ShoreTel Dock Designed to Transform iPads, iPhones into Desk Phones

ShoreTel earlier this week announced a business-grade docking station that transforms iPhones and iPads into desk phones when paired with ShoreTel Mobility, fusing the convenience of mobile devices with the power of a business communications system.

The ShoreTel Dock transforms Apple handhelds that are running the ShoreTel Mobility app, into powerful business desk phones and enterprise collaboration tools. Employees can simply slide their ShoreTel Mobility enabled iPhone or iPad into the ShoreTel Dock and get instant access to the comfort, battery life and call quality of a business desk phone. The ShoreTel Dock only requires a single power adaptor and automatically keeps Apple handheld devices charged so employees have a full battery. When combined with ShoreTel Mobility and conferencing applications, users get a phenomenal UC experience, utilizing voice, instant messaging (IM), presence and conferencing on a device that they already are accustomed to.

The ShoreTel Dock hardware and ShoreTel Mobility software work together, making life easier for the user. Users can place and answer calls by simply picking up the handset and dialing a number on the dial pad or on the device’s screen; the ShoreTel Dock automatically launches the ShoreTel Mobility application so the user doesn’t have to think to do so. The simple and clean design of the handset, dial pad, speaker phone and audio controls allow users to enjoy the familiar comfort of a desk phone when using their iPad or iPhone at their desks, making BYOD an even better experience.

“ShoreTel continues to focus on making solutions easy to use for customers. The new ShoreTel Dock incorporates several capabilities that will be well received by the user community,” said Rich Costello, senior research analyst at IDC.  “The ability to hold an iPad in both portrait and landscape mode supports popular viewing options. It also provides the comfort of a high-quality speaker phone enabled by the docking connection with continuous power for keeping devices fully charged. This addresses power and sound-quality barriers for making smartphones and tablets a preferred device for business communications use.”

As the popularity of enterprise BYOD programs continue to grow, ShoreTel’s mobile UC solution ensures that employees remain productive while working on their personal devices. Since ShoreTel Mobility works over both Wi-Fi and cellular, the ShoreTel Dock can be deployed anywhere ― users can be reached on their same extension whether they are working at their office or at home. Businesses can easily deploy the ShoreTel Dock to office and remote workers, giving them the tools they need to freely work at their own rhythm.

The ShoreTel Dock is planned to be available Q3 CY-2013 for both premise-based and cloud platforms, with an expected list price of $349 USD.