My IC Phone revolutionizes the desk-phone experience
Alcatel Lucent's My IC Phone is the first in a class of Smart Desk Phones designed to usher in an era of communications experiences based on a user-centric communications platform that includes real-time multimedia interaction plus native and as well as tailored applications.
"This is not just a voice device. This is really a multimedia device, a unified communications device. With this phone you are able to use all available media to enable interaction with other users," said Laurent Allspach, product manager for enterprise-targeted terminal products at Alcatel-Lucent.
"This is a completely new concept, an innovative and different approach to the business phone, which is linked not just to a product launch but to a complete solution launch," he added, noting that the My IC Phone will be integrated with the next-generation Unified Communication services from Alcatel-Lucent.
The enterprise-grade My IC Phone brings the smartphone experience to the desktop via a rich communications platform, which, among other things, augments the capabilities of a desktop PC. The phone's hallmark is its focus on UC2 (Unified Communications and Collaboration) services, including features such as voice communications, instant messaging with presence and video conferencing.
The device features considerable collaboration with a user's PC and mobile smartphone. A user can begin a voice or multimedia communication on any device loaded with My IC client software and transfer that communication to another compatible device. For example, a voice call started outside on a mobile smartphone can seamlessly transfer to a My IC Phone after a user enters the office.
My IC Phone software enables synchronization of contacts and agendas between a PC and the My IC Phone. "You can already do that with your smartphone, so you will have all of the same information on all of your devices," Allspach noted.
The My IC Phone is compatible with the BlackBerry, Windows Mobile and Symbian operating systems and will soon support Android as well, Allspach said. But he emphasized that the My IC Phone is an enterprise-grade product rather than a consumer device, meaning it provides security, reliability and availability and also supports verification and encryption.
Features enable customization
Alcatel-Lucent's My IC Phone features a 7-inch-wide capacitive touch-screen with LED backlighting, and the keypad and keyboard are entirely on-screen. The user experience is enhanced with context-aware sensitive feedback.
The device features full-duplex wideband communications and new audio-processing capability that is enabled by beamforming to reduce noise around the user. A Bluetooth-enabled handset allows mobility around the office.
Additionally, two USB connectors will enable Alcatel-Lucent to "extend the capabilities of this phone through a large ecosystem of accessories," Allspach said.
The device's homepage is replete with useful widgets and easy access to contacts, agenda, email, and user services such as presence status and communications routing. My IC Phone also includes a multimedia manager that lets a user play audio and video files, and access Web radio and TV. A built-in Web browser provides speedy access to online information, and a user can create shortcuts to favorite contacts or applications.
Further, a user can transform the phone into a digital photo frame via the device's screensaver. A user can also customize the My IC Phone with unique skins and upload mp3 files for use as personal ringing melodies.
Alcatel-Lucent's My IC Phone is also fully customizable at the company level. "If the company wants to have its own logo and branding on all the phones, it can be enabled by the IT manager," Allspach said.
Earth-friendly commitment
The My IC Phone is designed from the ground up as a "green" product, with long life and low power consumption. Creating sustainable, environmentally friendly business practices "is of more and more concern for most of our customers," said Allspach.
Alcatel-Lucent committed to reducing carbon-consumption in the My IC Phone and ensured that it would comply with the European Commission's Code of Conduct for reducing energy consumption on broadband equipment. Further, the My IC Phone features a totally online user manual and Alcatel-Lucent uses minimal packaging for the product.
"This is not just about reducing power consumption but globally reducing the carbon footprint," Allspach said.
An apps-centric ecosystem
Alcatel-Lucent's My IC Phone will officially launch in 2011. An early version of the phone will be available late this year for hospitality customers as well as for application developers, who can then begin testing applications, Allspach said.
The Linux-based device features a robust set of native applications, many commonly found on the average mobile smartphone, but because the My IC Phone will serve as an application pod, more apps can be added. Through the use of open technologies, Alcatel-Lucent aims to attract developers who are comfortable developing industry-tailored apps based on HTML 5.0, Javascript, Open API and Ajax.
Alcatel-Lucent added a portal for the My IC Phone as part of its AAPP (Alcatel-Lucent Applications Partner Program) Factory at www.developer-enterprise.alcatel-lucent.com. "We launched a new partnership program (for the My IC Phone) because we really want to develop a rich ecosystem for applications around this phone," noted Allspach.
The My IC Phone Touch Software Development Kit comprises a full set of tools to simplify development on the My IC Phone. The My IC Phone SDK features four sections:
- Customization: Design skins and themes or adapt existing ones to suit a particular environment.
- Applications: Add new applications or adapt existing ones to fit the business context and the user expectations.
- Graphical Library: Reuse objects in the product's graphical library for fast implementation.
In addition, apps are automatically adapted to user-selected skins. - API Library: Access any data, services or events proposed by the Smart Desk Phone platform and applications to build an app.
The My IC Phone's advanced capabilities will be enabled by Alcatel-Lucent's next-generation infrastructure architecture. "Our next-generation infrastructure has been designed to be much more flexible. We will be able to deploy in the customer premises but also offer it as a hosted deployment. It could be available as a Net-based solution," Allspach said.
Potential customers ready
The My IC Phone is particularly adept at fulfilling "specific needs for vertical markets," Allspach noted.
In a hospitality setting, the My IC Phone can give hotel visitors direct access to hotel services and replace several devices in a room, because, in addition to providing communications capabilities, the device can act as a master control for a room's lights and ventilation system.
Alcatel-Lucent already has a contract with a major hotel chain, which will deploy the My IC Phone in customer rooms, and the device has been tested with a major European bank as well.
Alcatel-Lucent's My IC Phone promises to revolutionize the desktop-phone archetype, according to Allspach. "It is a smartphone, so it will bring a completely different user experience than what is currently on the market."
