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From: 0003209613@mcimail.com (Sandy Kyrish)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Hello Direct's Conference Phone
Message-ID: <15166@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 3 Dec 90 02:05:00 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 861, Message 6 of 12


Jon Sreekanth described an NEC VoicePoint speakerphone unit and asks:

> Questions: Is such a product really new? Seems obvious. The moment I
> bought a speaker phone earlier this year, I realized it was simplex,
> and there could be a need for full duplex. Second, does it cost $1295?
> Is it harder to do room echo cancellation than what a cheap full
> duplex modem has to do?

No, the concept is not new.  Shure Teleconferencing Systems (among
others) has been selling an extremely high performance unit for years,
but at twice to thrice the cost.  Yes, the price is real.  Yes, it is
quite hard to do full-duplex with echo cancellation, especially for
calls carried by satellite.  And, the product "really, really works."

The International Teleconferencing Association awards committee (for
whom I am a judge) was so impressed with the price-performance of the
VoicePoint that we tabbed it the Outstanding Audioconferencing Product
of 1989-90.  This is not an endorsement; instead it is an exhortation
to anyone who has not used full-duplex speakerphone equipment.  The
difference is similar to going from 300 baud to 2400 baud, from SXS to
ESS.  It will permanently change the way you think about
audioconferencing, and it will enable you to achieve real hands-free
talking without that devastating barrel effect.  Your listeners will
not mind that you are on a speakerphone ... if they can tell, that is.