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For many organizations, the return to the office is about much more than desks, parking spaces, and updated workplace policies.

When employees return after months or years of working remotely or in a hybrid environment, they also return to a communications environment that may not be ready for the way people work today.

Employees are bringing laptops into conference rooms. Teams and Zoom meetings are becoming part of everyday office life. Open workspaces create new noise challenges. Shared meeting rooms need to support people both in the room and joining remotely. And equipment that seemed perfectly adequate a few years ago may no longer fit the way your organization communicates.

That is why a return-to-office initiative is also a good time to take a fresh look at your communications infrastructure.

Choosing a headset for Microsoft Teams or Zoom can seem fairly straightforward. Search for a headset that says “Teams Certified,” find one with good reviews, and you're ready to go right?

Not necessarily.

The reality is that there are hundreds of headsets designed to work with Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and other business communication platforms. They range from inexpensive basic models to sophisticated professional headsets with advanced noise cancellation, multiple-device connectivity, wireless options, and specialized microphones.

The challenge isn't finding a headset that works with Teams or Zoom.

The challenge is finding one that works well for your people and your environment.

When the Call One Team visited Florida APCO earlier this year, JPL Telecom brought out a new solution.   With the introduction of the JPL Agent 50, organizations once again have a professional-grade ear-hook headset designed specifically for business communications—not consumer audio.

The JPL-Agent 50 ear hook headset is perfect for users who prefer a lightweight non-invasive headset. With a QD connection that is compatible with desk phones, and Push-to-Talk adapters with JPL’s range of bottom leads.

Can your regular headset work with a PTT adapter? Learn what 911 dispatch centers and PSAPs need to know about headset compatibility, connectors, microphones, consoles, and mission-critical communications.

When people compare headsets, the conversation often starts with a simple question: Which one sounds better?

But when you're selecting headsets for a professional environment, that question is more complicated than it seems.

A headset can sound excellent in a quiet office but perform very differently in a busy call center, healthcare environment, security operation, or 911 dispatch center. And while traditional headsets deliver sound through the ear, bone conduction technology takes a fundamentally different approach.

Instead of sending sound directly through the ear canal, bone conduction transducers transmit vibrations through the bones of the skull to the inner ear.

So, how does that change what you actually hear?

For decades, one name dominated the 911 dispatch headset and push-to-talk (PTT) market: HP Poly, formerly Plantronics.

From local PSAPs to statewide emergency communications centers, Poly's specialized PTT amplifiers, adapters, and dispatch headsets became the industry standard. Many dispatch centers built their communications infrastructure around products like the CA22CD, SHS series, and other mission-critical accessories because they were proven, reliable, and supported by virtually every major console manufacturer.

That era has now changed.