Toshiba Looks To SMBs With Linux Telephone System

Toshiba’s Telecommunication Systems Division has launched a wireless solution for small and midsized businesses (SMBs) that ships with the Polycom SpectraLink 8400 series of wireless telephones.

Available through Toshiba’s Authorised Dealer Network nationwide, the wireless business solution is compatible with Toshiba’s IPedge and Strata CIX business telephone systems and works with SpectraLink 8400 wireless telephones to give SMBs the ability to have in-building wireless communications without the need for a base station.

HD Voice

Included in the bundle are Polycom SpectraLink 8400 wireless telephones, which provide in-building, wireless communications in connection with Toshiba’s IPedge and Strata CIX business telephone systems.

Available in two models, Polycom SpectraLink 8440 and Polycom SpectraLink 8450, the telephones provide users with a lightweight handset that is tied directly into Toshiba’s enterprise telephony system to provide high-definition voice quality.

“Toshiba’s SMB wireless business solution gives SMB’s the option of wireless, in-building mobility, which helps improve productivity and responsiveness for on-site mobile professionals across a wide range of industries, including health care, retail, manufacturing and hospitality,” said Mark Carpenter, vice president of technology and product management for Toshiba America Information Systems Inc., Telecommunication Systems Division.

IPedge accommodates multiple unified communication applications on a single Linux server, including call processing, voice mail and unified messaging, meet-me conferencing with Web collaboration, Call Manager unified communications, native Session Initiation Protocol line and SIP trunk support, mobility, survivability, networking with other IPedge and Strata CIX systems, centralised administration and telephone endpoints. Plus, add-on applications, including uMobility Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC) and Contact Center solutions, are available with additional servers.

Benefits of the Linux server include survivability within or across the network to support business continuity and a higher level of security, while a single IP address provides cost-effective deployment. SIP trunks work natively with the IPedge without requiring additional gateway equipment, and with its IP technology and open standards, IPedge is designed for the long term as future endpoint devices and applications are built on standards to help ensure compatibility with the system.

Cost-Competitive

Built-in features include Toshiba’s Call Manager Unified Communications application, a browser-based system administration with centralised multisite management, a browser-based personal administration for individual users to program their own telephones, Unified Messaging capabilities, on-site mobility, including Toshiba’s wireless IP telephones and full networking compatibility with Toshiba’s Strata CIX IP converged systems.

“Now available through Authorised Toshiba Dealers, Toshiba’s SMB wireless business solution provides an affordable feature-rich wireless communications solution for smaller enterprises,” Carpenter added.

“It provides an overall cost-competitive solution when used with the customer’s existing VoIP-capable [Voice over IP-capable] wireless local area network connected to IPedge or Strata CIX business telephone systems and does not require a base station.”