ShoreTel has announced the ShoreTel Dock, which it says is the industry's first business-grade docking station that transforms iPhones and iPads into desk phones when paired with ShoreTel Mobilit

Users simply slide their ShoreTel Mobility enabled iPhone or iPad into the ShoreTel Dock and get instant access to the battery life and call quality of a business desk phone. The ShoreTel Dock only requires a single power adaptor and automatically keeps Apple handheld devices charged so employees. When combined with ShoreTel Mobility and conferencing applications, users can take advantage of voice, instant messaging (IM), presence and conferencing on their iOS device.

"ShoreTel is the only unified communications provider delivering an intuitive and easy-to-use solution that truly optimizes how end users communicate for work," says Pejman Roshan, vice president of product management at ShoreTel. "We didn't try to change or replace devices users already love, but instead enabled those same devices with enterprise UC to give end users a dynamic productivity tool that supports their own work rhythm. The ShoreTel Dock is the desk phone for the mobile generation."

The ShoreTel Dock hardware and ShoreTel Mobility software work together. Users can place and answer calls by simply picking up the handset and dialing a number on the dial pad or on the device's screen; the ShoreTel Dock automatically launches the ShoreTel Mobility app. The simple and clean design of the handset, dial pad, speaker phone and audio controls allow users to enjoy the familiar comfort of a desk phone when using their iPad or iPhone at their desks, says Roshan.

The ability to hold an iPad in both portrait and landscape mode supports popular viewing options. It also provides the comfort of a high-quality speaker phone enabled by the docking connection with continuous power for keeping devices fully charged.

The ShoreTel Dock is due later this year for both premise-based and cloud platforms. It's expected to have a list price of US$349. For more info go to www.shoretel.com .