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September 21, 2015

PortaOne and Telefield NA Partner to Provide Turnkey VoIP Solution Combining Phones with Platform


By Christopher Mohr
TMCnet Contributing Writer

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PortaOne (News - Alert) recently announced that its PortaSwitch platform would be available as a part of a turnkey solution with various VoIP phone models developed by Telefield (News - Alert). The combination will allow customers to have a proven configuration that works and avoid the hassles that come with trying to find the right phone-platform combination.


Coquitlam, British Columbia-based PortaOne, Inc. develops the PortaSwitch software platform that combines billing and SIP systems for operators seeking to combine data and voice on their networks. The company states on its website that PortaSwitch comes with an unlimited license and that in an average configuration, it can handle 20 million minutes of traffic monthly. Beaverton, Oregon-based Telefield NA develops business phones that run on well-known VoIP platforms like Asterisk (News - Alert), Digium, Broadsoft, Elastix and MetaSwitch.

The solution is implemented through an auto-provisioning function that integrates with the Telefield NA IP110, IP160, and IP170 VoIP phones. The IP110 is actually an RCA-branded entry level phone model with basic features selling for about $60. The IP160 is a cordless phone selling for $180 and is designed for users who frequently leave their desk, yet need to remain connected. The IP170 is a feature-rich desktop model that also sells for $180. Both the IP160 and IP170 can be set up as part of a wireless VoIP system. Both phones can be plugged into a power outlet and then wirelessly connected to a base station, which is plugged into an Internet connection.

Image via Shutterstock

One of the most commonly repeated selling points of hosted VoIP service for business is that they no longer have to concern themselves with maintaining an on-premises PBX (News - Alert) system, which can be expensive from both a hardware and labor perspective. If you are going to let a VoIP service provider take over managing the day-to-day operations of your phone system, wouldn’t it also make sense to get a set of compatible phones through that vendor as well?

In some cases, there may be a valid argument for installing the phones yourself, but even a common platform like Asterisk requires some work and Linux/Unix admin skills. This is why more companies are likely to turn to turnkey solutions like the one offered by PortaOne and Telefield NA. The headaches that come with installing your own phones often outweigh the upfront cost savings. 




Edited by Dominick Sorrentino
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