New VoIP phones for small businesses released by snom

Telecoms specialist snom has launched a new series of voice over internet protocol (VoIP) phones targeted specifically at small and medium-sized enterprises.

The snom 7-series VoIP phones combine traditional calling features that firms can expect to find on any handset with an array of cutting-edge functions normally associated with enterprise-class communications technology.

Advanced SIP and XML facilities are combined with a sleek design and excellent interoperability, meaning that the snom handsets are backward compatible and easy to integrate with legacy infrastructure.

snom chief operating officer Mike Storella said: "The new snom 7xx line of VoIP phones addresses a key need in the market for an affordable enterprise-class phone with the capabilities and flexibility to fit businesses of any size."

He added that the snom 720 and 760 will have an extremely broad appeal because they offer complex functionality without undermining the "convenience and utility" of a traditional business phone.

Both models use a Gigabit Ethernet switch, boast automatic provisioning and the latter supports wireless LAN connectivity.

They are also capable of wideband, high-definition voice quality, with data transfer speeds of up to 1,000 Mbits/s. The handsets also have minimal impact on other network traffic.

Both devices have an address book with the potential for 1,000 entries, speed dialling functionality, URL dialling and ringtone selection.

The low price is expected to attract smaller organisations to the handsets - particularly as unified communications adoption spirals.

Recently, Susan Campbell, contributing editor of TMC.net, noted that VoIP solutions have improved dramatically in recent times, a fact that is helping boost acceptance of the technology in various business sectors.

Citing a recent Telecom Circle report, she noted that the ability to stream calls from any location on the planet at low-cost was the reason that VoIP solutions were so popular.

However, she reminded businesses that a prerequisite of a fully-functioning VoIP network was a decent broadband connection that does not compromise call quality.