ClearOne has positioned themselves as a real competitor to Polycom in the conference calling equipment area. I had the pleasure of meeting some of their folks at the Fall VON, and they’ve kept me in the loop on the introduction of their newest product, the ClearChat 150 conference unit. It supports USB and can be used with Mac and PC VoIP software, as well as with your choice of enterprise telephones and videoconferencing systems. Check it:

ClearOne announces the availability of its new Chat 150 Group Speaker Phone.

This unique product enables high-quality, hands-free audio conferencing in new ways that previously were not possible. The Chat 150 has three main applications:

Connects to enterprise telephone handsets to turn the handset into a high-quality conference phone
Connects to PCs via USB to enable PC-based audio collaboration with VoIP applications
Connects to video conferencing systems for vastly improved audio quality
The product features three microphones for full 360-degree pickup, a speaker that delivers deep, rich sound, and volume control and mute buttons. It also features ClearOne’s new HD Conferenceâ„¢ wideband audio performance that sets a new standard for hands-free audio clarity.

Here is a brief summary of how the Chat 150 delivers crystal-clear audio communications:

Telephone handsets

Many conference rooms and executive offices have only a handset as the communications device. The advantage of a handset is that it allows the users access to the phone system’s call management features, such as the company directory, voicemail, audio bridge dialing, call transfers, etc. The disadvantage of the handset is that it is poorly equipped as a speakerphone. Most handsets offer only half-duplex performance, which means that the audio cuts out if both parties are trying to speak at the same time. Microphone pickup and speaker volume are also limited.

Connecting the Chat 150 to a handset provides the best of both worlds. It plugs into the RJ-9 headset jack of the handset, and delivers ClearOne’s trademark full-duplex audio quality. Users can continue to enjoy all of the call management features of the handset, and now also enjoy hands-free audio performance that is equivalent to a conference phone.

Because headset jack configurations vary widely between various manufacturers’ phones, connectivity to telephone handsets is limited to specific models. ClearOne is developing breakout box interfaces that are specific to each manufacturer. The telephone versions of the Chat 150 will be available in early 2007, beginning with Avaya, with others to follow.

PCs

The PC is quickly evolving as an audio communications device with the emergence of VoIP. Applications such as VoIP softphones, internet telephony, web conferencing, PC-based video conferencing, and instant messaging with chat require a microphone and speaker. The Chat 150 is a superior alternative to a headset or the mic and speaker built into the PC. It offers hands-free audio with full echo and noise cancellation, and is perfectly suited for personal or group use.

Video conferencing systems

The audio that is built into most video conferencing systems has limitations in terms of microphone pickup and speaker output. The Chat 150 connects directly to the audio in/out jacks of any video conferencing system to deliver greatly improved audio performance. The included cables and software allow audio from the far side to be routed to either the Chat 150 or to the speakers on the TV.