Jon Pepper
New devices for the small office/home office (SOHO) market can better help you keep in touch, whether you're working in the office or on the road. These products combine software with add-in boards or stand-alone devices that connect to a computer. Both types of telephony devices tend to include a high-speed modem for Internet access, a speakerphone with voice mail, fax send and receive capability, and message forwarding.
One external product is the $239 TelePort 33.6 Speakerphone/Fax/Modem from Global Village ((408) 523-1000;
http://www.globalvillage.com
), available in Mac and Windows versions. The sleek-looking TeleP
ort (
see the photo
) offers easy access to its controls (on/off, volume, and mute). It lets you answer speakerphone calls even if your computer is turned off.
Global Village's included FocalPoint software lets you fax, manage voice mail with multiple mailboxes, and remotely access voice mail or e-mail. It can also notify you via page or fax of new voice mail, e-mail, or faxes. The device supports simultaneous voice and data (SVD), but not caller ID.
The $399 ComCentral 33.6 from IBM ((800) 426-2968;
http://www.pc.ibm.com
) resembles a souped-up answering machine that connects to your PC. This device includes dual-line support and caller ID. It has a built-in 33.6-Kbps modem. Because it has its own memory (up to 8 MB), the ComCentral will receive voice mail
or faxes when your PC is off, a feature that's relatively uncommon in these devices. Included software lets you manage faxes and calls from your PC or directly from the ComCentral. Features include fax and voice-mail forwarding, remote message retrieval/notification, and support for up to nine outgoing announcements.
The Personal Assistant (we looked at the beta version) is a full-featured phone for PCs running Windows 95 that supports what might be called power-calling; that is, the ability through caller ID to instantly profile users, maintain call logs, and so on. Mitel ((613) 592-2122;
http://www.mitel.com/mpa
) is counting on the idea that the $349 phone (which includes software and an internal 33.6-Kbps modem) is mightier than the PC, so to speak. "The phone is still the number-one business tool," says P
eter Couse, product line manager for Mitel's Personal Assistant.
Boca Research ((561) 241-8088;
http://www.bocaresearch.com
) already offers modems such as its new 33.6-Kbps Game/Business Modem (internal version, $119; external version, $129), which offers support for business-related features such as caller ID, paging, remote retrieval of fax and voice messages, applications conferencing with simultaneous voice and data, and support for as many as 10 voice mailboxes. The company's $199 Video Phone Classic (the price includes the board and software) allows videoconferencing over plain old telephone service (POTS) lines and the Internet. Also, the company's SoundExpression 28.8 combines PC telephony and Internet phone software in one package.
In the future, look for companies to add moving pictures to the
ir PC telephony products. Joseph Preisser, the program manager for the IBM group that markets the ComCentral, echoed the sentiments of most vendors when he says possible future capabilities include Internet phone and videoconferencing. However, Preisser says that most of these products are aimed at the SOHO and remote user markets, where the demand is currently stronger for telephony than for videoconferencing.
With these new products, as well as PCs expected this spring that will offer more robust telephony and videoconferencing solutions, your small or home office can make much better use of the telephone.
photo_link (25 Kbytes)
TelePort combines a fax/modem, speakerphone, fax-back, and more.
PC Phones Add Power
