A Plantronics headset represents the cutting edge of wireless headset technology. Plantronics have been designing and manufacturing wireless headsets since this type of headset first emerged as a general consumer item in 2003. The Plantronics name is synonymous with high quality, great performance and comfort. The headsets that they design and build are ideal for use in the office among other systems due to the digital protocols that are used, but are also a great option for the gamer and the home user.
The systems that Plantronics offer include a combined base station and headset that will allow a single Plantronics headset to be used to respond to a number of phone lines. This means that a mobile, a landline and VOIP services can all be routed into the base station that then transmits the signal on to the headset. This also has the advantage that if the user is busy on one line, the base station can return a busy signal to the other lines for the duration of the call. There are a number of ways of connecting phone lines into the base station. A landline can simply plug into the base station, VOIP services can be connected either via Bluetooth or hard-wired from the host computer, and mobiles can be connected via a Bluetooth link.
The two communications protocols that are utilised in Plantronics devices are Bluetooth and DECT. Each one can be used on its own but they are usually packaged together for office headsets in order to provide the greatest level of capability. Bluetooth is a very familiar technology as it can be used in order to send messages or items between mobile phones. The reason why it is such a successful protocol is perhaps less well understood. Bluetooth, and also DECT, are digital technologies and so are therefore relatively simple to encrypt using Digital Encryption. It is also a simple process to pair devices so that the transmission from a device, or base station, can only be decrypted by the paired headset. This means that all communications will be secure. Unlike Wi-Fi, digital transmissions through Bluetooth and DECT protocols will not interfere with other systems close by, which leads to a simple and effective system for use in busy offices.
In terms of the Plantronics headset itself there are technologies built in that provide high quality sound in many different situations. The main technology that allows this is the noise cancelling technology. The complexity of the technology has a direct impact on the amount of noise that can be cancelled out, and also the type of noise that can be cancelled out. The most basic technology will effectively reduce low level background office noise, but would be much less effective for higher noise levels. Noise cancelling is often particularly important when travelling, particularly by air, and so headsets are often designed so that the noise cancelling feature and the sound feed can be activated independently of each other, thus conserving battery life.
