"Many companies are replacing old phones with fancy, screen-based IP phones and IP PBXs with related hardware; however, most users continue to use the new phones like their old phones, only with a few new capabilities, such as viewing missed calls or for directory dialing," said Bob Hafner, managing VP for Gartner. "Ironically, in most businesses, the IP screen phone is placed on the desk beside a PC that has a much bigger and higher-resolution screen."
While Hafner is dead right about the utility of duplicating color screens, Bluetooth technology and USB ports alongside PCs and laptops on corporate desktops, the use of these devices as customer-service and alerting tools in hospital waiting rooms and hotel guest rooms and on retail countertops is another matter. As we predicted back in 2006 (see "Why You Should Take VoIP Plunge—Now" ), for these service-industry markets where PCs are not feasible, high-end IP phones constitute more than fashion statements. They have a lower TCO than a PC because they run a tight, proprietary OS specifically designed for the hardware, with just a few specialized applications. Phones are also easier for users to move, add and change without IT's intervention and so tend to have lower support costs. Finally, the ability to soft-label feature buttons and change them depending on context makes these phones significantly easier to use than their conventional brethren.
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The Wow Factor
The hospitality industry lives and dies on convenience and luxury, so high-end phones are as de rigueur as spas and HDTV in guest rooms. The Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) featured the Cisco/Nevotek V/IP-Suite as a key part of the "hotel room of the future," with particular emphasis on such high-end features as Web-browsing cap.
There are practical benefits, too, as Avaya demonstrates in its own hospitality showcase. The Avaya phones Las Vegas' Wynn Resorts uses in its 2,700 rooms let visitors access a variety of hotel services, such as browsing restaurant menus. Although initial deployments at the hotel only push information to the phones, one could imagine ordering room service, even reserving a table and ordering food from your room, reducing wait times at the restaurant.
Academic campuses also have seen success with high-end phones. Lee's Summit School District near Kansas City, Mo., recently consolidated a half-dozen disparate phone systems on to a Mitel system. The central administration is about to move into a new building, which will increase the number of meeting rooms from two to 14. Phones with schedule-planning features will allow users to reserve a room, even schedule the next meeting, from any location. The school is also considering using the phones for broadcasting functions as needed for emergency alerts or lockdowns.
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