I got to see a demo of the new enterprise desktop phone from Cloud Telecomputers, called the Glass Platform, and it’s a huge step forward from the tired, pedestrian sorrows I saw at VoiceCon. First of all, it’s almost entirely touchscreen (about 8 inches), with two or perhaps three real (but tiny) buttons at the bottom. All dialing (when you actually have to tap a keypad) is on the touchscreen, as are all other telephony functions. The success of this product, which is still in final development, depends on the appropriateness and ease-of-use of these functions, which is where the primary great aspect of this instrument comes in: Its operation system is Android. So all the great features, functions, and applications will be written by ISVs on the open API that Cloud Telecomputing is releasing. (This is pretty much the regular Android API but for the larger screen.)
What will this buy you? Easy language translation and customization, for starters. Deep and creative integration into workflow software, for another. This latter is what I’m hoping for. Let’s connect these telephony-based communication possibilities with the Enterprise 2.0 stuff (which I wrote about in an earlier blog entry). Let’s make the Glass Platform screen a window in or an extension of the PC screen. Or the Smart Phone screen. Let’s link to remote or administrative operation. Already this pretty package works for both on-site (PBX) and hosted (central office) solutions.
Will desk phones go away altogether? It’s hard to say; perhaps some IT administrators wish they would. But if they’re around for long I guarantee this is what they will look like.
A new office phone: a big step in the right direction
I got to see a demo of the new enterprise desktop phone from Cloud Telecomputers, called the Glass Platform, and it’s a huge step forward from the tired, pedestrian sorrows I saw at VoiceCon. First of all, it’s almost entirely touchscreen (about 8 inches), with two or perhaps three real (but tiny) buttons at the bottom. All dialing (when you actually have to tap a keypad) is on the touchscreen, as are all other telephony functions. The success of this product, which is still in final development, depends on the appropriateness and ease-of-use of these functions, which is where the primary great aspect of this instrument comes in: Its operation system is Android. So all the great features, functions, and applications will be written by ISVs on the open API that Cloud Telecomputing is releasing. (This is pretty much the regular Android API but for the larger screen.)
What will this buy you? Easy language translation and customization, for starters. Deep and creative integration into workflow software, for another. This latter is what I’m hoping for. Let’s connect these telephony-based communication possibilities with the Enterprise 2.0 stuff (which I wrote about in an earlier blog entry). Let’s make the Glass Platform screen a window in or an extension of the PC screen. Or the Smart Phone screen. Let’s link to remote or administrative operation. Already this pretty package works for both on-site (PBX) and hosted (central office) solutions.
Will desk phones go away altogether? It’s hard to say; perhaps some IT administrators wish they would. But if they’re around for long I guarantee this is what they will look like.