 | June 1, 2000 |
VoX values
TREND: The voice-over-data cost equation improves
As we've reported repeatedly, voice-over-data (VoX) services will provide huge benefits to small business and SOHO telephony customers. Falling prices and expanded features should quickly spur the adoption rate. A number of encouraging announcements came out of May's Networld+Interop show.
Today, state-of-the-art DSL and cable-modem users employ a firewall/router such as Ramp Networks' WebRamp 700S or WatchGuard Technologies' WatchGuard SOHO. Such products provide shared broadband access while assuring security. But as service providers roll out VoX offerings, users will want to add voice gateways to their networks.
Enter Efficient Networks' SpeedStream 7451 Integrated Access Device (IAD). The 7451 includes four POTS ports for standard phones or fax machines, plus a 4-port, 10-Mbit/sec Ethernet hub. The unit includes a firewall and performs network address translation. The unit lists for $995, and a $199 VPN option adds IPSec support. But with demand and sales growing, expect such SOHO devices to move quickly toward $500.
For those who need more than four lines, Efficient's SpeedStream 8600 offers capabilities similar to the 7451 for up to 24 lines. But once you reach this level, the options for implementing voice and data explode. Some users might opt for a full-fledged PBX-like telephony system that connects to the IP network. For example, @Comm just introduced its Town Square system, which includes a layer-2 Ethernet switch with 13 to 37 ports, five to 40 phone lines, NAT support, a firewall, and a host of telephony features like voicemail and call forwarding. The Town Square hooks into DSL, cable, ISDN, or T1 streams. Prices vary with configuration, but @Comm's system, including phones, averages about $600 per user. Town Square also works with emerging IP-based telephones.
Some VoX products will come packaged with value-added services, and some of these bundles will prove compelling. For example, Casio's Indavo V-6 IAD sells for $1995 and supports from eight to 24 phone lines via DSL, cable, or ISDN. But you must buy the device along with services on I-link's real-time VoIP network. That entails a $100 activation fee and monthly charges that begin at $59/month for three lines. Long-distance calls cost 45 cents/minute or less, depending on the number of lines and other options.
Indavo's true benefit arrives when a company links multiple offices. Calls within the I-link network—even international calls—are free. Moreover, forget those unwieldy access codes; from your US office you could dial an Indavo in Tokyo as if it were a local number. At the moment, I-link has POPs (points of presence) in only a handful of major US cities. Connections elsewhere will depend on whether a local ISP offers QoS (quality of service). Ultimately, the Indavo will be sold and supplied most effectively by ISPs.
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