Leading UC and CC endpoint manufacturer JPL Telecom has just launched its brand new office and contact centre headset – the Commander; and we’re excited to be the first ones sharing the ins and outs of this cool new product.
A universal, Plug & Play headset, the Commander is a work-from-anywhere, high-quality audio-telephony solution compatible with all softphones. It provides clear sound with a comfortable user experience for utmost concentration; and thanks to its affordable price point (under £50), it’s also cost-effective.
We sat down to chat with James Clarke, CEO of JPL Telecom, about the company’s latest release and how it fits into the current climate of the market.
Full Control, Maximum Convenience
Although its characteristics make it appear as if it was made for COVID-induced WFH situations – the Commander was in fact originally developed for banks and contact centres.
“Both these sectors, believe it or not, are not big fans of software downloads,” shares Clarke.
“This may sound counter-intuitive, as many people nowadays seem to like the capability of playing around with as many aspects of the headset as possible. But when you talk to the customers – they actually don’t like this. They don’t want their staff going on some website to download software, or fiddling around with the sound standard. They want control.”
Bearing that in mind, it was clear to Clarke and JPL that they were working towards a Plug & Play solution, requiring zero software downloads. But other than allowing the customer [i.e. contact centre, bank] full control, this solution had to be one that the end-user would like, too. And in a post-COVID climate, the emphasis on end-users is becoming even more critical.
The Whole Range: From Contact Centres to WFH Users
“COVID changed everything,” explains Clarke.
“The work-from-home users want an affordable product that is Plug & Play – as non-complicated as possible. They also want it to be comfortable on the ears, so they can wear it for long periods of time, and they require effective noise cancellation so they can remain concentrated no matter where they’re working from.”
When designing the Commander, JPL had all those things in mind, and more.
First, the Commander was designed to be a true audio-telephony headset. Its hybrid speakers allow the user to play true stereo audio when they listen to music, and switch to mono across both ears for speech.
JPL Commander headsets
Another key feature of the Commander is its use of new technology when it comes to noise-cancelling in the microphone, enhanced by its 60mm ear cushions. This remains important as many are still forced to work from home, barking dogs and ringing doorbells included.
The Commander actually uses PNC (Passive Noise Cancellation) rather than ANC (Active Noise Cancellation), and there’s a good reason for that.
“When talking to our customers, we saw they didn’t like ANC for long-term use,” shares Clarke. “ANC creates white noise, which can give headaches and generally creates an artificial sound environment compared to PNC.”
“This is why, at this category at the moment, we decided to take the customers’ advice and focus on providing a better clamp against the ear. It’s passive – in that it covers up the ear rather than actively going for ANC, since I think the current ANC technology is not good enough yet”
Last but not least, the Commander is low-weight, which turns out to be critical for long-term use.
“Since people wear these headsets for four or five hours straight, it’s best to keep the headset under 100 grams wherever possible. This is extremely important for contact centres, where agents work long hours with this weight on their shoulders,” explains Clarke.
The Commander was designed from the get-go to be both USB-A and USB-C compatible, which spares the user any potential inconvenience.
It is now available for purchase in the UK, Europe, the US, Canada and Russia.
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