The CHAT 170 was created by ClearOne to fill the need for a hands-free speakerphone for small groups or individuals using Microsoft's unified communications platform, Office Communications Server 2007. The CHAT 170 is a completely full-duplex speakerphone that delivers superior hands-free audio for Office Communicator 2007 and eliminates the need for large, expensive tabletop conference phones in offices and conference rooms. Providing true plug-and-play operation, the CHAT 170 requires no drivers to be installed; just plug it into a USB port and all incoming Office Communicator calls ring on the CHAT 170. CHAT 170 ADVANTAGES The CHAT 170 has 3 microphone elements and a large loudspeaker for a full 360 pickup and the ability to easily manage from 1 to 6 call participants. The CHAT 170 also contains the advanced audio signal processing technologies that were developed for ClearOne's market-leading professional audio conferencing products. These technologies deliver crystal-clear audio to participants on both ends of the call, and include: # Full-duplex audio performance allows users to listen and speak at the same time without audio cutting in and out # Distributed Echo Cancellation? identifies and eliminates acoustic echo # Noise cancellation samples the ambient room noise and cancels it out for more natural sounding conversations # First microphone priority intelligently changes microphone levels depending on who is doing the talking # Automatic gain and level controls adjust microphone and speaker levels automatically