Three must-have gadgets for working remotely

IDC’s Future of Work Readiness Index Assessment 2018 forecasts that up to 50% of employees will be working remotely by 2020. According to Poly, this WFA (work from anywhere) trend means that individuals will need the right tools to be productive.

Besides the mobile phone and laptop, Poly suggests the following gadgets for portable productivity:

Portable battery pack

The gold standard for 2019 should be a minimum of 20,000 mAh, which should last up to five full charges.

Look for battery packs that support the Power Delivery standard as they allow laptops to be topped up via USB-C.

Poly also suggests setting the phone to ‘airplane mode’ and not using it while charging for quicker results.

Multiport adapter

Consider investing in a sturdy multiport hub or adapter. These usually come with multiple USB ports, video output connectors, and possibly memory card slots.

Portable speakerphone

Rather than using the built-in laptop mic for conference calls amidst “Can you hear me?” and “I’m sorry, can you please repeat that?”, try a portable speakerphone like the Plantronics Calisto series. These can be used in huddle rooms, for example.

The Calisto 3200 is a corded USB speakerphone that turns the computer into a wideband audio speakerphone and is built for unified communications (UC) applications and softphones from Avaya, Cisco, IBM, Microsoft and more. It can be connected by a cable to the laptop.

Source: Poly. The Calisto 5200 in action. The speakerphone is the black cylindrical device on the table, connected by a cable to a smartphone.

The more powerful Calisto 5200 is designed for hands-free conference calls, collaboration or web conferencing. The unit features 360-degree room coverage with active background noise reduction, and provides the choice of a USB-A, USB-C, and 3.5 mm connectors.

Avaya IP Office ups security for cloud-based deployments

Avaya has upgraded its unified communications (UC) solution for small and midsize businesses. Avaya IP Office release 10 adds a number benefits for businesses in terms of security, resiliency and end-user experience.

With more than half a million systems shipped globally, Avaya IP Office is one of the most widely sold unified communications solutions for small and midsize businesses available in the market today. The Avaya IP Office Platform now offers built-in media encryption for endpoints and UC clients to preserve privacy and data integrity. This feature is provided at no extra cost or added complexity. Most other over-the-top, pure-cloud UC vendor offerings available today may provide encryption as an optional line item, if at all, Avaya said.

“The challenge of keeping up with growing, ever-changing cybersecurity threats is daunting - especially for small and midsize businesses with budget and resource constraints. It’s these very constraints that increase the inclination to choose cloud-based services; however, it’s also not a given fact that security is or will be provided by their cloud vendor. That’s why we believe security should be built into the solution as opposed to bolted on. It’s essential, and a core component of our Avaya IP Office Platform,” said Tak Kuen Hubert Lee, Midmarket Sales Lead, APAC, Avaya.

“In the small and midsize business sector in Asia Pacific, it’s all about speed and streamlined deployment regardless of whether cloud, on-premise, or a hybrid solution. Avaya’s IP Office promise of ease, speed and built-in encryption hits the right sweet spot in this region. In addition, the Avaya partner community in Asia Pacific - and specifically at the country level - is an important differentiator for providing the local customization needed and in addressing vertical industry nuances,” added Adrian Ho, Principal Analyst, Enterprise, Ovum, Asia Pacific.

With data becoming an important asset to businesses today and the nature of cyber attacks becoming more sophisticated, Asia Pacific businesses are setting their sights on security. Overall spending on critical infrastructure security in the region is expected to hit US$22 billion by 2020. On the back of this trend, Avaya’s increased focus in security is significant, especially to the midmarket: According to a 2015 global survey report by PwC, the number of attacks reported by midsize companies increased 64% between 2013 and 2014, from 2,581 to 4,227. This increase is partly due to cybercriminals turning to midsize businesses in hopes of easy access.

Beyond other pure cloud deployments, the latest version of IP Office takes a unique approach to resilience, providing system failover cloud-to-cloud, cloud-to-premises, premises-to-cloud and premises-to-premises. Whatever the approach, the system stays active and users maintain connectivity throughout the outage.

To meet the rising expectations of end-users for a richer, more streamlined experience, the Avaya IP Office Platform also introduces the H175 video phone, with a 7” hi-definition touchscreen display that is suitable for personal use, an executive desk or a small conference room.

For midsize companies with contact centres, Avaya announced in June a new workforce optimisation solution that provides midsize companies with the operational intelligence needed to enhance contact centre performance and drive a high-quality customer experience. Avaya Workforce Optimization Select enables a wide range of insights into the customer experience.

Interested?

The Avaya IP Office Platform is available through authorised channel partners in three deployment options: premises-based, hybrid or pure cloud solution.

Plantronics Voyager 5200 UC Bluetooth Headset come with Windsmart technology

Source: Plantronics. The Plantronics Voyager 5200.

Plantronics, a wearable technology provider, has announced the new Plantronics Voyager 5200. The high-performance Bluetooth headset is built for use with unified communications applications and connects to PCs, tablets or smartphones for clear, professional phone or PC calls even in challenging situations.

The Voyager 5200 UC features WindSmart technology, a Plantronics innovation that incorporates six layers of technology to detect noise caused by wind and respond accordingly. WindSmart technology combats background noises such as weather, traffic and surrounding conversations so calls come through clearly. The headset also features up to seven hours of talk time on a single charge, HD Voice support over wideband networks, and a design that blends style with all-day comfort.

"Today's workforce is constantly on the move, which means unified communications is really happening from a variety of locations, not just from a desk in an office," said Rich Costello, Senior Research Analyst, IDC. "The Plantronics Voyager 5200 UC is ideal for this mobile user and delivers some terrific audio innovation, most particularly WindSmart technology, that ensures people can make calls from the noisiest environments and still sound professional and be productive even on the go."

Voyager 5200 UC includes the BT600 Class 1 USB Bluetooth adapter and a
portable charging case* with integrated docking stand which serves as both a protective and charging case that provides up to 14 hours of additional talk time on the go, and a grab-and-go dock for recharging the headset.

Features include:

* Four adaptive microphones and proprietary digital signal processing (DSP) work together to reduce
disruptive background noise.

* Multifunction button mutes calls and provides access to Siri and other smartphone virtual personal assistants handsfree when the headset is idle.

* Work across smartphones, laptops, tablets, and Bluetooth-enabled desk phones from up to 30m away.

* Smart sensor technology intuitively routes call audio to your phone or headset, pauses media or rejects an incoming call when removed, and automatically answers calls as you place the headset on your ear.

* Spill, splash, and sweat-proof P2i nano-coating.

* Mute assurance alerts users if they talk when muted, with visual mute indictors shown on both the BT600 USB Bluetooth adapter and desktop screen.

* Manage settings, wirelessly update firmware and activate Find
MyHeadset to locate a misplaced headset with the Plantronics Hub
smartphone app for iOS and Android.

* Use Plantronics Hub desktop software to enable softphone call control
across a wide range of UC applications, to view headset battery metre,
change languages, update firmware, or personalise settings and alerts.

With Plantronics Manager Pro, an additional service, IT can remotely
monitor, manage, and maintain Voyager 5200 UC headsets as well as other headsets from Plantronics company-wide. By using Plantronics Manager Pro, IT can configure the user experience, manage firmware deployments and use predictive analytics to detect compatibility issues
before they are noticed.

Interested?

The Plantronics Voyager 5200 UC with charging case and BT600 USB Bluetooth adapter is available from authorised Plantronics resellers starting at a MSRP of S$339. The Plantronics Voyager 5200 is also available starting at a MSRP of S$199, and the accompanying charging case is available for S$69.

*Available with selected models.

http://www.plantronics.com/asia/.

posted from Bloggeroid

Jabra Halo Smart designed for both calls and music

• Fits the 79% of users who want one set of headphones for both calls and
music, but find the call-experience on most music devices inadequate*

• Built for calls first-and-foremost, Jabra Halo Smart uses high quality microphones with integrated wind noise protection

• Uncompromising sound-quality thanks to 10mm speakers and Jabra’s audio
capabilities

• Neck-band style for all-day use and seamless switching between calls, music and media

Source: Jabra. The new Jabra Halo Smart headphones.

Designed for those who want a great calling experience, music on-
the-go and the ability to switch easily between the two, the new Jabra Halo Smart wireless headphones have been developed with voice and call quality top-of-mind.

According to recent Jabra insights*, 79% of users would like to have one set of headphones for both calls and music, but believe the call experience on most headphones designed for music devices is poor. Jabra Halo Smart delivers a superior call experience thanks to high-quality microphones with integrated wind-noise protection, enhanced voice capabilities via a dedicated Google Now/Siri
button and immersive, full-spectrum sound through its 10mm speakers.

A 230mAh battery and optimised battery performance removes the hassle of having to constantly charge the 38g headset, and enables the Jabra Halo Smart to offer 17 hours of talk time, or 15 hours of music time. Android users can track battery usage on the Jabra Assist app, receive alerts when the battery is getting low and get notifications about when the next recharge is likely required, based on historical usage.

A subtle vibration in the neckband alerts you to incoming calls, whilst Android users can expect readouts of calendar notifications, emails, text messages and social media messages.

“We are all doing more with our smartphones than ever before, whether it’s making and taking calls, listening to music on-the-move or watching a movie clip during a break. So we wanted to develop a set of wireless headphones that delivers amazing sound whatever you’re doing whether taking calls or listening to music”, explains Calum MacDougall, SVP at Jabra.

Interested?

Jabra Halo Smart is available in three colours: Impact Red, Electric Blue and Classic Black. It is available both online and retail via gowireless.com.sg, Challenger, DigitalStyle, Harvey
Norman, Newstead Technologies, Stereo Electronics, and Apple Authorized Resellers from mid-July
onwards. The headphones have a recommended retail price of S$138.

Watch the associated video at www.apac.jabra.com/bluetooth-headsets/jabra-halo-smart
Jabra Halo SmartTM video: http://bit.ly/28N1UzP

* Jabra -commissioned survey by Lindberg Research with 1,000 participants (2015) as well as studies conducted by Jabra with registered users – 4,599 users in 2014 and 4,770 users in 2016.

posted from Bloggeroid

LINE introduces conference call support for up to 200 people

Source: LINE. Screenshots of the new voice call feature.

LINE has added a new group call feature to the latest version of the LINE messaging app (iPhone and Android v.5.11, Windows Desktop v.4.5) which enables users to participate in voice calls with up to 200 people at a time. The group chat or multi-person chat voice function will soon be available to users of the LINE Mac desktop client as well.

When activated, the feature will prompt users within a group chat or multi-person chat with a notification that allows them to select the number of people to participate in the call. An icon is displayed above the username of the person currently speaking for easier communication. The service is available for free to all LINE users who have updated their app to v 5.111, making it an easy way to connect with friends and family for a chat or with co-workers for a conference call.

LINE was first launched in June 2011 as a messaging service available across multiple devices and network carriers, enabling users around the world to easily keep in touch with friends, family, and coworkers. Its free voice call service was introduced in October of the same year, followed by video calls in September 2013 as part of an initiative to strengthen lines of communication between people.

*Networks supported: Wi-Fi, 3G and 4G. Calls made over 3G and 4G may incur additional data transmission charges.

COPC announces contact centre training schedule for 2H15

COPC, a consulting firm that helps organisations improve the customer experience, has announced its training schedule for the second half of 2015. COPC offers in-person classes that cover operational areas for customer contact.

“Customers interact with companies through many touch points such as phone, email, social media, mobile and the web. We take our call centre expertise and apply our proven best practices to manage these newer channels to deliver a unified experience,” said Kathleen Jezierski, COO, COPC.

“All of our training provides a consistent operational approach to managing the customer experience. Our public classes this year have been filling up quickly, so we developed an extensive global calendar for the remainder of this year.”

The company’s flagship programme is the COPC Registered Coordinator Training for Customer Service Providers (CSP), which provides best practices for managing a high-performance customer contact operation. Many regions also teach COPC Registered Coordinator Training for VMOs, a programme for vendor managers that provides a framework for sourcing and managing suppliers.

In Asia Pacific, COPC will conduct 20 classes of CSP or VMO Registered Coordinator Training, along with COPC Lean Six Sigma for Contact Centers Yellow Belt Training, COPC High Performance Management Techniques, and COPC Customer Experience Training. The classes are offered in Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, China, Malaysia and the Philippines, and are taught in English and Chinese.

India will also offer CSP and VMO Registered Coordinator Training, in Delhi and Mumbai while Japan will host CSP and VMO Registered Coordinator Training in Tokyo, Sapporo and Osaka. These courses are taught by a COPC partner and are available only in Japanese.

Interested?

View schedules

Mango Routes uses Ameyo to manage customer campaigns

Source: Mango Routes website.

Mango Routes, a Gurgaon-based travel service company, has implemented technology from Ameyo for customer engagement.

As a startup, Mango Routes needed call technology that provided a better customer experience. The solution had to integrate seamlessly with its customer relationship management system while ensuring best-in-class customer support, first call resolution* (FCR) and streamlined communication processes. 

"As a complete travel services company that offers its services to businesses and retail customers alike, taking care of their end-to-end travel requirements, we needed a communication platform that could enable us to provide hassle free services. We chose Ameyo over other vendors because of its one stop solution, technological advancement and its solution oriented approach. 

"Our entire calling setup is built on (Ameyo) and it works as a heart for our system. Within months of deployment, we were able to see better management in our outbound campaigns. We believe that Ameyo will help us in understanding our customers well in the long run," said Amit Nautiyal, Travel Expert and Contracting Head, Mango Routes India.

*FCR refers to resolving the customer's request without requiring further calls.

Smartphone service for guests at ibis Singapore on Bencoolen offers free calls, data

The ibis Singapore on Bencoolen has introduced a guest service to provide guests with unlimited 3G Internet, free local and international calls, and a complete city guide to Singapore. 

Source: Accor.
The handy smartphone.

The handy smartphone service is part of the 'extra benefits' room package, and includes a smartphone which can be taken outside of the hotel and used throughout the guest’s stay to help them navigate Singapore, thus reducing data bills that are often associated with travelling. The service supports efforts to be more sustainable by reducing the need for printed materials, such as in-room directories, and by providing useful information about the hotel’s full range of green facilities.

”At ibis Singapore on Bencoolen, we are committed to maintaining sustainable hotel operations. We are leading the way in offering guests greener and environmentally friendlier amenities and with handy, we are able to inform and stay in touch with guests through an innovative smartphone platform that is integrated with our hotel features. We look forward to achieving significant reductions in printing and paper waste through the handy phone, our new form digital communication channel,” said General Manager Pierre-Etienne de Montgrand.

The handy devices are the pioneer product of Tink Labs, Hong Kong’s first technology incubator of mobile travel solutions. They are  customised specifically for the hotel and come fully-loaded with information about Bencoolen and its surrounding neighborhoods.

“Handy is excited to partner with ibis Singapore on Bencoolen, providing guests with seamless connectivity during their travels, as well as helping the hotel achieve their green innovation efforts,” said Terence Kwok, CEO of Tink Labs.

Features of handy include:

· Unlimited 3G internet
· Unlimited local calls
· Unlimited international calls to 26 countries and territories on both fixed line and mobile lines from Singapore (Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Canada, mainland China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, UK, US, Vietnam)
· Local city guide with proprietary content sourced by an in-house team of locals, as well as guest content from well-respected local editors
· Discounts and deals with participating merchant partners

The hotel also features green amenities including recycling bins, meters to help guests measure their water consumption, access to a complimentary Bamboo Bike and a travel card called the EZ-link to help them minimise their carbon footprint as they explore the island. 

Qantas warns Australians of automated phonecall scam

SCAMwatch and Qantas are warning Australians about calls from scammers posing as Qantas staff. 

According to SCAMwatch, the recipient picks up the phone and hears a recorded message that claims to be from Qantas. The message will claim that because the person has recently booked a flight with Qantas, they have won a ‘travel prize’ or ‘credit points’ – typically A$999 – towards their next holiday.

In order to redeem the credit, the person is directed to speak with a scammer, who will ask for personal details, including credit card details. Those who give their credit card details will find that money has been taken rather than deposited into their bank accounts.

"These scammers appear to be persistent, with some consumers and businesses reporting that they have received several of these calls in one day," noted the SCAMwatch warning.

A statement on the Qantas website said that Qantas consultants "will always call customers directly to discuss their bookings and do not use an automated phone system when contacting customers proactively". "These calls are not from us, and can easily be identified as unauthentic," the airline said. 

Some ways that scammers can uncover whether someone is a Qantas customer, Qantas noted, include “harvesting” software that search the Internet for customer information. 

Kickstarter focus: record direct from your phone to the computer

Recap S2 is a little device that attaches to a smartphone and saves a call to a computer or voice recorder, and its inventor hopes the world will fund its manufacture. 

Source: Kickstarter website

According to inventor Igor Ramos, Recap is easy to use as it works on any device with a combo port* and outputs into any with a standard stereo MIC port. 

"(A) Recap recording will be as good as the phone call quality," said Ramos on the Kickstarter page.

View the associated video here. 

*A combo port inputs sound from a mike and outputs audio. It is where the earphones with mike connects to mobile phones.