HARDPHONES, SOFT PRICE

IP phones probably offer the biggest advantages to small office users. The off-putting disadvantage is that they usually cost about $300.

That's why StarVox, in producing a new generation of its IP Centrex software, supports low-cost “hardphones” that operate over the Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP). While IP hardphones are the functional equivalent of PBX digital phone sets, they hook into an Ethernet wall outlet instead of a phone jack and offer the advantages of more expensive IP phones.

“The advantage of MGCP phones over other IP phones is all the intelligence is in the network. This means a lower-cost phone can be produced,” said Rich Barry, StarVox's vice president of marketing. MGCP phones offer the full capabilities of IP phones, he said, including portability: “You can take an MGCP phone and plug it into an Ethernet connection anywhere.”

While starting with MGCP compatibility, StarVox eventually will move to more advanced Session Initiated Protocol phones.

The company is also looking at an eventual link with cable phones. The cable industry's PacketCable DOCSIS specification uses MGCP for feature control on voice gateways. While StarVox does not yet meet PacketCable requirements, it might move in that direction in the future, Barry said.

Right now, the software's primary target is IP Centrex. DSL, on the other hand, offers a more immediate target.

“People who want to use DSL modems don't have the same special standards that cable has,” Barry said. “We have people rolling out IP Centrex on DSL modems to small business sites with five to 20 phones.” And now they can do it with cheaper phones.
— Jim Barthold
www.starvox.com