[asterisk-biz] IP Phone/Hard Phone

[Chris Bagnall]

> Wow, Thank you.
> So till now I think the best candidates for a REAL WORLD Office PBX
> Deployment are:
> Snom
> Aastra
> Polycom

I'm surprised no-one has mentioned the Linksys SPA-942/962 phones. Many of our clients like them for their small desk footprint, almost Cisco-like handset weight and clear, backlit display. Unfortunately the cheaper end of the Snom/Aastra/Polycom range don't have any backlighting at all - it's only on the substantially more expensive models you seem to get backlights.

Certainly here in the UK, a Linksys SPA-942 is quite a bit cheaper than an Aastra 55i (first one with backlight).

We've also done quite a few deployments in the past with the Elmeg ip290 (basically an Snom 190 clone). These are good phones - sound quality is almost on par with the Linksys, but they do lack that crucial backlight and the buttons feel slightly "spongy" if you're used to the Cisco feel.

> Can you guys be more specific on the models and good cheap/reliable
> sources
> to buy these phones ?

You need to post where you're located so we can help you with that. In the UK, you might want to try either VoipOn (www.voipon.co.uk) or MyPhoneCall (www.myphonecall.co.uk) . Obviously if you're anywhere else they aren't going to be much help - especially with the weakness of the dollar at present.

Regards,

Chris
-- 
C.M. Bagnall, Director, Minotaur I.T. Limited
For full contact details visit http://www.minotaur.it
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