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View this online| The Death Of The Desk Phone |
| Technology |
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Speaking at the last Worktech conference, looking at technology and the workplace, Cordless Group CEO Philip Ross predicted that in just five years, the desk phone simply won’t be on our desks anymore. As communication technology has developed the humble desk phone has lagged behind despite frequent reinventions that have included cordless handsets, video calling and text messaging. Yet it is the most basic of phones that permeate traditional offices – cheap plastic handsets, often linked by a central switchboard and with one crucial problem. They are wired and therefore rooted to one position. Ross went on to argue that all people really need are surfaces, a space on which they may work and collaborate with colleagues. This works better, it is suggested, than individual desks that serve only to stifle productivity by rooting the worker to one spot purely because existing communications, such as the desk phone, are static. As computers increasingly become wireless, portable hubs, it is inevitable that phone communication will evolve too. So what about businesses that are reticent to take up new technologies beyond the desk phone? The NHS has consistently avoided mobile phones in favour of the wired variety, due to mobiles interfering with equipment. So does that mean the desk phone stands a chance of survival here? Government health minister Andy Burnham, in advice recently published by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), said there was no reason for an outright ban, but conceded restrictions should be made only where specialist medical equipment was in use. There are clear disadvantages to having a desk phone, despite its continued reliability. One is limited to being at that desk to receive calls and diversion is only possible if you have a mobile or know which desk you are being relocated too. Callers may miss you if you’re away from your desk at length and privacy isn’t really an option in an open-plan atmosphere. Furthermore, if you are away at a conference, abroad or on site visits, you can become unobtainable. Paving the way for new technologies is the advent of Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP). In simple terms, this enables users to make and receive phone calls via the internet. The add-ons are something that already outstrip desk phones even in VoIP’s initial years of operation. Instant messaging, video calling, file transfer and cheap rates all act as a lure to users. As for the operators, companies that have hopped on to the internet telephony trend include the major providers Google, AOL, Yahoo! and Microsoft. Skype, now owned by auction giant eBay, is certainly enthused with the increased attention to internet-based communication – it recently claimed to have 500 million users signed up worldwide. Based on a peer to peer system, Skype is simple to install and use, which is a large part of its appeal. Skype Groups is aimed at businesses with multiple users and allows for a centrally managed control panel to govern spending and manage SkypeIn numbers amongst other features. Brian Wang, director of specialist internet communications distributor Eupac, says, “The demand for VoIP is growing at a staggering rate as more and more people and businesses choose to use programs like Skype to make calls through the internet. Some of our products allow users to use their existing phones, including their cordless phones or even mobile phones, to make and receive Skype or Skypeout calls. This means that users no longer have to be sat in front of their computer and wear a cumbersome headset to make or receive Skype calls .” Concerns over unauthorised eavesdropping remain regarding the proprietary security technologies utilised by some VoIP services, as their effectiveness cannot be verified. Bandwidth issues may also pose a problem, as multiple connections may consume available capacity to the detriment of other network services. What does this mean for the workplace? Positives for internet telephony include a greater degree of flexibility over workstations and indeed location. When workers are no longer bound to the desk by a fixed-line phone, they can potentially enjoy remote working from home as well as catching up on calls when on site or conference without having to admit to being away from their desk or incurring costly bills. For those restricted to being in the office, hot-desking becomes an option with workers able to swap desks according to projects and meetings, as well as allowing for more personal interaction and group conference calling. On the whole, offices have the potential to grow from static workplaces to flexible environments, as workers are ensured increased mobility, but still with satisfactory core communications. The potential for using homeworkers on a full or part time basis is increased, as is outsourcing call-answering services, whilst all still appearing to be onsite. One crucial problem with some VoIP operators is that they do not all support emergency calls, which may prevent the desk phone from ever wholly disappearing. Until those issues – alongside general VoIP security problems – are addressed, it is likely that internet telephony will remain an optional extra alongside the traditional desk phone. |
Words by Camilla Chafer .gif)
