DID or direct inward dialing is simply the ability to have calls routed directly to a telephone without the need for an auto-attendant or live operator. If your PBX (define - news - alert)  doesn’t support DID, you were out of luck until today. MultiTech (news - alert) has released a number of new products and one of these is the CallFinder CF220 that allows you to have 2 DID lines even if your PBX doesn’t support them. They also have a FaxFinder device that does the same for fax as well as supporting many fax server functions. The products are priced at $799 and $999 respectively and fill a nice niche in the communications space.

MultiTech was a pioneer in communications. In 1968 in fact they developed a 300 baud acoustic coupler for a telephone handset. Their product line evolved into intelligent modems and they were a market leader in the early nineties. The last half of the nineties saw huge competition from less intelligent and less expensive no name modem makers. This competition, much of it from Asia, made it difficult for makers of intelligent modems to compete effectively. As a result the company used its vast engineering experience to get into the IP telephony market a few years back. They are expanding their product offerings in many directions.

In fact, another recent announcement from MultiTech allows their MultiVOIP gateway to connect with Xten’s (news - alert) SIP (define - news - alert) phones. MultiTech’s gateways are incorporating more and more IP PBX features. The evolution of these gateways is into a full fledged IP PBX – This is exactly what they will be releasing in 2005. Expect this device to be Linux based and to compete for business in the key systems market.

The IP PBX market is heating up. Interactive Intelligence (news - alert) will be spinning off a new company that sells IP PBXs as well. As always, increased competition is good for the market and good for the customers of these devices. It is good to see MultiTech, a communications company with over 30 years of experience still doing well.

Rich Tehrani is TMC's president. He welcomes your comments. Participate in our forums.

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