However, she said the phones will be competitive with Avaya and other manufacturers on price, partly in response to competition from low- and midrange Asian phone manufacturers. Siemens will also make the new phones interoperable with Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) standards from the start. SIP interoperability has in the past been reserved for later releases, she said. Phones will also be available for Siemens' proprietary Cornet IP-based protocol as well as for traditional circuit-switched systems, and will continue to provide high fidelity sound -- something Siemens has provided for about a year, she said.

Bluetooth headsets will also be available to transmit wirelessly at short range to the desk phones.

Unlike Avaya, Siemens will not be providing faceplates for the new phones in a range of colors, Vandermate said, noting that surveys of Siemens customers had not shown the need.