Memo to Asterisk PCI Card Manufacturers: Please Build This!

December 4, 2008 by Garrett Smith

Here at VoIPSupply, one of the least fun parts of our job is managing the literally thousands of individual product SKU’s, collectively, from PCI card hardware manufacturers including Digium, Sangoma and Rhino Equipment.

Take, for example, the Digium TDM2400P Series….a full length PCI card that can be populated with FXS or FXO resource modules, up to a total of (24) ports. Also comes with optional echo cancellation. This single product series contains 60+ SKU/Manufacturer Part # variations, depending upon the specific combination of FXS and FXO ports, and whether or not the Echo cancellation module is included.

With all of these SKU’s, it gets confusing for everyone, especially the customer.

I don’t intend to single out Digium with this little rant. Sangoma and Rhino, who both compete with Digium in the Digital/Analog TDM hardware marketplace, all suffer from “Superfluous SKU Syndrome”.

I won’t pretend to know more than I do about the actual engineering science, manufacturing and embedded systems know-how involved in producing these products, but it seems to me there is a simpler approach.

Why not manufacture a single, full length analog card…which provides a full 24 ports of FXS/FXO connectivity in a single card, and includes Echo cancellation as a standard feature.

Next, add the full complement of pre-populated FXS and FXO hardware resources, such that the card can be jumpered or software configured for FXS/FXO functionality on an individual, “Port by Port” basis.

Voila….we have a single card (albeit an expensive one, considering the hardware resources it contains), that can provide any combination of FXS and FXO resources up to 24 total ports. If you want 24 FXS ports, you can quick jumper or software configure the card for that configuration. Need 7 FXO ports and 17 FXS ports, reconfigure the card on the fly.

If you want any configuration of FXS and FXO, you can set the card up in minutes for your specific application. No need to break out your Dick Tracy decoder ring and decipher the specific model number of the card you currently need, double check it, order it, and hope your reseller ships you the correct model.

You tell me….I think people would be willing to pay a premium for a flexible product like this. You create a tremendous value proposition and you drastically extend the products’ useful lifespan by allowing it to be re-configured for different deployment scenarios. You get to call yourself a “Green” company by cutting down on production materials and facilitate a slimmer, trimmer carbon footprint. BEST OF ALL….You save a product manager from going completely gray headed at 35 years of age.

More from: Asterisk Garrett Smith

It’s Black Friday at VoIP Supply too!

November 28, 2008 by Garrett Smith

Hey, we can’t let the brick and mortar folks have all of the fun today, right?

In joining with the fun and frenzy that is Black Friday, VoIP Supply has decided to run a couple of great promotions this weekend to compliment all of the holiday savings you took advantage of today. From lower prices, buy one get one deals and free shipping, we have something for almost everyone…and if not, we will have more deals coming this Monday (Cyber Monday).

 

Your Future IP Phone

November 27, 2008 by Garrett Smith

I know. I know. It’s Thanksgiving. I shouldn’t be scouring the Internet. I should be enjoying the day.

But I found something just now that I had to tell you about. It is perhaps the coolest thing I have seen in IP communications hardware in the last year or maybe even two.

It’s called OpenFrame and it is made by a company called OpenPeak. The device is so slick looking, it reminds me of the Apple IP Phone I envisioned in 2006. There is definitely a game changer here.

According to their site,  in OpenFrame OpenPeak has created a new product category: the third screen for the home. In the same way that smart phones redefined what people expect from mobile phones, the OpenFrame will redefine what people expect from a home phone.

That a pretty bold statement, but if you take a look at the device you can instantly see that this could be your future IP phone. The convergence of Internet, VoIP, contact management and even media married with an interactive touch screen, not to mention mobility provided by the wireless handsets is what everyone has been talking about.

OpenFrame has it. And a slick user interface to boot.

Now, before you get your credit card out, the OpenFrame is not out and from the looks of it, the are looking to work with OEM partners (brands) in order to bring the product to market. That means while the OpenFrame could be your future IP phone, it’s not going to happen anytime soon.

Nothing wrong with dreaming though…

Back From the Dead: Linksys WIP300

November 21, 2008 by Garrett Smith

During it’s heyday, the Linksys WIP300 was one of, if not the, most popular wireless IP phones on the market. Sadly, Linksys discontinued the WIP300 and replaced it with a few newer models, like the Linksys WIP330 and the Linksys WIP310.

Well, apparently the Linksys WIP300 isn’t completely dead. While the unit has been discontinued by Linksys, while doing some re-organization of the warehouse, someone came across a case of these bad boys, that had somehow slipped through the cracks. In total, we have about 16 of these classics in-stock, ready for a new home.

At it’s pinnacle, the Linksys WIP300 was selling for around $159.99 each. Today, until they are all sold, we will be offering the last 16 brand new Linksys WIP300’s we have at a special price of $109.99.

So, if you are looking for an interesting decoration for your Thanksgiving dinner table, a stocking stuffer for your favorite technophile or simply need a solid SIP based 802.11 b/g wireless IP phone to use with your favorite VoIP service, don’t wait to pick-up one of these Linksys WIP300’s today!

First Look: PhoneBochs Mini IP PBX Appliance

November 19, 2008 by Garrett Smith

Duluth, MN based PhoneBochs has released a new, small footprint IP PBX appliance called the PhoneBochs Mini.

The PhoneBochs Mini is built off the new, energy efficient Intel Atom Dual Core CPU, and is available in three model versions:

PhoneBochs Mini Basic – Intel Atom 1.6GHz Dual Core CPU, 1GB RAM, 80GB SATA Hard Drive, Pre-Loaded with Trixbox CE V2.6, Single PCI Slot.

PhoneBochs Mini Standard – Intel Atom 1.6GHz Dual Core CPU, 2GB RAM, 160GB SATA Hard Drive, Pre-Loaded with Trixbox CE V2.6, Single PCI Slot.

PhoneBochs Mini Premium – Intel Atom 1.6GHz Dual Core CPU, 2GB RAM, 1TB SATA Hard Drive, Pre-Loaded with Trixbox CE V2.6, Single PCI Slot.

The PhoneBochs mini is aimed at the small office, but can scale to handle up to two T1/PRI. With a single PCI slot, the PhoneBochs mini is also available pre-configured with a Sangoma Card in 4FXO, 8FXO, Single or Dual T1, all with 128Ms Hardware Echo Cancellation standard. You may also choose to integrate the TDM card of your choice.

The PhoneBochs Mini is shipping NOW at VoIPSupply.com

Ask Mr. Andrews: Hard Phone or Softphone?

November 18, 2008 by Garrett Smith

Q: I run a small office with 25 employees, 10 of whom work in our call center making outbound sales calls. We are about to deploy an Asterisk based IP PBX, and I am in the process of researching IP phones to complete our solution. I am looking at both SIP based hard phones as well as softphones. What is your opinion of softphones versus traditional desktop IP phones? Gary P.

A: Gary, personally, I’m an IP phone guy…but there are benefits to both approaches. Softphones are typically employed to keep purchase and maintenance costs down. Call center’s in particular often employ softphone clients for their agents, in conjunction with USB or PC based headsets. Some softphones also offer video conferencing capabilities.

There are several factors to consider here. The first factor I consider is how each employee works. If you think about each of your 25 employees and what they do during the course of a typical work day, you can begin to determine if they are a good candidate for a softphone versus a traditional IP phone. (more…)

All I want for Christmas is a 7961G EnviroXtreme Rugged IP Phone from Coleman Technologies

November 17, 2008 by Garrett Smith

Just decided what I want for Christmas this year.

The 7961G/62G EnviroXtreme is a hardened, ruggedized IP phone designed created by CTI that provides all the functionality of Cisco’s 7960 IP handsets. The EnviroXtreme has been tested to a variety of MIL-STD 810F and MIL-STD 461E standards and can withstand harsh, extreme conditions including excessive temperatures, moisture, shock, vibration, and abuse.

10 Small Business VoIP Mistakes to Avoid

Over the last few weeks we have talked quite a bit about the best practices in selecting the right small business VoIP phone system. Together we have taken a look at a small business VoIP requirements list, 7 answers you need before buying a phone system, 5 VoIP phone systems under $5,000 and even learned about selecting the proper IP phones to go along with your new system. While we have spent a good amount of time focusing on the “right” things to do, we haven’t talked about the mistakes people often make when buying and deploying a VoIP phone system. In other words, here is a quick list of what not to do when exploring a small business VoIP phone system:
(more…)

First Look: Polycom SoundPoint IP450 IP Phone with HDVoice

November 11, 2008 by Garrett Smith

Polycom yesterday announced the release of the new SoundPoint IP450 3 Line IP Phone.

Polycom SoundPoint IP450 IP Phone with HDVoice

The SoundPoint IP 450 is a mid-range, standards-based SIP phone featuring three lines, Polycom HD Voice and a high-resolution graphical backlit display that supports multiple languages and Asian characters. The 450 is applications-ready with Polycom’s open API and XHTML microbrowser to enable productivity-enhancing applications and business processes. It is designed to bring advanced telephony features and applications to cubicle/office workers handling a moderate volume of calls.

Polycom continues to phase out their older SoundPoint series phones in favor of newer models which offer support for Wideband Audio codec….HDVoice as Polycom has dubbed this acoustic feature.voips

Memo to Microsoft Response Point Team: Bring Back Clippy

November 5, 2008 by Garrett Smith

So we’re getting excited about working with Microsoft on their new Response Point product line. We have a number of other “appliance” type solutions but Response Point is a bit different in that we feel it might be a good fit for SMB customers who do not have a tremendous amount of IT resources in house. Since it’s Microsoft, the user interface should be a bit more comfortable to lay people who might not be comfortable performing basic administration on a typical IP PBX.

I’m more of a Linux guy….but I have been thinking about Microsoft as of late, and it dawned on me that they should consider bringing back Clippy and putting him to work inside the Response Point user interface. For those of you not familiar with Clippy….Clippy is the little paperclip with the soulful eyes and the Groucho eyebrows. The electronic assistant who politely offered hints for using Microsoft Office software. Clippy was demoted (downsized, pinkslipped, etc.) when Microsoft released Office XP.

From the Microsoft press release:

…after four years on-screen, Clippy will lose his starring role when Microsoft Office XP debuts on May 31. Clippy, the Office Assistant introduced in Office 97, has been demoted in Office XP. The wiry little assistant is turned off by default in Office XP, but diehard supporters can turn Clippy back on if they miss him.

“Office XP is so easy to use that Clippy is no longer necessary, or useful,” explained Lisa Gurry, a Microsoft product manager. “With new features like smart tags and Task Panes, Office XP enables people to get more out of the product than ever before. These new simplicity and ease-of-use improvements really make Clippy obsolete,” she said.

“He’s quite down in the dumps,” Gurry joked. “He has even started his own campaign to try to get his old job back, or find a new one.”

I think that the release of Microsoft’s new Response Point phone system is the perfect opportunity for Clippy to get back in action, helping a new generation of small business Unified Communications users navigate the hurdles of setting up and administering an IP PBX. Perhaps he could don a new moniker, we’ll call him SiPPy.

Need some help with your autoattendant? SiPPy can walk you through a basic setup wizard.

Having issues with call quality? Let SiPPy quickly analyze the call diagnostic logs on the Response Point PBX to determine potential problems with your network setup.

SiPPy would also make a great personal assistant for setting up conference calls, call appointment reminders, gentle reminders to update your outgoing voicemail message…etc.

Owning and maintaining an IP PBX, even a simplistic and seemingly user-friendly one, can be a daunting challenge for the non initiated small business, technological weekend warrior. Until setting up SIP trunks and find-me-follow-me rules becomes “old hat” for the average business user….I think there might be a solid employment opportunity here for Clippy…errr…..SiPPy.

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