• Support for ISDN BRI point to point and point to multipoint lines
• The availability of configuration templates, allowing direct NBE configuration integrated with I-PBX platforms
• Smart updates. You can now update and upgrade the software directly from the Web management interface, without losing your configuration
• Compatibility with 3CX and SnomOne IPBX systems

Specification

We would also like to remind our customers that NBE is free to download and use for up to 12 ports. If you need more capacity, you need to purchase a software license. All you need to get started is a Sangoma compatible card. Not sure which cards are compatible? Please Contact Us for more information.

NetBorder Express software, together with Sangoma’s computer telephony boards, is a complete SIP-compliant VoIP Media Gateway solution, delivering the most flexible and cost effective solution by removing the need for external gateways.

Compatible with Analog FXO and FXS, MFC/R2, ISDN BRI and PRI telephony interfaces, NetBorder Express can scale from 2 to 480 simultaneous calls, providing excellent value and flexibility for deployments in any geography.

NetBorder Express communicates with applications such as IP-PBXs, speech enabled IVRs, conferencing servers, contact center or trunking gateways directly with the ubiquitous SIP control protocol to reduce deployment time, complexity and cost for next generation network application deployments.

NetBorder Express software is licensed via a simple online process. You can download a free SOHO version, which is full-featured for up to 12 ports. If you need more than 12 ports, a commercial license is required. Sangoma Telephony hardware must be purchased separately.

NetBorder Express is a full-fledged VoIP Gateway delivered as a software application. NetBorder Express version 4.0 support the following:

PSTN protocol termination:

• Analog FXO/FXS (with A200 or B600 hardware)
• ISDN PRI (with A100 hardware)
  - North American variants
  - EuroISDN
  - NEW Japan variant (INS1500)
• NEW ISDN BRI (with A500 and B700 hardware)
• NEW MFC/R2 (with A100 hardware)
• Capacity from 2 to 480 channels of simultaneous calls per system

VoIP protocol termination:

• TCP or UDP
• SIP Control Protocol per RFC 3261
• RTP/RTCP per RFC 3550/3551

Security

• TLS per RFC 5246
• SRTP per RFC 3711
• NEW HTTP Digest authentication

Media Processing

• G.168-2002 Echo Cancellation with hardware option
• DTMF over RTP per RFC 2833. International and custom tone detection and generation
• Voice Activity Detection and Comfort Noise Generation (VAD/CNG)
• NEW T.38 Fax relay

Software License

• NEW Default SOHO license available for download for up to 12 ports
• Commercial software licenses required above 12 ports
  - 25 digits license ID provided upon purchase
  - License ID and Server MAC address required for Web registration and download of software
  - License file host locked

Application Compatibility:

• Microsoft Lync
• 3CX
• SnomOne
• Voxeo
• Genesys SIP Server
• Any other standard SIP application
• NetBorder Express can be installed on the same server or on a dedicated server

Compatible Sangoma Hardware:

• Analog FXO and FXS
  - A200
  - NEW B600
• ISDN BRI
  - NEW A500
  - NEW B700
• MFC/R2
  - A101, A102, A104, A108
• ISDN PRI
  - A101, A102, A104, A108
• Notes:
  - Hardware must be purchased separately
  - Hardware echo cancellation option is mandatory for NetBorder ExpressNetBorder Express software installs compatible board drivers automatically. There is no need to obtain board drivers separately
  - Each specific NetBorder Express software version is tested against a specific version of the firmware that comes loaded on Sangoma hardware. It may be required to upgrade the firmware of the boards at installation time. At installation time, NetBorder notifies the administrator and provides instructions to perform this step
  - Consult NetBorder Express Release Notes for more details

Management and Configuration

• Web Server
• Web Services API
• Configuration files for easy integration into OEM applications
• SNMP DS0, DS1 and Call Stats MIBS
• Contextual Help Menus
• Extensive Logging
• Automatic Board Discovery
• Open Protocol Translation and XML based routing rules
• Configurable ISDN PRI to SIP Mapping per RFC 3398

Minimum Server Specs

• Intel or AMD processors
• Dual Core processor or later
• 1 GB of RAM or better

“3CX Phone System version 10 integration with Grandstream means customers can have open standards, whilst getting the same service and support that a customer would expect from a vendor that delivers both the PBX and the phones. This is made possible by the strategic cooperation between Grandstream and 3CX. Grandstream phones provide exceptional value and take full advantage of the 3CX feature set and are thus preferred phones”, said Nick Galea, CEO of 3CX.

“We are delighted that Grandstream phones work with 3CX. 3CX is one of the market leaders in the software based PBX market and the integration between 3CX and Grandstream means customers take advantage of a unique solution”, said David Li, Grandstream Networks’ CEO.

3CX Phone System V10 is the latest 3CX release and allows complete network wide management of Grandstream phones from the 3CX Management Console, saving considerable time for administrators.  Features include:

• Plug and Play Provisioning – To connect Grandstream phones to 3CX, they just need to be plugged in to the network. The phones will automatically show up in the 3CX Management Console, allowing the administration to assign an existing extension or create a new one with a few mouse clicks.
• Network wide Firmware Updating – Administrators can see the firmware versions of Grandstream phones, and apply new firmware in batch mode to all or selected Grandstream IP phones on the network.
• Network wide Configuration – Language, codec preference and time zone can be remotely configured from the 3CX Management Console.
• Assured Interoperability – Grandstream and 3CX undertake to test each release of their software PBX and IP Phone firmware and fix any interop issues. This assures customers of a fully tested and supported solution.

The combined solution is supported by both 3CX and Grandstream. Please Contact Us for more information.

1. If using 3CX Phone System v9 with the Abyss web server – upgrade to service pack 4. This will automatically activate the anti hacking feature on Abyss.

2. If using 3CX Phone System V9 with IIS 7, install the “Dynamic IP Restrictions” feature of IIS according to the instructions in this article http://www.3cx.com/blog/releases/3cx-version-9-service-pack-4/

3. If using 3CX Phone System v9 with IIS 6, use the “IP Address and Domain name restrictions” feature.

We strongly recommend that any partner with 3CX Phone System upgrades to version 9 and service pack 4. More information on service pack 4 can be found here: http://www.3cx.com/blog/releases/3cx-version-9-service-pack-4/

Partners running earlier versions of 3CX Phone System with valid upgrade insurance can upgrade free of charge. If your upgrade insurance has expired, please see upgrade pricing here: 3CX Version Upgrades

Recently, we interviewed Ryan Trendell, National Account Manager from Doro, a Swedish company that is developing telecom products specially adapted to the growing worldwide population of seniors. We wanted to learn a little more about Doro’s PhoneEasy 337IP IP Phone.

Below is a summary of our call.

[VoIPon] So Ryan, what sort of challenges have you overcome in bringing the PhoneEasy 337IP to its target market?

[Ryan Trendell, Doro] Well, I think the biggest thing is mindset, really. As most people, when they think of IP, they just think of technology, technology, technology, and not about the end user that is going to be using the phone. IP is great for an office solution but how would an 80 year old use any of the other IP phones in the market today?

[VoIPon] How has the PhoneEasy been received?

[Ryan Trendell, Doro] Well, I think we’ve had some pretty good feedback. Alistair Colville from Colville Care has trialed this in one of his care homes. He’s running on a Microsoft 3CX, and is really impressed with the design. And when he upgrades his care homes he will be upgrading with the 337IP

[VoIPon] So how does this product benefit seniors and the business customers that are servicing them, such as retirement villages, care homes and clubs for active seniors?

[Ryan Trendell, Doro] I think the benefit to the senior would be it is easy to use. It’s got big buttons— nice separation on the keys, large font on the display; it’s got a light weight handset; and it is hearing aid compatible.

The benefit to the business customer is that they can now offer a big button, easy to use IP phone for care homes. A lot of care homes are now moving into IP from old analog phone systems. And the main reason they are switching is purely because it gives them a better efficiency really. They can have a quicker turnaround for rooms which then means they can maximize on revenue, which is what they are all about, really.

[VoIPon] Excellent, so where do you think the market for these types of products is headed?

[Ryan Trendell, Doro] Well the need for assistive technology products will grow every year because people are living longer, healthier lives. However within IP, I think that it is a case that care homes need to realize that IP within their business could help them save money, time and be more efficient.

[VoIPon] Are there any new developments coming for this product you can share that VoIPon’s listeners should know about?

[Ryan Trendell, Doro] Well we’ve got a lot of developments in assistive technology, but in IP at the moment there is nothing planned as of yet, but that’s not to say we won’t be looking at things in the future.

Businesses can purchase the PhoneEasy 337IP through distributors like VoIPon.

3CX and Beronet have recently announced a strategic partnership to provide a complete IP PBX solution. Joining us today is Nick Galea CEO of 3CX and Gürsel Kücük, one of the founders of Beronet.

Below is a summary of our call.

VoIPon: Nick, last time we spoke, you mentioned you’d like to explain to us a little more about 3CX and how it works with the various VoIP gateways on the market. Why don’t you tell us a little more about your various interoperability partners?

[Nick Galea, CEO of 3CX] Yes, so 3CX is an open standard solution. We support SIP standard. So we can work with a broad range of SIP devices, including, of course, various VoIP gateways and also IP phones. This is very important for a customer, because they won’t get tied down to a particular brand.

At the same time, we want to of course give an end-to-end user experience and make it easy for a customer to configure 3CX phone with all the different SIP devices. So, what we’ve done is included auto configuration for all the popular VoIP gateways and IP phones that we support, we also have configuration guides, and we also have end to end technical support for supported VoIP gateways, which include Patton Gateways, Beronet Gateways, and of course, Sangoma Gateways & Grandstream Gateways. So we can support various VoIP gateways from different manufacturers, so partners and customers can choose what’s best for them. Plus, we can still provide end to end support, both in the software, as well as through technical support with the customers, so they can be sure they will have a complete working solution.

VoIPon: So Nick, maybe you can tell me, what is so great about the Berofix range?

[Nick Galea, CEO of 3CX] Well, it’s available as a card and as a separate device—so resellers can deploy the same device either in a server or as a separate box, based on customer wishes. It’s priced well too with an E1 gateway well under 1000 Euros. Furthermore, the solution will be available with GSM modules too in the future, which means customers can use the same gateway for both ISDN and GSM, should the need arise.

VoIPon:  Gürsel, is there anything you’d like to add?

[Gürsel Kücük, Co-Founder of Beronet] Due to the modular concept, Berofix is a hybrid solution. Currently, you can mix PRI and BRI modules on one card or even in a box. We are currently working on analog modules (FXS and FXO) as well as on GSM modules. As soon as they are ready, the scope of combinations will be more and more attractive.

VoIPon: Gürsel, what makes Berofix cards different?

[Gürsel Kücük, Co-Founder of Beronet] In comparison to other Media Gateways, Berofix has a very attractive cost-performance ratio. And in comparison to other card solutions, Berofix has a lot more features, for instance T.38 and Codec translation. Berofix is a gateway card and this makes it very unique.

VoIPon: Nick, how about from your perspective, what makes these cards different?

[Nick Galea, CEO of 3CX] Even though they are cards and can be deployed in a server, they are not dependent on the OS, meaning they don’t require drivers and can be addressed via IP. This makes it possible to use the cards in a virtualized environment.

VoIPon: Why bundle 3CX with Berofix?

[Nick Galea, CEO of 3CX] A great thing about 3CX is that you can support both VoIP providers and existing PSTN lines at the same time. This allows a gradual migration and you can keep using your existing ISDN lines as long as you want.

WIth the 3CX/Berofix bundle, customers can buy a total solution and migrate it very cost effectively, whilst being assured of single vendor support. 3CX will support this solution end to end.

Gürsel, Why is Beronet happy to be able to offer this bundle in combination with 3CX?

[Gürsel Kücük, Co-Founder of Beronet] 3CX is one of the leading Software IP PBX vendors for Windows systems and we are happy to assist them with our Berofix solution. 3CX has been rapidly gaining market share because the software is Windows based and easy to manage. The market has been demanding such a solution, and the combination with our Berofix cards makes even more easy to install and to manage an end to end PBX solution.

Please visit the VoIPon website for the 3CX/ Beronet-Berofix bundle promotion.

Other new features are said to include improved IP phone management & provisioning, integrated soft phone, find me follow me and support for the new low cost Cisco SMB phones.

3CX has also expanded its PSTN connectivity options by supporting the new low cost Berofix cards.

The following are some of the new benefits of this imminent 3CX release:

• New 3CX Assistant will include call recording, even on IP phones
• More easily launch calls with the integrated soft phone and corporate and personal phonebooks
• Scale up to 512 simultaneous calls on a single server
• You can fully integrate with Microsoft Outlook & Salesforce.com CRMs
• Run the 3CX Assistant from a remote location via the tunnel
• A new, easier-to-use, Call Forwarding interface and a revamped MyPhone User portal with new pages for Outbound/Inbound/Missed calls
• Presence can be monitored from anywhere and from any operating system using the new Extension monitoring page
• Black list callers
• Provision personal phonebook to selected IP phones
• Improve your IP Phone management: monitor all connected IP phones and re-provision or reboot if necessary
• Encrypt voice using Secure RTP
• Implement skills-based routing using a prioritized hunt queue strategy
• Calls forwarded to a mobile can be sent to company voice mail, if not answered or refused by callee
• Call Barge-in
• Ring All Queue strategy

3CX Assistant new Instant Messaging Features

This past week, VoIPon had a chance to interview 3CX’s CEO, Nick Galea to get answers to some of the questions which might cross the minds of business owners as they look to replace their traditional PBX with one of the many options available to them in next generation phone systems.

We asked Nick to elaborate on his answers in this podcast, but here is the summary.

VoIPon: Why should someone choose 3CX based system over the dominant open source software Asterisk?

Nick Galea (NG): 3CX should be the system of choice for any company running a Windows network and servers.

Asterisk is a Linux solution. It requires Linux knowledge and quite a lot of it too. If you are not familiar with Linux, then you will need to do a lot of training JUST to run a phone system. Choosing a Linux distribution with Asterisk pre-installed will not shield you from this either. A network administrator will:

• have to understand how the Linux distribution works,
• be able to apply security updates (which is critical),
• connect it to the Windows network,
• learn how to integrate it with Windows server applications, and
• learn how to monitor it.

This will require a lot of time and technical support. If you factor in the cost of technical support, the total cost of an Asterisk-based system is much higher than that of a 3CX Phone System.

• The 3CX interface is very easy to use and is pre-configured for use with all popular IP phones, VoIP Gateways, and VoIP providers.
• It comes as standard with a Skype gateway.
• You will need much less time to come to grips with replacing your old telephone system.
• Because 3CX is based on Windows, it’s also much easier to integrate with existing Windows server applications, such as Exchange server, Microsoft Outlook and so on.

All this functionality can be easily configured out of the box and this integration is what delivers real cost-benefits to a company.

In addition, Asterisk itself is focusing on its commercial distribution, Switchvox. Many of the new features are exclusive to this hardware-based platform, which is quite expensive.

VoIPon:  What type of companies would benefit most from choosing a 3CX based solution?

NG: All companies that have networks and servers running Microsoft Windows can benefit from a 3CX-based solution. They can do away with the old phone system and save money on call costs, phone administration, and increase productivity.

VoIPon:  Why a Windows-only system? Do you foresee a port to Linux in the product’s future?

NG: Companies that run Microsoft Windows don’t want to learn Linux just to run a phone system. They want an easy to use system that runs on Windows, one that they can easily manage with their existing Windows knowledge. Linux offers no advantages to them. We have no plans for a Linux based system, because there are plenty of solutions for Linux already.

VoIPon: What makes 3CX a cost-effective system? When you buy it, do you own it or is it a software as a service model in which you must renew each year to continue to use the product?

NG: 3CX is cost effective with many VoIP Gateways, including Patton, Grandstream, Sangoma, and also Berofix.

When you buy 3CX you own it for a good, and the cost is very reasonable. A small business edition, which will serve companies up to 30 extensions, will cost only 595 euros

VoIPon: What are some challenges in packaging and delivering a software-based PBX system to the enterprise?

NG: Actually, we have spent a lot of time removing the challenges of deploying an IP phone system by delivering a solution that runs on Microsoft Windows, a system that network administrators know and trust, and by automatically configuring VoIP Gateways, IP phones and VoIP providers, taking away a lot of the complexity of telephony.

VoIPon: Where do you see the future of telephony going? Are there any new features in the pipeline you can share? What might we expect from 3CX in the future?

NG: The future of PBX is software based and on Windows. Software-based because it’s the easiest way to deliver a maintainable system that can be easily be enhanced by new features. And with virtualization, there is absolutely no need for an appliance — just use the excess server power to run your PBX as a virtual machine. As a virtual machine, you get easy redundancy and it saves management, hardware costs and energy.

I see the market moving towards Windows because this is clearly the system of choice for most companies in the world.

Why would it be different for the PBX market?

There are a multitude of installation choices that can even leverage your existing analogue system.  The Hotel Edition is a module that works with a 3CX software license and makes integration for this industry easier and more intelligent while saving you money.

Notable features include easy billing, property management system (PMS) support and a choice of different interfaces using existing hotel software systems.

If you’re a hotelier, it’s worth checking out the benefits that this system can bring to your business.