SANTA CRUZ, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today, Plantronics
(NYSE:PLT) announced it has been selected as a finalist for the
Microsoft Communications Technology Partner of the Year Award. The
Microsoft Partner Awards recognize Microsoft partners that have
developed and delivered exceptional Microsoft-based solutions during the
past year.

“We’ve been fortunate to be a Microsoft partner award recipient for the
past several years, and the continued validation of our efforts is
greatly appreciated”

“We’ve been fortunate to be a Microsoft partner award recipient for the
past several years, and the continued validation of our efforts is
greatly appreciated,” said Shantanu Sarkar, vice president, software
development, Plantronics. “The confluence of hardware and software
coming from Plantronics married with Microsoft Lync enables customers to
benefit from better communications and more streamlined business
processes. It’s an exciting time to be working in UC, and we’re very
glad to be doing so with such an outstanding partner.”

Awards were presented in multiple categories, with winners chosen from a
set of nearly 3,000 entrants worldwide. The Communications Technology
Partner of the Year Award recognizes a partner who is helping customers
to advance their businesses by building communications products and/or
applications on the Microsoft Lync platform. This solution integrated
communications across a wide range of business processes and
productivity tools (such as end-user devices, voice and video solution,
and communications-enabled business process (CEBPs)). It solved customer
business challenges by increasing efficiency, enhancing features and
functionality, or by extending the existing products with unique add-ons.

“We are proud to recognize our 2012 Partner Award finalists for their
outstanding commitments to solving customer challenges,” said Jon
Roskill, corporate vice president, Worldwide Partner Group, Microsoft
Corp. “Our partners are critical to our success as a company, and it is
their creativity and innovative thinking in solving the unique needs of
our customers that serves as the foundation for mutual, long-term
success. We congratulate this year’s finalists on their achievements and
look forward to following their continued success in the future.”

Plantronics is addressing real-world business challenges associated with
the rapid transition to a more mobile and connected world with the
introduction of the Plantronics
Developer Connection (PDC). This comprehensive toolset supports
developers who wish to leverage the contextual information available
from Plantronics devices, including proximity, location and identity,
and use this information to add value to software applications. The Plantronics
Unified Communications product portfolio optimized for Microsoft® Lync builds
on the extensibility of the platform by offering Windows developers an
unprecedented opportunity to create context-aware applications. These
applications have the power to change the way people communicate and
collaborate by linking the application to the user via the headset.

On a related note, please watch for the PDC Microsoft Contextual
Intelligence App Challenge coming soon. Plantronics is looking for
developers to make applications smarter with Microsoft and the
Plantronics SDK, and we’ll be awarding one lucky winner a $2,000 prize.
Contest starts July 9, 2012. Visit the PDC
site for more details.

In addition to its latest innovation in context-aware communications,
Plantronics has long delivered an extensive range of UC audio solutions
so Microsoft customers can experience the useful voice benefits of Lync.
With over one million audio device solutions optimized for Microsoft
Lync sold to date, Plantronics has made it clear it is dedicated to
helping drive Lync user adoption for deploying voice on the desktop.

Plantronics is attending the Microsoft
Worldwide Partner Conference in Toronto, July 8-12. Please visit us
at booth #344.

About Plantronics – SIMPLY SMARTER COMMUNICATIONS ™

Plantronics is a global leader in audio communications for businesses
and consumers. We have pioneered new trends in audio technology for 50
years, creating innovative products that allow people to simply
communicate. From unified communication solutions to Bluetooth®
headsets, we deliver uncompromising quality, an ideal experience, and
extraordinary service. Plantronics is used by every company in the
Fortune 100, as well as 911 dispatch, air traffic control and the New
York Stock Exchange. For more information, please visit www.plantronics.com
or call (800) 544-4660.

Plantronics, Simply Smart Communications, and Smart Sensor are
trademarks or registered trademarks of Plantronics, Inc. The Bluetooth
trademark is owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of the mark by
Plantronics, Inc. is under license. Windows is a registered trademark of
Microsoft Corporation in the US and other countries. All other
trademarks are the property of their respective owners.