Plantronics takes design very seriously

The words sent back in 1969 from the moon came via Plantronics equipment, and the company has not stopped its commitment to innovation ever since. The company is working on devices that deliver contextual intelligence, a combination of hardware, sensors, and software, said Alvin Kiew, Director of Sales & Marketing for Plantronics South-East Asia.

Examples of such contextual intelligence include knowing that a headset has been taken off, and routing an active call to the phone, or pausing the music that is playing, Kiew said.

Plantronics found that its customers can be divided into different categories with different needs at work. 

The customer profiles are very detailed, and headsets are designed to address the challenges experienced by different customer profiles.

Plantronics is also focused on understanding their customers in order to give them what they want. Some of the headset features that cater to always-connected professionals include long battery lives of up to 18 hours a day, battery life indicators, and compatibility with inflight entertainment systems.

When it comes to gamers, customisability is key, said Kiew. Plantronics' RIG corded headsets for gaming are modular and can be modified for ordinary use. In line with the company's contextual intelligence stance, RIG 500 headsets will automatically mute the mike the moment it is lifted.

Christopher Thompson, VP of Enterprise Marketing, Plantronics, said the Voyager Focus UC family is about helping business users to focus, hence the name. The company found that changes in workstyle have changed the work environment significantly, requiring different tools to create a professional experience. "Work is something you do, it's not a place you go," he said.

For 20-somethings just beginning their careers, high quality audio and device compatibility are important, Thompson noted. "We wanted to give them a tool that works with other things that they have... and addresses the activity of the environment that they live in," he said.

Plantronics Voyager Focus UC headsets provide a different experience from standard earbuds bundled with phones, for example. While earbuds typically transmit ambient sounds in the environment, making a conference call noisy for others, Plantronics Voyager Focus UC headsets are designed with three types of noise cancellation technology, Thompson said: passive noise cancellation, which damps down sudden noises; active cancellation, where mikes placed at the outside of the headset capture and then block outside noise, and a noise-cancelling mike that prevents the transmission of the conversation beyond the headset.

Thompson pointing out that today's work environment has evolved from quiet office cubicles to noisier environments. 

The headstrap, below the usual headband, brings the cushions of the earcups closer to the ear for a better audio experience, with more effective noise cancellation. At the same time, weight is redistributed from the head to the head and the earcups. Thompson said that customer feedback has been that headsets with headstraps feel lighter as a result.

Contextual intelligence features for the Voyager Focus UC include no dedicated 'left' and 'right' controls. No matter which way the wearer has put the headset on, features will work the way he or she expects. Turning the mike 'down' or the volume control 'forward' will always have the same effect, Thompson said.

Read the WorkSmart Asia blog post on the Plantronics Voyager Focus UC headsets

posted from Bloggeroid

Cisco introduces personal hardware to enhance collaboration

Cisco has announced new personal collaboration tools at CiscoLive! 2014 in the US. According to the company, people who are working together on the same team or task aren't necessarily on the same continent let alone in the same room, and need tools that allow them to collaborate at a moment's notice, without technology hassles, so they can get work done. 

Source: Cisco. The Cisco DX80 in action.

Cisco addresses the challenge with its new DX70 and DX80 desktop collaboration devices. The Android-based DX70 and DX80 provide access to all the top tools and applications highly collaborative work requires. With large touch screens, the DX70 and DX80 bring together in one device Cisco's expertise in HD video, high-end audio, and Web conferencing plus integrated business applications and Web browsing.

"The DX70 and DX80 were designed from the ground up to provide the best collaboration experience for every desk in an enterprise. Combined with the Collaboration Meeting Room service, users can have their own always-on private meeting room to collaborate with anyone on any device at any time. Only Cisco can combine this amazing hardware, the incredible software, and the powerful network to provide anyone with their own dedicated collaboration space in the cloud – and on their desk – that they can call their own," said Rowan Trollope, SVP/GM, Collaboration Technology Group, Cisco.

Source: Cisco. The DX70.

The DX80 also comes equipped with Intelligent Audio, a brand new feature to ensure that what you see is what you hear; the person on the receiving end of your call sees and hears you—he will not hear distracting background noise (be it the barking dog in your home office or talkative coworkers in an adjacent workspace). 
Additionally, the devices come equipped with Cisco's recently announced Intelligent Proximity, so the DX can be 'paired' with a user's mobile phone. This shares information on the phone, such as personal contacts and call history, as well as provides the capability to move calls that are in progress—similar to the way you can transfer a call from your mobile phone to your car.
 
These devices are well suited for shared work environments since they can "remember" different users; a user simply enters his login credentials and the device quickly serves up his stored settings, contact lists, call histories and more.

Cisco also introduced the IP Phone 8800 Series to mark its 15th anniversary of innovation in IP phones. Calling it 'the best-performing audio IP phone we've ever delivered', the phone includes USB ports on select models for easy mobile-device charging, and Cisco Intelligent Proximity for Mobile Voice so workers can import contacts and call history or move the audio path of a voice or video call-in-progress from their mobile device to their 8800 Series desk phone.