Avaya Kills Off Nortel & Mitel Abandons the Under-100 User Market

There are big changes roiling the waters of the telecommunications market.

Nortel is dead, what has been suspected is now confirmed. As reported in The Telecom Blog, Avaya has announced it is killing off the Nortel flagship BMC phone system and retiring all support for what was once one of the world’s most widely sold business phone systems. The product line will be terminated in 2012, and by 2015 all support for the Nortel system will have been completely ended.

Mitel is in the throes of a painful restructuring and has decided to abandon the under-100 user market — the “S” in SMB. It announced recently that it will focus its products and support on the mid-size and enterprise market from 100-2,500 users. As their new CEO Richard McBee told Channel Reseller News, Mitel views the “S” in SMB as just a “financial transaction” as opposed to a market that requires more personal attention and “best in breed” solutions. 

Really? Here at Zultys we think every customer is valuable and deserves a “best in breed” solution — especially when the “S” in SMB comprises over 80% of the businesses in North America and other markets! Zultys’ flexible solutions cover the full range of company needs, from 1-10,000 users.

It’s time to help your customers understand that if they have been using a Nortel or Mitel system, they can  find a steady solution in Zultys. Please contact your Zultys RSD today to see how Zultys can help your customers make the transition from roiling seas to smooth sailing.  

Regards,
Zultys Marketing

Digital Systems v/s IP Phone Systems

Pierre Kerbage, VP of Sales North America Zultys, Inc.

Digital Systems have been around for decades. Many of these systems have proven to last 10 to 20 years in some cases, showing strong reliability in the work place. In the past few years, these legacy systems have added expandability and functionality such as T1, PRI, Automatic Call Distribution and much more and some models can scale to thousands of end points (phones) with great reliability.

IP Systems originated about a decade ago, and today, some of these systems can scale to tens of thousands of units in dozens if not hundreds of locations.

What is the advantage of an IP Phone system over a traditional systems?

Some of the IP Systems today are HYBRID: meaning that they can handle TRADITIONAL phone lines (including Analog trunks, ISDN, T1, E1 and PRI to Multiple T1 and PRIs) as well as Voice Over IP (VoIP) phone lines. So they provide the best of both world. VoIP phone lines (also called SIP: Session Initiated Protocol) are typically provided by an ITSP (Internet Telephony Service Provider), and these type of trunks can replace or augment your traditional phone lines. Each TRUNK (meaning phone line) requires roughly about 84 Kilobit of bandwidth (uncompressed) when a conversation is in session. That means that a DATA T1 (1.5 Megabits) can handle about 17 or so conversations simultaneously. Many companies find that SIP is the way to go because they cost far less than traditional phone lines, as well as provide extremely competitive rates for long distance, and some providers have plans which include unlimited long distance. And if you make calls overseas, you are in for a treat as some of these plans can provide rates as cheap as a few pennies to Western Europe or Southeast Asia. In essence, if you are paying $1000 for Long Distance a month, and you can buy a brand new IP Phone system (that costs say: $20,000), you could lease to own that system for around $460 per month, therefore SAVING the company nearly $5,000 per year and much more once you finish paying on the lease. THIS IS AN EFFECTIVE ROI that makes sense.

Having said that, many people are buying IP Phone systems today and STILL using traditional Phone lines because they either don’t trust the internet or don’t understand SIP Technology that well or don’t have the upload bandwidth it takes to sustain these type of phone lines. But they LIKE the idea of buying an IP Phone system because it provides the FLEXIBILITY to use traditional phone lines OR VOIP Lines or BOTH.

But the appeal of IP Systems goes FAR BEYOND the fact that you can do IP Trunking.

Here are my Top Reasons why IP Phone Systems are incredibly beneficial and result in drastic cost savings and why Digital Systems are dying:

1. an EASY TO USE Programming Interface. Many people don’t want to have to call the “phone guy” every time they need to make a change to their system. IP Systems provide a Graphical User’s Interface, that can be launched from anywhere and make changes to the system that can take effect immediately. So making changes to the system is much easier to understand than legacy systems. This often provides tremendous cost savings for the lifetime of the phone.
2. The ability to have a Phone in your house or another location and to be able to use the office’s Dial tone is beneficial too. The remote user appears as if they are working at the office. So if a call comes in – it can be transferred to that remote user (wherever they have that IP Phone plugged in) and the caller has no idea that the remote user is working from home or from anywhere in the world (where broadband is available). Working remotely can cut costs of Travel, time, gas, etc… and quickly and easily enables remote workers. Just think: no added desks, real estate, electrical, supplies, etc… etc… Teleworkers can take their office phone, plug it in, and off they go. Their extension remains the same and is totally transparent to the caller
3. If you have more than 1 Office – the ability to have 2 systems – and the ability to do an extension to extension DIAL and of course when that happens – you bypass any tolls (no long distance) not to mention the ease of talking to someone by just depressing their button or extension. Another cost saving.
4. The ability to have very flexible “find me follow me” – For example – if you are out to lunch and are expecting an important phone call – the system can easily transfer that call to your cell phone. In the case of SOME large Enterprise (yes, expensive) system, the Cell phone can even be a MOBILE EXTENSION – meaning that you can transfer BACK the caller to an INSIDE EXTENSION from your CELL PHONE (or put them on hold and them hearing your CORPORATE ON HOLD messages). Now you can DROP that expensive CALL FORWARDING (multiplied by every line you have) and drop the after hours answering service since calls can be forwarded ANYTIME ANYWHERE.
5. Some systems add features like Fax Services (Fax from your desktop or TO your desktop). Cut costs of Toner and Paper by having the fax come RIGHT TO YOUR DESKTOP in a TIF File Format and FILE that fax in a folder on your desktop or your server. Recording conversations and dropping that WAV File is also huge.
6. Some of these systems can handle call recording, allowing you to record conversations by simply pressing a key and then archiving these to an external storage area
7. How about Unified Messaging: When receiving a VOICE MAIL – that voice mail is also EMAILED to you in a WAV file enabling that Voice Mail to be SAVED forever on your desktop or server or be forwarded as a WAV file outside your company.
8. The ability to move your phone by simply unplugging it and plugging ANYWHERE on your Network where you have Ethernet (without having to reprogram a THING). Cut costs by NOT dispatching the “phone guy”
9. IP Systems cut cost of Wiring in HALF. So if you are moving to a new place and where you normally have to provide a VOICE and DATA Cable – you would NOT need to do this anymore. Most IP Phones have a 2 port switch on them – allowing you to plug your PHONE into the Ethernet Wall Plate and your PC into the back of the phone – therefore only requiring 1 Cable to the desk NOT 2. This cuts cost of cabling by 50%.
10. The EASE of use of an IP system is amazing providing you a Software interface on your PC (and some systems like the Zultys can support Linux and MACs too) so you can have full “dial from Outlook” capability, Chat, Presence (I am at Lunch) and MUCH more
11. The ability to use your LAPTOP or your Desktop as a PHONE – so if you are traveling – simply plug your Laptop into the Hotel’s or your house’s Internet and you are now connected to the office. Add a Headset for better sound quality and you have yourself a great communication device
12. Call Detail Reporting is often built-in to many of these systems. The ability to find out just about anything you want about incoming or outgoing calls and produce reports that can translate into TIME BILLING and providing important information on where your callers are finding you (i.e. having them dial a different Phone Number for certain add campaigns) or how about tracking what your call center is doing, or Sales reps, or who called us today? Etc…. Of course these reports can easily be exported into a multitude of formats making them easy to manipulate for many reasons.
13. Cell phone Twinning: The ability to have your cell phone function as a remote extension of your PBX and then be able to transfer that call back to any extension in your office. Imagine working from home and your cell phone rings, it is a client. You speak to the client and now they want to be transferred to your customer service dept. You use your computer to initiate that transfer in no time. What is the price of CONNECTIVITY
14. Webinars: Many of these systems today integrate or have an option to include Webinar facility like Webex. Unlike recurring costs like Webex and Gotomeeting, these are appliances that easily add to your phone system and DEFER these recurring costs.
15. How about application interface where you can make a phone call from Salesforce.com or CRM or Outlook. Or the ability to call anyone in your contact’s list from outlook.

 

In short – IP Systems are here to stay and are definitely where EVERY Phone vendor on earth today is going. SIP is the ONLY ratified standard of telephony today. Simply putting it “If you ain’t SIP, you AIN’T” and you won’t connect to tomorrow’s applications or phones or systems.

IP Phone systems DO save money by providing lesser expensive alternatives for Local and Long Distance lines as well as 0 Toll when using them between each other, and decrease costs of Cabling as well as the need to dispatch a Phone guy every time, since they use a Graphical User’s Interface allowing each person the FLEXIBILITY to manage their own end points and the ability to move their system as much as they want WITHOUT requiring a phone Guy. Finally – moving an IP System is as easy as unplugging 3 connections. No more 66 Blocks and the confusing and unattractive wire closets you sometimes see. They are often a 2 or 3U Rack Mounted appliance that EASILY travel and here again, reduce cost if you ever have to move the system. IP Systems provides ease of use, flexibility, mobility, compliance, scalability, and a drastic overall reduction of price.

Related Links:

• Products: Business VoIP Phone Systems
• Products: Zultys MX250: Business PBX Systems
• Products: Zultys MX30: Small Business Phone Systems
• Products: Business Telephone Systems
• Products: Best IP Telephony Equipment
• Solutions: VoIP PBX
• Solutions: VoIP Phone Systems Solutions
• Solutions: Call Center Solutions
• Solutions: Unified Communications
• Solutions: Multi-Site & Branch Offices Solution

Zultys Delivers Value and Wins Deal

Zultys Delivers Value & Wins Deals

By Matt Brunk, Telecomworx | Apr 11, 2011 | No comments yet … (No Jitter Blog)

A few weeks ago, prior to Zultys releasing their MX 6.0 Unified Communications software I had the opportunity to talk with Neil Lichtman, CEO; Steve Francis, CMO; and John Cunningham, Director of Marketing over at Zultys.Neil and Steve laid out an overview of Zultys. They use a distribution model with established market areas for their channel partners without saturating a territory. They are targeting 10-200 station single user sites and companies with 128 sites and 10,000 stations. There are two appliances: MX30 and the MX250. The MX30 serves 10 trunks x 30 stations and uses a flash drive. The MX250 is 2U rack mounted and serves 60 trunks x 250 stations. Their mobile client works on iPhone and Blackberry, and Android is currently under development. The MX30 consumes just 11 WATTS or 96.36 KWH annually and the MX250 uses just 84 WATTS or 735.84 KWH annually. In 2010, their sales doubled and they added over 100 channel partners including partners in Australia, Brazil and Europe.

Steve revealed that Zultys added a tool to discover phones, to minimize time that partners spend on installation of SIP phones. This got my attention because John and I previously discussed how important this is for dealers. Zultys’s customers requested Active Directory/LDAP authentication and Zultys delivered this in MX 6.0 . Notably, Zultys partners closed two substantial deals recently, one for $1.5 million with a 38-site auto dealer franchise and another deal at $2 million with 18 sites and about 3,000 stations.

A key differentiator that Zultys holds over many solutions is their software development efforts for Unifying the Usersof Microsoft, Apple and Unix OS. What MX 6.0 really shows is a sharp distinction in that Zultys is open standards, not open source, and that they are committed to delivering that old time mojo in a box from the factory–only their mojo is modern and in step with what folks are buying and using.

MX 6.0 Highlights
MXvideo provides integrated point-to-point HD video for Zultys’s MXIE desktop Unified Communications client. Now, users may conduct secure, reliable, “face to face” meetings in real-time. MXvideo key features and benefits include:

* High-definition, point-to-point desktop video support in a secure, fully integrated user experience

* Easy to deploy and use; launched and controlled within MXIE, users may move seamlessly from instant message to voice, and add video with a single click

* Immediate ROI by reducing travel expenses and facilitating more productive meetings

* No additional servers or software required other than MX Release 6.0

MXmobile feature enhancements include:

* Call transfer, manually or via local BlackBerry address book or corporate MX directory

* Call park for another user that can be retrieved via MXIE or any other phone on the system

* Call hold, complete with music on hold and retrievable via any phone on the system

* Call action screen that shows a list of active calls and access to call control functions * No requirement for additional servers; only a light device application

The Zultys Salesforce.com Communicator integrates the Zultys IP Phone System and the Salesforce.com CRM application suite for full call control from within the contact record, and includes capturing call notes, providing inbound contact record screen pop, executing holds and transfers, and click-to-call capabilities.

Likewise, the Zultys Outlook Communicator provides close integration between the Zultys IP Phone System and Microsoft Outlook. Users have full call control from within Outlook, and can execute calls directly from Outlook. Furthermore, this product synchronizes presence with the Outlook calendar, and users may change their presence directly from Outlook. This brings tighter integration between the Zultys UC platform and the Microsoft messaging platform.

Zultys Message Escalation is a voice mail and fax escalation feature improving customer service and business operations for companies providing time-critical customer services and customer care by ensuring a 100 percent receipt of company voice mails and faxes through a customizable chain of e-mail and voice call alerts that continue until action is taken on the voice mail or fax.

MXreport contact center reporting tool is improved so contact center managers and supervisors can easily compose custom statistical reports for multiple agents and contact center groups. This provides deep insight into call handling, agent performance and service levels. Zultys enables contact center managers with simple and cost-effective tools, without requiring additional hardware or third-party applications.

Web Conferencing

Web Conferencing

Zultys MXmeeting™ optional appliances are powerful productivity tools for the MX IP PBX platforms. There are 4 models in the MXmeeting family. The M200 and M500 offer exceptional functionality and flexibility in a small appliance. Measuring only 9” x 6” x 1.4”, (230mm x 152mm x 35mm) the Zultys MXmeeting appliance quickly and easily connects to the MX30 or MX250 platform. MXmeeting operates in both PC and Mac environments.

The M200 starts with 10 conference attendees in 2 concurrent meeting rooms and is expandable to 20 conference attendees in 4 concurrent meeting rooms. The M500 starts with 20 conference attendees in 5 concurrent meeting rooms and is expandable to 100 conference attendees in 20 concurrent meeting rooms

MXmeeting delivers unmatched return on investment by equipping clients with the collaboration tools they need today. The ability to connect with multiple remote workers, screen-share during projects, and provide real-time online support for customers transforms MXmeeting into one of an enterprise’s most valuable assets.

Like all Zultys products, MXmeeting is easy to configure and even easier to use. Create meetings on-the-fly instantaneously. Join a scheduled meeting within 5 seconds. Send invitation directly to attendees’ Outlook Calendar. Make presentations more interesting through interactive audience participation. And much more…

MXmeeting is a web-based conference device that offers a full array of sophisticated features for a surprisingly low investment. MXmeeting allows clients to –

Conduct web conferencing with participants anywhere in the world at a moment’s notice via the Internet

Provide sales presentations and product demos via screen share sessions with one or multiple customers

Meet and collaborate worldwide

Offer training or e-learning for employees or clients
Deliver remote support in real-time

Take control of a remote computer with one click of the mouse from your client interface

Enhance IT efficiency through the ability to transfer files and reboot remote computers

Provide remote access and maintenance to customers
Access office or home computers remotely without cumbersome applications like PC Anywhere or TelNet

Conduct web seminars as an alternative to the cost and stress of travel
MXIE, Zultys’ desktop unified communications client application, is fully integrated with the MXmeeting environment. Start new or join existing web conferences without ever leaving the MXIE user interface screen or launching a browser. Set up an audio conference session in seconds without distributing a bridge number to your invitees or having to dial into a new phone number each time. Zultys MXmeeting provides web conferencing that is truly and fully integrated with the MX IP PBX system.

Need more power? To accommodate larger conferencing requirements, Zultys MXmeeting is also available as the M800 and M1000 models. The M800 starts with 100 conference attendees in 25 concurrent meeting rooms and is expandable to 200 conference attendees in 50 concurrent meeting rooms. The M1000 scales even larger and starts with 200 conference attendees in 50 concurrent meeting rooms and is expandable to 2,000 conference attendees in 200 concurrent meeting rooms

Zultys in the News

Zultys Receives Unified Communications® Magazine’s 2010 Product of the Year Award

 

MX250 IP PBX Recognized for Exceptional Innovation  

 

SUNNYVALE, CA –(Marketwire – April 12, 2011) -  Zultys, a premier provider of innovative unified communications solutions that empower businesses to collaborate effectively, announced today that TMC, a global, integrated media company, has named its advanced MX250 IP phone system a recipient of its 2010 Unified Communications magazine Product of the Year Award.

Zultys’ pure open standards-based SIP Unified Communications solutions seamlessly integrate voice, data, video, presence and mobility into a single corporate unified communications system. Zultys Unified Communications solutions help businesses reduce costs, boost productivity, and provide the lowest total cost of ownership and fastest ROI of any system available.

Based on Linux and open SIP standards, the MX250 IP PBX is a feature-rich, enterprise-class business IP telephone system that supports high-quality voice and unified communications services for up to 250 users on a single appliance. The system is ideal for all businesses and organizations and can be seamlessly expanded to support up to 10,000 users in 128 offices across an enterprise-wide unified communications system.

“We are excited to receive Unified Communications Magazine’s 2010 Product of the Year Award for our advanced MX250 IP PBX phone system,” said Neil Lichtman, chairman and CEO of Zultys. “At Zultys, our top priority is providing solutions that are easy to deploy, maintain and use, and we are thrilled that this recognition reflects our ability to give our customers what they need. We are also thankful for our channel partners who are dedicated to delivering our innovative IP phone systems and unified communications solutions to the marketplace with the highest level of customer satisfaction.

“Zultys has proven they are committed to quality and excellence while addressing real needs in the marketplace. Unified Communications is pleased to grant a 2010 Product of the Year Award for the MX250 IP PBX phone system,” said Rich Tehrani, CEO, TMC. “We’re proud to honor their hard work and accomplishments and look forward to more innovative solutions from Zultys in the future.”

Product of the Year Award winners are published in the April 2011 issue of Unified Communications magazine. For more information about TMC, please visit www.tmcnet.com.
l to medium enterprises, Zultys delivers a powerful, feature-rich communication system that is easy to use. For our channel partners, Zultys ensures customer satisfaction by delivering a fully supported solution that is easy to deploy and maintain.

Do you need a Telecom Consultant?

I have been selling Telecommunications for several years now. It continues to be challenging and exciting! I love helping people solve their Telecom dilemmas. Some customers want to save money, some want to connect their locations via MPLS on a secure network, some need a more functional phone system and some are just confused about what they need. Therein lies the challenge……..the creativity and the expertise that someone like me brings! I can help you save money…that is the easiest part. I can also connect your locations and have all of you be able to view your appointment calendars, your inventory, your files, etc. I can make your business more functional, run smoother and help your bottom line.  I like to think about helping you “make” more money as well. What improvement in your communication would help you get “more” customers?

If you are going to change your voice and data providers or buy a new phone system, call me! I am Zultys and AllWorx certified! These are great VoIP phone systems and my customers are very happy with them.

My long term relationships with Movers, IT Professionals and Computer Hardware Providers have helped me build a team of professionals that I can depend on. I know who will do a good job for my customers and I love referring them.

I will be there to service your account “after” the sale as I am in it for the long haul. I build relationships.  I urge my customers to call me after opening a ticket with their provider so that I can escalate it for them. I don’t want you at the mercy of a call center and spending all your time on the phone. Let me handle it for you.

Give me a call; I would love to discuss your Telecom needs. Whether you need increased bandwidth, a wireless network, cell phones or a phone system………..I can help.

Lisa Harris

Telco Wiz, Inc.

404-557-7878 (phone)

404-521-4415 (fax)

www.telcowiz.com