The Directive, which came into force on July 1, bans manufacturers from placing on the European market new electrical and electronic equipment containing more than agreed levels of certain substances. These include lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants.
Identifying the impact the Directive will have on business in Europe, SpectraLink adapted its R&D almost two years ago, to allow it to ship RoHS compliant versions of its NetLink Wireless Telephones in time for the July 1 2006 deadline. It started using lead free solders in its products five years ago in an effort to reduce the environmental impact in all markets, and has moved toward lead free as manufacturers made lead free products available.
Many companies have been preparing for this Directive over the past two years by stipulating in their buying selection criteria that any products used are RoHS compliant. As a result, SpectraLink is warning the channel to be aware of this new regulation when selecting suppliers, as it can mean the difference between product availability and products held at customs.
“We take changes in global regulations very seriously, so we identified at an early stage the need to respond quickly and make sure all our products being shipped in Europe were compliant with the RoHS Directive,” said Simon Watson, business development manager at SpectraLink. “All manufacturers need to adhere to these new rules, yet it is clear that they have been relatively overlooked by some until now. In making these changes to our product suite, we believe all our OEMs and other business partners, as well as end users, can have total confidence investing in SpectraLink technology, while also doing their bit for the environment by using more eco-friendly products.”
“SpectraLink’s OEM partners, distributors and resellers are able to state clearly that their Voice over WLAN solutions are RoHS compliant. It would be prudent to verify that other potential suppliers are able to make similar confirmations and deliver products within agreed timescales,” added Watson.
SpectraLink’s NetLink Wireless Telephones operate on a converged voice and data network to reduce costs and simplify management while significantly improving employee mobility, responsiveness, and productivity. NetLink Wireless Telephones are non-proprietary and therefore integrate with the broadest range of enterprise applications and networks.