Plantronics Releases New Enterprise Headset Lineup
Plantronics (PLT) previewed its new lineup of contact center headset solutions and digital audio processors. The EncorePro 500 Series is the company’s first new lineup of enterprise headsets in a decade, and promises to help manage cost while providing better audio, customer satisfaction and comfort for users.
Plantronics (PLT) previewed its new lineup of contact center headset solutions and digital audio processors. The EncorePro 500 Series is the company’s first new lineup of enterprise headsets in a decade, and promises to help manage cost while providing better audio, customer satisfaction and comfort for users.
Plantronics showed off two new over-the-head corded professional headsets as part of the lineup, including the EncorePro 510 monaural and the EncorePro 520 binaural models, which will replace the company’s current SupraPlus headsets. Both models are 22 percent lighter than their predecessors and feature new TIAA wideband specifications, providing louder audio and clearer call quality. The EncorePro 530 is an over-the-ear device that weighs in at 22 grams, making it the lightest professional grade headset on the market, according to Plantronics.
The company also unveiled the EncorePro 540 convertible headset, which allows the user to choose between several different wear styles, including over the head, over the ear or behind the neck. Plantronics said it focused specifically on designing its new devices to be as comfortable as possible to help customer service representatives (CSRs) stay focused on complex calls.
Finally, Plantronics is rolling out several new digital adapters such as the DA-80 USB Digital Audio Processor, which will allow the automated call distributor API to monitor and record CSR interactions with customers and route important call information through the system.
The adapters support the Plantronics Hub and will give the API insight into hardware state changes, such as how many times the CSR uses the mute feature during a call, as well as the ability to provide serial numbers to the system for asset tracking. Plantronics expects the new system to lessen the number of customers waiting on hold due to a CSR not signing out of their system during breaks, so that each caller is handled as quickly as possible. All events are exposed through the Plantronics Spokes suite of software solutions for increased administrator visibility, according to the company.
“This suite of product platforms … really are reigniting this segment,” said Nick Eisner, senior director of Global Contact Center at Plantronics, in an interview with The VAR Guy. “They are changing what our customers and prospects believe a headset system can do. We are redefining the role of the headset system for our customer service operations customers.”
The EncorePro 540 and Encore 530 models are available now, with the EncorePro 510/520 over the head models scheduled to ship in December. The DA-80 Digital Audio Processor is also expected to ship in December, with additional models available in early 2015, according to Plantronics.
