Samsung SyncMaster 225U integrates with Office Communicator 2007

Beating the rest of the field to the punch, Samsung dropped the SyncMaster 225U today, the first official product designed to interface with Microsoft's Office Communicator 2007 IM / VoIP / PBX "unified communications" suite we saw unveiled in beta form just a couple days ago. The 22-inch monitor has a pretty average panel -- 1680 x 1050 resolution, 5ms response time, a 700:1 contrast ratio, and just 300 nits of brightness -- but the real noise is in the built-in 2.0 megapixel webcam, microphone, and stereo speakers, which plug into the Communicator software and then serve as a replacement for that bulky deskphone in your office. No word yet on pricing or availability, but expect to see a slew of Communicator products in the future.

Update: Samsung PR tell us that the SyncMaster 225U will be available in June for $449.

[Quikboy Posted May 15th 2007 4:59PM]

I've been using the Office Communicator 2007 beta for awhile, and I have to say, it rocks! Seriously, this is a great way to IM other coworkers on the job. Samsung's specs look pretty amazing too. If I had the cash, I would spring some for Samsung's SyncMaster right away.

[frankenbeans Posted May 15th 2007 5:56PM]

How many in a slew?

[(Unverified) Posted May 16th 2007 9:55AM]

I'd be a little wary connecting an office computer with my phone system. Offices don't always have the fastest desktops, and if this new platform is taxing on the system, it might cause some crashes (which, of course, then remove your ability to call or email or IM tech support). Too early to tell, but I'd be interested in stability here, and particularly if older applications will run on the same desktop without conflict. Many companies have older applications that are mission-critical.