Polycom announces next generation Voice-over-Wi-Fi Handsets

By Jeff Owen, http://www.telecomreseller.com/

Polycom has announced a new series of voice-over-Wi-Fi handsets designed for emerging applications such as barcode medication administration (BCMA), inventory control, equipment monitoring, and more. These new devices enable web browsing, IM, and boasts an XML API for customized applications, and two models have integrated barcode readers. The SprectraLink 8400 series will initially consist of three handsets: the 8440, 8450 with 2D barcode capability and the 8452 with 3D barcode capability. The 8440 and 8450 models are scheduled for availability during the second quarter of 2011 with the 8452 following in the third quarter.
Polycom’s SpectraLink Wireless Telephones communicate with the customer’s call control platform over a converged 802.11 (a, b, g, & n) wireless network. They are designed to allow employees to roam the facility while still being able to make and accept calls via the enterprise’s communications system. Polycom has made these handsets to withstand the rigors of the toughest workplace environments while providing all the feature functionality of a desk phone. The new 8400 series adds the convergence of web browsing and application access to improve the productivity of this mobile workforce.
“Polycom has a rich heritage and is the industry leader in voice-over-Wi-Fi, and our customers have come to expect exceptional reliability and access to mission-critical business applications,” said Jim Kruger, Polycom vice president of Solutions Product Marketing. “By offering a flexible, standards-based handset with open applications support and the industry’s broadest interoperability, Polycom helps to drive competitive advantage for our customers by reducing on-going operational costs and improving employee productivity while delivering on the promise of unified communication solutions for the mobile worker.”
Key features of the 8400 series include access to web-based applications, IM and Presence via Microsoft OCS, voice-over-Wi-Fi, durability (MIL STD 810F and IP 54 compliance), ease of use, open SIP platform, and a low TCO. The 8450 and 8452 also include integrated barcode scanning capabilities making the adoption of and compliance with best practices in BCMA and inventory control easier for mobile workers especially in the healthcare, retail, hospitality, and manufacturing industries. Additional features include quick battery changing and a high-definition voice docking station.
For more information visit www.polycom.com