At some point, many iPad and iPhone (News - Alert) users have looked at their devices and pondered, “This is so useful, why can’t I use it as a desk phone too?” Well, they can now, thanks to a new dock from ShoreTel (News - Alert). This docking station can be used in combination with ShoreTel Mobility to turn iPhones and iPads into desk phones, offering the same features on the familiar, portable devices.

The ShoreTel Dock is easy to use: employees just slide their devices into the dock to access the ease of use, battery life and call quality of business desk phones. Of course, it requires the device to run the ShoreTel Mobility app, but that’s such a non-issue that it barely needs mentioning. The dock even automatically launches it when connected, and it keeps the device constantly charged, while the app provides voice, instant messaging, presence and conferencing.

The dock also offers a handset, which users can use to dial numbers from a dial pad or the device’s screen. It also provides a speaker phone and audio tools, providing a true desk phone experience for iPad and iPhone users.

"ShoreTel is the only unified communications provider delivering an intuitive and easy-to-use solution that truly optimizes how end users communicate for work," says Pejman Roshan, ShoreTel’s VP of product management. "We didn't try to change or replace devices users already love, but instead enabled those same devices with enterprise UC to give end users a dynamic productivity tool that supports their own work rhythm. The ShoreTel Dock is the desk phone for the mobile generation."

Of course, this is particularly useful in a BYOD environment, where employees are capable of using their devices of choice for their work. Should said device be an iPad or iPhone, this dock provides more power and capabilities to them, allowing them to do even more with it. It can also help save money on traditional desk phones, for if one is already using an iPhone, they can now safely eliminate the need for a secondary phone that would just take up space.