RP Tricks

DLink versus Syspine

As of this writing there are only two companies offering products based on Microsoft’s Response Point software.  The first product available on the market was Syspine’s Digital Operator which was quickly followed up by DLink with their version named VoiceCenter.  Within the next few months it is expected that a third manufacturer will emerge in the Response Point market, Aastra.   Since the software operating these systems is the same, it would seem logical that there is not much difference between them and the customers purchasing Response Point should do so based simply on pricing and availability.

But wait a minute, are they really  all the same product?

While the base telephony software features are the same between them, there are enough differences in the hardware that any would-be purchaser should take pause and carefully select the appropriate vender’s product to purchase.  Let’s take a look at a handful of key features and see how they differ.

Power over Ethernet: Coming from a background in data networking, this one is a biggie for me so I’ll start with it.  Many commercial switches these days offer a feature called Power over Ethernet which we typicaly refer to by its initials, as PoE.  This feature provides an endpoint such as a phone, wireless access point, or security camera the ability to receive it’s power from the network switch it is directly attached to rather than an external power supply plugged into a wall outlet.  Of course both ends need to be PoE capable, the endpoint has to be able to receive the power over the network cable and the switch it is plugged into has to be capable of supplying power down the network cable using two of the wires which are not typically used for data transfer.  What are the advantages to powering your phones this way?  Well, there are several.  For starters most office desks can get by with only two power plugs provided by a standard single-gang wall-plate (one for the PC and one for the monitor). By adding another device such as a VoIP or IP Phone this can also mean putting a power strip in place, the necessary wall-wart power adapter for the phone, and very quickly the rats next under the desk is getting worse very quickly.  More important though is this: very rarely are the wall outlets connected to any sort of power backup, so any blackout is going to shutdown the phones.  However if PoE is being used then the switch providing the power to the IP Phones can be connected to a battery backup, and often times the switch already is!  The Syspine offers this capability, but DLink currently does not. 

Expandability: Both DLink and Syspine are capable of handling up to 50 handsets.  Syspine base stations come in two basic variants, one with ports to connect four telephone lines from your local phone company and another version with eight ports.  Currently Syspine does not support upgrading the four port unit to eight ports.  The DLink system works a little different, the ports for the telephone line plug into a separate unit called a PSTN Gateway. Their current model number for this gateway is DVG-3104MS and it supports 4 phone lines, and then it also uses the network as a means to communicate with the base station and the handsets.  By going to an external gateway and not being bound by the limits of a single chassis they are able to support up to 50 individual phone lines.  This provides for significantly more flexibiity to the small business which anticipates growth in the number of handsets it will need.

Case design: Either of the cases from our two manufacturers for the base unit look attractive when sitting on the desk or shelf.  The Syspine Digital Operator is short and squat, and has no power switch. This system is either plugged in and running or its not!  It is also wall mountable and effeciently designed in regards to cooling ventilation for use in an enclosed wiring closet.  DLink’s VoiceCenter comes in an upright, vertical case and has a power button for turning it off and on.  This seems a little quirky to me, as I personally don’t know why anyone would want to turn their phone system off!  With the upright case it takes much less space on a shelf than its competitor.  The DLink Gateway discussed above may be wall mounted, but the base unit itself can not.

I hope this comparison provides you with information to help you make an educated choice in selecting which Response Point product to purchase.  Once Aastra makes their product available to resellers, expect this article to be updated to include its differences.

John