SALT LAKE CITY, Sept. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ClearOne (Nasdaq: CLRO), the leading provider of high performance audio conferencing solutions, today announced the CHAT 160, a new group speakerphone specifically designed for use with Skype(TM) software. The Skype Certified(TM) CHAT 160 is the newest in a growing family of award-winning USB speakerphones from ClearOne.

The CHAT 160 group speakerphone easily connects to laptops or PCs via USB for natural, hands-free communication for anyone using Skype. The CHAT 160 is a powerful full-duplex device that delivers crystal-clear audio for voice and video communication. The CHAT 160's sleek industrial design complements any professional environment, making it the perfect addition to any executive office or small conference room. Designed specifically for small group conferencing, the CHAT 160 has three sensitive microphones, providing 360 degree pickup for Skype users needing high-quality, hands-free audio.

"The CHAT 160 is a great complementary device to Skype and we are glad it is now available, especially for those businesses that utilize Skype in the workplace," said Manrique Brenes, Skype's director of business development and product management for consumer electronics. "As Skype usage continues to grow worldwide, many of our users around the world are looking for high quality hands-free peripherals. The CHAT 160 will enable them to communicate more effectively."

"We are very pleased to announce Skype certification for the new CHAT 160," said Tracy Bathurst, CTO at ClearOne. "As with our recently-released CHAT 60 personal speakerphone, the CHAT 160 underwent rigorous testing as part of Skype's certification process to ensure it performed to a set of exacting standards. Companies that use Skype now have a powerful, yet portable collaboration tool for crystal clear group audio and video conferences."

The CHAT 160 delivers wideband audio performance and contains HDConference(TM), the suite of audio technologies contained in ClearOne's world famous professional conferencing systems. HDConference(TM) includes such things as full duplex, Distributed Echo Cancellation(TM), noise reduction, automatic level controls, and adaptive modeling. Taken separately, each technology is best-in-class and is a critical component for a remarkable audio experience. In combination, these elements make conferencing and collaboration with Skype more natural and productive. The CHAT 160 is completely plug-and-play, requiring no software or drivers to be installed, and is perfect for small conference rooms and executive or home offices.

The CHAT 160 has a suggested retail price of $399.99 (U.S.) and can be purchased from the Skype Shop (www.skype.com/shop).

About ClearOne

ClearOne is a communications solutions company that develops and sells audio conferencing systems and related products for audio, video and web conferencing applications. The reliability, flexibility and performance of ClearOne's comprehensive solutions create a natural communications environment that saves organizations time and money by enabling more effective and efficient communication. For additional information, access www.clearone.com.

    ClearOne Contact:
    Mark Child
    801-303-3446
    mark.child@clearone.com

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SOURCE ClearOne