Zultys, which makes IP PBXs for small to medium sized businesses, has teamed up with Phybridge (News - Alert), which offers a VoIP deployment alternative in its UniPhyer appliance, to make it even easier for SMBs to deploy VoIP.
Phybridge’s UniPhyer appliance enables companies to create a VoIP network using their existing telephone cabling. The appliance creates a “parallel” network so that companies don’t have to pile voice onto the company LAN or WAN, which typically requires a network upgrade and even then can sometimes lead to network disruptions.
Very often, the cost of upgrading the network to handle voice deters companies from deploying VoIP. In addition companies that deploy VoIP sometimes find later that the network simply can’t support it, especially during peak traffic periods – this despite the fact that they may have thoroughly tested the network for “VoIP readiness” prior to deployment.
Phybridge’s UniPhyer appliance eliminates this risk by keeping voice on the existing telephone lines, while at the same time allowing for convergence on the data side of the network. In addition the plug-and-play appliance delivers Power over Ethernet (POE) over existing CAT5 telephone lines. This solves the problem of how to power up the IP phones. Each IP phone is connected to the existing cabling by way of a special adapter. In addition, because it employs a point-to-point topology the same as traditional TDM-based networks, the UniPhyer delivers better sound quality and reliability, compared to running voice on the LAN.
As a result of this tie-up, companies that deploy Zultys’ IP PBXs have the option of connecting their IP phones to the IP PBX (News - Alert) by way of Phybridge’s UniPhyer – thus
significantly speeding and simplifying deployment. In so doing they can gain all the productivity-enhancing features and capabilities that Zultys’ (News - Alert) phone systems bring, only
without the cost, hassle and potential disruptions that can occur with traditional VoIP deployments.
The UniPhyer, which comes in 24- and 48-port models, plugs into the IP PBX and the phones are connected to the UniPhyer. Phybridge claims the appliance can be deployed in under an hour, depending on the number of lines to be connected. Additional lines can be added simply by daisy-chaining units together.
"We are excited about partnering with Zultys, providing their customers and partners with a choice as to how best to deploy network convergence,” said John Croce, CEO of PhyBridge, in a
release. “For customers whose network is not voice ready, the UniPhyer is a low cost, effective deployment option. This game changing technology eliminates many deployment barriers and will open up new opportunities for both customers and partners looking to benefit from the unified communication and end-to-end IP telephony solutions offered by Zultys."
Steve Morrison (News - Alert), Zultys’ vice president of product management and marketing, said that by using the UniPhyer in tandem with its IP PBXs companies can “make the leap ahead to advanced VoIP and unified communications services without first doing a time-consuming and costly rip-and-replace of their legacy system.”
"This puts them in the driver seat of a graceful, non-disruptive deployment to IP telephony and network convergence,” he said.
Phybridge’s UniPhyer works with any IP PBX or it can also be connected directly to the main switch on the company LAN. The company recently announced that its UniPhyer appliance, aka the “VoIP Enabler,” is now rated Avaya compliant and interoperates with Avaya’s IP PBXs, phones and other equipment. In addition, Phybridge announced that it is now a member of the Avaya DevConnect (News - Alert) program, an initiative to develop, market and sell innovative third-party products that interoperate with Avaya technology.
UniPhyer is available through authorized resellers.