| Low-cost, non-proprietary IP PBX runs on Windows |
May 11, 2007
3CX has released a new Windows-based commercial IP PBX software stack aimed at replacing proprietary PABXs (Private Automatic Branch eXchanges). The "3CX Phone System" is based on SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) and is said to interoperate with a wide range of popular soft phones and hardware phones.
By supporting SIP, the 3CX Phone System can interface to any desired SIP-based providers and gateways. This lets it communicate via both PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network; aka "POTS," Plain Old Telephone System) and VoIP (voice over Internet protocol) methods.
3CX IP PBX architecture
According to 3CX CEO Nick Galea, "The release of 3CX Phone System is significant because we have freed the IP PBX from dedicated hardware and proprietary protocols. Now an office phone system can run as a server application on Windows and can be more scalable and more manageable."
Some key features of 3CX's new IP PBX stack for Windows, according to the company, include:- It's a complete phone system, providing call switching, routing, and queuing
- It eliminates phone wiring and patching of extensions to a particular network point
- It makes teleworking easy since employees can answer extensions from home
- The purchase cost is dramatically lower than traditional PBXs
- It's scalable
Traditional PBX in decline
IP PBX appears to be destined to replace traditional PBX technologies. In 2005 In-Stat predicted that IP PBX would grow 6.6 percent compounded annually through 2009, and described traditional PBX as being in "rapid decline."
Not to be left out of this growth market, Microsoft last June unveiled its unified communications strategy, which aims to seamlessly interconnect email, instant messaging, and cellular and VoIP telephony, along with audio-, video-, and web-conferencing. Then in March of this year, the company unveiled a VoIP-enabled phone system software platform based on Windows XP Embedded. "Response Point," currently in beta, supports both IP- and traditional analog-based telephony, targets small businesses, and is expected ship this year in production devices from three vendors.
Availability
The new 3CX Phone System for Windows is available in two flavors -- the Small Business Edition, supporting up to 25 extensions; and the Pro Edition, supporting an unlimited number of extensions. The former is priced at $350, while the latter lists for $895.
A free version is also available, here. According to the company, the free edition "does more than most commercial PBXs do," including an auto attendant and voice mail, and it supports an unlimited number of extensions. However, the company does not offer support for it, and it does not include the advanced features of 3CX Call Assistant.
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