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Some Cool Things ...
... about Plantronics and Playmex
When Neil Armstrong said "One small step for man …" from the surface of the moon, he said it into a Plantronics headset.
Plantronics is headquartered in Santa Cruz, California, and has offices in thirteen countries.
Because getting married is very expensive in Mexico, every Valentines Day, Playmex pays for couples to get married in the cafeteria. Last year 19 couples got married on V-Day.
Playmex is an extension of the Red Cross. They donate space for an ambulance and provide lunch for the driver.
Playmex donated 250 headsets to the Tijuana Police Department.
Playmex hosts an annual healthcare campaign. Employees get free exams, blood tests, etc.
Playmex has an on-site junior high and high school, so that employees can complete their education.
Playmex received an award from the city of San Diego for their recycling efforts.
Plantronics' code name for the Halo 2 headset was "Envy."
¡Vamanos! On the drive, I asked about the background of the Halo® 2 Edition headset. Here it is in a nutshell. Back in July of 2004, Matt, Thomas, and the rest of the gang thought it would be really cool to do a special edition of their GameCom headset in honor of the Halo 2launch. They brainstormed a bunch of ideas, and when they got it in their heads that the headset should be green, they got one out and colored on it with a green Sharpie (the highlighter pen didn’t show up). Then they talked to their main Xbox® man Scott Loomis about it, and he thought it was a great idea. Of course, they had to get approval from a whole buncha peeps at Bungie and Xbox, including brand babe Nancy Ramsey. Of course, the project was eventually given the green light.
We Need it Yesterday The biggest challenge was getting these babies on store shelves by October 8—one month before the Halo 2 release. This meant they had four short months to get it approved, manufactured, and shipped to stores. No problem, right? Whatever. It typically takes nine to twelve months for a new Xbox peripheral to go from the drawing board to your hot little hands. How, you ask, did the crack team at Plantronics meet this insane deadline? By pulling strings, kicking ass, and working crazy hours. What really motivated them was a high level of excitement about the game (Matt actually thinks he can kick your butt in Halo 2 … yes, yours!), and first-rate teamwork.
V.P. of Cool, Dean Hovey.
Lean, Mean, and Green So what makes the Halo 2 edition headset so awesome? First of all, it's based on a headset used by call centers around the world. Those folks have to wear their headsets for long shifts, so it's gotta be comfortable. The Halo 2 headset is designed to be worn for as many hours as you can play, so frag away! It also features a noise-canceling microphone, so your strategy and smacktalk comes through loud and clear. And, you must admit, it looks way cool. Dean wears his all the time—he's got it hooked up to his Blackberry.
