VTech Communications, a cordless phone manufacturer, has announced shipments of the first cordless phone system to enable instant messaging (IM) using a QWERTY keypad.

Now available at www.vtechphones.com and Best Buy retail stores nationwide, the IS6110 is positioned as providing the ultimate wireless freedom for enjoying this popular form of communication anywhere in the home.

 

Beyond the traditional landline capabilities, the IS6110 offers free access to MSN Messenger, Windows Live Messenger, and AOL (News - Alert) Instant Messenger. To use the device, the base unit simply needs to be connected via a USB port to the PC.

 

The IS6110 offers an extra-large, high-resolution color LCD and full keypad to enable users to easily read messages and text multiple buddies simultaneously. The click-to-talk feature allows instant voice chats with friends.

 

Offered on the latest DECT 6.0 platform, the WiFi (News - Alert)-friendly IS6110 also features the best interference-free sound quality, security, and range in cordless phones today.  

Industry studies have found that at least 70 percent of all Internet users use IM, and 38 percent of users send as many, if not more, IMs than e-mails. With teenagers spending an average of an hour on the computer and IM as the common activity, the VTech IS6110 can help free up the family PC for other users. The phone’s mobility also helps enhance the IM experience. 

 

“With instant messaging becoming part of the fabric of everyday communication — particularly for young adults — we sought to deliver a product that would make it even more accessible to more consumers,” said Matt Ramage, senior vice president of product management, VTech Communications. “The IS6110 is perfect for anyone who’s ever wished they could just IM at home without having to be tethered to a computer, or have found messaging on a cell phone to be unreliable or cumbersome.”

The IS6110 offers unique technology and design, as well as other key features, including a handset speakerphone and phone book directory. The phone is designed to be environmentally friendly, as it is ENERGY STAR (News - Alert)-rated; it offers an extra large, high-resolution color display for clear and easy viewing; features Caller ID and call waiting, recordable ringtones, and a voicemail waiting indicator.

This new device from VTech also offers a certain level of monitoring as far as parents are concerned. Too often, young users are left to their own devices to communicate via IM and parents fail to properly supervise the activity. The new VTech phone could be located in a centralized room in the house to allow for greater supervision. Such capability can ensure that the phone appeals to the parent as much as the high volume user in the home.