Zultys Debuts Device To Connect SMBs To Internet Telephony Service Providers

Zultys Technologies has announced a family of products melding the functions of an IP PBX, firewall, NAT, and VPN that are designed to connect small offices and branch offices to Internet Telephony Service Providers (ITSPs). The products allow a business to connect to multiple ITSPs, automatically directing calls to the least-expensive one.

ITSPs offer a variety of benefits for small offices and branch offices. They typically require no monthly fees or minimum monthly commitments, and allow a business to use only the exact number of speech channels they need, rather than having to pay for more channels than they normally use.

The Zultys Media Exchanges (MXs) provide presence, chat, instant messaging, and advanced call handling. The MX30 uses a broadband connection and SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) to receive and route all calls to destinations external to the company. By way of contrast, most of today's PBXs (including IP based systems) route calls over the PSTN, which some people believe will eventually be replaced with pure IP connections.

The MX30 is shipping in volume at the end of May 2005. The base price for the MX30 is about $1200. It is also available as a bundle with the new family of ZIP 2x2 phones. The bundles are available as complete systems for 10 users, 20 users, and 30 users at prices of approximately $5,200, $9,000, and $14,000 respectively.