.e4

TMC's Rich Tehrani delivers another to the point post about the ongoings @ Microsoft and Yahoo!

http://blog.tmcnet.com/blog/rich-tehrani/google/yahoomicrosoft-the-never-ending-story.html#trackback

Labels: pbx, voip

The recent announcment of the Aastralink RP system from Aastra had me feverishly searching the internet for more RP based OEM type offerings. Being that it is 2:30 AM eastern and I for some reason am still reading about the application and its various features and I came accross something that was a bit freakish.

Phone systems at Cosco
http://www.microsoft.com/responsepoint/costcopromotion.aspx

Interesting to say the least... I am beginning to wonder just how easy this thing is and if all PBX vendors are headed down the road of zero value add. I am also curious why vendors are anxious to jump on the band wagon. Are they not potentially phasing them selves out? is there not the possibility that by promoting the response point brand that they are helping to reinforce the concept that they too are no longer needed?

I'll need to start watching this a bit more closely...

Some interesting news from the Aastra Telecom camp today... It would appear that in addition to their Asterisk Based Aastralink PRO 160 product, they are, in what I'd call a "good play", betting both sides by offering a comparable Microsoft Response Point product dubbed the AastraLink RP™ system.

As a reseller for Aastra I can tell you without question that their SIP phones have a nice foothold in the Asterisk community. End-user customers who have chosen them them over Polycom often speak of them as if they are the second coming. I'll admit... Even as a deacon in the house of Polycom, their current XML strategy and and web available XML toys are pretty darn cool.

Check it out for yourself--> http://www.powerpbx.org/content/aastra-xml-unleash-power-asterisk-and-aastra-phones-includes-video

But for once- If only for a day, we are discussing the AastraLink Response Point System, here's the rundown.

The AastraLink Response Point System is being targeted at the less than 50 space and is made up of separate pieces. The base AastraLink RP 500 unit, AastraLink RP 540 Quad FXO Gateway and a number of phone that resemble the current 5i line... From a features perspective the Aastra response point system will come standard with an easy to use admin application and worker bee software that is designed to help personalize the end-user experience.

Part Numbers:

Aastra Response Point IP Phones:

-- 6751i RP

-- 6753i RP

-- 6757i CT RP

Aastra Response Point Expansion modules:

-- M670 Paper self labeling console for use with the 6757i CT RP phone

-- M675 LCD console for use with the 6753i RP and 6757i CT RP phones