Avoid Disappointment by Choosing the Right Cisco Wireless Headset Combination
Last week I was reviewing a design for a 130 user phone system, with a requirement for 35 call center agents, when I came across a different requirement I had not seen before: The customer only desired phones that could use wireless headset adapters that did not use handset lifters. Having been in the VoIP phone industry for 10 years, I was feeling distinctly old school at that point. I thought all wireless headsets required physical handset lifters. It turns out I was wrong and behind the times. There are a bunch of new features that make the new versions of wireless headsets much more useful than the previous generation.
The most notable feature is the use of the DECT wireless frequency standard for communication from the headset to the base unit. DECT is also called DECT 6 to market that it works better than older units that use 900 Mhz, 2.4GHz, or 5.8GHz frequency bands. DECT actually uses the 1.9 GHz band in the United States, and has multiple channels that the units use inside the band. This is important because DECT wireless units have a clear signal that has very little interference with any other device in an area, and may have a longer battery life as well since they usually use less transmit power.
With more and better applications on the PC and Mac now available to either control the deskphone or act as a standalone softphone, the headset adapters can now connect to the PC also, using a DECT compatible USB key. The device drivers for the headset work with the PC based telephone application for seamless control.
Since many people use bluetooth cell phones, there are also wireless headsets which use bluetooth to connect to both a PC and to a cell phone. These dual-purpose headsets are of excellent quality and permit the mobile worker to use the device of his choosing for a phone call.
Another great improvement is the advent of electronic hookswitch adapters. Previously, for a person to be able to answer the phone while away from their desk, a physical handset lifter would have to be attached to the phone that would actually raise the handset off the hookswitch to start the call, and lower the handset to hang up. There are new model phones that can work with new model wireless headsets that can do everything electronically. The difficult part is to figure out which combinations work. Just like regular headsets require different adapter cords to work with different phones, so do the wireless versions.
It is definitely worth the effort to conduct the research and come up with a phone, headset, and adapter cord combination that works, because it is possible to be much more efficient when able to move around, look up files, and work with two hands while on the phone. Unfortunately, it is at times hard to work through all the documentation on a vendor’s website to figure out which combinations work. Just as with other selection processes, the customer I was working with determined that if he was going to spend a bunch of money on a new telephone system, then the vendors should do the work of creating a combination that works.
For people that have completely made the change and use their PC as their primary source of making and receiving phone calls, there are USB based speakerphone devices that are extremely useful for conference calls.
Finally, it is worthwhile noting that almost all new VoIP phones support wideband audio, which makes it much easier to listen to and understand the caller. Right now this only works for phone calls that are on the same phone system. Outside calls are still at the regular bandwidth and audio quality. It is definitely worthwhile to have a headset that has the same wideband audio capabilities as the telephone that it is paired with.
Better communication is one of the best ways to have better customer service and to work more easily with other people in the organization. Having a comfortable and useful telephone wireless headset, especially with all the new features available, can significantly help productivity.
For a more complete compatibility list for Cisco phone headsets look at this Plantronics Cisco headset matrix.. Unique version for reprint here: Avoid Disappointment by Choosing the Right Cisco Wireless Headset Combination.
May 9, 2011 | Posted by Rolf Versluis
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