Grandstream makes the desk phone more fun

The scoop: GXV3140 IP Multimedia Phone, by Grandstream Networks, about $250.

What it is: About the size of a standard office desk phone, the GXV3140 includes a tiny built-in Webcam (1.3 megapixel) and a 4.3-inch color display as well as your typical numeric keypad. Four-way navigation keys let you select menu items on the screen. Instead of connecting to a phone line, you connect through the Ethernet data port in your office (if you don't have a second port, you can use an additional Ethernet port on the phone as a passthrough to your desktop).

Once connected to the Internet, you can make free voice and video phone calls to other Grandstream devices, or make regular phone calls by connecting the device to your company's Session Initiation Protocol server and PBX, or at home through a VoIP service provider (such as Vonage).

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The scoop: GXV3140 IP Multimedia Phone, by Grandstream Networks, about $250.

What it is: About the size of a standard office desk phone, the GXV3140 includes a tiny built-in Webcam (1.3 megapixel) and a 4.3-inch color display as well as your typical numeric keypad. Four-way navigation keys let you select menu items on the screen. Instead of connecting to a phone line, you connect through the Ethernet data port in your office (if you don't have a second port, you can use an additional Ethernet port on the phone as a passthrough to your desktop).

Once connected to the Internet, you can make free voice and video phone calls to other Grandstream devices, or make regular phone calls by connecting the device to your company's Session Initiation Protocol server and PBX, or at home through a VoIP service provider (such as Vonage).

The Internet connection also lets you access data such as RSS feeds, weather/stock information, Flickr photo stream viewing and YouTube video viewing. There's even a Web browser on the interface, letting you surf the Web on the phone, making this a secondary Web device in addition to your normal PC.

Why it's cool: Setup was easy -- I received two test units, and was able to connect them quickly to our existing workplace network (although one phone required a firmware upgrade and reboot). Each phone had a unique ID, so I was able to place a video phone call quickly by dialing that ID number through the keypad (you can also store the number in an address book). Sound and voice quality on the phone was great -- the video quality was a bit off, but good enough for two guys talking in an office to each other. The really cool stuff was the additional Internet apps available on the phone -- I really impressed co-workers by listening to some Internet radio stations and watching some YouTube videos on the phone.

I liked the USB port that lets you attach a mouse or keyboard, especially useful for using the Web browser. Other ports include composite video outputs for viewing video calls on a larger TV or projector (put these in a conference room, for example), and a SD card slot for storing additional photos and media files.

Some caveats: You can't use the Webcam on the phone to make calls to other Webcams, or through services such as Skype (Grandstream says Skype integration is on the way). There is an IM client (supports Yahoo and MSN), but it's text only. The bells and whistles are nice to have, but in the end it's still just a phone, and it's unclear how useful having Internet and Web browsing ability on a smaller screen really is.

Grade: 3.5 stars (out of five).

Read more about wireless & mobile in Network World's Wireless & Mobile section.