Voice-over-IP (VoIP) phones offer plenty of attractive options for small businesses, but they also represent a headache for IT departments that have to work them in with existing networks. Vertical Communications is trying to change that with the Xcelerator IP phone it introduced on Monday, a telephone, router, firewall and wireless access point in one package.
The company claims the Xcelerator IP is easier to set up and maintain than a traditional VoIP system, and cheaper than buying a separate device to perform every one of its functions separately.
As a wide area network, it can support up to eight VoIP SIP trunk connections via a single WAN/RJ45 port and three FXO PSTN trunk connections. As a local area network, it includes one FXS port, four 10/100 ethernet ports, and an integrated 802.11g wireless access point.
The phone itself is designed for business use, and comes with four dedicated line buttons, four soft buttons for different call-handling functions, and a large LCD that displays call status. The integrated voicemail can record up to four hours, and given an analog phone connection, the Xcelerator IP will automatically fall back to it for 911 calls or in the event of power failure.
The Xcelerator IP is available immediately, but no price was mentioned on the product Web page or in the accompanying press release.
