Natterbox announced recently that it would include pre-configured phones from Yealink with its Cloud PBX (News - Alert) service. The phones are designed to make setup and installation easier by eliminating the need to enter configuration information on each individual phone in an office.

London-based Natterbox Limited provides cloud based telephony systems for businesses. The company claims its Cloud PBX service is the leading global cloud PBX for SMBs and distributed global enterprises. It comes with a portal that serves as a virtual switchboard that allows admins to manage call routing.

Call routing can also be handled through a cloud IVR system for customers preferring self-service and can be integrated with Salesforce to personalize the experience for existing customers and route them to the right call queue. Listening in on live calls, conversion of voicemail to email, call logging, international language support, and dynamic call routing are some of the other key features of Cloud PBX.

The plug and play features of the Yealink phones used with Natterbox’ Cloud PBX service save time over installations that require entering individual user configuration information and technical info like IP or MAC addresses.

An installation guide to Polycom phones, for example, shows how complex the process of provisioning a phone can be. This guide requires installers to use an XML editor, FTP applications, and the collection SIP server, IP, and MAC addresses for installing IP phones on a VoIP network. Only technically savvy installers would be able to navigate this process.

In contrast, Natterbox CEO Neil Hammerton describes how simple the process with the Yealink (News - Alert) plug-and-play phones is:

“There is no need to spend hours asking your users to find their MAC address or IP address and no need to walk to every phone and manually enter user details. Simply plug the phone into your network port and it will contact Natterbox and acquire the users configuration and settings automatically.”

Vendors often sell businesses on the benefits of cloud-based telephony that has the service provider worry about the technical minutiae, while the business can focus on its core functions. To have such a phone service that requires an extensive configuration all but contradicts claims of easy installation.

Natterbox’ decision to include pre-configured Yealink phones allows it to better deliver on the promises of cloud-telephony. It will be good news to SMBs that do not have the budget for installers, and just want a phone system that they can use right away.