INTEROP: VoIP Power to the People

The NetVanta 7060 provides a number of popular key system features such as Shared Line Appearance and Busy Lamp Field /Direct Station Select. It offers flexible network connectivity with support for SIP trunking (it is getting certified with a number of service providers to be named at a later date), T1/PRI and analog connections.

Meanwhile, it also comes with a small business-friendly GUI with getting started menus and wizards that simplify configuration and management. In addition, graphics-based Voice Quality Monitoring (VQM) is inherent in the device. This allows network administrators to monitor Mean Opinion Scores (MOS) and other critical VoIP parameters to quickly and easily identify and correct Quality of Service (QoS) issues on the voice network, according to Thompson: "There's a search box, and you type in the extension you want to check, time and date, and it will just bring up the relevant info."

ADTRAN also added, for the first time, IP phones to the portfolio, which can be used in hosted and premise-based configurations. The new IP 700 Series includes two phone models: the IP 706 six-button phone, and the IP 712 12-button phone. Both offer dual switched Ethernet ports to enable simultaneous voice and PC data access as well as a full-duplex speaker phone and headset capability for hands-free applications.

The IP 706 six-line phone is currently shipping in North America at a list price of $249, while the IP 712 12-line phone is shipping in North America at a list price of $299. But in case you're wondering, the vendor's not planning on going head to head with the big phone makers in the market. "This is just a logical extension of our product line, and it helps VARs and end users because they know they'll just work with our systems," said Wicks. "But our alliance with Polycom is alive and well, for instance. These aren't conference phones, or large attendant consoles. They're for the under 50 user market." He added that ADTRAN-branded phones on the desktop will also help with everyday user awareness about the company, who may not be aware of which vendor is handling their communications.

Meanwhile, Avaya has added speech commands and a "personal assistant" to the assembled features in its unified messaging platform, dubbed "Freedom of Speech." Avaya's Modular Messaging 4.0 now offers speech-rec access to calling and conferencing capabilities, voice, e-mail and fax messaging, enterprise directories and databases, calendars, contacts and task lists – from any telephone. Based on natural language speech recognition technologies from Nuance Communications.

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