Ralph Ede, Managing Director for South Asia at GN Netcom Singapore, said the converging roads of consumer and enterprise technology will require a versatile Bluetooth headset that can straddle among many devices smoothly. InterAksyon.com
MANILA, Philippines — Jabra on Tuesday launched the first-ever non-stereo Bluetooth headset in the market that features active noise-canceling technology usually found in most consumer headsets today.
The addition of noise-canceling technology to the Jabra SUPREME UC, its newest high-end product, makes it a good fit for mobile workers, which executives described as a rising trend among companies today.
“We work in a very noisy environment,” said Ralph Ede, managing director for South Asia at GN Netcom Singapore, the makers of Jabra headsets. “But wherever we are, we need to be heard when taking and making calls.”
Ede said they introduced the ability to block out or reduce background noise for their Bluetooth headsets because mobile workers are often out on the street or in transit, which makes it difficult to hear voice calls clearly.
On the other hand, the SUPREME UC headset also features a DPS chipset, which reduces the noise, captured by the unit’s microphone, protecting the call quality from unnecessary ambient sounds such as wind howling through the microphone.
GN Netcom also took pains in ensuring their new Bluetooth devices can be paired to phones, tablets, and laptops very easily, through what is called as “pre-paired” plug-and-play functionality.
“None of [our customers] are engineers, so one of the most important things we can do is to make things simple to use,” Ede said. “When you plug it in, it ideally has to work.”
Ede said this works by flicking open the foldable microphone section of the unit, letting it search for nearby compatible devices, and simply saying the words “Pair” to connect with the device.
“And once the device has been recognized by the headset, it’s committed to its memory,” Ede explained, meaning users wouldn’t have to pair and re-pair their device each time they want to use the headset with it.
Additionally, users can issue voice commands to perform certain functions with the headset, such as saying “Answer” to pick up a call, “Ignore” to drop a call, or “Battery” to know how much talk time is left with the device.
Ede said incorporating voice commands on Bluetooth headsets raises productivity of mobile workers, since it means no longer having to fiddle with another device just to do simple tasks such as answering calls.
Jabra’s attempts at improving its enterprise products for mobile workers is part of its strategy to become the leading provider of Unified Communications-capable products to companies, as the world shifts to consolidate communication modes within a single touch-point.
The Jabra SUPREME UC Bluetooth headset launched by GN Netcom in Manila on Tuesday, which features active noise-canceling technology, voice-activated functions, and a portable design meant for mobile workers. InterAksyon.com
Ede said this is becoming evident in the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) trend happening across enterprises today, where employees are given the choice which device to use when carrying out their corporate work.
“Today, with the blending of the workplace and home environment, you just need one device to do all your work,” he pointed out. “This is a key trend that is also driving growth in our space.”
This trend is only expected to contribute to the rise of UC devices and users in the coming years, as noted by Jabra Philippine Country Manager Larsen Sandoval.
“The headset is the single most important factor for the successful deployment and adoption of UC, and choosing the right kind can make the difference,” Sandoval said.
“This provides us a great opportunity to leverage more on UC by providing users with headset solutions such as the Jabra SUPREME UC, which offers superior sound, comfort, and build that absolutely completes the UC experience,” he added.
The Jabra SUPREME UC will retail for $149 (P6,200) locally, and will be available by the end of the month.
