ClearOne CHAT 160 Skype-Certified Speakerphone [USB Connectivity, Full-Duplex, Noise Reduction, Three Microphones, 360-Degree Sound]

Skype VoIP technology is growing in popularity as an alternative to the more traditional telephone service providers because of its ease of use and dirt-cheap costs. Who wouldn’t want the ability to basically chat with anyone on the planet that has a computer connected to the Internet…for free? Oh yeah, and they also have video. Now you can see why technology like this has the big phone companies scrambling to slow down their own obsolescence. In support of the continued growth of VoIP providers like Skype, ClearOne has announced their latest high-end speakerphone, the CHAT™ 160.

The new Skype-certified CHAT 160 group speakerphone is designed to connect to laptops or PCs via USB. Its touted as a hands-free communication option for anyone using Skype but given its rather large price tag, it’s a safe bet that this is an enterprise or SOHO purchase. The CHAT 160 offers full-duplex audio for voice and video communication. It features three different microphones and a 360-degree design so you can bet that it would feel right at home sitting in the middle of a long, mahogany boardroom table.

The CHAT 160 contains HDConference™, the same suite of audio technologies that is contained in ClearOne’s other professional conferencing systems. The HDConference technology includes full-duplex, Distributed Echo Cancellation™, noise reduction, automatic level controls, and adaptive modeling. And you thought it was just another speakerphone. The CHAT 160 is plug-and-play and requires no software or drivers to be installed.

The CHAT 160 has a suggested retail price of $399.99 and can be purchased from the Skype Shop at www.skype.com/shop.