AltiGen Launches IP Phone

Communications IP Internet Telephony San

The Alti-IP 600 phone adds features solution providers say will increase customers' comfort level with convergence technology.

Until now, AltiGen has supported IP phones from Polycom and Siemens on its IP-PBX systems, but did not manufacture one itself, said Richard De Soto, senior vice president of AltiGen, Fremont, Calif.

"Third parties don't seem to be able to keep up with the needs of our customers, plus they can't develop the full software capabilities we can," De Soto said.

The new phone will make solution providers more profitable because it offers rich features at a competitive price and is easy to install and implement, he said.

Solution providers and customers have been anticipating the launch. De Soto said that AltiGen sold out of its first-quarter shipments of the phone, which is scheduled for general availability on Oct. 15.

"It's always nice when you've got the manufacturer tying the handset and phone right into the system. It's easier to integrate and troubleshoot," said Gary Morrissette, director of marketing at TelNet, a convergence solution provider based in Salem, N.H.

The third-party phones were somewhat clumsy and were not a good fit for AltiGen's systems, said Eric Blake, director of operations at Digital Phone USA, a convergence solution provider based in Stamford, Conn.

To support the new phones, AltiGen has released version 4.5a of its AltiWare system software, a free upgrade to current customers.

The Alti-IP 600 is interoperable with standard H.323 IP phones from other vendors, DeSoto said.

To ease implementation, the Alti-IP 600 includes an automatic wake-up feature that installs when the phone is plugged into the network, eliminating the need for solution providers to visit every desktop to set up new phones.

It also includes features not previously available from AltiGen's third-party partners, including Busy Lamp Field, which allows users to see whether other extensions are in use, and multiline appearance, which lets users see and pick up calls on other extensions.

Alti-IP 600 is priced at $299.