In many ways, Cisco is synonymous with business telephony hardware and software applications. The Cisco Unified IP Phone 6900 Series is among its oldest offerings, introduced back in 2009. After over a decade, the Series is still going strong with new updates and features added regularly. In 2018, Cisco even introduced its lineup of entry-level headsets, further reaffirming its commitment to innovation in business telephony. Let’s review the Cisco Unified IP Phone 6900 Series in more detail.
Inside the Cisco Unified IP Phone 6900 Series
The Cisco Unified IP Phone 6900 Series is billed as a “user-friendly, cost-effective” solution for voice communication. Looking under the hood, you’ll find six variants in this series: 690x, 691x, 692x, 694x, and 696x. Here are the features you can expect:
- Cisco Unified IP Phone 6901 - This variant is meant for locations that have occasional voice requirements, such as lobbies, elevators, hotel bathrooms, etc. it supports up to two incoming calls at once, with fixed keys for hold, redial, and call waiting
On the audio quality side, Cisco has included comfort-noise generation and voice-activity-detection (VAD) programming. We liked that even this basic variant is available in white or charcoal colours, meeting the overall aesthetic of your office or hotel. You can also embed the company logo onto the phone at the time of ordering.
- Cisco Unified IP Phone 6911 - The 6911 model can support slightly heavier communications requirements, such as classrooms, manufacturing floors, or cubicle seated employees
Apart from the basic features available in 6901, there is also a speakerphone, an ethernet port, and a backlit mute key. The embedded web server records configurations and performance statistics for enhanced serviceability. All told, this device is a good balance between occasional and regular usage.
- Cisco Unified IP Phone 6921 - This is a major upgrade on the 6901, as it comes with a full-duplex speakerphone as well as video communication support
Unlike 6901, 6921 also has a screen, making it more personalisable. The Cisco Unified IP Phone 6921 is designed for more regular usage with voicemail indicators, deep sleep options, a backlit hold key, an ethernet switch, and the VTIII camera for video. We also liked that 6921 is hearing-aid compatible, in line with the American Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations.
- Cisco Unified IP Phone 6945 - The 6945 equips companies with robust connectivity options, given that it is a Gigabit Ethernet enhanced business IP phone. It supports Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) Class 1 to help save energy in high-usage scenarios
The phone’s headset comes with wideband audio for clarity of sound. And both the hold key and the menu key are backlit. The 6945 has seven ringtones for you to choose from, and there is video enablement using the Cisco VT Camera III.
