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roundup
April 2003


Go Directly To Sidebar: "Rolling Out The IP Phone"


Go Directly To The IP Phone Selection Guide


IP Phones

Hot Applications For IP Phones

BY STEFAN KARAPETKOV

The makers and distributors of IP telephones have worked very hard to convince their customers that an IP phone is a real telephone, and not merely an inspired piece of geekery. They�ve succeeded. Now what?

It�s time to understand that, while an IP telephone is a real telephone, it�s a different kind of telephone, and can be used to retrieve and distribute information in new ways. So it is with technology. The personal computer is a real word processor, but we now do much more with personal computers than process words.

What might we do with this new, powerful, flexible information appliance?

The applications we have in mind are anchored in an enterprise IP network connected to the Internet. Such networks are growing in corporations, government agencies, and educational institutions. The telephones we have in mind range from basic desk sets with limited displays to sets with some graphic display capability. In any case, an IP telephone is not a PC, so the information we envision sending and receiving is relatively brief.

That said, let�s use our imaginations.

In a corporate environment, there are many pieces of information, which the corporation sends to its employees using methods that now range from ineffective to inconvenient to nerve shattering.

Imagine that Worldwide Widgets needs to inform its employees that the enrollment period for company health insurance ends next Monday. The human resources department might distribute a desk-to-desk paper announcement for its employees to lose or ignore. It might send an e-mail for them to delete or ignore. It might even place itself and its employees at the mercy of the United States Postal Service. Or, the HR people might make one of those wake-the-dead public announcements over the public address system, which, while hard to ignore, are extremely irritating.

A short, text-based message like this one, however, might be displayed each day on the screen of a modestly capable IP phone. In the case of Worldwide Widgets� insurance enrollment deadline, the message would be a single, simple, declarative sentence: �The deadline for benefits enrollment is Monday, October 30.� Employees would see this message every time they looked at their phones. They couldn�t lose it or delete it. They could ignore it, but ignoring this message would require more effort than remembering it. Irritation would be minimal.

In the lobbies of its buildings, Worldwide Widgets might use IP phones with displays to deliver messages to visitors. The company might warn delivery drivers that, due to parking lot repairs, freight deliveries will be received at a different door than usual, starting next Monday. It might tell a limousine driver, arriving to pick up executives for trips to the airport, that his passenger is on his way down -- and of course, it might use the same capability to let the executive know his ride has arrived.

In its warehouses or factories, Worldwide Widgets might use some of the more powerful IP phones to push the latest inventory or production information down to managers, who could adjust their activities accordingly.

Finally, the operator of a corporate IP network might use the company�s IP phones to send information to selected employees -- the number of calls received in a company�s call centers, updated hourly, to certain marketing executives, for instance.

These are �push� applications for IP telephony. As is always the case in sending information, the trick is to know what kind of information to send and which to save for some other medium. Any information that is ambiguous, or requires interpretation, or cannot be parsed in simple sentences, is probably better sent by other media. Those of us who labor in cube farms can be grateful that the size of IP phones� display screens will force corporations to think before they communicate, and then communicate clearly. Of course, even short, concise messages might not be appropriate for IP phones. A company might want to use other media to tell its employees their building is on fire, for example.

What can be pushed can also be pulled. Consider the limo driver who arrives at Worldwide Widgets to read, on an IP display phone, that his passenger is delayed. He might manipulate the keys to tell his passenger�s secretary that he will wait in the car, and ask the passenger to ring his cell phone when he�s ready.

Consider also the visitor who reads the stock quotes on the IP display phone in the lobby. He or she might be allowed to manipulate the display and view the information differently -- a graphic representation of the week�s quotes, for example.

Even Worldwide Widget�s human resources information, pushed down to desktop IP phones in the cube farm, can be pulled. An employee who has a question and wants an actual human to answer it for him might be prompted to press a button to let HR know he�d appreciate a call. Employees might also ask simple, yes-or-no questions: When is the deadline to enroll for health benefits? In practice, a system might be programmed to understand a shorthand version of such a question: Benefits deadline? And the answer would come back: Oct. 30.

Some of the hottest applications for IP phones are based on instant messaging and presence, the new technologies promising to solve the annoying �phone tag� problem. Instead of trying to reach a person via different phone numbers and e-mail, the IP phone user can monitor the status (presence) of a person, and respectively decide the best way to reach him or her. Users can make one of the IP telephone�s keys their �presence key.� By pressing this key, they can select their status, e.g., available; unavailable for voice call but available for instant messaging; reachable on his cell phone; and so on, and let a group of regular communication partners, or the whole world if necessary, know that. To simplify the management and monitoring of contacts (sometimes called buddies), the desktop IP phone might also store buddy lists, and the user might use those lists to place voice calls or to send or receive short instant messages: �I�m busy.� or �Call my cell phone.� While some of this functionality may be delivered on a standard two-line display phone, large-screen IP phones are more convenient as users would be able to see longer messages and entire lists of contacts/buddies. Information input is also easier since users could use a stylus to �type� on a virtual keyboard displayed on the phone�s large screen.

Vertical markets are full of push/pull possibilities.

For example, many schools have telephones in their classrooms now, and many also have computers. A teacher often uploads his or her attendance information by computer, or by calling the office. As any teacher will confirm, there is no convenient time to do this. The teacher must log onto the computer network, or dial the office. It might be easier, given an IP phone in each classroom, for the teacher to press an �all present� or �not all present� button on the phone. The latter message would trigger a class roster, and the teacher could scroll down that roster and mark the names of the absent students. Alternatively, the teacher might be asked to spell out the last names of the absent students. That takes a little longer, but not as long as waiting or someone to answer the phone or waiting for the right screen to come up on the computer.

The hospitality industry is rich with possibilities, too. As any road warrior knows, many hotels offer �express checkout� options through their in-room television sets. It might be quicker and easier for a final bill to be pushed to a hotel room IP phone -- a phone with relatively powerful display possibilities -- so that the customer could answer yes or no with one stroke, and check out. Other announcements, such as �room service ends in one hour,� might be pushed down to the customer.

So IP phones are real phones, and their potential for spreading information more efficiently is equally real.

Stefan Karapetkov is group manager/desktops product manager for Siemens Enterprise Networks. For more information visit the company�s Web site at: www.siemensenterprise.com.

[ Return To The April 2003 Table Of Contents ]


Rolling Out The IP Phone

BY IAIN MILNES

Rolling out IP phones used to be a time consuming task. Administrators had to manually configure each phone by determining its IP address and then logging into a Web-based page hosted on the phone. From there, the administrator needed to fill in all necessary information to configure the phone for operation within the network.

Luckily, there is now a de facto standard method that makes the deployment of IP phones much less cumbersome. System administrators no longer need to fret at the prospect of deploying an IP phone system. Who wouldn�t appreciate the ability of taking an IP phone out to the box, scanning its MAC address into administration software, and then immediately have it boot up completely configured and ready for making and receiving calls? Using a TFTP server, possibly in conjunction with DNS SRV (see RFC 3263), IP phones can be easily deployed in minutes rather than the hours or days that it used to take.

With the TFTP approach, a configuration file is created on a TFTP site that the phone accesses. The administrator takes the new phone, records its MAC address, and creates a file named <MAC Address>.cfg. The administrator then moves this file onto the TFTP site. The address of that TFTP site may be internal or external to the IP phone system, and the file is usually placed in a subdirectory. A global file specifies the subdirectory where the individual phone files are located. The file may contain other information common to all phones, but the minimum requirement is that it specifies where a phone can get its unique configuration file. Many IP phone systems today, create these configuration files automatically and act as the TFTP server.

When the phone powers up, it uses DHCP to obtain its IP address. In the response, it also obtains the name of the domain to which it is connected and the address (or fully qualified domain name, also known as FQDN) of the TFTP server. The phone reads the global file on the TFTP server and finds the name of the subdirectory where the unique configuration file is located. It then reads the unique configuration file, which specifies the address of the SIP registrar. The phone then registers with the registrar using:

<SIP Address>@<domain name>

In the case where IP phones don�t support TFTP auto-configuration, or the configuration file only specifies the domain name for the registrar, the phone uses DNS SRV to find the registrar�s address. When the phone obtains its IP address through the DHCP server, it also receives the address of one or more DNS servers. It sends a query to a DNS server for the address of the SIP server. This is a specific record query of the form:

_sip._<protocol>.<domain>

where the protocol is normally TCP, TLS, or UDP. This entry needs to be configured on the DNS server, so that it responds with the address of the SIP registrar. The phone then registers with the SIP registrar.

The configuration files on the TFTP server are usually stored in text format (so you can read them) and they can contain a lot of data. For example, the file can specify which software version to use, so that automatic updates of the phone can be performed. The file can specify preferences determined by the administrator such as which language to use or which ring tones to use.

When evaluating the IP phone that best suits their organization, IT managers should consider whether or not the phone supports auto configuration using TFTP, DNS SRV, or both. How well the deployment of IP phones is streamlined can greatly affect the ease of deployment and maintenance of an IP phone system. The more automated the procedure is, the better.

Iain Milnes is President of Zultys Technologies, a manufacturer of products that integrate telecommunications and data communications for enterprise networks. For more information, please visit the company�s Web site at www.zultys.com.

[ Return To The April 2003 Table Of Contents ]


IP Phone Selection Guide

 

 

Pingtel instant xpressa
Pingtel
www.pingtel.com

Pingtel, the leader in Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) technology, fosters innovation and provides competitive advantages for solution providers and enterprises by employing industry standards to create open architecture IP voice products.

Pingtel xpressa for the desk is the world�s first Java-smart SIP phone, is feature rich, open to add-on features, easy to use, manageable, and stylish for premise-based IP PBX systems and hosted IP voice services. Pingtel xpressa, recognized as the de facto SIP phone by both industry and media experts, also incorporates Audio-enhancing GIPS NetEQ technology for significant latency savings and packet loss compensation.

 

Siemens optiPoint Family
Siemens Enterprise Networks
www.siemensenterprise.com

The Siemens optiPoint 400 Standard IP phones are an integral part of Siemens HiPath 3000, HiPath 4000, and HiPath 5000 systems. They make integrating voice services into your IP data network as easy as plugging in a phone. optiPoint 400 Standard IP phones support H.323, H.450, Cornet IP, and SIP.

The low-cost Siemens optiPoint 400 Economy IP phones are also an integral part of Siemens� HiPath systems. Users enjoy all the benefits of advanced functionality such as intuitive menus and programmable feature keys, and customers realize significant cost savings by routing voice calls over their IP network. These IP phones reduce network maintenance and administration costs by allowing easy moves, adds, and changes. optiPoint 400 Economy IP phones support H.323/Cornet IP and SIP.

The Siemens optiPoint 600 Office provides the highest degree of flexibility on a number of fronts. It supports the choice of IP or circuit-switched configurations. The optiPoint 600 offers all of the IP capabilities of the optiPoint 400 and the digital features of the optiPoint 500 with added features such as a large, backlit touch-screen display and support of several Web protocols (WAP, HTTP). The optiPoint 600 offers a full-duplex speakerphone, built-in USB and TAPI interfaces, and support for snap-in adapters that expand functionality and lower total cost of ownership.

 

Cisco IP Phone Family
Cisco Systems, Inc.
www.cisco.com

The Cisco IP Phone family includes: the Cisco IP Phone 7960, the Cisco IP Phone 7940, the Cisco IP Phone 7910, and the Cisco IP Phone 7905. The phone family also includes the Cisco IP Softphone 1.3, the Cisco IP Phone Expansion Module 7914, and the Cisco IP Conference Station 7935.

Cisco IP Phones are standards-based communication appliances. The Cisco IP series phones can interoperate with IP telephony systems based on Cisco CallManager technology, H.323, or Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and, in the future, Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP), with system-initiated software updates. This multiprotocol capability is an industry first and provides investment protection and migration capability.

The Cisco IP Phone 7960G, the most full-featured phone in the series, is a second-generation IP phone primarily for manager and executive needs. It provides six programmable line/feature buttons and four interactive soft keys that guide a user through call features and functions. The Cisco IP Phone 7960G also features a large, pixel-based LCD display. The display provides features such as date and time, calling party name, calling party number, and digits dialed. The graphic capability of the display allows for the inclusion of present and future features.

 

Teledex IP250D
TELEDEX LLC
www.teledex.com

The Teledex IP250D network terminal provides a wide range of functionality encased in an attractive, ergonomically-pleasing package. Two-line flexibility is backed up by a crisp 3x16 display that provides call progress information and user interface feedback, making this a versatile terminal that�s easy to use. The IP250D features a high-quality speakerphone for convenient hands-free conversations. Full headset compatibility adds even more flexibility. The IP250D offers hassle-free setup � the phone configures in seconds and offers comprehensive troubleshooting menus. Powerful business features such as call forwarding, conferencing, shared lines, memory dialing, and more, provide options to the entire range of users. With support for all popular VoIP protocols, the IP250D platform is flexible enough to support present and future initiatives. The IP250D also features user programmable function keys, which cuts down on management overhead, while enhancing user functionality.

 

CP-100/CP-101B: Clipcomm IP-Phone Series
Clipcomm, Inc.
www.clipcomm.co.kr

CP-101B is a feature-rich VoIP/PSTN dual-mode phone offering support for both H.323 and SIP protocols with a 128x64 graphic LCD display. Its integrated dual-port Ethernet switch enables the co-located PCs to share the Internet connection without compromising the voice quality during VoIP calls. CP-101B also provides users with lots of great features, such as remote-access FXO gateway, answering machine, display of caller ID and placed/ received/ missed call lists, and wireless extensibility. With the remote-access FXO gateway function, users even at a remote site can access the CP-101B by PSTN (or IP) in order to make a phone call to another IP (or PSTN) phone. CP-100 is a low-cost version of CP-101B with 16x2 character LCD and one Ethernet port, which is suitable for the use in IP-PBX systems.

 

Net2Phone IP Phone
Net2Phone
www.net2phone.com

The Net2Phone IP phone allows customers to save on most calls to any phone, anywhere in the world by allowing users to make high-quality long distance calls over the Internet. Calls are routed over Net2Phone�s managed IP network and bypass much of the traditional phone network allowing customers receive incredibly low rates with a high-quality calling experience. The IP Phone works with existing broadband connections or LANs through a 10 Base T Ethernet interface. Simply connect it to a broadband interface (DSL, cable) or LAN and easily configure it through the LCD menu driven prompts. By ensuring high-quality calling without additional investment, customers are able to easily measure and realize a speedy return on investment.

 

swissvoice IP10, IP20
swissvoice S.A.
www.swissvoice.net

Swissvoice IP phones are ideal for professional use. The IP10 and IP20 models are open, cost-effective terminals that are available today, and which offer multiple features and advanced telephony services. These easy-to-use end-points ensure a full set of services, are ergonomically optimized, and offer interoperability with many Call Managers. IP10 and IP20 are dedicated to segments of the market, which are weakly covered and that also require access to efficient services. These segments include sites such as factories, waiting areas, retailers, warehouses, and also offices (large companies, SMEs/SOHO), which need cost-effective phones with well-suited features and always with a high degree of reliability and call quality. Swissvoice IP phones are priced under $100 USD.

 

TeleniumIP Digital Telephone Family
Vodavi Communications Systems, Inc.
www.vodavi.com

The TeleniumIP Digital Telephone family supports Vodavi�s TeleniumIP as well as standalone telephone non-proprietary applications. The two 24-button phone models, a one-port model and a two-port model for sharing a network connection with a PC, support 10/100 Mbps Ethernet and half- or full-duplex connections. A combination of fixed and flexible feature buttons along with its 2 x 24 character LCD display provide business customers with one-touch easy access to popular features such as conference, Do-Not-Disturb, redial, transfer, voice mail, auto-attendant and more. In conjunction with Vodavi's TeleniumIP, these IP phones provide businesses with all the crucial features needed for reliable and productive phone communications. Communications between the phone and other non-proprietary devices are supported using the H.323 protocol.

 

Mitel Networks� 5055, 5230, 5140
Mitel Networks
www.mitel.com

The Mitel Networks 5055 SIP Phone is a full-featured, standards-based business telephone. It delivers toll-quality voice and SIP services to the end user�s desktop. The 5055 is a versatile, highly interoperable phone that can function as a standalone product connected to a service provider, as part of a Mitel Networks total IP-based business communications solution, or in PBX environments that support SIP. As a SIP-compliant appliance, it is interoperable with all voice, data, video, and Internet applications and services that are SIP-enabled, and provides full SIP protocol support.

The Mitel Networks 5230 IP Appliance blends the wired and wireless world for the user. With the 5230, users have the ability to dock their Compaq iPAQ directly into the phone. This provides immediate hot synch capabilities and allows users to have location transparency within the network. Users can associate any workstation as their own, as once the PDA is docked all user preferences are transferred to that workstation. In addition users can also benefit from new Windows CE-based desktop applications such as portable voice mail and dial by address book.

Mitel Networks� 5140 IP Appliance is dual port with a 320 x 240 HTML display, enabling cursor-based access to features and applications enabled by Mitel�s Integrated Communications Platforms. Some examples of these are visual voice mail, Web browsing, VXML, and PDA integration.

 

CrystalVoice
CrystalVoice Communications
www.crystalvoice.com

CrystalVoice Communications is a leading provider of voice communications solutions over the raw, unmanaged Internet. CrystalVoice�s patent-pending technology allows the user to experience full-duplex, high-quality voice, even over low-bandwidth, dial-up connections. With CrystalVoice technology, the remote user�s PC becomes a remote PBX extension, letting the user dial corporate PBX extensions, as well as local and long-distance phone numbers.

CrystalVoice Live is a service for individuals (consumer or business) that allows them to communicate over the Internet using their PCs. Calls can be made either from PC-to-PC or from PC-to-phone, worldwide.

 

EADS Telecom IP Phone Family
EADS Telecom North America
www.eadstelecom-na.com

EADS Telecom North America now offers a wide variety of digital phone terminals -- four different models -- to provide different levels of functionality. For those requiring the flexibility of either digital or IP, EADS offers the M760-i760. For those already heavily invested in VoIP, EADS also offers a native IP phone (i740) and a selection of �soft� phones that can operate in either CTI or VoIP mode. This full range of phones covers a variety of feature requirements, enabling people to work more efficiently -- while making communication easier and more enjoyable.

These terminals are designed with maximum flexibility. Simply snap in an optional cartridge to connect to an IP interface, upgrade the software on the EADS Telecom PointSpan M6500 IP PBX and the digital phone is transformed into a powerful IP-enabled communications device. And as a company grows and adds a larger platform, these terminals remain fully compatible, protecting the original investment.

 

Q-FONE-ALL
QiiQ Communications, Inc.
www.qiiq.com

QiiQ�s Q-FONE-ALL is a full-featured IP phone and a regular analog phone. Users can utilize Q-FONE-ALL to make station to station telephone calls over LAN or WAN (over VPN) or Internet with call hold, call transfer, and call forward features. Q-FONE-ALL is H.450 compliant. When working with QiiQ�s Q-Regime, Q-FONE-ALL provides complete IP-PBX functions and includes all Centrex features It is equipped with two 10/100BaseT Ethernet ports which when connected to LAN and the other to a desktop PC, enables users to run CTI applications such as:

� Screen-Pop;
� Voice Mail Retrieval;
� Screen Dial and Call Pick-Up; and
� Database Integration.

The Q-FONE-ALL readily interfaces with a cable modem or an ADSL modem through PPPeE compliance. Other features include a high-quality speakerphone, programmable keys, and feature buttons for mute, hold, forward, and transfer. A SIP compliant version of Q-FONE-ALL is also available. QiiQ will also introduce their Q-FONE-GATE, which will incorporate all the functional features of Q-FONE-ALL and additionally functions as a single line VoIP gateway with one FXO port.

 

Nortel i2002, i2004, i2050
Nortel Networks
www.nortelnetworks.com

The i2002 Internet telephone is a mid-range display-based client device with a built-in Ethernet switch designed to accommodate shared LAN access between an IP telephone and desktop PC. Ideal for moderate call volume users such as office professionals and specialists, the i2002 features four line keys and supports Nortel Networks� comprehensive suite of telephony features and advanced applications. The i2002 connects directly to an enterprise LAN via a 10/100 Base-T RJ45 connector. It supports either manual or automatic IP address assignment with a standard DHCP server to simplify and reduce the cost of station moves, adds, and changes.

The i2004 Internet telephone is a professional level client device designed for high-call-volume users requiring advanced features and interactive information. With a large LCD display, twelve programmable line or feature keys and four interactive soft keys, the i2004 provides users easy access to a wide range of telephony services. The i2004 supports automatic IP address assignment and an integrated Ethernet switch for shared LAN access to the desktop. Designed for flexibility and upgradeability, Nortel Networks� Internet telephone desktop solutions also support remote firmware upgrades to seamlessly accommodate new emerging features and industry standards as they evolve.

The i2050 is a software-based telephone designed to transform any personal, laptop, or tablet computer into a truly converged communication device. Ideal for call center agents, road warriors, and casual telecommuters with diverse communication needs, the i2050 allows a user to simply load the i2050 software, plug the Nortel Networks audio headset and adapter into the USB port, and receive full-featured telecommunication services and advanced applications including unified messaging, directly from their laptop or PC. In addition, i2050 supports powerful directory capabilities, with instant access to data that can either be stored locally on a PC or accessed remotely.

 

Alti-IP 600
AltiGen Communications
www.altigen.com

The self-installing Alti-IP 600 phone increases ROI through administrative cost savings, ease of use, and a competitive price. The Alti-IP 600, which provides instant access to IP extensions on AltiGen IP systems worldwide, is NAT compliant, interoperable with IP devices and is software upgradeable, providing investment protection. An LCD display-based IP telephone with a full duplex speakerphone, the Alti-600 features programmable and pre-programmed soft keys -- including a 10/100 Ethernet port -- message waiting indicator, call waiting/ caller ID and multiple lines to manage nine simultaneous calls. One-touch buttons connect to voice mail, speed dial, intercom, conference, hold, transfer, and redial.

 

Avaya 4600 Series
Avaya, Inc.
www.avaya.com

The standards-based Avaya 4600 series IP telephones combine the quality features expected in high-level business phones, bringing the rich features and functions of Avaya MultiVantage Software directly to the desktop. These telephones deliver an extensive set of features, high audio quality, and attractive streamlined design. They include:

� The 4602 telephone is an economical IP telephone with two programmable call appearance/feature keys, 10 fixed feature buttons, and display.

� The 4620 telephone is cost effective and provides a large-screen graphic display, paperless button labels, call log, speed dial, 24 programmable feature keys, Web browser, and full duplex speakerphone.

� The 4630 IP Screenphone is a full color, touch screen Web access IP telephone with six telephony applications including phone features, call log, speed dial, LDAP directory, voice mail, and Web access.

� The 4606, 4612, and 4624 sets include programmable call appearance/feature keys, fixed feature buttons for commonly used features, display, and a full duplex speakerphone.

 

Telstrat i2732
Telstrat
www.telstrat.com

TelStrat�s cost-effective 16-line i2732 IP Telephone uses the Cisco SCCP protocol, and Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP) for separate VLAN applications, in the same manner as the one-, two-, and six-line IP telephones available from Cisco -- allowing users to benefit from additional line appearances, enhanced telephony operation, simplified use, and one of the highest quality full-duplex speakerphones available on any enterprise voice platform.

The i2732 IP Telephone provides users with an IP telephone similar to their previous business telephone while fulfilling legacy PBX and Key/Hybrid System deployment requirements users have demanded and become accustomed to for many years. The end result allows businesses to benefit from the convergence of their voice/data networks while providing its users with a high-quality, low-cost, 16-line IP telephone.

 

Inter-Tel�s IP PhonePlus
Inter-Tel, Inc.
www.inter-tel.com

Inter-Tel�s IP PhonePlus is a feature-rich business telephone designed to provide remote associates and satellite offices with seamless connectivity to the converged network. IP PhonePlus users have access to advanced system functionality, such as ACD, Uniform Call Distribution (UCD), visual navigation of voice mail, and complete support for CT applications like customer relationship and agent tools.

In addition, IP PhonePlus offers three extra Ethernet switch ports with built-in QoS to transport data traffic without impacting voice communications. It supports centralized power over the LAN, and can be deployed over the Internet through firewalls either with or without VPN connections.

 

3Com NBX Phone Family
3Com Corp.
www.3com.com

3Com offers a complete line of NBX phones, all incredibly easy to install and use. Built-in displays give easy access to a directory of internal users, speed dials, and even personal call logs of the last 100 calls. There are choices for Ethernet connectivity, either 10 Mbps shared or 10/100 switched. The 3Com NBX family includes the following phones:

� 3Com NBX 2102-IR infrared-enabled business phone.
� 3Com NBX 2102 business phone.
� 3Com NBX 1102 and 1102B business phone.
� 3Com NBX 2101 basic phone.


Some of the features offered by the 3Com NBX family follow:

� Auto-discovery provides easy installation and pain-free moves, adds, and changes.
� Phones feature embedded DSP intelligence, programmable QoS, and compression mechanisms for business-quality voice clarity.
� QoS support includes 802.1p and IP-ToS.
� Phones and console can operate as Layer 2 or Layer 3 (IP) devices.
� Phones may be placed remotely for seamless telecommuter capabilities and to support remote call center agents.
� Browser-based administration/training utility makes it simple to customize phones.
� Internal switch (2101, 2102, 2102-IR) or hub (1102/1102B) lets you plug a PC or laptop directly into a phone, using one wire for both voice and data.

 

ZIP4x4 IP phone
Zultys Technologies
www.zultys.com

The ZIP4x4 IP phone from Zultys integrates the functions of a managed switch with a business phone. Having four call appearances and four Ethernet circuits, the phone simplifies wiring from the network room to the desktop with only one Ethernet circuit. The ZIP4x4 can receive power over an Ethernet connection (IEEE 802.3af) or from an external ac adapter. With a standard method for configuration, administrators can deploy a phone within seconds. The phone runs on a real-time Linux operating system, uses SIP for call control, and supports VLAN and QoS standards for prioritizing multimedia traffic to ensure high voice quality.

 

earthphone
Five Star Telecom, LLC
www.fivestartel.com

earthphone, powered by the USB port delivers crystal clear, free telephony over the Internet. There is no per minute fee or subscription charge between earthphones.

Market differentiation includes:

� clear voice quality with no delay or echo;

� the ability to work with dialup, 802.11x wireless or broadband;

� a global nine-digit number receives and sends calls globally; and

� works with private IP addressing, NAT masquerade, and solves NAT1 and NAT2 firewall limitations.

earthphones interface with the analog trunk line ports on PBX switches allowing enterprise deployment of free calling between offices and others. earthphones finally deliver on the VoIP promise.

 

SI-160
ADTech
www.adtech.be

By using smart card technology, ADTech offers innovative enhanced IP telephony features and services. Available in SCCP, H.323, and SIP, ADTech products bring value to customers, decrease the ROI period, and provide a competitive edge to resellers and integrators. The SI-160 is a revolutionary feature-rich IP telephony platform, including a smartcard reader -- it has been designed to provide state-of-the-art VoIP communications, but also added-value services, particularly in the field of security and payment.

SI-160 is a very complete and flexible IP phone. It is compatible with all major signaling protocols on the market, and provides all major codecs used today. In particular, SI-160 integrates smoothly in a Cisco Avvid architecture, as it implements Cisco proprietary protocols (SCCP, CDP), and can be powered by Cisco switches.

A smartcard reader has been integrated into the device, in order to mix powerful functions of smartcard technology (cryptography, secure payment) with VoIP technology, in order to provide innovative but crucial applications for everyday use. SI-160 provides powerful security functions such as voice communication encryption, user authentication, and payment functions such as prepaid phone cards and online billing.

 

iVoice Wi-Fi phone
iVoice
www.ivoicecom.com

iVoice has developed a cutting edge wireless VoIP telephone providing true plug-n-play unlimited flat-rate Internet calling. Through the patented technology offered by iVoice, a user can walk into any open hotspot and instantly be online making calls to other IP or PSTN phones. No computer is required and users make calls transparently as if they were using a normal cell phone. Additional features offer global follow me numbers, interactive voice mail, and quick-key two-digit international dialing.

 

SJphone
SoftJoys Labs, Inc
www.sjlabs.com

SJphone is an H.323/SIP software terminal (client) for Windows CE and 98/ME/NT/2000/XP. The phone allows two-way voice communications with other H.323/SIP terminals or gateways via an IP network. PC, PDA, and Web tablet users can place calls over Internet or LAN, to or from the PSTN via a gateway. SJphone for PocketPC provides full desktop capability using standard PocketPC devices and 802.11 interfaces.

The features in conjunction with a gatekeeper or SIP Proxy include:

� Mobility -- with SJphone running on laptop or Pocket PC you can take your extension with you and receive/make calls whenever on line.

� Directory integration -- allows you to place/transfer calls by looking up people by name or e-mail addresses.

 

CT310i IP Phone
Iskratel
www.iskratel.si

The CT310i IP Phone is designed to work in tight connection with Iskratel�s SI2000 family of VoIP gateways providing the user with same supplementary services set as known from ISDN world. On the other hand, it is fully Version 2, H.323 compliant.

CT310i is a telephone with a very reach comfortable (ISDN-like) features set allowing user real freedom and ease of use with a choice of various phone directories (including LDAP based central directory accesses), call lists, speed buttons, user-defined melodies... The most important feature is strong support for secretary supplementary services e.g., boss/secretary, team groups, fast call pick-ups, transfers.

 

ACT P100 Series IP Phone
Advantage Century Telecommunication Corporation
www.act-tel.com.tw

ACT Corporation (Advantage Century Telecommunication Corporation), is a leading provider of VoIP solutions in Taiwan. As an ISO-9001 certificated manufacturer, ACT designs and manufactures VoIP equipment and solutions to a worldwide customer base. ACT supplies a complete line of IP phone sets, USB handsets, TA (Terminal Adapters), and four-port/eight-port gateways to the worldwide market.

The ACT P100 series IP phone is fully scalable, optimized IP phone for voice delivery in both today�s and tomorrow�s telecommunications environments. It supports standard protocols -- H.323, SIP, and MGCP -- and can be configured through the Web browser or by using the phone menu directly in a few easy steps. Not only can it interoperate with gatekeepers and gateways, but it can also enable P2P connections without gatekeepers or gateways. Moreover, it could connect via an ADSL or cable modem to enjoy the benefit of broadband telephony. Additional features include DAM, phone book speed dialer, call hold, and call transfer for everyday convenience in a competitive and demanding marketplace.

 

Alcatel WebSoftphone
Alcatel
www.alcatel.com

The Alcatel WebSoftphone provides road warriors with a host of telephony features and dialing capabilities including corporate phonebook directories, management of telephone features and forwarding options, and access to voice mail over the intranet/Internet. Built as a true thin client application, the WebSoftphone can be rapidly deployed and eliminates the cost of maintaining additional software on remote PCs. System administrators can also save valuable time and money by managing telecommunications charges centrally. The WebSoftphone is PC operating system independent and also integrates easily with popular business applications (like Microsoft Outlook/Outlook Web Access and Lotus Notes/Notes Web Access) and directory servers (like Lightweight Directory Access Protocol).

 

Fujitsu SRS-12i; SRS-24i
Fujitsu Network Communications
http://telecom.fujitsu.com

The Fujitsu SRS-12i and SRS-24i IP Centrex telephones offer a dedicated, stand-alone VoIP end point that provides convenient access to central office-based Centrex voice services through ITU H.323 gateways over a managed IP network. With the VoIP technology found in these Fujitsu telephones, a single infrastructure is used to carry simultaneous voice and data traffic through the local-area network and the wide-area network without the hardware, wiring, or expenses associated with Key Systems or PBXs. Convergence of both voice and data traffic onto existing facilities better optimizes the network, and therefore maximizes the full potential of the network.

 

IP8008 LAN Phone
S4, LLC
www.s-4-llc.com

Priced at $99.99 the IP8008 LAN Phone is a cost-efficient VoIP phone suitable for enterprise LAN, IP telephony service providers, and Internet users. The phone supports configuration via a windows app, Web interface, or telnet.

Specifications include:

� Support for PPPoE, DHCP, static addressing, Web configuration interface, Telnet, TFTP, TCP/IP, RTP, RTCP, DTMF, DNS, NTS, HTTP.

� Support for the following codecs: G.711A, G.711�, G.723.1 5.3/6.3 kbps and G.729A/B.

� Compatibility with most H.323 IP applications, gateways, gatekeepers, and phones.

� Excellent QoS: Dynamic buffer management to minimize effect to voice quality caused by audio delay jitter, 16ms echo cancellation.

 

SoundPoint IP 600
Polycom, Inc.
www.polycom.com

Designed to seamlessly integrate with leading IP PBX and softswitch vendors� IP telephony solutions, the SoundPoint IP 600 is your best choice for a multi-line, standards-based voice over IP telephone. It is ideal for users handling shared lines or administrative assistants as it delivers both traditional telephone capabilities and new, converged applications to your business desktop. Equipped with a two-port Ethernet switch and auto-sensing Power over Ethernet circuitry, the SoundPoint IP 600 installs easily. It provides a flexible IP communications solution delivering excellent voice quality.

 

snom 200
snom technology AG
www.snom.de

The new enhanced snom 200 VoIP is the perfect solution for SOHO, SME and large corporate clients. The snom 200 utilizes the same great SIP stack and software as the snom 100 but wrapped in a more conservative package with an additional second Ethernet port. The snom 200 utilizes SIP, H.323, and H.450 to be compliant with all of the world�s open standard systems. Special features are UPNP readiness, which allows the phone to operate in NAT environment and automatically configure your UPNP router to work so the user does not have to do any port forwarding or special settings to the router to get things going. Users can have several snom100 or snom200 phones on their home UPNP routers/access devices off DSL or Cable modems and they will all self install and work.

Another key feature is snom�s http-based firmware update and SMDS (snom mass deployment system), which is also part of the firmware and allows a service provider to easily build his own Web provisioning system and remotely configure the phones so they never physically have to be programmed before they get sent out to his customers.

 

InnoMedia MTA 3308 IP Phone
InnoMedia, Inc.
www.innomedia.com

The InnoMedia MTA 3308 IP Phone offers all the features you would expect on a telephone, with a user-intuitive menu navigation system, 80-character backlit display, hands-free speakerphone, 50-number phonebook, and the added information-rich capabilities only possible through IP telephony.

The MTA 3308 IP Phone provides seamless call agent/softswitch integration by supporting industry standard protocols including PacketCable NCS 1.0, MGCP 1.0, and SIP 2.0, while working with various networks (HFC cable, ADSL, Fiber, Wireless) and network access device types. It is compliant with the latest standards defined by PacketCable and can be quickly and easily auto-provisioned. Optimum voice quality is delivered through QoS IEEE 802.1 p/Q and TOS tagging. It also comes equipped with dual Ethernet ports, allowing users to share a WAN connection with a desktop PC while maintaining the voice quality through voice packets prioritization.

 

BudgeTone-100 Series
Grandstream, Inc.
www.grandstream.com

Grandstream�s BudgeTone-100 series SIP phones are innovative IP telephones that offer a rich set of functionality and superb sound quality at ultra-affordable price. Starting at a low retail price of $75/ea, Grandstream�s BudgeTone SIP phones offer an extremely compelling value and extraordinary savings to consumer and corporate users.

The phone features most of the popular voice functions such as Caller ID display or block, call waiting, hold, transfer, forward, flash, redial, hands-free full duplex speaker phone, three-way conferencing, call log, volume control, voice mail indicator, echo cancellation, silence suppression, in-band and out-of-band DTMF, and support for many widely used vocoders such as G.711 (a/u-law), G.723.1, G.729A/B, G.726, and G.728.

The phone also supports Layer 2 (802.1Q VLAN and 802.1p) and Layer 3 (ToS, DiffServ) QoS and can be easily configured via keypad, Web browser, or a central configuration file. Communication protocols supported by the phone includes SIP2.0 (RFC3261), TCP/UDP/IP, RTP/RTCP, HTTP, DNS, DHCP, NTP, TFTP, DIGEST/BASIC authentication with MD5 and MD5-sess algorithms, and STUN (Simple Traversal of UDP thru NAT) draft standard.

The phone comes with a universal switching power adaptor (100V-240V input AC, 5V output DC). Its software can be remotely upgraded via TFTP.

 

ShorePhone IP 100
Shoreline Communications, Inc.
www.goshoreline.com

The ShorePhone IP 100 is an enterprise-ready, IP-based business telephone. The IP 100 provides three call appearances and call keys for managing multiple calls and has pre-assigned keys for commonly used features such as transfer, conference, and redial. A large, three-line display presents advanced caller information that includes, not only the user name and number, but also dialed number identification, ACD information, and the caller's name if their number matches one of your Outlook contacts. This allows users to manage different types of callers appropriately. Four soft keys provide menu-driven access that guides users through key features.

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