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For companies planning a large PBX (News - Alert) installation or looking to upgrade to an IP-based PBX, Tikal Networks has a solution with its Crystal Clear IP PBX offering.

The Crystal Clear IP PBX is a complete enterprise telephony system build on the open-source Asterisk (News - Alert) server and designed specifically for large enterprise and government installations. It offers size points starting at from 100 to 2,000 extensions, and it is highly scalable since it is based on Asterisk.

Its feature list includes all leading enterprise functionality, and it supports both custom applications that can be developed by Tikal or others, as well as standard add-on applications developed by the large Asterisk community. Being an IP PBX, it also supports a wide range of protocols and video, including H.323, SIP and MGCP.

Both ease of use and ease of installation make Crystal Clear a compelling solution.

Crystal Clear is offered both as a hosted application that runs as software-as-a-service and as a solution that can run on virtual machines such as VMware, Xen, Virtual Box (News - Alert) and Windows Virtual PC.

“This enables enterprise operations to virtualize PBX operations as well as host it on private or public clouds,” according to the company. Because it runs on a range of hardware including the latest IT frameworks, it “assures your ability to continuously improve your telephony operation without the difficulty of planning for obsolescence.”

The system runs on purpose-built hardware but is run with off-the-shelf components, adding to its flexibility. It also can integrate with existing PBX systems, easing the migration from older systems to the latest PBX functionality.

The company offers services to install systems globally and runs a 24/7 network operations center and support to ensure mission critical operations wherever the system is operating.

Service providers such as integrators, ISPs and hosting providers also can use Crystal Clear to offer end-user customers a variety of services, according to the company.

Crystal Clear also is easy to use both for users and administrators. The system features a wide range of features, including basics such as voicemail, automated attendant, conference calls, interactive voice response and call recording. It also includes more advanced features such as database integration, distinctive rings, remote call pickup, conference bridging, call forwarding on busy or no answer, and call monitoring, among many other features. A partial list can be found on the Tikal and Asterisk sites.

One benefit of the system over other Asterisk installations is the additional add-on features from custom Crystal clear applications. These include encrypted communication for sensitive government and corporate, high-availability combining both hardware and software techniques, and provisioning for call centers, among others.

“Based on standard interfaces of Asterisk,” noted the company, “Crystal Clear PBX offers many additional high end features which can be added at future time.”

The combination of the latest IP PBX functionality, hosted options and custom software tailored to enterprise customers makes Crystal Clear IP PBX a compelling solution.

Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO West 2012, taking place Oct. 2-5, in Austin, TX. ITEXPO (News - Alert) offers an educational program to help corporate decision makers select the right IP-based voice, video, fax and unified communications solutions to improve their operations. It's also where service providers learn how to profitably roll out the services their subscribers are clamoring for – and where resellers can learn about new growth opportunities. For more information on registering for ITEXPO click here.

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