Alcatel-Lucent OmniPCX Office
Alcatel-Lucent OmniPCX Office balances office-in-a-box features with optional, sophisticated applications. While competitive on these fronts, the system is challenged by more flexible scalability offered by alternatives. (8/30/2010)

Avaya IP Office
Avaya has both consolidated and rounded out the IP Office portfolio with Release 6.0. Competitors will now face off against improved IP Office packaging in a greater variety of customer sizes. (5/12/2010)

Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express
Utilizing an expanded array of Cisco’s popular integrated services routers has increased scalability while an improved Unified Communications Manager Express applications set strengthened an already competitive IP communications solution. (8/24/2010)

Nortel Business Communication Manager (BCM)
Avaya will need to work hard to retain strategically important BCM customers and partner base it acquired with Nortel Enterprise Solutions and convert them to IP Office constituents. (2/22/2010)

Siemens Enterprise Communications HiPath 3000
Support for OpenScape Office UC applications have kept the venerable HiPath 3000 communications platform competitive and provides greater investment protection upon HiPath 3000 migration to Siemens Enterprise Communications’ newer SME system. (7/9/2010)

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Report Contents

• Current Perspective Rating
• Product Strengths & Weaknesses
• Product Buying Criteria
• Product Metrics

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SME PBX Buying Criteria

• Clients
  • Describes the types and range of end stations supported.
• Architecture and Protocols
  • Describes system's ability to support different types of hardware and software architectures.
• Pricing
  • The manufacturers suggested pricing for the product; separate from negotiated prices. Pricing includes the number of low-end IP desk phones specified, eleven T1 trunks, the hardware and software needed to support IP telephony and offer basic PBX functionality, management software, all hardware and software licenses, and voice mail boxes and ports sufficient to support the number of users specified.
• Security and Reliability
  • The types of hardware and software reliability features supported by the device, as well as management capabilities and security.
• Scalability and Performance
  • Describes system's ability to scale up or down depending on customers' needs, as well as the system's ability to quickly process calls.

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SME PBX Product Metrics

• Features
  • Max. No. of Stations Supported
  • Max. Number of IP Stations Supported
  • Max. Number of Digital Stations Supported
  • Max. Number of Analog Stations Supported
  • Maximum Number of Softphones per Server
  • Number of Controllers that can be Internetworked
  • Number IP Trunks Supported
  • Number Digital Trunks Supported
  • Number Analog Trunks Supported
  • Maximum Number of Simultaneous Calls
  • Switch Type
  • Switch Matrix Type
  • Call Processor Operating System
  • Centralized or Distributed Call Processor
  • Redundant Call Processor
  • Signaling Systems Supported
  • Call Control and Messaging APIs
  • Switch Interfaces Supported
  • VoIP Protocols Supported
  • QoS Protocols Supported
  • Voice Mail Platform Support (standard/optional)
  • Number Voice Mail Subscribers
  • Number Voice Mail Boxes
  • Number Voice Mail Ports
  • Follow-me Forwarding
  • Unified Messaging Platform Support
  • E-mail Protocol Support
  • Contact Database Support
  • Automatic Call Distribution Platform Support
  • Number of Agents Supported
  • Number of Supervisors Supported
  • Number of Simultaneous Conference Calls
  • Maximum Participants per Session
  • Management Server Operating System
  • Web-based Management Console
  • Built-in/Custom Reporting
  • Real-Time Status Monitor
  • Time-of-Day Policy Management
  • Hot-pluggable Hardware
  • RAID Support
  • Automated Backup/Client Log-on
  • Call-detail Recording
  • Accounting/Billing Platform Support