TheMicrosoft Cordless Phone System (also known asPC Phone System MP-900)[1] is adiscontinuedcordless telephone introduced byMicrosoft in 1998 that featuredpersonal computer integration.[2][3] It was Microsoft's firsttelephone of any kind,[2][4] and the only phone product made by the company until theWindows Mobile series ofsmartphones.
The MCPS consists of three main hardware components: a cordless handset, a base station, and a charging cradle.[5] The MCPS could, like traditional cordless phones, make and receivetelephone calls independently from a PC; however, the base station could also be connected to a computer via aserial port to provide additional functionality including enhancedcaller ID features and PCvoice message integration. Microsoft released a supplementaryCall Managerapplication, compatible with theWindows 95 andWindows 98operating systems, that allowed users to make and receive calls, and to listen to or delete voice messages,contacts, andcall history. The software automatically logged the date, time, and duration of all incoming and outgoing calls on a connected PC.[2]
MCPS also featuredspeech recognition andspeech synthesis capabilities; for example, an owner could command the cordless handset to call a desired contact (e.g., by stating "Call John Smith"), and a caller ID feature would announce the name of an incoming caller (e.g., "Smith, John, calling"), with voice messages being stored on the recipient's computer.[1][2][6] The system required that the computer remain turned on and the call manager active for this functionality.[1][2][7]
The system was not compatible withWindows NT orMacintosh.[1][8]