June/July 2003

"Voice over Wi-Fi" is the among the latest new technologies to wow users of data capture and wireless local-area networking systems; and one of the first companies to offer a multi-function unit with this capability is Symbol.

Voice over Wi-Fi technology allows direct voice communications between mobile workers and managers, using the same spread-spectrum wireless network as data transfer (obviating the need for two parallel technologies).

Symbol's new Pocket PC-based PDT 8146 is driven by a digital signal processing (DSP) co-processor, which is said to maintain good voice performance alongside data-intensive applications. Voice applications simply run in the background.

Symbol says performance is enhanced by hardware-based G.729A audio compression and decompression, which maximises wireless LAN bandwidth efficiency by supporting multiple, simultaneous calls per access point while minimising network traffic.

 

The initial Symbol voice application features "walkie-talkie" and pager functionality, plus private peer-to-peer phone calling.

The system also comes with Symbol's latest imaging engine, which is just one-fifth of a cubic inch in size. It is said to be is the smallest barcode imaging system to combine CCD sensor technology with "smart focus" technology, and it also has intuitive laser aiming guidance and self-illumination.

In theory, voice over Wi-Fi could become popular beyond the warehouse, offering an alternative to mobile or even fixed phones. But there are suspicions that neither mobile phone handset manufacturers nor network providers will be in a hurry to market anything that undercuts their present offerings.