The Plantronics Voyager 510-USB Bluetooth headset provides instant wireless connectivity to softphones. It comes with a Bluetooth USB adapter that’s plug-and-play, making it easy to begin using the headset to make VoIP calls. Multipoint technology lets you switch between multiple Bluetooth-enabled devices, such as softphones and mobile phones.

Plantronics Voyager 510 Reviews

PCMag reviews the Plantronics Voyager 510 and awards it an Editor’s Choice. Aside from a few cons (a tiny power button, and not as effective at screening out wind noise), the review found the headset to be an excellent device: “Sound quality and range indoors are both excellent, even in PC Magazine Labs, where several Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices compete for the 2.4-GHz radio band. Voice quality is loud and clear on both ends of a conversation. I got 25 feet away from Motorola and LG handsets before hearing pops and clicks. Conversations were manageable for up to about 40 feet, and the headset held its connection (albeit a severely deteriorated one) for up to 65 feet. The headset’s range became even longer in an outdoor area with no interference, where I made clear transmissions 50 feet from my phone. I got 7 hours 7 minutes of talk time and about four days of standby in my tests.”

From the news release:

Plantronics, Inc., today introduced the Voyager 510-USB, the first Bluetooth(R) headset system optimized for Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) that provides instant wireless connectivity to PC-based softphones. The Voyager 510-USB reflects Plantronics’ commitment to developing innovative VoIP products that embody great style, sound and simplicity for both business and consumer applications.

“As VoIP communication becomes increasingly relevant in today’s work environment, where professionals conduct business in the car, at coffee houses and in airports across the world, there is strong demand for greater setup and device simplification,” said Will Stofega, research manager at IDC. “The Voyager 510-USB makes VoIP intuitive. In doing so, enterprises benefit from reduced IT support and maintenance costs, and professionals benefit from a reliable, easy-to-use wireless headset for their softphones and mobile phones.”

The Voyager 510-USB includes a plug-and-play Bluetooth USB adapter that eliminates cumbersome software setup processes and enables mobile professionals to place hands-free calls through any VoIP service with one easy step. In addition, Voyager 510-USB features multipoint technology to allow users to switch between multiple Bluetooth-enabled devices, including softphones and mobile phones, with the touch of a button.

“As communication needs become increasingly mobile, compatibility and flexibility across diverse networks and devices become critical,” said Chuck Yort, vice president of Business Solutions at Plantronics. “The Voyager 510-USB will help make people’s lives less complicated on the road by providing simple, one-step VoIP connectivity and a single headset for multiple communication devices.”

Universal VoIP Compatibility

The Plantronics Voyager(TM) 510-USB is the first system that brings Bluetooth connectivity to enterprise-class softphones. The system integrates with enterprise softphone software from leading companies including Avaya Inc., Cisco Systems Inc., Nortel and Skype Ltd., among others, to offer call notification and remote call answering via the headsets. The Voyager 510-USB is also compatible with most popular consumer Internet telephony services, including AOL, MSN and Yahoo!.

An extension of Plantronics’ VoIP product portfolio, the Voyager 510-USB includes the award-winning Voyager 510* headset and Plantronics’ PersonoCall(R) software to provide electronic answer-end control with major VoIP softphones. The system also comes with a convenient desktop charging stand, USB charging cable, three-foot USB extension cable and AC charger. The Voyager 510 headset features include these:

o Noise-canceling microphone and wind-reduction technology for brilliant
sound in indoor and outdoor environments
o Lightweight, foldable design for all-day wearing comfort and easy
storage
o One-touch call answer/end, last-number redial and voice-activated
dialing with mobile phones
o Boom swivels for use on either ear for optional wearing preference
o Up to six hours of talk time and up to 100 hours of standby time
o Freedom to roam up to 33 feet away from voice-enabled Bluetooth devices

Global VoIP adoption is growing rapidly as businesses aim to realize substantial cost savings and value-added services. Aberdeen Group Inc. research estimates that the average Fortune 500 company spends $116 million on telecommunications services each year.

In addition, IDC predicts that more than 44 million households in the U.S. will have VoIP subscriptions by 2010. With this broad growth in mind, Voyager 510-USB is designed for all environments in which mobile professionals work, whether in the office, on the go or at home.