Average Rating: Rate this article:

Logitech's New VoIP Toys By Jay Wrolstad August 14, 2006 8:46AM "Most people, other than early adopters, don't want to deal with all of the steps necessary to hook up a phone or headset for VoIP service," Forrester Research analyst Maribel Lopez said. "They expect to have the same experience with Internet calling that they now have with their traditional phones."   Related Topics VoIP Skype Logitech Latest News Endeavour Inspected for Damage Autism Risk for Kids of Older Mothers Go Online and You Can Save the Planet In Haiti, Relief Gaps Are Spreading U.S. To Form Climate-Change Agency Computer peripheral specialist Logitech is taking much of the guesswork out of Internet calling with an array of products designed for the growing number of VoIP users, including a keyboard with built-in call buttons, a speakerphone, and cordless headsets. The $130 EasyCall Desktop package has a speakerphone that serves as the control center for Internet calling, with volume controls, a stereo headset and keys for storing and dialing phone numbers or IP addresses. The keyboard provides one-touch access to e-mail or a Web browser, with a media display for playing digital music. Cutting the Cord The new VoIP products are designed for use with Internet calling services such as Yahoo Messenger with Voice and AOL's AIM service in the U.S, and Skype in Europe. At the same time, Logitech has extended its ties with VoIP provider Skype by delivering a European version of the desktop system that features a Skype-specific keyboard with buttons for launching Skype software, placing a call, and dialing a mobile or traditional phone. The hands-free QuickCall USB speakerphone, available as a separate product, sits on the desktop and has all the controls needed to pick up and hang up calls, adjust volume and supports software for selecting among Internet communications applications to use with the phone's controls. It goes on sale in the U.S. in October and in Europe beginning in December at a retail price of $100. Logitech's cordless Internet handset is essentially a typical cordless phone for VoIP communications and is optimized for Skype customers. It features a USB wireless receiver that plugs into a desktop PC or laptop, and can also connect with mobile phones that have Bluetooth wireless technology. Easy Does It "Most people, other than early adopters, don't want to deal with all of the steps necessary to hook up a phone or headset for VoIP service," Forrester Research analyst Maribel Lopez said. "They expect to have the same experience with Internet calling that they now have with their traditional phones." Logitech can help push VoIP to the next level with these products that replicate the look and feel of landline phones, she added. "This is something Uniden and other manufacturers are doing as well, because people see VoIP as an affordable choice for their communications." Indeed, some 5 percent of U.S. households have replaced their landline phones with Internet calling, and a slightly smaller number are using VoIP as a supplement to traditional phones for making long-distance and international calls, Lopez said. IDC analyst Will Stofega offers a similar take, noting that simplifying the setup and operation of a VoIP system is the biggest challenge for service providers. "Logitech's products make it easy to communicate via the PC, which is attractive to businesses as well as consumers, because these desktop tools support clients like Skype for text messaging, voice calls, and sending files."   Tell Us What You Think Your Comment: Also Visit: iPad Info Center Billions of Bytes Mobile Device Now Apple Info Center TopTechWire.com Advertisement  Personal Tech 1.   Macworld Focuses on Mobile Apps 2.   MS: Windows 7 Doesn't Hurt Battery 3.   Nexus One 'Support' Passes the Buck 4.   Google May Make Gmail More Social 5.   Analysts Expect iPad Price To Drop EPIC Objects To Google-NSA Ties Cyberattack meant to rattle Google? Average Rating: Symbian 3 Is Now Fully Open Source But mobile OS remains linked to Nokia. Average Rating: Sony Ericsson Unveils Aspen Handset Windows Mobile unit comes with Skype. Average Rating:

Enterprise Hardware Spotlight

Microsoft Says Battery Woes Not Caused By Windows 7 Battery problems on Windows 7 machines are not caused by the operating system. That's the position of Stephen Sinofsky, head of the Windows division, in a long posting on the Windows engineering blog.   IBM's New POWER7 Servers Save Energy with Big Loads IBM has unveiled high-capacity servers that are the first to be based on its new, multi-core POWER7 chip. It said the new line is designed "to manage the most demanding emerging applications."   'Dead Simple, Dirt Cheap' JooJoo Tablet Shipping Soon The JooJoo, a web-browsing tablet device that is the subject of a high-profile legal dispute, appears on track to reach buyers at the end of February, but the tablet scene has dramatically changed.

Mobile Enterprise Spotlight

To Love or Not To Love: Apple iPad Pros and Cons Now that the iPad has officially been announced, opinions are rolling in on this device that combines the features of an iPod, e-reader, and tablet PC. Will the iPad turn fewer heads than the iPhone?   Analysts See iPad Price Drop, with Some Cannibalization Just weeks before Apple officially rolls out the iPad, financial analysts are making pricing predictions. But could the analysis itself hinder the initial demand for the pricey tablet computer?   Bar Codes Go Mobile, Get Hip Again For decades, retailers have used patterns of black dots and lines to encode data onto products. Now, bar codes are gaining favor as an easy way for cell-phone users to view ads and other data instantly.

Enterprise Technology Spotlight

Google May Add Facebook, Twitter Links to Gmail Google will reportedly roll more social-networking features into Gmail, the fastest-growing e-mail service. The new features could save users the trouble of switching to Facebook or Twitter.   IBM's New POWER7 Servers Save Energy with Big Loads IBM has unveiled high-capacity servers that are the first to be based on its new, multi-core POWER7 chip. It said the new line is designed "to manage the most demanding emerging applications."   IBM Opens Eco-Friendly, Cloud-Focused Data Center IBM has opened its latest data center in North Carolina. Big Blue said the $362 million facility in Research Triangle Park is designed to support cloud computing and other new computing models.

Navigation Sci-Tech Today Home/Top News | Computing | Digital Life | Discovery | Space | Innovation | Health | Science News Environment NewsFactor Network Enterprise I.T. Sites NewsFactor Technology News | Enterprise Security Today | CRM Daily NewsFactor Business and Innovation Sites Sci-Tech Today | NewsFactor Business Report NewsFactor Services FreeNewsFeed | Free Newsletters | Free Whitepapers | About NewsFactor Network | How To Contact Us | Article Reprints | Careers @ NewsFactor | Services for PR Pros | Top Tech Wire | How To Advertise Privacy Policy | Terms of Service © Copyright 2000-2010 NewsFactor Network. All rights reserved. Article rating technology by Blogowogo.