Polycom unveils VoIP devices for MS Office Comm Server

NEW DELHI, INDIA: Polycom, provider of unified collaborative communications solutions has announced the availability of its full suite of CX unified communications devices for users of Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007.

The release coincides with Microsoft Corp.’s launch of Office Communications Server 2007 and Office Communicator 2007. Building on the availability of the CX100 announced in August, Polycom now offers support for Office Communications Server 2007 through offering of three additional high definition, wideband voice over IP (VoIP) endpoints: the CX200, CX400, and CX700 models.

Office Communications Server 2007 delivers streamlined communications for users, helping them find the right person to communicate with instantly and from within the applications they use most. Without additional expensive infrastructure and network upgrades, customers receive the benefits of  streamlined communications, including software-powered VoIP, Web conferencing, and enterprise instant messaging, all while maintaining the operational control they require.

“Polycom is playing a significant role in the deployment of Office Communications Server 2007 to business customers. The CX product family brings added value to PC-based enterprise communications by providing efficient and familiar telephone interfaces to the rich feature set of Office Communicator 2007 and Office Communications Server 2007,” said Kim Akers, general manager, Unified Communications Group, at Microsoft Corp. “By aligning with Microsoft’s vision for unified communications, Polycom enables people to find and collaborate with colleagues using the applications they already know and use.”

“Polycom’s innovative CX line of endpoints provides Office Communications Server 2007 users with the comfort and familiarity of a desk phone while allowing them to take full advantage of the presence and click-to-call capabilities Office Communicator 2007 offers,” said Brent Kelly, senior analyst and partner at Wainhouse Research. “Polycom is already known for its best-in-class IP phones, and these new CX endpoints deliver a high quality voice experience one expects from Polycom via a Microsoft-based interface they are already familiar with.”

Polycom’s CX family is designed to meet the diverse needs of enterprise workers in a variety of work activities. The CX200 Desktop Phone is a USB peripheral for Office Communicator 2007 that features a full duplex speakerphone, handset and large presence status indicator. The CX400 Cordless Phone is a wireless handset with a desktop base station that connects via USB. It features a presence display, 10-meter (30-foot) wireless reception range, and 10-hour talk time. Polycom’s CX700 IP Phone is an executive standalone IP telephone that delivers presence and directory capabilities with a color touch screen, USB and Ethernet ports, and a biometric fingerprint reader for enhanced security. The already released CX100 Speakerphone is a compact peripheral that connects via USB to a laptop or desktop PC to enable crystal-clear, hands-free communications.

“The combination of Office Communications Server 2007 with Polycom’s CX product family and Polycom’s worldwide sales and support capabilities provides business customers with a rich, integrated, and seamless unified communications experience as well as a complete end-to-end software-powered VoIP solution,” said Sunil Bhalla, senior vice president and general manager of Voice Communications at Polycom. “Polycom’s CX family allows for a greater level of collaboration among co-workers, customers and vendors, allowing them to instantly see the status of another user and immediately initiate the communication process via text, voice, data, or video.”