Why the Desktop Phone isn't Going Away

Snippet from the white paper which is available free from this link.

“What is a phone today? The death of the desktop telephone has been predicted for decades. Technology has steadily advanced, business processes and communications needs have grown, and It’s actually rather surprising how the “desktop phone,” that stodgy old friend, has prospered. Look at its challenges: first, the PalmPilot, cellphone and the Blackberry, then on to Skypem and other soft clients, unified information systems, mobile iOS, Windows and Android devices, teleworking, personal video calling, open-air workspaces, multiple Unified Communications and Control (UC&C) platforms, and the internet itself. And, of course, an always-growing need for specialized applications and consistent, efficient globalization. The modern business phone exists in many forms, but the most basic requirements they all share are durability and reliability. They are always on, ready to be used, unlike cell phones that require batteries to be charged and wireless connectivity. Similarly soft clients or UC clients running on PC’s must be running to accept calls or place calls. A phone is one thing we expect to always work; that is why they have traditionally been built like “brick houses,” never knowing who might slam down the handset, douse them with tea or drop them off of a tall table. Any phone is designed for a tightly defined set of uses,and performs those flawlessly. Whether a particular phone today supports only voice or a full bouquet of functions and applications, it is expected to do those jobs with unblinking confidence. As we will see, any device that might hope to take its place must be measured against this simple but essential standard of absolute reliability and responsiveness, one which we might call the “phone’s prime directive.”"