Calisto 825/Calisto 820は、プラントロニクスのユニファイドコミュニケーション（UC）製品群の中では初めてとなるタッチセンサー式ディスプレイを搭載したスピーカーフォンです。

＜Calisto 825/Calisto 820製品特長＞

l 2.4インチカラーディスプレイとタッチセンサー式ダイヤルキーで、通話IDの表示、ダイヤル、応答、切り替え、ミュートといったPCと携帯電話（スマートフォンを含む）間の操作を画面上で簡単に実行。

l 付属のワイヤレスマイクを装着することにより、電話会議中でも自由に動き回りながら会議を進行することが可能。

l Bluetooth*または有線のヘッドセット（3.5mm）をCalisto 825/ Calisto 820につなげることにより、通話内容のプライバシーを確保。

l 音質に徹底的にこだわり、全二重方式のスピーカーフォンを採用、高級感溢れる豊かなサウンドと、先進のノイズキャンセルテクノロジーと連動したワイドバンド音声通話を実現。

Calisto 825/Calisto 820はMicrosoft* Office Communicator やMicrosoft* Lync*を使用して、複数のコミュニケーションデバイスを駆使する大企業から中小企業、SOHOにいたるまですべての組織に最適な製品です。

UCバージョン（Calisto 825/ Calisto 820）は、Avaya*、Cisco*、IBM*、Skype*などのソフトフォンに対応します。 - Mバージョン（Calisto^® 825-M/ Calisto^® 820-M）は、Microsoft* Lync* とMicrosoft* OCS 2007に対応します。

MDA200は、現有の固定電話や音声通信機器など企業の既存の通信設備を最大に活かしながら、UCへの移行を容易にするオーディオスイッチャーです。

＜MDA200製品特長＞

l オフィスの固定電話をプラグアンドプレイで簡単にUCのインフラに組み入れることが可能。

l シンプルなユーザーインターフェイスにより、有線またはワイヤレスのUSBヘッドセットによる着信応答、通話終了や固定電話とPC通話間の切り替えをボタンひとつで簡単に実行。

l Avaya*やCisco*、IBM*、Microsoft*などの主要なUCプロバイダーのソフトフォンに対応、既存の通信設備を活用しながら、UCの導入検討やテスト、採用が可能。

MDA200は、デスクを共用するフレックスワーカーを抱える企業、ホテル環境、固定電話への依存からPC中心の通信に移行しているコールセンター等に最適な製品です。

プラントロニクスについて

プラントロニクス社は1962年に旅客航空機用の軽量型ヘッドセットを発表して以来、ヘッドセットの専業メーカーとして、広く認知されています。1969年、人類で初めて月面着陸を果たした宇宙飛行士ニール・アームストロングの「一人の人間にとっては小さな一歩だが、人類にとっては大きな飛躍だ」という有名な交信の際にも使用され、NASAでの公式採用に始まり、現在ではユニファイドコミュニケーション用のビジネスソリューションから、一般コンシューマー向けBluetooth^®搭載のヘッドセットまで、50年にも及ぶ技術革新とオーディオ技術をもとに、高い品質の製品を提供し続ける、マーケットリーダーとして世界をリードし続けています。

カリフォルニア州サンタクルーズを本拠地とするニューヨーク株式市場上場企業であり、今日ではFortune 100のあらゆる企業で採用されているだけでなく、航空管制や、米国の911緊急電話サービス、ニューヨーク証券取引所などでも広く利用されています。詳細は、http://www.plantronics.com/japan/jpn/ をご覧ください。

Plantronics、Plantronicsロゴ、Calisto、MDA200はPlantronics, Inc.の商標、もしくは登録商標です。BluetoothのワードマークおよびロゴはBluetooth SIG, Inc.の登録商標であり、Plantronicsは同社からのライセンスの使用許諾を得て使用しています。その他、記載されている商標はそれぞれの所有者に帰属します。

Plantronics devices, such as the award winning Calisto® 835 and the Voyager® PRO UC, and software like InstantMeeting™, create a foundation for Smarter Working; making it easy to manage all of your essential communications regardless of where you happen to be working. As the center point for Smarter Working, the Plantronics portfolio helps you easily adapt to the way you want to work.

“The goal of our initiative is to empower you to seamlessly communicate with high quality audio across your mobile device, desk phone and PC without missing a beat,” said Renee Niemi, Senior Vice President of Communication Solutions at Plantronics. “By helping you focus on the conversation, rather than the technology you’re using, Plantronics gives you the flexibility to create a more rewarding work and life balance.”

Smarter Working is designed to give employees greater flexibility in where and how they work, empowering them to be their most productive while they enjoy a more rewarding professional life. By adopting advanced communications and design principles that support office, virtual and mobile work styles equally well, smarter working emphasizes business results over structured office hours and locations. Prioritizing people over place, smarter working delivers flexible solutions that fit how different people work and make it easier for them to work more effectively and successfully across work environments, wherever they are.

The conversation around workplace evolution continues as Plantronics kicks off its Smarter Working initiative with a web event on February 1, 2012 at 10 am PST. The event features video interviews of Plantronics executives and partner companies and can be found at www.Plantronics.com/smarter-working.

###

Plantronics, Calisto, InstantMeeting, Simply Smarter Communications and Voyager PRO Plus are trademarks or registered trademarks of Plantronics, Inc. The Bluetooth trademark is owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of the mark by Plantronics, Inc. is under license.

SANTA CRUZ, CA - January 31, 2012 - Plantronics, Inc. (NYSE: PLT) today announced net revenues of $183.2 million for the third quarter of fiscal year 2012 compared with net revenues of $181.6 million in the third quarter of fiscal year 2011.  Net revenues were within our guidance range of $175 million to $185 million provided on November 1, 2011.  Plantronics’ GAAP diluted earnings per share was $0.71 compared with $0.64 in the third fiscal quarter of 2011, exceeding our previously provided guidance range of $0.53 to $0.63, primarily as a consequence of stronger margins and a lower effective tax rate.  Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share for the third quarter of fiscal year 2012 was $0.75 compared with $0.66 in the same quarter of the prior year, exceeding our previously provided guidance range of $0.60 to $0.70 also primarily a result of stronger margins and a lower effective tax rate.  The difference between GAAP and non-GAAP diluted earnings per share for the third quarter of fiscal year 2012 includes stock-based compensation charges net of the associated tax and a tax benefit from the expiration of certain statutes of limitations.

“Strong growth in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (”EMEA”) and our Asia Pacific regions combined with increased Unified Communications (”UC”) revenues led to healthy year over year growth in our core Office and Contact Center (”OCC”) product group,” stated Ken Kannappan, President & CEO.  ”We achieved record operating income in the December quarter and remain optimistic about the opportunities for growth through the adoption of UC.”

The trend of UC adoption and growth in the EMEA and Asia Pacific regions contributed to an 8% increase in net revenues from OCC products in the third quarter of fiscal 2012 compared to the same period in the prior year.  OCC net revenues were $133.3 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2012 compared with $122.9 million in the third quarter of fiscal year 2011.  Net revenues from UC products grew by 87% to $25.2 million for the third quarter of fiscal year 2012 compared with $13.5 million in the third quarter of fiscal year 2011.

Mobile net revenues were $36.0 million in the third quarter of fiscal year 2012, a decrease of 17% from $43.2 million in the third quarter of fiscal year 2011, primarily as a result of a decline in the U.S. market and a loss of U.S. market share partially offset by strong international growth.

GAAP operating income in the third quarter of fiscal year 2012 was $37.4 million, resulting in an operating margin of 20.4% as compared to $36.5 million and an operating margin of 20.1% in the same period in the prior year.  Operating income exceeded our previously provided guidance of $31 million to $37 million.  Non-GAAP operating income in the third quarter of fiscal year 2012 was $42.0 million, resulting in a non-GAAP operating margin of 22.9%, exceeding our previously provided guidance of $36 million to $41 million.

“We finished the quarter with $359.5 million in cash, cash equivalents and short and long term investments after spending approximately $45 million on repurchases of our common stock.  We generated nearly $31 million in cash flows from operations in the third quarter of fiscal year 2012 and continue to have a strong financial position,” stated Barbara Scherer, SVP Finance and Administration & CFO.

Stock Repurchases

Plantronics’ shares used in calculating diluted earnings per share for the third quarter of fiscal 2012 were 43.6 million as compared to 45.7 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2012, a decline of approximately 2.1 million primarily as a result of the Company’s stock repurchases.  As of today, there are approximately 700,000 shares remaining to be repurchased under the Company’s authorized stock repurchase programs.

Business Outlook

The following statements are based on our current expectations and many of these statements are forward-looking.  Actual results are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and may differ materially from our expectations.

Plantronics has a “book and ship” business model whereby it ships most orders to customers within 48 hours of its receipt of those orders and, therefore, the level of backlog does not provide reliable visibility into potential future revenues.  In addition, our incoming orders have historically been low during the last two weeks of December and the first half of January and then increase significantly into February and March.

Subject to the foregoing, we currently expect the following range of financial results for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2012:

• Net revenues of $175 million to $180 million;
• GAAP operating income of $32 million to $35 million;
• Non-GAAP operating income of $36 million to $39 million, excluding the impact of $4 million from stock-based compensation from GAAP operating income;
• Assuming approximately 43.2 million diluted average weighted shares outstanding:
  • GAAP diluted earnings per share of $0.56 to $0.61;
  • Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share of $0.63 to $0.68; and
  • Diluted earnings per share cost of stock-based compensation to be approximately $0.07.

Plantronics does not intend to update these targets during the quarter or to report on its progress toward these targets.  Plantronics will not comment on these targets to analysts or investors except by its press release announcing its fourth quarter fiscal year 2012 results or by other public disclosure.  Any other statements speculating on the progress of the fourth quarter fiscal year 2012 will not be based on internal information and should be assessed accordingly by investors.

Dividend Announcement

Plantronics also announced that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.05 per share.  The dividend will be payable on March 9, 2012 to stockholders of record at the close of business on February 17, 2012.

Conference Call Scheduled to Discuss Financial Results

Plantronics has scheduled a conference call to discuss third quarter fiscal year 2012 results.  The conference call will take place today, January 31, 2012 at 2:00 PM (Pacific Time).  All interested investors and potential investors in Plantronics stock are invited to participate.  To listen to the call, please dial in five to ten minutes prior to the scheduled starting time and refer to the “Plantronics Conference Call.”  Participants from North America should call (888) 301-8736 and other participants should call (706) 634-7260.

A replay of the call with the conference ID #39697114 will be available through 3/12/12 at (855) 859-2056 for callers from North America and at (404) 537-3406 for all other callers. The conference call will also be simultaneously webcast at www.plantronics.com under Investor Relations, and the webcast of the conference call will remain available on the Plantronics website for 30 days.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Information

For the periods presented, Plantronics has excluded certain non-cash expenses and charges, net of tax, including stock-based compensation expenses related to stock options, restricted stock and employee stock purchases, purchase accounting amortization and restructuring and other related charges, along with the tax benefits from the expiration of certain statutes of limitations from non-GAAP operating income, non-GAAP operating margin and non-GAAP diluted earnings per share.  Plantronics excludes these expenses, charges and benefits from its non-GAAP measures primarily because Plantronics management does not believe they are part of Plantronics’ target operating model.  Plantronics believes that the use of non-GAAP financial measures provides meaningful supplemental information regarding its performance and liquidity and helps investors compare actual results to its long-term target operating model goals.  Plantronics believes that both management and investors benefit from referring to these non-GAAP financial measures in assessing its performance and when planning, forecasting and analyzing future periods; however non-GAAP financial measures are not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for, or superior to, gross margin, operating income, operating margin, the effective tax rate, net income or earnings per share prepared in accordance with GAAP.

Safe Harbor

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including statements relating to (i) our outlook for the UC market; (ii) our estimates of GAAP and non-GAAP financial results for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012, including net revenues, operating income and diluted earnings per share; (iii) our estimated stock-based compensation and diluted earnings per share cost of stock-based compensation for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012; (iv) our estimate of the diluted weighted average shares outstanding in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012; (v) trends and our predictions regarding ordering patterns for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012, as well as other matters discussed in this press release that are not purely historical data.  Plantronics does not assume any obligation to update or revise any such forward-looking statements, whether as the result of new developments or otherwise.

Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by such statements.  Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated are:

• economic conditions in both the domestic and international markets;
• our ability to realize our UC plans and to achieve the financial results projected to arise from UC adoption could be adversely affected by the following factors: (i) as UC becomes more widely adopted, the risk that competitors will offer solutions that will effectively commoditize our headsets which, in turn, will reduce the sales prices for our headsets; (ii) UC solutions may not be adopted with the breadth and speed in the marketplace that we currently anticipate; (iii) the development of UC solutions is technically complex and this may delay or obstruct our ability to introduce solutions to the market on a timely basis and that are cost effective, feature rich, stable and attractive to our customers; (iv) as UC becomes more widely adopted we anticipate that competition for market share will increase, and some competitors may have superior technical and economic resources; and, (v) our plans are dependent upon adoption of our UC solution by major platform providers such as Microsoft Corporation, Cisco Systems, Inc., Avaya, Inc., Alcatel-Lucent, and IBM, and we have a limited ability to influence such providers with respect to the functionality of their platforms, their rate of deployment, and their willingness to integrate their platforms with our solutions, and our support expenditures may substantially increase over time due to the complex nature of the platforms developed by the major UC providers as these platforms continue to evolve and become more commonly adopted;
• failure to match production to demand given long lead times and the difficulty of forecasting unit volumes and acquiring the component parts and materials to meet demand without having excess inventory or incurring cancellation charges;
• volatility in prices from our suppliers, including our manufacturers located in China, have and could negatively affect our profitability and/or market share;
• fluctuations in foreign exchange rates;
• the bankruptcy or financial weakness of distributors or key customers, or the bankruptcy of or reduction in capacity of our key suppliers; and,
• additional risk factors including: interruption in the supply of sole-sourced critical components, continuity of component supply at costs consistent with our plans, the inherent risks of our substantial foreign operations, and problems which might affect our manufacturing facilities in Mexico.

For more information concerning these and other possible risks, please refer to Plantronics’  Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 31, 2011, quarterly reports filed on Form 10-Q and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as recent press releases.  These filings can be accessed over the Internet at http://www.sec.gov/edgar/searchedgar/companysearch.html.

Financial Summaries

The following related charts are provided:

• Summary Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
• Unaudited Reconciliations of GAAP Measures to Non-GAAP Measures
• Summary of Unaudited Reconciliations of GAAP Measures to Non-GAAP Measures and Other Unaudited GAAP Data

View all

About Plantronics

Plantronics is a global leader in audio communications for businesses and consumers. We have pioneered new trends in audio technology for 50 years, creating innovative products that allow people to simply communicate.  From Unified Communication solutions to Bluetooth headsets, we deliver uncompromising quality, an ideal experience, and extraordinary service. Plantronics is used by every company in the Fortune 100, as well as 911 dispatch, air traffic control and the New York Stock Exchange.  For more information, please visit www.plantronics.com or call (800) 544-4660.

Plantronics, the logo design, Simply Smarter Communications and Clarity are trademarks or registered trademarks of Plantronics, Inc.  The Bluetooth name and the Bluetooth trademarks are owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and are used by Plantronics, Inc. under license.  All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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In slechts 4 weken tijd ervaart de helft van de deelnemers - die aan het begin van het onderzoek kampte met nekklachten en hoofdpijn, respectievelijk 54 procent en 44 procent – geen pijn meer. Het onderzoek toont bovendien een afname aan van de pijn in schouders en de bovenrug evenals een afname van het aantal dagen waarin zij pijn ervaren.*

De eisen van de modern werkomgevingen kunnen ertoe leiden dat gezondheidsproblemen op het werk nog verder toenemen, met name rugpijn en spierproblemen waaronder pijn in de nek en schouder. Problemen die worden aangeduid als een van de top drie oorzaken van langdurig ziekteverzuim van Europese werknemers (1) – en die elk jaar ongeveer 2,5% van het BBP kosten (2).

“Uit dit onderzoek komt duidelijk naar voren dat kleine veranderingen ten aanzien van de werkplek, zoals het voorzien van alle werknemers met een headset, een gezondere werkomgeving creëert waardoor ziekte en afwezigheid afnemen”, aldus Norma Pearce EMEA HR Director bij Plantronics. “Dit jaar willen we werkgevers nieuwe technologieën en producten laten omarmen die hun werknemers en het bedrijf ondersteunen op de lange termijn.”

Plantronics constateert dat het aantal uur dat aan conference calls wordt gespendeerd toeneemt (3). Kantoormedewerkers besteden hierdoor steeds meer uren aan de telefoon. Gecombineerd met de toegenomen werkdruk in de afgelopen decennia (4) binnen heel Europa kampen veel bedrijven met problemen vanwege verzuim aangezien werknemers afwezig zijn vanwege werkgerelateerde stress- en gezondheidsproblemen.

“Ons onderzoek toont aan dat als werknemers een headset dragen ze minder hoofd-, nek- en schouderklachten hebben. Klachten die vaak worden veroorzaakt door het gebruik van een telefoonhoorn die bijvoorbeeld tussen de nek en schouder wordt geklemd terwijl ze multitasken tijdens een gesprek”, zegt Sharon Docherty, PhD, onderzoeker bij het Anglo-European College of Chiropractic. “Deze bevindingen ondersteunen het gebruik van headsets in een kantooromgeving waar werknemers met regelmaat multitasken terwijl ze aan het bellen zijn. Als werknemers kunnen opstaan en rondlopen, kunnen ze hun boven- en onderlichaam meer bewegen - wat de gezondheid ten goede komt - terwijl ze nog steeds geconcentreerd kunnen bellen.”

De voordelen van een headset ten aanzien van de gezondheid zijn duidelijk. Er is een meetbaar risico voor iedereen die de telefoon twee uur per dag gebruikt. Door het gebruik van een headset kunnen telefoongerelateerde problemen worden beperkt en zelfs helemaal verdwijnen. Bovendien biedt een draadloze headset meer bewegingsvrijheid en maakt een einde aan inspannende bewegingen en onnatuurlijke houdingen, zoals het tussen de nek en schouder klemmen van de telefoonhoorn en het uitrekken van het lichaam om dingen te pakken. Headsetgebruikers kunnen effectiever multitasken en in onderzoek gaf 60 procent aan de headset nuttig tot zeer nuttig te vinden.

Daarnaast moet rekening worden gehouden met de behoeften van de nieuwe 50+ generatie op het gebied van ergonomie. De recente toename van het aantal 55-plussers dat wil doorwerken tot de pensioengerechtigde leeftijd, namelijk van 40 naar 71 procent (5) – vereist veranderingen op de werkplek. Voor meer informatie hoe je het beste uit je werkomgeving kunt halen en voor efficiënter werken, zie de brochure To smarter working for the ageing population.

Kijk voor meer informatie op: http://www.plantronics.com.

(1) European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS) 2007
(2) European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, 2010 - Eurofound, EWCO, Absence from Work Study, 21 juli 2010
(3) 83% geeft aan al hun tijd aan conference calls te besteden of ze frequent te voeren – How We Work: Communications Trends of Business Professional, Plantronics, 2010
(4) Vijfde Europese Working Conditions Survey (2010) van de European Foundation voor de verbetering van levens- en werkomstandigheden
(5) Bron: Equality and Human Rights Commission, UK januari 2010

* METHODOLOGIE VAN HET ONDERZOEK
Het onderzoek “The Effect of Using a Telephone Headset on Musculoskeletal Pain in the Upper Body” is uitgevoerd door het Anglo-European College of Chiropractic onder kantoorwerkers binnen Europa (Verenigd Koninkrijk, Duitsland, Italië). Plantronics voorzag iedere kantoorwerker in verschillende kantooromgevingen met de Plantronics CS60, C65 of Voyager PRO UC draadloze headset. Het onderzoek toont aan dat nieuwe headsetgebruikers, die de telefoon ten minste 2 uur per dag gebruiken, lichamelijk comfort ervaren door de telefoonhoorn door een headset te vervangen. De meerderheid van de deelnemers gebruikt de headset voor 2-5 uur per dag. Bij de helft van de deelnemers verdween de hoofd-, nek-, schouder- en rugpijn volledig. Van de andere deelnemers die nog wel pijn hadden, gaf 66 procent aan wel minder pijn te ervaren, zowel in het aantal dagen dat ze pijn ervaren als in het pijnniveau, door het gebruik van een headset. 59 procent vindt de headset nuttig tot zeer nuttig. Het onderzoek is uitgevoerd van november 2010 – januari 2011

LOTUSPHERE, ORLANDO, FL. January 16, 2012 – Plantronics (NYSE: PLT) today announced new unified communications software, Spokes™ software for IBM® Sametime®, to maximize the benefits of voice communication by untethering people from their computers. In addition, Plantronics also announced that Epilio is embracing the new Spokes software to improve employee communications globally and lower call costs.

Freedom and mobility can increase focus and productivity by enabling people to get up, move to a quiet area or access information while on calls. The Spokes software for IBM Sametime allows people to adjust the call volume, mute or answer a call with a Plantronics wireless headset. Visit the Plantronics booth at Lotusphere (#628) to view a demo of the software and learn more about Plantronics audio devices.

“We have deployed Plantronics Spokes software for IBM Sametime in the US and the UK,” said Carl Tyler, Director of Epilio Inc, “Our employees chose a Voyager PRO UC or a Savi DECT headset from Plantronics. Now they use their headsets to communicate with colleagues and customers clearly and confidently, effectively reducing telephone call costs and alleviating the need for international dialing to fellow employees.”

“Plantronics supports the vision of a truly social business environment,” said Joe Burton, senior vice president and CTO, Plantronics. “Our call control software enables users across the globe to benefit from the improved collaboration and cost savings that comes along with being able to quickly call or conference in colleagues, clients and business partners without being chained to their desks.”

Plantronics Spokes software for IBM Sametime is a 2012 IBM Collaboration Awards Finalist in the Enhancing Business Value through Sametime Solutions category. Spokes supports the most recent version of IBM Sametime and many of Plantronics’ most popular products, including the award-winning Voyager® PRO UC and the Savi® series. Plantronics Spokes software for IBM Sametime is available now.

The new Spokes software is an update of the Plantronics Call Control software for IBM Sametime which was named an IBM Lotus 2011 Award finalist in the “Enhancing Business Value through UC Solutions” category.

Plantronics, Savi, Spokes and Voyager are trademarks or registered trademarks of Plantronics, Inc.

London, UK – 17th January 2012 – A new study conducted by Plantronics (NYSE:PLT) and the Anglo-European College of Chiropractic reveals that office-based workers have seen significant reductions in back and shoulder pain by wearing a headset for calls.

In just 4 weeks, half of the participants who suffered neck ache and headaches at the start of the study (54% and 44% respectively) reported that they no longer experienced any pain. The study also showed a reduction in shoulder and upper back pain, with a decrease in the number of days during which they experienced the pain and their pain level.*

The demands of modern office working environments and practices can lead to increases in health problems at work, in particular back pain and musculoskeletal problems (including neck and shoulder pain) – which are commonly identified as being among the top three causes of long term sickness absence of European workers (1) – and costing approximately 2.5% of GDP (£13billion in the UK) each year in benefits, treatments and lost production (2).

Dr. Brian Hammond, CEO at National UK charity BackCare says “We see many office workers with acute neck and back problems which could have been prevented by taking simple measures at work - such as using a headset for calls and having ergonomic chairs and desk. This is a serious and preventable matter, by giving employee the right tools to support their daily task, everyone will benefit.”

“It’s clear from this study that small changes to the workplace, such as equipping all staff with a headset, creates a healthier working environment thereby reducing problems of sickness and absence.”  Norma Pearce EMEA HR Director at Plantronics comments “The call this New Year is to employers to embrace new technologies and products that will support their staff and business in the long-term.”

Plantronics has found that the amount of time spent on audio conference calls (3) is increasing, resulting in today’s office-based professional spending more hours on the phone than ever before. Coupled with increases in work intensity over the last two decades (4) across Europe, many businesses are facing problems of absenteeism as employees are taking time off work due to work-related stress and ill-health.

“Our study shows that workers wearing headsets reported a reduction in head, neck and shoulder symptoms - often caused by using a handset and cradling it between the neck and shoulder whilst multi-tasking on calls,” says Sharon Docherty, PhD, Researcher at the Anglo-European College of Chiropractic. “These observations support the use of headsets in an office environment where workers are routinely multi-tasking while speaking on the phone. For work routines that allow the user to get up and walk around in the office, this means increased health benefits from changing positions and being able to move the upper and lower body more freely– all whilst the user is still able to concentrate on the phone conversation.”

The health benefit of headsets are clear – there is a measureable risk for anyone using the phone for as little as two hours a day and by using a headset, phone-related problems can be reduced and even eradicated. Additionally, a wireless headset allows for fluid communications and actions and gives users a greater freedom of movement, meaning strenuous movement and unnatural postures, such as cradling the handset between neck and shoulder, and having to stretch to reach for things are eliminated. Participants are able to multi-task more effectively and in the study almost 60% admitted to finding the headset useful or very useful.

The health needs of the new over-50 work generation must also be considered in terms of ergonomic and acoustic requirements. The recent increase in the proportion of people over 55 planning to work beyond state pension age - from 40% to 71%(5) - means changes in the workplace need to be made to cope effectively with an ageing workforce. Learn how to get the best out of your working environment and work smarter here.

For more details please go to http://www.plantronics.com/uk/

(1) European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS) 2007
(2) European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, 2010 - Eurofound, EWCO, Absence from Work Study, 21st July 2010
(3) 83% said they spent either all the time or frequently on audio conference calls – How We Work: Communications Trends of Business Professional, Plantronics, 2010
(4) Fifth European Working Conditions Survey (2010) from the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions. Work intensity examples - high speed or to tight deadlines.
(5) Source: Equality and Human Rights Commission, UK Jan 2010

*Study Methodology
The Study entitled “The Effect of Using a Telephone Headset on Musculoskeletal Pain in the Upper Body” was carried out by the Anglo-European College of Chiropractic amongst office-based workers across Europe (UK, Germany, Italy). Plantronics equipped each office worker in different office workspaces with the Plantronics CS60, C65 or Voyager PRO UC wireless headsets. The study showed that for new headsets users, who use the phone for at least daily two hours per day, physical comfort can improve drastically by replacing the telephone handset with a headset. The majority of participants used the headset for 2 – 5 hours a day. For 50% of respondents, head, neck, shoulder and back pains “totally disappeared”. Of those respondents that continued to experience pain, most (66%) reported a decrease in head, neck, shoulder and back pains both in the number of days during which they had the pain and their pain level, after they started using a headset. 59% found the headset to be useful or very useful. The research was conducted from November 2010-January 2011.

Madrid, 17 de enero de 2012: Un nuevo estudio realizado por Plantronics, Inc. (NYSE: PLT)  y el Colegio Angloeuropeo de Quiropráctica revela que los trabajadores de oficinas han constatado una clara disminución del dolor de espalda y de hombros mediante el uso de auriculares para llamar por teléfono.

En tan sólo 4 semanas, la mitad de los participantes que sufrían dolor de cervicales y de cabeza al comienzo del estudio (54% y 44% respectivamente) declararon no sentir ya dolor. El informe mostró también una reducción del dolor de hombros y de la parte superior de la espalda y una disminución de los días en los que lo sintieron y de su intensidad*.

Las condiciones de las oficinas actuales y los malos hábitos pueden provocar un aumento de los problemas de salud de los trabajadores, especialmente del dolor de espalda y otros problemas óseos y musculares (entre los que están incluidos el dolor de cuello y hombros). Estas dolencias han sido identificadas como una de las tres causas principales de las bajas laborales prolongadas de los trabajadores europeos(1) y suponen un coste de aproximadamente el 2,5% del PIB de un país como el Reino Unido (13.000 millones de libras) cada año en prestaciones, tratamientos y pérdidas de producción(2).

El Dr. Brian Hammond, director general de BackCare (una organización británica sin ánimo de lucro dedicada al cuidado de la espalda), declaró: «Nos encontramos con muchos trabajadores de oficinas con problemas agudos de cuello y de espalda que podían haberse prevenido tomando simples medidas en el puesto de trabajo, como el uso de auriculares para las llamadas de teléfono y disponer de mobiliario de oficina ergonómico. Se trata de un problema serio pero de fácil prevención y todo el mundo saldría beneficiado si los trabajadores contaran con las herramientas adecuadas para la realización de sus tareas diarias».

«Este estudio demuestra el efecto que tienen las pequeñas modificaciones en el puesto de trabajo, como equipar a la plantilla con auriculares, a la hora de crear un entorno de trabajo más saludable que contribuya a reducir las bajas por enfermedad y el absentismo», afirma Norma Pearce, directora de Recursos Humanos de Plantronics para la región EMEA. Y añade: «El propósito para el nuevo año es que las empresas adopten nuevas tecnologías y productos que ayuden a sus plantillas y apoyen sus negocios a largo plazo».

Plantronics ha constatado asimismo que la cantidad de tiempo que se invierte en teleconferencias(3) está aumentando como resultado de que los profesionales que trabajan en oficinas pasan al teléfono más horas que nunca. Junto con el aumento de la intensidad del trabajo a lo largo de las dos últimas décadas(4) en toda Europa, muchas empresas se enfrentan a problemas de absentismo, ya que sus empleados faltan a trabajar debido al estrés y a los problemas de salud causados por su actividad laboral.

ERGONOMÍA Y CONDICIONES ACÚSTICAS, CLAVES EN LA SALUD DEL TRABAJADOR

«Nuestro estudio muestra que los trabajadores que usaban auriculares afirmaban tener menos síntomas como dolores de cabeza, de cervicales y de hombros, muchas veces debidos al uso de teléfonos convencionales y al hecho de sujetar el auricular entre el cuello y el hombro para poder hacer varias cosas a la vez durante las llamadas telefónicas», comentó Sharon Docherty, doctora e investigadora del Colegio Angloeuropeo de Quiropráctica. «Estas observaciones apoyan el uso de auriculares en las oficinas, un entorno en el que los trabajadores hacen normalmente varias cosas a la vez mientras hablan por teléfono. En el caso de las tareas que permiten al trabajador levantarse y moverse por la oficina, esto supone incrementar los beneficios para la salud derivados del cambio de postura y de unos movimientos más libres tanto de la parte superior del cuerpo como de la inferior, y todo ello sin dejar de prestar atención a la llamada telefónica», añadió.

Los beneficios de los auriculares para la salud son evidentes, ya que existe un riesgo medible para cualquiera que utilice el teléfono aunque sea tan solo durante dos horas al día. Sin embargo, mediante el uso de auriculares se pueden reducir e incluso erradicar los problemas derivados de las posturas en las que se hacen las llamadas telefónicas. Además, unos auriculares inalámbricos permiten comunicaciones y actividades más fluidas y conceden al usuario una mayor libertad de movimiento, lo que implica la eliminación de esfuerzos y posturas forzadas, como sujetar el auricular entre el cuello y el hombro y tener que estirarse para coger algo. Los encuestados podían realizar varias actividades a la vez de forma más eficiente y casi el 60% declaró, en el marco de este estudio, que los auriculares le parecieron prácticos o muy prácticos.

La salud de la nueva generación de trabajadores de más de 50 años se debe considerar desde la perspectiva de la ergonomía y las condiciones acústicas del puesto de trabajo. El reciente aumento de la proporción de personas mayores de 55 años que piensan trabajar más allá de la edad de jubilación —del 40% al 71%(5)— implica que es necesario que se produzcan cambios en los puestos de trabajo para compaginar la eficiencia con la creciente edad de los trabajadores. Si quiere saber cómo puede sacar el mayor provecho de su entorno laboral y cómo trabajar de forma más inteligente, puede encontrar más información aquí.

(1)    European Working Conditions Survey (Informe sobre las condiciones laborales en Europa), 2007.
(2)    Fundación Europea para la Mejora de las Condiciones de Vida y Laborales, 2010 — Eurofound, EWCO, Absence from Work Study, 21 de julio de 2010.
(3)    El 83% reconoció que pasa todo el tiempo o gran parte de él en teleconferencias. How We Work: Communications Trends of Business Professional (Nuestra forma de trabajar: Tendencias en las comunicaciones profesionales), Plantronics, 2010.
(4)    Fifth European Working Conditions Survey (Quinto estudio sobre las condiciones laborales en Europa), 2010, Fundación Europea para la Mejora de las Condiciones de Vida y Laborales. Ejemplo de intensidad laboral: gran velocidad o plazos reducidos.
(5)    Fuente: Comisión de Igualdad y Derechos Humanos del Reino Unido, enero de 2010.

* Metodología del estudio
El estudio, titulado Effect of Using a Telephone Headset on Musculoskeletal Pain in the Upper Body (Efecto del uso de auriculares sobre el dolor muscular y óseo en la parte superior de la espalda), lo realizó el Colegio Angloeuropeo de Quiropráctica entre  trabajadores de oficinas en Europa (Reino Unido, Alemania e Italia). Plantronics suministró a cada trabajador de oficina en diferentes espacios profesionales los auriculares inalámbricos Plantronics CS60, C65 y Voyager PRO UC. El estudio mostró que los nuevos usuarios de auriculares que empleaban el teléfono al menos dos horas diarias regularmente podían aumentar considerablemente el confort físico mediante la sustitución del teléfono clásico por unos auriculares. La mayoría de los participantes usó los auriculares de 2 a 5 horas diarias. El 50% de los encuestados declaró que los dolores de cabeza, cuello y hombros habían «desaparecido completamente». Entre los encuestados que seguían sintiendo dolor, la mayoría (66%) informó de que el dolor de cabeza, cuello, hombros y espalda había disminuido, tanto en la frecuencia diaria con la que lo sentían como en su intensidad desde que empezaron a utilizar los auriculares. El 59% consideró los auriculares útiles o muy útiles. El estudio se llevó a cabo entre noviembre de 2010 y enero de 2011.

LAS VEGAS - January 10, 2012 - Is poor audio quality ruining your game? Don’t let your Kill Death Ratio suffer. The Plantronics (NYSE: PLT) GameCom® 780^TM has you surrounded. The USB headset with Dolby® technology transforms standard audio into immersive 7.1 surround sound for the most realistic gaming experience.

The 780 features a noise-canceling mic that annihilates background noise so commands are heard loud and clear. Need to adjust volume? No problem. The controls are strategically placed right on the headset so you’ll always have your eyes on the game and the exposed superhero-strength cords and joints give it a look that rocks as hard as your game.

Matthew Kramer, senior product manager for gaming at Plantronics said, “High-quality audio and voice communication are a gamer’s right. So are ease of use, comfort, versatility, and value. Plantronics knows mission critical communications and the new GameCom 780 epitomizes that standard.”

The GameCom 780 features:

• Dolby® technologies for a stunning 7.1 surround sound experience
• Stereo sound with deep bass from 40mm speakers
• Noise-canceling mic kills background noise
• Speakers swivel for easy storage and stowage
• Easy-to-reach on-ear volume and mute controls
• Ultra-comfortable ear cushions and headband
• USB connection for digital clarity

CES attendees can experience the new GameCom 780 at the Plantronics booth located in the South Hall #31119. Visitors can test their skills with top professional gamers, including Method and members of team Dynamic and 3DMAX, while playing the highly-anticipated Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Not at CES? Watch the action live at http://gamecom.plantronics.com/ces.

Pricing and Availability

To celebrate the launch of the GameCom 780 and 380, BestBuy.com is offering a $10 gift card with purchase at www.bestbuy.com/plantronicsheadsetoffer between January 10-14, 2012.

The GameCom 780 is available for $79.99 MSRP today at BestBuy.com with availability on Amazon.com and Plantronics.com later this month. For gamers who already have a high-quality sound card, Plantronics offers the new GameCom 380 headset for $49.99 MSRP.

About Plantronics - Simply Smarter Communications^TM

Plantronics is a global leader in audio communications for businesses and consumers. We have pioneered new trends in audio technology for 50 years, creating innovative products that allow people to simply communicate. From unified communication solutions to Bluetooth® headsets, we deliver uncompromising quality, an ideal experience, and extraordinary service. Plantronics is used by every company in the Fortune 100, as well as 911 dispatch, air traffic control and the New York Stock Exchange. For more information, please visit www.plantronics.com or call (800) 544-4660.

Plantronics, GameCom, and Simply Smart Communications are trademarks or registered trademarks of Plantronics, Inc. Dolby is a registered trademark of Dolby Laboratories. The Bluetooth trademark is owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of the mark by Plantronics, Inc. is under license. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Santa Cruz, Calif. – December 22, 2011 - Few technology companies deliver game changing innovations in their 50th year. Yet, in 2011, the start of Plantronics’ fifth decade, the company brought to market new devices, software and applications that make it easier to use the most powerful communications tool available: your voice.

“The human voice can convey more information and emotion than any other communications medium and new voice-activated services are making the role that voice plays even more significant,” said Renee Niemi, senior vice president, Plantronics. “Superior audio and voice devices can optimize the accuracy and impact of these new services. Building on the offerings released this year, Plantronics will continue to deliver the products, software and applications that give people exceptional voice experiences.”

Innovations delivered by Plantronics in 2011 include:

· Voyager® PRO UC/HD - Industry’s first Bluetooth® device with smart sensors

With world-class sensor and noise cancellation technology, Plantronics’ latest Voyager PRO is the first Bluetooth device that knows when it’s on your head and automatically transfers calls accordingly. Combined with the ability to stream high-definition audio and superior comfort for an all day fit, this is the smartest device on the market.

· Marque™ M155 – Plantronics’ smallest and lightest Bluetooth device

Your smartphone’s new best friend. The  Marque M155, offers voice-guided pairing for iPhone and Android™ smartphones, voice recognition, and stereo Bluetooth (the A2DP standard), which allows you to listen to music, GPS directions or your email.

· Calisto® 800 Series - Award winning speakerphone, ideal for the home office

The Calisto 800 series simplifies your home communications by working with up to three devices. You can connect to and dial, answer or mute a mobile phone, home landline or softphone such as Skype™ and Microsoft® Lync™. The Calisto 835 was honored with the prestigious Best of Innovations Design and Engineering award, sponsored by the Consumer Electronics Association.

· InstantMeeting™ – App that connects you to conference calls with just one button

Designed to ease the pain of remembering dial in numbers, conference codes and leader PINs, InstantMeeting identifies conference calls in your calendar and then prompts you to access the call with a single push of a button. The app works with Android, BlackBerry and iPhone smart phones as well as Microsoft Lync or Skype with Outlook®.

· Spokes™ for Mac - Industry’s first software solution to support audio device control for Skype on Mac

This gives Skype users the ability to easily control calls when using their wireless Plantronics devices. Adjusting the call volume, muting or answering a call, while roaming freely improves the overall Skype communication experience.

· Savi® 700 Series - Office communications devices that connect to everything

The Savi 700 series allows you to connect to calls from a PC, desk phone, or mobile phone and switch between all three as required.  The Savi 740 features the lightest wireless DECT™ headset on the market, provides the user with a generous 350 foot roaming range, and auto-answers when the headset is picked up from the cradle.

· Blackwire® 435 - Super discreet, portable USB communications device

The Blackwire 435 is a USB corded device featuring a sleek and portable design that makes it extremely discreet and web-cam friendly. It also has a convertible wearing-style for maximum flexibility and convenience.

· CS500™ - The new line of long range wireless office headsets

A wireless system for desktop telephones featuring an updated design and the lightest wireless DECT headset on the market.

· UC Toolkit - Suite of free resources for getting the most out of unified communications

The UC Toolkit is an online resource tailored specifically to help IT professionals successfully deploy Unified Communications (UC) audio devices.

Please visit www.plantronics.com for more information or contact Russ Castronovo (Russell.castronovo@plantronics.com) for review requests

###

Plantronics, Blackwire, Calisto, CS500, InstantMeeting, Marque, Savi, Spokes and Voyager are trademarks or registered trademarks of Plantronics, Inc. The Bluetooth trademark is owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of the mark by Plantronics, Inc. is under license. iPhone and Mac are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. BlackBerry is the property of Research In Motion Limited and is registered and/or used in the U.S. and countries around the world. Microsoft, Lync and Outlook are trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Skype is a trade mark of Skype or its related companies.

Santa Cruz, CA - November 30, 2011 - Frustrated by the time it takes to dial into conference calls? Annoyed by the codes you have to use to dial into a conference call and the time it takes to get connected? Plantronics (NYSE: PLT) has an app for that. The InstantMeeting™ app, now available in the Android™ Market, BlackBerry App World™, Apple® App Store™ and for Windows® based PCs, lets you press a single button to dial into a conference call.

Designed to ease the pain of remembering dial in numbers, conference codes and leader PINs, InstantMeeting identifies conference calls in your calendar and then prompts you to access the call with a single push of a button. The app works with Android, BlackBerry® and iPhone smart phones as well as Microsoft® Lync™ or Skype™ with Outlook®.

“Eliminate the hassle of having to punch in more numbers than you can remember which can be hazardous while driving,” said Gunjan Bhow, vice president and general manager of New Ventures at Plantronics. “With InstantMeeting, you won’t waste valuable time for a conference call to start while everyone struggles to dial in.”

If you use Skype to connect to conference calls, the Outlook version of InstantMeeting is available as a free download at InstantMeeting.plantronics.com and the Skype app store. The Enterprise version, supporting Lync and Skype, can be downloaded by individuals or deployed by IT departments. Both versions identify conference calls and prompt you to dial in through Microsoft Lync or Skype.

InstantMeeting, coupled with Skype on your PC, makes dialing into conference calls free and extremely easy, no matter where you are. Features of the app include one touch connections, instant reconnection to dropped calls, and the ability to message other meeting attendees if you’re running late.

InstantMeeting is available for both enterprises and individuals; more information and links to download the app are available at http://instantmeeting.plantronics.com.

Individuals can get the app for $4.99 from the Android Market, BlackBerry App World and the App Store and enterprises can also license the software.

For more information on the enterprise version of InstantMeeting, please visit http://instantmeeting.plantronics.com/enterprise.

To see a video on InstantMeeting, visit http://youtu.be/vyHrAAajCJg.

Bloggers and media who are interested in reviewing this app should contact Karen Auby (karen.auby@plantronics.com) or Russ Castronovo (russell.castronovo@plantronics.com).

Plantronics, Simply Smarter Communications and InstantMeeting are trademarks or registered trademarks of Plantronics, Inc. Android is a trademark of Google Inc. Apple and iPhone are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. BlackBerry and BlackBerry App World are the property of Research In Motion Limited and are registered and/or used in the U.S. and countries around the world. Microsoft, Lync, Windows and Outlook are trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the US and other countries. The Bluetooth trademark is owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of the mark by Plantronics, Inc. is under license.

SANTA CRUZ, Calif., November 8, 2011 – Working from home and staying productive can be a struggle if you’re juggling different communication devices. Traditional speakerphones are great hands-free productivity tools if you don’t mind sounding like you’re muffled or in a tunnel.  Plantronics has the answer. The award-winning Calisto® 800 Series is the ideal speakerphone for the home office.

The Calisto 835 has been honored with the prestigious Innovations Design and Engineering award, sponsored by the Consumer Electronics Association. The award recognizes outstanding design and engineering in cutting-edge consumer electronics products. The Calisto 835 is honored as the best innovation in the computer accessory category.

The Calisto 800 series simplifies your home communications by working with up to three devices. You can connect to and dial, answer or mute a mobile phone, home landline or softphone such as Skype™ and Microsoft® Lync™. The speakerphone delivers excellent sound quality far better than the speakerphone in a computer, mobile phone or home phone. And more importantly, it is easy to mute a call and it is obvious to see when calls are muted.

“More people are working from home and using a speakerphone is an easy way to free your hands and be more productive, and the wireless mic in a Calisto 835 helps ensure you don’t sound like you’re using a speakerphone,” said Amy Huson, senior director of Enterprise Marketing at Plantronics. ”By working with a mobile phone, softphone and landline, people can choose the best way to communicate and sound professional while working from home.”

Setting up the Calisto 800 series is effortless and quick. In less than five minutes you are up and running. You can move around freely while on a call by using the portable wireless microphone or by connecting a Bluetooth® headset to the speakerphone when you want privacy. Additionally, this speakerphone features premium sound through echo and noise cancellation technology.

Pricing and Availability

• The Calisto 835 is a three-way speakerphone for the PC, mobile phone and landline which includes a wireless microphone.
• The Calisto 825 is a two-way speakerphone for the PC and mobile phone which includes a wireless microphone.
• The Calisto 820 is a two-way speakerphone for the PC and mobile phone.
• The Calisto 830 is a three-way speakerphone for the PC, mobile phone and landline.

MSRP ranges from $179.95 - $279.95 and retail prices range from approximately $140 - $195 from various online retailers. Please visit www.plantronics.com/calisto to learn more.

Media and bloggers who are interested in reviewing products from the Calisto 800 series should contact Karen Auby (karen.auby@plantronics.com) or Lerin O’Neill (lerin.oneill@plantronics.com).

Plantronics, Calisto and Simply Smarter Communications are trademarks or registered trademarks of Plantronics, Inc. Skype is a trademark of Skype Limited and used with permission of Skype Limited. Microsoft and Lync are trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the US and other countries. The Bluetooth trademark is owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of the mark by Plantronics, Inc. is under license.

NEW YORK – November 8, 2011 – Plantronics today announced that the Calisto® 835 Speakerphone has been named an International CES Innovations 2012 Design and Engineering Awards winner in the Computer Accessories product category. The Marque™ M155™ and the Blackwire® 435 received additional honoree accolades in the Portable Multimedia Accessories and Headphones product categories, respectively. Products entered in this prestigious program are judged by a preeminent panel of independent industrial designers, engineers and members of the media to honor outstanding design and engineering in cutting edge consumer electronics products across 32 product categories.

“Excellence in design and engineering are at the core of every product Plantronics creates, and it’s outstanding to see the CES judging panel continue to acknowledge our efforts with these coveted awards,” said Joe Burton, CTO, Plantronics. “Each one of the Plantronics products honored today can immediately change a person’s day-to-day communication and collaboration experience, making it faster, easier, and more intuitive. Innovation is at our core and we will continue to drive our technology to help simplify and improve the communication experience.”

Calisto 835

The Calisto 835 simplifies home communications by working with three devices. People can connect to and dial, answer or mute a mobile phone, home landline or softphone such as Skype™ and Microsoft® Lync™. The speakerphone delivers excellent sound quality far better than the speakerphone in a computer, mobile phone or home phone. And more importantly, it is easy to mute a call and it is obvious to see when calls are muted.

Marque M155

The ultimate smartphone companion, Marque M155 offers voice-guided pairing for iPhone® and Android™ smartphones, voice recognition so you can answer or ignore calls completely hands-free, and stereo Bluetooth® (the A2DP standard), which allows you to listen to music, GPS directions or your email, all while providing great stereo quality in the smallest, lightest weight design yet at just seven grams. The Marque M155 includes Vocalyst™ Voice and Text Services which allows users to stay connected with their voice and the MyHeadset™ app, available in the Android Market and App Store which helps users familiarize themselves with the product.

Blackwire 435

The Blackwire 435 wired USB headset allows people to get the most out of their computer audio. As more people use their computers for voice calls, video chatting and streaming music they need a headset that can keep up. The Blackwire 435 is very portable and has a sleek low-profile design, ideal for video. The headset features dynamic equalization (EQ) to optimize the audio for making calls or listening to music.

About the International CES Innovations Design and Engineering Awards

The prestigious Innovations Design and Engineering Awards are sponsored by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)^®, the producer of the International CES, the world’s largest consumer technology tradeshow, and have been recognizing achievements in product design and engineering since 1976. The Best of Innovations honor is awarded to the products with the highest judges’ scores and will be featured in the Innovations Design and Engineering Showcase at the 2012 International CES.

The Innovations entries are judged based on the following criteria:

• Engineering qualities, based on technical specs and materials used
• Aesthetic and design qualities
• The product’s intended use/function and user value
• Unique/novel features that consumers would find attractive
• How the design and innovation of the product compares to other products in the marketplace

Products chosen as an Innovations honoree reflect innovative design and engineering of the entries. Examples may include the first time various technologies are combined in a single product or dramatic enhancements to previous product designs.

Innovations 2012 Design and Engineering honoree products are featured on www.CESweb.org/Innovations, which lists product categories, as well as each product name, manufacturer information, designer, description, photo and URL.

Plantronics’ Calisto 835, Marque M155 and Blackwire 435 will be displayed at the 2012 International CES, which runs January 10-13, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Honorees will also be displayed at CES Unveiled: the Official Press Event of the International CES from 4-7 p.m. on Sunday, January 8 in the Venetian Ballroom of the Venetian.

Plantronics, Simply Smarter Communications, Blackwire, Calisto, Marque, M155, MyHeadset and Vocalyst are trademarks or registered trademarks of Plantronics, Inc.  iPhone and Apple are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Android is a trademark of Google Inc. The Bluetooth trademark is owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of the mark by Plantronics, Inc. is under license.  All other trademarks are the property of the respective owners.

SANTA CRUZ, CA - November 1, 2011 - Plantronics, Inc. (NYSE: PLT) today announced second quarter of fiscal year 2012 net revenues of $176.9 million compared with net revenues of $158.3 million in the second quarter of fiscal year 2011.  Net revenues were within our guidance range of $172 million to $177 million provided on August 1, 2011.  Plantronics’ GAAP diluted earnings per share was $0.60 in the second quarter of fiscal year 2012 compared with $0.52 in the same quarter of the prior year, exceeding our guidance range of $0.51 to $0.56 as a result of higher gross margins and lower average shares outstanding during the quarter.  Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share for the second quarter of fiscal year 2012 was $0.67, up 16% compared with $0.58 in the same quarter of the prior year, also exceeding our previously provided guidance range of $0.58 to $0.63.  The difference between GAAP and non-GAAP diluted earnings per share for the second quarter of fiscal year 2012 includes stock-based compensation charges and purchase accounting amortization, both net of the associated tax impact.

“The continued adoption and deployment of Unified Communications (”UC”) by enterprise customers in all major geographies contributed to an increase in Office and Contact Center (”OCC”) revenues, higher gross margin and record operating income,” stated Ken Kannappan, President & CEO.  ”Product revenues related to UC deployments grew by approximately 70% compared with the prior year quarter.”

The trend of UC adoption and growth in emerging markets contributed to a 16% increase in net revenues from OCC products in the second quarter of fiscal 2012 compared to the same period in the prior year.  OCC net revenues were $136.4 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2012 compared with $118.0 million in the second quarter of fiscal year 2011.  Revenues of UC products were $22.4 million for the second quarter of fiscal year 2012 compared with $13.3 million in the second quarter of fiscal year 2011.

Mobile net revenues were $28.3 million in the second quarter of fiscal year 2012, an increase of 3% from $27.6 million in the second quarter of fiscal year 2011 as a result of growth in international revenues due to a more competitive product portfolio and market share gains, offset partially by a decline in the U.S. as a result of some market share loss and overall weakness in the product category.

GAAP operating income in the second quarter of fiscal year 2012 was $36.9 million, resulting in an operating margin of 20.9% as compared to $34.0 million and an operating margin of 21.5% in the same period in the prior year.  Operating income exceeded our previously provided guidance of $32 million to $35 million.  Non-GAAP operating income in the second quarter of fiscal year 2012 was $41.5 million, resulting in a non-GAAP operating margin of 23.5%, exceeding previously provided guidance of $37 million to $40 million.

“We finished the quarter with $349 million in cash, cash equivalents and short & long term investments after spending nearly $90 million on repurchases of our common stock, inclusive of $50 million paid under a new accelerated share repurchase program announced in August.  We generated approximately $37 million in cash flows from operations in the second quarter of fiscal year 2012 and continue to have a strong financial position,” stated Barbara Scherer, SVP Finance and Administration & CFO.

Repurchase Activity

Plantronics’ diluted shares outstanding in the second quarter of fiscal 2012 declined sequentially by approximately 2.3 million shares from 48.1 million to 45.7 million as a result of its repurchase programs.  As of today, there are approximately 1.5 million shares remaining to be repurchased under the Company’s authorized share repurchase programs, and the Company expects to complete the repurchase of these shares by the end of its current fiscal year.

Business Outlook

The following statements are based on our current expectations and many of these statements are forward-looking.  Actual results are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and may differ materially from our expectations.

The December quarter has historically been a stronger quarter than the September quarter and the current bookings trend supports our belief that revenues will be in the ranges below.  Plantronics’ business is inherently difficult to forecast, particularly with continuing uncertainty in global economic conditions, and there can be no assurance that the incoming orders it expects to receive over the balance of the current quarter will materialize.

Plantronics has a “book and ship” business model whereby it ships most orders to customers within 48 hours of its receipt of those orders and, therefore, the level of backlog does not provide reliable visibility into potential future revenues.

Subject to the foregoing, we are currently expecting the following range of financial results for the third quarter of fiscal year 2012:

• Net revenues of $175 million to $185 million;
• GAAP operating income of $31 million to $37 million;
• Non-GAAP operating income of $36 million to $41 million;
• Assuming approximately 43.7 million diluted average weighted shares outstanding:
  • GAAP diluted earnings per share of $0.53 to $0.63;
  • Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share of $0.60 to $0.70; and
  • Diluted earnings per share cost of stock-based compensation to be approximately $0.07.

Plantronics does not intend to update these targets during the quarter or to report on its progress toward these targets.  Plantronics will not comment on these targets to analysts or investors except by its press release announcing its third quarter fiscal year 2012 results or by other public disclosure.  Any other statements speculating on the progress of the third quarter fiscal year 2012 will not be based on internal information and should be assessed accordingly by investors.

Dividend Announcement

Plantronics also announced that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.05 per share.  The dividend will be payable on December 9, 2011 to stockholders of record at the close of business on November 18, 2011.

Conference Call Scheduled to Discuss Financial Results

Plantronics has scheduled a conference call to discuss second quarter fiscal year 2012 results.  The conference call will take place today, November 1, 2011 at 2:00 PM (Pacific Time).  All interested investors and potential investors in Plantronics stock are invited to participate.  To listen to the call, please dial in five to ten minutes prior to the scheduled starting time and refer to the “Plantronics Conference Call.”  Participants from North America should call (888) 301-8736 and other participants should call (706) 634-7260.

A replay of the call with the conference ID #92477516 will be available for 72 hours at (800) 642-1687 for callers from North America and at (706) 645-9291 for all other callers.  The conference call will also be simultaneously webcast at www.plantronics.com under Investor Relations, and the webcast of the conference call will remain available on the Plantronics website for 30 days.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Information

Plantronics has excluded non-cash expenses and charges including stock-based compensation expenses related to stock options, restricted stock and employee stock purchases and purchase accounting amortization from non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP operating income, the non-GAAP effective tax rate, non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP earnings per diluted share.  Plantronics excludes these expenses from its non-GAAP measures primarily because Plantronics management does not believe they are part of Plantronics’ target operating model.  Plantronics believes that the use of non-GAAP financial measures provides meaningful supplemental information regarding its performance and liquidity, and helps investors compare actual results to its long-term target operating model goals.  Plantronics believes that both management and investors benefit from referring to these non-GAAP financial measures in assessing its performance and when planning, forecasting and analyzing future periods, however non-GAAP financial measures are not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for, or superior to, gross margin, operating margin, operating income, the effective tax rate, net income or earnings per share prepared in accordance with GAAP.

Safe Harbor

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including statements relating to (i) our outlook for the UC market; (ii) our estimates of GAAP and non-GAAP financial results for the third quarter of fiscal 2012, including net revenues, operating income and diluted earnings per share; (iii) our estimated diluted earnings per share cost of stock-based compensation for the third quarter of fiscal 2012; (iv) our estimate of the diluted weighted average shares outstanding in the third quarter of fiscal 2012; (v) our expectation to complete the repurchase of approximately 1.5 million shares by the end of our current fiscal year; and, (vi) trends and our predictions regarding ordering patterns for the third quarter of fiscal 2012, as well as other matters discussed in this press release that are not purely historical data.  Plantronics does not assume any obligation to update or revise any such forward-looking statements, whether as the result of new developments or otherwise.

Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by such statements.  Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated are:

• economic conditions in both the domestic and international markets;
• our ability to realize our UC plans and to achieve the financial results projected to arise from UC adoption could be adversely affected by the following factors: (i) as UC becomes more widely adopted, the risk that competitors will offer solutions that will effectively commoditize our headsets which, in turn, will reduce the sales prices for our headsets; (ii) UC solutions may not be adopted with the breadth and speed in the marketplace that we currently anticipate; (iii) the development of UC solutions is technically complex and this may delay or obstruct our ability to introduce solutions to the market on a timely basis and that are cost effective, feature rich, stable and attractive to our customers; (iv) as UC becomes more widely adopted we anticipate that competition for market share will increase, and some competitors may have superior technical and economic resources; and, (v) our plans are dependent upon adoption of our UC solution by major platform providers such as Microsoft Corporation, Cisco Systems, Inc., Avaya, Inc., Alcatel-Lucent, and IBM, and we have a limited ability to influence such providers with respect to the functionality of their platforms, their rate of deployment, and their willingness to integrate their platforms with our solutions, and our support expenditures may substantially increase over time due to the complex nature of the platforms developed by the major UC providers as these platforms continue to evolve and become more commonly adopted; failure to match production to demand given long lead times and the difficulty of forecasting unit volumes and acquiring the component parts and materials to meet demand without having excess inventory or incurring cancellation charges;
• volatility in prices from our suppliers, including our manufacturers located in China, have and could negatively affect our profitability and/or market share;
• fluctuations in foreign exchange rates;
• the bankruptcy or financial weakness of distributors or key customers, or the bankruptcy of or reduction in capacity of our key suppliers; and,
• additional risk factors including: interruption in the supply of sole-sourced critical components, continuity of component supply at costs consistent with our plans, the inherent risks of our substantial foreign operations, and problems which might affect our manufacturing facilities in Mexico.

For more information concerning these and other possible risks, please refer to Plantronics’  Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 31, 2011, quarterly reports filed on Form 10-Q and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as recent press releases.  These filings can be accessed over the Internet at http://www.sec.gov/edgar/searchedgar/companysearch.html.

Financial Summaries

The following related charts are provided:

• Summary Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
• Unaudited GAAP to Non-GAAP Consolidated Statements of Operations Reconciliations for the Three and Six Months ended September 30, 2011 and September 30, 2010
• Summary Unaudited Statements of Operations and Related Data on a Non-GAAP Basis

View All

About Plantronics

Plantronics is a global leader in audio communications for businesses and consumers. We have pioneered new trends in audio technology for 50 years, creating innovative products that allow people to simply communicate.  From Unified Communication solutions to Bluetooth headsets, we deliver uncompromising quality, an ideal experience, and extraordinary service. Plantronics is used by every company in the Fortune 100, as well as 911 dispatch, air traffic control and the New York Stock Exchange.  For more information, please visit www.plantronics.com or call (800) 544-4660.

Plantronics, the logo design, Simply Smarter Communications and Clarity are trademarks or registered trademarks of Plantronics, Inc.  The Bluetooth name and the Bluetooth trademarks are owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and are used by Plantronics, Inc. under license.  All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

###

■ 「Plantronics M20」 の特長

Ø 連続通話時間約11時間の長時間動作

Plantronics M20は、Bluetooth3.0の搭載によって連続通話時間を最長約11時間、連続待受時間約16日間という長時間動作を実現しました。

Ø iPhone専用バッテリーメーター

iPhoneの画面にヘッドセット本体の電池残量を表示し、充電忘れを防ぐことができます。

Ø 騒音や風の音を軽減するノイズキャンセリング機能

Plantronics M20には、「WindSmart」技術が搭載されており、歩行中などの通話時に風による雑音を軽減します。

Ø 状況に応じた音声案内機能

Plantronics M20は、音声案内機能を内蔵しており、通話時間や電源のオン・オフ、電池残量の低下や電波状態の悪化など、様々な状況を音声で通知する機能も搭載されています。（※英語）

Plantronics M20は上記特長に加え、プラントロニクス独自技術である「Plantronics QuickPair^TMテクノロジー_※１」、「セキュアシンプルペアリング(SSP)_※２」を標準搭載。Bluetooth^®対応携帯電話・スマートフォンなどの機器との初回のペアリングをより簡単に行うことができます。

(※1) Plantronics QuickPair™テクノロジーは、ワンタッチでBluetooth搭載携帯電話とのペアリングモードを設定できる独自のテクノロジーです。

(※2) セキュアシンプルペアリング対応のBluetooth^®搭載機器のみ可能です。

プラントロニクスについて

プラントロニクス社は、カリフォルニア州サンタクルーズを本拠地とするニューヨーク株式市場上場企業であり、1962年に旅客航空機用の軽量型ヘッドセットを発表して以来、ヘッドセットの専業メーカーとして広く認知されています。現在ではユニファイドコミュニケーション用のビジネスソリューションから、一般コンシューマー向けBluetooth^®搭載のヘッドセットまで、50年にも及ぶ技術革新とオーディオ技術をもとに、高い品質の製品を幅広く提供しています。今日ではFortune 100のあらゆる企業で採用されているだけでなく、航空管制や、米国の911緊急電話サービス、ニューヨーク証券取引所などでも広く利用されるなど、マーケットリーダーとして世界をリードし続けています。詳細は、http://www.plantronics.com/japan/jpn/ をご覧ください。

＊Plantronics、WindSmartはPlantronics, Inc.の商標、もしくは登録商標です。

＊Bluetooth®のワードマークおよびロゴはBluetooth SIG, Inc.の登録商標であり、Plantronicsは同社からのライセンスの使用許諾を得て使用しています。

＊その他の社名、製品名などは、一般に各社の商標または登録商標です。

プラントロニクスは今回の受賞以前よりマイクロソフト社から高い評価を得ており、2009年と2010年には「Device Manufacturing Partner of the Year」賞のOEM Hardware Solutions部門でファイナリストとなっています。プラントロニクスでは、マイクロソフト ユニファイド コミュニケーション(UC)向けに最適化されたソリューションを幅広く取り揃えています。

■ ユニファイドコミュニケーション(UC)向け製品

Savi (サヴィ)：　コンピュータ・テレフォニーやオフィス電話、携帯電話に用いられる、ワイヤレスDECTヘッドセットの製品ライン。最新のSavi 700シリーズでは、コンピュータ、オフィス電話および携帯電話で同一のヘッドセットを利用でき、通信が効率化されます。

(※注) 日本では2.4GHzワイヤレスモデル、Savi Talk (サヴィ・トーク) を発売しています。最新の「Savi700シリーズ」は日本の発売は予定されていません。

Voyager (ボイジャー)： Voyager PROは、プラントロニクスの代表的なユニファイドコミュニケーション用アプリケーション。最新のVoyager PRO UCにはスマートセンサー・テクノロジーが新たに搭載されており、携帯電話、タブレットやコンピュータへの発信を効率的に行うことが可能。

Calisto (カリスト)： USB対応スピーカーフォン、ハンドセットおよび電話機の製品ライン。USB対応スマート・スピーカーフォンの最新シリーズであるCalisto 800は、コンピュータや家庭用の固定電話、携帯電話への接続が可能。Calistoシリーズの主な特徴は、視覚的なコール管理、ならびに直感的な操作が可能なディスプレイとワイヤレスのラペルマイクを通して得られる、ヘッドセット並の音質の良さにあります。

(※注) Calisto800は、2011年冬に日本で発売予定です。

Blackwire (ブラックワイヤー)：　最大限のポータブル性、音質、使いやすさを指向してデザインされた、USB対応コード付きヘッドセット。最新のBlackwire 435は、柔軟性とポータブルさに優れたUSB対応ヘッドセットで、片耳あるいは両耳のどちらにも装着可能で、おしゃれなトラベルケース付き。

(※注) Blackwire 435は、2011年秋に日本で発売予定です。

高い評価を受けているUC向け製品ポートフォリオに加え、プラントロニクスでは、ITプロフェッショナル向け製品として、UCのトライアル、計画、デプロイ、導入および拡張といった、UC配備の各フェーズを通じてITマネージャーの管理を支援するオンライン・リソース、Plantronics UC Toolkitも用意しております。

(※注) 日本語版Plantronics UC Toolkit は、2011年秋にサービス開始予定です。

また、プラントロニクスでは、次世代クラウド通信サービス向けの優れたオーディオ・デバイスで、マイクロソフトの新たなオンライン・コラボレーション・イニシアティブである Microsoft^® Lync™ Online for Office 365をサポートしています。

プラントロニクスについて

プラントロニクス社は1962年に旅客航空機用の軽量型ヘッドセットを発表して以来、ヘッドセットの専業メーカーとして、広く認知されています。1969年、人類で初めて月面着陸を果たした宇宙飛行士ニール・アームストロングの「一人の人間にとっては小さな一歩だが、人類にとっては大きな飛躍だ」という有名な交信の際にも使用され、NASAでの公式採用に始まり、現在ではユニファイドコミュニケーション用のビジネスソリューションから、一般コンシューマー向けBluetooth^®搭載のヘッドセットまで、50年にも及ぶ技術革新とオーディオ技術をもとに、高い品質の製品を提供し続ける、マーケットリーダーとして世界をリードし続けています。

カリフォルニア州サンタクルーズを本拠地とするニューヨーク株式市場上場企業であり、今日ではFortune 100のあらゆる企業で採用されているだけでなく、航空管制や、米国の911緊急電話サービス、ニューヨーク証券取引所などでも広く利用されています。詳細は、http://www.plantronics.com/japan/jpn/ をご覧ください。

プラントロニクス(Plantronics)、Blackwire、Calisto、Savi、Simply Smarter Communications およびVoyagerは、Plantronics, Inc.の商標または登録商標です。Bluetoothの商標はBluetooth SIG, Inc.が所有する商標であり、プラントロニクス社はすべてライセンス認可のもとで使用しています。MicrosoftおよびLyncは、米国および他の国におけるマイクロソフト社の商標です。

Plantronics Savor M1100 は、世界中で多くのユーザーを獲得し好評を得ている「Plantronics Discovery^TM 975」と「Plantronics Voyager^TM PRO」をベースに開発され、洗練されたデザインと高い品質を実現したBuletoothヘッドセットです。

■ 「Plantronics Savor M1100」 3つの特長

Ø 高性能トリプルマイク搭載による強力なノイズ低減

Plantronics Savorはトリプルマイクによって、通話時に一語一語が明瞭に聞き取れるよう調整されます。3つのうち2つのマイクによって話者側の音声を正確に拾うと同時に、バックグラウンドノイズを除去します。3つ目のマイクは周辺の騒音が極度に大きくなると自動的に作動し、通話困難な環境でも快適な通話を実現させ、電池の駆動時間を最大限に伸ばします。

Ø Plantronics独自技術「AudioIQ3^®」、「WindSmart^®」を採用、良質な音声体験を実現

Plantronics Savorに搭載されている3つのマイクには、Plantronics独自技術のデジタル信号処理(DSP)テクノロジーの次世代バージョン「AudioIQ3」が採用され、ロボットのような機械的な声や金属的な音に聞こえないよう、自然な音質が維持されます。また、「WindSmart」技術により、歩行中などの通話時に風による雑音を軽減します。

Ø 英語音声コントロールと豊富な音声ガイド

Plantronics Savorは英語音声コントロール機能を搭載。着信時に「Answer(アンサー)」または「Ignore(イグノアー)」と言葉を発するだけで、電話に出るかでないかを選択することができます。また、電池残量の低下や電波状態の悪化など、様々な状況を通知する機能も搭載されています。_※1

Plantronics Savor M1100は上記特長に加え、プラントロニクス独自技術である「Plantronics QuickPair^TMテクノロジー_※2」、「セキュアシンプルペアリング(SSP)_※3」を標準搭載。Bluetooth対応携帯電話・スマートフォンなどの機器との初回のペアリングをより簡単に行うことができます。

また、Plantronics Savor M1100はA2DPプロファイルに対応しており、この1台で通話に加え、音楽・ポッドキャストやGPSナビゲーション_※4を楽しむことができます。_※5iPhone専用にヘッドセット本体の電池残量をホーム画面に表示するバッテリーメーターも搭載しています。

Bluetooth技術仕様としてBluetooth v2.1 + EDR（Enhanced Data Rate）＋eSCOを採用し、通信速度の向上、低消費電力、高セキュリティでの利用が可能です。

(※1) 本製品はヘッドセットの操作を英語音声でコントロールする画期的な製品です。そのため英語の発音やヒアリングが苦手なお客様には操作し辛い性質があります。

(※2) Plantronics QuickPair™テクノロジーは、ワンタッチでBluetooth搭載携帯電話とのペアリングモードを設定できるPlantronics独自のテクノロジーです。

(※3) セキュアシンプルペアリング対応のBluetooth^®搭載機器のみ可能です。

(※4) Bluetooth対応の携帯端末、スマートフォンの音声案内付きのナビアプリケーションの音声案内をヘッドセットで聞ける機能です。（全てのナビアプリケーションの動作保証をするものではありません）

(※5) 著作権保護された音楽やワンセグ音声の再生については、動作保証対象外です。

プラントロニクスについて

プラントロニクス社は1962年に旅客航空機用の軽量型ヘッドセットを発表して以来、ヘッドセットの専業メーカーとして、広く認知されています。1969年、人類で初めて月面着陸を果たした宇宙飛行士ニール・アームストロングの「一人の人間にとっては小さな一歩だが、人類にとっては大きな飛躍だ」という有名な交信の際にも使用され、NASAでの公式採用に始まり、現在ではユニファイドコミュニケーション用のビジネスソリューションから、一般コンシューマー向けBluetooth搭載のヘッドセットまで、50年にも及ぶ技術革新とオーディオ技術をもとに、高い品質の製品を提供し続ける、マーケットリーダーとして世界をリードし続けています。

カリフォルニア州サンタクルーズを本拠地とするニューヨーク株式市場上場企業であり、今日ではFortune 100のあらゆる企業で採用されているだけでなく、航空管制や、米国の911緊急電話サービス、ニューヨーク証券取引所などでも広く利用されています。詳細は、http://www.plantronics.com/japan/jpn/ をご覧ください。

AudioIQ、AudioIQ2、AudioIQ3、PerSono Suite、Plantronics、Plantronics Voyager PRO、Plantronics Discovery、Sound Innovation、The Voice of Unified Communications、WindSmartはPlantronics, Inc.の商標、もしくは登録商標です。

BluetoothのワードマークおよびロゴはBluetooth SIG, Inc.の登録商標であり、Plantronicsは同社からのライセンスの使用許諾を得て使用しています。ここに記載されているその他の商標はそれぞれの所有者に帰属します。

iPhoneはApple. Incの商標です。

Voyager PRO+^TM は、より豊富になった動作状況音声案内、高い雑音除去機能を搭載した、「Voyager PRO」のアップグレード版となる高性能Bluetooth^®ヘッドセットです。

■ 「Plantronics Voyager PRO+ ^TM」3つの新機能

Ø 楽曲再生プロファイル「A2DP」に対応

対応したデバイス間で高音質な音楽データをやりとりするプロファイルに対応。この1台で、通話に加え、音楽、ポッドキャストやGPSナビゲーション( _※1) を楽しむことができます。(_※2)

Ø iPhone専用バッテリーメーター

iPhoneバッテリーメーターとは、iPhoneとペアリングした際に画面右上にヘッドセットの電池残量が表示される機能です。本体の電池残量を表示することで、Bluetooth製品利用の際に起こりがちな｢充電忘れ｣を予防することができます。

Ø 動作状況音声案内(英語のみ)

電源On/Off、ペアリング状態、接続状態、残り連続通話時間、充電アラートなどを音声で通知する機能です。（※音声はすべて英語です。）

Voyager PRO+^TMは上記新機能に加え、プラントロニクス独自技術である「Plantronics QuickPair^TMテクノロジー(_※3) 」、「セキュアシンプルペアリング(SSP)(_※4) を標準搭載。Bluetooth^®対応携帯電話・スマートフォンなどの機器との初回のペアリングをより簡単に行うことができます。

Voyager PRO+^TM は、Bluetooth技術仕様としてBluetooth v2.1 + EDR（Enhanced Data Rate）＋eSCOを採用し、通信速度の向上、低消費電力、高セキュリティでの利用が可能です。

(※1) Bluetooth対応の携帯端末、スマートフォンの音声案内付きのナビアプリケーションの音声案内をヘッドセットで聞ける機能です。（全てのナビアプリケーションの動作保証をするものではありません）

(※2) 著作権保護された音楽やワンセグ音声の再生については、動作保証対象外です。

(※3) Plantronics QuickPair™テクノロジーは、ワンタッチでBluetooth搭載携帯電話とのペアリングモードを設定できる独自のテクノロジーです。

(※4) セキュアシンプルペアリング対応のBluetooth^®搭載機器のみ可能です。

プラントロニクスについて

プラントロニクス社は1962年に旅客航空機用の軽量型ヘッドセットを発表して以来、ヘッドセットの専業メーカーとして、広く認知されています。1969年、人類で初めて月面着陸を果たした宇宙飛行士ニール・アームストロングの「一人の人間にとっては小さな一歩だが、人類にとっては大きな飛躍だ」という有名な交信の際にも使用され、NASAでの公式採用に始まり、現在ではユニファイドコミュニケーション用のビジネスソリューションから、一般コンシューマー向けBluetooth^®搭載のヘッドセットまで、50年にも及ぶ技術革新とオーディオ技術をもとに、高い品質の製品を提供し続ける、マーケットリーダーとして世界をリードし続けています。

カリフォルニア州サンタクルーズを本拠地とするニューヨーク株式市場上場企業であり、今日ではFortune 100のあらゆる企業で採用されているだけでなく、航空管制や、米国の911緊急電話サービス、ニューヨーク証券取引所などでも広く利用されています。詳細は、http://www.plantronics.com/japan/jpn/ をご覧ください。

AudioIQ、AudioIQ2、PerSono Suite、Plantronics、Plantronics Voyager PRO、Sound Innovation、The Voice of Unified Communications、WindSmartはPlantronics, Inc.の商標、もしくは登録商標です。Bluetooth®のワードマークおよびロゴはBluetooth SIG, Inc.の登録商標であり、Plantronicsは同社からのライセンスの使用許諾を得て使用しています。ここに記載されているその他の商標はそれぞれの所有者に帰属します。

SANTA CRUZ, Calif., October 19, 2011 - People on the go have reason to cheer while Plantronics (NYSE: PLT) keeps them connected for days! Offering great style and exceptional audio quality affordable for everyone, the M50^TM headset combines Plantronics’ award-winning sound and noise reduction technology, best in class battery life and an updated style for today’s consumer. The M50 is one of the only devices at this price point to offer stereo Bluetooth® (the A2DP standard), for listening to music, podcasts or GPS directions. 

The M50 headset is Plantronics’ third consumer offering this Fall that makes communications easier and more intuitive for mobile professionals and consumers like you. This year, Plantronics delivered its smallest headset ever, devices with intelligent sensors that know when you’re wearing them, and apps that let you join a conference call from your iPhone® with just one touch or perform a sound check to ensure you can be heard clearly before you make that important call. 

“Our goal is to keep making communications smarter and easier, and we raised the bar this year across the board,” said Elizabeth Hamren, vice president of Marketing at Plantronics. “We maintained our history of exceptional audio quality and fresh designs, while adding device and software innovations so our new lineup provides the mobile experience you deserve, whether you’re using the device for work or play.” 

In addition to the M50 headset, Plantronics’ 2011 lineup of apps and devices that improve the mobile communications experience includes: 

Marque^TM M155 - Ideal for Smartphones; Enhanced with Apps

Plantronics’ outrageously small and smart headset that offers voice-guided pairing for iPhone® and Android^TM smartphones, voice recognition to answer or ignore calls  hands-free, and stereo Bluetooth® to listen to music, GPS directions or email in excellent quality. The MyHeadset^TM app, currently available in the Android Market and App Store, will do a sound check and familiarize you with the added functionality of your headset. 

Voyager® PRO HD - So Smart It Knows When You’re Wearing It

The first consumer headset that knows when you’re wearing it is also the smartest headset on the market. Plantronics Smart Sensor^TM technology cleverly routes calls to the headset when it’s on your ear and to the handset when it’s not. 

InstantMeeting^TM - Connected with Just One Touch

Plantronics InstantMeeting app now connects you to conference calls from your iPhone®, in addition to BlackBerry® and Android^TM phones, with just one touch. InstantMeeting scans your calendar, automatically inserts the dial in number and passcodes, and lets you notify participants if you are running behind so you’ll never miss or be late to a conference call again.   

Vocalyst ^TM - Stay Connected with Your Voice

Send email or text messages, post to Facebook and Twitter, or check the weather hands-free and more with the Vocalyst Voice and Text Services. A one year subscription to the cloud-based Vocalyst service is included with the purchase of select Plantronics headsets. 

M50^TM Pricing and Availability

The M50 headset is available now at retailers nationwide for $49.99.

Das neue Marque M155 verbindet Smartphone-Nutzer zu jeder Zeit, egal ob bei der Arbeit, im Alltag oder in der Freizeit. Die Verbreitung von Smartphones, insbesondere des iPhones, ist in den letzten Jahren stark gestiegen und Konsumenten haben sich schnell an die vielfältigen Nutzungsmöglichkeiten der All-in-one-Geräte gewöhnt. Ob als Telefon oder als Kalender sowie zum Versenden von E-Mails – ein Smartphone zu besitzen wird heute nicht mehr als Spielerei angesehen, sondern als Notwendigkeit. Nach IHS Research* sollen im Jahr 2015 sogar mehr als die Hälfte der genutzten Handsets Smartphones sein.

„Mit dem Marque haben wir ein Headset entwickelt, das die Vorteile vieler Smartphone Features unterstützt, wie beispielsweise die Möglichkeit Musik zu hören und Apps zu nutzen“, sagt Oliver Jungklaus, Marketing Manager D-A-CH bei Plantronics. „Das Marque ist Plantronics‘ aktuell kleinstes Headset und bietet eine exzellente Audioqualität in einem ultraleichten Design, um unser viel beschäftigtes Leben zu vereinfachen“, so Jungklaus weiter.

Myheadset™ app

Das Marque vereinfacht die Kommunikation für iPhone und Android Smartphone-Nutzer vor allem dank einer leicht bedienbaren App. Sie ermöglicht die Gerätepaarung mit nur einem Tastendruck sowie eine Überprüfung der Klangqualität vor wichtigen Anrufen, zeigt den Akkustand des Headsets auf dem iPhone an und hilft Nutzern dabei, zusätzliche Headset-Funktionen, wie zum Beispiel das Streamen von Musik, kennenzulernen. Außerdem findet der Nutzer hier alle wichtigen Informationen (z.B. Set-up Guide und FAQs), die normalerweise versteckt in der Bedienungsanleitung angeben sind. Support und Anleitung sind so stets nur einen Klick entfernt. Die App ist ab Oktober im Apple Store und im Android Marketplace erhältlich.

Preis und verfügbarkeit

Das Marque M155 ist ab Oktober für 59,99 EUR (UVP inkl. Mwst.) verfügbar und in den Farben Jet Black oder Arctic White erhältlich.

*Quelle: IHS iSuppli, August 2011, Mobile Handset Market Tracker Report, http://www.isuppli.com/Mobile-and-Wireless-Communications/Pages/Low-End-Smartphones-Boost-Market-Growth.aspx

+++ Bildmaterial steht unter http://plantronics.newsroom.euzum Download zur Verfügung +++

Hürth – 12. Oktober 2011– Plantronics erweitert mit dem  Voyager Pro HD Bluetooth- Headset sein Produktportfolio für Mobile Professionals. Dank der neuen integrierten Smart-Sensor-Technologie ist das Anrufmanagement mit dem Bluetooth-Headset jetzt noch einfacher: Das Voyager Pro HD aus der ausgezeichneten Produktreihe Voyager Pro ist das einzige Headset, das registriert, ob es getragen wird oder nicht. Durch Aufsetzen des SmartSets können eingehende Anrufe beantwortet und Audiodateien abgespielt werden, ohne eine Taste zu drücken. Die moderne Noise-Cancelling-Technologie ermöglicht eine klare Sprachübertragung selbst bei lauten Umgebungsgeräuschen.

Die InstantMeeting App von Plantronics sorgt für zusätzlichen Komfort in der täglichen Kommunikation: Die App bietet Mobile Professionals die Möglichkeit, sich mit nur einem Tastendruck bequem von ihrem iPhone, Android oder BlackBerry in Telefonkonferenzen einzuwählen. InstantMeeting synchronisiert den Kalender und gibt automatisch die Einwahlnummern führender Anbieter und die Zugangscodes ein. Der Nutzer muss sich keine Passwörter merken, verwählt sich nicht und verpasst keinen Konferenztermin mehr. Wird die Verbindung unterbrochen (z.B. wegen Empfangsstörungen), lässt sich das Gespräch mit einem Tastendruck wieder aufnehmen. Zudem kann der Nutzer alle Teilnehmer benachrichtigen, wenn er sich verspätet.

„Das Voyager Pro HD ist in Verbindung mit der neuesten Version von InstantMeeting  die ideale Kommunikationslösung für den Mobile Professional, der sich immer auf dem Sprung befindet“, sagt Oliver Jungklaus, Marketing Manager D-A-CH bei Plantronics. „Dank der intuitiven Bedienung vereinfachen die Produkte das mobile Arbeiten und steigern die Effizienz, indem Nutzer einfacher und schneller mit Kollegen und Geschäftspartnern verbunden sind.“

Smart Sensor technologie
Die einzigartige, intelligente Sensortechnologie macht das Anrufmanagement mit dem Voyager PRO HD zum Kinderspiel. Eingehende Anrufe können einfach durch Aufsetzen des SmartSets beantwortet werden. Beim Absetzen des Headsets wird der Anruf direkt an das Mobiltelefon weitergeleitet. Zusätzlich verhindert die automatische Tastensperre ein versehentliches Wählen, wenn das Headset nicht genutzt wird. Unter anderem informieren Sprachansagen den Nutzer über die verbleibende Sprechzeit, den aktuellen Verbindungsstatus und den Status der Mikrofonstummschaltung.

Myheadset™ app
Die MyHeadset App ermöglicht die Gerätepaarung mit nur einem Tastendruck, bietet eine Überprüfung der Klangqualität vor wichtigen Anrufen und hilft Nutzern dabei, zusätzliche Headset-Funktionen, wie zum Beispiel das Streamen von Musik, kennenzulernen. Außerdem findet der Nutzer hier alle wichtigen Informationen (z.B. Set Up-Guide und FAQs), die normalerweise versteckt in der Bedienungsanleitung angegeben sind. Hilfebereich und Anleitung sind so stets nur einen Knopfdruck entfernt. Die App ist ab Oktober im Apple Store und im Android Marketplace erhältlich.

Der Vocalyst Sprach- und Textservice
Der intelligente Sprach- und Textservice Plantronics Vocalyst ermöglicht  u.a. das Verschicken und Anhören von E-Mails, das Posten von Audio-Nachrichten bei Twitter und Facebook, das Anhören von Streams und das Empfangen von Nachrichten, Sport und Wetter. Mit Plantronics Vocalyst können diese Dienste bequem per Sprachbefehl gesteuert werden. Der Vocalyst Service ist für Nutzer des Voyager Pro HD für ein Jahr kostenlos. Mit nur wenigen einfachen Schritten legen Anwender unter www.plantronics.de/myheadset ihre Sprache fest und aktivieren den Service.

beste Soundqualität
Wie schon die Vorgängermodelle nutzt das Voyager Pro HD innovative Technologien für eine klare und natürliche Sprachqualität. Drei leistungsstarke Mikrofone mit AudioIQ³-Technologie filtern Hintergrundgeräusche heraus und sorgen so für eine klare und deutliche Stimmübertragung. A2DP-Technologie ermöglicht zudem das Streamen von Audiodateien, damit Nutzer auch unterwegs Musik, GPS-Informationen oder dank Vocalyst auch E-Mails in gewohnter Plantronics Stereo-Soundqualität hören können.

Preise und verfügbarkeit
Das Voyager Pro HD ist ab sofort für 99, 99 EUR (UVP inkl. Mwst.) verfügbar.  Die Plantronics InstantMeeting App ist im Apple App Store unter http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/plantronics-instantmeeting/id465992873 und im Android Marketplace erhältlich.

+++ Bildmaterial steht unter http://plantronics.newsroom.eu zum Download zur Verfügung +++

Voyager PRO, Mobile Choice Consumer Awards 2009, Best Bluetooth Headset, Voyager PRO+, Mobile Choice Consumer Awards 2011, Best Bluetooth Headset

Madrid, 04  de octubre de 2011 – Plantronics (NYSE: PLT) ha ampliado hoy su gama de productos de Bluetooth® con el lanzamiento del auricular Marque M155 Bluetooth®. Diseñado para ser el compañero ideal del iPhone y el smartphone Android, el auricular Marque es elegante, ligero y fácil de usar. Está provisto de un sistema de reconocimiento de voz con el que los usuarios pueden contestar o no atender llamadas sin usar las manos. Además, cuenta con funciones de streaming de audio que permiten a los usuarios escuchar música, buscar direcciones en el GPS o enviar e-mails a la vez que disfrutan del sonido estéreo de calidad al que están acostumbrados los clientes de Plantronics. Los usuarios de Marque pueden disfrutar de todo ello mediante una aplicación gratuita de iPhone o Android.

Plantronics se esfuerza por ayudar a los usuarios de smartphone a seguir conectados tanto en el trabajo como en la vida diaria o deportiva y está convencida de que Marque facilitará esta transición. El uso de smartphones, como el iPhone, ha experimentado un crecimiento impresionante en los últimos años y los consumidores han empezado rápidamente a depender de los dispositivos “todo en uno”.  Ya sea para usarlo como teléfono, como agenda, como dispositivo para enviar correos electrónicos o para todo ello a la vez, tener un smartphone ya no se ve como simplemente inteligente, sino como necesario. De hecho, IHS Research* informa de que en el 2015 más de la mitad de los teléfonos móviles serán smartphone.

«Hemos diseñado un auricular que utiliza muchas prestaciones de smartphone, como oír música y usar aplicaciones», declaró Stuart Bradshaw, director del departamento de Marketing de Consumo de Plantronics para la región EMEA.«El Marque es el auricular más pequeño de Plantronics y ofrece una excelente calidad de sonido en un diseño increíblemente ligero para complementar y simplificar nuestra ajetreada vida».

LA APLICACIÓN MYHEADSET™ LO HACE MÁS FÁCIL
El Marque hace que comunicar con los iPhone o los smartphones Android sea más sencillo gracias a una aplicación de fácil uso que se puede conseguir en el Android Market o en la Apple App Store. La aplicación permite conectar dispositivos con una sola pulsación y realiza además una prueba de sonido antes de hacer una llamada importante, e incluso ayuda a los usuarios a familiarizarse con las funciones añadidas de los auriculares, como es el streaming de música. La aplicación también ofrece a los usuarios toda la información que generalmente se encuentra dentro de la caja, como la guía de configuración y una sección de preguntas frecuentes, lo que significa que el usuario tendrá toda la ayuda y los consejos necesarios en todo momento al alcance de su mano. Incluso indica en la pantalla del iPhone el nivel de batería del Marque.

el nuevo mejor amigo de tu smartphone
El Marque es el compañero perfecto para el smartphone, con un diseño de elegantes curvas disponible en negro azabache o blanco ártico para una coordinación perfecta con otros accesorios. Además, el Marque viene con un innovador cable USB de carga 2 en 1, de modo que los usuarios pueden cargar cómodamente al mismo tiempo el auricular y el smartphone sin necesidad de tener que usar varios adaptadores de carga.

PRECIO Y DISPONIBILIDAD
El Marque M155 está disponible desde finales de octubre a un precio de 59,99€ en tiendas seleccionadas de electrónica. Si desea más información, visite: www.plantronics.com.

* Fuente: IHS iSuppli, agosto de 2011, Mobile Handset Market Tracker Report, http://www.isuppli.com/Mobile-and-Wireless-Communications/Pages/Low-End-Smartphones-Boost-Market-Growth.aspx

Santa Cruz, CA, October 13, 2011 – Plantronics (NYSE: PLT), a leader in audio communications, today announced that it supports call management for Skype® on a Mac®. This gives Skype users the ability to easily control calls when using their wireless Plantronics® headsets. Adjusting the call volume, muting or answering a call while roaming freely improves the overall Skype communication experience.

The software, coupled with Plantronics’ wireless audio devices renowned for sound quality, comfort, and ease-of-use, enables users to continue their conversations on Skype even when they step away from their Mac. This industry-first functionality ensures a professional-grade communications experience when using Skype on a Mac.

“Mac users make up an enormous and growing portion of the business community, and their desire to communicate using VoIP is increasing accordingly,” said Amy Huson, director of Marketing, Plantronics. “Plantronics has extensive experience enabling PC based communications for enterprises and integrating with leading unified communications platforms. We couldn’t be more pleased to extend similar expertise in call control to Mac users. Mac fans are now free to roam while using Skype without having to step back to their computer to interface with a screen just to end a call or turn up the volume; clearly a much more intuitive and efficient way to both work and communicate.”

Plantronics Spokes™ for Mac 1.01 supports Skype v5.1 or higher, Apple Mac OS X™ v10.6.8 Snow Leopard®, Apple Mac OS X™ v10.7 Lion™, and many of Plantronics’ most popular products, including the award-winning Voyager® PRO UC, the Savi® office series, and wired Blackwire® devices. Plantronics Spokes software for Mac is available now on Plantronics Download and Apps page.

As part of the Spokes for Mac launch, Plantronics has expanded its online user forum, the Sounding Board, to include the Mac community. Please visit the Plantronics’ Sounding Board for Mac OS X to join the conversation.

Plantronics, Simply Smarter Communications, Blackwire, Savi, Spokes and Voyager are trademarks or registered trademarks of Plantronics, Inc. Mac, Apple, OS X, Snow Leopard, and Lion are trademarks or registered trademarks of Apple, Inc. The Bluetooth trademark is owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc., and any use of the mark by Plantronics, Inc. is under license. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

]]> http://press.plantronics.com/us/plantronics%e2%80%99-new-software-for-mac-provides-freedom-and-mobility-for-skype-users/feed/ http://press.plantronics.com/us/plantronics-simplifies-communication-for-the-busy-professional-on-the-go/ http://press.plantronics.com/us/plantronics-simplifies-communication-for-the-busy-professional-on-the-go/#comments Tue, 11 Oct 2011 15:00:10 +0000 lguarino http://press.plantronics.com/?p=4307 Introducing Voyager PRO HD with Sensors and InstantMeeting Conference Calling App

Santa Cruz, Calif., October 11, 2011 - Professionals on the go now have new tools to make work and life a little easier. With world-class sensor and noise cancellation technology, Plantronics‘ Voyager® PRO HD is the first consumer headset that knows when you’re wearing it. Simply place it on your ear and Plantronics’ Smart Sensor^TM technology automatically transfers calls to your headset. Combined with the ability to stream high-definition audio and superior comfort for an all day fit, Voyager PRO HD is the smartest headset on the market.

Adding unparalleled convenience for the mobile professional, Plantronics InstantMeeting^TM app now connects you to conference calls from your iPhone®, in addition to BlackBerry® and Android^TM phones, with just one touch. InstantMeeting scans your calendar, automatically inserts the dial in number and passcodes, and lets you notify participants if you are running late so you’ll never miss or be late to a conference call again. 

“Plantronics technology is about improving the communications experience and delivering instinctive products that simplify your everyday life,” said Elizabeth Hamren, vice president of Marketing, Plantronics. “The Voyager PRO HD and the latest release of InstantMeeting redefine mobile productivity so you can quickly and easily get connected and get on with your work and life.” 

Smart Sensor Technology

Making and receiving calls is simpler with Smart Sensor technology in the Voyager PRO HD. The headset knows when you are wearing it so it cleverly routes calls to the headset when it’s on your ear and to the handset when it’s not. Voyager PRO HD also has a locking call mechanism when it is not worn to eliminate accidental calling, and you can answer incoming calls simply by putting the headset on your ear - no buttons to press, applications to open or voice commands required. And if you are listening to music or other audio taking off the headset will automatically pause the stream. Voyager PRO HD also features enhanced voice alerts that announce remaining talk time, connection status, battery-level and mute. 

Stay Connected with Your Voice

With Vocalyst^TM Voice and Text Services you can send and listen to email or text messages, post to Facebook and Twitter, or check the weather-hands-free. A one year subscription to the cloud-based Vocalyst service is included with purchase of the Voyager PRO HD.  

Superior Sound Quality

Like its predecessors, Voyager PRO HD boasts award-winning sound quality, noise cancellation, and three layers of wind noise reduction technology to ensure that your voice is heard clearly regardless of the sort of environment you’re in. Plantronics HD audio plus Vocalyst is for more than just answering calls, you can listen to music, follow GPS directions, or check social media platforms and email. 

Pricing and Availability

Voyager PRO HD is available now for $99.99 at Amazon.com, Best Buy, Plantronics.com, Sprint, and Staples and coming soon to Radio Shack and other select retailers and wireless carriers nationwide. 

The Plantronics InstantMeeting app is available for $4.99 in the Apple App Store, Android App Market, and BlackBerry App World. To celebrate the launch of the iPhone version, InstantMeeting is available in the Apple App Store for free until October 14, 2011.

Hoofddorp, 29 september 2011 – Plantronics (NYSE: PLT) breidt vandaag zijn portfolio bluetooth producten uit met de lancering van de Plantronics Marque M155 bluetooth headset. De headset heeft een strak ontwerp, is licht, gemakkelijk te gebruiken en zeer geschikt voor de iPhone en Android smartphones. De headset is uitgerust met spraakherkenning zodat gebruikers gesprekken handsfree kunnen beantwoorden of negeren. Daarnaast is hij verrijkt met audio streaming mogelijkheden waarmee de gebruiker kan luisteren naar muziek, GPS-instructies of e-mail terwijl men kan vertrouwen op de goede stereokwaliteit die Plantronics-klanten gewend zijn. Marque-gebruikers hebben tot dit alles toegang via een gratis iPhone of Android app.

Het gebruik van smartphones, zoals de iPhone, is de afgelopen jaren sterk gegroeid en consumenten zijn inmiddels afhankelijk van deze all-in-one apparaten. Of het nu gebruikt wordt als een telefoon, een agenda, een e-mail-apparaat, of al het bovenstaande, de smartphone wordt niet meer gezien als handig maar als noodzaak. Uit onderzoek van IHS Research* blijkt dat in 2015 meer dan de helft van de mobiele telefoons smartphones zullen zijn.

“Wij hebben een headset ontworpen waarmee men gebruik kan maken van de vele smartphone-functies, zoals het luisteren naar muziek en het gebruiken van applicaties”, zegt Stuart Bradshaw, Plantronics EMEA Head of Consumer Marketing. “Marque, de kleinste headset van Plantronics, die ontzettend licht is en uitstekende geluidskwaliteit biedt, vereenvoudigt onze drukke levens.”

De headset vereenvoudigt de communicatie voor iPhone en Android-smartphone-gebruikers met een applicatie, die momenteel beschikbaar is in de Android Market en de Apple App Store. De app doet een sound check voordat je een belangrijk gesprek voert en helpt gebruikers de extra functionaliteiten van de headset te ontdekken. Daarnaast biedt de app alle informatie, die normaal in de doos zit zoals een handleiding, en toont het zelfs het batterijniveau van Marque op je iPhone-scherm.

De Marque is een goede aanvulling voor smartphones, met een strak gebogen design dat zowel beschikbaar is in Jet Black of Arctic White. Daarnaast wordt de Marque geleverd met een innovatieve 2-in-1 USB-oplaadkabel, zodat gebruikers hun headset en smartphone gemakkelijk samen kunnen opladen zonder dat ze meerdere adapters nodig hebben.

PRIJS EN BESCHIKBAARHEID
Marque M155 is vanaf eind oktober beschikbaar en kost € 59,99.

*Bron: IHS iSuppli, August 2011, Mobile Handset Market Tracker Report, http://www.isuppli.com/Mobile-and-Wireless-Communications/Pages/Low-End-Smartphones-Boost-Market-Growth.aspx

London, UK - 11^th October 2011 - Plantronics (NYSE: PLT) today extended its family of Bluetooth® products with the launch of the Plantronics Voyager PRO HD Bluetooth® headset. Part of the award-winning Voyager PRO line[1], the Plantronics‘ Voyager PRO HD is designed to make work and life easier for professionals on the go and is the first consumer headset that knows when you’re wearing it. Simply place it on your ear and Plantronics’ Smart Sensor^TM technology automatically transfers calls to your headset. With world-class sensor and noise cancellation technology, combined with the ability to stream high-definition audio and superior comfort for an all day fit, the Voyager PRO HD is the smartest headset on the market.

Adding unparalleled convenience for the mobile professional, Plantronics InstantMeeting now connects you to conference calls from your iPhone, in addition to BlackBerry and Android phones, with just one touch. InstantMeeting scans your calendar, automatically inserts all phone numbers and passcodes, reminds you of your calls, and lets you notify participants if you are running late so you’ll never miss or be late to a meeting again.

“Together with the latest release of InstantMeeting, the Voyager PRO HD provides the ideal communication solution for busy business professionals on the move,” said Stuart Bradshaw, Plantronics EMEA Head of Consumer Marketing. “These intuitive products simplify communications and redefine mobile productivity so users can quickly and easily get connected and get on with their work and life.”

Smart Sensor Technology

Making and receiving calls is simpler with Smart Sensor technology in the Voyager PRO HD. The headset knows when you are wearing it so it cleverly routes calls to the headset when it’s on your ear and to the handset when it’s not. Voyager PRO HD also has a locking call mechanism when it is not worn to eliminate accidental calling, and you can answer incoming calls simply by putting the headset on your ear - no buttons to press, applications to open or voice commands required. Its enhanced voice alerts announce remaining talk time, connection status, battery-level and mute.

Myheadset^TM App Makes it Easier

The Voyager PRO HD app, currently available in the Android Market, provides one-touch pairing and a sound check before you make that important call and also helps users familiarize themselves with the added functionality of the headset, such as streaming music. All the information usually found hidden inside the box is now on screen thanks to the app, such as a set-up guide and FAQs, meaning all support and guidance is at the tips of your fingers any time.

Superior Sound Quality

Like its predecessors, Voyager PRO HD boasts award-winning sound quality, noise cancellation, and three layers of wind noise reduction technology to ensure that your voice is heard clearly regardless of the sort of environment you’re in. Plantronics HD audio is for more than just answering calls, you can listen to music, follow GPS directions, or check social media platforms and email.

Stay Connected with Your Voice

With Vocalyst Voice and Text Services you can send and listen to email or text messages, post to Facebook and Twitter, or check the weather-hands-free. A one-year subscription to the cloud-based Vocalyst service is included with purchase of the Voyager PRO HD.

Pricing & Availability

The Voyager PRO HD is available for £89.99 / €99.99 from selected electronic retailers from October onwards. The Plantronics InstantMeeting app is available today in the Apple App Store  - http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/plantronics-instantmeeting/id465992873

La ricerca di Plantronics è fortemente orientata ad aiutare chi usa gli smartphone a restare connesso per lavoro, vita privata o svago e sicuramente Marque semplifica questi passaggi. Gli smartphone, così come l’iPhone, hanno avuto una crescita importante negli ultimi anni e i consumatori hanno rapidamente sviluppato una dipendenza dagli strumenti all-in-one. Usato come telefono, agenda o per inviare e-mail, lo smartphone è ora visto non solo come una scelta intelligente, ma come una vera necessità. La ricerca condotta da IHS* riporta che entro il 2015, più della metà dei cellulari in uso saranno smartphone.

“Abbiamo progettato un auricolare che si avvale di molte funzioni degli smartphone, come ad esempio ascoltare musica e usare app”, ha detto Stuart Bradshaw, Plantronics EMEA Head of Consumer Marketing “Marque è il più piccolo auricolare Plantronics che offre un’eccellente qualità del suono con un design sorprendentemente leggero, per completare e semplificare le nostre caotiche vite”.

MYHEADSET ™ APP RENDE TUTTO PIÙ FACILE
Marque semplifica la comunicazione per gli utenti di smartphone, iPhone e Android, con app intuitive, attualmente disponibili nel mercato Android e Apple App Store. L’applicazione fornisce un abbinamento one-touch e sound-check prima di telefonate importanti e aiuta gli utenti a familiarizzare con le funzionalità aggiuntive dell’auricolare come la musica in streaming. L’app offre inoltre agli utenti tutte le informazioni solitamente nascoste all’interno della scatola, come ad esempio la guida per il set-up o le domande frequenti, il che significa avere tutto il supporto a portata di mano in qualsiasi momento. L’app mostra anche il livello della batteria di Marque sullo schermo di iPhone.

IL NUOVO MIGLIORE AMICO DEL TUO SMARTPHONE
Marque è il migliore compagno per gli smartphone, con un elegante design curvo, è disponibile in nero o in bianco per un abbinamento all’ultima moda. Inoltre  Marque è dotato di un innovativo cavo USB di ricarica 2-in-1, così gli utenti possono caricare l’auricolare e lo smartphone insieme, senza necessità di portare in giro più adattatori di ricarica.

PREZZI E DISPONIBILITÀ
Marque M155 è disponibile dalla fine di ottobre a € 59,99 presso tutti i rivenditori Plantronics. Per ulteriori informazioni, visitare il sito: www.plantronics.com

* Fonte: iSuppli IHS, agosto 2011, Mobile Market Report Handset Tracker,

CONNESSIONI ONE-TOUCH PER LE CONFERENCE CALL DEI PROFESSIONISTI

InstantMeeting ™ Enterprise Edition è la soluzione di connessione one-click per le conference call che supporta Microsoft ® Office Outlook ®,  ed è leader tra i provider di servizi di conference call e i principali brand di smartphone. Questo strumento permette ai professionisti di  effettuare una conference call dal proprio PC o dispositivo mobile in maniera estremamente semplice.

“I professionisti di oggi trascorrono buona parte del loro tempo in riunioni e conference call. InstantMeeting consente un accesso facile e intuitivo alle conference call e lascia che ci si  concentri subito e nel pieno spirito moderno della comunicazione e collaborazione”, ha detto Gunjan Bhow, Vice President e General Manager of New Ventures di Plantronics. “Il nostro obiettivo è quello di permettere alle persone di comunicare tra loro in modo naturale, riducendo al minimo le barriere, indipendentemente dalle piattaforme, dai dispositive e dagli strumenti utilizzati”.

Plantronics InstantMeeting™ elimina le frustranti perdite di tempo tipiche delle conference call, che solitamente prevedono un processo complicato per l’inserimento di moltissimi numeri, codici ID e password. Si sincronizza automaticamente con i numeri del provider e non richiede alcuna configurazione avanzata per i codici di accesso ma è sufficiente premere un tasto. Per avere maggiori informazioni visitare il sito InstantMeeting: http://instantmeeting.plantronics.com

IL PRIMO UC TOOLKIT COMPLETO DEL SETTORE

Plantronics ha migliorato il suo ormai celebre UC Toolkit inserendo supporti in dieci lingue, tra cui francese, tedesco, italiano, spagnolo, russo, cinese, coreano, giapponese e portoghese. Questa risorsa online è davvero preziosa per i professionisti IT che possono consultare best practice, strumenti e linee guida per l’implementazione e l’adozione degli strumenti UC Audio. Aziende leader in consulenza come Futurecom Business Solutions integreranno lo UC Toolkit di Plantronics come parte del loro portfolio, consentendo alle aziende dell’area EMEA di implementare con successo le soluzioni UC attraverso questo prezioso strumento.

“L’estensione di UC Toolkit di Plantronics alla comunità globale riflette gli sforzi attuati dall’azienda per sviluppare e fornire prodotti e servizi creati per aiutare le aziende a massimizzare l’efficienza attraverso  comunicazioni più semplici e intelligenti”, sostiene Philip Vanhoutte, SVP e EMEA Managing Director di Plantronics.”La diffusione a livello globale di UC Toolkit permette di veicolare informazioni, approfondimenti, e strumenti preziosi direttamente nelle mani dei reparti IT, per renderli in grado di scegliere facilmente il dispositivo UC audio migliore per soddisfare le esigenze dei dipendenti, accelerandone l’adozione. Grazie alla partnership con FutureCom le aziende saranno in grado di implementare con successo la Unified Communication e godere dei benefici che ne derivano dal suo utilizzo”.

Plantronics arricchisce il suo ampio portfolio di prodotti UC con una nuova versione del Calisto® Seria 800, un vivavoce SmartSpeaker multi-device, che unifica telefonia mobile, fissa e softphone PC based, oltre a soluzioni SmartSwitch: l’auricolare™ MDA200 è la prima e unica soluzione che permette a una sola cuffia USB di lavorare su più dispositivi.

PREZZI E DISPONIBILTÁ

La gamma Calisto 800 versione UC sarà disponibile da novembre. É possibile consultare i prezzi online. MDA200 sarà disponibile da novembre a un prezzo consigliato € 99.
Instant Meeting Enterprise Edition sarà disponibile a breve.  
La versione mobile di InstantMeeting è già disponibile online in versione demo: http://instantmeeting.plantronics.com/downloads.php.
L’applicazione è disponibile nel Marketplace di Android, BlackBerry App World e online all’indirizzo http://www.plantronics.com/instantmeeting. La versione demo offre 20 prove gratuite.
Per la dimostrazione di funzionamento dell’applicazione,  visitate http://www.plantronics.com/instantmeeting.

mit nur einem Tastendruck in Telefonkonferenzen Einwählen

Die InstantMeeting Enterprise Edition ermöglicht Business Professionals sich mit nur einem Tastendruck bequem von ihrem PC oder Mobiltelefon in Telefonkonferenzen einzuwählen und setzt misslungenen und chaotischen Einwahlversuchen ein Ende. Das bedeutet kein mühseliges Eingeben mehr von unzähligen Nummern, ID-Codes, Passwörtern und #- oder *-Zeichen. InstantMeeting synchronisiert automatisch und mit nur einem Tastendruck die Einwahlnummern führender Anbieter und verlangt keine weitere Eingabe von Zugangscodes. Der Nutzer muss sich keine Passwörter merken, verwählt sich nicht und verpasst dadurch keinen Konferenztermin mehr. InstantMeeting unterstützt Microsoft Office Outlook, Telefonkonferenz-Plattformen führender Anbieter sowie Smartphones der Top-Hersteller. Weitere Informationen unter http://instantmeeting.plantronics.com.

„Modern Professionals verbringen extrem viel Zeit in Meetings, insbesondere in Telefonkonferenzen“, so Gunjan Bhow, Vice President und General Manager von New Ventures bei Plantronics. „InstantMeeting erlaubt einen schnellen und intuitiven Zugang zu Telefonkonferenzen, so dass sich Geschäftsleute auf die wesentlichen Aspekte der Kommunikation und Zusammenarbeit konzentrieren können. Unser oberstes Ziel ist, dass wir es Menschen ermöglichen, natürlich und mit so geringen Barrieren wie möglich miteinander zu kommunizieren, unabhängig von den genutzten Endgeräten, Plattformen und Tools“, so Gunjan Bhow weiter.

erstes umfangreiches UC Toolkit für Unternehmen

Plantronics hat sein UC Toolkit erweitert und bietet dieses ab sofort in mehr als zehn Sprachen an, darunter auf Französisch, Deutsch, Italienisch, Spanisch, Russisch, Chinesisch und Japanisch. Die einzigartige Online Ressource bietet IT-Spezialisten z.B. Best Practices, Empfehlungen, Hilfestellungen und Trainings Tools, die den gesamten Prozess einer Integration von Audiogeräten in UC-Anwendungen umfassen. Führende Beratungsfirmen wie Futurecom Business Solutions werden das Plantronics UC Toolkit in ihr Portfolio integrieren, um Unternehmen EMEA-weit dabei zu unterstützen, UC-Lösungen erfolgreich zu implementieren.

„Die Ausweitung des UC Toolkits für die weltweite Community zeigt Plantronics‘ steten Einsatz, Produkte und Services zu entwickeln, die Unternehmen dabei unterstützen das maximale Leistungspotential auszuschöpfen“, sagt Philip Vanhoutte, Senior Vice President und EMEA Managing Director bei Plantronics. „Durch die Globalisierung des UC Toolkits werden Informationen, Erkenntnisse und wertvolle Tools direkt in die Hände der IT-Abteilungen gegeben. Das Toolkit stellt sicher, dass die IT-Verantwortlichen auf einfachstem Wege das geeignetste UC-Audioendgerät für ihre Mitarbeiter auswählen, die Benutzerakzeptanz fördern und den umfassenden geschäftlichen Anforderungen gerecht werden. Durch die Partnerschaft mit Futurecom wird es Firmen möglich sein, UC erfolgreich zu implementieren und die damit einhergehenden Vorteile zu genießen“, Vanhoutte weiter.

Erweiterung UC Produktportfolio

Plantronics rundet sein umfassendes UC Produktportfolio mit einer UC Version der Calisto 800er-Serie ab. Dabei handelt es sich um einen Multi-Device SmartSpeaker, der Mobiltelefon, Festnetz und PC Softphone vereint und mit den UC-Anwendungen führender Anbieter wie Avaya, Cisco, IBM und Skype kompatibel ist. Die Calisto-Serie wurde speziell für Mitarbeiter im Home Office und für Telefonkonferenzen in kleinen Teams entwickelt.

Mit dem MDA200 bietet Plantronics zudem die erste und einzige Smart-Switch-Lösung an, die es ermöglicht, schnurgebundene und schnurlose Headsets mit dem Festnetztelefon und dem PC-Softphone zu nutzen. Der Vorteil: Dank des SmartSwitchers können bereits vorhandene Festnetztelefone, Headsets und sogar Softphone-Applikationen ganz einfach in eine UC Infrastruktur umgewandelt werden.

Preise und verfügbarkeit

Die UC Version der Calisto 800er-Serie ist ab November verfügbar.

Der MDA200 SmartSwitcher ist ab November für 99,00 EUR (UVP exkl. Mwst.) erhältlich. Die Plantronics InstantMeeting Enterprise Edition ist ab Herbst 2011 verfügbar.

Die bisherige Version für die Nutzung mit dem Mobiltelefon und eine Demo-Version gibt es unter http://instantmeeting.plantronics.com/downloads.php. Bei der Probeversion sind 20 Einwahlen in Telefonkonferenzen kostenlos. Ein Demo-Video zu InstantMeeting gibt es ebenfalls unter http://instantmeeting.plantronics.com.

+++ Bildmaterial steht unter http://plantronics.newsroom.euzum Download zur Verfügung +++

TOEGANG TOT CONFERENCE CALLS MET EEN DRUK OP DE KNOP
De InstantMeeting Enterprise Edition oplossing zorgt ervoor dat je met een druk op de knop toegang hebt tot een conference call. InstantMeeting ondersteunt zowel Microsoft Office Outlook als conference call diensten van toonaangevende leveranciers en smartphones.

“De tijd die moderne professionals aan vergaderingen, in het bijzonder conference calls besteden, neemt steeds meer toe. Dankzij InstantMeeting krijgen gebruikers snel toegang tot conference calls waardoor ze zich kunnen richten op de call en niet op het inbellen,” zegt Gunjan Bhow, vice president en general manager of New Ventures bij Plantronics. “Ons uiteindelijke doel is dat mensen met elkaar kunnen communiceren - zonder barrières en ongeacht de apparaten, platformen en tools die ze gebruiken.”

Plantronics InstantMeeting neemt de frustratie weg en vermindert het tijdsverlies wanneer men probeert in te bellen in een conference call – een moeizaam proces waarbij men een reeks getallen, ID-codes en wachtwoorden evenals #- en *-tekens moet invoeren. InstantMeeting synchroniseert automatisch inbelnummers van toonaangevende leveranciers zonder dat men daar iets voor hoeft in te stellen en zonder dat men toegangcodes nodig heeft. Kijk voor meer informatie op: http://instantmeeting.plantronics.com

EERSTE COMPLETE UC TOOLKIT: WERELDWIJDE LANCERING
Plantronics heeft zijn populaire UC Toolkit verbeterd. Meer dan tien talen worden nu ondersteund, waaronder Frans, Duits, Italiaans, Spaans, Russisch, Chinees, Koreaans, Japans en Portugees (Brazilië). Deze online databank voor IT-professionals biedt praktijkvoorbeelden en richtlijnen voor een succesvolle UC audio implementatie en het gebruik daarvan. Doordat consultancybedrijven, zoals Futurecom Business Solutions, de UC Toolkit van Plantronics in hun portfolio integreren kunnen bedrijven in heel EMEA met succes UC-oplossingen implementeren.

“Wij proberen continu nieuwe producten en diensten te ontwikkelen waarmee bedrijven hun efficiëntie kunnen verbeteren. Onze verbeterde UC Toolkit is daar een voorbeeld van,” zegt Philip Vanhoutte, SVP en EMEA Managing Director bij Plantronics. “Door de globalisering van de UC Toolkit beschikken IT-afdelingen over informatie, inzicht en waardevolle tools. Op basis daarvan kunnen ze het beste UC audio device kiezen dat aansluit op de behoeften van de medewerkers en tegemoetkomt aan de zakelijke vereisten. Door de samenwerking met Futurecom zijn bedrijven in staat met succes UC te implementeren en te profiteren van de bijbehorende voordelen.”

De UC-versie van de Calisto 800 serie, een multi-device SmartSpeaker phone, die gesprekken via de mobiele telefoon, de vaste telefoon en pc verenigt, complementeert het uitgebreide UC-productportfolio. Daarnaast komt Plantronics met een SmartSwitch oplossing: de MDA200 headset communications hub – de eerste en tot dusver enige oplossing waardoor een USB-headset met verschillende apparaten werkt.

PRIJS EN BESCHIKBAARHEID
De Calisto 800 Series UC versie is nu beschikbaar, voor prijzen klik hier. De MDA200 is vanaf nu beschikbaar en heeft een adviesprijs van €99. Plantronics InstantMeeting Enterprise Edition is vanaf deze herfst beschikbaar, terwijl de mobiele versie van InstantMeeting, inclusief een demoversie nu al beschikbaar is via: http://instantmeeting.plantronics.com/downloads.php. De app is beschikbaar in de Android Marketplace, BlackBerry App World en online via: http://www.plantronics.com/instantmeeting. De testversie biedt 20 gratis introducties. Kijk voor een demo op: http://www.plantronics.com/instantmeeting.

LLAMADAS DE CONFERENCIA PARA PROFESIONALES CON SÓLO PULSAR UN BOTÓN
InstantMeeting™ Enterprise Edition es una solución de conexión para llamadas de conferencia que se activa con un solo clic y es compatible con Microsoft® Office Outlook®, con los más destacados proveedores de servicios de teleconferencia y con las marcas de smartphones líderes. Esta herramienta permite a los atareados profesionales de hoy participar en llamadas de conferencia desde sus ordenadores o dispositivos móviles de la forma más cómoda.

Más en detalle, Plantronics InstantMeeting™ elimina las molestias y el tiempo que se pierde al intentar marcar números para participar en una llamada de conferencia, un proceso incómodo que requiere introducir muchos dígitos, códigos de identificación, contraseñas y símbolos (#, *). Esta solución sincroniza automáticamente números de marcación para llamadas de conferencia de los principales proveedores sin necesidad de realizar una avanzada instalación de códigos de acceso y calendarios, lo que permite al usuario sumarse a una llamada de conferencia con solo pulsar un botón. Para más información, visite la página web de InstantMeeting en http://instantmeeting.plantronics.com.

«Los profesionales modernos pasan cada vez más tiempo en reuniones, especialmente en llamadas de conferencia. InstantMeeting facilita de forma rápida e intuitiva el acceso a llamadas de conferencia para que los profesionales puedan centrarse en la tarea que les ocupa: comunicar y colaborar», afirmó Gunjan Bhow, vicepresidente y director general de nuevos proyectos en Plantronics. «Nuestro objetivo final consiste en permitir que los profesionales se comuniquen entre sí de forma natural y con el menor número de obstáculos posibles, independientemente de los dispositivos, plataformas y herramientas que utilicen».

LANZAMIENTO DEL PRIMER Y MÁS COMPLETO KIT DE HERRAMIENTAS UC DEL SECTOR
Plantronics ha mejorado su popular kit de herramientas para comunicaciones unificadas, llamado UC Toolkit, para ofrecer este producto en más de diez idiomas, como francés, alemán, italiano, español, ruso, chino, coreano, japonés y portugués de Brasil. Este exclusivo recurso para profesionales de la informática proporciona ejemplos reales de buenas prácticas, herramientas y directrices para implantar y adoptar dispositivos de audio UC. Algunas de las consultoras más destacadas del sector, como Futurecom Business Solutions, integrarán el kit de herramientas UC de Plantronics en su cartera de productos, permitiendo, de esta forma, que las empresas de la región de Europa, Oriente Medio y África (EMEA) apliquen con éxito las soluciones UC.

«Poner el kit de herramientas UC a disposición de los consumidores de todo el mundo refleja los continuos esfuerzos de Plantronics para desarrollar y proporcionar productos y servicios diseñados para ayudar a elevar al máximo la eficiencia de sus negocios a través de una comunicación más inteligente», afirma Philip Vanhoutte, vicepresidente y director general de Plantronics para EMEA. «La internacionalización del kit de herramientas UC aporta información, conocimiento y valiosas herramientas directamente a los departamentos informáticos, asegurando que puedan elegir fácilmente el dispositivo de audio para comunicaciones unificadas más apropiado para satisfacer las necesidades de sus empleados, acelerar su adopción y cumplir con sus objetivos empresariales. A través de nuestro acuerdo con Futurecom, las empresas podrán implantar con éxito las comunicaciones unificadas y disfrutar de las ventajas que aportan».

Plantronics complementa su amplia cartera de productos para comunicaciones unificadas con la versión UC de su Calisto® 800 Series, un altavoz inteligente multidispositivo para teléfonos móviles que integra el teléfono móvil, el fijo y el teléfono virtual para PC, además de un solución para alternar entre diferentes dispositivos de forma inteligente: el MDA200™, que constituye el primer y exclusivo «centro de comunicación» con auriculares que permite usar un auricular USB con múltiples dispositivos.

PRECIOS Y DISPONIBILIDAD
Los auriculares Calisto 800 Series UC estará disponible a principio de noviembre. Si desea más información sobre precios, pulse aquí. El MDA200 también estará disponible a principio de noviembre y tiene un precio recomendado de venta al público de 99 euros. InstantMeeting Enterprise Edition de Plantronics estará disponible en otoño de 2011. Mientras tanto, la versión móvil de InstantMeeting incluye una demo disponible en:
http://instantmeeting.plantronics.com/downloads.php.
La versión de prueba permite realizar 20 invitaciones a llamadas de conferencia de forma gratuita. Para obtener una demo del funcionamiento de la aplicación, visite:
http://www.plantronics.com/instantmeeting

London, UK – 29th September 2011 – Plantronics (NYSE: PLT) today extended its family of Bluetooth® products with the launch of the Plantronics Marque M155 Bluetooth® headset. Designed as the ideal companion for the iPhone and Android smartphone, the Marque is sleek, lightweight and easy to use. It is enabled with voice recognition so users can answer or ignore calls completely hands-free and is enriched with audio streaming capabilities which allow users to listen to music, GPS directions or email, whilst providing the great stereo quality that Plantronics customers depend on. Marque users can access all this through a free iPhone or Android app.

Plantronics is dedicated to helping smartphone users stay connected in work, life and play and is confident the Marque will simplify this transition. Smartphones, such as the iPhone, have seen impressive growth over the last few years and consumers have quickly come to depend on the all-in-one devices. Whether used as a phone, a diary, an email device, or all of the above, having a smartphone is now seen as not just smart, but a necessity. In fact, IHS Research* reports that by 2015, more than half of handsets in use will be smartphones.

“We have designed a headset that takes advantage of many smartphone features, such as listening to music and using apps,” said Stuart Bradshaw, Plantronics EMEA Head of Consumer Marketing “The Marque is Plantronics’ smallest headset, offering excellent sound quality in an amazingly lightweight design, to complement and simplify our busy lives”

MYHEADSET™ APP MAKES IT EASIER
The Marque simplifies communicating for iPhone and Android smartphone users with an easy-to-use app, currently available in the Android Market and Apple App Store. The app provides one-touch pairing and a sound check before you make that important call and also helps users familiarize themselves with the added functionality of the headset, such as streaming music. The app also provides users with all information usually found hidden inside the box, such as a set-up guide and FAQs, meaning all support and guidance is at the tips of your fingers any time.  It even shows you the battery level of Marque on your iPhone screen.

YOUR SMARTPHONE’S NEW BEST FRIEND
The Marque is the ultimate companion to smartphones, with a sleek curved design that is available in either Jet Black or Arctic White for ultimate accessory co-ordination. Additionally the Marque comes with an innovative 2-in-1 USB charging cable, so users can conveniently charge their headset and smartphone together, with no need to carry around multiple charging adapters.

PRICING & AVAILABILITY
Marque M155 is available for £49.99/€59.99 at selected electronic retailers from late October. For more information, please visit: www.plantronics.com.

*Source: IHS iSuppli, August 2011, Mobile Handset Market Tracker Report, http://www.isuppli.com/Mobile-and-Wireless-Communications/Pages/Low-End-Smartphones-Boost-Market-Growth.aspx

Santa Cruz, CA, September 29, 2011 - Your smartphone has a new best friend. Meet the Plantronics Marque^TM M155, a smarter and smaller headset that offers voice-guided pairing for iPhone® and Android^TM smartphones, voice recognition so you can answer or ignore calls completely hands-free, and stereo Bluetooth® (the A2DP standard), which allows you to listen to music, GPS directions or your email, all while providing great stereo quality in the smallest, lightest weight design yet at just seven grams. 

“Smartphone users want to harness the power of their phones to complement and simplify their busy lives,” said Elizabeth Hamren, vice president of Marketing, Plantronics. “The Marque lets them take advantage of the full range of their phone’s capabilities, even while talking or listening to music or a podcast, all in a  great looking, super lightweight device.”   

Smartphones have seen impressive growth the last few years and people have quickly come to depend on the all-in-one devices. Whether used as a cell phone, organizer, an email device, or all of the above, having a smartphone is not just smart, it’s a necessity. In fact, IDC tracked shipments of 304.7 million smartphones in 2010, and expects that number to hit 472 million for all of 2011 — a growth rate of 55% over 2010. IDC now expects the number of smartphones to grow at an annual rate of 26% a year through 2015. By then, IDC said 982 million smartphones will be shipped by manufacturers to retailers. 

Outrageously Small and Light
The Marque is Plantronics’ smallest headset ever and offers excellent sound quality in an amazingly lightweight design.  At seven grams it weighs less than most ball point pens. It is so small you’ll hardly know you’re wearing it. 

Voice Activation
Need to access your information but can’t look at your phone? With Marque, to answer a call just say “answer” and you are connected. The Vocalyst^TM Voice and Text Services also allow you to stay connected with your voice. Send email or text messages, post to Facebook and Twitter, or check the weather-hands-free. With Vocalyst, press a button on your headset to connect; speak simple demands to listen to emails or text messages; or listen to feeds from your phone to catch up on the news and learn who won the big game. A one year subscription to the cloud-based Vocalyst service is included with purchase of the Marque.  

Apps Make It Easier
Get the most from Marque and your smartphone with the MyHeadset^TM app, currently available in the Android Market and Apple App Store. These apps will do a sound check and familiarize you with the added functionality of your headset, such as streaming music, with much more to come.  

Pricing and Availability
Marque M155 is available for $59.99 in either Jet Black or Arctic White, and can be pre-ordered today at Amazon.com, Plantronics.com and at select retailers and wireless carriers nationwide. 

About Plantronics - Simply Smarter Communications^TM
Plantronics is a global leader in audio communications for businesses and consumers. We have pioneered new trends in audio technology for 50 years, creating innovative products that allow people to simply communicate. From unified communication solutions to Bluetooth® headsets, we deliver uncompromising quality, an ideal experience, and extraordinary service. Plantronics is used by every company in the Fortune 100, as well as 911 dispatch, air traffic control and the New York Stock Exchange. For more information, please visit www.plantronics.com or call (800) 544-4660. 

Plantronics Simply Smarter Communications, MyHeadset, Marque and Vocalyst are trademarks or registered trademarks of Plantronics, Inc.  iPhone and Apple are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Android is a trademark of Google Inc. The Bluetooth trademark is owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of the mark by Plantronics, Inc. is under license.  All other trademarks are the property of the respective owners.

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ONE-TOUCH CONFERENCE CALL CONNECTIONS FOR BUSINESS PROFESSIONALS

InstantMeeting™ Enterprise Edition is a one-click conference call connect solution which supports Microsoft® Office Outlook®, leading conferencing service providers as well as top smartphone brands. This tool allows today’s busy professional the most convenient way to join a conference call from their PC or mobile device.

“Modern professionals spend an increasing amount of time in meetings, specifically conference calls. InstantMeeting enables quick, intuitive conference call access so business professionals can focus on the task at hand: communication and collaboration,” said Gunjan Bhow, vice president and general manager of New Ventures at Plantronics. “Our ultimate goal is to enable people to communicate with one another naturally and with minimal barriers, regardless of the devices, platforms and tools being used.”

Plantronics InstantMeeting™ eliminates the frustration and time lost when trying to dial-in to a conference call, a cumbersome process that requires entering a myriad of numbers, ID codes and passwords, and # and * signs. It automatically syncs conference dial-in numbers from leading providers, requiring no advanced setup of access codes and calendars, enabling you to join conference calls with one touch. Visit the Instant Meeting website to find out more. http://instantmeeting.plantronics.com

INDUSTRY-FIRST COMPLETE UC TOOLKIT: GLOBAL LAUNCH

Plantronics has enhanced its popular UC Toolkit to include support for over ten languages, including French, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Brazilian Portuguese. This unique online resource for IT professionals delivers real-world best practices, tools, and guidelines for successful UC Audio endpoint roll-out and adoption. Leading consulting players like Futurecom Business Solutions will integrate Plantronics’ UC Toolkit as part of its portfolio, enabling businesses across EMEA to successfully implement UC solutions with this valuable tool.

“Extending the UC Toolkit to the global community reflects Plantronics’ ongoing efforts to develop and deliver products and services designed to help businesses maximize efficiencies through simply smarter communications,” says Philip Vanhoutte, SVP and EMEA Managing Director, Plantronics. “Globalization of the UC Toolkit puts information, insights, and valuable tools directly into the hands of IT departments, ensuring they’re able to easily choose the very best UC audio device to suit their employee’s needs, accelerate user adoption, and meet their overall business requirements. Together with our partnership with FutureCom businesses will be able to successfully implement UC and enjoy the benefits that go with it.”

Plantronics rounds off its comprehensive UC product portfolio with a UC version of its Calisto® 800 Series, a multi-device SmartSpeaker phone, which unifies the mobile phone, landline and PC-based softphones, as well as a SmartSwitch solution: the MDA200™ headset communications hub - the first and only solution that enables one USB headset to work across multiple devices.

PRICING AND AVAILABILITY

The Calisto 800 Series UC version is available now. For pricing please click here. The MDA200 is available now and has an RRP of £89/€99. Plantronics InstantMeeting Enterprise Edition will be available Autumn 2011.  Meanwhile, the mobile version of InstantMeeting, including a demo version is available now at http://instantmeeting.plantronics.com/downloads.php. The trial version provides 20 free initiations to conference calls. For a demo of how the application works, please visit http://www.plantronics.com/instantmeeting

Santa Cruz, CA, September 21, 2011 - Plantronics (NYSE: PLT) today announced it is expanding its product line to include a new category of devices designed to help companies migrate from traditional desk phone-only usage  to a unified communications (UC) infrastructure.  The products that enable this transition include a new multi-device adapter, the MDA200^TM, plus corded and wireless USB adapters. 

The Plantronics UC Enabler products are designed to maximize an IT department’s original investment in traditional voice communications, such as desk phones and audio communication devices.  A great desk-based option for flex/hoteling environments, the MDA200 supports corded or wireless USB headsets and allows users to answer, end, hold and switch between calls from any connected device at the touch of a button. 

“Organizations today need flexibility and new ways to leverage existing technology,” said Bill Loewenthal, Vice President, Unified Communications, Plantronics. “The MDA200 provides flexibility and enables companies to leverage their existing Plantronics audio devices.  No matter which headset is being used - corded, wireless DECT or Bluetooth, the MDA200 can connect enterprise workers to both their softphone and their desk phone.”  

The MDA200 ensures IT departments can leverage their existing devices while they pilot, test or deploy softphones from leading UC vendors including Avaya®, Cisco®, IBM® and Microsoft®.  The UC Enabler Category also includes a range of USB adapters, for both corded and wireless headsets, that are designed to turn nearly any Plantronics headset into a USB device. 

UC Enabler Portfolio

• MDA200 - a multi-device adapter that connects to a deskphone and a computer. MSRP $129.95
• DA Series - adapters that convert Plantronics corded audio devices to USB. MSRP $59.00 - $120.00
• BT300^TM - a wireless Bluetooth USB adapter that connects a Bluetooth headset to a computer. MSRP $99.95
• D100^TM - a wireless DECT^TM USB adapter that connects any Plantronics Savi or CS500 DECT headset to a computer. MSRP $120.00

For more information, please visit: http://www.plantronics.com/us/new/  

About Plantronics - Simply Smarter Communications^TM

Plantronics is a global leader in audio communications for businesses and consumers. We have pioneered new trends in audio technology for 50 years, creating innovative products that allow people to simply communicate. From unified communication solutions to Bluetooth® headsets, we deliver uncompromising quality, an ideal experience, and extraordinary service. Plantronics is used by every company in the Fortune 100, as well as 911 dispatch, air traffic control and the New York Stock Exchange. For more information, please visit www.plantronics.com or call (800) 544-4660. 

Plantronics, BT300, D100, MDA200 and Simply Smarter Communications are trademarks or registered trademarks of Plantronics, Inc.  The Bluetooth trademark is owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of the mark by Plantronics, Inc. is under license.  All other trademarks are the property of the respective owners.

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Santa Cruz, CA, September 21, 2011 - Plantronics (NYSE: PLT) today announced it has enhanced its popular UC Toolkit to include support for over ten languages. The UC Toolkit is an online resource tailored specifically to help IT professionals rollout successful deployments of Unified Communications (UC) audio devices. 

Extending the UC Toolkit to the global community reflects Plantronics’ ongoing efforts to develop and deliver products and services designed to help businesses maximize efficiencies for more intuitive and intelligent communications. 

“We developed the UC Toolkit with one very simple agenda in mind: help every IT professional tasked with implementing Unified Communications have a successful deployment of UC audio devices,” said Tom Gill, Vice President and CIO, Plantronics. “Globalization of the UC Toolkit puts information, insights, and valuable tools directly into the hands of IT departments, ensuring they’re able to easily choose the very best UC audio device to suit their employees’ needs,  accelerate user adoption, and meet their overall business requirements.” 

Plantronics’ UC Toolkit can be accessed from 21 Plantronics regional Web sites; 11 that support full translations of the Web site and all documentation in dialects other than English. Languages include: French, Canadian French, German, Italian, Spanish (Spain), Spanish (Latin America), Russian, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Brazilian Portuguese. 

“Regardless of where IT professionals reside or the language they speak, they all face a similar challenge when tasked with deploying new technologies; they must become subject matter experts as soon as possible,” said Rich Costello, Senior Research Analyst, Unified Communications, IDC. “With the globalization of the UC Toolkit, Plantronics has made it easy for IT managers worldwide to get up to speed quickly on UC audio device deployment do’s and don’ts; resulting in time saved and a significantly higher likelihood of user adoption and overall success.” 

What’s in the UC Toolkit?

The UC Toolkit is built from real-world customer experiences and lessons learned, and provides IT professional with best practices in the form of FAQs, guidelines, checklists, and surveys for use at every phase of audio device deployment effort including, Trial, Plan, Deploy, Adopt, and Evolve. Additional resources include: 

• Quick Setup Guides: step-by-step setup and use instructions are available for over 100 unique combinations of Plantronics products and the most popular UC Softphones, including Microsoft®, IBM®, Avaya®, and Cisco®
• Interactive Setup Guides: easy-to-use videos provide engaging visual instruction on how to use Plantronics UC audio devices with a variety of UC Softphones as noted above
• Wireless Voice Assessment Tool: this tool assists IT in planning for office wireless DECT^TM technology deployment (North American or EMEA). Users simply answer a few brief questions about office characteristics and expected usage, choose a specific country from the drop-down menu (43 are currently supported), and the tool will output a recommended direction for UC audio device deployment and offer a printable, customized report.
• Wireless Voice in the Office Environment white paper: this technical document helps IT plan appropriately for different levels of wireless penetration and usage, and includes an overview of Bluetooth® and DECT wireless technologies  

About Plantronics - Simply Smarter Communications^TM

Plantronics is a global leader in audio communications for businesses and consumers. We have pioneered new trends in audio technology for 50 years, creating innovative products that allow people to simply communicate. From unified communication solutions to Bluetooth® headsets, we deliver uncompromising quality, an ideal experience, and extraordinary service. Plantronics is used by every company in the Fortune 100, as well as 911 dispatch, air traffic control and the New York Stock Exchange. For more information, please visit www.plantronics.com or call (800) 544-4660. 

Plantronics and Simply Smarter Communications are trademarks or registered trademarks of Plantronics, Inc.  All other trademarks are the property of the respective owners. 

###

“We are incredibly excited to welcome Bob to the Plantronics Board of Directors,” said Marv Tseu, Chairman of the Board, Plantronics.  ”He brings invaluable experience that will contribute greatly to our vision, strategy and growth in the Unified Communications market.” 

As a member of Plantronics Board of Directors, his committee positions include Chair of the Mergers & Acquisitions committee, Chair of the Strategy committee and a member of the Nominating and Governance committee.

Mr. Hagerty fills a seat on the Plantronics Board that was recently vacated by Roger Wery.  Mr. Wery retired from the Plantronics Board, due to an independence issue following the acquisition of PRTM Management Consulting by PricewaterhouseCoopers.  “I’d like to thank Roger for all of his years of contribution to Plantronics.  We will miss his excellent advice and judgment,” Ken Kannappan, CEO and President of Plantronics, commented.

During Mr. Hagerty’s tenure at Polycom, he grew the business from a speakerphone company to a market-leader in the communications industry with a broad range of collaboration tools, including telepresence, VoIP, video, and voice solutions. He increased revenue from $37 million to $1.1 billion through organic growth and eleven key acquisitions.  Mr. Hagerty is currently on the Board and an advisor to several companies including Smart Technology, Eye IO and Vibare.  He has held several board positions in the past including Palm, Modulus Video and Chairman of the Board of Polycom.  Prior to joining Polycom, Hagerty served as President of Stylus Assets, Ltd. and held key senior management positions with Logitech, Inc., Conner Peripherals, Signal Corporation and Digital Equipment Corporation.  Mr. Hagerty holds a B.S. in operations research and industrial engineering from the University of Massachusetts and an M.A. in management from St. Mary’s College of California. 

About Plantronics - Simply Smarter Communications^TM

Plantronics is a global leader in audio communications for businesses and consumers. We have pioneered new trends in audio technology for 50 years, creating innovative products that allow people to simply communicate. From unified communication solutions to Bluetooth® headsets, we deliver uncompromising quality, an ideal experience, and extraordinary service. Plantronics is used by every company in the Fortune 100, as well as 911 dispatch, air traffic control and the New York Stock Exchange. For more information, please visit www.plantronics.com or call (800) 544-4660.

Plantronics, Simply Smarter Communications, Smart Sensor and Voyager are trademarks or registered trademarks of Plantronics, Inc.  The Bluetooth trademark is owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of the mark by Plantronics, Inc. is under license.  All other trademarks are the property of the respective owners.

Santa Cruz, CA, September 8, 2011 - Plantronics (NYSE: PLT) today announced new tools, training events, and special product offers as part of an initiative aimed at supporting the dynamic communications requirements of small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs).  Plantronics is working with key strategic partners, including Cisco, to develop and offer complete technology solutions for this fast-moving and mobile-focused market segment.

The first SMB solution offered as part of the initiative - a Cisco IP Phone paired with a Plantronics Voyager® PRO UC headset - allows even the smallest business to communicate with its customers, partners, suppliers, and employees on a par with some of the world’s most sophisticated companies.

“Regardless of size, every business has a fundamental need to communicate clearly and quickly with staff members, suppliers, and most importantly, customers,” said Michael Gjerstad, Vice President, Strategic Business Partners, Plantronics. “Small and mid-sized businesses fuel over half the U.S. economy and those companies need technologies that can keep up with their rapid business pace and mobile work style. We’re very excited to work with key partners such as Cisco to arm the SMB market with professional-grade communications technologies that enable them to compete with even the largest competitors.”

“We’re thrilled to see Plantronics initiating programs designed to meet the communications needs of small and mid-sized businesses, a key segment for Cisco,” said Eren Hussein, Director, Partner Marketing, Cisco. “One of the core benefits of our new communications solution with Plantronics is that it enables more flexibility and mobility for SMBs, allowing owners and operators to spend more time running their businesses and less time hassling with IT.”

Highlights of Plantronics’ new SMB initiative include:

Online resources for SMBs and resellers targeting SMBs

SMBs and the resellers who supply this market can find everything they need within dedicated areas on Plantronics.com, including white papers, success stories, special offers, tools and guidance, and incentives. 

• Starting September 1 through October 31, customers, and resellers who are part of the Plantronics Connect Partner Program, are invited to participate in Plantronics’ “Be Free to Succeed” campaign to receive free products and sales incentives.
• Value added resellers who focus on delivering solutions to the SMB are invited to join Plantronics’ Connect Partner Program - to receive tools, training, and information in support of sales efforts.

Bundled solution from Cisco and Plantronics

Plantronics pairs up with Cisco to deliver a full-featured Cisco SPA525G2 5-Line IP Phone coupled with a Plantronics Voyager PRO UC Bluetooth® headset. Combining Plantronics and Cisco best-in-class audio technology, customers experience flexible, hands-free, high-quality audio on a variety of devices, including a smartphone, PC, or a Bluetooth-enabled desk phone. Benefits include:

• Hands-free productivity with professional audio anywhere you work
• A five-line IP phone with color display, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth for an enhanced user experience
• Only one headset required for three types of calls
• New Smart Sensor^TM technology that knows when the headset is being worn
• “On the road” productivity with noise cancellation and a computer soft phone via the included
  USB adapter

Briefing and Training Events

Plantronics holds joint events across the country with partners such as Cisco, where resellers and SMB IT professionals can learn and network together. Interested parties may sign-up to receive email notification of upcoming seminars and events via Plantronics.com/SMB.

• Upcoming: Plantronics Webinar hosted by Spiceworks. September 27, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. CT. This webinar will provide SMBs with insights relating to real-world UC usage in the SMB space.

 About Plantronics - Simply Smarter Communications^TM

Plantronics is a global leader in audio communications for businesses and consumers. We have pioneered new trends in audio technology for 50 years, creating innovative products that allow people to simply communicate. From unified communication solutions to Bluetooth® headsets, we deliver uncompromising quality, an ideal experience, and extraordinary service. Plantronics is used by every company in the Fortune 100, as well as 911 dispatch, air traffic control and the New York Stock Exchange. For more information, please visit www.plantronics.com or call (800) 544-4660.

Plantronics, Simply Smarter Communications, Smart Sensor and Voyager are trademarks or registered trademarks of Plantronics, Inc.  The Bluetooth trademark is owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of the mark by Plantronics, Inc. is under license.  All other trademarks are the property of the respective owners.

###

IFA, Berlin, Allemagne – 2 septembre 2011 – Plantronics (NYSE : PLT) élargit sa famille d’oreillettes Bluetooth® avec le lancement de l’oreillette M1100™ Vocalyst.

L’oreillette M1100 permet une interaction très intuitive avec son utilisateur en lui permettant de communiquer toujours plus simplement grâce à 3 ingénieuses fonctions: les alertes vocales  (qui informent par messages chuchotés au creux de l’oreille de l’état de l’oreillette : « oreillette allumée, oreillette éteinte, autonomie restante en conversation, état de la connexion… »), les commandes vocales  (qui permettent de prendre le contrôle avec la voix pour « répondre » ou « ignorer » ou « recomposer » un appel, « vérifier la batterie » de l’oreillette, passer en « mode association » avec le téléphone…) et Vocalyst, le premier service vocal intégré qui offre à l’utilisateur la possibilité de rester connecté et productif où qu’il se trouve (envoyer ou écouter ses emails, écouter des dernières actualités générales, sportives ou financières, enregistrer ou consulter des mémos, poster sur Twitter…).

« Aujourd’hui, nous cherchons à rester de plus en plus connecté et disponible. Que ce soit pour répondre à un courrier électronique ou pour publier une mise à jour sur Facebook, nous avons besoin de solutions qui simplifient cette capacité multitâche à tout moment de la journée, et cela, même si nos mains sont occupées à faire autre chose ! », explique Grégory Morquin, Responsable Marketing Grand Public Europe chez Plantronics. « En intégrant à l’oreillette M1100 des alertes par messages vocaux, une fonction de reconnaissance vocale multilingue et le service voix-et-texte Vocalyst, Plantronics permet aux utilisateurs de contrôler leurs appels et de démultiplier leur efficacité en utilisant tout simplement leur voix ».

LE SERVICE TEXTE/VOIX VOCALYST™ : UN ASSISTANT TOUJOURS DISPONIBLE
M1100 de Plantronics est la première oreillette Bluetooth à intégrer le service Texte/Voix Vocalyst. En appuyant simplement sur la touche dédiée aux commandes vocales  et en prononçant “Appeler Vocalyst”, les utilisateurs peuvent avec leur voix:
- Envoyer et écouter des courriers électroniques et des SMS*,
- Écouter les dernières actualités générales, financières et sportives,
- Consulter la météo locale des prochains jours,
- Écouter l’agenda et ajouter des rendez-vous**,
- Enregistrer et écouter des mémos,
- Mettre à jour Evernote®, l’application de sauvegarde d’idées,
- Publier des messages audio et écouter les flux Twitter (et Facebook**).

* Envoie des courriers électroniques et des SMS sous format de fichiers audio. Pour envoyer les messages sous forme de texte (service de conversion voix-texte), il est nécessaire d’installer la version Pro de Vocalyst (Vocalyst Pro coûte 3,50 € / mois).
** Uniquement disponible avec la version Pro de Vocalyst.

Le service Vocalyst de Plantronics est proposé gratuitement pendant 1 an (valeur - 24,99 €) aux utilisateurs de l’oreillette M1100. L’application est facilement paramétrable en anglais, en français, en allemand et en espagnol. Ce service est compatible avec tous les téléphones et les utilisateurs peuvent choisir leur langue, leur pays et activer Vocalyst en quelques étapes simples sur www.plantronics.com/vocalyst.

Les utilisateurs des smartphones Android™ et BlackBerry® peuvent également télécharger l’application Vocalyst de Plantronics dans les  « App-stores »  respectifs. Les applications permettent alors d’écouter les messages textes en mode “mains libres” et de personnaliser un répondeur automatique pour les messages textes entrants. En deux mots, lors des déplacements en voiture par exemple, vos SMS sont directement lus au creux de l’oreille et peuvent renvoyer à l’émetteur du SMS un message du type “Votre SMS m’a été lu. Je conduis et répondrai prochainement à votre message.”.

COMMANDES ET ALERTES VOCALES A VOTRE SERVICE
L’oreillette M1100 de Plantronics intègre de très innovantes commandes vocales. Les utilisateurs peuvent répondre à un appel entrant ou l’ignorer en disant simplement “Répondre” ou “Ignorer”, ils peuvent rappeler le dernier numéro avec la commande vocale “Recomposer”, lancer l’association entre oreillette et téléphone en commandant « Mode association » ou encore vérifier l’autonomie de l’oreillette ou la connexion au téléphone grâce aux commandes « Vérifier la batterie » et « Suis-je connecté ? ». L’oreillette M1100 inclut également des alertes vocales chuchotées au creux de  l’oreille pour avertir d’un niveau de batterie faible, de la perte de connexion, du temps de conversation restant et bien d’autres fonctions encore.

CARACTERISTIQUES TECHNIQUES, PRIX ET DISPONIBILITE
Principales caractéristiques techniques de l’oreillette M1100 :
- Trois micros antibruit pour une qualité de son incomparable
- AudioIQ³ annulant les bruits ambiants, effets d’écho et sifflement du vent
- Commandes et alertes vocales
- Technologie A2DP pour la diffusion de la radio, la musique, les podcasts…
- Interrupteur marche/arrêt pratique pour préserver la batterie
- Affichage du niveau de batterie de l’oreillette sur iPhone
- Autonomie de 4 heures en conversation et 7 jours en veille
- Poids de 9 g seulement

L’oreillette M1100 Vocalyst de Plantronics est disponible dès maintenant chez tous les revendeurs Plantronics au prix de 79,99 €.

Pour plus d’informations, visitez :
www.plantronics.com et www.plantronics.com/vocalyst

IFA, Berlijn, Duitsland – 2 september 2011 – Plantronics (NYSE: PLT) breidt vandaag zijn reeks bluetooth-producten uit met de Plantronics M1100™ Bluetooth® headset. De headset is ontworpen voor de drukke mobiele professional en social networker. Met de M1100 kunnen gebruikers namelijk een levensstijl leiden waarbij ze gebruikmaken van slimme technologieën waardoor ze onderweg eenvoudig kunnen communiceren - ongeacht waar ze zijn en welk apparaat ze gebruiken. Dankzij de geavanceerde spraakherkenning kunnen gebruikers verbinding maken met de nieuwe cloudgebaseerde spraakdienst Plantronics Vocalyst™. Dit is de eerste en enige headset in de markt met geïntegreerde spraakservice. De dienst is beschikbaar in een aantal talen en biedt een ongeëvenaarde handsfree gebruikerservaring.

“Vandaag de dag willen we verbonden zijn waar we ook zijn. Of we nu een e-mail willen beantwoorden of een update willen posten op Facebook, we hebben oplossingen nodig die deze mogelijkheid tot multitasken vereenvoudigt – waar we ook zijn en op welk moment van de dag dan ook”, zegt Stuart Bradshaw, Plantronics EMEA Head of Consumer Marketing. “Doordat de M1100 is voorzien van meertalige spraakherkenning en dankzij de Vocalyst spraak- en tekstdienst kunnen gebruikers eenvoudig wisselen tussen telefoongesprekken, muziek en sms’jes of  e-mails door simpelweg hun stem te gebruiken.”

SIMPLY SMARTER COMMUNICATIONS™
VOCALYST™ - ONLINE SPRAAKDIENST

De M1100 is de eerste headset met Plantronics Vocalyst. Door de speciale spraakknop “Call Vocalyst” in te drukken kunnen gebruikers:
•    E-mails en sms-berichten versturen en beluisteren*,
•    Herinneringen beluisteren en opnemen,
•    Audioberichten op Twitter en Facebook posten,
•    Ideeën in Evernote® vastleggen,
•    Agenda-afpraken beluisteren en nieuwe items toevoegen**,
•    Naar het laatste lokale en financiële nieuws luisteren evenals naar sport- en weerberichten.

Plantronics M1100-klanten kunnen een jaar lang gratis (normaal €24,99) gebruikmaken van Vocalyst. De dienst is beschikbaar in het Engels (UK), Frans, Duits en Spaans en compatibel met iedere telefoon. Activeren kan via een aantal simpele stappen op: www.plantronics.com/myheadset.

Mensen met een Android ™- en BlackBerry ®-smartphone kunnen de Plantronics Vocalyst applicatie ook downloaden via de respectievelijke app stores. Dankzij de app kan men handsfree tekstberichten beluisteren en configuraties aanpassen naar gelang persoonlijke voorkeur, zoals een auto-responder voor binnenkomende sms-berichten (”Ik ben momenteel aan het rijden en zal spoedig op uw bericht terugkomen.”)

SIMPLY SMARTER COMMUNICATIONS™
SLIMMERE SPRAAKCOMMANDO’S

De Plantronics M1100  biedt handige spraakcommando’s en uitgebreide spraakalerts. Gebruikers kunnen een inkomende oproep eenvoudig aannemen of beëindigen door te zeggen ‘Beantwoorden’ of ‘Weigeren’. De Plantronics M1100 omvat ook waarschuwingen voor onder andere een laag batterijniveau, verbroken verbinding en de resterende spreektijd. Deze waarschuwingen worden de gebruiker als het ware in het oor gefluisterd. Meer productgegevens vindt u hier.

PRIJS & BESCHIKBAARHEID
De Plantronics M1100 heeft een adviesprijs van €79,99 en is beschikbaar via alle  Plantronics retailers.  Kijk voor meer informatie op: www.plantronics.com.

* Stuurt e-mails en sms-berichten als audiobestanden. Voor het verzenden als tekst (spraak naar tekstdienst) moeten gebruikers upgraden naar de Vocalyst Pro versie (momenteel alleen beschikbaar in het Engels, Frans en Spaans). Vocalyst Pro kost €3,50 per kalendermaand.
** Alleen beschikbaar met Vocalyst Pro versie.

IFA, Berlin, Germany – 2nd September 2011 – Plantronics (NYSE: PLT) today extended its family of Bluetooth® products with the launch of the Plantronics M1100™ Bluetooth® headset. Designed for the busy mobile professional and social networker, the M1100 enables users to lead a smarter lifestyle by letting them simply communicate on the move, regardless of their device or location. The M1100’s sophisticated voice recognition allows users to connect to the new cloud-based voice service Plantronics Vocalyst™. This is the first and only headset-integrated voice service on the market that is available in a range of languages, which offers an unbeatable hands-free user experience, letting users stay connected and be productive no matter where they are.

“In today’s online world, we want to be connected wherever we are. Whether it’s to reply to an email or post an update on Facebook, we require solutions that simplify this ability to multi-task, wherever we are and at anytime of the day” said Stuart Bradshaw, Plantronics EMEA Head of Consumer Marketing “By including multi-lingual voice recognition in the M1100 and then adding the Vocalyst voice-and-text service, users are able to switch between calls, music and productivity apps such as SMS and emails simply by using the power of their voice.”

SIMPLY SMARTER COMMUNICATIONS™
VOCALYST™ - ONLINE VOICE SERVICE
The M1100 is the first headset to integrate Plantronics Vocalyst. Simply by pressing the dedicated voice button to “Call Vocalyst”, users can:
- Send and listen to emails and text messages*
- Record and listen to reminders,
- Post audio messages to Twitter and Facebook and listen to their streams,
- Update Evernote® to easily capture moments and ideas with their voice,
- Listen to their calendar and add appointments**
- Listen to the latest local news, finance, sports and weather reports.

The Plantronics Vocalyst service is free for a full year (value - £24.99 / €24.99) for Plantronics’ M1100 customers and is available in UK English, French, German and Spanish. Compatible with any phone, users can choose their language, country and activate Vocalyst with a few simple steps at www.plantronics.com/myheadset.

Android™ and BlackBerry® smartphone users can also download the Plantronics Vocalyst application at their respective app stores. The apps provide hands-free listening to text messages and custom configurations for added convenience, such as an auto-responder for incoming text messages (“I’m currently driving and will return your message shortly.”)

SIMPLY SMARTER COMMUNICATIONS™
SMART VOICE COMMANDS & ALERTS
The Plantronics M1100 features convenient voice commands and extensive voice alerts, users can answer or ignore an incoming call by simply saying, “Answer” or “Ignore”, call out by using “Redial” and asking “Am I connected?” to see which devices are ready for use. The Plantronics M1100 also includes whispered voice alerts for low battery, lost connection, remaining talk time and more.  More product details here.

PRICING & AVAILABILITY
The Plantronics M1100 has a retail price of €79.99 / £69.99 and is available now from all Plantronics retailers.  For more information, please visit: www.plantronics.com.

* Sends email and SMS as audio files. To send as text (voice to text service) need to upgrade to Vocalyst Pro version (currently only available in English, French and Spanish). Vocalyst Pro is €3.50 pcm.

** Only available with Vocalyst Pro version.

IFA, Berlin – 2. September 2011 – Zur IFA erweitert Plantronics sein Bluetooth-Produktportfolio um das Headset M1100™. Durch die Steuerung verschiedener Funktionen per Sprachbefehl und Sprachansagen (z.B. Anruf annehmen oder ignorieren, Akku prüfen) bleiben mit dem M1100 beim Telefonieren die Hände frei. Die Spracherkennung ermöglicht es Anwendern außerdem, sich ganz einfach mit dem cloud-basierten Vocalyst Service von Plantronics zu verbinden: Mit der intelligenten Sprachsoftware Vocalyst können zusätzlich viele Headset-Funktionen bequem per Sprachbefehl gesteuert werden. Dabei übernimmt die Stimme die ganze Arbeit: Über den Sprach- und Textdienst können E-Mails angehört und beantwortet, SMS vorgelesen, Erinnerungen aufgenommen und sogar die Facebook-Seite aktualisiert werden – alles nur per Sprachbefehl.

„In der heutigen Online-Welt, wollen wir immer und überall verbunden sein  – ob wir nun auf eine E-Mail antworten oder ein Update bei Facebook posten möchten. Plantronics bietet Lösungen an, die dieses Bedürfnis nach Multi-Tasking erfüllen, unabhängig davon, wo man sich gerade befindet, “ so Oliver Jungklaus, Marketing Manager D-A-CH bei Plantronics. „Mit der multi-lingualen Spracherkennung im M1100 und dem Vocalyst Sprach- und Textservice können Nutzer den Wechsel zwischen Anrufen, Musik, Apps, SMS und E-Mails einfach mit ihrer Stimme managen.“

Das M1100 wurde speziell für den modernen Mobile Professional entwickelt und unterstützt eine smarte Kommunikation unabhängig von Ort und Kommunikationsendgerät.

DER VOCALYST-ONLINESERVICE
Das M1100 ist das erste Headset mit dem integrierten Plantronics Vocalyst Service. Durch einfaches Drücken der Sprachbefehlstaste und dem Sprachbefehl „Vocalyst anrufen“ sind folgende Funktionen sofort einsatzbereit:

- Verschicken und Anhören von E-Mails und Textnachrichten*
- Aufnahme und Abspielen von Remindern
- Posten von Audio-Nachrichten bei Twitter und Facebook sowie Anhören von Streams
- Empfangen von Nachrichten zu lokalen Themen, Finanzen, Sport und Wetter

Der Plantronics Vocalyst Service ist für Nutzer des M1100 für ein Jahr kostenlos (entspricht einem Wert von 24,99 Euro). Vocalyst ist in Deutsch, Englisch, Französisch und Spanisch erhältlich und dabei mit jedem Telefon kompatibel. Mit nur wenigen einfachen Schritten legen Anwender unter www.plantronics.de/myheadset ihre Sprache fest und aktivieren den Service.

Für Android und Blackberry Smartphone stehen eigene Versionen des Vocalyst Service in den entsprechenden App Stores zur Verfügung. Diese bieten freihändiges Abhören von Textnachrichten und kundenspezifische Einstellungen für zusätzlichen Komfort, wie beispielsweise einen Auto-Responder für eingehende Textnachrichten („Ich bin derzeit in einer Besprechung, werde Ihre Nachricht aber so schnell wie möglich beantworten“).

SMART VOICE BEFEHLE UND BENACHRICHTIGUNGEN
Das Bluetooth-Headset M1100™ bietet die Möglichkeit, verschiedene Headset-Funktionen bequem per Sprachbefehl zu steuern. Einfach die Taste für die Spracherkennung drücken und schon wird ein Anruf angenommen, der Akkustand geprüft oder der Paarungsmodus aktiviert. Indem der Nutzer den Sprachbefehl „Annehmen“ oder „Ignorieren“ gibt, werden eingehende Anrufe beantwortet bzw. abgelehnt, bei „Wahlwiederholung“  wird ein Anruf getätigt und bei „Bin ich verbunden?“ wird automatisch überprüft, welche Kommunikationsgeräte einsatzbereit sind. Das Plantronics M1100 gibt außerdem Sprachansagen bei niedrigem Batteriestatus, einem Verbindungsabbruch und über die verbleibende Sprechzeit.

DAS M1100 – SIMPLY SMARTER COMMUNICATIONS
Drei leistungsstarke Mikrofone im mit AudioIQ3-Technologie filtern M1100 Hintergrundgeräusche heraus und übertragen nur die Stimme des Nutzers. Aktive digitale Signalverarbeitung und ein adaptiver 20-Band-Equalizer sorgen für erstklassige Klangqualität. Dank A2DP-Technologie können z.B. Lieblingsmusik oder GPS-Navigationsansagen von einem A2DP-fähigen Smartphone zum Headset gestreamt werden. Für iPhone-Nutzer bietet das M1100 eine Akkustand-Anzeige im Display, die über den aktuellen Akkustand des Headsets informiert. Des Weiteren schont eine separate Taste zum Ein- bzw. Ausschalten den Akku. Die Sprechzeit des M1100 beträgt vier Stunden, die Standby-Zeit bis zu sieben Tage. Weitere Produktinformationen hier.

PREIS UND VERFÜGBARKEIT
Das Plantronics M1100 ist ab sofort für 79,99 Euro [inkl. Mwst.] bei allen Plantronics Händlern verfügbar. Mehr Informationen unter www.plantronics.de.

*Verschickt E-Mails und SMS als Audio-Dateien.

En este sentido, el sofisticado sistema de reconocimiento de voz del M1100 permite a los usuarios conectarse al nuevo servicio de voz estructurado mediante la tecnología de informática en la nube Plantronics Vocalyst™. Se trata del primer y único servicio de voz del mercado integrado en los auriculares disponible en una variedad de idiomas que ofrece al usuario una insuperable experiencia de manos libres, permitiéndole mantenerse conectado y seguir siendo productivo independientemente del lugar en el que se encuentre.

«En el mundo online en el que vivimos, queremos estar conectados en todas partes. Ya sea para responder a un correo electrónico o escribir una actualización en Facebook, necesitamos soluciones que simplifiquen esta capacidad multifuncional, estemos donde estemos y a cualquier hora del día» afirmó Stuart Bradshaw, director de marketing de consumo de Plantronics para Europa, Medio Oriente y África (EMEA). «Mediante la inclusión de un sistema de reconocimiento de voz multilingüe en el M1100 y añadiéndole el servicio vocal de voz y texto Vocalyst, los usuarios podrán pasar de una llamada a una aplicación de música o de trabajo, como un SMS y un correo electrónico, usando simplemente el poder de su voz», añade Bradshaw.

SIMPLY SMARTER COMMUNICATIONS™
VOCALYST™ - SERVICIO ONLINE DE VOZ
El M1100 es el primer auricular que integra el Plantronics Vocalyst. Simplemente apretando el botón de voz de Call Vocalyst, los usuarios pueden:
•    Enviar y escuchar correos electrónicos y mensajes de texto*
•    Grabar y escuchar recordatorios
•    Subir y escuchar mensajes de audio en Twitter y Facebook
•    Actualizar Evernote® para capturar momentos e ideas de forma sencilla con su voz,
•    Escuchar su agenda y añadir compromisos**
•    Escuchar las últimas noticias financieras, deportivas y pronósticos del tiempo.

El servicio Vocalyst de Plantronics está disponible de forma gratuita durante un año (precio: 24,99€) para usuarios de los auriculares M1100 de Plantronics y ofrece versiones en español, inglés británico, francés y alemán. El servicio es compatible con cualquier terminal y permite a sus usuarios elegir su idioma, país de origen y actividad profesional en Vocalyst en tan sólo unos sencillos pasos en el portal www.plantronics.com/myheadset.

Los usuarios de smartphones de Android™ y BlackBerry® también pueden descargarse la aplicación Plantronics Vocalyst en sus respectivas tiendas de aplicaciones. Estas aplicaciones permiten escuchar mensajes de texto y personalizar la configuración para un uso más sencillo, como respuestas automáticas para mensajes de texto entrantes («Ahora mismo estoy en la carretera, pero te contestaré en breve»).

SIMPLY SMARTER COMMUNICATIONS™
COMANDOS Y ALERTAS DE VOZ INTELIGENTES
Los auriculares M1100 de Plantronics cuentan con cómodos comandos de voz y diversas alertas de voz. Los usuarios podrán contestar o ignorar una llamada entrante simplemente diciendo «contestar» o «ignorar», volver a llamar diciendo «re-llamada» y responder con «¿estoy conectado?» para ver los dispositivos que ya están disponibles para su uso. Además, los M1100 de Plantronics incluyen alertas de voz susurradas, pérdida de conexión o tiempo de llamada restante, entre otras funciones. Encuentre  más información sobre el producto aquí.

PRECIOS Y DISPONIBILIDAD
Los auriculares M1100 de Plantronics tienen un precio de venta de 79,99€ y ya están disponibles para todos los distribuidores de productos Plantronics. Si desea más información, visite: www.plantronics.com.

* Envía correos electrónicos y SMS en forma de archivo de audio. Para enviar como texto (servicio de conversión de texto en voz) se requiere la actualización a la versión Vocalyst Pro (actualmente sólo está disponible en inglés, francés y español). Vocalyst Pro tiene un precio mensual e 3,50€.

** Sólo disponible con la versión Vocalyst Pro.

SYDNEY, Australia – August 29, 2011 – Plantronics (NYSE: PLT) today announced the availability of its new software plug-in, designed specifically for IBM unified communications and collaboration UC² software, to help organisations embrace social business concepts.

The new integration between IBM UC² software, Sametime® and Sametime Unified Telephony (SUT) and Plantronics provides a seamless UC experience to users with intelligent, high quality audio and call control, across a multitude of UC devices. These include PC, softphone and deskphone. This announcement illustrates the close work between Plantronics and IBM, in order to enhance the capability of UC offerings.

The software enhances productivity through new calling capabilities for online meetings, video conferences, and PC-based calls and was named an IBM Lotus 2011 Award finalist in the “Enhancing Business Value through UC Solutions” category.

The Plantronics software offers the following functionality:

• Control Sametime Calls Remotely: Walk, talk, and multitask with the ability to answer/end, mute, and control call volume and manage multiple calls remotely from the headset

• Smart Sensor™ Technology Wearing Status: Built in sensors deliver automatic functionality like answering a call by placing the headset on and simultaneously updating softphone availability status

• Mobile Phone Presence: Automatically changes Sametime presence status to ‘on phone’ when on a mobile call

• Synchronised UC Presence: Updates user status in Sametime and Skype PC clients

“Unified communications is helping to reinvent the way people work, providing a new and transparent way of connecting,” said Caleb Barlow, Director of UC², IBM. “Done correctly, UC² includes all elements of enterprise communications, including voice, instant messaging, video, and of course the highest quality of audio, which is typically derived from headsets. UC² is helping organisations take one step closer to becoming a social business that embraces networks of people to get real work done.”

Please visit the Plantronics strategic IBM Partner site to hear more from Caleb Barlow about the IBM and Plantronics relationship, and how the two companies are working together to advance the UC experience.

Graeme Gherbaz, Managing Director for Plantronics said, “The new software builds a bridge between IBM Lotus Sametime, and our Voyager Pro UC Bluetooth headset, enabling seamless audio connectivity via softphone or mobile phone, in the office or on the go”

“The collaborative application gives the user copious benefits, by providing headsets capable of automatically changing the user’s Sametime presence/status. Our new Savi wireless headsets take this even further by including your desk phone call activities.” Gherbas said.

Download the free Plantronics Plug-in v2 for IBM Lotus Sametime: www.plantronics.com/ibmuc

Visit www.plantronics.com for more information about UC-ready products.

About Plantronics

Plantronics is a global leader in audio communications for businesses and consumers. We have pioneered new trends in audio technology for 50 years, creating innovative products that allow people to simply communicate.  From Unified Communication solutions to Bluetooth headsets, we deliver uncompromising quality, an ideal experience, and extraordinary service. Plantronics is used by every company in the Fortune 100, as well as 911 dispatch, air traffic control and the New York Stock Exchange.  For more information, please visit www.plantronics.com or call (03) 9326 1653.

Plantronics, Savi and Voyager are registered trademarks and Smart Sensor is a trademark of Plantronics, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

SYDNEY, Australia – July 13, 2011 – Plantronics®(NYSE:PLT), today announced a new cloud-based voice service, Plantronics Vocalyst, aimed at enhancing users Bluetooth experience by extending voice control capabilities.

Today Plantronics also extended its premium headset line with the Plantronics Savor M1100 Bluetooth® headset. The Plantronics Savor combines the world’s first three-mic audio performance with Plantronics Vocalyst™, to deliver exceptional audio experiences for conversations, text-to-speech, audio streaming, and much more “With a commitment to high quality product design and developing innovative technology, Plantronics’ Vocalyst aims to make communication simpler and more convenient for customers,” said Peter Petrides, National Retail Sales Manager, Plantronics Australia. “This product is a breakthrough in voice-driven simplicity and performance; it’s like having your own personal assistant.”

Plantronics Vocalyst

Plantronics Vocalyst is a cloud-based voice service, which can be integrated with the Plantronics Savor M1100. Vocalyst significantly enhances the Bluetooth user experience with convenient features and capabilities. By pressing Savor’s dedicated voice button and speaking commands, users may:

• Send and listen to emails and text-to-speech messages,
• Record and listen to reminders,
• Post messages to Twitter and listen to their streams,
• Update Evernote accounts to easily capture moments and ideas with their voice,
• Post a message to your Facebook page,
• Listen to the latest news, finance, sports and weather reports.

The Plantronics Vocalyst service is free for a full year (a USD $24.99 value) for Plantronics Savor customers. Vocalyst’s simple voice-driven services are powered by Dial2Do, a pioneer in delivering cloud-based voice services. Compatible with any phone, users can activate Vocalyst with a few simple steps at www.plantronics.com/vocalyst. Android™ and BlackBerry® smartphone users can also download the Plantronics Vocalyst application at respective app stores. The apps allow users to listen to text messages as well as providing custom configurations for added convenience, such as an auto-responder for incoming text messages (“I’m currently driving and will return your message shortly.”).

Equipped with Vocalyst technology, the Plantronics Savor M1100 features convenient voice commands allowing users to keep their eyes on the road, not their phones. Users can answer or ignore incoming calls by simply saying, “Answer” or “Ignore”. The Plantronics Savor also includes whispered voice alerts for low battery and lost connection.

Precision Audio Performance

The Plantronics Savor features three microphones that work collaboratively to ensure every word is heard clearly during conversations. Two of the three microphones capture the user’s voice and simultaneously cancel background noise. The third microphone automatically activates when in extremely noisy situations, helping to overcome the most challenging environments while maximising battery life.

The three mics work with AudioIQ³, the next generation of Plantronics’ AudioIQ® digital signal processing (DSP) technology, to preserve the natural voice. This means users do not sound robotic and improves speech accuracy. Plantronics Savor also includes WindSmart® technology to reduce wind noise when taking calls in the car or on a busy street, and its premium speaker and automatic volume adjustments mean that users don’t have to put a hand over their ear to hear inbound audio.

Discreet Design and Comfort

The Plantronics Savor M1100 has a compact and lightweight design, featuring a stylish boom that ensures a subtle profile, while also maximising audio performance by allowing for optimal mic placement. It includes soft gel ear tips in three different sizes and an optional ear loop to provide multiple wearing options and a comfortable fit. The Plantronics Savor provides up to four hours of talk time and seven days of standby time.

The Plantronics Savor M1100 has a Suggested Retail Price of AUD $129.00, and is now available through Telstra and other stockists. For a full list of stockists, visit www.plantronics.com.au.

About Plantronics

Plantronics is a world leader in personal audio communications for professionals and consumers. From unified communication solutions to Bluetooth headsets, Plantronics delivers unparalleled audio experiences and quality that reflect nearly 50 years of innovation and customer commitment. Plantronics is used by every company in the Fortune 100 and is the headset of choice for air traffic control, 911 dispatch and the New York Stock Exchange. For more information, please visit www.plantronics.com.au.

Plantronics AudioIQ, AudioIQ3, Savor, Vocalyst and WindSmart are trademarks or registered trademarks of Plantronics, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

- Plantronics, Inc. (NYSE: PLT) today announced that it entered into an Accelerated Share Repurchase agreement (”ASR agreement”) with Goldman, Sachs & Co. (”Goldman”) to repurchase an aggregate of $50 million of Plantronics’ common stock under an accelerated share repurchase program (”ASR program”).

“In connection with the 7 million share repurchase authorization announced on May 3, 2011, we continue to pursue an accelerated pace of repurchases by entering into a follow-on ASR agreement upon completion of our prior ASR program announced in May 2011,” said Ken Kannappan, President & CEO.

Plantronics is scheduled to pay $50 million to Goldman on August 24, 2011 and will receive delivery of shares by Goldman pursuant to the ASR agreement. A majority of the shares are scheduled to be delivered by Goldman by August 24, 2011. The remaining shares to be repurchased will be based generally on the daily volume-weighted average price of Plantronics’ common stock during the term of the ASR agreement, and under certain circumstances Goldman will not deliver additional shares and Plantronics will be required to make an additional payment or deliver shares to Goldman.

The prior $100 million ASR program announced on May 9, 2011was completed on August 9, 2011. On August 12, 2011, Plantronics received an additional 648,505 shares for a total of 2,831,519 shares received.

Safe Harbor

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including statements that the Company will repurchase $50 million of Plantronics’ common stock under an accelerated share repurchase program; that the Company will pay Goldman $50 million by August 24, 2011; that the Company will receive shares from Goldman pursuant to the ASR agreement; that the majority of shares to be repurchased will be delivered by Goldman by August 24, 2011 or that the remaining shares to be repurchased will be based generally on the daily volume-weighted average price of Plantronics’ common stock during the term of the ASR agreement. There are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by any such statements. These risks include, but are not limited to: the ASR agreement is subject to terms and conditions that include adjustments upon the occurrence of certain events and certain circumstances under which the ASR Agreement may be terminated. Plantronics does not assume any obligation to update or revise any such forward-looking statements, whether as the result of new developments or otherwise.

For more information concerning these and other possible risks, please refer to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed May 31, 2011, quarterly reports filed on Form 10-Q and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission as well as recent press releases. These filings can be accessed over the Internet at http://www.sec.gov/edgar/searchedgar/companysearch.html.

About Plantronics

Plantronics is a global leader in audio communications for businesses and consumers. We have pioneered new trends in audio technology for 50 years, creating innovative products that allow people to simply communicate. From Unified Communication solutions to Bluetooth headsets, we deliver uncompromising quality, an ideal experience, and extraordinary service. Plantronics is used by every company in the Fortune 100, as well as 911 dispatch, air traffic control and the New York Stock Exchange. For more information, please visit www.plantronics.com or call (800) 544-4660.

Plantronics and the logo design are trademarks or registered trademarks of Plantronics, Inc. The Bluetooth name and the Bluetooth trademarks are owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and are used by Plantronics, Inc. under license.All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

SANTA CRUZ, CA - August 1, 2011 - Plantronics, Inc. (NYSE: PLT) today announced first quarter fiscal year 2012 net revenues of $175.6 million compared with net revenues of $170.7 million in the first quarter of fiscal year 2011 and above the guidance range of $168 million - $173 million provided on May 3, 2011.  Plantronics’ GAAP diluted earnings per share was $0.56 in the first quarter of fiscal year 2012 compared with $0.52 in the same quarter of the prior year and guidance of $0.46 to $0.50.  Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share for the first quarter of fiscal year 2012 was $0.62, up 7% compared with $0.58 in the same quarter of the prior year and higher than previously provided guidance of $0.52 to $0.56.  The difference between GAAP and non-GAAP diluted earnings per share for the first quarter of fiscal year 2012 includes stock-based compensation charges and purchase accounting amortization, both net of the associated tax impact.

“We started fiscal 2012 with strong year over year growth in our Office and Contact Center (‘OCC’) business in all geographies, in part driven by Unified Communications (‘UC’),” stated Ken Kannappan, President & CEO.  ”Product revenues related to UC deployments grew by 91% compared with the prior year quarter and we remain very optimistic about the UC market and continue to invest accordingly.”

“We finished the quarter with $386.3 million in cash, cash equivalents and short & long term investments after spending $110 million on repurchases of our common stock, inclusive of $100 million paid under the accelerated share repurchase program we announced in May.  We generated approximately $19 million in cash flow from operations in the first quarter of fiscal year 2012 and continue to have a very strong financial position,” stated Barbara Scherer, SVP Finance and Administration & CFO.

Improved economic conditions and the market trend toward UC products drove an 11% increase in net revenues of OCC products in the first quarter of fiscal 2012 compared to the same period in the prior year.  OCC net revenues were $131 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2012 compared with $117.6 million in the first quarter of fiscal year 2011.  Revenues of UC products were $18.8 million for the first quarter of fiscal year 2012 compared with $9.8 million in the first quarter of fiscal year 2011.

Mobile net revenues were $32.2 million in the first quarter of fiscal year 2012, a decrease of 17% from $38.7 million in the first quarter of fiscal year 2011 as a result of some market share loss in the U.S. and overall weakness in the product category offset in part by international revenue growth.

GAAP operating income in the first quarter of fiscal year 2012 was $35.0 million resulting in an operating margin of 20.0%.  This compares to GAAP operating income of $35.9 million and an operating margin of 21.0% in the prior year quarter.  Non-GAAP operating income in the first quarter of fiscal year 2012 was $39.4 million which resulted in a non-GAAP operating margin of 22.4% compared to previously provided guidance of non-GAAP operating income of $34 million to $37 million.

On May 9, 2011, Plantronics announced that it entered into two separate accelerated share repurchase agreements with Goldman, Sachs & Co. (”Goldman”) to repurchase an aggregate of $100 million of Plantronics’ common stock under an accelerated share repurchase program (”ASR”), as part of a 7 million share repurchase authorization announced on May 3, 2011.  During the current quarter, Plantronics received approximately 2.1 million shares from Goldman and may receive additional shares or may be required to make an additional payment or deliver shares to Goldman at the completion of the program, which we expect to be in January 2012, but may be sooner.  Plantronics’ diluted shares outstanding declined by 1.4 million shares sequentially, primarily as a result of the ASR, and actual diluted shares outstanding were 48.1 million compared with guidance of approximately 49 million.  The guidance estimate for the first quarter of fiscal 2012 did not include the benefit of shares received under the ASR.

Business Outlook

The following statements are based on our current expectations and many of these statements are forward-looking.  Actual results are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and may differ materially from our expectations.

The September quarter tends to be characterized by a slowdown in incoming purchase orders during July which intensifies in August, but historically, the level of incoming orders picks up strongly at the beginning of September.  This pattern tends to be particularly true in our higher margin OCC business.  This historical September quarter trend is included in our model for forecasting the second quarter net revenues.

Plantronics’ business is inherently difficult to forecast, particularly with continuing uncertainty in global economic conditions, and there can be no assurance that the incoming orders it expects to receive over the balance of the current quarter will materialize.

Plantronics has a “book and ship” business model whereby it ships most orders to customers within 48 hours of its receipt of those orders and, therefore, the level of backlog does not provide reliable visibility into potential future revenues.

Subject to the foregoing, we are currently expecting the following range of financial results for the second quarter of fiscal year 2012:

• Net revenues of $172 million - $177 million;
• GAAP operating income of $32 million to $35 million;
• Non-GAAP operating income of $37 million to $40 million;
• Assuming approximately 47.4 million diluted average weighted shares outstanding:
  • GAAP diluted earnings per share of $0.51 to $0.56;
  • Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share of $0.58 - $0.63; and
  • Diluted earnings per share cost of stock-based compensation to be approximately $0.07.

Plantronics does not intend to update these targets during the quarter or to report on its progress toward these targets.  Plantronics will not comment on these targets to analysts or investors except by its press release announcing its second quarter fiscal year 2012 results or by other public disclosure.  Any other statements speculating on the progress of the second quarter fiscal year 2012 will not be based on internal information and should be assessed accordingly by investors.

Dividend Announcement

Plantronics also announced that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.05 per share.  The dividend will be payable on September 9, 2011 to stockholders of record at the close of business on August 19, 2011.

Conference Call Scheduled to Discuss Financial Results

Plantronics has scheduled a conference call to discuss first quarter fiscal year 2012 results.  The conference call will take place today, August 1, 2011 at 2:00 PM (PDT).  All interested investors and potential investors in Plantronics stock are invited to participate.  To listen to the call, please dial in five to ten minutes prior to the scheduled starting time and refer to the “Plantronics Conference Call.”  Participants from North America should call (888) 301-8736 and other participants should call (706) 634-7260.

A replay of the call with the conference ID #76926828 will be available for 72 hours at (800) 642-1687 for callers from North America and at (706) 645-9291 for all other callers.  The conference call will also be simultaneously webcast at www.plantronics.com under Investor Relations, and the webcast of the conference call will remain available on the Plantronics website for 30 days.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Information

Plantronics has excluded non-recurring transactions and non-cash expenses and charges including stock-based compensation expenses related to stock options, restricted stock and employee stock purchases and purchase accounting amortization from non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP earnings per diluted share, non-GAAP operating income, non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP operating margin and the non-GAAP effective tax rate.  Plantronics excludes these expenses from its non-GAAP measures primarily because Plantronics does not believe they are reflective of ongoing operating results and are not considered by management as part of Plantronics’ target operating model.  Plantronics believes that the use of non-GAAP financial measures provides meaningful supplemental information regarding its performance and liquidity, and helps investors compare actual results to its long-term target operating model goals.  Plantronics believes that both management and investors benefit from referring to these non-GAAP financial measures in assessing its performance and when planning, forecasting and analyzing future periods, but non-GAAP financial measures are not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for, or superior to, operating income, net income or earnings per share prepared in accordance with GAAP.

Safe Harbor

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including statements relating to (i) our outlook for the UC market  (ii) our estimates of GAAP and non-GAAP financial results for the second quarter of fiscal 2012, including net revenues, operating income and diluted earnings per share; (iii) our estimated diluted earnings per share cost of stock-based compensation for the second quarter of fiscal 2012; (iv) our estimate of the diluted weighted average shares outstanding in the second quarter of fiscal 2012, (v) trends and our predictions regarding ordering patterns for the second quarter of fiscal 2012, as well as other matters discussed in this press release that are not purely historical data.  Plantronics does not assume any obligation to update or revise any such forward-looking statements, whether as the result of new developments or otherwise.

Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by such statements.  Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated are:

• economic conditions in both the domestic and international markets;
• our ability to realize our UC plans and to achieve the financial results projected to arise from UC adoption could be adversely affected by the following factors: (i) as UC becomes more widely adopted, the risk that competitors will offer solutions that will effectively commoditize our headsets which, in turn, will reduce the sales prices for our headsets; (ii) UC solutions may not be adopted with the breadth and speed in the marketplace that we currently anticipate; (iii) the development of UC solutions is technically complex and this may delay or obstruct our ability to introduce solutions to the market on a timely basis and that are cost effective, feature rich, stable and attractive to our customers; (iv) as UC becomes more widely adopted we anticipate that competition for market share will increase, and some competitors may have superior technical and economic resources; (v) our plans are dependent upon adoption of our UC solution by major platform providers such as Microsoft Corporation, Cisco Systems, Inc., Avaya, Inc., Alcatel-Lucent, and IBM, and we have a limited ability to influence such providers with respect to the functionality of their platforms, their rate of deployment, and their willingness to integrate their platforms with our solutions, and our support expenditures may substantially increase over time due to the complex nature of the platforms developed by the major UC providers as these platforms continue to evolve and become more commonly adopted; and (vi) the results and timing of our accelerated share repurchase program;
• failure to match production to demand given long lead times and the difficulty of forecasting unit volumes and acquiring the component parts and materials to meet demand without having excess inventory or incurring cancellation charges;
• volatility in prices from our suppliers, including our manufacturers located in China, have and could negatively affect our profitability and/or market share;
• fluctuations in foreign exchange rates;
• the bankruptcy or financial weakness of distributors or key customers, or the bankruptcy of or reduction in capacity of our key suppliers; and,
• additional risk factors including: interruption in the supply of sole-sourced critical components, continuity of component supply at costs consistent with our plans, the inherent risks of our substantial foreign operations, and problems which might affect our manufacturing facilities in Mexico.

For more information concerning these and other possible risks, please refer to Plantronics’  Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 31, 2011, quarterly reports filed on Form 10-Q and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as recent press releases.  These filings can be accessed over the Internet at http://www.sec.gov/edgar/searchedgar/companysearch.html.

Financial Summaries

The following related charts are provided:

• Summary Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
• Unaudited GAAP to Non-GAAP Consolidated Statements of Operations Reconciliations for the Three Months ended June 30, 2011 and June 30, 2010
• Summary Unaudited Statements of Operations and Related Data on a Non-GAAP Basis

View all

About Plantronics

Plantronics is a global leader in audio communications for businesses and consumers. We have pioneered new trends in audio technology for 50 years, creating innovative products that allow people to simply communicate.  From Unified Communication solutions to Bluetooth headsets, we deliver uncompromising quality, an ideal experience, and extraordinary service. Plantronics is used by every company in the Fortune 100, as well as 911 dispatch, air traffic control and the New York Stock Exchange.  For more information, please visit www.plantronics.com or call (800) 544-4660.

Plantronics, the logo design, Simply Smarter Communications and Clarity are trademarks or registered trademarks of Plantronics, Inc.  The Bluetooth name and the Bluetooth trademarks are owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and are used by Plantronics, Inc. under license.  All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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This award follows additional accolades from Microsoft including being named a finalist for the OEM Hardware Solutions, Device Manufacturing Partner of the Year award in 2009 and 2010. Plantronics offers a full suite of solutions optimized for Microsoft Unified Communications (UC), including:

Savi: Plantronics’ line of wireless DECT headsets for computer telephony, office phones and mobile phones. The new Savi 700 series simplifies communication by allowing an individual to use one headset for the computer, office phone and mobile phone.

Voyager: Plantronics’ iconic Voyager PRO for unified communications applications.  The new Voyager PRO UC is the only headset to include Smart Sensor technology for simplified calling on mobile phones, tablets and computers.

Calisto: Plantronics’ line of USB speakerphones, handsets and telephones.  The new Calisto 800 series of smart USB speakerphones can be connected to a computer, home landline, and a mobile phone.  Key features of the Calisto series include visual call management, and near headset-like audio quality through and intuitive display and wireless lapel microphone.

Blackwire: Plantronics’ corded USB headsets designed for maximum portability, audio quality and ease of use.  The new Blackwire 435 is a flexible and highly portable USB headset that can be worn in one or both ears and includes a sleek travel case.

In addition to its award-winning UC product portfolio, Plantronics also provides IT professionals with the Plantronics UC Toolkit, an online resource designed to help IT managers navigate through the phases of a UC deployment: Trial, Plan, Deploy, Adopt and Evolve.

To learn more about the Plantronics UC Product Portfolio for Microsoft, please click here.

Additionally, Plantronics is supporting Microsoft’s new online collaboration initiative, Microsoft Lync Online for Office 365, with award-winning audio devices for next-generation cloud communication services.

Plantronics, Blackwire, Calisto, Savi, Simply Smarter Communications and Voyager are trademarks or registered trademarks of Plantronics, Inc. The Bluetooth trademark is owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of the mark by Plantronics, Inc. is under license. Microsoft and Lync are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and other countries.

Plantronics’ booth highlights:

• New plug-and-play compatibility with Cisco IP Communicator (CIPC)
• Displays and live demonstrations of Cisco Cius and Voyager PRO UC
• Live demonstration of the UC Toolkit: an online library of UC audio device rollout resources especially designed to help drive successful UC deployments
• InstantMeeting: Plantronics’ new conference calling app for Simply Smarter Communications

Cisco Live TV will broadcast an interview from the show floor on Wednesday, July 13, from 4:30-5:30pm featuring Plantronics sSystem Integrators and customers describing their experiences deploying Plantronics audio devices with Cisco UC solutions. A Cisco executive will also join to discuss UC deployments within Cisco and the company’s vision of a Virtual Worker. The interviews will be rebroadcast on the Cisco Live TV network throughout the event, as well as replayed online.

Additionally, Plantronics will showcase UC solutions for mobile and remote workers, office mobility, and small and medium sized businesses in the Plantronics Booth Theater throughout the event.

About Plantronics - Simply Smarter Communications™

Plantronics is a global leader in audio communications for businesses and consumers. We have pioneered new trends in audio technology for 50 years, creating innovative products that allow people to simply communicate. From unified communication solutions to Bluetooth® headsets, we deliver uncompromising quality, an ideal experience, and extraordinary service. Plantronics is used by every company in the Fortune 100, as well as 911 dispatch, air traffic control and the New York Stock Exchange. For more information, please visit www.plantronics.com or call (800) 544-4660.

Plantronics, Simply Smarter Communications, Smart Sensor and Voyager are trademarks or registered trademarks of Plantronics, Inc. Cisco, Cisco Live and Cisco Cius are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and certain other countries. The Bluetooth trademark is owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of the mark by Plantronics, Inc. is under license.

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Plantronics’ booth highlights:

• Displays and live demonstrations of the entire Plantronics UC portfolio optimized for Microsoft Corp., including the latest Savi® 700 Series multi-device wireless headset system; the Voyager® PRO UC Bluetooth® headset system with Smart Sensor^TM technology; the innovative Calisto® 800 Series multi-device speakerphone system; and the company’s newest ultra-lightweight USB corded headset, the Blackwire® 435
• Live demonstrations of the new UC Toolkit, an online library of UC audio device rollout resources especially designed to help drive successful Lync deployments - now accessible globally in 10 languages
• Audio Device Enablement consultations. Microsoft Lync sellers may qualify for a Plantronics demonstration device to better showcase all the voice features in Microsoft Lync 2010 and
  Microsoft Lync Online for Microsoft Office 365.

Additionally, Plantronics is pleased to announce that it is supporting Microsoft’s online collaboration initiative, Microsoft Lync Online for Office 365, with award-winning audio devices for next-generation cloud communication services.

About Plantronics - Simply Smarter Communications^TM

Plantronics is a global leader in audio communications for businesses and consumers. We have pioneered new trends in audio technology for 50 years, creating innovative products that allow people to simply communicate. From unified communication solutions to Bluetooth® headsets, we deliver uncompromising quality, an ideal experience, and extraordinary service. Plantronics is used by every company in the Fortune 100, as well as 911 dispatch, air traffic control and the New York Stock Exchange. For more information, please visit www.plantronics.com or call (800) 544-4660.

Plantronics, Blackwire, Calisto, Savi, Simply Smarter Communications and Voyager are trademarks or registered trademarks of Plantronics, Inc.  The Bluetooth trademark is owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of the mark by Plantronics, Inc. is under license.

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Plantronics Contact: 

Laurie Guarino
Laurie.Guarino@plantronics.com
831-458-7529

Santa Cruz, CA, July 6, 2011 - Plantronics (NYSE: PLT) today announced that its Voyager® PRO UC Bluetooth® headset has been named a 2011 International Design Excellence Award (IDEA) winner by the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA). This prestigious award celebrates design excellence in products, sustainability, interaction design, packaging, strategy, research and concepts. Voyager PRO UC was named a Silver Award winner in the Communications Tools category.

The Plantronics design team was challenged to design a headset that would deliver superior comfort, long battery life, and unmatched sound quality in an aesthetically appealing form.  The Voyager PRO line of headsets takes its inspiration from the design of classic sound tubes and retro microphones that echo designs from the “Jet Age” - a nod to Plantronics’ beginnings as a headset manufacturer for NASA. This retro theme is incorporated throughout the product, culminating in the sweeping flare of the battery compartment that ensures the perfect weight and balance for maximum comfort.

“We consider it an honor to receive an award for design excellence from IDSA,” said Darrin Caddes, vice president of corporate design for Plantronics. “We’ve received many design awards in recent years but this one is of particular relevance to us as it comes as recognition from our peers in the design community. We design our products to complement human anatomy and act as an extension of the end user and do our best to create solutions that not only deliver best in class audio performance, but also provide a simple and seamless user experience.” 

Voyager PRO UC combines Plantronics’ award-winning Voyager PRO Bluetooth headset with a plug-and-play Bluetooth USB adapter to deliver richer wideband audio on softphones along with the Voyager PRO headset’s superior noise and wind cancellation on both mobile phones and softphones.  Additionally, Voyager PRO UC delivers advanced hardware and software that seamlessly eliminates communication complexity by detecting presence and integrating with PC applications - dramatically enhancing the headset experience.

Caddes continued, “Our goal is to extend the notion of comfort beyond ergonomics and well into the products form factor and total product experience.  It’s one thing to ask someone if their headset is comfortable, and another entirely to ask them if they’re comfortable in their headset. It takes a team of very talented designers and engineers to pull this off and we feel the Voyager Pro line exemplifies what we like to call Simply Smarter Communications.”

About The IDSA

The IDSA is one of the world’s oldest, largest, member-driven societies for product design, industrial design, interaction design, human factors, ergonomics, design research, design management, universal design and related design fields. For detailed descriptions, photos and contact information on this year’s IDEA winners, visit http://www.idsa.org/idea-2011-gallery. The 2011 IDEA jury included 20 international design experts coming from design consultancies, corporations and universities. Judging criteria focused on eight areas of industrial design excellence: innovation; benefit to the user; benefit to society; benefit to the client; visual appeal and appropriate aesthetics; usability, emotional factors and unmet needs for the design research category; and internal factors, methods, strategic value, and implementation for the design strategy category. Best in Show, Curator’s Choice, People’s Choice, and the Responsibility Awards will be announced during the IDSA International Conference in New Orleans, September 17, 2011.

About Plantronics - Simply Smarter Communications^TM

Plantronics is a global leader in audio communications for businesses and consumers. We have pioneered new trends in audio technology for 50 years, creating innovative products that allow people to simply communicate. From unified communication solutions to Bluetooth® headsets, we deliver uncompromising quality, an ideal experience, and extraordinary service. Plantronics is used by every company in the Fortune 100, as well as 911 dispatch, air traffic control and the New York Stock Exchange. For more information, please visit www.plantronics.com or call (800) 544-4660.

Plantronics, Simply Smarter Communications and Voyager are trademarks or registered trademarks of Plantronics, Inc.  The Bluetooth trademark is owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of the mark by Plantronics, Inc. is under license.  All other trademarks are the property of the respective owners.