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Fonality PBXtra beats MicrosoftResponse Point in side-by-side lab test.“PBXtra takes the crown with a low-cost combination ofusability, unlimited extensions, good Outlook integration,and slick reporting.”Lab test: VoIP phone systems walk the talkAppliances from Allworx, Critical Links, Fonality, Microsoft, andSutus have slick telephony features and affordable price tags, butdiffer significantly in breadth, depth, and complexityBy Mike HeckApril 29, 2008In deciding which of these solutions might satisfy your needs, start by asking a fewquestions. Are you a single, small office or a fast-growing SMB with multiple sites? Doyou have someone skilled to manage the system? Do you need only a PBX or wouldWeb and file servers be valuable?Small offices with five to 25 employees should look closely at Microsoft Response Pointand Sutus Business Central and also consider Fonality’s PBXtra. If simplicity is moreimportant than features, Response Point is my choice. But if telephony features are themain attraction, then I give the nod to PBXtra. If an all-in-one system is appealing, thenyou can’t go wrong with Sutus.Larger organizations should seriously consider Allworx, Critical Links’ EdgeBox, andPBXtra. Because these solutions all have extensive features, the selection isn’t as clearcut. My recommendation, unless you need surplus features such as a router or firewallor Web server, is to go with PBXtra. Moreover, when you consider the cost of softwareeditions and especially phones, PBXtra scales more economically than Allworx andEdgeBox.
Below are the test scores (on a 10-point scale) and brief summaries of the fivesolutions. For more detail, follow the links to the complete evaluations.Allworx 24x v.6.8Score: Very Good 8.6Bottom Line: A true all-in-one system, each Allworx appliance combines full PBXand VoIP duties with networking functions including automated backup, e-mail andWeb server, security, and LAN management. Rich communications features includeunified messaging and presence awareness, along with options such as call queuing, aconference center, and group calendaring. Another important differentiator is site-to-siteaccess, with 100 sites supported.Critical Links EdgeBox Office v.4.5.2Score: Good 7.9Bottom Line: This all-one-one appliance integrates Asterisk telephony, networking,e-mail, file sharing, and Web server into a single enterprise-grade solution. However,the many moving parts and interfaces add complexity to configuration and use. Phoneservices include interactive voice response and conferences as well as queues andother features for call centers. QoS management lets administrators set VoIP and Webcaching policies.Fonality PBXtra 4.0Score: Excellent 8.8Bottom Line: PBXtra is a scalable phone system with a user-friendly interface, makingit easy to install, use, and maintain. A “hybrid hosted” architecture lets Fonality remotelymanage the system. The basic configuration is value-laden, with strong Outlookintegration, conference bridges, and CRM hooks; plus it supports analog and VoIPphones. The Professional edition adds multiple auto-attendants and conferencing, whileCall Center tacks on unlimited call queues and agent capabilities.Microsoft Response Point 1.0Score: Very Good 8.3Bottom Line: Response Point combines software from Microsoft and hardware fromIP telephony vendors. Reliable voice recognition -- without any training -- is uniqueamong the products tested, and helps make the system remarkably easy to use. Setupand admin are a snap, and it’s easy to add new users and phones -- up to 50 withoutadditional licensing fees. Telephony features are basic. If basic meets your needs, thissystem is a perfect fit for the small, Windows-centric office.Sutus Business Central SB-200Score: Very Good 8.4Bottom Line: Sutus’ unified communication solution combines telephony, e-mail and fileservers, and even wired and wireless networking in a single box. This reduces hardwarecosts for offices of up to 25 users, while easing administration. The system integratesVoIP and PSTN lines, via an included gateway, while phone services convert voicemail to e-mail. Sutus lacks the advanced telephony features and expandability of somecompetitors, but its wizard-driven setup, reliability features, and collaboration spacesshould be a hit with smaller offices.
Product review: Fonality PBXtra 4.0PBXtra takes the crown with a low-cost combination of usability,unlimited extensions, good Outlook integration, and slick reportingFonality takes a different approach with PBXtra, which, like cousin Trixbox and CriticalLinks’ EdgeBox, incorporates the open source Asterisk. PBXtra is not only the mostaffordable system in this roundup, but is unique in being a managed product. Customersget a low-end Celeron tower PC that’s set up without incurring any installation costs,and a Web interface that lets users customize the system (such as recording voiceprompts) without IT help. Fonality remotely monitors the system, provisions the phones,and backs up data off-site.The Bottom LineFonality PBXtra 4.0Fonality, fonality.comExcellent ase-of-use815%Scalability915%Setup810%Value910%The PBXtra Professionalconfiguration that I tested hookedup much like other solutions.One big difference (to ensure agood experience) is that Fonalityinsists on a phone session with anengineer who walks you through theprocess. With my virtual sidekickalong for moral support, I connectedthe Dell hardware to my network,attached PSTN lines, assigned theserver an IP address, and pluggedin the supplied Aastra 9112 VoIPphones to my network hub.The only problem I had was a slightecho on calls over my analog line.This turned out to be a goldenopportunity for Fonality to flauntits remote administration, becausemy assigned engineer was able toquickly eliminate the problem byadjusting some server settings.A few clicks on the Web Control Panel (which runs from Fonality’s main server) let mefine-tune my PBX setup, including configuring the actions of the auto attendant andrecording personalized greetings.Fonality works with many other inexpensive VoIP phones from Cisco, Polycom, Aastra,Swissvoice, and Snom. Even if you use analog phones, essential features are available,such as a stutter tone to indicate voice mail waiting.The basic PBXtra features are substantial. These include 600 hours of voice mail(converted to e-mail), call routing rules, auto attendant, and name directory, whichshould be enough for many small organizations. In addition, every PBXtra configuration
Cost: 995 for Standard, 1,995 for Professional,and 2,995 for CallCenter edition; Heads UpDisplay software is 995for unlimited use. VoIPphones are about 150each.Platforms:Asterisk-based PC plushosted managementserver; monitoring,management, andbackups are handledremotely by Fonality.Bottom Line:PBXtra is a scalablephone system with a userfriendly interface, makingit easy to install, use,and maintain. A “hybridhosted” architecture letsFonality remotely managethe system. The basicconfiguration is valueladen, with strong Outlookintegration, conferencebridges, and CRM hooks;plus it supports analogand VoIP phones. TheProfessional edition addsmultiple auto-attendantsand conferencing, whileCall Center tacks onunlimited call queues andagent capabilities.supports branch offices. This means you canpurchase this economical system for differentlocations and get free office-to-office calling overVoIP. Additionally, users may forward calls to anyextension in the PBXtra server network.The just-released Version 4.0 software provedsuperior to other solutions in multiple ways.Foremost, I feel the tabbed Web interface (whichis carried forward from the previous release)is the best of the products tested. Featuresare logically grouped and clearly explained,which makes changes easy for employees.For example, on your personal Web controlpanel, under the Features tab, you’ll find CallForwarding options. Here you can define how thesystem processes calls, including following youduring certain hours. I found the new schedulermade it very easy to define different messagesand then have them play depending on the timeof day, and to route calls based on rules. PBXtraaccommodates both simple and complex callsequences, allowing you to customize the systemfor a variety of situations.The system’s telecommuting technology isnotable; employees can travel outside of theoffice with an IP phone (or softphone) and keeptheir extension number – so there’s no need tocreate an “out of office” voice message.Right from the box, PBXtra has very goodOutlook integration. When your phone rings,the caller ID is analyzed against your Outlookcontacts. Additionally, if you use the Firefoxbrowser, the new FONcall plug-in turns anyphone number on a Web page into a click-to-calllink.Even so, you may want to invest in the HeadsUp Display (HUD) option, which costs 995for unlimited licenses. HUD brings a lot ofefficiencies to SMBs. For instance, this highlyvisual application lets you dial a person fromyour Outlook inbox. But HUD really stands out byshowing your entire organization, who is on thephone, and to whom they are talking. You candrag anddrop new or existing calls to someone’sextension, voice mail, or a general parking area.
Yet another advantage of HUD is presence awareness, but this only works with theProfessional and Call Center configurations. If you walk away from your desk, forexample, the system knows your status and could automatically ring your cell phone.Other features missing from the Standard system include conference bridges andvarious groups. No PBXtra 4.0 configuration has collaboration options, such as a fileserver. On the other hand, PBXtra’s reporting across all configurations is very strong.For example, you could see all incoming calls from a particular area code, which couldbe valuable for marketing efforts.PBXtra 4.0 is an extremely capable phone system, even in the basic configuration.With features ranging from auto attendant and Outlook integration to telecommuterand branch office support, there’s little more to desire. If you need group or call centerfeatures, you can step up to two still-affordable options. And Fonality takes care ofmonitoring, management, and backups. Be aware, however, there are extra one-timecosts to provision each phone, and be sure to budget for yearly maintenance fees.Mike Heck is a contributing editor of the InfoWorld Test Center.Read 8TC-office-voip-appliances TC-office-voip-fonality 1.htmlLearn more at www.Fonality.comor call your sales rep at 1-877-FONALITY.
Fonality PBXtra 4.0 Score: Excellent 8.8 Bottom Line: PBXtra is a scalable phone system with a user-friendly interface, making it easy to install, use, and maintain. A “hybrid hosted” architecture lets Fonality remotely manage the system. The basic configuration is value-laden, with strong Outlook
