The Yellow Phone... A Design Classic

The GAI-TRONICS Commander family of telephones are one of our company’s most popular products. Today, we’ll take a look at how this unassuming phone has maintained its place at the top of the harsh & hazardous market.

The Commander telephone was created in response to market demand for an easy to use, aesthetically pleasing, ruggedized, weather resistant telephone. First tested and proven in public access areas, it was quickly adopted by a multitude of sectors, where its popularity continued to grow. In fact, the phones were so reliable that they were even used by the military. If you haven’t used one of these industrial phones yourself, you most definitely will have seen one, as they can now be found at numerous locations around the world, including motorways, tunnels and airports.

The Commander family of telephones is a perfect example of the elegance of simplicity. It begins with the aesthetics: the compact yet noticeable design of the body, the striking yellow hue and the ergonomic design of the buttons and handset. Then comes the quality build of this heavy-duty phone. The body of the phone is moulded in glass-filled polyester to prevent rust and corrosion (rated to IP65), giving peace of mind to those looking for outdoor weatherproof telephones. The phone body, handset and steel cord are also vandal resistant, with the cord available in straight or curled varieties and varying lengths. The keypad is made of weather-sealed silicone rubber, which is resistant to most chemicals and solvents. Finally, the Commander comes with all the functionality you would expect from our products. Whether you need a Standard, SMART Analog or VoIP phone, a variety of versions are available, including full keypad, no button and 1, 3 and 6 button programmable auto-dial options. An inductive coupler is fitted as standard for the hard of hearing. There are too many unique features to mention them all, including the fact that the Commander can operate comfortably in temperatures from -20 up to 60+ degrees Celsius (-4 to 140+ degrees fahrenheit), or that GAI-TRONICS engineers can customize the product with a myriad of configurations and colours. Plug-in, battery operated, and solar powered options are available for purchase.

One of the reasons that the Commander has been such a success is that it really can be used anywhere. Its universally appealing look, somewhere between industrial and commercial, fits seamlessly into any environment. Its user-friendly interface is intuitive enough to be used by members of the public while still maintaining the programmability and functionality required by companies and their employees. Just some of the locations where you would have been able to find Commanders over the years include airports, parks and recreation areas, roadside help points, ships, ports, factory floors and outside of police stations. Basically, if you need a robust, weather- resistant phone you can rely on, Commander is the clear choice.