ClearOne, a global provider of premium audio conferencing systems and other related products for audio, video and Web conferencing applications, announced on Tuesday, CHAT 170, a new speakerphone specifically designed for use with Microsoft (News - Alert) Office Communications Server 2007.

 

The company is a Certified Partner in the Microsoft Partner Program and thus needs to provide high performance audio solutions that support users of Microsoft's unified communications platform.

 

ClearOne (News - Alert) makes products that are designed to serve various audio conferencing needs, from the office desktop to large group conferencing venues such as boardrooms, training centers, courtrooms and auditoriums. Its products are used by organizations of all types and sizes, from educational institutions, government organizations and small businesses to the world's largest and most prestigious companies and institutions, including Microsoft, Daimler Chrysler, Boeing, Merrill Lynch, NASA, Cisco Systems (News - Alert), Best Buy and the Mayo Clinic.

 

The CHAT 170 contains ClearOne's HDConference technology, which is a ClearOne suite of high-performance audio technologies that have features like full duplex, Distributed Echo Cancellation, noise reduction, first mic priority, and adaptive modeling which altogether make conferencing a natural experience. For users of Office Communicator 2007, the CHAT 170 is the perfect addition to the office or conference room for greatly enhanced collaboration as it includes three built-in microphones for full 360-degree pickup and a large speaker for exceptional, high quality sound and crystal clear communications. It connects via USB to laptops or PCs for natural, hands-free audio communication using Office Communicator 2007.

 

The reliable and flexible performance of ClearOne's comprehensive solutions create a natural communications environment that saves organizations time and money by enabling more effective and efficient communication.

 

The company recently received the 2008 Global Market Leadership Award from research firm, Frost & Sullivan based on its substantial contributions in market leadership, including uncovering market challenges, drivers and limitations, as well as strategy development and ways to address the ever-changing market.

 

Eric Swift (News - Alert), senior director of the Microsoft Unified Communications Group at Microsoft, explained that the combination of Office Communications Server 2007 Release 2 and the CHAT 170 provides a powerful new way for people to collaborate and offers customers a rich and integrated communications experience. He added that the CHAT 170 is adding significant value to enterprise communications and enabling businesses to better connect people, information and business processes.

 

Tracy Bathurst, CTO at ClearOne, said, "We are pleased to announce the CHAT 170 and our support for Office Communications Server 2007. The CHAT 170 is a unique conferencing product in the marketplace and will help users of Office Communicator 2007 be much more productive. Microsoft's unified communications technologies offer customers broad choices in how they can communicate and collaborate. The CHAT 170 is a powerful collaboration tool that makes communication much more natural and personal. This combination is especially important as more and more organizations are looking for ways to increase productivity while reducing costs."

 

Mark Child, director of product marketing telephony at ClearOne, recently had the opportunity to share with TMCnet readers information about audio conferencing systems, the outlook for 2009, what an Obama administration might mean for the IP Communications space.