VoIP Options, Adoption Grow Among Small Biz

Telecom vendors have begun to flood the small-business market with voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) products, including some that use Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), a relatively new protocol designed to maximize the potential of relatively new networks built on IP.

The products come as market researcher AMI Partners predicts that as equipment prices continue to fall, voice over IP adoption and usage will gain momentum in the SMB space. In efforts to reduce variable costs without impacting organizational efficiencies, 130,000 U.S. SMBs have adopted VoIP and another 110,000 SMBs plan to do so in the next 12 months, says AMI-Partners.

The new products also come as Verizon announced plans to launch an IP-virtual private network (IP-VPN) that will provide the foundation for the carrier's VoIP. The company said it expects to launch the Web-phoning service later this year. Verizon said the new network construction included the completion of nine regional rings that connect with Verizon's national network. More than 200 routers scattered around 56 urban and regional markets have been installed.

Among the latest product introductions:

AIP Communications, Richardson, Texas, is now shipping its low-cost hybrid VoIP PBX, called iPBX. Designed for the small business and SOHO market, the LAN-based VoIP phones or PC-based soft phones offer rapid installation, the company said.As part of the feature set, the system automatically seeks Internet call routing or traditional phone line routing to get the best conversation quality. A voice mail system which has auto attendant, time stamp, and flexible mailbox partitioning, is included. For travelers, the system allows automatic voice message forwarding to email boxes. Furthermore the iPBX links remote branch offices through the Internet as one virtual phone system to save toll charges.

AIP iPBX also offers three-way call conferencing with prices starting at $2,500 for four central office lines and eight stations. Expansion is available for up to 16 lines and 32 stations.

Meanwhile, Zultys Technologies announced the worldwide availability of its new Linux soft phone. Dubbed LIPZ4, this downloadable product, allows Linux users to make and receive phone calls from their computer, without the need for a telephone handset.

The soft phone is compatible with any IP telephony system using SIP and supports four call appearances, instant messaging, hold, transfer, forward, and redial. The LIPZ4 can store the last 32 incoming and outgoing phone numbers, making them easily accessible for immediate redial. The LIPZ4 also offers conferencing, do not disturb, encryption, compression (G.729), and the ability to specify a backup server by purchasing a license from Zultys.

Users can download the LIPZ4 soft phone by accessing www.lipz4.com. As part of its ongoing support for LIPZ4 users, Zultys hosts a discussion board where users of the phone can share solutions with other Linux users around the world. The discussion board and documentation can be accessed from the same Web page as the download.In other news, Polycom and Sphere Communications announced the new Polycom SoundPoint IP300 has been Sphere Certified with the new Sphericall 4 system. Sphericall 4 offers combined voice, video and enterprise instant messaging. It also offers full integration with Microsoft Exchange and Outlook.