3CX Phone System: Software PBX Meets the Channel
The VAR Guy has spent plenty of time covering Asterisk — the open source IP PBX — in recent weeks. But a few solutions providers are telling our resident blogger to give equal time to 3CX, which develops a software PBX for Windows. What’s the story? You’re about to find out.
The VAR Guy concedes: Sometimes he gets consumed by unified communications pitches from Microsoft, Cisco Systems, Avaya and the Asterisk industry. But a flood of email — from 3CX and some of its resellers — reminded our resident blogger that the IP PBX market remains highly fragmented and full of emerging options.
Quite a few VARs and customers are opting for Windows-centric IP PBXes from 3CX. Prime examples include a few Remax real estate brokerages, which claim to have saved $80,000 by deploying 3CX’s software-based PBX, notes 3CX CEO Nick Galea.
Also of note: 3CX is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and a pure channel company, promoting its software PBXes through a range of resellers and solutions providers worldwide.
True believers include Pacific Softcom, a solutions provider that has been wroking with 3CX since March 2009. The effort started out with a free download and suddenly Pacific Softcom found itself with a true IP PBX solution for customers, notes Jim Green, a sales and technical director at Pacific Softcom in Long Beach, Calif.
“Version 6 had a few drawbacks, but version 7 was stable and version 8 is solid,” says Green. “You called my office and as you can tell you’ve been forward to my mobile phone and the quality is very, very good. People who got in early with 3CX are delitefully surprised with new features that are coming out.”
The only catch, notes Green: 3CX works only as well as a company’s Internet connection. He recommends steering clear of DSL and sticking with a cable modem or better for good performance.
So there you have it: Equal time for a smaller player in the IP PBX market. Keep the story tips coming in. The VAR Guy is listening.
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I’ll admit i did think about it that cisco/asterisk seemed to get primetime here but since I’m writting a book about 3cx and have been active in the 3cx community it’s very interesting to see 3cx here!
3CX has done a super job in making a super intuitive IP-PBX user interface, provisioning gateways and generally making pbx possible for DIY’ers.
Matt
http://dynamicssmallbusiness.blogspot.com/search/label/3CX
http://www.youtube.com/user/landiscomputer
I am a former Microsoft Response Point reseller who had been looking for another VOIP type phone system but didn’t want to go the Asterisk route. You may have found something for me here. I am curious to know if 3CX is profitable and growing. I’ve already been burned by Response Point’s demise and can’t afford to get burned again. Please let me know if you can share more details about 3CX. Thank you.
Hi Terry – Thank you for your interest in 3CX! I can confirm that 3CX is profitable, growing fast and well financed. Importantly, 3CX is an open solution based on the SIP standard. Because you can use standard server hardware, IP phones and VoIP Gateways you can never get burned as badly as with Response point. The hardware you buy, and the knowledge that you will build up, will be applicable to any SIP based solution. That said, some Response Point phones (aastra) can be converted to SIP and thus used with 3CX. Don’t hesitate to mail me for more information.
Forgot to add signature:
Nick Galea
3CX – http://www.3cx.com
CEO – email: ng (at) 3cx.com
What exactly is the difference between the “Editions” of 3CX? Is it purely the artificial limitation on the number of simultaneous calls you’re allowed?
Yes, its just the number of simultaneous calls.
matt
http://dynamicssmallbusiness.blogspot.com/search/label/3CX
We’re a 3cx partner and between Asterisk/Tribox/Fonality and variants, Avaya, and NEC systems that we’ve worked with, by far, 3CX has been the most simple to setup as a PBX system goes and the most least issues we’ve ever experienced and deployed. Quality comes down to Internet Connection speed/bandwidth and the SIP provider that you use.
Jason: The VAR Guy appreciates your readership and the background you shared. Please send email to thevarguy [at] NineLivesMediaInc.com if/when you have company news/customer wins to share.
-TVG