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NEC Unified Solutions, Inc. recently introduced new UNIVERGE bundles and new Business Basics starter packages for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs), which combine common configurations in order to simplify the purchase and deployment of NEC solutions. NEC explains that the UNIVERGE bundles (namely, UC1 and UC3) target small and mid-size businesses that are ready to utilize unified communications (UC), while the Business Basic packages are intended for customers who don’t require the full functionality of UC, but would like to update their voice infrastructure for UC functionality in the future. NEC is taking a practical approach, encouraging its customers to explore the benefits of unified communications, but also understanding that not every customer can make that commitment today.

 

Both the UNIVERGE bundles and the Business Basic starter packages provide customers with a complete solution at a cost savings over separate component purchases, especially when long-term productivity and network cost management factors are considered, according to NEC. Specific cost savings figures are not identified, since these solutions are sold primarily through the NEC authorized dealer channel, so the savings depend on dealer discounts.

 

The UNIVERGE bundles, UC1 (for small businesses) and UC3 (for mid-sized businesses), are based on NEC’s latest UNIVERGE solutions and include an NEC Communication Server, a call accounting application, Web-based system management and NEC’s UC for Business (UCB) productivity application which combines several NEC solutions (contact center, unified messaging, mobility and desktop telephony applications) as a customizable desktop application that functions alone or with Microsoft (News - Alert) Outlook. Third-party integration allows the connection of UCB with other business applications. Both bundles include the UCB core software kit, which comes with a 40-user license, 10 executive users (Executive Outlook module), 10 unified messaging users and four voice ports. 

 

The UC1 and UC3 bundles differ in terms of the other components, as follows: UC1 includes the NEC SV8100 Communication Server (25 IP phone licenses included), NEC’s PC Pro/Web Pro management and the NEC Communications Analyst tool. UC3 includes the NEC SV8300 Communication Server (44 IP phone licenses included), the UNIVERGE MA4000 management system (a 100-user license version) and the NEC MA4000 expense management tool. Customers can add telephones and user licenses as their business grows; the SV8100 scales to 512 IP stations, and the SV8300 scales to 1,024 IP stations.

 

Small business customers, not yet ready to fully implement UC, can choose from new Business Basics starter packages, for either IP or traditional (TDM) configurations, as follows: UNIVERGE SV8100 Starter IP and Starter Classic, and UX5000 Starter Traditional and Starter IP. The packages are pre-configured for easy set-up. In addition to the communication server (either NEC’s SV8100 or NEC’s UX5000, both of which support up to 512 stations), the starter packages include basic applications (integrated voice messaging, a desktop client, an attendant client, a management application) and several digital or IP phones.

 

T3i Group is launching a new Unified Communications (News - Alert) Client Comparison (UC3) database that includes specific and detailed information (over 450 feature/function points of comparison) on the leading vendor desktop products.