Page 4 - January February 2019

4 Telecom Reseller PANDIT
experience will all grow and change in ways we never thought possible just a decade ago.
But as the new year kicks off, now is
the time to look ahead to consider some plausible futures. Here are my three predictions for how the telecommunications industry will change in 2019.
A WIRELESS OBSESSION
The four major American carriers announced that they’d launch 5G in 2019, and the pressure to actually roll it out is already intense. Wireless 5G initiatives will continue to dominate major mobile carriers’ investments, energy and resources.
This 5G wireless obsession will be to
the detriment of customers who still rely
on wireline services like POTS and DSL. Mobile carriers that were also ILECS — will continue to neglect and de-fund terrestrial
assets. That includes legacy copper networks and fiber deployments. This will limit the competitive pressure on cable operators for residential broadband service, at least until as 5G is widely available. For consumers, especially in rural markets, this will be a short term lose-lose proposition.
CHINA TRADE TENSIONS RISE
The current trade war with China was meant to protect technological and economic dominance, but tariffs have had adverse impacts on prices and costs for related goods. Since China is the world’s leading supplier
of silicon for chips, we could be headed for a silicon shortage stateside, limiting the supply of new hardware that telecom vendors and consumers rely on.
Increased costs and limited supply would drive up prices on devices across the board
— routers, switches, computers, tablets and so on — which could put a damper on U.S. GDP numbers this year. For the first time in the digital era, we might see prices of connectivity and devices rise, potentially putting the brakes on the global economy as well.
CONTENT IS (A FICKLE) KING
Content-driven forays by telecom operators will continue to grow and (often) fail. Despite the shortcomings we’ll still see these kinds of operators pouring investments into content-driven technology on a grand scale.
In their billion-dollar bid to become the next content kings, a certain telecom operator will persevere to get Justice department approval for major content acquisition. This despite other telecom companies having thrown in the towel on
January/February 2019
continued from page 1
their content business forays. Meanwhile, cable operators that dominate the content business are pouring their resources into deploying and marketing wireless services to try to compete with telecom mobile businesses.
Cable operators may have an uphill battle selling mobile service given their poor customer service reputations for in-home broadband and TV. Perhaps, given such wildly conflicting signals, the smartest path might be to stick to one’s own business.
Each of these predictions has the potential to transform the industry across many different trend lines. Whether it’s a wireless obsession, a cost-based recession or a content jumble, successfully navigating turbulent telecom seas could empower companies to not merely survive in the new year, but thrive in the years to come. n
Plantronics Launches New Calisto Portable USB Speakerphones to Make Conference Calls Easy for Mobile and Remote Workers
Calisto 3200 and Calisto 5200 Enhance Conference Call Options for Workers On-the- Go
SANTA CRUZ, CA - Plantronics
(NYSE: PLT), an audio pioneer and unified communications technology leader, has announced the launch of Calisto 3200 and Calisto 5200 portable, personal speakerphones for personal computer (PC) and mobile devices. With 360-degree audio in a compact device, the new Calisto 3200 and Calisto
5200 share a simple plug-and-play design so individuals or groups of people can have a professional audio conferencing experience, from any room or remote location.
Both Calisto models integrate 360-degree microphones that transmit conversations with high quality audio and voice clarity. The speakerphones are intuitive to use with simple touch-sensitive controls and visual indicators,
CVDS BY
YOUR PUBLIC SAFETY
RECORDING & COMMUNICATIONS PROVIDER
• Kenwood: NextEdge
• Motorola: Astro 25/MCC 7500 • Zetron: Max Disptach/Acom
• Avtec: Scout/Vpgate
• Telex: C-soft/IP223/IP225
• Airbus: Vesta
• Intrado-West: Viper
• Avaya
• Pantel Mitel SRC
• Many more
Start the
coupled with voice prompts and mute alerts that can provide immediate feedback of call status.
According to a 2018 study by Oxford Economics, only 30 percent of employees say their company has the adequate conference room space it needs to make private or conference calls. Instead, these workers are leaving the office and relying more heavily on remote working options, making it necessary to have the right tools for effective collaboration with colleagues and customers, no matter where they are.
“More than two-thirds of people around
the world are working outside the office at
least once a week, and even those in the office need solutions for collaborating on the go,” said Shantanu Sarkar, Executive Vice President, Headset Business Unit at Plantronics.
“Our latest Calisto speakerphones enable
conference calls from anywhere and provide the confidence that you’ll be able to hear, and, more importantly, will be heard clearly on the other end.”
The Calisto 3200 connects via USB to PC, Mac and tablet devices while the Calisto 5200 can also connect to smartphone devices using the 3.5mm cable. To save battery life, the Calisto 5200 will auto power down when disconnected from the smartphone. The Calisto 5200 features up to 30 hours of listening on a single charge so users know they can count on it to last through consecutive meetings on the go. Both devices offer options to purchase USB-A or USB-C variants and come with cable management and a carrying case to make transport even easier.
Both Calisto 3200 and Calisto 5200 are compatible with Plantronics Manager Pro, Plantronics’ industry-leading cloud solution designed for IT professionals. This software-
as-a-service allows enterprise IT managers
to administer and support audio devices from a central location, as well as empowers IT decision making by providing valuable insights that ensure consistent and exemplary communication and audio performance on the device. Plantronics Manager Pro is sold separately.
The Calisto 3200 ($99.95) and Calisto
5200 ($149.95) will be available to purchase immediately in the U.S. through distributors
of Plantronics and Polycom and are currently available globally for order. For more information on pricing and availability, please visit Plantronics.com. For more information on Plantronics Manager Pro, go to: https://www. plantronics.com/us/en/services/plantronics- manager-pro
For more information visit plantronics. com. n
year off
Komlog
right: Viking
. Geolocaon
. Real Time Stascs DashboardLines
. Listening
.VoIP, Analog, and Digital Recording
Electronics
2019
Product
. Connuous or On Demand Recording
. Unique or Mul-site Architecture Advance Web Search and Playback . Intuive and Flexible User Interface
. and Much More !
Catalog
Now
Available!
HUDSON, WI – Viking Electronics Inc. announces the release of its brand new 2019 Product Catalog which celebrates Viking’s 50 year legacy. The catalog features hundreds
877 225-9988 sales@komutel.com www.komutel.com
Copyright Komutel 2018
VIKING continuesonpage 5 ››