A new wireless client software to be announced by Cisco will extend a worker's desk phone functions to many different smart phones and handheld devices. Called Cisco Unified Mobile Communicator, the software will support BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Symbian OS and BREW (Binary Runtime for Environment for Wireless) handsets, according to Barry O'Sullivan, vice president and general manager of IP communications at Cisco.

In all, Cisco intends to announce 12 new products and 30 enhanced ones under the heading of Cisco Unified Communications 6.0. New products will reduce the need for communications servers in a network and add resiliency, among other capabilities, O'Sullivan and users said.

For example, Cisco's Unified Wireless IP Phone 7921G will work in 802.11a/b/g networks and feature push-to-talk capability. Joe Brickweg, director of information systems infrastructure at Marshfield Clinic in Marshfield, Wisc., said he is "very interested" in providing phones with push-to-talk capability to doctors and nurses. "They can push a button and get information quickly," he said. "We see a great opportunity for that product."

The clinic, which has 7,000 workers, is also testing Cisco Unified Mobility, which allows a user to switch a Cisco Unified IP Phone to a mobile phone at the push of a button, Brickweg added. "It's a capability many companies also have, but with Cisco, it is easier since we already have the Communications Manager software, and this means one less throat to choke," he said.

The mobility feature is being tested with BlackBerry devices, allowing for easy call transfers. New software capabilities in Communication Manager will help the clinic reduce the number of servers it needs, since functions are more centralized, Brickweg added.