INTEROP: VoIP Power to the People

The message of unified communications and VoIP continues to become muddied in the eyes of potential end users, thanks to a wealth conflicting lingo and the ever-changing sands of strategy that comprises the chasing of the SMB dollar. But if the industry has exhausted the more tried and true approaches to sparking uptake in the SMB market, some companies are reacting by getting creative in order to bring VoIP to the masses.

For instance, ADTRAN Inc. announced at this week's INTEROP expo in Las Vegas that it would open up more tiers within its channel program to sell VoIP, is launching an IP PBX and, it's adding reasonably priced IP phones to its lineup. Meanwhile, IP PBX juggernaut Avaya Inc. was talking up the "democratization" of VoIP and UC, and announced that it's added speech recognition to its UC package. LifeSize Communications, known for its high-end video immersion systems, is attacking the smaller opportunities via an under-$5,000 (OK, it's $4,999, but still) combo of the "Focus" two-microphone array camera plus "Express" HD video conferencing system.

For its part, ADTRAN is now allowing its mid-level Advantage partners – VARs that make a low commitment to the company and often target the under-50-user set – to sell its IP telephony solutions. "It turns out that a lot of businesses that would be a target for us already have a relationship with some of these smaller partners," explained Chris Thompson, senior product manager for ADTRAN's enterprise networks division. "There's no reason to miss those opportunities."

Further helping along those opportunities, the vendor unveiled the NetVanta 7060 Modular IP PBX, an integrated IP telephony product with standard IP PBX features such as voice mail and auto attendant, along with a 24-port Power over Ethernet (PoE) switch in a single compact platform. When it formally comes to market in July, it will differentiate itself from the existing NetVanta 7100 IP Communications Platform, billed as an "office in a box," by not being a complete office in a box. In other words, it will lack the firewall, VPN appliance and built-in router of the 7100. The rationale? Because many small companies have already invested in a data network, and don't want to rip-and-replace what it already has.

"There's a $700 difference between the two products," explained Ron Wicks, market manager at ADTRAN's enterprise networks division. "The feedback we were getting from a lot of companies isthat they just invested in a switch. They just want the IP PBX. So we're giving it to them."