An essential tool for next-generation non-territorial offices

In addition to reducing call fees, wireless IP phones bring significant advantages not available with fixed IP phones. Within the range of the wireless network, users can make and receive calls even away from the user's assigned desk. Wireless IP telephony eliminates the need for phone lines and LAN cables around a desk, making it much easier to reconfigure office layouts.

Taking advantage of these potential benefits, increasing numbers of companies are adopting wireless IP phones to create a style of office environment called the non-territorial office - configurations in which employees no longer have specific assigned desks. Kokuyo Office System Co., Ltd. is carrying out a pioneering project involving wireless IP phones for this purpose called Live Office (see page 3). Following the relocation of their head office to Kasumigaseki Live Office in December 2003, Kokuyo Office System introduced a wireless LAN system and IP phones (fixed and wireless) to create a non-territorial office environment, offering this and other Live Offices to the public to enable new office workstyles.

"Companies with numerous traveling sales representatives rarely have all of their employees physically at the office at the same time. In our case, according to a company survey, the highest typical attendance rate is 60%, even at peak attendance hours like morning and evening. At our Live Office, we significantly reduced the number of desks for sales-related staff and made their office space non-territorial. Doing so reduced the required office space by about 20%, compared to our previous office. This office environment has also improved communication among members of different departments." (Mr. Kensaku Ichiya, Manager, Personnel and Administration Dept., Kokuyo Office System Co., Ltd.)

Implementing flexible work styles requires movable desks, a wireless LAN system, notebook PCs, and wireless IP phones.

"We had an in-house PHS network before. Replacing this with an IP network using a wireless LAN backbone significantly reduced the cost of facility management required by layout and organizational changes. In fall 2005, we replaced 250 wireless terminals for sales personnel with WirelessIP5000 phones. Since WirelessIP5000 is vendor-independent, this transition was smooth and didn't require replacing the SIP server. We're delighted with the speech quality and reliability we're experiencing." (Mr. Toshiyuki Kita, Leader of Facility Group, Personnel and Administration Dept., Kokuyo Office System Co., Ltd.)