RTX America, today announced U.S. general availability of PORTALphone, a hybrid, web-enabled cordless phone allowing consumers to view customized web content on a color display. It's a pretty cool phone and would love to review it, but alas I still have an RTX DualPhone I haven't tested. Soon though... soon...

In any event, the RTX PORTALphone, which was announced a couple of months ago, combines Internet Telephony (VoIP), standard telephony and personalized information delivery in an easy-to-use household cordless telephone. The phone is optimized for Casabi's platform to offer rich web content services that have traditionally been tethered to a PC. Customers can now access news, local traffic and weather reports, stock portfolios, entertainment, personal address books, buddy lists, instant messages and much more on the RTX PORTALphone.

According to RTX, the RTX PORTALphone provides better than toll quality voice for up to three simultaneous VoIP calls and allows customers to make and receive calls anywhere in and around the house. The included PORTALphone basestation simultaneously connects to a traditional telephone socket and a broadband Internet connection. The PORTALphone supports SIP-based VoIP telephony as well as standard landline (POTS) telephony.

The RTX PORTALphone enables carriers to differentiate and integrate services while enabling subscribers to personalize their telephony experience for each member of the family. This allows carriers to more effectively attract and retain subscribers and provide additional value-added services to offset the rapid decline in revenue associated with traditional voice calls.

"The RTX PORTALphone gives carriers a compelling opportunity to differentiate their VoIP services and add value beyond just voice," said Curtis Schmidek, Vice President of Marketing at RTX America. "And customers get the best of both worlds. They can have personalized rich web content and VoIP capabilities on a cordless telephone that seamlessly integrates with their traditional telephone line."

The PORTALphone operates on the newly opened 1.920-1.930GHz "DECT 6.0" spectrum to provide a WiFi-friendly, secure wireless connection for up to six cordless handsets. Its vibrant color screen also provides an ideal vehicle to view WML-based content and services.  The SIP-enabled LAN Cordless PORTALphone is the newest generation in the successful "DUALphone" family of products from RTX.

Casabi offers customers a powerful solution for tailoring content on the PORTALphone.  Unlike web surfing from the PC, Casabi sources, optimizes and delivers a combination of applications and services for the broadband-connected home phone.  For example, Casabi can deliver a user's personal phonebook, buddy list or message inbox directly to the handset.  The solution can also push time critical content, such as weather updates, traffic reports or calendar alarms, right to the handset when the user needs it most. Finally, users can choose to create profiles that personalize the home phone (with ring tones, content or information) in much that same way that many users personalize their cellular phones today.

"We are thrilled that RTX shares our vision for a smart home telephone," said Dave Weinstein, vice president of marketing and co-founder of Casabi.  "Powered by Casabi, the PORTALphone delivers valuable web-based content and services directly to the telephone handset, where and when they are most needed"

RTX PORTALphone Features:
-VoIP/landline hybrid phone
-Display web content on large, high-resolution back-lit color display
-DECT 6.0 cordless technology (WiFi-friendly)
-Supports up to three simultaneous VoIP calls
-Supports multiple phone numbers
-Multiple handset capability
-Speakerphone and headset jack (2.5 mm)
-Remotely upgradeable firmware
-Rechargeable, standard, replaceable batteries
-Range: Indoor 150 feet/Outdoor 1000 feet
-Distinctive ringing indicates landline or VoIP calls