News

iPad as Deskphone?

ShoreTel has announced the ShoreTel Dock a business-grade docking station that transforms iPhones and iPads into desk phones when paired with ShoreTel Mobility, fusing the convenience of mobile devices with the power of a business communications system. Comms Business see no sign of the BYOD phenomenon slowing down and ShoreTel have entered a competitive space with this product. Hopefully we can get our hands on one and deliver you an in depth review of the dock.

“When I first saw the ShoreTel docking station I was blown away by the thought of having my information management tool and my communications tool in one,” said Mark Lencioni, senior manager IS engineering at Brown and Caldwell. “This new way of working is the new paradigm for today’s effective information worker. I remember 15 years ago talking about the concept of employees being able to take their communications command center with them and have a true virtual office. With the ShoreTel Dock this is now possible. We definitely see this technology as a game changer for our business.”

“ShoreTel is the only unified communications provider delivering an intuitive and easy-to-use solution that truly optimises how end users communicate for work,” said Pejman Roshan, vice president of product management at ShoreTel. “We didn’t try to change or replace devices users already love, but instead enabled those same devices with enterprise UC to give end users a dynamic productivity tool that supports their own work rhythm. The ShoreTel Dock is the desk phone for the mobile generation.”

The ShoreTel Dock hardware and ShoreTel Mobility software work together, making life easier for the user. Users can place and answer calls by simply picking up the handset and dialing a number on the dial pad or on the device’s screen; the ShoreTel Dock automatically launches the ShoreTel Mobility application so the user doesn’t have to think to do so. The simple and clean design of the handset, dial pad, speaker phone and audio controls allow users to enjoy the familiar comfort of a desk phone when using their iPad or iPhone at their desks, making BYOD an even better experience.

“ShoreTel continues to focus on making solutions easy to use for customers. The new ShoreTel Dock incorporates several capabilities that will be well received by the user community,” said Rich Costello, senior research analyst at IDC. “The ability to hold an iPad in both portrait and landscape mode supports popular viewing options. It also provides the comfort of a high-quality speaker phone enabled by the docking connection with continuous power for keeping devices fully charged. This addresses power and sound-quality barriers for making smartphones and tablets a preferred device for business communications use.”

As the popularity of enterprise BYOD programs continue to grow, ShoreTel’s mobile UC solution ensures that employees remain productive while working on their personal devices. Since ShoreTel Mobility works over both Wi-Fi and cellular, the ShoreTel Dock can be deployed anywhere ― users can be reached on their same extension whether they are working at their office or at home. Businesses can easily deploy the ShoreTel Dock to office and remote workers, giving them the tools they need to freely work at their own rhythm.

“The ShoreTel Dock will be a game-changer in our five-year strategy as we deploy the ShoreTel solution to our 8000+ client base,” said Dan Hunt, enterprise infrastructure manager at Pima County. “The ShoreTel Dock plays extremely well into our mobility solution as the iPad and iPhone (IOS devices) are the primary platform ITD will support. Because of this innovative and forward thinking design, these two high visibility projects can share a common platform allowing us to save money while providing a high level of customer satisfaction and user adoption.”