'Smart Chip' Overcomes Incompatible Business Phones
SAN JOSE, Calif., Oct. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Hello Direct, Inc.
(Nasdaq: HELO), the leading developer and direct marketer of telephone
productivity products and a pioneer in communications interface technology,
announced today that the U.S. Patent Office recently issued Patent
No. 5,937,031 for Hello Direct's smart interface technology. This is the
second patent issued for this technology; related patents for future variants
are pending. This exclusive technology developed by Hello Direct enables both
voice and data products to adapt themselves automatically to the diverse,
non-standard handset ports found on today's digital telephones. Currently,
the technology is embedded in the company's LineStein(R) analog-to-digital
adapter, SuperPro(R) headset amplifier, and Cordless(TM) XLT headset, and
marketed as the "LearnIt(TM)" feature.
Although most phones use a standard modular connector for the handset
port, the circuitry required to connect analog modems and teleconferencers to
these handset ports are different for each phone model. In the past, users
had to find their phone models in charts, then manually configure switches and
dials to achieve acceptable performance of accessory products. Special-order
adapters were needed for some phones. Hello Direct's smart interface chip
performs this task automatically to ensure optimal performance and simple
plug-and-play installation. The technology ensures that any analog line
product such as a modem, teleconferencer, or fax machine can connect to any
proprietary or digital telephone handset.
"The LearnIt technology has generated high customer acceptance due to its
automatic adaptation to any digital telephone," said Dion Blundell, Director
of Product Marketing at Hello Direct. "Future generations of this technology
will open up the closed, proprietary phone system environment so that low-cost
analog phones, modems, and other peripherals can be used without installing
new analog lines and PBX line cards. As a result, we believe this patented
technology may have the potential to deliver significant incremental revenue
and profit opportunities for Hello Direct."
About Hello Direct, Inc.
Hello Direct, Inc. (Nasdaq: HELO) is the leading developer and direct
marketer of telephone productivity tools, including headsets,
teleconferencing, wireless and related desktop products. Through its
distinctive catalogs, web site and outbound telemarketing programs, the
company offers a broad selection of commercial-grade products from Hello
Direct and other leading suppliers that answer its customers' evolving
communications needs. Founded in 1987, the company is headquartered in
San Jose, Calif. For more information on Hello Direct, Inc. and its products,
please visit http://www.hellodirect.com .
This release contains forward-looking statements including, but not
limited to, statements regarding continued development of the Company's
interface technology and its potential to contribute to incremental revenue
and profit opportunities at some point in the future. These forward-looking
statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to
differ, and such differences could be material. Such risks and uncertainties
include, but are not limited to, the following: the uncertainty of the
Company's future operating results, the fact that the market for
telecommunication products is generally characterized by rapidly changing
technology, the Company's need and ability to successfully develop new
products, the Company's dependence on and market acceptance of its current and
newly introduced headset products, the Company's dependence on sole or limited
source suppliers and foreign manufacturing, the highly competitive market for
telecommunications products, the dependence of Internet sales on the continued
growth in electronic commerce, risks associated with managing a growing
business and the Company's dependence on key personnel. A description of the
risks that could cause results to vary are contained under the caption
(Risk Factors) in the Company's reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q on file
with the SEC for a discussion of risks and uncertainties. Hello Direct
assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements for
subsequent events.
For more information on Hello Direct, Inc. via fax at no cost, dial
800-PRO-INFO (908-544-2850 outside the U.S.), ticker symbol: HELO.
SOURCE Hello Direct
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Related links:
http://www.hellodirect.com
CONTACT:
Dion Blundell, 408-363-2005,
dion.blundell@hellodirect.com, of Hello Direct, Inc.; or Allison
Niday, 831-439-0977, allison@impactcommpr.com, of Impact
Communications for Hello Direct
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