"What we're finding is that the consumer is embracing cell phones and that's really the kind of form factor, the kind of features that they're looking for in their home phone. So we've put together a product that has a flip style design. It has a caller ID display on the outside just like a cell phone. You flip it open, it's got a color screen, just like your cell phone. A USB port so you can download ring tones, you can download pictures. And beyond that, it also has a Bluetooth chip in the handset, so if you have a Bluetooth cell phone, that same headset that you use for your cell phone, you can use for your home phone."
The Bluetooth capability will also let you use the cellular connection for calls from the cordless handsets. That way you can take advantage of free minutes on nights and weekends…from cordless phones around the house. Silverberg says by the middle of the year, Uniden will be selling new adaptors for making calls over the Internet…
"We're actually merging that into the base of a 5.8 phone. The other thing we're doing is making it a universal adaptor. Right now we have three service providers so you can pick and choose."
Uniden Americas President Al Silverberg. Bloomberg Boot Camp, I'm Fred Fishkin.