by Garrett Smith
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At the recent Polycom global partner conference, Polycom unveiled a number of new handsets. While I am unable to talk about many of them, one of their new models that I can discuss is the Polycom IP 560. The Polycom IP 560 is the older brother of the Polycom IP 550. While the Polycom IP 560 comes with most of the features that the Polcyom IP 550 has, the one new feature of note is that it supports Gigabit Ethernet (GigE) through two GigE ports.
With the addition of Gigabit Ethernet ports it means that large and small enterprises alike can now start to leverage their desktop phones for more than making and receiving calls by pushing down hosted applications to the desktop. To date, most who have been experimenting with applications on IP phones have concentrated on basic RSS feeds, alerts or notifications. Now that IP phones are coming to market with the ability to handle bandwidth intensive applications, I suspect some really complex, productivity enhancing applications will surface.
Now back to the Polycom IP 560.
The IP 560 is a four-line SIP phone that delivers calls of unprecedented richness and clarity and supports a comprehensive range of cutting-edge features to future-proof your investment in network infrastructure. It is ideal for professionals and managers with demanding collaborative communication needs. The SoundPoint IP 560 desktop phone features Polycom’s revolutionary HD Voice technology, which brings life-like richness and clarity to every call. Polycom HD Voice technology incorporates wideband audio for over twice the voice clarity and Polycom’s patented Acoustic Clarity Technology for crystal-clear, noise- and echo-free sound plus a best-in-class system design for high-fidelity, faithful voice reproduction.
The SoundPoint IP 560 desktop phone is engineered to make installation, configuration, and upgrades as simple and efficient as possible. The phone’s built-in IEEE 802.3af PoE circuitry and a dual-port Gigabit Ethernet switch enable flexible deployment options and savings on cabling expenses. It supports remote, zero-touch provisioning and upgrades from a variety of servers as well as boot and call server redundancy to ensure reliable, uninterrupted performance.
With a list price of $349.99, this phone is definitely not for the average user. However, if you are looking for a Gigabit ethernet IP phone so that you can push out applications to users, then the Polycom IP 560 is a smart choice.
by Garrett Smith
Cubicle dweller’s rejoice! Not only are you subject to sitting at the corporate equivalent of a lean-to, but now, thanks to the wonder of IP technology will be subject to ads delivered directly to your cubicle. Courtesy of your IP phone.
Yesterday I had the opportunity to read the release notes for a new firmware from one of the industry’s leading IP phone manufacturers that highlight a new feature that will essentially turn their phones into desktop billboards. Ok, so that is not the original intent of the new functionality, but sadly tight-wad businesses and “innovative” new service providers lead by maverick entrepreneurs will be drooling over the ability to get and offer free telephone calls supported by ads being displayed on your desktop IP phone.
I’m not going to lie, I like the feature, just not how it was presented to me as a way to offer low-cost or free telephony service for small businesses and residential users. I am not a huge fan of the ad supported business model, but hey if you can make it work, by all means do it. I like the feature, however, because the ability to ad-like content to a desktop IP phone opens up the ability to do something I think could catch-on like sending MMS messages between phones and to display marketing messaging on phones that are in foyers/lobby’s/places where people wait.
Either way, the future of advertising “in-cubicle” is here.
by Garrett Smith
GXE502x IP PBX Touted As An All-in-One Device
It was almost a year ago when Grandstream’s VP of Sales, Bruce Macaloney and I had a conversation about Grandstream offering an IP PBX when he was at the VoIP Supply offices. To me, the one thing that was missing from Grandstream’s portfolio was an IP PBX. “With an IP PBX you would have a complete turnkey system that was cost a fraction of what your competitors are charging and you could transform your sales strategy from a component based business to that of a solution based one,” I said with notion that this was something that no one had ever thought of. “Yea, we are already working on that,” said Bruce. Today at Fall Von, the Grandstream IP PBX was announced.
Grandstream GXE502x Features and Functionality
The Grandstream GXE502x is based on SIP standard and offers an integrated solution for unified voice, data, fax, and video communications for the sub-50 seat business making it a direct competitor to Asterisk, trixbox and SwitchVox. The GXE502x IPPBX appliance integrates a number of key functions in a single stylish and compact (26.5cmx17.5cmx4cm) form factor: SIP server supporting up to 100 extensions and 50+ simultaneous calls per system, high performance data router with dual 10M/100M network ports and integrated PoE (802.3af), 4 or 8-port PSTN (FXO) trunk gateway, 2 telephone/FAX (FXS) ports with lifeline capability in case of power outage, virtually unlimited SIP trunking accounts, fax termination server that automatically converts incoming faxes into PDF files for email delivery or secure storage, unified messaging for voice mail (up to 120 hours), fax mail (up to 10,000 fax pages), and video mail (up to 4 hours), session border controller for automated NAT traversal, and up to 4 conference bridges that allows up to 20 concurrent participants.
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by Garrett Smith
New Talkswitch IP phones Are Aastra OEM
Leading small business telephone system provider Talkswitch is continuing the growth of their product line with the release of three new IP phones. The release of these new phones is one of the final steps in moving the Talkswitch platform from it’s all analog roots to an all IP based system. What is even more interesting to note is that the phones appear to be OEM versions of IP phones made by Aastra. The phone look the identical and even carry the same naming conventions as the Aastra versions. Not that it matters much, as Aastra makes outstanding phones, these are technically not new handsets.
TS-480i
TS-9133i
TS-9112i
by Garrett Smith
In Immature Markets There Is Often A Misconception of How The Channel Works
I had the gross mis-pleasure earlier today of being a silent observer in a conversation about “VoIP Distributors” on the Asterisk Business discussion list. I watched (in awe) as email after email landed in my Inbox. Each one spewing more and more misinformation about what the VoIP hardware distribution channel looks like and what company is what. Painful as it was, I could not bring myself to post the truth in the thread (as truth speakers are apt to be flamed on the list), so I decided to clear the air here.
Here is How All This Started
The whole topic start with a simple question; Who is the largest distributor of VoIP hardware to resellers in the USA. Pretty simple, right? Yes, but I am afraid that the question was never fully answered…so here we go!
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by Garrett Smith
Sling Media is the Company Behind SlingBox
Om Malik reports that EchoStar has acquired Sling Media for $380 million in cash and stock. Sling Media makes SlingBox, the device that allows you to watch and control your television over the Internet. According to Charlie Ergen, CEO and co-founder of EchoStar,
“As an early investor in Sling Media, EchoStar has been pleased with the progress and commitment the company has made establishing Sling Media and the Slingbox as powerful and beloved digital media brands.”
If you have never used SlingBox, you do not know what you are missing. It is awesome. The news of this acquisition; the marriage between a satellite television provider and a portal television device manufacture makes me wonder when you really will be able to “take your television” anywhere.
by Garrett Smith
Zone Controller Enables Access to Analog Paging Speakers Through a VoIP phone System
CyberData has released its new VoIP Zone Controller, 4-Port Audio-Out. The Zone Controller is a SIP-endpoint that enables access to analog paging speakers through a VoIP phone system. Each of the 4 audio outputs is designed to interface with a standard analog paging amplifier. The zone control function is set up through its web interface and offers up to 15 programmable paging zone groups in addition to page-all.
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