Crestron has announced new Crestron Flex Phones, a portfolio of Microsoft Teams-certified desk phones for organizations seeking a dedicated collaboration experience for employees in offering audio and videoconferencing capabilities, one-touch connectivity, and security whether deployed in a home or office, at a rotating “hot desk” station found in hybrid workplaces, or in a conference room.
More meetings are happening than ever before – data from Microsoft found that in the last year, meeting time has more than doubled for Teams users to 148% and continues to rise. As companies re-open physical office spaces and explore permanent hybrid models, the need to streamline remote collaboration and introduce dedicated devices will grow in importance.
“With videoconferencing cementing itself as a critical piece of the modern workplace, it’s less practical to task a laptop or a smartphone with hosting video, audio, and call-related content at the same time, especially if a user wants to use that device for note-taking or accessing files,” says Ranjan Singh, EVP, Products & Technology, Crestron. “In creating Crestron Flex Phones, we’re giving users their other devices back because they will now have a dedicated option to join a Teams call from or transfer a meeting to a second device. Crestron Flex Phones let users seamlessly conference from one device and share content from another – an approach adopted by many workers in today’s hybrid environments.”
The Crestron Flex Phones lineup provides one-touch Teams accessibility to offer easier meeting experiences so users can quickly access any meeting, share notes, and collaborate directly from the dedicated Crestron Flex device. By handling all audio, video, and content sharing, the phones frees other devices, like a laptop or PC, to be used as productivity tools during a meeting.
Overview of the new Crestron Flex Phones:
• Video or audio-only options
• 1080p Cameras (for Video version)
• Touchscreen display (8- and 10-inch HD options)
• Omnidirectional microphone array with 360-degree audio pickup
• Built-in support for Teams allows users to plug the device into a PoE cable, sign in, and get started
• Scale deployment and management with integrated cloud management and monitoring with Crestron XiO Cloud Service
• Embedded occupancy sensor supporting a range of 6.5 feet for capturing meeting-space data and usage analytics
Go here for more specifics on the new Crestron Flex Phones.
