Who wants a phone that bears a striking resemblance to an oversized
iPod? Well, a lot of people, apparently -- if the phone's
functionality can back up its looks.
Capitalising on the latest trend of beauty and functionality,
Siemens Communications Inc. yesterday released its OpenStage family
of SIP desktop phones, which the company touts as providing
"personal fixed mobile convenience with style."
According to Martin Northend, director of portfolio marketing
for SMBs at Siemens, the OpenStage line is among the first
telephones to bring an open communications hardware platform to the
desktop. The phones, which come in four models ranging from basic
to advanced, use PC functionality.
The phones rely on Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) to
integrate wired, wireless and IP communications to facilitate
functions that include push to conference, desktop call management,
and presence-based calling. The OpenStage phones also support
third-party applications through standards-based technologies such
as Java, HTML, WML and XML.
Northend said the phones fill five voids many desktop phone
users experience:
- they contain or offer access to personal, corporate or public
phone books
- they have high-quality speakerphones for conference calls
- they share information with mobile devices or PC organiser
software
- they don't tie users to their desks
- they are appealing, engaging and easy to use
"End users in business environments are faced with an
ever-increasing variety of communications capabilities, devices,
interfaces and modes," Current Analysis vice president Jerry Caron
said in a statement. "Efforts to streamline and integrate these
capabilities, and to make the most of the latest navigation
techniques, are welcome and will get the attention of buyers."
Northend added that OpenStage sets have built-in Bluetooth
support. An AV card exchange allows users to transfer contacts
between compatible mobile phones and the desktop phone. A USB port
can be used to back up data such as contact lists or to connect to
a wireless LAN. And, with the correct network support, users can
access corporate phone directories using an LDAP client, or use XML
to look up new contacts.
 |
| For more information | Find out what makes an IP phone a
SIP phone
Check out our learning guide on
SIP |
|
| |
|
OpenStage desktops give telecom departments and third-party
developers more flexibility to write and deploy applications that
can make the phones a key interface for corporate applications and
that can speed communications and workflow, according to Northend.
For example, Java applications that run on a PC, smartphone or PDA
can be readily ported to run on OpenStage. Using HTML, the phone
can be used as an interface for hosted applications such as
timesheets, calendars or public phone books. WML support makes
OpenStage compatible with applications developed for mobile phones,
while XML support makes it easy to customise OpenStage for any
number of users.
The touch-sensitive navigation wheel, called TouchGuide,
resembles an iPod in its circular design, which lets users access
the menu-driven user interface. Near the wheel, a touch-sensitive
TouchSlider – essentially a blue-lit bar – controls the volume of
the handset, the ringer and speakerphone. There are also additional
touch-sensitive pre-set and programmable keys for quick access to
frequently used applications and features such as address books,
voicemail and speed dial. OpenStage features hands-free voice
commands and a high-quality speakerphone designed for conference
calls.
Bill Crane, communications manager at Shimano Inc., an Irvine,
Calif.-based maker of gears and brakes for bikes and fishing
equipment, is planning to roll out roughly 140 OpenStage phones
when they become available in early January. He said the rollout is
part of a phone upgrade. Shimano currently uses an older model of
Siemens IP phone. The OpenStage phones will integrate with the
Siemens HiPath 4000 IP PBX.
Crane said that being able to use the phones wirelessly and with
Bluetooth are two key factors he was looking for that were lacking
in the older-model phones.
"We move people all of the time," he said, noting that wireless
connectivity in a SIP phone will make those moves easier and less
expensive. Also, being able to use a Bluetooth headset will allow
end users to use the same headset for their desk and mobile
phones.
Ease of use was a huge selling point for OpenStage, according to
Crane, because it will reduce the need to train each and every
user. He said the menus and navigation seem simple.
"It appears the phone is relatively intuitive," Crane said of
the OpenStage, which comes in four models, the 20, 40, 60 and 80.
"It will allow us to do a lot of things."