Angus started his first small business in 1989 and has since gone on to have a successful career in marketing. He realised although there were many websites for small business none was addressing the question of how to. Angus has a passion to articulate benefits that add value to customers/readers.
Jabra, a leader in personal sound and office solutions, introduces the Jabra Talk 65; a premium Bluetooth mono headset, engineered for people who are always on the go and want to stay connected – whether it be for commuting, or working, or just getting things done. Jabra is also upgrading its existing Talk 15 and Talk 25 mono headsets.
The new Jabra Talk 65 is specially designed for hassle-free calls in noisy environments as it has an unparalleled 80% noise cancellation with its 2-microphone technology, ensuring clear communication with no annoying sound interruptions, wherever you’re calling from.
The Bluetooth mono headset has a wireless range of up to 100m/ 300ft, allowing for more mobility on the go and making sure you have a stable connection. The Talk 65 delivers up to 14 hours of talk time on a single charge, so you can keep communicating.
The Jabra Talk 65 also allows for the streaming of GPS information and media sources and one-touch access to Siri or Google Assistant*. The design is IP54-rated, which means it’s protected against dust and water, so it’s rugged enough to go wherever you do. The headset offers flexibility to be worn on either ear, and the lightweight design makes for a secure and comfortable fit, no matter how much you are moving around.
With the launch of Jabra Talk 65, the Danish brand also introduces its upgraded, other products in the Talk range. The Talk 15 now comes with 7 hours of talk time and the Talk 25 has 9 hours of battery life. Both products include Bluetooth® 5.0 for enhanced connectivity.
Calum MacDougall, SVP at Jabra said: “The Jabra Talk 65 Bluetooth Mono headset is a great extension of your phone. Because of the 80% noise cancellation with 2-microphone technology and a wireless range of 100m/ 300ft, you can use the headset for work and private conversations, no matter where the day takes you. Thanks to its superior comfort and fit, you’ll barely notice it’s there.”
Jabra Talk 65 key features and specifications:
80% noise cancellation with 2-microphone technology and HD voice
Up to 14 hours of talk time
Wireless range of up to 100 m / 300 ft for ultimate mobility and flexibility
Streams GPS and media
One-touch access to Voice Assistant*
Lightweight design
IP54-rated protection against dust and water
Jabra Talk 65 pricing and availability
The Jabra Talk 65 will be available in A/NZ from 1st June at selected retailers, MSRP AU$149.
In the mouse buying guide, we previously looked at what was important to consider in buying a mouse. One thing we did not look at was a vertical ergonomic mouse. I used my first mouse for a PC in 1984, and almost 40 years later, I tried using it on its side. This article will take the Logitech LIFT vertical ergonomic mouse for a spin and give you our impressions.
What is a Vertical Ergonomic Mouse?
This mouse is designed to have a more natural position for your arm and wrist by turning the mouse buttons to a 57-degree angle or more simply on its side. According to Logi’s head of its ergo series of products Olessia Hageman, “Ergonomics and comfort play a vital role in overall workspace wellbeing. Building on our philosophy of when we feel better, we do better, we have created Lift to help people work in comfort for hours and feel better at the end of a long day at the desk.”
Reading the side of the box, leading American ergonomic institutions also think so.
What’s in the LIFT Box?
The mouse comes with a preinstalled AA battery and an internally housed USB receiver (so you know where it is when you need it). It has an RRP of $129.95 and is available in 3 colours Graphite, Off white, and Rose. The product is recommended for those with small to medium hands.
Connection to your PC, Mac, or Google device is by Bluetooth® Low Energy or the secure Logi Bolt USB Receiver. The included disposable battery is quoted at up to 2 years before replacement is required.
Setup is a breeze by pulling the disposable plastic battery isolator that allows the mouse to power on. My PC immediately saw the mouse and asked if I wanted to install it. Thus one click with my old mouse, and I was away.
The LIFT mouse also supports up to 3 multi-OS computers connected to it. Control is swapped by a button under the mouse.
Customisation
Not a word you really think about with a mouse beyond switching the buttons around. The LIFT allows the smart magnetic wheel to scroll quickly or slowly by pressing a button below the wheel.
By downloading the Logi Options+ app, you can further customise the various buttons on the mouse by multiple applications, including Microsoft, Adobe and collaboration applications (like Zoom). This allows you to create shortcuts to your most-used features. A handy button remapping option we liked was the ability to use a mouse button to mute your Mic.
Impressions
We like that the mouse is partly made of recycled plastic.
From a usability perspective, a mouse-like this is so much better than the cheap mouse that ships standard with a PC. The LIFT is comfortable to grip with a reassuring clicking mechanism when the key two buttons are pressed. The shift wheel is very responsive, and the ability to quickly change its speed is handy. However, you probably won’t change speeds once you are happy with either the fast or slow. Designers may, however, find this feature very useful. The ability to customise the mouse is great but will most people go to the trouble? You should as it will save a lot of time.
My verdict on the vertical ergonomic mouse that is the mouse turned on its side. Note this is a very personal experience. After almost 40 years of mouse usage, I did not like the orientation change, and I found it unnatural. However, my wife loved it from the minute I asked her to trial it. Another friend has a vertical mouse and said she loves it but took a while to get used to it.
It’s unlikely you can try one before you buy. Chances are, this mouse will be far better than the one you are using today and may even be good for your health.
Two Subway® locations have become the first major Australian quick-service restaurants to serve-up eftpos QR code payments ahead of its plan to roll out the cutting-edge technology to innovation-hungry guests in partnership with Australian-made Beem mobile wallet, both of which are part of newly formed Australian Payments Plus (AP+).
Guests at Subway’s North Sydney (Miller Street) and Brisbane City (460 George Street) restaurants will be able to use eftpos QR via Beem wallet to pay for their favourite Subway 6-Inch®, Subway Footlong®, salad, or wrap. The technology will open the door to a raft of richer rewards, offers and opportunities to connect with and delight guests and is expected to be rolled out across more restaurants in the coming months.
The launch of eftpos QR code payments for Subway® in Australia is a significant milestone for both the retail and payments industries and delivers on a commitment by eftpos (now part of AP+) to rapidly have the technology live and in market.
Mark Britt, Managing Director AP+ Digital Plus said: “Australians have been telling us they want their mobile payments experience to be more valuable, and to cut down on the fumble factor by unifying and orchestrating what was once a mishmash of separate paper and plastic cards. eftpos QR payments make this happen in a simple and elegant way.”
Subway® Australia & New Zealand Communications Manager, Rhys Reynolds, said giving guests the option to pay using eftpos QR just makes sense for the brand. “We know that customisation and personalisation are driving factors for our guests,” said Mr Reynolds. “Subway guests can choose from an array of fresh, healthier ingredients to create a sub, salad or wrap that’s just right for them! We’re excited to extend that choice beyond the sandwich unit, to include cutting-edge payment options.”
For a limited time, guests at Subway® North Sydney and Brisbane City restaurants will also be able to load up on loyalty rewards with triple SubCard® Reward Dollars on offer.
“AP+ is committed to providing Australian consumers and merchants with better, simpler, highly secure and data-rich payments experiences no matter the form factor, or where the shop is – online, mobile or at the checkout,” Mark Britt said.
Square marks another key milestone in its integration of Afterpay and Square, extending buy now, pay later (BNPL) functionality to its millions of in-person sellers in the United States and Australia. Just three months after first bringing Afterpay into the Square ecosystem with e-commerce integration, Square and Afterpay moved swiftly to unlock the ability for sellers using any Square point of sale software – Square Point of Sale, Square for Retail, Square Appointments, or Square for Restaurants – to now offer Afterpay across online and in-person commerce.
To use Afterpay in-person, buyers simply tap to pay using a mobile wallet loaded with their virtual Afterpay card and pay over four interest-free instalments. Square sellers receive their full earnings from each sale immediately.
In their first quarter together, a combined Square and Afterpay has already proven to attract new shoppers and drive incremental revenue for sellers of all sizes. Sellers using Square Online are seeing the following impact on their businesses:
Transaction sizes are up: Across both the US and Australia, the average transaction size with Afterpay is 3x greater than non-BNPL purchases.
Rapid growth in buyers: Globally,we observed a 180% increase in new consumers leveraging Afterpay through Square sellers between February and March 2022.
Meaningful growth among key merchant categories:
In the US, retail businesses that offered Afterpay as a payments option on their website are seeing a meaningful lift in overall online sales, with men’s and women’s clothing stores growing 17%; specialized apparel and accessories, 15%; pet stores, 13%; sporting goods stores, 12%; and jewellery and watch shops, 10%.
In both countries, beauty and personal care businesses saw significant upticks in online sales, registering a 26% increase in Australia and a 16% increase in the U.S.
This growth is already extending to in-person commerce; during the beta period, average order value (AOV) for in-person Afterpay purchases more than doubled in Australia, while in the US orders averaged a 50% increase.
“More than ever, shoppers expect to be able to make purchases with their preferred method of payment,” said Leslie Babineaux, owner of Fort Worth, Texas-based A Touch of Chic Boutique. “Square has made it straightforward for a business of my size to offer Afterpay, with no additional work required on our end. Our customers are thrilled that they can use BNPL when they come in store, and in a short amount of time, we’ve already seen that shoppers spend nearly double the amount with us when purchasing with Afterpay.”
Sydney-based wedding jeweller, The Callie Corp, has seen first-hand the value that offering Afterpay via Square has had on their business: “We’ve been offering Afterpay on our Square Online store and have been blown away by the demand. Our average transaction sizes are up, we’re acquiring more new customers, and more are returning for multiple purchases,” said Rebecca McIntyre, CEO and founder of The Callie Corp. “With restrictions lifted and weddings well and truly back on, we can’t wait to offer Afterpay to our customers at wedding expos and at our studio. Afterpay really helps our customers to manage their cash flow around what can be an expensive, but really special, time.”
To further sales growth, Square sellers will be discoverable in Afterpay’s Shop Directory, a marketplace available both online and from the Afterpay app that showcases sellers offering Afterpay. Shop Directory supplies hundreds of millions of leads per year to sellers and gives buyers the ability to search for Square sellers near them making it easier to shop and support local small businesses.
“Adding Afterpay to Square’s in-person commerce software furthers our goal to give all sellers omnichannel tools that unlock new growth opportunities for them,” said Alyssa Henry, Head of Square. “Omnichannel isn’t just about selling across multiple channels, it’s about meeting your consumers’ shopping habits, whatever and wherever they are. Afterpay adds an omnichannel tool to our ecosystem that our sellers haven’t typically had access to. For sellers of all sizes, Afterpay has proven to be more than just a new payment method; rather it serves as an omnichannel commerce solution that can offer meaningful value and growth to sellers.”
“Our buyers are young, high-intent consumers who prefer Afterpay and quickly become repeat customers for our merchant partners,” said Nick Molnar, Afterpay Lead at Square. “Together, Afterpay and Square can help sellers of all sizes capture the next generation shopper and compete at a larger scale.”
Square sellers can enable Afterpay starting today and try BNPL at promotional rates until September 10. Automatic enablement will roll out to eligible Square sellers over the following weeks, and Afterpay can be easily toggled on or off via sellers’ Square Dashboard at any time. For more information, visit www.squareup.com/buy-now-pay-later.
Read more about BNPL in Small Business Answers guide.
After two successful rounds which saw Shopify helping Victorian businesses start selling and growing online, Shopify is once again partnering with the Victorian Government to support its Small Business Digital Adaptation Program.
Through this program, eligible Victorian businesses will enjoy a $1200 rebate on their Shopify subscription, equivalent to 12 months’ worth of access to its ecosystem of tools and experts to help build and scale their online business.
Shaun Broughton, Managing Director for Asia Pacific, Shopify said “Shopify is proud to once again have the opportunity to support sole traders, micro and local small businesses in Victoria with the tech tools and resources needed to adapt, grow, and thrive. Schemes like the Small Business Digital Adaptation Program are crucial for incentivising business digitalisation, setting the stage for Victorian businesses to flourish amid an increasingly competitive environment.”
Shopify is also providing additional enhanced incentives including:
An extended 30-day free trial – Take the time you need to get your store online with an exclusive extended free trial that’s double the standard offer.
Live training and webinars – Our Victoria educational hub offers step-by-step guidance including blog posts, tutorials and trendspotting to help you launch and grow your business with confidence.
Special offers from our robust ecosystem of partners, agencies, developers and freelancers – We have curated a wide variety of offers that range from basic setup to completely custom solutions, all the better to cater to different needs from merchants of all shapes and sizes.
24/7 customer support – Our support team is here for you every step of the way via chat, email, call-back, and social media.
Merchants must already have a registered business in Australia and will be provided the opportunity to choose from 14 different commerce vendors, including Shopify. Once businesses decide on their partner, they can visit the Victoria Government website to start their rebate process.
For more information including eligibility requirements, visit the Shopify Small Business Digital Adaptation Program website.
Business management platform MYOB has partnered with Master Builders Australia to provide a seven-week online Business Resilience program as part of its Women Building Australia program, a joint initiative with the Australian Government. The content aims to boost the business success and resilience of women in the building industry, by bridging the digital skills divide facing women in construction.
Women Building Australia is designed to attract more women to the building industry and provide services that support them to achieve their career potential, including as small business owners and operators.
“Women who have completed their construction apprenticeship or certificate, and gone on to set up their own business, might come out of their training highly proficient in practical skills but still require the knowledge to run a business. Equally, women who are managing the family construction business may not have had the time or opportunity to gain the knowledge required to run a successful SME in the industry,” said Denita Wawn, CEO of Master Builders Australia.
“With no universally available digital business course currently on offer, this program is a first of its kind, industry-led learning approach providing hands-on business skills to set them up for success from the beginning.”
The program is made up of seven weekly webinars of 45-60 minutes each, focussing on practical elements such as managing cashflow, opportunities to generate revenue, understanding compliance such as tax requirements, as well as managing relationships with clients and suppliers.
“The modules available in the Business Resilience Program cover vital business management basics, while introducing the benefits of digitisation that many small businesses may miss out on,” said Helen Lea, Chief Employee Experience Officer at MYOB.
“In addition to saving time and improving accuracy, businesses with advanced levels of digitisation are 50% more likely to grow revenue[1] and eight times more likely to create jobs[2]. Helping small businesses in construction to get online not only benefits the individuals but the economy overall.”
MYOB modelling shows one in five small businesses – around 80,000 in the construction industry – have no or low digital engagement, and that bringing those SMEs with low or no levels of digitisation online could grow the industry’s contribution to overall GDP 1.9%.[3]
“To help more Australians benefit from digital skills, and more Australian businesses reap the productivity rewards of a digitally-skilled workforce, we see an opportunity for the Government to support the industry-led creation of targeted skills programs like this one,” Ms Lea said.
The Business Resilience program is available free of charge for women working in construction, as well as women running a family construction business. Content will be available the week commencing 17 May and is open now for pre-registrations via MYOB Academy.
Synology® launches RT6600ax Wi-Fi 6 router and releases major update for SRM operating system
Synology announced today the launch of RT6600ax, a high-speed and security-focused router designed to provide households and offices with fast and secure connectivity. Supported by the new Synology Router Manager (SRM) 1.3,1 RT6600ax is fully equipped to address the challenges of modern network environments, including the massive rise in connected devices and the resulting necessity to protect users against ever-increasing security threats.
Designed for performance and stability
Synology’s first Wi-Fi 6-certified router, RT6600ax delivers more reliable Wi-Fi thanks to better data encoding, beamforming, scheduling, and signal isolation. A 2.5GbE port configurable for WAN or LAN deployment enables users to leverage Multi-Gig internet connections or high-performance devices such as a NAS, as well as high-speed wireless backhaul. Fast connection speeds and snappy operation are ensured by a quad-core 1.8 GHz processor, even with multiple devices connected and all features enabled.
Tri-band technology works in conjunction with Smart Connect to optimize device distribution, eliminating data transmission bottlenecks. Compatibility with the newly licensed 5.9 GHz spectrum2 unlocks non-DFS channels at 80 and 160 MHz for a combined 6.6 Gbps of wireless throughput,3 higher concurrent connections, and faster VPN server performance.
Building a solid network foundation
RT6600ax is powered by SRM 1.3, the latest version of Synology’s intuitive operating system for routers. With improvements and added functionality that greatly expand network management capabilities, SRM 1.3 meets the demands for better security and more flexibility typical of today’s network environments.
The option to create up to five separate networks, each available for mapping up to three Wi-Fi SSIDs, makes it easy to strengthen security when managing multi-purpose network environments.4 One-way firewall rules can be configured independently for each network to limit the connectivity to and from less secure devices such as IoT equipment, while support for the 802.1q standard simplifies integration into existing networks in router, AP, and mesh configurations.5
Comprehensive tools for better internet ahead
The latest update also brings SRM’s host of applications for web filtering, traffic control, and remote access to the new generation of Synology routers.
Safe Access
Per-user profiles can be configured to limit time spent online or block browsing when set conditions are met. Devices assigned to the same profile will share the same set of internet access rules, without requiring repetitive manual configuration. For devices not belonging to any user that still require internet access control and auditing (e.g., guest or new devices), network-specific profiles are also available.
Parental control features include limiting internet usage time (either on a schedule or according to a quota-based system), filtering out entire categories of websites or specific domains through allow/block lists, and restricting inappropriate search results with safe search options for YouTube, Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo. Security is enhanced by network-wide threat blocking through DNS & IP Threat Intelligence Database and support for Google Safe Browsing.6
Traffic Control
Available bandwidth can be distributed among connected devices, prioritizing a single client or application when specific needs arise. Real-time and historical data support granular auditing, with traffic reports generated automatically or on demand that can be easily shared in CSV or HTML formats.
VPN Plus
Remote workers and hybrid teams can leverage SRM’s suite of remote connectivity tools to access intranet-only websites directly from their browser (WebVPN), establish high-performance connections with a dedicated client over various protocols (SSL VPN), bridge multiple locations for simple resource sharing across different networks (Site-to-Site VPN), and enable remote operation of devices compatible with the RDP/VNC standard (Remote Desktop).
More powerful mobile management
An overhaul of SRM’s companion mobile app, DS router, delivers an improved network management experience while on the go. The 2.0 version7 brings functionalities that were previously SRM-exclusive to the smartphone, including creating new wireless networks, configuring web filtering and parental control, setting traffic control schemes, and many more.
Availability
RT6600ax is available for purchase in Australia, Canada, Europe, Japan, New Zealand, Taiwan, and the United States starting from May 11.
SRM 1.3 is currently only available on RT6600ax units. Availability will be extended to the other Synology routers — MR2200ac and RT2600ac — later this year.
Dependent on local wireless regulations.
Performance figures are obtained through internal testing by Synology. Actual performance may vary depending on the testing environment, usage, and configuration.
Multiple SSIDs per network are only available with the Smart Connect feature turned off.
Support for connecting RT6600ax with prior-generation MR2200ac and RT2600ac routers will be added in H2 2022.
An API key is required to activate Google Safe Browsing.
DS router 2.0 will be available for all devices running SRM 1.2 or newer.
Horticulture industry employees will benefit from a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by Woolworths Group and the Retail Supply Chain Alliance this week which will see the organisations collaborate to safeguard the welfare of Australian workers.
The Retail Supply Chain Alliance is a partnership between the Transport Workers’ Union (TWU); Australian Workers’ Union (AWU); and Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Union (SDA).
The MoU partners will work to promote the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of decent work and gender equality across the industry, in the support of not only fair, but rewarding work for Australia’s essential horticulture workers.
The groups will collaborate on worker education initiatives and industry engagement, including forums and workshops in key growing regions to enhance awareness of challenges and promote positive outcomes for all workers. The practices of third-party labour-hire companies and increased transparency will be core to the MoU’s objectives.
AWU National Secretary Dan Walton said: “Consumers want ethically sourced produce, and farm workers want a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work.
“This agreement will go a long way to promoting fair and ethical conditions for pickers, packers and other workers in the supply of fruit and vegetables right across Australia.”
TWU National Secretary Michael Cain said: “The Retail Supply Chain Alliance and Woolworths are totally committed to ending all forms of worker exploitation in the retail supply chain.
“Labour-hire providers will be a key focus, as we aim to increase visibility and consistency in the experience of foreign workers, who play an essential role in the nation’s horticulture industry.”
SDA National Secretary Gerard Dwyer said: “Retail Supply Chain Alliance members want to create a more transparent supply chain, one that champions the welfare of all those who work in it, in partnership with farmers, unions, industry groups and governments.
“We are committed to a safe, sustainable, ethical, and fair system in which no worker regardless of their employment status, citizenship or visa status needs fear exploitation, wage theft, bullying, sexual harassment, unsafe work, or modern slavery.”
Woolworths Group’s Chief Sustainability Officer Alex Holt said: “This is an important milestone as we endeavour to partner with every level of the horticulture industry to promote fair conditions for the workers our country relies on.
“Australia’s farmers work hard to feed families across the country and are valued partners in this work to support the experience of pickers, packers and other workers in the supply of fruit and vegetables.
“We know there’s more progress to be made, and under our new partnership with the Alliance we look forward to deepening our engagement with workers, labour hire providers, farmers and legislators to create better experiences for the people who help deliver great Australian produce.”
New research from a leading SME travel management provider has revealed the hopeful outlook Australian small-to-medium sized businesses have for their future recovery from COVID in 2023.
The findings were derived from a survey of an independent panel of 202 Australian SME[1] business owners, commissioned by Corporate Traveller, Flight Centre Travel Group’s SME business travel specialist division. The full survey results, across state and organisation sizes, can be found here corporatetraveller.com.au/resources/insights/sme-business-sector-recovery
From the survey, Corporate Traveller found just 22 per cent of businesses had not been negatively impacted by the pandemic. Among the businesses that have been impacted, one in three (32 per cent) said they expected to recover by the end of 2022, and one in three (33 per cent) in 2023.
One in four (23 per cent) revealed that their recovery would likely occur after 2023, while 11 per cent of businesses said they had already recovered. Just two per cent revealed they will never recover or had closed their business in the last two years.
Tom Walley, Global Managing Director for Corporate Traveller, says: “It’s promising to see that a high proportion of SMEs are hopeful for their recovery and are likely to bounce back over the next 18 months.
“Many SMEs experienced financial hardship or were forced to hibernate, and even close, during the pandemic. This also impacted our economy. However, with business success on the horizon, Australia’s economy can also enjoy a much-needed boost.”
Businesses were also asked to identify the factors, from a list of 11, that they believe will aid their recovery. Australia’s economic recovery would have the biggest positive impact on SMEs, with this factor chosen by more than half (57 per cent) of respondents.
Thirty-eight (38) per cent of business owners said a return to travel would help their businesses recover, while 36 per cent said returning to the workplace to boost employee engagement and productivity would greatly aid their recovery.
Recruiting better and additional talent will help 31 per cent of SMEs, higher consumer confidence in the economy would help 30 per cent, and reduced inflation would assist 27 per cent, while better technology and Government stimulus would help 23 and 21 per cent of businesses, respectively.
Tom says: “Thanks to the recently announced Federal Budget, more SMEs will be able to tap into the very resources and assistance they said they needed to hasten their recovery.
“For instance, the Government will invest $21 billion in tax cuts to reduce the tax rate to the lowest level in five decades. Businesses will also be able to access new technologies and tax relief for training to upskill their employees.
“I also believe that a return to face-to-face communication will play an important role in the recovery, as do the 38 per cent of businesses who said they need to get back to travel to recover.
“Reinvigorating travel programs that were paused or investing more in travel this year will help drive sales and growth opportunities. As more countries open, businesses will also be able to recruit overseas talent and expand into new markets.
“Travel will be an important strategy for SMEs to consider in their recovery, whether they DIY their own travel or use a travel management provider to help navigate the new, complex environment.”
The full survey results, across state and organisation sizes, can be found here corporatetraveller.com.au/resources/insights/sme-business-sector-recovery
[1] Among the businesses surveyed, 32 per cent had 1-15 employees, 32 per cent had 16-50 employees, and 36 per cent had 51-200 employees.
Upfront, I must confess that my daily drive for a headset is Poly Focus 2. You can see our review in wired vs Bluetooth headsets. Those in the market for a headset should also read our buyers’ guide to headsets. Poly reached out to me to review their more cost-effective headset, the Poly Voyager 4320 UC model.
In this hybrid world, we now live in the addition of a headset to your home or work environment has almost become critical, given the vast majority of communication now being done online. A headset gives you the freedom of hands-free and provides a level of privacy from whatever is going on around you.
Poly Voyager 4320 UC overview
The 4320 is a Bluetooth headset enabling you to venture up to 50 meters from your smartphone or computer. Thankfully the battery life allows up to 24 hours of talk time, and failing that, it can be charged via USB whilst in a conversation.
From a comfort perspective, they happily sat on my head for some hours sometimes because I simply forgot to take them off between calls.
The unit ships with a USB dongle which can be used as an alternative to Bluetooth pairing, and a 1.5m USB A to USB C cable. A nylon bag is also provided to store your headset when commuting.
Whilst on a call, Poly’s “acoustic fence technology”, which is a form of noise cancellation, will reduce background noise from being picked up by the microphone. An easily accessible mute button is located on the microphone boom. The boom is also adjustable in multiple directions to suit your face or being swung out of the way.
The Voyager 4320 will also pair with two devices, and this worked well with both my smartphone and my PC connected at the same time. Whilst on a call, a light on the earphone will allow others to know you are on a call.
Volume can be controlled by buttons on the headphone, as well as the ability to answer and hang up a call. When not on call, this same centre button can start or stop a podcast and also access a smart assistant with a long press.
Supporting the latest Bluetooth 5.2 version, this headset has superior range and battery life over the Focus 2.
Customisation and firmware upgrades can be done via the Poly Lens app.
For those wanting a desk stand, this can be bought separately.
Would we buy a Poly Voyager 4320 UC?
When I started reviewing this product, I was excited to test a defeatured headset. I thought it would be perfect for the hybrid worker who was not a call centre operator or in a particularly noisy environment. The more expensive Focus 2 model does a much better job in those circumstances with a few extra cool features thrown in. However, although we might want the additional features of the Focus 2, the 4320 should offer a cheaper alternative whilst still doing everything that a hybrid worker would need.
But when we researched the street price in Australia, we discovered: Poly Voyager 4320 $209-287 Poly Voyager Focus 2 $249 -$441
Thus, potentially only a $40 difference to buy the more expensive model. If you can get the Focus 2 for $40 more, you should just buy the more expensive model. The Focus 2 has a better headband and superior noise cancellation for both the microphone and earphones. It will automatically answer a call by putting the headphones on and hanging up by removing them. The boom microphone will also mute if in the upright position, as well as having a mute button.
