls cool, but Siemens is pushing the envelope with their new line of OpenStage phones that places improved control without the use of moving buttons or levers. For instance, a user can increase the volume by easily slide their finger from the left to the right of a slot. Inside, a blue glow within the slot expands to reveal your volume increase. The soft keys and navigation wheel similar to an iPod are touch-sensitive as well.

Conventional push buttons are a feature with the keypad, which helps people dial without fully concentrating on what they are looking at. Actually, does the phone you have your eye on possess a nib on the "5" key so you are able to shift about the keypad just by feeling it out? These are the kind of things that manufacturers take seriously (and so should you) if you are dialing a lot of numbers that aren't entered into your online directory.

The Magnitude of Cool…

When it comes to IP phones, there are plenty of other concepts to look out for, especially with all of the many different forms of wireless connectivity. All in all – don’t forget to question one thing – does the phone look cool enough for you? What is meant by that is that you don’t want to spend all your days using equipment that looks like the handiwork of Bill Gates, do you? We thought not.

About the Author

Mark Allen is a frequent writer on the telecom industry.

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