Video Conference Solutions for the Home Office

August 15, 2012 by Andria D. Baunee

Whether you are a work-from-home parent, or a partial commuter, working from home can present a “Team Environment” challenge. Bring back the collaboration with Video Conferencing for the home office.

What Are My Options?

The three main manufacturers offer three distinct solutions:

How to Choose?

Each of these solutions is budget and space-conscious – perfect for the individual user.

The first thing you need to know is your anticipated in-conference behavior. What does this mean? Well, do you like to get up and walk around on a call? Will you incorporate a whiteboard or a project board? Do you need to show other features in the room on a call?

If you have answered yes to any of these questions, you need a room-based system for the individual. If not, a desktop solution is fine.

From there, you need to know if you will host multiway calls (call more than one place at a time), share data and presentations, and if you need 720p or 1080p resolution.

So, if you like to pace around the room, share data, and need 1080p resolution, opt for the small room-based system with the premium resolution. If, however, you only need to be an occasional participant in a conference and do not plan to share data, go for a software-based desktop client.

How to Recycle Old VoIP Equipment

August 14, 2012 by Christina Smith

If you are looking to upgrade your VoIP System to a newer one or upgrade your VoIP phones to the latest and greatest, perhaps you have thought about what to do with your old VoIP Equipment.

VoIP Supply is a fantastic place to start your research. VoIP Supply’s Reclaim program buys back old VoIP equipment and gives you credit towards your new VoIP System or VoIP Phones.

How Reclaim Program Works

First, you need to accept the fact that you have old VoIP equipment and you have to want to get rid of it.

There is no room for hoarders in the Reclaim program. Once you have accepted that fact and are ready to be out with the old, contact our Reclaim Specialist, Mike Rehac. Email him a list of the VoIP equipment that you want to get rid of.

Then, Mike will email or call you back with an offer on your equipment. The value Mike offers you may vary depending on condition of the product and demand for the product.

Once you confirm our offer, you will be immediately redirected to print your prepaid FedEx shipping labels so, we take care of that expense as well!

Once we receive your equipment, we will send you a check or issue you a credit towards your new VoIP hardware.

What Products is Reclaim Looking For?

We will consider purchasing any VoIP products that you may have. However, if you have any of these following products aging in your on-site hardware graveyard, give us a call because we WANT IT!

Cisco SPA504G
Cisco SPA2102
Polycom IP670
Polycom IP650
Polycom IP601
Polycom IP560
Polycom IP550
Polycom IP450
Polycom IP430
Polycom IP335
Polycom IP331
Polycom IP6000

First Look: Grandstream DP715 and DP710

August 10, 2012 by Tom Costelloe

Grandstream has been in the VoIP telephony market for 10 years offering a wide selection of VoIP phones, VoIP video phones, ATAs and gateways. Recently they also branched out to the surveillance side when they introduced their line of IP cameras and encoders. Their newest products, the Grandstream DP715 and Grandstream DP710, give them a firm foothold in the DECT VoIP phone market.

What Is It?

Grandstream DP715 Grandstream DP710 The Grandstream DP715 and DP710 are a DECT cordless IP phone solution. The DP715 is the base station which operates as the central control point or brains. The DP710 are the expansion handsets that can be added to a base station. You can register a total of 5 handsets to each base station.

The DP715 can handle 4 concurrent calls simultaneously in a variety of flexible hunting group options

Linear Mode – all phones ring sequentially in a predesignated order
Shared Mode – all phones ring concurrently and share the same line similar to analog phones
Parallel Mode – all phones ring concurrently and after one phone answers, the remaining phones can place new calls

Who Is It For?

Anyone who is looking for mobility from their VoIP phone may be interested in the DP715 and DP710. In a home they are a great DECT VoIP phone option. The ability to add phones would allow for handsets to be placed around the house as needed and the hunting group options can give some privacy for each person.

In a business setting DECT phones have proven to be particularly popular in doctors’ offices where there is a demand for people to be up and about and not tied to their desk. The same can be said for IT staff, warehouse staff and really anyone who may not be at their desk throughout the day.

Requiem for a VoIP Phone – Aastra 6757i CT and Aastra 9480i CT

August 8, 2012 by Tom Costelloe

Too often we get caught up with the newest releases from manufactures but fail to show products that are discontinued their due respect. Since there isn’t a budding market for vintage VoIP phones or antique analog telephone adapters, most are destined to be unceremoniously phased out and scrapped without a second thought. With this in mind I thought I would take a step back to take a look at two phones that were recently discontinued.

The Discontinued

Aastra 6757i CT Aastra 9480i CT Aastra has announced that they are discontinuing the popular Aastra 6757i CT and Aastra 9480i CT VoIP phones. The reason for the phones being discontinued is a supply issues with one of the critical components related to the CT handset. This issue only affects the CT versions and not the non-CT versions (Aastra 6757i and Aastra 9480i) which are still available.

What separated the CT phones from the non-CT versions and other VoIP phones was the cordless DECT handset that added increased mobility. While common among analog phones, nobody had added this functionality to a VoIP phone before Aastra. With the CT handset you could answer an incoming call on either the desk phone or if you were away from your desk on the CT handset. The CT handset featured most of the standard features of a desk phone so you could also make calls, put people on hold, use a headset etc. Another nice feature of the CT phones is you could pair additional handsets to the base phone for even more mobility.

The paired DECT handsets made the CT phones popular for use in everything from doctors’ offices, warehouse, homes, really everywhere were people wanted mobility. While the phones are going away the demand for the combination of a desk phone and mobility isn’t.

The end of DECT from Aastra?

The discontinuation of the Aastra 6757i CT and Aastra 9480i CT doesn’t mean that Aastra is pulling out of the DECT handset business. The supply issue seems to be tied specifically to a part required to make the CT units and in the coming weeks we can expect to see a lot more in the DECT phone market from Aastra. Whether there is a replacement in the works from Aastra for either the 6757i CT or 9480i CT is yet to be determined but I personally hope there is.

Why Buy a Multimedia VoIP Phone?

August 7, 2012 by Garrett Smith

With many different kinds of telecom solutions available to homes and businesses, today’s buyer might be wondering why they should invest in a brand new multimedia VoIP phone.

These new products actually have many specific benefits for today’s market, some related to user-friendly design and others offering specific opportunities to bring down costs for commercial operations.

Here are some of the main reasons why so many buyers are jumping on the bandwagon and making a play for a new multimedia VoIP phone with many of the capabilities of a conventional 3G or 4G enabled smartphone.

(more…)

What is a Multimedia VoIP Phone?

August 4, 2012 by Garrett Smith

With the emergence of multimedia video phones, audiovisual phone calls have finally become a mainstream part of the consumer tech world.

For those who remember Dick Tracy’s famous videophone wristwatch, new multimedia VoIP phones usher in a new era of video enabled talk, making what was previously a science fiction literary device an actual available technology.

What’s a Multimedia VoIP Phone?

Essentially, a multimedia VoIP phone is any kind of device that adds visual or multimedia functionality to a conventional VoIP phone line.

Multimedia phones came about with the emergence of advanced cell phone technologies, new VoIP phone systems, and as the market share for traditional landline phones continues to ebb away (and public payphones near extinction).

Multimedia VoIP phones are part of a new range of alternatives. Just like technologies like Skype, the multimedia VoIP phone allows for both visual and audio connections through broadband networks.

(more…)

Sennheiser VoIP Headsets for Noisy Call Centers and Offices Now Available at VoIP Supply

August 3, 2012 by Nathan Miloszewski

VoIP Supply is happy to announce the addition of Sennheiser VoIP Headsets to our VoIP headsets catalog.

For 65 years Sennheiser has been focused on perfecting the way sound is recorded, transmitted, and reproduced. Founded in Germany, Sennheiser USA brings German engineering to the VoIP headset market with a variety of options perfect for busy office workers and call center environments.

VoIP Supply now carries the latest:

Sennheiser Corded Headsets
Sennheiser Wireless Headsets
Sennheiser Accessories (including Quick disconnect cords and EHS cables)

Headset Happiness

Sennheiser understands that comfort and sound quality are key elements for headset happiness. Whether it’s the single-ear (monaural) or dual-ear (binaural) headsets, the wearer is assured of a perfect fit from adjustable ear cups and all day comfort from ultra lightweight designs and generous padding where it’s needed.

Sennheiser VoIP headsets are offered in over-the-ear or over-the-head models that feature wideband voice, HD audio, noise cancelling microphones, and eardrums will appreciate ActiveGard technology for acoustic burst protection.

Wireless Features

In addition to the features above, Sennheiser Wireless VoIP Headsets feature long battery life and ultra-fast charging, PC connection via USB, and a wireless range of over 500 feet that works through walls and ceilings.

“Sennheiser VoIP headsets are perfect for call centers and those noisy offices with open floor plans,” said Garrett Smith, Chief Marketing Officer at VoIP Supply. “Sennheiser’s top quality noise-reduction, HD audio, and comfortable designs do their part to help cushion the wearer from their environment.”

ATAs, More Than a Butter Knife

August 2, 2012 by Tom Costelloe

It’s not a sentiment that I share but in many people’s eyes analog telephone adaptors (ATAs) are the butter knife of the VoIP world.

Beyond the purpose they are designed for people don’t think there is much else that you can do with them; one spreads your butter and jam on toast, while the other connects an analog device to an IP network.

In both cases, if you do a little thinking, there are other great uses that they can be used for.

Take the butter knife, for example. From personal experience I know that in times of need it can fill in as a pretty functional flathead screwdriver.

But, this isn’t the Butter Knife Insider so let’s put down our knives and pick up our ATAs to take a quick look at two alternative uses that you may or may not have thought of.

ATA Alternative Use #1

Extending Dial Tone – This is a quite common application but a lot of the time people don’t know that they can do it.

The one example is to use two ATAs to extend the POTS line over the internet or a LAN to a remote location such as a hunting cabin or guard tower.

Another example is to avoid long distance calls using two ATAs and routing the calls out on the regional POTS line. You can read a more detailed explanation in this older VoIP Insider Post, Product Spotlight: Linksys SPA3102.

ATA Alternative Use #2

Home Alarms – One of the industries that has had to adapt to the move away from traditional analog lines is the home security business.

My facts are a little fuzzy and might not be the absolute truth but my understanding is that the alarms use the phone line to send out the signal and call when the alarm was trigged.

As more and more people drop their POTS lines the alarm companies are in need of a new plan of attack. Rather than ripping out and replacing all their equipment what a lot of security companies are doing is placing an ATA in and sending the calls and alarm signal out over VoIP.

Faxing From an El Camino?

As far as alternative uses for VoIP adapters goes, these two examples are just the tip of the iceberg. I’d be interested to hear what examples others can think of or have done; so feel free to leave a comment with other applications or uses for ATAs.

Maybe you successfully used a combination of a mobile phone with WiFi hub capabilities, a wireless Ethernet bridge, and an ATA to send faxes from your El Camino.

If you have please send photos!

First Look: AudioCodes 420HD VoIP Phone

August 1, 2012 by Tom Costelloe

When I say AudioCodes you say Gateways . . . AudioCodes . . . Gateways . . . AudioCodes . . . Gateways . . . but there is so much more to AudioCodes then gateways and the latest announcement from AudioCodes proves that point.

Today they announced the latest addition to their family of VoIP phones with the AudioCodes 420HD.

What Is It?

The AudioCodes 420HD is a two line HD VoIP phone available in both black and white and has a 128×48 graphical LCD display.

The 420HD features:

A full duplex speakerphone.
Dual LAN/WAN 10/100 RJ-45 ports.
PoE enabled but, does not ship with an AC power supply.

Who Is It For?

Seeing that it is a 2 line phone that supports HD voice and, as described by AudioCodes, packaged “at an affordable price,” my guess is that the phone will be targeted at employees in call centers and telephone sales. The 420HD has all of the standard feature keys for voicemail, transfer, redial etc and has larger ergonomic keys.

While it doesn’t shake up the VoIP phone market with its appearance or interfaces it does check all the boxes from a features side to be a good reliable business VoIP phone.

The press release does state that they are coming out with a 6 line phone with a larger display which will be more suited for receptionists and executives.

Availability?

At the time of writing there hasn’t been a release date given for the 420HD VoIP phone. Additionally there is currently no pricing available.

Microsoft WPC Roadtrip – Home Before the Postcards

July 16, 2012 by Tom Costelloe

I used to send postcards to people when I’d go on trips with pictures of monuments, sculptures and landmarks from whatever city I was in.

But my trips were usually short and I’d be home, unpacked and subjecting everyone to my photo slideshow before the postcards even made it to the mailbox.

In recent years, things have changed with the ease of social media and blogs; you can post a photo and before you have taken 25 steps away from it, someone has commented.

As the trips get more hectic and meetings start to pile up, not everything goes up on the internet and there are still things to show and write about when I get home.

Here are my last few observations from the 2012 Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference.

Sangoma (Booth #256)

On display in the Sangoma booth was the Sangoma Lync Express, the all in one Lync appliance.

The Lync Express is pre-installed with all of the software for a Lync deployment and doubles as a Lync Gateway with PRI and FXS connectivity.

It is targeted towards the SMB user and branch offices. During my time in the Sangoma booth the overall reaction towards the Lync express was, “We’ve been looking for something like this” from installs up through employees at Microsoft.

LifeSize (Booth #1629) and Logitech (Booth #1626)

LifeSize was displaying their range of video conferencing solutions for connecting the desktop to the conference room with live feeds between their cameras and their offices.

Across the aisle, Logitech had their Logitech BCC950 on display.

I’ve had a chance to use the BCC950 a little before and for personal desktop and small office video conferencing there really isn’t a more

feature rich product for the price.

Patton (Booth #131)

A booth getting a lot of buzz at the Microsoft WPC was Patton.

Patton carries a line of FXS/FXO, BRI and T1/E1/PRI gateways that have been certified for Lync.

What was creating the most buzz was their gateways that allow non-compliant devices to be used with Lync. This allows existing equipment such as SIP phones and paging systems to be used with a new Lync deployment.

Final Thoughts

Having never been to Microsoft WPC before it really was a good trip and nice to meet with so many different people from end users, to integrators, to manufacturers.

But for all the sales pitches and product endorsements I heard over the four days, the most memorable line from a manufacture was, “Do I look like a lady who doesn’t carry a flask of vodka?”

Video Conference Solutions for the Home Office

What Are My Options?

How to Choose?

How to Recycle Old VoIP Equipment

How Reclaim Program Works

What Products is Reclaim Looking For?

First Look: Grandstream DP715 and DP710

What Is It?

Who Is It For?

Requiem for a VoIP Phone – Aastra 6757i CT and Aastra 9480i CT

The Discontinued

Why Buy a Multimedia VoIP Phone?

What is a Multimedia VoIP Phone?

What’s a Multimedia VoIP Phone?

Sennheiser VoIP Headsets for Noisy Call Centers and Offices Now Available at VoIP Supply

Headset Happiness

Wireless Features

ATAs, More Than a Butter Knife

ATA Alternative Use #1

ATA Alternative Use #2

Faxing From an El Camino?

First Look: AudioCodes 420HD VoIP Phone

What Is It?

Who Is It For?

Availability?

Microsoft WPC Roadtrip – Home Before the Postcards

Sangoma (Booth #256)

LifeSize (Booth #1629) and Logitech (Booth #1626)

Patton (Booth #131)

Final Thoughts

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