Federal agencies are increasingly using the Internet instead of standard telephone lines for voice communications. The Food and Drug Administration, for example, has incorporated a voice over IP infrastructure into its new Maryland headquarters building, which houses 1,700 employees. And the Agriculture Department’s Forest Service recently installed VOIP to ensure communications among its offices as part of its preparation for fire season in the West.

But the transition to VOIP isn’t always a simple matter. According to one federal manager, a move to a VOIP system from standard telephony was supposed to save his agency’s office a lot of money. But officials overlooked one thing: All of the agency’s expensive, standard phone-line headsets would have to be thrown out because they wouldn’t work with the VOIP system.

There’s a solution. The GN 9350 wireless headset from GN Netcom Inc. of Nashua, N.H., works with either standard phone lines or VOIP systems, which is ideal for either maintaining dual systems or transitioning to VOIP.

The headset features both a standard phone jack and a Universal Serial Bus port on the base station. Users simply insert the appropriate plug for either system.

The only real difference between VOIP and standard phone lines when using the headset is battery life. The VOIP signal requires more processing power, which saps the battery faster. Hanging the headset back onto the base unit recharges it to full capacity in about two hours.

The headset is rated to work up to 300 feet away from its base station. It operates on the 1.9-GHz frequency band, so it won’t interfere with existing wireless data networks.

It also lets users participate in conference calls in which up to four of the headsets are operating together. However, it’s practically impossible for outsiders to intercept an ongoing conversation because the system has two layers of security, including 64-bit encryption.

One potential drawback for agencies is the GN 9350’s high price, which tops $300. While the versatility of the headset makes it exceedingly attractive, it’s still a pricey investment in times of tight budgets.