That's important for an agency like LifeNet. "Voice communication is paramount to us, compared to data," Stewart said. "To take care of organ transfers, minutes matter to us, and we deal in one world that's both life and death."

From an IT standpoint, the built-in USB port enabled Stewart to use a thumb drive to transfer directory information to the new phones. "It's sort of like sneakernet from the floppy world and makes things a little easier," he said.

Lou D'Ambrosio, Avaya's president of global sales and marketing, said business workers have become accustomed to using wireless and handheld devices as well as applications such as instant messaging. Desktop phones now must interoperate with those products, he said, adding that the upcoming models will also support new applications, including the ability to display security camera feeds on their screens.

Mitel announced a pair of IP phones with a focus on ease of use and high-fidelity sound. The company is also adding a wireless phone stand that can give some of its wired models Wi-Fi connectivity, either as an access point that can be reached by several handsets or as a client device that can be moved around within offices.