Archive for the ‘Product Review’ Category

Panasonic Introduces DECT Wireless SIP Handsets

Thursday, June 10th, 2010

Panasonic KX-TPA50

Panasonic recently introduced a couple of new DECT 6.0 Wireless SIP products that I’ve been able to play with for the past few weeks before they were released. And now that they’re shipping, let me show you what I’m impressed with, here’s the short list:

  • G722 Wideband Support
  • Provisioning Simplicity
  • Price

The support of G722 wideband codec, often referred to as “HD Voice” to use Polycom’s marketing term, is not very prevalent within the DECT wireless product portfolios of SIP telephone manufacturers. Nobody that I know supports it yet, not Polycom, not Aastra, so correct me if I’m wrong on this. But from my perspective this is the first DECT handset that I’ve used that supports the codec. And because I received my test units before the official product release, I didn’t have spec sheets or install guides to tell me that there was support for G722. So when I first provisioned it to my Switchvox SMB server and made a test call, I was very pleasantly surprised. Speaking of provisioning the handsets, it couldn’t be more easy. Simply enter a few bits of information in the easy to use web GUI and away you go.

And last but certainly not least is Price. The base-station and one handset MSRP is $199.95. The Panasonic KX-TGP500 and KX-TGP550 systems can be expanded up to a total of 6 cordless handsets by adding additional KX-TPA50 cordless handsets at $99. Each handset comes with charger and belt clip. Panasonic has made wireless SIP communications very affordable, while maintaining a robust feature set.

From now until June 30th, for every 2 additional handsets you purchase, you get 1 absolutely free! Use the promo code “DECT” during checkout at the Chromis.com store or contact us at 602.357.8070 for more details.

Panasonic KX-TGP500

KX-TGP500 – The system features a wall-mountable base unit and one cordless handset.  It is expandable up to 6 DECT 6.0 cordless handsets and supports up to 8 phone numbers and 3 simultaneous calls. It boasts Wide Band Audio (G.722) and 5 hours Talk Time, 5 days Standby. Its elegant design features a white backlit large LCD on the handset and a handset Call Button on the base unit. It also has a handset speakerphone, 2.5mm headset jack and belt clip.

Panasonic KX-TGP550

Also available is the KX-TGP550 – This unit has all the features and benefits of the KX-TGP500 and adds a corded base unit with a large white backlit LCD and 5 hours Talk Time, 5 days Standby, plus a Hands-Free Speaker phone, Handset Call Button on the base unit, and one-touch call transfer with Busy Lamp Indication.  MSRP $329.95

Click here to download a Data Sheet PDF of the KX-TGP500

Click here to download a Data Sheet PDF of the KX-TGP550

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Posted in Asterisk, HD Voice, On Sale, Product Review, Switchvox, Testing, digium | No Comments »

Polycom Releases a new entry level phone: Introducing the SoundPoint IP 335

Monday, November 2nd, 2009

Polycom-soundpoint-ip-335Polycom introduced another phone to round out their entry-level line up this past weekend: The SoundPoint IP 335. I’ve been beta testing this phone for the past 6 weeks and have put it through the paces. And now that it’s been formally introduced, I can tell you my thoughts. (Spoiler Alert: This phone is spot on… They took the IP330/331, and made it right.)

The IP 335 contains all the features of the Polycom SoundPoint IP family that we’ve come to know and love: Polycom quality and looks, Integrated Power over Ethernet (PoE) support, interoperability with leading IP PBX (i.e. Switchvox) and Softswitch platforms, etc, all in an easy to configure package. But wait there’s more…

The IP 335 looks identical to the IP 330/331 but there are some very distinct differences. The first very noticeable difference is the high-resolution backlit display. It’s still not very big (102 x 33 pixels) but for the price (est. $199 MSRP) it’s respectable. The back lighting makes for a display that is much easier to read.

The second thing you’ll notice is the headset port. I have always had a huge hangup about the 2.5mm jacks that come on the IP 320/321/330/331. It really annoyed me that I could outfit an organization with IP450’s, 550’s, and 650’s and if we paired them with a headset, we would have to sell a completely different headset for the low end phones. IT managers hated it as well. Problem solved with the IP 335, it comes with a dedicated RJ-9 headset port with Electronic Hook Switch (EHS) support. To accommodate the smaller form factor the headset and EHS connections are made towards the top of the chassis as seen in the image below.

The back of the Polycom IP 335

And lastly, Polycom has made the barrier of entry into the HD Voice arena very low. At the $199 estimated MSRP, there is very little reason not to future proof your telephones on the low end with the IP 335’s support of the G.722 wideband codec commonly known as High Definition Voice.

To really beta test a new piece of hardware like this, I knew I needed to go all the way, so I temporarily retired my IP 650 and replaced it with the IP 335. At first I was a little nervous to lose all my “buttons”. But that quickly subsided once I really started making and receiving calls on the smaller phone. I have a Jabra GN9350e with EHS which I also used to connect to the IP 335. It worked like a gem. EHS connectivity was Polycom/Jabra flawless. HD Voice calls were crisp and clear on our Switchvox server. The only thing I missed was my real time buddy status that I get with my IP 650. But bottom line here is this: I could use this phone everyday. And with a low price tag, a lot of people will do just that.

Here are the highlights of the Polycom SoundPoint IP 335:

  • High-resolution backlit, graphical display
  • Two-line entry-level phone
  • Easy to configure and use
  • Integrated Power over Ethernet (PoE) support
  • Interoperability with leading IP PBX and Softswitch platforms
  • HD Voice support
  • XML microbrowser
  • Backlit 102 x 33-pixel, grayscale graphical LCD
  • Two port 10/100 Ethernet Switch
  • Dedicated RJ-9 headset port

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Posted in HD Voice, Polycom, Product Review, Soundpoint IP | 3 Comments »

Chromis Review: Polycom CX200

Friday, January 23rd, 2009

cx200

The Polycom CX200 is billed as a desktop telephone for Microsoft Office Communicator Server (OCS). It is additionally a glorified speaker and microphone for a softphone. I tested the CX200 with eyeBeam 1.5.18.2 on a 15″ Apple MacBook Pro running OS X 10.5 connected to a Digium Switchvox PBX. The CX200 has a handset like a typical desk phone as well as a full-duplex speakerphone. The only buttons on the CX200 are a speakerphone button, a headset button, a mute button, and a two-way rocker switch to control volume.

The CX200 has three LED lights that indicate call forwarding status, voicemail waiting, and call state (on hook or off hook).

Some observations regarding my test:

  • eyeBeam calls the CX200 “Catalina”.
  • The CX200 rings but you cannot answer the call by lifting the CX200 handset nor by pressing a button; you must answer with eyeBeam and then use the CX200.
  • VM indicator light does not work on CX200. The following is the VM indicator for eyeBeam:
    eyebeamvm1
  • Lifting the handset, pressing the speakerphone button, or pressing the headset button does not give you dial tone (i.e. does not take eyeBeam off hook).
  • Volume keys adjust handset or speakerphone volume depending on the mode that is active.
  • No lights notify you on an incoming call (as they likely do with OCS).
  • The mute button works.

The CX200 includes a USB cord to connect to your PC or Mac. It is designed for a PC running Windows XP connected to OCS but the basic functions worked well with my Mac and eyeBeam softphone.

Posted in Polycom, Product Review, eyebeam | No Comments »