Amber Hickman |
Communication is key for any organisation, and empowering employees with devices and solutions that support this can not only make operations more efficient, but also improve worker satisfaction.
One way organisations can achieve this is through digital enhanced cordless telecommunications (DECT), which can be used over large distances and are not dependent on wi-fi. This allows workers to communicate from wherever they are located whilst maintaining a high-quality connection.
Spectralink, a provider of DECT devices, has been innovating with the technology for nearly three decades and develops its solutions based on evolutions in technology and workplace trends.
“It’s been around for a long time, but it’s only recently begun to change and evolve in a significant way, mainly due to platforms such as Microsoft Teams,” says Nick Muir, general manager for EMEA at Spectralink.
Teams is making it easier for deskless employees to communicate with colleagues, so Spectralink’s recent products – such as the S Series handsets – are designed specifically to work alongside the platform.
“We are dedicated to the idea of leaving no staff behind and helping organisations to bridge the technology divide, so our products and integrations are designed to help employees feel more empowered and connected with their colleagues at work,” says Muir. “This is not only critical for their wellbeing, but for company productivity too.”
To develop these products and integrations, Spectralink works closely with Microsoft and the wider Microsoft community.
“We have fortnightly meetings with the gateway team to ensure that our roadmaps are aligned and that we are on the right track,” explains Muir. “We thrive on that close cooperation as well as feedback from our own customers that helps steer our journey.”
One of the most important factors to consider when developing DECT technology is the quality of the hardware. Devices designed for busy, high-impact industries such as manufacturing need to be durable, reliable and long-lasting. Consequently, Spectralink ensures that its products are consistently evolving and improving in quality.
“The S-series set of devices represents some of our most remarkable work yet,” says Muir. “We recently surveyed the first 10,000 units we launched from the series, and we only had four returns due to minor issues.”
Spectralink customers can gain further efficiency out of its products through Amie, a dedicated platform that allows organisations to monitor all products in their estate. Amie enables administrators to carry out bulk network and update management for devices and provides them with a real-time view of device health, including power, speed and maintenance needs.
In addition, customers can use Spectralink’s IP-DECT Gateway which, according to Muir, is for “customer sites that have legacy cabling and are unable to support modern solutions such as Teams and Spectralink’s DECT”.
The gateway solution allows these organisations to adopt this new technology with minimal downtime and disruption to operations, helping them to roll out cloud communication quickly and easily.
“For example, if a manufacturing site has to interrupt production to replace its legacy system it can become very costly for them,” explains Muir. “Our gateway solution avoids this and allows any site to gain the benefits of Teams and DECT.”
Spectralink aims to ensure that its products and technologies are suitable for the future of work so customers can maximise their investments. Over the next five years, Muir sees the evolution of DECT technology being driven by two key features.
“Firstly, I think there’s going to be a very big push for employee safety features, especially for those not working behind desks,” he says. “Likewise, voice technology is another very important feature, as workers in noisy environments like construction sites need to be able to hear, and be heard, crystal clear.
“We’re already trying to integrate these key features into our devices. For example, our S35 and S37 models have alarm features that are ideal for those working independently in high-risk areas. Many of our customers have spent significant amounts of money investing in Teams, and we want to ensure our products help them get the most out of the platform.”
Discover more insights like this in the Autumn 2024 issue of Technology Record. Don’t miss out – subscribe for free today and get future issues delivered straight to your inbox!