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Telecommunications Philips bundles Skype & Windows Live VoIP with cordless phones
Telecommunications Philips bundles Skype & Windows Live VoIP with cordless phones | Philips bundles Skype & Windows Live VoIP with cordless phones |
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| by Stuart Corner | |
| Tuesday, 15 August 2006 | |
  
Both are designed to work with a Windows PC running the respective standard softphone client and Philips claims that, if the PC is set up and working with the softphone, the cordless phones are totally plug and play with no set up required. Full Skype or Windows Live functionality, including conference calling and instant messaging is supported. Both products will be widely available through retail outlets under a distribution deal with Ingram Micro. Mark Franklin, director of Ingram Micro Australia's communications division, said that cordless phone sales in Australia were running at around two million units per year and growing. With the Philips units being within the price range for standard cordless phones, Franklin said they would be an attractive alternative, but acknowledged that there was a challenge in education the retailers to promote the products effectively. He said the products were targeted at mainstream consumers, not the technically savvy section of the market. As such they represent an interesting new option: there are already WiFi cordless phones available that incorporate the Skype softphone and work with Skype without the need for PC. For the potential buyer contemplating the two units they will also have to choose between Skype and Windows Live versions: a choice likely to be determined by whether their contacts are predominantly on Skype or Windows Live. (The phones are visually quite different: The Windows Live version is black, and the Skype version white). The phones' base stations connect to the PC via the USB port and use the international standard DECT technology for the wireless link, not WiFi. Philips claims that because the DECT frequencies are reserved for cordless phone application, the phones are less prone to interference than WiFi and also have better indoor coverage. The Skype model, the Philips VoIP321 sells for $129.95 in a single handset version and $199.95 in a two handset version, both are packaged with 60 minutes of call credits for SkypeOut calls. The DECT standard supports up to five handsets per base station, but Philips says there are no plans for other combinations or for single handset sales - it cites market research as indicating consumers rarely upgrade after the initial purchase. However as the phones are DECT standard, any DECT handset will be supported for PSTN calling. The unit has a monochrome backlit screen that shows the user's contact list and which contacts are online. It automatically synchronises with the PC contact list. It has an inbuilt speakerphone and remembers the last 20 missed calls and 10 received calls. Up to 50 phone numbers can be stored. Windows XP or 2000 is required. There are no confirmed plans to offer a version that will work with Skype on the Mac. Kelly Poon, market development manager for Skype Asia said the Skype softphone for Windows, Linux and Mac OS X were quite different and any decision to have the phone work with these would be up to Philips. Matt Moran, general manager, Consumer Electronics Philips Australia, said he expected a Mac version would be available, but could give no concrete information. Also, although it was claimed that the product's functioning would not be affected by upgrades to the Skype softphone, the phone comes with a version of the Softphone on CD with instructions that this version should be used for the phone to work correctly The Microsoft Live Messenger version is rather more expensive and $159.95 and $249.95 for the dual version, largely because it has a full colour screen, which maintains the look and feel of Microsoft Live on the PC. It is also able to emulate the multiple account feature of Windows Live, enabling each user to select their own account and view their own contact lists. It is also a speakerphone. |
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