[April 06, 2008] Polycom Rolls with the SpectraLink 8002 Wireless Telephone Tweet (Wireless News Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Polycom, a provider of unified collaborative communications solutions, announced its newest Wi-Fi phone, the SpectraLink 8002 Wireless Telephone, targeted at small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). The company said that SMB owners and their employees now have the freedom to move about the workplace without ever missing an important call, thereby improving accessibility, productivity and responsiveness. The SpectraLink 8002 Wireless Telephone is the latest addition to Polycom's portfolio of standards-based enterprise VoIP endpoints, including the SoundPoint IP desktop phones and the SoundStation IP 4000 conference phone. Polycom said that the SpectraLink 8002 is an entry-level Wi-Fi handset that allows businesses to benefit from enterprise-grade voice over wireless LAN (VoWLAN) without requiring significant investments in network infrastructure. It supports the open SIP VoIP protocol and is certified for interoperability with the SIP-based Digium Asterisk Business Edition IP PBX. The SpectraLink 8002 is also designed to operate with Wi-Fi access points targeted at the SMB market, allowing businesses to leverage their existing Wi-Fi networks. "Business customers need enterprise-class cordless phones, and Polycom is meeting this requirement with a high-quality VoFi handset aimed particularly at smaller installations," said Craig Mathias, a Principal with the wireless and mobile advisory firm Farpoint Group. "The SpectraLink 8002 equips Polycom's channel partners with a turnkey telephony solution for SMBs by integrating Polycom's desktop and conferencing systems with SpectraLink's rugged, power-efficient VoFi handsets for mobility in the workplace." Polycom added that the SpectraLink 8002 is the first entry-level Wi-Fi handset to offer the enterprise-grade durability and functionality of the SpectraLink brand. It is designed to withstand the rigors of the workplace, including clinical or manufacturing environments, and has interchangeable battery packs for use in multi-shift environments. "We've spoken to a number of smaller-sized businesses in the past that were assessing the value of Wi-Fi phones in their offices," said Ben Guderian, vice president of product management for Polycom's wireless business unit. "Until recently, it's been considered cost-prohibitive for SMBs to take advantage of this technology, but with the introduction of the SpectraLink 8002, businesses of any size can benefit from high-quality Wi-Fi telephony." ((Comments on this story may be sent to [email protected])) ((Distributed on behalf of 10Meters via M2 Communications Ltd - http://www.m2.com)) ((10Meters - http://www.10meters.com)) Copyright ? 2008 Wireless News [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]