Polycom Sets New Standard In Voice Conferencing with Next-Generation, Triangular-Shaped SoundStation Conference Phone
PLEASANTON, Calif. – Dec. 6, 2004 – Polycom®, Inc. (NASDAQ: PLCM), the world’s leader in unified collaborative communications solutions, today delivered the SoundStation2â„¢, the next generation of its market-leading line of triangular-shaped SoundStation® conference phones — the most widely used conference phones in the world. Leveraging Polycom’s heritage in business-quality voice communications, the SoundStation2 sets a new standard with twice the loudness and 50 percent better microphone pick up than the original SoundStation enabling high quality conferencing for everyone on the conference call.
“December 2005 marks Polycom’s 15-year anniversary and it is fitting that we kick off the celebration by updating the immensely popular product line that started it all – the SoundStation,†said Jeff Rodman, Polycom co-founder and Fellow. “It was 1990 that we began designing the SoundStation in my basement and so created a new category of business-quality conference phones. In the 15 years since then, the SoundStation has become one of the most recognized products in the business world, while Polycom itself has transformed from a voice conferencing leader into the leading unified collaborative communications company delivering converged voice, video, web and data solutions. The SoundStation2 is a leap forward for Polycom voice clarity and gives customers a new standard for conference phone quality and performance.â€
Since launching the original SoundStation in 1992, Polycom has shipped more than 1.7 million units, received numerous industry awards for the original’s breakthrough quality and patented design, and seen it become the undisputed standard for business quality voice conferencing in meeting rooms around the globe. The newest edition, the SoundStation2, delivers dramatically improved voice quality, provides the ability to talk up to ten feet away in a normal voice and still be heard clearly, and adds new features including a backlit LCD display, international Caller-ID, an address book for speed dialing and a cell phone connector.
“Polycom defined voice conferencing quality with its SoundStation line and is setting the bar higher with the new SoundStation2,†said Roopam Jain, multimedia/conferencing and collaboration group senior industry analyst with Frost & Sullivan. “The advancements in Polycom’s microphone technology ensure a dramatic improvement in the quality and clarity of a call and make voice conference calls much more natural, like being in the same room with the people on the other end.â€
“The SoundStation2 is unlike any ‘speaker phone’ I have ever used,†said Jim Wolf, I.S. project manager at Whirlpool Corp. “After using the phone for a few days, I found that I couldn’t live without it and carried it between home and the office so I could use it for calls after normal work hours. The voice quality is superb and we no longer have to repeat ourselves during a call, which makes meetings run much smoother. I would highly recommend the Polycom SoundStation2 conference phone for every conference room and office.â€
The primary features of the SoundStation2 include:
- Unrivaled voice clarity and quality – The SoundStation2 is based on 12 years of market-leading Polycom Acoustic Clarity Technology, which offers crisp voice quality and natural two-communication (full duplex) delivered through high-performance speakers and finely tuned microphones that offer 360-degree room coverage. With twice the loudness and 50 percent better microphone sensitivity than the original SoundStation, the SoundStation2 delivers a more productive voice conferencing experience.
- Feature-rich graphical LCD and intuitive interface – The SoundStation2 includes a back-lit display to provide convenient, easy access to important call information — phone number, number called, duration/progress of call and Caller ID. Easy to use telephony features – 25 entry-phone book, conferencing, mute, and hold – eliminate user confusion and need for training.
- Multi-language support – The SoundStation2 supports up to seven different languages on the display for international customers.
“We are very proud of the widespread adoption of the SoundStation line and are sure customers will be impressed with the new quality, features and overall performance of the next-generation SoundStation2,†said Sunil Bhalla, senior vice president and general manager of voice communications at Polycom. “Our focus at Polycom is to provide solutions that make remote meetings as natural, effective and productive as being there. The SoundStation2 is another example of this focus and sets a new standard for business-quality voice conferencing.â€
The SoundStation2 is the latest in a line of next-generation conference phones from Polycom, which also includes the SoundStation2Wâ„¢, the first wireless SoundStation conference phone; the SoundStation IP 3000 standards-based VoIP conference phone; and the revolutionary SoundStation VTX 1000â„¢ wideband conference phone with unmatched high fidelity sound and microphone capabilities.
Pricing and availability:
The SoundStation2 is now available worldwide through Polycom channel partners for a manufacturer’s suggested retail price starting at $599 (North America).
About Polycom
Polycom, Inc. is the world’s technology leader of high-quality, easy-to-use video, voice, data and web conferencing and collaboration solutions. The Polycom Office™ is our continued commitment to make distance communications as natural and interactive as being there by providing best-in-class conferencing solutions that are interoperable, integrated and intuitive to the user. The Polycom Office is based on industry standards and supported by an open architecture that promotes interoperability in multi-vendor environments and complements leading network infrastructure platforms. For additional information call 1-800-POLYCOM (765-9266) or +1-408-526-9000, or visit the Polycom website at http://www.polycom.com/.
Polycom, the Polycom logo and SoundStation are registered trademarks and SoundStation2, SoundStation2W, SoundStation VTX 1000 and Polycom Office are trademarks of Polycom in the U.S. and various countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2004, Polycom, Inc. All rights reserved.
