Are Headsets Displacing the Office Phone?

Enter the new headsets that plug into desktops, laptops and notebooks and provide quiet conversations and conference calls. Some new headsets switch easily among desk phones, computers and even cellphones, as reported in the New York Times.

Here are the latest innovative products in the headset market:

• Microsoft (MSFT) has launched its Lynx system, which is intended to replace the older Office Communications Server to provide a centralized call system and phone features, supplanting corporate PBXs, video chat and unifying other communications systems of a corporate environment, according to StockMarket Watch.
• Plantronics, (PLT), a headset company, will offer a wireless headset, the Savi 730, which will manage calls whether they are on a PC, a desk phone or a mobile phone, said a company spokeswoman.
• Plantronics also will offer an updated version of the Voyager Pro UC, which lets users switch between calls received on the PC and those on a mobile phone.
• German audio company, Sennheiser offers its Office Runner model, which is marketed by Headsets.com.
• People who use the iPad can buy the Jawbone Icon. It also works with Macs that have Bluetooth.

As you can see, the introduction of Apple's (AAPL) iPhone, iPad and other tablets is creating a new market for headphones. This is the way technology develops. Each new product generates another new product that supplements or improves the first one. Look for these new headsets to catch on fairly quickly.