Jabra Handset 450: USB DECT Wireless Handset that Works with Microsoft Teams & Skype for Business

If you have been looking for a simple way to get a DECT portable phone functionality for your retail, warehouse or other scenario, you search might be over.

NOTE: This device is not Microsoft Teams or Skype for Business Certified! Jabra's website says: "Works with most softphones like Skype for Business (Lync) and is certified for Cisco Jabber". In my quick testing it seems to work with Microsoft Teams & Skype for Business in the same way other Jabra devices work with these products. But it is NOT CERTIFIED.

Here is my hands on video review of the Jabra Handset 450 working with Microsoft Teams in Teams Native Mode.

How to Setup

Just plug it in and it should work.

How to Get  VolumeUp + Mute to Pickup/Hangup

Update firmware. Install Jabra Direct, go to Updates and click Update.

It takes several minutes to update the firmware. Just wait. Likely slower becuase its doing it over DECT wireless.

Range

In my testing it goes about exactly as for as the Jabra website says, that is, about 66ft in either direction from the charging cradle. We have a concrete 2nd floor and it seemed to work unless you were at the edges of the 2nd floor, then it started to cut out.

Buttons on the Device that work with Teams/Skype for Business

• Mute
• Volume Up & Down
• Volume Up + Mute = Pickup / HangUp with appropriate firmware loaded.

Indicator LED

Bellow are LED meanings:

Source: https://www.jabra.com/supportpages/jabra-handset-450#/#990-011-05

Summary

Cons

• No dial pad
• Slightly unhandy to press Up+Mute to Pickup/Hangup
• Limited range
• No audible ringer (blinking red LED indicates call ringing)

Pro

• A DECT handset that works (if not certified) with Teams/Skype4B
• Installs in minutes and does require expensive hardware
• Gives Teams users a very traditional "just pickup to answer" Teams/Skype4B experience

This device is clearly not for every user, but if you need it, you need it, and you know who you are.
And remember, its not certified.


Official Site:
https://www.jabra.com/business/office-headsets/jabra-handset-450

"Busylights" Can Now Work Native with Microsoft Teams: Kuando Busylight Now Works Natively with Microsoft Teams

Those using Microsoft Teams have been waiting for busylights to work native and it looks like Kuando is the first vendor to achieve this.

Just change the presence in the Microsoft Teams PC client manually, or let it do so automatically, and the Kuando Busylight, after a little pause, while show the correct presence!

To get this to work you will need to install the Kuando for Microsoft Teams tray app:

For the Kuando BusyLight to work, you must install the Microsoft Teams specific software, so if you have Skype for Business working with Kuando, this will mean installing the Teams specific software. Also the Microsoft Teams client must be running as the dll's interface with the Teams PC client, not using Microsoft Graph directly. If you exit Teams, the presence will stop functioning.

Another thing I noticed is that unlike the Skype for Business integration, the presence change is not immediate. This is exactly as presence works in Microsoft Outlook, so I would expect this to be a limitation of the interface to Teams, not the Kuando app. In my experience it takes about 3 seconds to change. (not big issue for normal presence, more of an issue in calling scenarios) So when you change your presence in the Teams client it takes about 1 second until the change displays in Teams client and 3 seconds till it shows up in Outlook & Busylight.

And another nice touch is that it works with your existing Kuando lights. I had one on hand and it worked just fine.

A few vendors are now providing busylights: Kuando, Embrava and most recently Poly has announced intentions to do so. It appears at the time of writing other major vendors, such as Embrava, do not seem to have this functionality yet.

To get the new Software that works native with Kuando's existing busylights:
https://www.plenom.com/downloads/download-software/

Kuando's Office News Article:
https://www.plenom.com/news/microsoft-teams/

Embrava:
https://embrava.com/pages/software