Author: Jim O Brien/CEO

CEO and expert in transport and Mobile tech. A fan 20 years, mobile consultant, Nokia Mobile expert, Former Nokia/Microsoft VIP,Multiple forum tech supporter with worldwide top ranking,Working in the background on mobile technology, Weekly radio show, Featured on the RTE consumer show, Cavan TV and on TRT WORLD. Award winning Technology reviewer and blogger. Security and logisitcs Professional.

Irish Tech Company First to Market with Social Distancing and COVID-Compliance App for Hospitality Sector #Ordee

A tech duo from Waterford have launched a GPS-based app that will allow pubs, restaurants, gyms and other social and recreational outlets to open and do business in the new COVID-era.

The innovative technology, which is the first of its kind in the Irish marketplace, allows business owners to easily document and broadcast their venues’ compliance standards and the availability of space on their premises, to their customer base. This in turn equips patrons with the knowledge they need to make informed, real-time decisions around where they can go to socialise safely.

In its first week, 200 businesses signed up to arrange a demo of the software, and it is expected that take up of Ordee is likely to soar in the coming months, as Ireland gears up for a phased reopening.

Speaking of the new product, Ordee Co-founder Anthony Cronin,

“Publicans, restaurateurs and so many other business owners throughout the country are chomping at the bit to get back to work, but they are struggling to see how they can maintain compliance standards and still operate their business, while keeping costs down. With Ordee we have basically taken these key obstacles that businesses are facing, developed solutions to address them, and centralised the solutions in one easy to use app. It’s critical that venues can re-engage with their customer base – and Ordee will allow them to do this efficiently, cost effectively and safely”.

 

Mr. Cronin went on to outline how the app also addresses concerns from a consumer perspective,

“When the time comes, people will be itching to get out and socialise again – but there is a consistent air of concern amongst the public as to how they can do this safely. People are cognisant of the fact that they don’t want their behaviour, or the behaviour of others, to put themselves or others in jeopardy. The Ordee app is designed to go some way to alleviating these concerns”.

“Ordee” allows publicans, restauranteurs and other service providers and retailers to put their energy into their core business, while ensuring that their venue is compliant with “Return to Work Safely Guidelines”.

So How Does Ordee Work?

  • The business signs up to the program and is then listed as a venue on the app and shown on the live map to users. Businesses can segregate online bookings for space and for walk-ins
  • The user downloads the app and can check a list of venues in real time to see which venues currently have available space. They can book based on availability and join a queue
  • Once the user chooses a venue and arrives at the location, they receive a notification to confirm they are there and how many people are in their party, in which case the app will update the venue’s status accordingly. If the patron him/herself does not have the app on their person, then the venue itself can “clock a person/ persons in” manually through the admin section of the programme
  • The user can also use the app to order and pay for drinks, food etc.

Financial Support

Developers at Ordee say that because the app is deemed an ecommerce solution, businesses that want to sign up might be able to avail of the LEO Trading Online Voucher to do so – provided they meet the criteria.

Mr. Cronin commented,

“Cashflow is tight, to say the least, for most businesses at the moment and compliance with COVID-protocols is going to incur additional costs. To offset these, the Government have put in place supports – one of which is the Local Enterprise Trading Online grant and businesses can use it to sign up for Ordee.  If your application is accepted, LEO will fund 90% of the cost of the Platform for your business. There are a few T&C’s but the process is very simple and effective”.

Since launching last week, there have been almost 200 businesses nationwide that have requested demonstrations.

Mr. Cronin concluded,

“Interest has been huge. Even more than we envisaged. Our team are working round the clock to ensure that we get to everyone who has requested a demo as quickly as possible”.

Creative Technology Releases Sound BlasterX AE-5 Plus Pure Edition. #Creative #Gaming

Creative Technology levels up the aesthetic game with the Sound BlasterX AE-5 Plus Pure Edition, to bring on a symphony of lights and pristine audio that sets the stage for PC gamers to clinch every victory in style. Only available through a limited production run, gamers can transform any PC set up into an RGB masterpiece of light and color, matched only by the powerful audio befitting a Sound Blaster.

The Sound BlasterX AE-5 Plus Pure Edition comes in a sleek metallic white finish and features four additional customisable RGB LED strips that show off Creative’s very own Aurora Reactive Lighting System. With 16.8 million customizable colors, it offers gamers the creative bandwidth to build the ultimate gaming rig with spectacular sound and mesmerizing lighting effects.

As with the standard Sound BlasterX AE-5 Plus launched a month ago, the Pure Edition supports Dolby Digital Live and DTS Connect encoding, to offer more delivery options to external audio devices. It also sports the latest Sound Blaster Command software, which features a more user-friendly interface and fuss-free customization settings.

Pricing and Availability

Sound BlasterX AE-5 Plus Pure Edition is priced at GBP169.99 and is available at Creative.com.

For more information, visit creative.com/AE5pluspure.

Here’s What You Need to Know About Enterprise Security in the COVID-19 Era. #Covid-19 #Security

In the wake of the developing COVID-19 pandemic, organizations around the world have adopted social distancing practices to slow the spread of the disease, including instructing many employees to work from home. But no one could have foreseen the need for businesses, government agencies, and other organizations around the world to quickly transition the majority of their workforces to remote work. 

 

The fast transition, the sheer number of people now working from home, and the already-devastating economic effects of the pandemic are among the factors that make this time an especially perilous one for enterprise security. IT security teams are struggling to keep up with increased threat levels from COVID-19-related malware and other cyber threats. Newly remote workers are leaving their companies’ networks vulnerable to hackers, and COVID-19-related cyber scams are on the rise as hackers seek to cash in on the crisis. Here’s what you need to know to keep your company safe.

Educate Employees About COVID-19 Cybersecurity

If your organization hasn’t already been giving employees regular cybersecurity training, then you need more help than this article can give. If you have been giving employees regular cybersecurity training, now is not the time to slack off. You should be aware that COVID-19-related cyber scams are proliferating at a mind-boggling pace. By mid-March, Computer Weekly was already calling COVID-19 the biggest cyber-threat in history, due to the massive volume of related malware and scam emails already circulating by that time. By mid-April, Google reported blocking 18 million COVID-19-related scam emails a day. 

 

Cyber criminals love to play on the emotions of their victims to cash in, because users in the grip of a strong emotion, like fear of a deadly disease, often aren’t thinking straight. They’ll click on links or download attachments that they might otherwise have ignored. And many people around the world, having lost their jobs or been physically restricted to their homes or neighborhoods, are looking for a way to make a living, so the ranks of cyber criminals may be swelling, too.

 

That’s why it’s so important to educate employees about the cybersecurity risks associated with COVID-19. Regular security training will keep employees vigilant against suspicious emails that might land in their inboxes. Make sure to send out regular memos warning employees of common COVID-19 related malware and phishing scams as they emerge. Your employees may not be targeted by specific scams, but knowing what kinds of things to look out for can help them protect the enterprise network.

 

Of course, you’ll also need a security solution that can detect vulnerabilities and threats and work to neutralize them. Your employees will be reporting suspicious emails, perhaps in greater numbers than ever before, and your IT security team will be facing more threats than it probably ever has in the past. Make sure you have a comprehensive enterprise network security solution to help your team meet these new challenges.

Require a VPN and Regular Security Check-Ins

Your employees’ home networks won’t be as secure as your enterprise network, because it’s unlikely that employees have intrusion detection or protection on their home networks. That’s why you should require employees to connect to the company’s network through a virtual private network (VPN). A VPN can hide your employees’ activities on your network, and help protect your information from thieves.

 

You should also set network security standards for employees working from home. Put together a security protocol that includes securing devices physically, keeping work and personal emails separate, and locking down their home networks. Implement regular security check-ins with staff to make sure they’re using multi-factor authentication to log into enterprise systems and work email accounts, and to verify that they’re implementing the enterprise security protocols for their home networks. 

Give Employees Company Devices to Work from Home

It might be tempting to allow employees to work from home on their personal devices — it would save your organization a lot of money on laptops. But you don’t know what employees are doing on their personal devices when they’re not on the clock, what antivirus and antimalware protection they’re using, or how tight their security is. It’s easier to protect your enterprise network when you issue company devices to employees who are working from home. It’s also easier to keep an eye on those employees to make sure they really are working when they’re supposed to be. When you issue company devices, you’ll be able to synchronize the same endpoint solution across each one, to remove some of the vulnerabilities that can come with a rapid distribution of teams.

 

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a lot of uncertainty with it, especially when it comes to keeping your enterprise network secure. Don’t let the challenges of this pandemic leave you vulnerable to cyber criminals. Protect your network, so you and your employees can weather the storm.

Review – The Groov-e ZEN wireless headphones with ANC. #Tech #Headphones

The latest headphones from Groov-e have been tested and overall a solid pair of cans which deliver the goods for the price in a very saturated market. They have a matt black finish overall with the typical industrial look but when it comes to sound they are on the bass heavy side so for fans that like bass these are ones to look at.

The build quality is average with mostly plastic which makes these light and good for long term use which will be fine for most the cups are padded nicely and fit nice and snug on the ears giving you good noise isolation straight away, you can wear these for several hours and I have done so with no issues with sweat but this might vary on humidity levels and so on..

Controls are good on these with raised rubber keys which are easy to find blindly and work well all the time. On the left is your power key slightly recessed on the outside of the cup and you have your music controls, ANC headphone jack and a mic so everything on one side which makes things less confusing. On the right is the micro USB port and a mic.

When it comes to sound these are good,when you turn them on first though you get the strange voice which makes them sound terrible but fear not they dont once you start playing your music you will be fine and availing of the ANC better again. ANC on all the time though will eat into the 10 hour battery life but having said that they last along time so for those on long commutes for example need not worry about battery life no matter..

Overall for the money here you get good sound albeit bass heavy so the bass lovers will like these I fall into that category,they are ideal for music,you tube Netflix and more with no lag latency present and being comfortable and light it is an easy win for most people. More colours though would be nice..

BUY ON AMAZON

Ergotron Announces New CareFit Pro Medical Carts and Accessories to Support Caregiver Wellbeing at Work

Ergotron, a global movement company that designs and manufactures applications and products that help people thrive, has today announced the availability of the CareFit™ Pro medical carts, designed to promote the wellbeing of caregivers with uninhibited mobility and personalised features to help deliver better patient experiences and life-changing care.

The CareFit™ Pro is a fully-featured design that enables untethered caregiver productivity with long-lasting, dependable power to navigate each shift. Personalised height and screen adjustment with intuitively placed features support caregiver well-being to keep the focus on patient care. Integrated technology also streamlines cart monitoring and service, and thoughtful finishes complement a calming environment of care.

Key features also include internal cable management and easy-to-clean surfaces, combined with optional UV Angel automated pathogen reduction (coming soon as an accessory), helping to combat hospital-acquired infections and create a hygienic workstation. The infinite brake mechanism, plus neutral-angle grip design, create easy height adjustment.

Industry-leading load and cycle testing serves as the foundation of a professional-grade design built for endurance and longevity. Ergotron’s eKinnex™ proactive fleet management streamlines service to help increase uptime and reduce power anxiety. Premium, five-inch casters support unprecedented mobility and untethered productivity as caregivers move between rooms and floors. Multiple ergonomic height adjustments, numerous accessory options and a user-friendly touchscreen support efficiency and comfort.

“The caregiver and patient experience is closely interwoven, making nurse wellness, workflows and health and safety key aspects of quality care. As more organisations aim to offer warm, healing spaces to align with the “resimercial” trend, they need fully-featured medical carts that soften the noise of patient rooms, while enabling caregivers to thrive,” explained Paul Zuidema, Managing Director EMEA at Ergotron. “In light of the evolving global health situation, this new product serves the growing demand for mobile medical carts with a hygienic, easy-to-clean design that supports infection control.”

For further information about the CareFit™ Pro, visit: https://www.ergotron.com/en-gb/products/product-details/c52-2201#/

Edifier announces record growth – year on year growth of over 41% with increase in headphone operating income showing growth of 91.27%. #Edifier

Despite a fierce competitive environment, Edifier announced that the total revenue for this reporting period was 41.13% higher than that of the same period last year. Notable is the operating income of the headphone series products with a year-on-year growth of 91.27%. The operating revenue of the multimedia speaker series showed a year-on-year growth of 6.65%.

The operating income of car audio series products submitted year-on-year growth of 2.53%; The operating revenue of the professional audio series had a year-on-year growth of 10.9%. In terms of revenue split, 55.03% of which comes from its headphone series and 40.23% from its speaker series.

In 2019, the company’s net profit attributable to the shareholders showed a 130.01% growth from last year. The new True Wireless range of earbuds have shown outstanding results and been well received in the consumer market despite fierce competition from other brands.

 

Edifier has a research and development team of over 300 personnel including product ID concept design, circuit design, amplifier design, structural design, etc., and this has given the company a strong technical advantage in this competitive market space. In 2019, 26 patents were granted to Edifier and 54 patents were applied for by the company. In 2020, the TWS6 true wireless earbuds with balanced armature, designed and produced by Edifier, were named as an iF Design Award 2020 consumer electronics winner by Hanover-based iF International Forum Design GmbH. 


Outside China, the company has established sales channels in Europe, North America, South America, Oceania, Africa and other regions of Asia, with more than 50 exclusive distributors.

While continuing to expand physical marketing channels, Edifier is now the leading seller by volume on Chinese online platforms such as jd.com and Tmall, as well as international online sales channels such as Amazon. 


The Future:

The Edifier board believe that technologies such as the mobile Internet, cloud technology, big data, artificial intelligence and IoT are profoundly changing the products, competitive landscape and user experience of the audio industry. With the emergence of intelligent terminals with highly integrated functions, audio playback hardware categories are integrated first and then split, and users’ music listening mode further represents the characteristics of cloud, wireless, private and personalized.
Edifier believe that the entire audio industry is undergoing a far-reaching digital transformation. Edifier research keenly captures information and follow ups industry changes, according to the wave of mobile Internet and cloud computing. Edifier are committed to product development; intelligent voice headphones and devices as new product lines are developed based on consumer demand. 

In 2019, Edifier launched the TWS (True Wireless Stereo) range of headphones featuring Bluetooth 5.0, Active Noise Cancellation combined with traditional solutions from leading chipset manufacturers such as Qualcomm.  With the current trend for smart TV and Home cinema, Edifier are actively developing TV audio solutions and has upgraded its speakers to include features such as Bluetooth, remote control, optical fibre etc. Moreover, in line with the rapid development of China’s automotive industry, Edifier is active in developing and having a presence in the car modification audio market.


In addition to the traditional multimedia speaker business, Edifier has achieved growth in its traditional multimedia and has also achieved significant increase in such business areas as headphones and professional audio. Rapid growth of its TWS range has effectively offset the decline of the old business and opened up new revenue and profit growth points for the company.

The Connection Between Business and Technology. #Tech #Business

Business has played a key role throughout the evolution of history. Merchants, salesman, and businessman have been around, and transacting for hundreds of years. As the times have changed, and evolved, so has business through the evolution of technology. As more and more new technologies have been created and developed, business has been at the forefront, trying to figure out various ways, strategies, and methods to move their businesses and companies along with it. Whether it’s been minor or major advancements, businesses have kept at the forefront of technological evolution by adapting and adjusting their businesses to new technologies.

 

One of the fundamental concepts and beliefs of a business is to find more ways to be more efficient and effective in its operations. Whether that means new systems, new products, new services, or new operations, technology is something that’s closely connected to business. Finding various ways to rise above their competition and fight for business, businesses have been motivated to be at the forefront of technological evolution, to service the ever-changing needs of their customers, and to explore new products, features, and services as they become available.

 

Years ago, people were focused on the basics and the essentials. They had to find ways to get food, shelter, water, and a way to make ends meet. The objectives were staying alive, finding what to eat, and having a way to make money. Since then, as times have changed, and the needs and desires of people have changed as well, so have the businesses and companies who provide them with goods and services.

 

Technology’s Influence on Consumption

As technology has advanced, and as civilization has advanced with it, the products and services consumed have changed as well. Customers have gone from needing a milk person, to needing a supermarket filled with multiple different options, multiple different brands, and different ways of even cultivating the food. 

 

Technology and technological advancements have allowed people to become more specific and pickier about what they choose to consume. Because of the new technologies and advancements in farming, cropping, and manufacturing, you’re able to get several different types of each good, a selection of multiple different brands, and many different ways

It’s much more common to find someone who’s a software engineer, than someone who’s a blacksmith. Back in the old days, a blacksmith was high in demand because people needed the goods he produced. Today, software engineers are high in demand, because people are using computer and other electronics on an everyday basis, and in many areas of life.

It’s incredible to see the way the world has changed, the way society has become, and the way people have changed, as technology has enabled people to have larger selections, easier accessibility, and a wider availability of common goods and services. 

 

Businesses Evolving with Technology

One of the key and early adopters of technology has been businesses and companies. In almost every field, finance, medicine, media, law, manufacturing, and many more, technology has influenced their business in one way or another. Whether it’s the finances, the infrastructure, the operations, technology has influenced almost every business and industry there is. As technology has progressed, and new electronics, applications, and devices have been created, businesses and companies have been at the forefront, trying to figure out various ways to apply them to their businesses and their bottom lines.

 

Corporations have used technology to help them increase production, to cut costs, and to enhance their operations. One of the major revolutions within technology in the last fifty years, has been the computer. The computer has been incorporated into almost every single aspect of business in one way or another. The amount of time computers have been able to save and the number of tasks it’s been able to complete, has revolutionized the way business has been conducted. 

 

Another important technological revolution has been the mobile phone. The mobile phone has enabled people to conduct and do business anywhere they are. In the beginning, being able to reach anyone and anywhere was incredibly powerful. As time progressed, mobile phones developed into smart phones, which now have similar capabilities to that of personal computers. With a variety of different applications, software’s, and uses, smart phones have become key pieces of technology when it comes to business. Businesses have had to make sure their applications, websites, and platforms are mobile friendly, as more and more of the world goes to their mobile devices to find the answers they need and make their purchase decisions.

The Way Marketing Has Changed

As more and more of society has spent time in the digital world, whether it’s on their phones, e-mails, or computers, marketers have followed. In the old days, marketing was in newspapers, on radio, on television, and on billboards. Nowadays, consumers see advertisements and marketing campaigns in lots of different places, especially online.

Digital Marketing has been a place where lots of companies and brands have flocked to market their products and get the attention of their desired audience. By moving online, their able to direct their marketing towards their target markets and have more of an opportunity to get prospective customers to purchase through their online platforms.

With the changes in marketing, the way companies have measured the success of their marketing campaigns has changed as well. The metrics and analytics behind every marketing success has been changed to clicks, conversions, and impressions. A lot of what business analysts do, in regard to marketing, is to try and analyze the success of the campaign by seeing how successful it was, the amount of awareness it generated, and the type of leads or sales it generated for the company advertising.

Conclusion

Technology’s role within business has been incredibly important over its evolution. Business is heavily driven by the ability to produce goods and services cheaper, or at more competitive prices than its competition. 

 

Advancements in technology has given more and more opportunity to the consumer. As a result of technology, consumers have gained bigger selections, more choices within brands, and easier availability to the goods and services they’ve needed. The more and more technology has become integrated with society, companies have had to follow and meet the demands and needs of their customers. 

 

The way businesses have operated their operations, has changed with technology as well. Companies have been able to cut costs, increase efficiencies, and find new ways to increase revenue as a result of technology. It’s encouraged companies to shift their businesses to digital platforms, and to attract them through digital mediums. The way companies have marketed their products and services has changed along with technology and moved into digital mediums. Digital Marketing has become an increasingly important part of any companies marketing strategy, and a vital way to attract customers to their businesses. 

All in all, business and technology have been interconnected to each throughout their history and evolution.

Dell Technologies Helps Professionals Stay Productive Anywhere with World’s Most Intelligent and Secure Business PCs #Dell #PC

Dell Technologies today unveiled the world’s most intelligent and secure business PCs across its award-winning Latitude, Precision and OptiPlex portfolios to make work more efficient and safe — no matter the location. The new devices further advance Dell’s commitment to sustainability with recycled materials, sustainable packaging, energy efficient designs and EPEAT Gold registrations.

Professionals can work smarter with Dell Optimizer, the automated Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based optimization technology, now available across Latitude, Precision and OptiPlex devices. The built-in software learns how each person works and adapts to their behavior to help them focus on the tasks that matter most. It works behind the scenes to improve overall application performance; enable faster log-in and secure lock outs; eliminate echoes and reduce background noise on conference calls; and extend battery run time6.

“The PC plays a central role in how we reimagine the way we work, even anticipating what we need to be more productive,” said Darrel Ward, senior vice president, Client Product Group, Dell Technologies. “From the moment you log on to your last video conference of the day, you need a PC that adapts to the way you work. That’s why we are driving innovations that offer more intelligence, longer battery life, powerful speakerphones, compact designs and 5G support — all while moving our sustainability goals forward.”

“It’s critical to offer the right balance of portability with the right set of productivity features. Professionals want to turn on their device and know they have everything they need to accomplish their work, in one device,” said Maribel Lopez, founder and principal analyst, Lopez Research. “People want bigger screens in smaller footprints, solid speakers for excellent call quality, the ability to switch from Wi-Fi to 5G on the fly, and built-in AI capabilities that optimize performance and eliminate background noise — ultimately helping them work smarter and faster from any location.”

Boost productivity with the world’s most intelligent business PCs

New intelligent Latitude PCs and 2-in-1s adapt to how people work. The new ultra-premium 9000 series and completely redesigned 7000 series feature machined and brushed aluminum designs; long battery life; an array of ports; and expansive, four-sided narrow border displays to see and do more. Available with 10th Gen Intel® vPro® processors and Intel® Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+) for nearly three times faster speeds, the Latitude devices offer businesses power, performance and global connectivity.

  • For executives and on-the-go professionals who need the very best in design, power and connectivity, the Latitude 9510 is the smallest, lightest and most intelligent 15-inch business PC. Starting at 3.1 pounds, the PC offers built-in 5G-ready design, up to 34 hours of battery life, and an enhanced conferencing experience with powerful built-in speakerphones and microphones. It offers the power and performance teams need to be productive anywhere as the first Project Athena-verified commercial PC with 10th Gen Intel® vPro® processors.
  • Designed for balancing performance and portability, the Latitude 7410 and 7310 are the smallest 14-inch and 13-inch premium business laptops. Also configurable as a 2-in-1, the Latitude 7410 features the industry’s first 4K low blue light screen on a premium business PC for better readability and to help enhance eye comfort.

Mobile workstations offer mission-critical reliability and more power in smaller designs

Dell has reengineered its industry-leading Precision workstation portfolio, designed to handle demanding workloads like intensive graphics processing, data analysis and CAD modeling. With smaller footprints, sleek designs, and thermal innovations, the new Precision mobile workstations deliver increased performance and ISV certifications with professional graphics from NVIDIA and the latest 10th Gen Intel® Core™ vPro® and Xeon® processors.

Designed for creators and professionals wanting high performance and stylish design without the size and weight of a traditional mobile workstation, the Dell Precision 5550 and 5750 are the world’s smallest and thinnest 15-inch and 17-inch mobile workstations16. Creators and engineers can see and do more with the 16:10, 4-sided InfinityEdge (up to HDR 400) display. The all-new Precision 5750 is also VR/AR and AI-Ready to handle fast rendering, detailed visualizations and complex simulations.

Compact desktops featuring smart designs

For industries like healthcare and education that rely on the dependability of desktop devices, Dell launched redesigned OptiPlex towers and expanded all-in-ones with flexible configurations in space-saving designs.

The most secure commercial PCs, easy to deploy and manage around the globe

IT professionals have the freedom and flexibility to set up ready-to-work experiences from day one  — regardless of where employees are working — with Unified Workspace. From remote workers to creatives and engineers, IT can easily determine what devices to deploy that will best support employee needs, workstyle and location with Dell’s new Workforce Persona QuickStart.

Large enterprises to small businesses can access Dell’s PCs, support and software at an affordable, predictable cost to help manage working capital with Dell PCaaS, part of the Dell Technologies on Demand portfolio. Businesses can refresh their fleet with the latest PCs every 36 months, and have peace of mind knowing they have deployed the industry’s most secure commercial PCs, even guarding against silent attacks at the BIOS level.

Availability and pricing:

  • The Latitude 9510 is available now starting at €1,679. The Latitude 7410 and 7310 are available now, starting at €1,379 and €1,289 respectively.
  • The Dell Precision 5550 is available now starting at €2.019. The Dell Precision 5750 is available in early June starting at $2,399.
  • Workforce Persona QuickStart service is available today.

Poly introduces the Blackwire 8225 headset with Hybrid ANC. #Poly #BlackWire8225 #Office

Plantronics, Inc a global communications company that powers meaningful human connection and collaboration, today announced the latest addition to its Blackwire line, the Blackwire 8225, which offers new hybrid ANC capabilities. This premium corded plug-and-play USB headset is an extension of the popular Blackwire 3300, Blackwire 5200 and Blackwire 7225 series, which combines advanced audio features to significantly reduce background noise, further enabling today’s need to work from anywhere.

The Blackwire 8225 is easy for IT to deploy and manage and is designed to drastically reduce the noise and distraction that comes with every style of workplace – from the home office to the traditional office. Three settings of advanced hybrid active noise cancelling (ANC) technology allow users to adjust to fit their work environment and seamlessly tune out distracting household noises such as vacuum cleaners, or workplace chatter from colleagues. A noise-cancelling microphone enhanced with Poly Acoustic Fence technology ensures users sound crisp and clear from wherever they work by automatically reducing distracting background noise, like nearby talkers or dogs barking, so that the only sound heard on the other end of the line is clear, premium audio of the speaker talking.

Blackwire 8225 Teams USB-A VVX450 Situation
Blackwire 8225 USB-C Laptop Situation

“A consistent complaint we hear from our customers across various workspaces is the challenge of dealing with noise and distractions that can make you less productive,” said Roger Ogborne, global solutions marketing at Poly. “The new Blackwire 8225 joins our extensive suite of headsets, designed for everyday wear, with the latest acoustic innovation so IT leads and end-users can feel confident in their experience, no matter where they are.”

For IT managers looking to outfit their workforce with the right devices to drastically reduce distraction and noise, the Blackwire 8225 series is an easy to use, plug-and-play solution. Along with its intuitive, stylish design, the Blackwire 8225 delivers exceptional enterprise grade audio performance – even in the noisiest environments. To oversee and improve workforce fleet deployment, IT teams can remotely manage the Blackwire 8225 with Plantronics Manager Pro, a software as a service solution sold separately.

For Microsoft Teams users, Blackwire 8225 offers a Microsoft Teams version to support an easy collaboration and communication experience. A dedicated Teams button provides instant access to the Teams desktop application for a seamless call, meeting, or collaboration opportunity.

“Today, more than ever before, workers are desperately in need of tools that allow them to concentrate during calls and meetings, block-out background noise, and enable one’s ability to work and communicate, effectively,” said Alaa Saayed, information and communications technology industry director and fellow, Frost and Sullivan. “Poly’s Blackwire 8225 uses Acoustic Fence technology to shield any sounds besides the speaker’s voice, and its hybrid active noise cancellation technology provides the user with a much more advanced noise blocking experience, leaving both the end-user and the far-end with a premium audio experience.”

For more information on Blackwire 8225 and the Blackwire headset portfolio, please visit: poly.com/Blackwire-8225