New EnGenius Phones Spare Wi-Fi Bandwidth In Large-Footprint Businesses

‘I would say that our big thing is really relying on our channel partners to offer something that is a unique solution for these demanding environments. This is something there isn’t a good answer for, and it allows partners to come in and be the heroes,’ says Doug Hayter, EnGenius’product line manager.

EnGenius Technologies is banking on its latest two-way radio/cordless business phones that offer up to 1 million square feet of range without interfering with Wi-Fi bandwidth—new technology that may appeal to big-box retailers and other large businesses.

The 50-employee company Wednesday unveiled its DuraFon Roam, an industrial cordless phone and two-way radio system designed for large-footprint businesses. Doug Hayter, product line manager at EnGenius, said the new device will be attractive to hotels, assisted living facilities, schools, retail stores, warehouses and other large spaces where long-range communication is normally problematic and a drain on Wi-Fi.

The systems use a low 900MHz radio frequency that forgoes the need for a Wi-Fi connection while offering a huge coverage area. This is the lowest RF range that doesn’t require Federal Communications Commission licensing, providing a plug-and-play solution.

“Other systems rely on Wi-Fi to do this,” Hayter said. “We are able to use this low frequency to avoid the bandwidth demands. This allows us to get four times the coverage we normally get with our radio devices.”

With about 2,000 active channel partners per month, Hayton said EnGenius has a clear channel strategy: “This isn’t something you’re going to find on Amazon,” he said with a chuckle. “I would say that our big thing is really relying on our channel partners to offer something that is a unique solution for these demanding environments. This is something there isn’t a good answer for, and it allows partners to come in and be the heroes.”

The Roam systems also offer a solution for denser environments. Offices with multiple floors can still count on up to 200,000 square feet of wireless coverage, which could be a game-changer for assisted living facilities and hotels.

Hayter said EnGenius does about $50 million a year in sales and has been performing well this quarter, although he declined to offer a specific number. Supply chain issues have been a challenge, he said, but so far the company, which is a subsidiary of Taiwanese networking and telephone manufacturing company Senao Networks, has fared well. Senao is the largest distributor of cellphones in Taiwan, with 50 percent market share.

Hayter anticipates initial sales of the DuroFon Roam to be at about 100 systems for the first month. While it’s a niche offering, there simply aren’t that many options out there for long-range system,s and EnGenius has been in the game for more than 20 years. Right now, several beta units are out being tested by partners.

The DuraFon Roam will be available for order sometime in March.