Consider the Total Lifetime Cost of Your Phone System, Not Just Low Initial Purchase Price
Avaya’s IP Office Overview
Avaya’s IP Office is a communications system (IP PBX) designed to address the Small-to- Medium-Business customer. The Avaya solutions are positioned to be simple to use and collaborative by design. However, compared to Digium’s Switchvox, Avaya’s licensing model is very complex and costly to customers.
Avaya has three main software editions to address the SMB market:
- Essential Edition (~ 25 users)
- Preferred Edition (~ 250 users)
- Advanced Edition (~ 250 users)
And then, 7 main users profiles to provide the functionality needed for each edition:
- Power User
- Mobile Worker
- Office Worker
- Teleworker
- Receptionist
- Customer Service Agent*
- Customer Service Supervisor*
*Supported on Advanced Edition only.
Avaya’s licensing model does not provide the flexibility to easily add individual features to a solution. Integrators also note that the Avaya’s systems are complex and hard to setup and configure.
Conferencing, mobility, limited voicemail, and contact center features are available, but users will have to pay for licensing for all of those features. Limited voicemail ports (4) are available. Users will have to purchase a separate voicemail server for more than 4 ports. The meet-me conferencing option supports 64 ports and, therefore may not be available for every user. Finally, Avaya’s user interface or customer portal (One-X) requires a separate server (or virtual instance). Customers can also access their Phone Manager Pro management software, but must install this feature on their desktop limiting interoperability and increasing upgrades and maintenance time. Neither of these solutions offer the true third-party application support and flexibility.
In addition, any updates to the Avaya IP Office software requires all user licenses to be repurchased.
Switchvox SMB Digium Overview
Digium is the developer of Asterisk, the world’s most widely adopted Open Source communications solution. Switchvox, their commercial PBX, is built on Asterisk and provides an easy-to-use and install, yet cost effective Unified Communications system. Available in three main hardware sizes:
- Switchvox 65 (30 users)
- Switchvox 305 (150 users)
- Switchvox 355 (400 users)
However, ALL features are included – call queues, voicemail, auto-attendant, IVR, detailed reporting, mobility and more. Every user can access every feature without any extra licenses.
Switchvox allows every user to access an interactive, personalized dashboard/user interface, called Switchboard. Switchboard is supported on standard web browsers and allows for network administrators and users to customize their Switchboard panels at no additional charge. Users can access the Open API to integrate with third-party web applications to easily retrieve data with incoming calls.
Every user of the system has access to mobility (fixed mobile convergence), find-me, follow-me rules and an individual conferencing room. Switchvox is the value leader in Unified Communications solutions for the SMB market. Find out more at www.phonewire.com
ADVANTAGE WINNER: Digium Switchvox
SWITCHBOARD
Every user has access to the Switchboard – an interactive, personalized dashboard. Switchboard is supported on standard web browsers and provides Salesforce.com, Sugar CRM, and Google Maps integration.
ALL FEATURES INCLUDED
Every user has a meet-me conference room, voicemail-to-email, find-me, follow-me, mobile support, personalized greetings and more. No additional licensing or cost is associated with these features.
EASY TO USE
The easy-to-use graphical user interface allows administrators and users of Switchvox to quickly deploy and manage the solution. Switchvox includes all features in a single server, simplifying the installation and maintenance process.
INTEROPERABILITY
Switchvox, an end-to-end VoIP system, supports any standard SIP or analog telephone, reducing costs and allowing you to have the best phone for your system. Support for Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android and Blackberry platforms is available.
Call us at 1(877)877-9473 to discuss what configuration would work for your needs.
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