by Ryan Alleman (Jive Communications) September 8, 2014 http://jive.com/top-10-superhero-communication-devices/
From Ninja Turtles to the Man of Steel, from The Dark Knight toGuardians of the Galaxy. And what do they all have in common? Awesome powers, secret identities, hidden bases—and cool communication devices!
Just like everyone else, superheroes need state-of-the-art communications to get the job done. At Jive, communication is our passion, so here’s a rundown of your favorite superheroes’ communication devices and how Jive’s hosted solution offers similar superpowers through our advanced features.
1. The Bat Signal
The Bat Signal is perhaps the most enduring and widely recognized super-heroic communication device. From atop Gotham City’s police headquarters, it’s a blazing beacon to alert the Dark Knight to the latest threat to the city.
In their hour of need, your callers want to be able to reach your organization’s equivalent of Batman, Wonder Woman, or Thor to save the day. With Jive’s Dial Plan Editor, you can quickly configure your phone system in real time (with auto attendants, voicemail boxes, ring groups, sound clips, and more) so callers can easily reach the person they need.
2. The Superman Signal Watch
This gadget never made it into any of the movies, but Superman gave Jimmy Olsen, the Daily Planetphotographer, a special wristwatch that emitted a high-pitched signal only Superman could hear. So whenever Superman heard that awful beeping, he knew Jimmy was in trouble (again).
Your company probably has many Jimmy Olsens ringing you for help, and multiple super-people answering those calls. Caller ID helps signal which Jimmy Olsen is in need, and on the flip side, Caller ID reassures your Jimmys that they have reached the Superman they need. That’s why Jive gives you fully customizable Caller ID for both incoming and outgoing calls.
3. The Bat Phone
This red phone became famous in the Batman television serial that ran from 1966-1968. Commissioner Gordon used it to exclusively communicate with Batman, usually to report the latest threat to Gotham City.
Just like the Bat Phone, Jive gives its clients powerful inbound call filters that enable the blacklisting of certain numbers, including anonymous numbers. On the flip side, the filters can be set to identify certain VIP numbers and put them straight through. That way you can be Batman when your own “Commissioner Gordon” calls with a problem.
4. Dick Tracy’s Two-Way Radio
Warren Beatty was sure to include Dick Tracy’s signature gadget in the 1990 movie: the two-way wrist radio! With it, Tracy could ring his buddies at the police station for updates, or to call for backup.
Just like Tracy, Jive users can use paging to quickly reach their colleagues over the two-way speakerphone. Paging is especially helpful because the caller doesn’t have to wait for a ring when sending a short, urgent message, or when broadcasting general announcements to several handsets at once.
5. The Bat Call
In Batman Begins, when the police corner Batman in Arkham, he triggers an alert that brings a furious cloud of creepy bats to cover his escape.
Perhaps you’re not worried about being cornered by the police, but when you need a certain extension answered with superhuman speed, Jive helps you do so with ring groups (or hunt groups). When a customer dials a particular extension, it can ring everyone in that group. Calls about billing concerns can be directed to your heroic band in accounting, technical concerns can be sent to your mighty team of technicians, and sales questions can go straight to your crack team of salespeople.
6. Professor X’s Telepathy
Professor X often uses his telepathic powers to create psychic connections between his X-Men. During their battles with Magneto and the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, the X-Men were able to silently coordinate their attacks and alert their teammates to danger.
Professor X’s telepathy functions very much like the Cloud, providing invisible connections between multiple endpoints. Jive operates via the Cloud, allowing organizations to operate like the X-Men. Jive users are able to communicate without bulky and expensive on-premise PBX equipment, empowering them to tackle business challenges (and the forces of evil) whether they’re in the office, working remotely from home, or traveling abroad.
7. Batman’s Cell Phone Sonar
Ethical dilemmas aside, supervisors should have no qualms listening in on service calls to their company (no one wants a repeat of the Comcast nightmare call). Jive gives you an array of powerful eavesdropping modes, including:
- Spy Mode: Supervisors can monitor calls with neither the caller nor the employee the wiser.
- Whisper Mode: A supervisor can listen in on a call and speak to an employee, but the customer can’t hear the supervisor at all, so supervisors can walk employees through appropriate responses, as needed.
- Barge Mode: Supervisors can join in on any call, whether inbound or outbound.
8. Green Lantern’s Ring
A little-known feature of Green Lantern’s ring is that it enabled members of the Green Lantern Corps to communicate with each other. Another perk that never made it into the 2011 movie was that the rings could connect to a regular telephone line so Green Lantern could call as if he were using a regular phone.
Just like Green Lantern’s ring, Jive Mobility softphones allow you to use your computer, tablet, or smartphone like a typical office handset, with access to all your desk phone’s features. The softphone application can be used as a stand-alone device or can be used alongside a desk phone— like a sidekick!
9. Avenger’s Priority Identicard
The Avengers are the platinum standard for super heroes, so they get nothing but the best, including the Avengers Identicard. This device never made it into the 2012 film, but we can hold out hope for Avengers 2.
The Identicard is an all-in-one solution. Video conferencing, satellite uplink, GPS tracker, mini recorder, key access to all Avenger bases and vehicles, and 10% off at Starbucks. While Jive doesn’t have access to Identicard tech (it’s proprietary to Stark Industries), Jive customers can still enjoy some of the same features as an Avenger, such as video conferencing and call recording.
10. Guardians of the Galaxy Communication Stars
In the comic books, the Guardians of the Galaxy’s red, white, and blue communication stars made it possible for the Guardians to communicate across galactic distances.
Jive hasn’t broken that pesky lightspeed barrier (yet), but we do offer unlimited local and long-distancecalling at a standard seat price, without add-ons or service upgrades. Jive also has some of the most competitive international calling rates in the industry. With Jive, you can control which devices have international dialing permissions.