3CX today released its commercial edition of 3CX Phone System, a new Windows-based IP PBX that completely replaces a proprietary PABX. Based on the open SIP standard, it interoperates with a wide range of popular soft phones and hardware phones. Since it supports SIP, it is possible to interface with all SIP-based providers and gateways and connect to standard PSTN lines and/or hosted VOIP lines.
"The release of 3CX Phone System is significant because we have freed the IP PBX from dedicated hardware and proprietary protocols. Now an office phone system can run as a server application on Windows and can be more scalable and more manageable," said Nick Galea, 3CX CEO.
"The move to IP-based phone systems has been in progress for some time. But often it still involves proprietary hardware – a black box. Solutions from AVAYA, Cisco and even Microsoft’s Promised Response Point are all linked to a proprietary piece of hardware. In the case of AVAYA and CISCO it even involves a proprietary protocol and proprietary phones. 3CX Phone System delivers a truly open system that runs on any machine using Windows and interoperates with all popular SIP phones, gateways and providers. Furthermore, it doesn’t tie you to Linux," continued Nick Galea.
Source: 3CX
Interesting article from the Detroit Free Press suggests that small businesses can use VoIP PBX systems to create a larger apparent presence:
For example, you can boost the legitimacy of your business without investing thousands in a private branch exchange system by looking at a cheaper alternative, such as a hosted phone system, said Harprit Singh, president and CEO of Intellicom Inc. A private branch exchange, or PBX system, is a telephone exchange that serves a particular business or office.
Microsoft gets into VoIP PBX, via iTWire:
Microsoft has unveiled an IP phone system for small businesses, with a voice activated user interface. It will be OEMed by D-Link, Quanta and Uniden, initially.
The move will put the company in head on competition with the leading IP PBX vendors such as Cisco, Avaya and Nortel with whom Microsoft has been collaborating to integrate its unified communications tools with their products.
Code named ‘Response Point’, the product is presently in beta testing and will be generally available later this year as an OEM product. It supports both VoIP and traditional analogue phone lines, and includes a voice-activated user interface. It will be launched commercially as the D-Link DVX-2000, Quanta Syspine and Uniden Evolo.
The product was announced at Microsoft’s annual small business summit by Microsoft COO Kevin Turner who said: " 20 years ago Bill Gates had a vision for our company which said, look, I want a PC on every desk and in every home… Now, his new vision for Microsoft is we need to be that uniquely positioned company in the marketplace that can connect the digital lifestyle and the digital work style. And that’s the vision and aspiration for our company. And no better customer segment, again, fits that than the small business owners. And that’s what we’re working hard on.
Turn a Mac Mini into the world’s smallest VoIP PBX:
Berlin-based 4S newcom GmbH presents iBlue®, the world’s slickest IP PBX, which is delivered on an Apple iPod Shuffle® and is the world’s smallest IP PBX.
iBlue® is based on the 4S IP PBX, a software-based IP PBX. It uses SIP for VoIP communication and runs on a Mac mini, providing the technologically advanced VoIP software of 4S newcom with the appropriate housing.
In order to use the Mac mini as an IP PBX, it is booted off an iPod Shuffle, which has been engineered to host the complete system, from OS to IP PBX, as well as continuing to serve as the world’s most elegant MP3 player.
“We have put our complete IP PBX on it [the iPod Shuffle]”, says Dr. Harry Behrens, Managing Director of 4S newcom. “It is so compact that even on the smallest iPod Shuffle (512 MB) enough room is left for 4 full hours of music.”
Once the system is booted off the iPod shuffle, it can, of course, be installed on the built-in hard disk, leaving the user to enjoy the iPod Shuffle safe in the knowledge that it will also serve as installation media in case of emergency.
The iBlue® entry level system consists of a Mac mini, the iPod Shuffle with the 4S IP PBX licensed for up to 250 users and 30 parallel calls, as well as five snom300 VoIP phones. It will be priced at 2,999.00 Euro, making it an absolute bargain. Online sales will commence on November 6th 2006 – just in time for VON Europe, which will be hosted in Berlin between November 6th and 8th.
