Gigaset issue a press release detailing the new product offerings. As expected they were launching a couple of new desk phones aimed squarely at SOHO & SMB applications. At the HDVoice Summit there was a DX800A setup and connected to David Frankel’s ZipDX wideband conference bridge.
The DX800A is a very interesting device. Tony Stankus from Gigaset characterized it as an “All-in-one” device since it includes analog, ISDN and SIP interfaces. The built-in DECT/CATiq base supports multiple handsets and up to four concurrent calls, three via SIP and the POTS line. You can pair the DX800A to any of the Gigaset DECT/CATiq handsets.
The DX800A also has bluetooth support. The most basic Bluetooth capability includes support for wireless headsets. It just happened that I had the wideband capable Plantronics Voyager Pro UC headset in my pocket. In just a minute or two we had the headset paired with the phone. A quick call to the ZipDX wideband demo confirmed that the headset integration supports wideband audio.
The DX series desk phones also support Bluetooth integration with cell phones, a feature they call “Link2Cell.” This is not unlike the Gigaset One device that I’ve described previously. When paired with a cell phone the DX desk phone can make and receive calls over the cellular account. Several cell phones may be linked at once, effectively providing several cellular trunks.
The DX800A looks like a very polished device. The handset had an unfortunate light feel, but the Gigaset team said that this would be addressed before the product started shipping. The retail price on the DX800A is TBD.
The DX500A is similar in appearance but supports only an analog connection, no ISDN or SIP accounts.
Beyond the DX series desk phones Gigaset has introduced the C610A IP , a new model cordless system. The C610A IP is similar to the existing A580IP and S675IP models offered in North America, but with numerous enhancements.
Rather than repeat the contents of the press release I’ll just hit the high points. While the C610A IP DECT base looks just like the earlier models, the core processor is substantially upgraded. The result is immediately apparent when you access the web GUI. It’s peppy and responsive, much faster than the earlier models.
The improvements in the platform also allow for expansion of the feature set, including the addition of some often requested features. For example, the C610A can dial by SIP URI from the handsets contact list. Further, the base has the ability to backup and restore its configurations, upgrade and even revert firmware load. It also supports three separate voicemail boxes. Clearly the company has been listening to user requests, and taking them into their development program.
Like the DX models, the C610A IP allows for four simultaneous calls; three via SIP accounts and one on the analog line.
The C610A will retail for $120 which makes it less expensive than the existing S675IP, despite the improvements in the core platform.