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Category Archives: Teams

Product Review: Plantronics Voyager 8200 UC

20 Saturday Jan 2018

Posted by Paul Bloem in Product Review, Skype for Business, Teams

≈ 13 Comments

Tags

8200 UC, Headset Review, Microsoft Teams, Plantronics, Skype for Business

Firstly, I’d like to mention that I have had this device for just over 4 months. Usually I would have written a review long before now, but I have learnt that very often the first few months of any new product are prone to hiccups.

I am glad I waited, the latest (as of writing) firmware version 218 has resolved an issue that is related to Skype for Business. I will mention the issues I had at the end of this post.

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First impression was that it looks very elegant. Comes in either a white or Grey finish. The Over-the-head band is substantially more robust in look and feel. Its well padded Over-the-head with a breathable type of material finish resting on your head. The ear cup cushioning is soft and comfortable.

Highlights

  • I really liked that there are 2 levels of ANC, 1 for Office and another for noisy environments
  • Smart sensors allow you to answer calls by simply putting on the headset and automatically mute your calls or pause your music by taking it off

  • The controls have been well thought out and repeat the layout of the Voyager Focus UC.
  • A 3.5mm jack! So stoked that this has been included as it extends the usability massively
  • Open Mic to amplify background noise, I don’t use this too much but it is a nice feature I have played with from time to time. I feel like it amplifies my hearing
  • No boom microphone! This is only the second headset I have reviewed without a boom. Last time around I was just a little disappointed BUT Plantronics have done a great job with the 8200 UC. Its really set a new benchmark and in my opinion leads the market in this specific respect. A pair of dual Omni-direction microphones make this possible
  • Dynamic mute alert detects and notifies you when you talk while on mute
  • Doubles as a business headset and a music headset, don’t discount this fact!
  • The battery just goes on and on! I have had 2 days of good use (about 5-6 hours each) and 26 days on standby on my current charge..its still going!
  • The soft case is classy and I do like the additional pocket that stows away cabling. Which by the way , comes with a USB cable, 3.5mm cable, USB dongle and a flight adaptor

Testing included hundreds of Skype for Business and Microsoft Teams calls as well as at least 250 hours of listening to music on Spotify (via a combination of PC and iPhone)

I found that the call quality was really good. When in the office I didn’t really need ANC enabled but it certainly reduced the office noise callers were usually hearing when calling me. Working from the local Coffee Brewers I cranked up the ANC (very noisy environment) and although the audio experience was slightly less natural, the ANC took care of the noise so well that I could continue my conversation.

I also noticed that the inside surface of the ear cup is smooth and covered in a slightly padded material. So when your ear makes contact with the inner surface its not irritating.

Specifications

Talk Time Up to 20 hours
Standby Time Up to 1 month
Range Up to 30 Meters\98 Feet
Frequency Bluetooth v4.1
Audio Performance Active Noise Canceling
Call Answer/End Yes
Volume +/- Yes
Earpiece/Headset Weight 289 grams\10 oz
Wireless Technology Bluetooth
Connectivity Bluetooth/3.5mm
Connects To PC, Tablet and Mobile
Skype for Business Certified Yes
Lync/Skype for Business Yes
Device Type Bluetooth
Speaker Style Binaural
Wearing Style Over-the-head
Microphone Noise-canceling
Headset Family Plantronics Bluetooth
High Density Environments Yes
Integrated Busylight No
Digital Encryption 128-Bit
Limited Warranty 1 year
USB Port Yes
Mute Yes
Digital Signal Processing Yes
PC Wideband Audio Yes

Suggestions for improvement

  1. I would like to see an option for a hard case like the BackBeat PRO 2 SE has. I am even prepared to pay extra for that. It’s probably not necessary but would certainly give me peace of mind when I am out and about.
  2. I think it may be worth providing a larger ear cup option to avoid any wear fatigue with persons having a slightly larger ear. The inside of the cups measures 60mm\2.36in, this is the same size as other units I have tested so this seems to be a norm across most brands.

The only negative I can really mention is that this is not an entry level unit and so comes at a price and its not cheap. However, in this category its still one of the more affordable headsets.

NOTE

Do update the firmware when you receive your Plantronics Voyager 8200 UC. I got mine on the initial release firmware 115. After a lot of testing I was stumped by a clicking noise on Skype for Business calls. The good folks at Plantronics replaced the unit promptly but the issue continued. Once I updated to firmware version 218 the 8200 UC was brilliant!

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Why you should be piloting MS Teams – Today!

10 Tuesday Oct 2017

Posted by Paul Bloem in Microsoft Teams, Teams

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

MS Teams

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams promises to be a big deal. Of course not everyone is keen to jump on every solution, application and idea thats come out of the Microsoft factory. To be honest, in this day and age most have a hard enough time keeping up, no time to waste playing with technology that may not be hugely successful in the near future, or where little benefit is percieved.

Thats said, I’d like to point out why you should be piloting teams today.

On the surface, Teams appears to be a feature rich replacement for Persistent Chat (I was never a fan of PC, too many limitations). With integration to Exchange Online, Sharepoint Online  and OneDrive for Business users can work within a single pain. Add to that audio and video conferencing and you have a powerhouse application, or a “hub for teamwork”.

I need to point out though, at the time of writing this post, Teams is not geared at the Enterprise Voice Space. Microsoft have however indicated that ultimately it will evolve to include the Skype for Business feature sets as well.

So what..another Persistent Chat app. to distract people from getting on with the job, you say. I am as sceptical as they come and initially resisted a bit too.

I certainly dont have alot of spare time to waste, what I need is an app that will save me time, not consume my time. Spending much of my time looking for documentation, chasing folks for progress updates, finding out who is doing what and the like.

This is WHY I believe Teams will be the next BIG thing.

From my perspective, the most exciting part of Teams is how it keeps all of my content and collaboration in one place. Tracking progress on a project within a channel made easy. Been away for a few days, no problem, all the happening are recorded within your Team discussion. Keep everyone in the loop – All the Time!

Turn your frequesntly used apps and files into tabs at the top of any channel and Boom! All your content relative to the channel at your fingertips.

More about Teams comming soon, but for now, come on – you know you hate wasting time, take the lead. Happy piloting.

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Should you halt your Skype for Business deployment and wait for Teams?

04 Wednesday Oct 2017

Posted by Paul Bloem in Microsoft Teams, Teams

≈ 3 Comments

Skype vs Teams

I know that the announcement at Ignite 2017 around the future of Skype for Business and Teams has the world on fire. I am also very aware that this subject has been well covered as far as the future state, even though we still await a official roadmap from Microsoft.

The perspective I’d like to focus on is all those organisations who are currently in one of the following situations:-

  • Skype for Business is on the roadmap in the next 12 months
  • About to embark on a Skye for Business deployment
  • Have a Pilot going and looking to do a full rollout
  • Deployment has already started but not completed just yet

So the answer to the question, “Should you hold off your Skype for Business deployment and wait for Teams?” is actually fairly straight forward. The answer can be achieved by asking a few simple questions. By no means is this a comprehensive list, simply a good starting point.

These questions are:-

  1. Do you need basic PBX features and calling (i.e. Enterprise Voice)?
  2. Will you need complex functionality such as Contact Center, CRM integration etc.?
  3. Is federation with other organisations (including Skype Consumer) requirement?

If you have answered YES to ANY of those 3 questions then Skype for Business (Online or On-premises) is the way to go.

The reality is that Teams is a great way for people to collaborate and keep on top of shared workloads, projects and the like. But when it comes to replacing your PSTN Voice, Teams is in its very early infancy.

When Teams has matured to a point where your PSTN workloads can be addressed in line with your business requirements, Microsoft has assured us that there will be a simple switch over (for Online users). Not much has been said about On-premises and switching to Teams at this time.

Ultimately, Teams is not ready to take over from Skype for Business. It does a very good job in the persistent chat space and also gives slack a run for their money. Beyond using Teams for those cases, Skype for Business is still king!

Microsoft has a proven track record of fast tracking these things, however, keep in mind that Skype for Business Online was supposed to have feature parity with On-premises by now. Before this milestone has been reached, the game plan has changed. Its a massive undertaking and will take time get right.

Take Teams for a spin, it will grow on you. But don’t dismiss Skype for Business just yet, especially if Skype for Business Online can’t deliver the functionality you need and you have gone down the On-premises track.

Other Great Microsoft Teams reads..

Feature Comparison – by LucaVitali

An honest opinion on Technical readiness – by Andrew Morpeth

The challenges Microsoft face – by Mark Vale

 

 

 

 

 

 

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