Research Reveals Plantronics has Identified and Successfully Addressed Key Mega
Trends
ORLANDO, Fla.--(Business Wire)--
Plantronics (NYSE: PLT) today announced that Frost & Sullivan has awarded the
company a Visionary Innovation Award in recognition of the company`s
accomplishments in the Unified Communications and Collaboration (UCC) and
Customer-Care markets. Frost & Sullivan defines Visionary Innovation as the
ability to identify key Mega Trends and proactively address unmet needs with
disruptive solutions that can greatly improve business performance as well as
individuals` work and personal lives.
"Plantronics has been at the forefront of headset innovation since its
inception. It has successfully aligned its product development roadmap with a
number of Mega Trends and is highly deserving of Frost & Sullivan`s 2013
Visionary Innovation Leadership award," said Elka Popova, Director, Unified
Communication & Collaboration, Frost & Sullivan. "Key to Plantronics` success is
its focus on software development and contextually-aware communications that
enable its devices to react based on the user`s status, availability, location,
and other contextual factors."
"This award validates our impact on unified communications and the importance of
delivering products that are easy for people to use," said Ken Kannappan,
president and CEO of Plantronics. "We appreciate the recognition of the
contributions we have made delivering exceptional audio and playing a critical
role in improving productivity."
According to Frost & Sullivan, Mega Trends are transformational to business,
economy, society, cultures, and personal lives, thereby defining the future
world and its increasing pace of change. The Mega Trends affecting UCC and
Customer-Care are Connectivity and Convergence and Mobility.
Mega Trend: Connectivity and Convergence
Frost & Sullivan predicts that by 2020, there will be 10 connected devices for
every household, five connected devices for every person, five billion Internet
users, and 500 devices with unique digital IDs per square kilometer. Connected
individuals must clearly hear each other to communicate effectively, with
minimal interference and disruption to themselves and to others, regardless of
their external environments. Individuals are increasingly using multiple
communications and collaboration tools. They are frequently switching between
communications modes and, therefore, they need to integrate multiple contact
channels seamlessly through a single endpoint.
Mega Trend: Mobility
Remote collaboration is enabled by affordable and sophisticated landline and
wireless broadband, voice and data connections, advanced endpoints, and unified
communications (UC) tools. It is critical, therefore, to provide remote and
mobile workers with devices that reduce noise levels and provide integrated
access to multiple communications endpoints and thus enable the effective use of
advanced communications and collaboration tools.
Plantronics Voyager Legend UC
Frost & Sullivan identifies the Voyager Legend as an innovative solution
addressing the key Mega Trends. It supports mobile and soft phones, and offers
up to seven hours of talk time; three microphones; plus significant improvements
in wind noise reduction. It has caller ID/name announcement for incoming calls;
the ability to answer or ignore incoming mobile calls by using voice commands;
and a voice recognition button for connection and battery status. For more
information, visit: http://www.plantronics.com/us/product/voyager-legend-uc
Frost & Sullivan recognizes that Plantronics has invested a significant amount
of research and development (R&D) into its industry-first Smart Sensor
technology, integrated into the Voyager Legend headset lineup. The technology
senses when the headset is on or off the user`s head/ear. It then makes smart
decisions whether to connect the call automatically or to announce the call and
wait for a voice or touch command.
Frost & Sullivan highlights that support for various software applications
through Plantronics in-house software development or partnerships creates new
use cases for headset devices and enhances their value to end users. For more
information about Plantronics Software Development program or to access the SDK,
please visit http://developer.plantronics.com
For the Visionary Innovation Leadership Award, the following criteria were used
by Frost & Sullivan to benchmark Plantronics performance against key
competitors:
* Understanding and Leverage of Mega Trends
* Vision Integration Into Strategy Excellence
* Efficacy of Innovation Process
* Degree of Impact on Business and Society
* Alignment with Mega Trends
To access the Frost & Sullivan "Visionary Innovation Award for Unified
Communications & Collaboration and Customer-care, North America, 2013" research
report in its entirety, please visit: www.plantronics.com/enterpriseconnect2013
About Plantronics - Simply Smarter Communications
Plantronics is a global leader in audio communications for businesses and
consumers. We have pioneered new trends in audio technology for 50 years,
creating innovative products that allow people to simply communicate. From
unified communication solutions to Bluetooth headsets, we deliver uncompromising
quality, an ideal experience, and extraordinary service. Plantronics is used by
every company in the Fortune 100, as well as 911 dispatch, air traffic control
and the New York Stock Exchange. For more information, please visit
www.plantronics.com or call (800) 544-4660.
Plantronics, Blackwire, Calisto, Savi, Simply Smarter Communications, Smart
Sensor and Voyager Legend are trademarks or registered trademarks of
Plantronics, Inc. The Bluetooth trademark is owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and
any use of the mark by Plantronics, Inc. is under license. All other trademarks
are property of the respective owners.
Plantronics
Karen Auby, 831-458-7814
Karen.auby@plantronics.com
Copyright Business Wire 2013