When you're looking at IP phone systems for your business, picking the right system is very important. How do you know which system to pick? Two very common systems are the Adtran phone system and the Avaya phone system. Both systems have phones that offer great sound quality, programmable soft keys, multi-line, hands-free, voicemail with message indicator, and a built-in head-set jack. That is where the similarities end.
Adtran Phones Systems
Adtran phones are economical and user friendly. Their features are easy to use, not overly
complex, and attempt to encompass a basic range of business phone needs. Most Adtran phones range from 2-6 line capability, though with an extender, some of the Adtran phones can handle up to 12 lines. A few select models of Adtran phones are capable of handling 12 lines without an extender necessary. The main series of Adtran phones are basic IP phones, some with and some without back-lit displays, as well as three models of conference phones. Only one Adtran phone series offers touch screen. This is a series that not only offers high-quality sound, but also video calls. Adtran phones are designed for quick and easy installation and programming. Adtran phones are SIP based phones that operate on PoE. They can be used where advanced programming within the system is warranted, but most Adtran phones features may be limited as they are what do. This is especially true with the Adtran NetVanta 7100 system. NetVanta 7100 is an all-in-one box that is designed for small businesses that are looking to limit the cost of starting up an IP phone system. It is a perfect system for businesses that are looking to switch to an IP phone system that does not require advanced technical skills to install and run. However, if a larger business is interested, this system can handle up tp 2500 users.
Avaya Phone Systems
Avaya phones are designed to be used at any level of business. Even the basic Avaya phone model supports up to twelve lines. Avaya's biggest phone system, IP Office, can support from five to 1,000 stations at a single site. IP Office also offers the ability to network together up to 32 different locations. All Avaya phones are high-resolution, fully-backlit displays. Most Avaya phones have built-in USB port for support of standard USB mice, USB keyboards, devices offering USB keyboard emulation and USB powered hubs They also boast integrated Bluetooth® 1.2 wireless technology, as well as integrated 10/100/1000 IEEE Base-T Ethernet Switch with LAN and PC ports and Gigabit Ethernet switch integration. Some Avaya phone systems also offer dual headset jacks for agent support and supervisor plug-in. Certain Avaya phones have the ability to create a VPN tunnel to IPSec compliant VPN gateways from other vendors, allowing for greater security within the system. Avaya phones are not SIP friendly though. IP Office requires a linux based server in order to operate. they are also not natively PoE, requiring either special adaption to work as PoE or more cords at each desk.
Both Adtran and Avaya phone systems are IP phones with great sound quality, and can help enhance any business phone system. Adtran phones are straight-forward, easy to install and upkeep, SIP based, runs on PoE, and can handle many different business environments. Avaya can grow quickly, handling up to 1,000 employees at one location, can network together a large number of locations if needed, has USB support on most phones, and can handle advanced programming, including VPNs.
Which phone system do you think would work best for you? Let us know!
