snom, a developer of IP desktop phones and IP communications solutions, announced snom UC – a new edition of snom IP desktop phones designed for unified communications (UC) and qualified for use with Microsoft (News - Alert) Lync Server 2010 – at ITEXPO West in Austin today. snom is a Gold Sponsor of ITEXPO (News - Alert).

The new line includes the snom 821 UC edition and the snom 300 UC edition – both of which work with Lync Server 2010 and are currently the only phones on the market compatible with both Microsoft Lync and other SIP based PBXs, according to snom.

The snom UC edition also includes the new snom UC600, a purpose-built USB desktop phone that provides operation with the Lync soft client.

“The introduction of the snom UC edition featuring these two categories of phones qualified for Microsoft Lync provides businesses with the broad flexibility to utilize phones that can work in a pure UC environment or a hybrid UC and IP PBX (News - Alert) environment,” said Dr. Michael Knieling, executive vice president of Marketing and Sales at snom technology, in a release. “These phones dramatically help reshape the economics for organizations deploying Microsoft Lync and provide businesses with a set of phones with superior features, elegant design and competitive price points.”

snom’s UC portfolio vastly expands functionality beyond voice features by adding support for Lync’s productivity features, including presence and quick dialing from Lync buddy lists (on the snom 821 UC edition). Both the 821 UC 300 UC editions feature snom UC edition firmware, which is qualified with Lync 2010.

“With Microsoft Lync deployments accelerating in both the enterprise and small business markets, snom can now offer the best mix of desktop phones tested and qualified for Lync to match any sized customer environment or fit any industry,” said snom COO, Mike Storella (News - Alert). “The snom UC portfolio delivers value to our distributors, resellers and customers providing them with an endpoint solution that blends a rich feature set with affordability and choice.”

The snom 821 is the most popular member of the snom 8xx series of executive-class desktop phones, according to the company, offering expanded functionality for business applications, including a high-resolution TFT color display, presence display and settings, server side address book search, support of speed dialing of client contacts, and an on-board gigabit-Ethernet switch.

“Microsoft is pleased to work with snom on its new line of IP business phones – snom UC – that is compatible with Microsoft Lync Server 2010,” said Kirk Gregersen, senior director Lync marketing at Microsoft Corp. “Our business customers will benefit from the innovation, choice and value that snom UC phones can deliver due to their open, standards-based approach with Lync.”

snom is a Gold sponsor of ITEXPO West 2011. Happening now in Austin, TX, ITEXPO is the world’s premier IP communications event. Visit snom in booth #721. Don’t wait. Register now. Stay in touch with everything happening at ITEXPO… follow us on Twitter.