For a small business looking to expand their network, there are a lot of choices on the market. After all, the networking industry has boomed alongside the Internet. As we keep finding new ways to communicate and collaborate, new hardware keeps coming out to match.
It's almost like trying to jump onto a swiftly-moving conveyor belt. To keep up with the competition, you have to get on board... but new technologies are coming out so quickly that it's hard to know exactly how, or where.
If you're just starting a business, or you've been getting by with a simple local area network, it's definitely time to make that jump. The longer you wait, the further behind you'll fall. Luckily, ADTRAN has made that easy with the ADTRAN 904 SIP Gateway. It's a superior solution for small businesses looking to make that transition as smoothly as possible.
Four Benefits To The ADTRAN 904
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Affordable price: The Total Access 904 is among ADTRAN's most affordable network solutions. It might be seen as somewhat “no-frills” for businesses that have already established a Voice-over-IP (VoIP) and data-focused WAN, but this makes it perfect for smaller businesses who simply don't need extra features. The 904 has options for both a single T1 or a single ADSL+ line, along with a single Ethernet connection. Given that most small businesses will take years to grow beyond the need for a single Internet connection, this gives it all the capability you need without straining your budget. Plus, it still comes with four FXS interfaces which allow your regular internal phone lines to connect into your network. It also has an integrated DSX-1 circuit that handles the translation between analog phones and digital voice networks. It handles one of the trickiest parts of a VoIP upgrade automatically.
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VoIP And Data Integration: Why do you care about FXS and DSX-1 interfaces? Because that's how you take your communications and move them into the 21st Century. Voice-over-IP Service isn't only about getting free long distance, although that's a big plus! It's about integrating your communications. With an ADTRAN 904, you can centralize all your messaging. Incoming phone messages can be converted into MP3s, or into text, and sent to where ever your employees are. You can call digital lines the same as copper lines, and vice versa. You could easily deploy advanced
features like videoconferencing. Yet, you'll still keep all your traditional phone service functions like caller ID and Call Waiting. -
Easy Setup and Usage: ADTRAN knows many of its users are first-timers to the world of integrated communications, so their products are powered by one of the simplest user interfaces on the market. Their AOS operating system uses a graphical windowed environment with step-by-step guides for setting up any feature you need. The Total Access 904 can be configured by someone with only minimal knowledge of networking. Or, if
there's an expert on staff, the 904 also includes a command line interface that mirrors those common in the industry. A network admin comfortable working on Cisco products will be equally at home here without needing retraining. -
Ten Year Warranty: ADTRAN offers industry-leading support with a ten year warranty on their Total Access line, including the 904. With that sort of lifespan, you'll more than get your money's worth out of one of their routers. You'll almost certainly be ready to upgrade before your warranty runs out.
Even better, since AOS links all your networking equipment through a single interface, you wouldn't need to abandon the ADTRAN 904 when you upgrade! It could simply move to a secondary role when you get a new “master” router, something else AOS makes easy.
So, if now is the time for you to realize the benefits of modern integrated business communications, let us know how we can help you make the most of your network.
