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DECT: the best choice for enterprise mobility
7. March 2018 Published by Raphael DoerrAs a leading wireless digital voice technology, DECT has established a strong base in the business market. Over time we have undergone a shift from single cell to multicell, which enabled larger companies to use the technology on a large scale, and provided smaller companies with wider coverage. In the next step, we combined DECT with IP, which offered a wealth of possibilities for further improvements in efficiency and productivity through integration between the data network and telephony. DECT IP showed steady growth and it appears that this trend will continue for a while longer.
Mobile and DECT technology
We can currently claim that every consumer has a mobile phone, and perhaps a second one or a backup in the drawer. Success in the consumer market opened the doors for mobile phones in the corporate market. Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) gained popularity and flat rate contracts currently apply in all European countries. This presents an interesting question: Is the DECT phone competition for the mobile phone? The answer is pretty easy: Outdoors or on the go, the mobile phone is without a doubt the best device. But when it comes to indoor mobility, the mobile phone can still run into issues that DECT doesn’t have.
What makes DECT special?
We can safely say that DECT will maintain its strong position. Why? I can think of a few good reasons. First of all, DECT is extremely stable. The wireless technology is digital, encrypted and has its own bandwidth in the 1.8 – 1.9 GHz frequency range. DECT transmission is incredibly powerful and covers an indoor range of 50 meters – and in ideal conditions – up to 300 meters outside. With the right setup, you can make calls anywhere in the building, in other words, even in the basement, where mobile phones reach their limits with poor signals due to a Faraday cage or thick walls, for example.
Some companies choose Voice over WiFi but quickly learn that designing and providing such a network is challenging and its quality cannot reach the quality and security standards of DECT. This addresses the basic needs of the users, who simply want easy and trouble-free communication. DECT is the only technology that guarantees indoor coverage and supports any conversation digitally.
DECT is more cost-effective than any other technology. The base stations and handsets are much less expensive than competing devices, making DECT the best choice in any business situation. In addition, the lifecycle of a DECT device is much longer on average compared to mobile phones, and replacement of lost or damaged devices is much cheaper. Moreover, in keeping with the latest trends, no monthly fee is charged other than the overall company contract for parallel calls.
Regardless of the price, we must not forget that it is ultimately all about the user. The most important aspect for them is usability. Take our R650H model, which offers 320 hours of standby time and 14 hours of talk time. No mobile phone can come close to these figures. This strong performance, together with its reliability, usability and scalability has been key to DECT’s success.
Serving different industries
Overall, DECT has had a strong history and offers advantages in many areas. But what does its future look like? First of all, we anticipate an increase in specialized services for certain industries and business functions. Consider the hospitality segment, heavy industry and health care. One specific example is the smart office and office automation. Wireless technologies are competing with each other, but which one is preferred? DECT with its ULE (Ultra Low Energy) is among the best wireless technologies for short-range communication, including data signaling, control and status information. Our Gigaset Elements portfolio is one example of the wireless success of DECT-ULE in this upcoming market segment. And what can’t be overlooked is that DECT is already one of the most secure radio technologies there is, and development in this field is continuing: for powerful protection from eavesdropping and the potential loss of intellectual property.
The future: adapting to needs
The future is unpredictable. We know that people in different positions in all kinds of industries have specific communication needs and will accept nothing but the best. This has led to the need for feature-rich communication tools to support them in their daily tasks. Some will need stable and robust devices. Others need a small handset that fits in a trouser pocket or can clip onto a belt. And the employee who’s always on the go will benefit from our Gigaset smartphones with fixed-mobile convergence features and dual SIM.
DECT has proven to be a standard that has withstood many technological developments and is regarded as the best tool for professional communication in the business world. At Gigaset pro we are delighted to be part of this development, which inspires us to offer premium, best-in-class quality at all times.
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