Similar to what the BlackBerry (News - Alert)and iPhone did to transform mobile phones, Alcatel-Lucent could do the same thing for traditional desktop phones. The Paris-based company this week announced a new class of "smart desk phones" that are said to transform a desk phone into a communication experience beyond what even today's mobile smartphones provide.

The "My IC Phone (News - Alert)" will offer access to multimedia communications capabilities and Web applications to create personalized mashups or industry-tailored applications. In an interview with Alcatel-Lucent (News - Alert)officials at VoiceCon in Orlando this week, Product Manager Laurent Allspach said the phones will likely be available before the end of the year.

Here's a peek:

Allspach - with smart desk phone in tow - explained that the company's OmniTouch 8082 My IC Phone ushers in a new era of sophistication in a desktop phone, and redefines what users can do from their desk. A demo version of the phone was running at the Alcatel-Lucent booth to show a range of applications.

Unlike traditional desk phones, the "smart desk phone" is said to offer an open platform and an entirely new user interface based on a large multi-touch display. It has a seven-inch wide capacitive touch screen that is LED backlit and includes "context aware" sensory feedback, as well as connectivity to Bluetooth and USB devices. And its green design includes compliance with EU green standards, including low power consumption, long life and an online manual.

Given that the phone is designed for an enterprise business environment, Alcatel-Lucent officials emhasized  how critical it is to provide a secure management framework for its applications. With that in mind, smart desk phone application deployment can be centralized and controlled via an enterprise administrator.

Alcatel-Lucent officials added that the new smart desk phone is an example of the company's approach to application enablement, serving as a so-called "application pod" featuring an open API developer platform similar to the approach taken in the applications explosion in the mobile space, and will be integrated with the next generation unified communication services from Alcatel-Lucent.

To the extent that company officials explained that it will be critical to supporting the new phone and platform, Alcatel-Lucent is leveraging its Developer Application portal that brings together applications and is essentially an extension of the Alcatel-Lucent Applications Partner Program (AAPP) that already has more than 10,000 active developers and partner companies. To join, go to http://developer-enterprise.alcatel-lucent.com

The developer portal will become accessible in Q2 2010 and will allow developers to begin creating applications immediately. A broad range of tools for open application development are available using standards such as Java Script, HTML 5.0, Ajax, and an open API, including connectivity to Bluetooth devices and LANs or PCs.

The smart desk phone will also support application signing and certification, ensuring administrators can guarantee security and reliability while giving users a great experience, Allspach said.

Erin Harrison is a senior editor with TMCnet, primarily covering telecom expense management, politics and technology and Web 2.0. She serves as senior editor for TMC's print publications, including 'Internet Telephony (News - Alert)', 'Customer Interaction Solutions', 'Unified Communications' and 'NGN' magazines. Erin also oversees production of TMCnet's weekly iPhone (News - Alert)e-Newsletter. To read more of Erin's articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Erin Harrison