Plantronics is transforming into a 'new' brand called Poly
Plantronics and Polycom are relaunching as Poly to focus on providing collaboration and communication tools for the modern workspace.
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Headset manufacturer Plantronics acquired Polycom for $2 billion last year. After the deal closed, Reuters reported that the company was trying to sell itself and Logitech was interested in acquiring it. But no sale transpired, and instead the company has decided to rename itself Poly and recalibrate its mission.
Poly will focus on "the human experience of communications and collaboration, aiming to make communication as rich and natural as in-person," according to a press release announcing the new name.
"Today feels like my first day as CEO of a new company," said Joe Burton, Poly's president and chief executive officer. "We see limitless opportunity for how people communicate and collaborate today. With advancements in AI, machine learning and new technologies, we see a future where Poly makes the connection, then quietly steps out of the way to become the one thing you don't notice in the meeting."
The origin of the prefix poly is from an ancient Greek word which means "many."
The company said the Poly logo "honors the company's new path forward as well as its legacy." Its lava red color and angle of letters form a propeller reflecting Plantronics' 60-year aviation lineage while its three legs pay homage to the design of Polycom's iconic conference phone.
Don't expect the Plantronics name to disappear immediately, however. At the Enterprise Connect 2019 conference, Poly is unveiling new products and services, some of which confusingly retain the Plantronics and Polycom names. Here's a look at some of the products Poly is rolling out, according to the company:
- Polycom Studio, a video USB bar that upgrades huddle rooms to business class and works with services like Microsoft Teams , Zoom, Skype for Business, Google Meet, Cisco Webex or Amazon Chime.
- Plantronics Elara 60 Series, a mobile phone station designed for the "increasingly mobile-first worker" and provides users with a one-touch Microsoft Teams experience.
- Eagle Eye Cube, a video conference camera with 4K sensors and rich sound to upgrade meetings in small to midsized rooms.
- Blackwire 7225, a new boomless UC headset designed for open offices. It's equipped with active noise cancellation to muffle sounds around you when taking calls or listening to music on a Windows PC or Mac.
- The Plantronics Status Indicator, a wired presence indicator that sits on your desktop and connects with whatever communications platform you're using to let others know if you're available, on a call or away from your desk.