Business VoIP

IP PBX provider Switchvox (recently acquired by Digium) announced new functionality for its “Switchvox SMB” IP PBX (News - Alert) system designed for small- and medium-sized businesses. Switchvox has tailored the Asterisk telecommunications open source software to develop a PBX solution specifically for SMBs. First introduced in first quarter 2006, Switchvox SMB (pictured) is sold as a turnkey solution with server hardware and pre-installed Switchvox software (based on Linux and supporting the SIP or Inter-Asterisk (News - Alert) eXchange (IAX) protocols).

 

 The new Version 3.0 software adds support for real-time sales and customer service applications, SugarCRM and Salesforce.com, as well as integration of Google (News - Alert) Maps into the company’s Switchboard Web-based call control panel. The Switchboard application works with a telephone, improving interactions among staff, colleagues and customers by making it easy to connect and route telephone calls with a simple point and click, but also to record calls, drag and drop transfer, view the status of other extensions and/or database records of callers and manage e-mail (Microsoft (News - Alert) Outlook integration).

 

With Switchboard, any number of “panels” can be displayed and shifted around on the user’s screen depending on the options set up by the system administrator. Panels for SugarCRM or Salesforce.com (News - Alert) can be added to automatically “pop up” customer history records for an incoming call. A Google Map panel can also be integrated to quickly identify the location of the incoming caller – all of which helps to improve call handling and customer service. Custom panels can also be developed according to a business’ specific needs.

 

Additional Version 3.0 improvements include an upgraded operating system for higher call capacity (200 simultaneous calls). Switchvox SMB’s most basic hardware platform is a tower PC with a 2.4 GHz processor, 80GB hard drive and 512MB RAM (appropriate for up to 24 simultaneous calls). Alternate hardware options, such as the new 1GB RAM option for 200 simultaneous calls, are available by special order to provide higher simultaneous call capacity, redundancy and rack-mount form factors.

 

While there is no real limit on the number of endpoints supported, and hardware and software can both handle more than a thousand handsets connected, Switchvox recommends considering the number concurrent calls desired when choosing the appropriate hardware configuration. Version 3.0 also adds support for existing voice messaging platforms from Esna or other platforms that are compatible with the SIP VoIP protocol.

 

Switchvox SMB is priced starting at $2,495 and complements the company's more basic Switchvox SOHO solution introduced in February 2005 ($995). Both versions utilize standard analog telephones or SIP-compatible hard and soft phones, analog and T1 trunk lines using Digium telephony interface cards, just about any VoIP service and an Application Programming Interface (API) that enables integration of contact directories, other business databases or software. www.switchvox.com

TelecomTactics Takeaway: IP PBX provider Switchvox addresses a key need for SMBs - real-time sales and customer service solutions. The company has introduced new Version 3.0 software for its Asterisk-based Switchvox SMB IP PBX system designed for small- and medium-sized businesses, adding support for SugarCRM and Salesforce.com, as well as integration of Google Maps into the company’s Switchboard Web-based call control panel. While customers can choose either SugarCRM or Salesforce.com depending on their preference for a premised-based (SugarCRM) or hosted (Salesforce.com) solution to automatically pull up incoming call records (particularly helpful in preparing for a customer service call), the integration of Google Maps adds extra value by giving users an immediate image of where a call (or potential lead) is originating from – a picture is worth a thousand words. Stay tuned for more enhancements from Switchvox, including fax messaging and upgrades for the company’s SOHO solution, and of course, a new product strategy per the merger with Digium, Inc. this month.

For more information, contact:

 Sandra M. Gustavsen, Analyst/TelecomTactics