Versatile IP PBX on tap from Zultys

By Phil Hochmuth, Network World
February 03, 2003 12:09 AM ET

SUNNYVALE, CALIF. - Zultys Technologies last week made its debut with its MX1200 IP telephony server - or IP PBX - aimed at replacing circuit-switch phone networks in small and midsize businesses.

The MX1200 could be used to combine voice and data onto a single LAN/WAN infrastructure while integrating applications such as instant messaging, voice mail and e-mail on corporate desktops. The IP PBX is based on an embedded Linux operating system from Monta Vista Linux, and runs Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), an emerging voice-over-IP (VoIP) call control and application protocol technology.

Some industry observers consider SIP to be the successor to proprietary call control technologies, and previous VoIP standards such as H.323 and Media Gateway Control Protocol.

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SUNNYVALE, CALIF. - Zultys Technologies last week made its debut with its MX1200 IP telephony server - or IP PBX - aimed at replacing circuit-switch phone networks in small and midsize businesses.

The MX1200 could be used to combine voice and data onto a single LAN/WAN infrastructure while integrating applications such as instant messaging, voice mail and e-mail on corporate desktops. The IP PBX is based on an embedded Linux operating system from Monta Vista Linux, and runs Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), an emerging voice-over-IP (VoIP) call control and application protocol technology.

Some industry observers consider SIP to be the successor to proprietary call control technologies, and previous VoIP standards such as H.323 and Media Gateway Control Protocol.

The MX1200 will compete against products such as 3Com's NBX; Alcatel's OmniPCX 4400; Avaya's IP600, S8700 and S8300 IP PBXs; Cisco's CallManager; Mitel's 3300 Integrated Communications Platform; Nortel's Business Communication Manager and CSE 1000; Shoreline Communications' ShoreGear converged voice switches; and Siemens' HiPath IP PBX.

The MX1200 could sit in a remote office and act as a multifunction device with PBX, routing and switching support. The box also could attach to a LAN backbone or data center at a corporate headquarters.

A single MX1200 supports 20 to 1,200 users, and four boxes can be networked together - locally or over a WAN - to support 4,800 users. The box has an integrated 28-port 10/100M bit/sec LAN switch (12 of which have 802.3af-based in-line AC power), eight T-1/E-1 ports and a single long-reach (1.2-mile range) 100Base-FX fiber Ethernet port. The device also comes with eight analog ports for connecting fax machines, analog teleconference equipment or simple phones. Two copper-based Gigabit Ethernet connections also are included for linking MX1200 devices to each other, or to a larger LAN switch. Up to 400 hours of voice mail can be stored on an integrated hard drive.

The MX1200 supports quality-of-service (QoS) protocols such as Layer 2 802.1p and 802.1Q priority, and virtual LAN tagging, and Layer 3 Differentiated Services functions. Prioritizing VoIP traffic with these QoS settings could help improve voice quality over a LAN or WAN, the company says. The box also can act as a router, with support for Open Shortest Path First protocol and Routing Information Protocol.

On the client side, the MX1200 comes with SIP-based desktop software called MXIE, which combines an instant-messaging client, corporate directory and presence application. Users can make calls from the MXIE client by clicking on contact names in the application, which rings the SIP-based phones on the caller and recipient end.

Zultys does not sell SIP phones, but its product is interoperable with phones such as Cisco's SIP-enabled 7960 IP phone, and SIP phones from IP Dialog, Pingtel and Snom. A Microsoft XP desktop PC outfitted with a headset and running the SIP-based Windows Messenger application also can be used as an endpoint with an MX1200.