No Jitter is part of the Informa Tech Division of Informa PLC

This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.

  1. Home
  2. VoiceCon’s Annual IP Telephony System RFP Workshop: Part 2: Page 4 of 4
APIs & Embedded Communications

VoiceCon’s Annual IP Telephony System RFP Workshop: Part 2: Page 4 of 4

In this second part, reviews of more vendors' submissions, plus Sulkin's summary comparison of all the players' strengths and weaknesses.
May 18, 2008

CONCLUDING COMMENTS

It is apparent from the above article that each IP telephony system has its own unique set of strengths and weaknesses based on its ability to satisfy the detailed requirements of the TEQConsult Group RFP document. Summarizing the distinguishing strengths and weaknesses of each vendor solution based on the specific benchmarks of the RFP:

  • Cisco Strengths: Multiple call processing server design; telephone instrument portfolio; unified communications
  • Cisco Weaknesses: System design partially dependent on Cisco Ethernet switch and router equipment; partially limited survivable feature set; numerous application server requirements, including specific support for presence, conferencing, and contact center configurations
  • Avaya Strengths: Telephone instrument portfolio; generic software features; systems management solution; highly flexible system configuration design options for primary and remote locations
  • Avaya Weaknesses: Non-redundant call telephony server (based on proposed model) with limited port capacity growth; peripheral SIP server requirement; multitude of feature/function-specific unified communications options
  • Nortel Strengths: Flexible Media Gateway 1000E provisioning options; generic software features; several advanced standard-equipped IP telephone attributes; tight integration with Microsoft OCS
  • Nortel Weaknesses: No wideband codec support for IP telephone instruments; full security support requires optional hardware equipment; short-term disruption of telephony services during switchover to local survivable processor
  • Mitel Networks Strengths: Distributed processing design utilizing common hardware elements; generic software features; traditionally designed IP telephone instruments with user programmable line/feature keys
  • Mitel Networks Weaknesses: No color display screen telephone model; non-support of IBM unified communications solutions
  • Siemens Communications Strengths: Carrier-class system design for redundancy, resiliency, and system growth; enhanced IP telephone instrument portfolio; superior unified communications solution
  • Siemens Communications Weaknesses: Remote survivability (limited feature set); generic software features
  • NEC Unified Strengths: New IP telephones are highly modular in design and function; generic software features; overall unified communications solution
  • NEC Unified Weaknesses: Call control highly localized; non-seamless switchover for survivable call processing, i.e. active calls terminated; limited cellular extension capabilities requires peripheral server
  • ShoreTel Strengths: Distributed and modular call processing system design; user friendly systems management solution
  • ShoreTel Weaknesses: Limited cellular extension capabilities; control signaling not encrypted; basic unified communications capabilities requiring third party solutions with non-support of Microsoft (planned) and IBM solutions
  • 3Com Strengths: Partitioned IBM System i Server for call processing and application requirements; distributed call processing design in support of multiple premises communications requirements
  • 3Com Weaknesses: IP telephone instrument portfolio has more than a few important feature/function gaps (embedded Web services, color display screen, Bluetooth, USB); third party solutions proposed for cellular extension requirements, contact center, unified communications
  • Ericsson Strengths: Distributed call processing design for campus and multiple premises configurations; cellular extension capabilities
  • Ericsson Weaknesses: No unified communications offering; limited embedded security features
  • Aastra Intecom Strengths: Carrier-grade call processing control; redundant processing design
  • Aastra Intecom Weaknesses: Very limited remote survivable feature set; IP telephone instrument portfolio lacks several advanced attributes, i.e. wideband codec, Bluetooth, Gigabit Ethernet interface, and a color display screen; basic unified communications capabilities requiring third party solutions

    The detailed RFP responses from each of the above 10 vendors are available for download via username/password to qualified VoiceCon Orlando attendees. For those not attending the conference, access to the RFP material and all conference presentation materials can be purchased.

    The VoiceCon RFP template is available for download here.

    Allan Sulkin is president of TEQConsult Group.

    • Tags:

    Features
    APIs & Embedded Communications
    Unified Communications & Collaboration
    APIs & Embedded Communications