Monthly Archives: April 2016

Avaya D100 Wireless Phone System

Avaya had a wildly popular wireless phone known as the 3810. It was so popular that we still get a lot of inquiries for it. The Avaya 3810 was discontinued in 2011 but thanks to the internet, it’s possible to search for anything.

Avaya D100 wireless phone systemTo answer the need, Avaya introduced the D100 SIP DECT wireless phone system. It is a really slick system that can be managed via the IP Office Manager without any additional configuration needed. The range of the base station is between 100~350 feet indoors and up to 700 feet in the open. We all know there are many factors that work to decrease wireless signal strength, so Avaya addressed this through repeaters that can be added to the system, each with its own 100~350 feet coverage range. You can add up to 6 repeaters on the system to get more coverage. The repeaters don’t require any additional wiring – just a plug – so it’s a really nice solution.

Each base station can connect with up to 8 Avaya D160 handsets, and you can connect up to four base stations per IP Office installation. Since the system is integrated with IP Office, the handsets support IP Office features like Busy Lamp Field (BLF), Message Waiting Indicator (MWI), hot desking, emergency calls, programmable buttons and more.

The D160 handset offers a handsfree mode, and you can also use a corded headset like the Plantronics MX500C which plugs into the headset jack. Unfortunately there’s no Bluetooth option but all in all, the handset’s a solid performer.

For many companies using IP Office, the D100 system is what we recommend for their wireless solution. It’s a plug-and-play solution that provides lots of flexibility and features. If you’re looking for wireless freedom with your Avaya IP Office phone system, check out the Avaya D100 wireless phone system.

 

Cisco On the Go

The past couple of posts have been talking about Cisco’s desktop IP phones, so I thought I’d take a moment to talk about their mobile IP phone offerings.

There are three Cisco wireless IP phones available at this time: the 7925G, 7925G-EX and 7926G. Each of them is built to last, having at least an IP54 rating for dust resistance and splashing water resistance. The cases are hermetically sealed and the phones comply with military 810F standard against drops and shocks.

Cisco 7925G-EX Wireless IP PhoneAll three phones connect to the Cisco phone system over the WiFi network, so your range is only limited by the range of your company WiFi network. This is a great feature and will come in handy for those working in facilities where WiFi coverage is ubiquitous. It’s also good for those who are teleworkers at home offices.

The phones also have Bluetooth 2.0 so you can attach a wireless Bluetooth headset and work hands-free. A 2.5mm headset jack is also available so you can use a corded headset if you prefer.

Added Ruggedness & Resiliency

For those working in the oil and chemical industries, or in other potentially explosive environments, Cisco’s 7925G-EX model (pictured right) is probably your best choice. In addition to all the other features, the 7925G-EX has Atmospheres Explosibles (ATEX) Zone 2/Class 22 and Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Class I Division II certifications.

Cisco’s 7926G wireless IP phone has an additional feature: a built-in 2D bar code scanner. Great for workers in warehouses and anywhere bar code scanning is needed.

All in all, if you’re on a Cisco phone system and are looking for more freedom from your desktop, consider the Cisco 7900 wireless IP phones. They’re packed with features and will keep you on the move.

Cisco 7800 Series IP Phones – Solid Performers

It was exciting to write about the Cisco 8800 series of IP phones. I mean, they have nice colour monitors, Gigabit connections, HD video cameras. Those are SEXY phones!

Then, there are the Cisco 7800 series IP phones. Solid, feature-rich, reliable, secure, ergonomic, cost-effective, which is all great. They’re affordable phones that are a super choice for companies who are using digital or analog phone systems and considering switching to an IP-based phone system to take advantage of different features VoIP has to offer.

Cisco 7800 series IP phones

Cisco’s 7861 IP Phone – 16 lines, great for call managers and executives who spend a lot of time on the phone.

Great. Wonderful. But sexy? Not really. Still, a lot of people are going to find these phones attractive because of their simplicity. They don’t use much power, have a decent feature set, are ergonomic and are nicely designed. The wide-band audio and full-duplex speakerphones will be appreciated, I’m sure.

Does it matter if a business phone has a large colour monitor, or enables video conferencing from your desk? If it matters to you, then Cisco’s 8800 series is probably for you. For those looking for a dependable, reliable desk phone that’s got the features the majority of businesses will need, the 7800 series is for you.

What’s a Collaboration Endpoint?

col·lab·o·rate

verb: to work jointly on an activity, especially to produce or create something

If you’ve read any literature from Cisco, you’ll know they refer to their phones as collaboration endpoints.

Seems like a hi-filutin’ way to talk about a phone.

At least, it would seem that way at first glance. After all, a phone’s a phone’s a phone. Right?

Collaboration Endpoint: A Worthwhile Term

Cisco would be happy to prove you wrong, as their IP-based 8800 series of phones, I mean, Collaboration Endpoints do their utmost to help you communicate clearly and effectively. And if you’re lucky, your work involves producing or creating something of value. So, a Cisco phone may be just what you need to help you collaborate with your co-workers.

Cisco IP Phone 8865 - a video collaboration endpoint

Take Cisco’s 8865 IP Phone. It’s a video phone, digital camera, phone, speakerphone, and uses Bluetooth to connect to your mobile phone or a Bluetooth wireless headset. You can route voice calls from your mobile over to your desk phone with this system. You can also continue to use your wireless Bluetooth headset from one device to the other.

Sounds great, but who’s going to use all this stuff? As it turns out, there’s pretty much something for everyone in here. Consider Millenials. Studies have shown Millenials don’t like desk phones. Many prefer their smart phones over a desk phone. More importantly, how they communicate shifts, as they will start a discussion via text, then transition to a video chat, and then to messenger or text chats again. IP phones with video capability that can interface with smartphones may be important to Millenials as they shift into office-based knowledge-worker roles.

On the video side of things, being able to see the person you’re communicating with makes it easier to communicate clearly, build trust and enhance long-term relationships. Whether it’s with customers or co-workers, communicating clearly is a necessity. When you consider that 70% of communication is non-verbal, the importance of video communication increases greatly. Forward-thinking businesses recognize that video communication can provide a significant competitive advantage and increase staff productivity.

When you next hear the term “Collaboration Endpoint”, you might want to think of it differently. Perhaps you’ll think of it as a tool that helps your team communicate clearly with customers and each other, that gives your business a competitive advantage and that meets the communication needs of the newest to the most senior people in your organization.