This sesson is led by Martin Daly, Senior Product Manager with Avaya. He manages the oneX phone product line.

He's talking about expectations and how people use their IP phones. This session is really about the desktop set needs.

He talked about the relevance of changing sets over time. The comparison of how we change cell phones was the stage setting point. We get new cell phones regularly because they enhance our productivty in some way. Leads to thinking about how people interact with their phone.

Even the relevance of the desk phone vs. A softphone on the PC or the mobile phone, Avaya sees quarterly shipments of dedicated IP phones on the rise. Costs lead business to want to eliminate the phone, but users want a desk phone.

Today we work in distributed, virtual, mobile teams. The work day doesn't start when you enter the office, and it does end when you leave. We need to manage our communications flow throughout the day. There are hundreds of features and services, but users generally don't know how to access them. Most use a very limited subset of available features and functionality. That needs to be intuitive.

There's a mismatch between how phones are deployed in business and the needs of the end user. The CEO is often given the most expensive phone, but it often isn't what they really need.

The big question are: - What to useds expect from their phone?
- How can we add eficiency vai the phone?
- How can a phone increase productivity?

Avaya hired an analyst and shadowed customers of a variety phones to leanr how people use phones in the enterprise. They also conducted a variety of web surveys and hosted focus groups regarding design and user interface.

Martin shared some quotes of some relly interesting responses. Voice was describedas more imnportant and personal than email. Some people keep their cell phone separate to distinguish between business and personal communications. And while technology can be an enabler, but some users will stick with old, comfortable telephone solutions.

When grouping results based on responses and findings, groupings didn't correspond to certainphones or age gourps. Behavioral patterns was the real commonality. Everyone has a distinct relationship with their telephone.

Phones are moving from being feature focused to user focused. It's a paradigm shift on the desk. There are four distinct use profiles or patterns.

Walk up - A phone that is never associated with a person. Hallway, conference room, courtesy phones. Very simple to use. Doesn't relly need advanced features other han directory and basic features.

Everyday - Most people, who need enterprise voice communications, but they use other forms too. It's a communications tool, but they use others too.

Essential - Sales executive, banker, project manager. This is the person who needs access to enterprise communications all day every day no matter where they are. They spend a lot of time on the phone.

Navitgator - Receptionist or executive assistant, Without a phone they can't be effective in their job. They need a lot of call appearances and one-button access to features.

Users want help, prompts and information displayed. They want instant access to directories. The want call control over features. They want ease of use. And they want voice quality - the best fidelity that's available. They want to hear nuances in conversations.

Can a phone really improve or impact efficiency? Yes. If it doesn't provide access to features and functions, it can be a dissatisfier and lead to lost productivity. Minimizing phone tag with find-me or follow-me services are universal wants.

Users interact with many different devices al day long. Those interactions drive expectations.

Nvaigation clusters, or the five way button, on cell phones are very popular and will find their way to the desk phone. Menu driven access needs to be easy. Contextual tures need to be available when needed.

Industrial design requires aphone looks professional, fits the environment, looks easy to use. Size of the display is a factor. Logical button grouping is important. Feel of the handset against the ear is very important to users.

The desktop phone is an important piece of the total telephony system purchase decision. It encompasses about 25% of the purchase decision, They think this percentage will grow to further ecnompass the ability to incorporate applications to the desk phone.

Interesting session and Martin clearly brings great research and expertise to the session.