Enterprise PBX Comparison Guide. Focus Research March 2009

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Focus Research

March 2009

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3Com

Altigen

Avaya

Cisco

3Com NBX V3000 BRI-ST AltiServ IP Office _{Convergence Server 7800 Series}Unified Call Manager/Media

Features

Outlook Integration

Included Included Optional via VoiceMail Pro Included

Integrated Voice Response

Yes, with optional add-on Multiple options with call-center software Included Included

Call Center Support

Basics included, advanced capabilities

available with add-on With call center software Yes, with optional add-on Included Software

Platform

Security-hardened Linux Windows-based IP Office release 4 Either Windows or Linux

Hardware Platform

Proprietary V3000 NBX platform Proprietary Avaya Office IP 500 Cisco CallManager and Media Convergence servers Supported

Protocol(s)

SIP (Session Initiation Protocol), H.323, 802.x and many more protocols supported

SIP, H.323, 802.x and many more

protocols supported SIP, H.323, 802.x and many more protocols supported SIP, H.323 and numerous other standards

Management and

Administration

Browser-based interface supports provisioning, regular administration and management features and integrates with 3Com's enterprise network- management suites

User- and system-management software

options Windows-based graphical system-management tools and end user/client tools

Suite of management and administration tools that support functions across groups of phones as well as single phones

Phone Support Multiple third-party SIP devices Two proprietary, IP hardphones, one

softphone and analog phone support Numerous hard SIP phones

Analog Phone Support

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Digium

Fonality

Intuitive Voice

Mitel

Asterisk

Business Edition PBXtra Evolution PBX V2.3

SX-200 IP Communications Platform

Features

Click-to-dial available as plug-in Included Included

Included Included Included Included

Requires significant configuration Included with Call Center Edition No Included

Software Platform

Open-source, Red Hat Linux based, with

extensive customization Based on Asterisk, true Web-based GUI; extremely intuitive for adminstrators and users alike

Open source – Asterisk Proprietary – integrates with common network systems

Pretty much any Linux server Pretty much any Linux server Preinstalled on customized Linux servers Proprietary

Supported Protocol(s)

SIP, H.323, 802.x and many more

protocols supported SIP, H.323, 802.x and many more protocols supported SIP, H.323, 802.x and many more protocols supported SIP, H.323, 802.x and many more protocols supported

Administration

Good encrypted VoIP, phone

authentication and management security Standard Asterisk administration Ships with two management tools: MyAdministrator & IP Phone Analyzer; MACs are simple to execute

Phone Support 40+ hardphones supported; numerous

softphone clients Six IP hardphones supported; one IP softphone (bundled); also supports analog phones

Polycom, Linksys, Cisco and

Counterpath phones Supports very wide range of SIP phones and IP devices

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Nortel Networks

Pingtel

ShoreTel

Siemens

Communications

Server 1000 Release 4 SIPxchange

Shoretel 9 IP

Phone System HiPath 3500

Features

With integrated conference bridge Not available Included Included with HiPath Expressions

Included Included Available Included with HiPath Expressions

Included Included Included With HiPath Pro Center Compact

VXWorks Linux VXWorks Proprietary

Proprietary Standard Linux servers Proprietary ShoreTel Shoregear switches Proprietary

SIP and H.323 SIP and H.323 SIP and MGCP SIP, H.323, 802.x and many more protocols supported

Administration

Windows and Web-based management tools, including traffic analysis, configuration of Meridian digital and IP telephones, and performance of call tracking and billing functions

Web-based GUI is intuitive with simple navigational structure; management of phones can be challenging

Through one browser, you can manage all the sites including the PBX, voice mail, automated attendant and desktop applications.

Lacks integrated interface; individual tools are effective; good monitoring and look for deployment tool

Phone Support Nortel IP phones and softphones Dozens of IP phones and devices via

SIP Shoretel telephones and softphones Most SIP phones, plus analog phone support. Siemens' own phones are among the best.

Yes Supports all SIP compliant FXS

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Sphere

Switchvox

TalkSwitch

Whaleback

Sphericall Switchvox PBX 48-CVA _{Voice SMB 1500}CrystalBlue

Features

Included With add-on Yes No (integrates with third-party vendor.)

Windows XP Web-based administration and user

portals Proprietary Proprietary

Industry-standard servers Proprietary tower servers Proprietary Proprietary

SIP and MGCP SIP, H.323, 802.x and many more

protocols supported SIP, H.323, 802.x and many more protocols supported SIP, H.323, 802.x and many more protocols supported Management

and

Administration

Sphericall comes with Web-based and Windows-based tools for managing and administering the system.

Easy Web-based tools for administration. Windows Based TalkSwitch software to

provide management and administration Part of service provided by vendor

Phone Support End devices from Aastra, Eutectics, Grandstream Networks, Polycom and SpectraLink

All SIP compatible phones Works with Polycom and Grandstream

IP phones Polycom IP phones

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3Com

Altigen

Avaya

Cisco

3Com NBX

V3000 BRI-ST AltiServ IP Office

Unified Call Manager/Media Convergence Server 7800 Series

Security Encrypted VoIP, strong phone authentication and strong management security

No VoIP security – hybrid system Encrypted VoIP, strong phone authentication, strong management security

Excellent encrypted VoIP, phone authentication and managment security

IP Station Capacity

Expandable up to 1,500 lines 48 users per box with multiple boxes – overall system supports up to several hundred users

Starts at 32 lines, expandable to 270

lines Up to 7,500 phones per server and 30,000 phones per cluster

Modularity/ Expandability

Highly modular/expandable. Good

integration with 3Com network products. Modular and expandable, with units suitable for main offices and branch offices

Modular and expandable with options for

main and branch offices Modular and expandable with cards/additional units; lots of additional modules for extra features

Reroute to PSTN (public switched telephone network) on failure

Full failover No – but does explicitly include backup

and disaster-recovery options Yes Yes

Documentation/ Support

Enterprise level documentation and

support levels Enterprise-class support and documentation Excellent support and rich documentation for both users and administrators

Enterprise level documentation and support levels

Pricing Starts at approx $20,000 for 50-user

system Up to $18,000 depending on reseller and precise features and configurations selected.

$16,900 Starts at approximately $20,000

Ease of Installation

Flexible solution from 3Com that can connect directly to PSTN as well as IP networks. But it is also a complex system that requires professional help to install.

Flexible system with lots of configurable options; is managed by AltiAdmin software

Installation straightforward; configuration

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Digium

Fonality

Intuitive Voice

Mitel

Asterisk

SX-200 IP Communications Platform

Security Encrypted VoIP, moderate phone, management and authentication security. Add-ons can extend security.

Encrypted VoIP, moderate phone, management and authentication security. Add-ons can extend security.

Encrypted VoIP, moderate phone,

management and authentication security. Strong encrypted VoIP, phone authentication and management security

40 simultaneous calls/server; 240

simultaneous calls/server with upgrade 300 Up to 240 lines 248 plus additional desktop stations and analog lines

Expandable and modular – low cost makes it easy to upgrade for branch office

Allows expansion up to more than 600 users Reroute to PSTN (public switched telephone network) on failure No No No Yes Documentation/ Support

Includes Asterisk user manual and

quick-start guide; free support for one year Responsive support with fast response times; 'open-source' style documentation Offers support and services ongoing. Documentation is basic and straightforward.

Enterprise class support and documentation

Pricing Starts at $995 Starts at $995 Starts at $995 $12,000

Integrated installation now much improved. At heart, a simpler system than the complex proprietary solutions but still not plug and play.

Intuitive GUI streamlines installation; delivered as appliance; up and running in 30 minutes

Asterisk-based turnkey system that is

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Nortel Networks

Pingtel

ShoreTel

Siemens

Communications

Server 1000 Release 4 SIPxchange

Shoretel 9 IP

Security Strong encrypted VoIP, phone

authentication and management security Good encrypted VoIP: strong phone authentication and management security Strong AES-encrypted VoIP Encrypted VoIP; strong phone, management and authentication security

Can be scaled up to 16,000 Up to 5,000 users per site Scales from 1 to 10,000 users 192

Modular and expandable system using

additional cards/clustering Software scales extremely well, additional Linux servers and instances make system readily expandable.

Voice Switches with no forklift upgrades required Reroute to PSTN (public switched telephone network) on failure

Yes, with survivability gateways Yes Yes Yes

Enterprise-class support. Instruction available in classroom, Web and workbook formats

Support team responsive via phone and email; useful, well-organized documentation

Provides support services, training programs and professional services. Live help and guides and tutorials available on the web.

Enterprise-class support and documentation

Pricing Gateway alone starts at $6,000 but cost

for a system is significantly higher Starts at $995 (software only) Varies depending on requirements –most basic system (hardware and software) costs approximately $500 per user

$16,000

Complex and powerful system – requires coordination of several systems and pre-deployment testing. Vendor provides assistance.

Straightforward, easy setup; 35-minute installation (note – software only – runs on basic Linux servers)

“Plug n Play” Installation-IP Phones are configured and only need to be plugged in. New users can be added in seconds with only a browser

Straightforward installation and configuration

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Sphere

Switchvox

TalkSwitch

Whaleback

Security Has been submitted for testing by the U.S. Department of Defense and National Security Agency and has met all the requirements of these tests

Encrypted VoIP, good management and

phone security Encrypted VoIP, good management and phone security Yes, encryption border session control, built-in

Scales to 30,000 Unlimited' – in practice that means

several hundred 32 extensions per office location Up to 1,500 Modularity/

Expandability

Modular and expandable using standard

servers and components Limited – can add more servers to add more lines Can be expanded to slightly more than 100 lines Easily expanded at any time

Reroute to PSTN (public switched telephone network) on failure

Yes No No No – but is externally monitored to

optimize uptime

Enterprise level documentation and

support levels Good support and documentation, online support center Excellent support and documentation Good documentation – support part of vendor service

Pricing Unusual pricing model more similar to

hosted solution - $199 per user license Starts at $995, including hardware Starts at $595, including hardware $49.95 per line, so $999 for 20 lines – connection cost included

Sphere Communications' installation and cut-over services include the installation of the Sphericall product, endpoint installation and testing, trunk testing and on-site customer troubleshooting.

Straightforward, software-based system built on top of Asterisk that runs on a standard Linux server. Package comes preinstalled on the server.

Easy customer install with PC-based

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3Com

Altigen

Avaya

Cisco

3Com NBX

V3000 BRI-ST AltiServ IP Office

Unified Call Manager/Media Convergence Server 7800 Series

Target Business Size

Medium to large enterprise SMB (small- to medium-sized business) SMB Large enterprise

VoIP-News Comments

A scalable and powerful proprietary solution that integrates well with other 3Com products. Most advanced features require add-ons, and it is recommended that installation and configuration services be used to make best use of the product.

Older company with very robust system that continues to be extended; feature-rich

Award-winning. Good choice for

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Digium

Fonality

Intuitive Voice

Mitel

Asterisk

SX-200 IP Communications Platform Target Business Size SMB Medium enterprise SMB SMB VoIP-News Comments

Digium adds valuable commercial license, support and documents to already robust Asterisk

Low-cost, all-inclusive system. Good for hybrid IP/analog setup requiring easy maintenance

Low-cost Asterisk system – clear pricing

and support options. High-end communications system with very many unified communications features, including integration of mobile devices

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Nortel Networks

Pingtel

ShoreTel

Siemens

Communications Server

1000 Release 4 SIPxchange

Shoretel 9 IP

Medium to large enterprise Medium enterprise SMB to large enterprise SMB

Proprietary, rich solution with lots of

features and complexity Straightforward, open-source-based PBX solution running on standard Linux boxes

Straightforward, relatively easy to install

but proprietary solution. High-end system with good security. Siemens can deliver systems all the way up to enterprise level.

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Sphere

Switchvox

TalkSwitch

Whaleback

Medium to large enterprise SMB SMB Medium businesses

Open-platform based, powerful solution. In particular has powerful features for building custom SOAP and XML applications.

Low-price, all-inclusive system. Flexible

range of options. Straightforward hybrid system for the very low end of the SMB market – turnkey systems

Unusual system – on-premise but completely managed by the vendor. Very aggressive pricing