SpectraLink, Vertical Networks Team on Wireless VoIP

Wireless phone system maker SpectraLink and Vertical Networks, an integrated communication systems company, are pairing their products in an effort to promote wireless voice over IP (VoIP) in retail stores, branch offices and small businesses.

Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Vertical Networks said Tuesday that it has added software to its InstantOffice platform that supports SpectraLink's NetLink wireless phones. Under a joint marketing agreement, the companies will sell their products together in one box.

The combined offering is targeted at smaller offices, retail stores and distributed enterprises such as banks and health care clinics that have a lot of stores and need remote management capability, said Carole Gum, director of corporate marketing for Vertical Networks. She said customers had been requesting wireless phone support.

NetLink phones enable converged voice and data applications on a single 802.11b wireless network. They connect to the InstantOffice system using the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) H.323 teleconferencing protocol. The InstantOffice platform works with multiple phone types, including digital, analog, IP and now wireless, and supports automated call handling, interactive voice response, speech recognition, enterprise application integration, and reporting.