Avaya aims at enterprise with modular VoIP phones

Avaya will unveil a series of upgradable, modular VoIP phones this week, aiming at the enterprise market. The four desktop phones in the one-X model family are designed around four types of business users.

Model 9610, the "walk-up" phone, is designed for lobby or conference room use, with a big screen and an application that will allow IT to run a phone directory through the desktop phone.

Model 9620, the "everyday user" phone, is a scaled down phone designed for "non communication-intensive tasks," said Saied Seghatoleslami, vice president of product management at Avaya.

Model 9630, the "essential user" model, is designed for those who are constantly on the phone. This model will include more of the management features associated with VoIP phones such as conference calls, alerts, and call prioritization. These phones will include the ability to transfer a call in progress from a cell phone to the desktop VoIP phone and back with a single push button.

Model 9650, the "navigator" phone, is for workers, such as an administrative assistant, who manage calls.

The real key to these phones success in the enterprise will be their improved voice quality and modularity, said Frank Dzubeck, president of the industry analysis firm Communication Network Architects.

"The voice quality has been kicked up a notch so that these phones can be used as conference room phones," Dzubeck said.

A typical phone reproduces audio at 3Khz -- significantly less than the 7Khz, AM-quality audio that these phones produce.

Also the handset, headset, and speaker phone are all wideband.

"Traditional phones cut off high-frequency, high-fricative content, like the S and F sound," Seghatoleslami said.

These phones will faithfully reproduce both the high-frequency and low-end sounds, which is a challenge in most VoIP phones, according to Seghatoleslami. This higher quality makes them excellent for international calls.

Dzubeck also said that because some models contain a subset of all the features, this allows Avaya to price the phones more competitively. "Instead of spending $1,000 on a phone, now you can classify a phone by features so they are competitive against the likes of Cisco," he said.

The phones will also be upgradable with modules for USB, Gigabit Ethernet, and keyboards.

Model 9620 and Model 9630 will be available next month. Model 9650 and 9610 will be available in early 2007.