Microsoft's Small Biz VoIP Play Hits the Street

To keep costs and complexity down, Microsoft has focused on a small number of core capabilities, leaving out functionality such as automatic call distribution, contact center queuing features and native SIP trunking, he said.

Of more significance, according to solution providers, is the lack of T1 support.

Congruent Software's Strickland said the lack of T1 support was "the only downside" to the system, noting that it limits sales to only the smallest of customers.

"As soon as you hit 8 to 12 phone lines, you're looking for a T1 to bring the cost down," Strickland said. "For most customers of 10 lines or less, it's easy, no problem. But as soon as you hit a customer that already has a T1 or some kind of T1 integration, then Response Point doesn't play well."

Congruent Software currently is targeting the system at those smaller customers, but the addition of T1 support would enable the solution provider to chase a broader range of sales opportunities, he said.

Huang said the decision to support T1 in the phone system actually lies with Microsoft's OEM partners and that they can add it if they choose.

"T1 support is really not our responsibility. We ship software to the OEM partners, so the OEMs can decide. The OEMs decided not to because T1 is a small niche," Huang said. "There's a transition from T1 to SIP trunking. We will be supporting SIP trunking. The T1 support will be the hardware gateway's responsibility. The software actually can support that without any problems," he said.

Hardlines' Booker said the lack of T1 support could be a problem, depending on the size of the business.

"Many customers don't have T1s, but there are more than Microsoft thinks there are," Booker said, noting that he expects to see it added in future versions.

The release of Response Point marks the culmination of a two-and-a-half year effort to build the product in-house, with a group that acted like a start-up company within Microsoft and began with a three-person team, Huang said.

"Initially we had only two people, me plus two developers. Now we have a large team and a business plan," noting that his team has grown to 40 people.

Microsoft last month disclosed pricing for the new system. Quanta's Syspine package includes four phones and a base unit with a built-in analog telephone adapter (ATA) and secure gateway for approximately $2,500. Additional phones are priced at $159 each. D-Link's VoiceCenter system includes a base unit, an ATA and five phones for approximately $2,500. Additional phones cost approximately $139.

Both vendors are offering a 20-phone system for less than $5,500.