Video phones, once super-high-tech, expensive devices for the home that were more of luxury than a mainstream necessity, are becoming more common among consumers and small busineses – and it’s easy to see why.

 

For starters, certain technology markets – namely WiFi (News - Alert), unified communications and fixed mobile convergence -- are projected to rise over the next few years, according to multiple market studies. Secondly, IP and video technology is getting more sophisticated and less expensive to deploy. The final impetus: Because travel has decreased with this year’s slowed-down economy, many are opting to use IP video communications and teleconferencing in lieu of flying.

 

“So the timing was right for Yealink’s (News - Alert) new video phone,” said April Huang, a spokeswoman for Yealink, a manufacturer of voice- and video-over-IP phones. Just in time for the holiday season, the Xiamen, China-based company released its new VP-2009 IP multimedia phone in mid-November.

 

Although Huang has noted that “not every business could go 100 percent smoothly, especially at the beginning,” Yealink reps said they are confident that the number of distributors picking up on its latest release will increase, thanks to the aforementioned factors.

 

Yealink said that its phone is one of the most cost-effective of its kind on the market; the price of VP-2009 is nearly the same level of the advanced IP phones.  

 

“If people could buy a great quality video phone at the price of IP phone, why should not they do it?” said Huang.

 

Yealink’s VP-2009 IP multimedia phone features a TI DaVinci chipset, H.264 codec support and more. The SIP-based VP-2009 phone is also adaptive to the bandwidth adjustment, so that when the network environment is not so desirable the operation could still be distinct.

 

“Yealink VP-2009 allows people easily and economically stay in close face-to-face contact with family and friends,” said David Chen, the president of Yealink, “but while one can see the many benefits of the multi-video phone, the phone’s price is the key point in the availability for common users. Yealink VP-2009 brings an affordable visual communication, and can compete well with other manufacturers.”