snom Explains How DECT Stacks Up Next to Cellular and Wi-Fi

By Paula Bernier
Executive Editor, TMC

Industry pundits have been forecasting the death of the desk phone pretty much since the rise of the bring-your-own-device trend. But Tom Ostrander, director of North American channel sales at snom, says the office phone market remains strong – in part, he says, because some companies prefer to use these endpoints rather than “random cell phones” for security reasons and because they don’t want their assets brought home with employees during off hours. Many organizations prefer DECT (News - Alert) phones, he adds, because of their long-lasting battery life and lower cost relative to cellular and Wi-Fi solutions.

That said snom recently introduced a new family of mobile DECT products, including the M700 base station, the M65 handset, and the M5 repeater.

The M700 is a multi-cell IP DECT cordless solution that is scalable, meaning it can work in configurations of up to 40 units, each of which has a range of about 300 feet in circumference. There are a couple of different handset options that work with the M700, and they can roam among the base stations. These solutions, for which no licenses are needed and which deliver wideband audio, are ideal for use in settings such as large enterprises, schools, and warehouses, according to snom.

Similar products exist, says Ostrander, but they sell for much higher prices, like in the $600 range for base stations and in the neighborhood of $400 for handsets. Meanwhile, snom sells the base stations ($479 list price each) and handsets (the M65 handset model lists at $200) ala carte.

“So our products are a little less pricy than the competition with basically the same kind of functionality and the same kind of range.”

Early in 2015 snom will introduce the M300, a single-cell solution, which will support up to 20 handsets and also have a range of about 300 feet. This solution is ideal for small retail stores, for example, according to Ostrander.

Both of the above base stations can use the new M5 repeater to expand their range. The M5, with a list price of $299, is ideal for situations without local power because users can support PoE on the M5.

The D7, meanwhile, is an expansion module for the 700 series. It allows for 700 series phones to have an attendant console look and feel. The D7 connects to a phone via USB, making the use of this kind of thing a lot easier than previous products. As a result, users get an additional 18 buttons and can cascade out up to three modules.

Also in the pipeline from snom is the M325 single-cell DECT bundle. That includes the M300 with an M25 handset, which is a lower end handset than the M65. This bundled solution will be offered for sale starting in first quarter of 2015.

And by the end of this year snom expects to begin using a more powerful chip, this one from Broadcom (News - Alert), in this line of solutions. The chip will be used in the black versions of the products in the DECT line.

The DECT phones from snom, by the way, offer 250 hours of standby time and 8 hours of talk time.

Edited by Maurice Nagle