First Look: Panasonic SIP Phones

December 7, 2011 by Christina Smith

Did you know that Panasonic makes SIP Phones? Me neither, until I received a pack of four to demo in our lab at VoIP Supply. If you have been using Grandstream, Yealink, Aastra, or Polycom, you owe yourself a peek at the Panasonic SIP Phone Lineup.

What Makes Panasonic the Same

Just like the others out there, Panasonic offers all the great features you have come to expect in a decent SIP Phone:

PoE
Dual 10/100 Ethernet Ports
HD Voice
Full Duplex Speakerphone
Call Waiting
BLF
Three-Way Conference
Integration with other IP-Enabled devices such as intercoms, cameras, and door phones.

The Deskphone Linecard currently has four models available ranging from entry level to management-type. The Panasonic SIP lineup even includes a DECT phone. The Panasonic KX-TGP550 is a deskphone/DECT Phone hybrid.

Similar to the Aastra CT models, the TGP550 includes a Wired deskphone with a KX-TPA50 DECT handset. The DECT system will support up to three simultaneous calls and up to eight DID’s.

Panasonic SIP Phones Features

Main features of Panasonic SIP phones include:

2 x 10/100 Ethernet Ports (All models except KX-UT113B Deskphone and KX-TPA50 Dect handset)
PoE Enabled, order power supply separately
HD Voice Equipped
Bright Backlit LCD (All except KX-UT113B)
Support for G.711, G.722, G.726, and G.729a codecs
KX-UT136B and KX-UT133B support Plantronics EHS for wireless headsets
2.5mm Headset Port
Asterisk/open-source, Broadsoft, and Broadworks certified

What Makes Panasonic Different

You will not find a Panasonic deskphone that comes in different colors or that offers a colored LCD display – YET. The five models of Panasonic desk phones all have the basic and enhanced features you would expect from a high quality SIP Phones but not the luxury features. They are all business.

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New Polycom CX7000 & Microsoft Lync Solution – Live Webinar 12/6

December 5, 2011 by Nathan Miloszewski

On Tuesday, December 6th Polycom will co-host a live webinar with Microsoft to show how new Polycom solutions combined with Microsoft Lync create powerful unified communications (UC) systems.

Polycom plus Microsoft Lync create an interoperable environment enabling users to:

Quickly find each other with IM/presence and web conferencing.
Launch video and voice calls easily and intuitively within Microsoft Lync.
Share content via Microsoft Lync to Polycom HD video systems.

Explaining the value of this solution and answer questions, this webinar will feature Microsoft and Polycom executives and a customer speaker. Webinar starts December 6th at 11 am EST. Follow this link for event registration:

Learn How Your Business Can Be More Productive & Effective with NEW Polycom® UC Solutions for Microsoft® Lync

Also to be discussed is the new Polycom CX7000, the first video collaboration solution to be qualified by Microsoft as “optimized for Microsoft Lync.”

Related Articles:

Switchvox Studies Showcase Savings

by Nathan Miloszewski

Switchvox is Digium’s family of VoIP (Voice Over IP) Phone Systems for small and medium businesses. If your small operation is looking for examples that mirror your own application, new Switchvox case studies have been posted that show how to:

Better manage call centers and address customer frustrations.
Save up to 40% with Switchvox over competitive telecommunication systems.
Increase flexibility and cost savings with Switchvox.
Utilize the extra Switchvox features/functions that come right out of the box including conference calls, voicemail, fax to email, call center help desk functionality.

Switchvox systems are designed to be easy to use, full of helpful features and cost less than a traditional PBX. Compare Switchvox SOHO for up to 20 users including mobile apps and Switchvox SMB that comes in three sizes to match your user footprint. Both set-ups are designed to grow as you grow.

Click here for all Switchvox case studies and success stories.

Related Articles:

VoIP System Buyers Guide

How to Use SIP Softphones & Open Source SIP

December 1, 2011 by Garrett Smith

Understanding the difference between a hardphone and softphone is as simple as using one of each – but many people have not had the pleasure of experiencing a softphone yet.

When it comes to SIP softphones and open source SIPs (Session Initiation Protocol), too many people are still left in the dark.

Luckily, this article is here to enlighten. We’ll provide a brief summary of SIP technology and what it might mean for both you and the way you handle your communications on a daily basis.

SIP Softphones

If you run your phone system using a VoIP service provider you’ll probably recognize just how easy it can be to ditch traditional phones in favor of softphones, which can be downloaded straight to your computer and often for free.

Being able to speak over a computer as opposed to a phone reduces everything from desk space being used to the money being spent on new phones! For this reason alone, this type of phone is often popular with start-up companies and new businesses.

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VoIP Supply One of WNY’s Top Private Companies in 2011

November 29, 2011 by Nathan Miloszewski

VoIP Supply has made the 2011 list of Western New York’s Top CEO’s making this the seventh straight year that VoIP Supply has been named one of the region’s top private companies.

The newly named Top CEO’s award, formerly known as Western New York’s Top 100 Private Companies, celebrates the men and women through whose leadership their companies not only remain at the top but contribute so much to WNY’s economy and quality of life.

VoIP Supply occupied the modest 96^th ranking in 2005 when the company was first named to the Top 100 WNY Private Companies list. But after six consecutive years of nominations, VoIP Supply climbed to the 56^th position in 2010.

This year, for the seventh straight time, VoIP Supply joined the other Top CEO’s for a reception at Salvatore’s Italian Gardens on November 17, 2011 as the 50th top private company in the region.

“Being named to the Top CEO’s List for leading one of Western New York’s top private companies is a tremendous honor for everyone at VoIP Supply,” said Benjamin P. Sayers, President and CEO of VoIP Supply. “Continuing to move up the list every year is testament to the value we deliver to our customers, and proof that Western New York is a place of positive business growth.”

The list of Western New York’s top CEO’s/Top Private Companies is compiled by Buffalo Business First and Dopkins & Company, LLP.

A Terrible Thing To Waste

November 25, 2011 by Nathan Miloszewski

welcome-back-kotter-photograph-c10042001 Educators are always trying to impress upon students the untapped power of their minds. To give thanks to their sometimes Herculean efforts, VoIP Supply would like to share something helpful with all those earnest education folks.

Because not only is a mind a terrible thing to waste but so too is your valuable time and money, VoIP Supply’s Edu Assist Program will save educational institutions both time and money when deploying Voice over IP (VoIP).

Education Specific Applications

VoIP Supply designed the Edu Assist Program to provide service, support, and expertise tailored specifically to educational applications. In addition to the discounts, free shipping, and payment terms that this program provides, education-specific purchasers can expect:

Expertise: Manufacturer certified VoIP experts providing consultations.
Choice: Choose the right solution from a large VoIP specific catalog.
Help: Live customer service reps including full support packages.
No Hassles: No fine print, no run around, and the industry’s leading returns policy.
Investment Protection: Extended product warranties.
Reliability: On-time and prompt response.

“Educational customers have unique needs,” said Garrett Smith, Chief Marketing Officer at VoIP Supply. “VoIP Supply understands the nuances of these deployments so we aim to provide a high level of assistance.”

For additional information about the Edu Assist program give us a call, 800-398-8647, or fill out the form to contact a VoIP expert.

Why VoIP Lowers Costs & Increases Efficiency for Startups

November 23, 2011 by Nathan Miloszewski

Overhead. It’s one of the fastest ways to reduce costs for a start-up and one of the quickest ways to hemorrhage money.

Many startups may not have consistent cash flow so having high office expenses, such as phone expenses, can really put a dent in your pocket. This is especially true if you have a phone system that charges you too much for those sales calls of yours and is so inefficient that you lose a lot of time troubleshooting the phones.

That doesn’t have to be the case, of course. You can simply switch to a VoIP phone system where you’ll make things a lot more efficient around the office and definitely lower your costs.

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Last Minute Donation Provides Relief For Local Homeless

November 16, 2011 by Nathan Miloszewski

With Thanksgiving less than a month away the Buffalo City Mission was still short of its holiday assistance goal. Desperately needing more generosity, VoIP Supply answered the call and donated 1,000 Thanksgiving meals for the community’s homeless and homebound families.

Aubrey Calhoun, director of public relations-development at Buffalo City Mission, explains that “With over 64.9% of homeless families experiencing homelessness for the first time, our services are needed more than ever due to families struggling to make ends meet.”

Through their Turkey Express and Outreach Ministry programs, The Buffalo City Mission prepares and delivers thousands of dinners to shelter guests, homebound families and senior citizens in addition to distributing donated turkeys to hurting families and individuals within the community.

“We have experienced remarkable success and feel strongly about giving back to the community,” said Garrett Smith, VoIP Supply’s CMO. “Thriving local companies like VoIP Supply have an obligation to be socially responsible and civic aware. We’re happy to help and know that fewer families will go hungry this holiday season. As a company that likes a good challenge, we challenge other Buffalo area companies to match or exceed our commitment this year.”

VoIP Options for Start-Ups

November 11, 2011 by Garrett Smith

When you’re a start-up company, one of the things you want to do is look like you’re not a start-up company. You want your business to project an image of success and professionalism, even if it’s not always possible in that first shoddy office space you’ve rented.

But there are indeed areas in which you can upgrade your image – and your company’s processes – simply by utilizing the awesome force of technology. We’re talking about VoIP phone services in which you handle your calls through the Internet and not through a traditional phone provider. While it might seem like futuristic technology out of your grasp, we’re here to tell you that VoIP options are indeed viable and may be among the simplest voice systems you’ve ever employed.

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snom 720 and snom 760

November 9, 2011 by Tom Costelloe

Officially announced today and scheduled to be available by mid-12/2011, the snom 720 and snom 760 are the two newest VoIP phones from snom. They also launch the newest series of snom phones, the snom 7xx series.

First Glance

At first glance these new snom phones look quite similar to the snom 8xx but the two most noticeable differences are the new gray color scheme and the quantity of programmable LED function keys. The snom 720 has 3 rows of 6 for a total of 18 while the snom 760 has 2 rows of 6 for a total 12.

The keys can be used for shared line appearances, busy lamp field, transferring calls and many more functions. While this may seem a bit quaint and old fashioned to have this many LED keys, for people who are new to VoIP phones they will provide a sense of familiarity, making the transition a little easier. I think this is important as more and more people migrate to VoIP systems.

In addition to the standard telephony features both the snom 720 and snom 760 support HD Voice, have dual Gigabit LAN ports, built in full duplex speaker phones, USB ports for the snom USB wireless dongle or Bluetooth headsets, and have 4 variable function keys in addition to the programmable LED keys. As with other snom VoIP phones they will work with most SIP based systems and are Unified Communications ready.

Both phones also feature snoms’ new audio subsystem that “was designed for excellent performance in office environments” and “supports a large range of codecs, wideband audio, handset and hands-free operation according to TIA-920 standard.”

Features and Functions

The snom 720 has the smaller display of the two models with a 4-line black and white display. It appears to be more of the entry level of the two models and its main features are: snom_720

4-line B/W display
18 LED function keys
12 identities
Wideband audio
Hands-free operation
Power over Ethernet (PoE)
WLAN / Bluetooth Headset ready
VLAN
2 x Gigabit LAN ports

The snom 760 has a high resolution 3.5” color display and 2 USB ports compared to the single one on the 720. This makes it targeted more towards mangers or executives and its main features are: snom_760

High-resolution 3.5”color display
12 LED function keys
LED function keys
Wideband audio
Hands-free operation
Power over Ethernet (PoE)
WLAN ready
VLAN
2 x USB (Type A)
2 Gigabit LAN ports

The snom 720 has an MSRP of $219, while the MSRP for the snom 760 comes in at $329. While these prices aren’t astronomical they could be a bit of stumbling block when they come head to head with some of the more budget phones with similar features.

An Attractive Option

Personally I like the new color scheme and design of the phones. I think the addition of the programmable keys is a smart move much like the Gigabit ports and USB ports. When it comes to overall user ability they both offer a lot of features which will make them an attractive option. snom usually seems to release progressive phones and I think these new models will follow in that tradition.

The one thing that really bothered me in their literature was a one line description of their phone, “The snom 760 comes in a dark grey color that fits the typical office dress code and makes usage traces less obvious than lighter colors.” I read this as “Our phone is drab and boring and will leave no record that you ever used it let alone existed.” Come on snom get excited, you just released two new phones that look pretty good.

First Look: Panasonic SIP Phones

What Makes Panasonic the Same

Panasonic SIP Phones Features

What Makes Panasonic Different

New Polycom CX7000 & Microsoft Lync Solution – Live Webinar 12/6

Switchvox Studies Showcase Savings

How to Use SIP Softphones & Open Source SIP

SIP Softphones

VoIP Supply One of WNY’s Top Private Companies in 2011

A Terrible Thing To Waste

Education Specific Applications

Why VoIP Lowers Costs & Increases Efficiency for Startups

Last Minute Donation Provides Relief For Local Homeless

VoIP Options for Start-Ups

snom 720 and snom 760

First Glance

Features and Functions

An Attractive Option

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