AudioPresence™ HD is latest innovation to help maximize productivity and improve quality of communications

RESTON, Va., July 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- In a continuing effort to innovate and help customers maximize productivity, Siemens Enterprise Communications has introduced AudioPresence™ HD, which ensures that all OpenStage IP phone users can experience the highest quality audio for voice calls and audio conferences, at no additional cost for the functionality. Unlike other major brands, the OpenStage range provides high-definition voice capabilities across the entire line of OpenStage IP phones, including the newly announced OpenStage 5 entry-level phone. With the introduction of AudioPresence HD, the OpenStage portfolio extends its legacy of reliability and quality acoustic engineering.

"Siemens Enterprise Communications' efforts to extend HD voice across its entire IP portfolio with AudioPresence increase the overall value of its already high quality proven IP desktop phones, allowing customers to enjoy a natural voice experience with higher voice quality, superior clarity, better intelligibility and a richer sound experience," said Mohamed Alaa Saayed, Senior Industry Analyst with Frost & Sullivan. "The overall result is higher degrees of customer satisfaction and increased productivity."

This innovation is particularly applicable to a truly global audience.  Research has shown that interactions among people with diverse native language backgrounds have increased dramatically and will continue to rise. For example, research from the Federal Institute of Research in Zurich, showed that official Globalization Indexes for information flows has increased more than 60 percent over the past two decades, and a global survey conducted by Associates for International Research, Inc. (AIRINC) showed that 42 percent of companies reported an increase in their expatriate populations in 2010, while 49 percent expect an increase in this number in 2011. Additionally, global research firm MZA Ltd. predicts the worldwide conferencing solutions market will grow to near $8 billion at a compound growth rate of over 13 percent due to the restrictions on business travel - demonstrating an ever increasing and high level of reliance on voice technologies to drive business communications, customer dialog and decision making.

Meanwhile, recent United Nations research indicates the global population of those over age 60 has grown by over 50 percent in the past two decades, while the number of U.S. workers over age 55 has increased by 53 percent over the past decade, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Further, The European Commission expects the employment rate of workers age 55 and older to reach 59 percent by 2025.  With this aging workforce demographic comes age-related hearing loss, progressively impacting up to 50 percent of people by age 75. The AudioPresence HD enhanced user experience reduces frustration and helps ensure customer interactions and employee communications are well understood, avoiding errors and misunderstandings.

AudioPresence HD leverages the standards-based G.722 high-definition audio codec, best-in-class speaker, microphone and acoustic components, and advanced noise rejection and echo cancellation in all OpenStage IP phones. Also, with the upcoming release of OpenScape UC Version 6, multi-party audio conferences will support AudioPresence HD as well as an industry unique Automatic Gain Control feature which normalizes the distraction and frustration of loud and soft volume levels from various conference participants.

"While knowledge workers are becoming increasingly reliant on advanced communications tools, voice communication remains the engine of the knowledge economy in many respects," says Jonathan Spira, president of NYC-based communications analyst firm Basex.  "Missed information can lead to costly errors, muddled responses to questions require time-consuming repetition and clarification, and an unclear articulation results in frustration and stress for call participants as they strain to follow the conversation."

According to new independent lab testing conducted by HEAD Acoustics, OpenStage IP handsets with AudioPresence consistently delivered strong, balanced performance index scores across the entire range of OpenStage IP phones. The entire range of OpenStage handsets tested all scored the maximum possible TMOS score of 4.2 for high definition audio sending, including the new OpenStage 5. This demonstrates that exceptional audio quality can be provided to customers seeking a cost-effective entry-level phone. Overall, the results support OpenStage portfolio's legacy of superior acoustic engineering and component selection.

"Having deployed an Asterisk IP-PBX, we could have chosen any desk phone on the market. We chose 8,000 OpenStage 60 SIP phones, in a distributed branch office solution.  Being in a customer-focused and service-oriented insurance business it is important for us to have reliable, high quality phones to interact with our customers," says Alfred Isenbeck of LVM Versicherung.  "We rely on the excellent audio quality of the OpenStage phones to ensure we provide excellent service to our customers."

"We continue to believe in the importance of providing all of our customers with an excellent quality user experience, and superior audio quality does not have to be an expensive solution that is only available in high-end or 'executive' phones," said Mark Straton, Senior Vice President Global Solutions Marketing at Siemens Enterprise Communications. "With AudioPresence HD available in every OpenStage IP model, it is our way of ensuring that regardless of how much a customer wants to invest in a phone, they are getting the best audio quality available."

AudioPresence HD is available now on all OpenStage IP phones and can be enabled immediately by contacting your local Siemens Enterprise Communications representative or authorized partner.

Additional Resources

OpenStage Phones

Siemens Enterprise Communications on Twitter

Siemens Enterprise Communications on LinkedIn

About Siemens Enterprise Communications

Siemens Enterprise Communications is a premier provider of end-to-end enterprise communications, including voice, network infrastructure and security solutions that use open, standards-based unified communications and business applications for a seamless collaboration experience. This award-winning "Open Communications" approach enables organizations to improve productivity and reduce costs through easy-to-deploy solutions that work within existing IT environments, delivering operational efficiencies. It is the foundation for the company's OpenPath® commitment that enables customers to mitigate risk and cost-effectively adopt unified communications. Jointly owned by The Gores Group and Siemens AG, Siemens Enterprise Communications includes Cycos and Enterasys Networks. For more information about Siemens Enterprise Communications or Enterasys please visit www.siemens-enterprise.com or www.enterasys.com.

Note: Siemens Enterprise Communications & Co K.G. is a trademark licensee of Siemens AG. HiPath, OpenOffice, OpenScape and OpenStage, are registered trademarks of Siemens Enterprise Communications & Co K.G. or its affiliates. All other company, brand, product and service names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. This release contains forward-looking statements based on beliefs of Siemens' management. The words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "forecast," "expect," "intend," "plan," "should," and "project" are used to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the company's current views with respect to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause the actual results to be materially different, including, among others, changes in general economic and business conditions, changes in currency exchange rates and interest rates, introduction of competing products, lack of acceptance of new products or services and changes in business strategy. Actual results may vary materially from those projected here. Siemens does not intend or assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.  

SOURCE Siemens Enterprise Communications

Back to top

RELATED LINKS
http://www.siemens-enterprise.com