Everyone loves Cisco ip phones. Maybe it is all of the product placements they buy on popular TV shows and in movies. Maybe it is the great design. Maybe it is that they just plain out-perform the competition. Whatever it is, the new Cisco CP-7937G conference phone is sure to be a hit with small and large enterprises. The Cisco CP-7937G picks up where the Cisco CP-7936G left off. Not only is the CP-7937G one of the slickest looking conference phones ever produced, it is no slouch in the performance department either.
Cisco CP-7937G Overview
The Cisco CP-7937G combines state-of-the-art wideband speakerphone conferencing technologies with award-winning Cisco voice communication technologies. That state-of-the-art wideband speakerphone conferencing technology? It is Polycom’s HD Voice technology (Polycom is an OEM partner). If you have not yet heard the quality of Polycom’s HD Voice, you need to go out and take one of their ip phones for a spin. Now back to the CP-7937G.
Cisco CP-7937G New Features
The Cisco CP-7937G has a ton of improvements over it’s predecessor the, CP-7936G. The new features include:
Superior wideband acoustics with the support of the G.722 wideband codec
Support for IEEE Power over Ethernet (PoE) or the Cisco Power Cube 3
Expanded room coverage up to 30 feet by 40 feet with the optional external microphone kit
Support for a third-party lapel microphone kit
New larger backlit liquid crystal display (LCD)
Global localization within six months of first customer shipment (FCS)
Pros:
Simply put, this conference phone is stacked with features and functionality. The fact that it is utilizing Polycom’s HD Voice technology is reason enough to give the CP-7937G five stars, let alone the scalability and the improved look and feel of the phone. If you are using Cisco Call Manager, there is real reason why you should not be looking for this phone.
Cons
The biggest drawback is that it is not a native SIP device. At the time of writing this, it is only available with the Cisco standard SCCP protocol and there is no firm time frame for when the device will be made available in a SIP revision or if a SIP license will available for purchase. That means all of you open source and SIP fans might not get the opportunity to experience this great new conference phone. Other than it not being SIP based, the CP-7937G has a hefty price tag. With an MSRP of $1249.99 and a street price of $999.99, it is almost $200 more expensive than a comparable Polycom model.
Overall
The Cisco CP-7937G is a winner all around. Save the fact that Cisco is still not whole heartedly embracing the SIP standard, there is not another conference phone on the market that beats this phone. If you are in need of a Cisco conference phone the CP-7937G is highly recommended.
