Cisco Systems has partnered with Crestron Electronics to develop a new IP-based telephone with integrated touchscreen.

The Cisco IP Phone 7970G is the latest state-of-the-art IP phone with a 5.6-inch touchscreen. Crestron provides touchscreen access to features and applications, providing real-time business data through the IP network, and allowing employees to take the most informed actions for the enterprise. The user simply presses the "Services" button to access the Phone Project Server. A new touchscreen page displays, and the user selects the appropriate functions from the touchscreen menus.

The Cisco IP Phone 7970G is designed for companies that want to deliver high productivity and high impact user experiences, with quick network-based information access and without the labor and cost required for PCs. By delivering more powerful applications and network data to the desktop, the Cisco IP Phone 7970G enables higher employee productivity and enhanced customer satisfaction.

Crestron XPanel IE provides Web browser based control using ActiveX to attain true touchpanel behavior. XPanel IE Web pages are hosted on a 2-Series control system, allowing control on the fly from the Cisco phone via IP.

XPanel IE files are created just like touchpanel files using Crestron VisionTools Pro-e GUI design software. The look and function of touchpanel files created in VTPro-e are replicated precisely in XPanel IE. Subpages, multi-mode buttons, animations, object effects, transparencies and fonts appear and behave identically to those on an Isys touchpanel. Cisco phone users experience Crestron touchpanel control directly from the phoneís touchscreen. The touchscreen features a 234 x 234 resolution with adjustable backlight display and supports 12-bit color depth.

Cisco has standardized on Crestron as its worldwide exclusive AV technology provider.