Junction Networks' OnSIP, Aastra Phones: Made for Each Other
Hosted PBX provider declares that Aastra's programmable SIP-based phones fully support its features and applications.
We got our first glimpse of ITSP Junction Networks' 'self-service' hosted PBX service, OnSIP, nearly a year ago. (Read about it in detail here.)
The concept of a pay-as-you-go service that charges by usage, not seats or extensions, and that you can easily configure, change, and otherwise control from a neat portal interface still strikes us as fresh and forward-looking.
Today, the New York-based provider announced that it has run three phones from Ontario-based Aastra Telecom through its testing lab. Aastra's mid-level model 53i, executive-level model 57i, and model 57iCT (57i-plus-cordless-auxiliary-handset) all passed interoperability tests with flying colors—supporting the full range of OnSIP features and applications, including call waiting, call forwarding, auto attendant, caller ID, voice mail, do-not-disturb settings, and more.
Among the more intriguing features of the Aastra phone line is an XML browser that works with Aastra's XML API and developer toolkit to allow the phones to run a variety of custom apps, such as call accounting to track billable phone time for specific business clients.
All three Aastra models have programmable keys (6 in the case of the 53i and 12 in the case of the 57i models) that can be set up to execute OnSIP-supported functions any way the user wants.
"We want to give OnSIP customers the greatest possible choice of hardware and software to use as OnSIP extensions," said Junction Networks President Rob Wolpov, "and we know from our testing that Aastra has earned its reputation for reliability, voice quality and ease of setup."
Wolpov added that given the installed base of Aastra phones, Junction Networks gains a large pool of potential customers that could adopt OnSIP with virtually no equipment cost.
"Junction Networks provides an innovative, SIP-based VoIP solution to the market place and we are happy to be part of their hardware solution set," countered John Drolet, Aastra'a vice president of U.S. sales. "Aastra IP phones are very intelligent end points and we are confident that our new relationship with Junction Networks will take full advantage of that intelligence."
