Founded in Boston, Massachusetts in 2002, Grandstream Networks is a globally successful manufacturer of IP voice & video solutions for a wide variety of both business and consumer markets and many of the communications products they produce are leading the way for others to follow…but how do their conference calling phones compare to other brands?
In order to find out, we have decided to write an in depth review of one of the brands flagship conference calling products, the GAC2500, giving a detailed analyses of the many features it offers to users along with our opinion of which business types would benefit most from it.
Before we continue, however, we must stress that we are not trying to sell this product and any details we give are just the informed opinions of a group of people who have spent years working within the IT & Telecommunications industry.
How would the Grandstream GAC2500 look on your desktop?
One of the first things that struck us when we removed the GAC2500 from the box was how incredibly futuristic and highly advanced the machine looked when compared to the countless other conference phones we come across on a regular basis. With it’s sleek, stylish circular design and a 4.3” IPS LCD 800×480 resolution graphic touch-screen display, this is a conference phone that would make an amazing centrepiece for any meeting and emits an air of professionalism that any on looking party would struggle not to be impressed by.
What can it do?
If you’re looking for a conference-calling phone that is capable of delivering High Quality HD Audio during every call, the 220-180,000Hz ranging speakerphone with full wideband support will not fail to deliver. Thanks to this feature, callers can experience an unprecedented, life-like audio experience that makes them feel as though the caller is there in the room beside them during every call to ensure no facts or instructions are misinterpreted. As well as making this a much more pleasurable experience for the listener, the unimpeachable audio clarity delivered by the GAC2500 is a huge productivity booster that ensures every caller is fully of where of what is being said and what needs to be done to help improve business practice.
Likewise, with three cardioid microphones capable of reaching up to 12 ft. pickup distance, the GAC2500 ensure that the listener will hear everyone in present during the meeting individually and all cross talk is eliminated. Much like the speakerphone, the cutting edge microphones ensure that everything said during the call will be received with absolute clarity to ensure nothing is misinterpreted and both caller and listener can rest assured that all facts are clear and objectives are set.
Another exciting feature present on the GAC2500 is the fact that it runs on Android 4.4 and, therefore, offers full access to the Google Play Store in order to allow users to hold conferences through notable apps such as Skype, Google Hangouts and many more. In a modern age where business is dominated by the use of Smartphones and the many apps they offer, this feature marks a turning point in the conference calling world by allowing users to incorporate many of the benefits of these applications offer directly into whichever meeting they are involved in.
To add to this, the built-in Bluetooth support for syncing headsets and mobile devices means that users can connect their smartphones and tablets directly to the GAC2500 thus turning it into a centralised hub that successfully connects all separate parties together and allows them to use a device of their own choosing for added efficiency and comfort.
From an administrative viewpoint, the GAC2500 is a dream and offers support for up to six SIP accounts and seven-way voice conferencing for greater efficiency and flexibility in the workplace. Moreover, the built in PoE (Power over Ethernet) means that businesses can quickly connect the conference phone without the need for costly installations and unnecessary cabling for a much more tidy and less time/money consuming experience.
What did we like most about it?
Though there are many standout features that make this a truly impressive conference phone, if we had to choose just one we’d have to go with the fact that users can open GooglePlay applications directly from the GAC2500 itself via a beautiful 4.3” touch screen display. Our reasons for choosing this feature over the rest are down to the fact that its inclusion represents a forward thinking innovation that recognises how modern business people operate and shows how the GAC2500 is a tool that was built for the future, not just the present.
What are our final thoughts?
As a conference calling solution we feel this machine is as close to perfect as it can get but there is no doubt that it is aimed at the enterprise-level business elite thus making it perhaps a tad excessive for start up businesses or SMEs that operate on a tight budget. Though impressive this is not a conference phone for every business and we would recommend that smaller companies invest in a more suitable solution that will meet their requirements aptly without breaking the bank.
Having said that, this is just our opinion and if you have any thoughts or experiences with this product that you wish to share then please feel free to contribute to our comments section found at the bottom of the page.
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