One Headset To Rule Them All?

No, I don't mean the very best Bluetooth headset of all times, I mean one headset that you can use with your mobile phone, office desk phone, and VoIP-equipped PC.

Fredric Paul, Contributor

March 13, 2009

2 Min Read
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No, I don't mean the very best Bluetooth headset of all times, I mean one headset that you can use with your mobile phone, office desk phone, and VoIP-equipped PC.There are a number of ways to get that goal, including Bluetooth-equipped office phones like the Cisco SPA525G Wireless IP Phone, but Plantronics' new Savi Go takes the first step toward a different approach. Savi Go offers a single wireless headset to connect to PC and mobile phone communications, along with a desktop stand and a Bluetooth dongle for Bluetoothless PCs. Importantly, the Savi Go headset uses multipoint technology to let users switch between mobile and PC calls at the touch of a button.

savigo

Plantronics also introduced Savi Office -- a single wireless headset for mixing desk phone calls with PC audio. To me, though, that has less value: I don't fully understand why you need VoIP if you've also got an office phone.

Both devices are pitched at Unified Communications applications, which I think is great. But the real value, for me, is getting to a point where I only need one headset. Right now, I have two headsets, one connected to my office phone, and another one for my mobile. (For my home office, I've got a wired headset that plugs into my portable phone.)

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That's too many headsets. There's no good reason why anyone should have to have more than one. Kudos to Plantronics for trying to close the gap, but my dream is still a long way from reality.

Plantronics' efforts would be more impressive if Savi Go and Savi Office were savvy enough to be integrated into a single product. Plus, according to PC Magazine, the Savi Go will cost $380 when it ships this spring, and Savi Office lists for $200. Even top-rated Bluetooth headsets barely top a $100 street price.

Why isn't there a simple, inexpensive adapter for my office phone and my PC that would let me use my mobile phone's Bluetooth headset with all of them? That would truly create one headset to rule them all.

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