[Asterisk-Users] IP phone recommendation

[David Carr]

This is the exact opposite of my experience. I've used a budgetone for about
4 months and I constantly have echo and ndp problems. They have made
frequent updates to their firmware - which I appreciate - but every other
version breaks something.

We ended up standardizing on Cisco 7960 phones and bought about 40 of them
at $260 each/power brick included. I've never had an echo problem whatsoever
and the feature set is a huge benefit compared to cheaper phones. What we
value the most is

 - multiple call appearances
 - company logo displayed on LCD
 - register phone to up to 6 sip servers simultaneously (helps for debugging
large asterisk installations)
 - soft keys for conferencing, transfering, and call parking
 - tons of ring tones (some of them we made ourselves)
 - cell-phone (like) features like ability to see missed calls, placed
calls, received calls, et cetera
 - sound quality is flawless
 - programmable xml services button

Some of these things would be hard to justify in front of a demanding CFO
but the last one is hugely valuable. We've programmed our services button to
query a company master extension list from our database that is searchable
by employee name and shows internal extension, home phone, and cell phone
numbers. You just select the number you want to dial and then touch the dial
button and the call is made. We also have xml pages that query stocks,
weather, and more importantly project/production information from our
internal databases. We have a quasi-manufacturing environment and being able
to see the current production status of individual projects right from the
phone is valuable.

I'll be the first one to say that sometimes price has to take priority over
looks/features, but in this case I put up a vigorous fight because the cost
difference is small and the benefits are numerous.

Just my 2 cents...

> -----Original Message-----
> From: asterisk-users-admin at lists.digium.com
> [mailto:asterisk-users-admin at lists.digium.com]On Behalf Of James
> Sizemore
> Sent: Wednesday, August 13, 2003 8:59 AM
> To: asterisk-users at lists.digium.com
> Subject: Re: [Asterisk-Users] IP phone recommendation
>
>
> My users also like the Budgetones better then the Cisco 7960 phones. The
> Budgetones just handle echo better. (Cisco really need to get there echo
> problem fixed!)
>
> My only problem with the Budgetones is getting them. We would like to
> place an order
> for a 100 of them, and can't get Grandstream to take the order!  Anyone
> know of a resaler that can take big orders on Budgetones?  <smile>
>
> WipeOut . wrote:
>
> >IMHO for basic telephony I would say go for the Budgetone, At
> its price you can't go far wrong and it works..
> >
> >I have heard some comment that it is too light and so feels
> cheap but I have had a Snom200 and a Budgetone side by side on
> the desk in front of me and they both felt the same to use.. In
> fact the only real thing I don't like about the Budgetone is that
> it is white..
> >
> >If you are wanting stylish at a resonable price got for the
> Snom200 if you are wanting a phone that works with Asterisk and
> does what a phone should do at a very good price then go for the
> Budgetone.. You can get 2 Budgetone phone for the price of 1 Snom200..
> >
> >I have just put a couple of Budgetone's into service for the
> first time this week and the reports I have got back from the
> users is that they prefer them to the Snom200.. I was even
> surprised at that..
> >
> >Later..
> >
> >
> >
> >>How about when you compare the SNOM to the Budgetone, which one
> would you
> >>recommend for basic telephony?
> >>
> >>-----Original Message-----
> >>From: asterisk-users-admin at lists.digium.com
> >>[mailto:asterisk-users-admin at lists.digium.com]On Behalf Of WipeOut .
> >>Sent: Tuesday, August 12, 2003 2:15 PM
> >>To: asterisk-users at lists.digium.com
> >>Subject: Re: [Asterisk-Users] IP phone recommendation
> >>
> >>
> >>I wasn't refering to the costs of things on ebay.. I was
> talking about new
> >>prices..
> >>
> >>Hell you could get a Ferrari on ebay for 20 bucks if you are
> really lucky..
> >>:)
> >>
> >>Later..
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
>
>
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