I’ve been using the Google Nexus 7 as my primary Unified Communications (UC) tablet since August 2012. Back in August, I posted about the ViewPoint Mobile client for Android on the Nexus 7. Since then, the combination of a great mobile telephony app running on a great tablet has proven its worth.
The ViewPoint Point of View
To call ViewPoint Mobile a telephony app is a bit of an insult. ViewPoint Mobile is a true Unified Communications app, bringing together call control, presence management, unified messaging and instant messaging. One of the common characteristics of UC today is BYOD (for Bring Your Own Device). Today’s telecom users cannot be tied down to a single desktop phone; they demand to be able to use their mobile devices (smartphones, tablets). It turns out that the tablet format is especially amenable to UC application.
The Perfect Tablet?
To me, the Nexus 7 is the perfect combination of small format (read: convenient – take it with you anywhere/everywhere) and powerful, robust application environment. Android 4.1.2 (“Jellybean”) is a pretty darn mature mobile OS and provides many features that work well for mobile UC (like push notifications). (That’s a good thing since something like 75% of all smartphones run on Android.) The tablet has a tough Gorilla Glass screen, perfect for the mobile device you use everyday. I find the 7″ format much more usable that my Droid smartphone for things like unified messaging and instant messaging. The 7″ format allows for single-handed use, and the screen resolution is fantastic which works in both bright sunlight and dark areas. Touchscreen response is very good, even when using the Viewpoint Mobile widget, which has some very small active areas.
Tethering
My typical network connection is via the ubiquitous WiFi, which is remarkably reliable on the Nexus 7. This works in almost all situations where I need ViewPoint Mobile. When I need actual 3G connectivity, tethering is a breeze and works very well. As Cory Doctorow says in his review of the Nexus 7, “Tethering with all Android devices is so easy that it should be the model for the whole industry.” I use WiFi Tether which gives me a simple, one-touch widget for tethering. Takes 2 seconds to turn it on.
Get your Head Set
When I am at my desk, I just use the Nexus 7’s internal mic and speaker. When I’m out and about, I use the Jabra Halo2 bluetooth headset, which I absolutely love. Perhaps I should do a separate review of the Halo2 for telephony, but it has great audio, it’s lightweight and has touch controls on the side that make it extremely convenient. The dual noise-canceling mics provide crystal clear voice even when in noisy environments. The headset charges through a mini USB cable and the battery life is so good, I think it has only died on me once in three months.
My Go-To Tablet
Battery life on the Nexus 7 is also very good, so I can use it all day without worrying about charging it. I use it when I am on the go and when I am sitting at my desk. I’ve used the ViewPoint app on my Windows desktop for years, but in just a few short months, I’ve come to prefer the tablet. Especially things like instant messaging are simpler and more intuitive from the widget interface than using the desktop app.
It’s a Setup
Installing and configuring ViewPoint Mobile is pretty easy as I detailed here. You just install it from the Play store, configure the initial settings to access your Vertical Wave phone system and log in to your account. From there, you are ready to set your presence, check voicemails, send an Instant Message, etc.
You Make the Call
You can even use ViewPoint Mobile to make calls on the Nexus 7. In Settings, set Incoming Call Handling to forward to your mobile phone. Then set For Calls Use to your mobile number as well. Now you can select a user (from the Users tab), a recent incoming call number (from the Calls tab) or any past call (from the Call Log tab). Your mobile phone will ring and you will be connected. Now, you might say, “why not just place the call on your mobile to begin with” and I wouldn’t disagree. But what if you are working on the road and don’t have access to your ViewPoint call log? Now, try calling back that guy that called you last Wednesday. Makes sense, huh? That is part of the beauty of Unified Communications – connect to whomever you need, whenever you need, from any device you want. Brilliant!
Yes, IOS is Covered Too.
The IOS version of ViewPoint mobile actually predates the Android version. The IOS version is pretty mature by now since that was the original version released by Vertical. It has slightly different features and functionality (I actually like the Android version better) but all of the capabilities discussed here can be used on IOS. Does it run on the IPad? What about the IPad Mini? Hmm… I don’t know! Maybe that’s the subject of another post.
Are you using ViewPoint mobile? How does it help you get things done? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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