Zyxel Launches IP PBX and Phone Range
Friday March 23, 06:44 AM
By Rik Turner

Zyxel Corp has entered the IP PBX market, launching a device for SMB and a range of phones, including a dual-mode cellular and WiFi handset.

The Taiwanese vendor of networking gear into the consumer, SoHo and SMB markets has unveiled the X6004, an IP PBX delivered in a 2U box that scales from 32 to 128 lines, beyond which we can stack up to five boxes, which means we can support up to 640 lines in a single stack, said James Walker, product manager for Zyxel in the UK and Ireland.

For PSTN break-out,

the device can be fitted with either a BRI or PRI card to interface with an ISDN link. Meanwhile for inter-office comms within the same company, an X6004 can be deployed in one office with a VPN or leased line link to the other, whereupon remote office workers can make four-digit calls to colleagues in the other office and have their calls routed out to the PSTN network through the IP PBX on the main site.

At the same time, Zyxel is launching a range of IP phones, including two deskphones, a basic and a more feature-rich, two DECT handsets, two different flavours of softphone -- basic and multimedia -- and the dual-mode V660. The latter runs Windows Mobile 5.0 and has quad-band GSM as well as 11b/g WiFi connectivity, WPA encryption and a SIP client for VoWiFi calling.

All these products are new areas for Hsinchu-based Zyxel, which until now has offer SIP-based WiFi phones only. The DECT phones are a response to requests for less power-consuming cordless devices than WiFi handsets, and to support them on the infrastructure side, said Walker, the company will be adding DECT to its DSL/WiFi routers for the residential market in the coming months.

The Zyxel exec said the company has two target markets for the phones, namely the SME/SMB space up to 640 users, in which case it will go through its channel partners and offer them in conjunction with the X6004, and service providers for the consumer/residential market.

Were not aiming them at mobile operators, mainstream telcos or the big retail chains like [the UKs] Carphone Warehouse (LSE: CPW.L - news) , as the Nokias and Motorolas do, said Walker. Rather well target service providers who take our DSLAMs and CPE kit for DSL services so that they can offer them as a bundle for home users.

No pricing information was available for any of the new products, which have been formally launched but will actually go on general availability in the third quarter in North America and Europe.