Polycom Unveils New Dual-Mode Conference Phone

Oct 07, 2011 (Close-Up Media via COMTEX) -- Polycom, Inc., a provider of standards-based unified communications (UC), unveiled a new conference phone that works with both analog networks and Voice over IP (VoIP) environments.
Polycom reported that its SoundStation Duo addresses a demand among organizations that need to upgrade or expand their existing circuit-switched networks, but are hesitant to purchase phones that will become obsolete once they move to VoIP.
Paul Waadevg, principal consultant at Frost & Sullivan said, "The analog to IP transition is progressing as expected. IP systems accounted for 79.5 percent of 2010 market revenues and the share of analog revenue is expected to shrink to less than 7 percent at the end of 2017." "Polycom SoundStation Duo offers unparalleled investment protection for organizations trying to straddle the demands of their current analog network versus the near-term prospects of having to invest in VoIP equipment," said Cullen Childress, vice president of Product Management at Polycom. "And with our new web configuration tool, we're making it easier than ever for an organization to administer its Polycom IP phones. This is great news for those small- to medium-sized businesses that have the desire to join enterprises in the VoIP migration but that lack the budget for dedicated IT resources. Now the industry has a conference phone built for today and outfitted for tomorrow."