NEC’s UNIVERGE UX5000, IP-24e Desk Phone
Named 2009 Best Channel Products by Business Solutions Magazine

Dealers rank NEC IP communications server and VoIP phoneas leading channel products in special report

NEC Corporation of America (NEC) is proud to announce that the NEC UNIVERGE UX5000 IP
communications server and NEC IP-24e IP desk phone were recognized as “Best Channel Products”
by Business Solutions magazine. The award recognizes the products’ rich feature set, reliability, ease
of integration and upgrade as well as ease of service.
Business Solutions magazine’s “Best Channel Products” special report, developed with partner Penn
State University to ensure statistical accuracy, surveyed more than 2,100 value-added resellers (VARs)
from May through June of 2009. Nearly 20,000 votes rated the nominated products within each
category, with the UX5000 and IP-24e taking the top honors for products in the VoIP category.
NEC is honored to receive this recognition, and we share this award with our channel partners who
remain critical to the success of these products and the breadth of solutions NEC offers. We strive to
produce best-in-class communication solutions. Our products’ features, functionality and ability to
reflect an organization’s communication needs provide end-users a wide range of uses for a single
product, which is of great value to VARs.
The UX5000 communications server is a comprehensive integrated solution, supporting business
telephony applications, VoIP, pure peer-to-peer IP telephony connectivity and advanced networking.
The server can network telephony systems, allowing organizations to cost-effectively bring together
voice and data, convenience and ease of use. Able to integrate diverse hardware components and
software applications, NEC’s UX5000 brings control of telephony features and related call information
to the user’s PC. Designed to work with the UX5000, NEC’s IP-24e enhanced IP phone is easily
customizable and offers customers a range of time-saving, easy-to-use features and settings.

MagicJack's next act: disappearing cell phone fees

LAS VEGAS - The company behind the magicJack, the cheap Internet phone gadget that's been heavily promoted on TV, has made a new version of the device that allows free calls from cell phones in the home, in a fashion that's sure to draw protest from cellular carriers.

The new magicJack uses, without permission, radio frequencies for which cellular carriers have paid billions of dollars for exclusive licenses.

YMax Corp., which is based in Palm Beach, Fla., said this week at the International Consumers Electronics Show that it plans to start selling the device in about four months for $40, the same price as the original magicJack. As before, it will provide free calls to the U.S. and Canada for one year.

The device is, in essence, a very small cellular tower for the home.

The size of a deck of cards, it plugs into a PC, which needs a broadband Internet connection. The device then detects when a compatible cell phone comes within 8 feet, and places a call to it. The user enters a short code on the phone. The phone is then linked to the magicJack, and as long as it's within range (YMax said it will cover a 3,000-square-foot home) magicJack routes the call itself, over the Internet, rather than going through the carrier's cellular tower. No minutes are subtracted from the user's account with the carrier. Any extra fees for international calls are subtracted from the user's account with magicJack, not the carrier.

According to YMax CEO Dan Borislow, the device will connect to any phone that uses the GSM standard, which in the U.S. includes phones from AT&T Inc. and T-Mobile USA. At a demonstration at CES, a visitor's phone with a T-Mobile account successfully placed and received calls through the magicJack. Most phones from Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel Corp. won't connect to the device.

Borislow said the device is legal because wireless spectrum licenses don't extend into the home.

AT&T, T-Mobile and the Federal Communications Commission had no immediate comment on whether they believe the device is legal, but said they were looking into the issue. CTIA — The Wireless Association, a trade group, said it was declining comment for now. None of them had heard of YMax's plans.

Borislow said YMax has sold 5 million magicJacks for landline phones in the last two years, and that roughly 3 million are in active use. That would give YMax a bigger customer base than Internet phone pioneer Vonage Holdings Corp., which has been selling service for $25 per month for the better part of a decade. Privately held YMax had revenue of $110 million last year, it says.

U.S. carriers have been selling and experimenting with devices that act similarly to the wireless magicJack. They're called "femtocells." Like the magicJack, they use the carrier's licensed spectrum to connect to a phone, then route the calls over a home broadband connection. They improve coverage inside the home and offload capacity from the carrier's towers.

But femtocells are complex products, because they're designed to mesh with the carrier's external network. They cost the carriers more than $200, though some sell them cheaper, recouping the cost through added service fees. YMax's magicJack is a much smaller, simpler design

New Phone Systems Change the Face of Today's Businesses

Phone systems, as a cornerstone of office communications, have emerged as an integral piece in today's business world, as they offer the ability to enhance communications, increase efficiencies and even grow a company’s bottom line.

Digital phone systems that make use of Internet-base telecommunications, or Voice over IP, better known as "VoIP," are being used to support business specific needs and include the ability to enhance customer relations, reduce costs and improve employee productivity.

To ensure these benefits are realized, it’s important that businesses understand their specific needs and find phone system solutions that will allow them to reach their goals.

A VoIP News article, “Digital Phone Systems Redefine Today's Office,” highlights the need to begin exploring business phone system options during the start-up phase. This point in the process is critical, the article notes, because it is the time when revenues are not yet “up to speed” so resources are spent with “greater care.”

During this time, not only should low costs be a focus, but finding a phone system that offers a professional image of the company and delivers calls efficiently should be considered – especially if a start-up is looking to succeed.

To help save on costs without skimping on quality or features, companies can turn to hosted phone system solutions which offer phone service over the Web and does not require any costly or hefty in-house equipment.

Phone systems should also play a role in helping a business to expand their geographic footprint without having to invest more every time a new office is opened. With virtual phone numbers, local area codes are used while calls are all directed into one location.

Beyond these capabilities, businesses should consider a phone system that allows users to continue communicating without being tethered to their desks. Phone system with “follow me” functionality, for example, route calls to employees regardless of where they’re located.

These efficiencies change the face of business communications today and redefine how a company works and communicates while helping to increase their bottom line

As Mobile Usage Increases, Cordless Phone Systems Set to Decline

As more and more users across the world drop their fixed phone lines for mobile-only services, the worldwide market for cordless phones will undergo a decline over the coming years.

According to the latest research from ABI, cordless phones – those which include portable handsets linked by radio to a fixed-line base unit, will slowly, but steadily decline over the next five years.

Specifically, the total cordless phone market size in 2014 will be about 17 percent, the research firm predicts. This is nearly $1 billion smaller than it is today.

Practice director Jason Blackwell said that this decline is actually part of a larger story where wireless substitution is spreading worldwide.

“In developed nations,” Blackwell said, “a growing number of people are dropping their fixed phone lines altogether in favor of mobile-only services.”

Also, according to Blackwell, “in many developing regions, telcos and users are jumping straight to mobile networks without ever deploying fixed-line infrastructure.”


To help slow the decline, new digital models offering broadband capabilities are being introduced along with special discounted offers on home phone systems from service providers.

“The phones included in these deals are frequently quite high-end, offering color displays and advanced features tied to broadband connectivity and the home network,” Blackwell said. “These DECT (News - Alert) and CAT-iq handsets offer a bright spot to cordless phone makers weary of competing mainly on price.”

These new models are also key for operators and ISPs who can use the phones to add data revenue streams beyond just voice.

Tips for SMBs Choosing a Phone System

Consider VoIP. VoIP technology is the most rapidly growing segment in the telecommunications market, offered by all the major players. In general, a VoIP business line runs between $25 and $30 a month, versus a traditional business phone line running between $40 and $60. The price is much better because the technology is much more cost effective than older technology, and most vendors pass this savings on to you

If you are more than a sole consultant or one person shop, consider a true phone system (either a Key System or a full PBX (News - Alert)). Phone systems deliver a huge savings lever called “line leverage”, in which one business line can be used to support 2 or 3 phones. This cuts the monthly cost of the phone line per person by 50 percent or 66 percent. Phone systems used to only be available to businesses with at least 15 to 20 employees, but new technology makes systems available to businesses with even fewer employees, giving them the opportunity for additional savings.

If you need to buy new phones to take advantage of new technology, look for a deal. They’re out there. Some providers will give you a discount on the equipment if you are willing to sign up for a 2 or 3 year contract. Others will provide you financing options, just like car companies do to purchase a new car. Small businesses need to avoid large upfront equipment charges, and with the options available in the market today, they can do so, and still gain the phone system advantages that larger companies enjoy.

Beware of hidden installation fees. Buying a new phone system can come with a truck and an installation technician, who can charge you anywhere from $100 to $1,000 to install your equipment and phone wiring. There are systems available from value-conscious retailers like Costco Wholesale that don’t require this. Don’t spend money you don’t need to.

Take advantage of the new technology. Traditionally, it cost $100 per phone to install wiring in your home or office. Then, if you want to change the location of your phone, you have to pay the fee again! New wireless technology allows you to avoid this charge by buying a simple $35 wireless adapter, so you can put your business phone anywhere you want it.

When buying a rate plan, make sure to shop for a good unlimited long distance plan. Paying per minute charges is not something you should be doing in 2009, except for international calls. Even then, shop for competitive rates, as there are alternative providers that charge a fraction of what traditional telephone companies charge.

Look for a risk-free trial period, or money-back guarantee. If you are getting new service, new equipment, or both, you don’t want to find out after a week or two that you are dissatisfied, but have been locked into a two or three year contract. You should have a few weeks at the beginning of any new service to evaluate whether it meets your needs, and you should have the same trial period for any phone equipment you purchase.

Phone service is necessary for your business, but now more than ever you have the power to manage the costs and features that are associated with it.