ShoreTel Rolls Out New VoIP Platform, Phones

On Monday, IP telephony vendor ShoreTel announced the latest version of its IP telephony platform for branch offices and small businesses.

ShoreTel 6.1 features key system emulation as part of a single hardware and software platform targeted at organizations with 10 to 10,000 employees. The scalability enables customers to forgo the folk-lift upgrades that other IP telephony platforms sometimes require.

"ShoreTel's technology scales very easily, so customers aren't stuck with the architecture that a lot of other vendors employ," says Dan Wohlbruck, voice services manager for CNP Technologies, a systems integrator in Charlotte, N.C. "The modular system makes it as simple as putting a new switch onto a network and adding some handsets."

Among the new handsets in the release is the ShorePhone IP 212k, an ergonomic IP key system telephone with 12 programmable buttons, high-level audio quality and a large LCD display. ShoreTel 6.1 also includes a gigabit IP phone, the IP 560g; a new staff IP phone, the IP 230; expanded support of international requirements; Centrex flash capabilities; and personal assistant and Caller-ID enhancements.

The ShorePhone IP 212k key system phone has 12 self-labeling programmable buttons that use tri-color LEDs. It has eight hard keys and two soft keys. A high-contrast, vertically oriented LCD display mimics the look and feel of a key system telephone. The phone also enables fast call handling through an extension called a "bridged call appearance." Designed for businesses with shared call-answering requirements, the extension is programmed onto buttons on multiple phones, with a button for each call, meaning calls can be quickly answered, held and retrieved among multiple phones.

Wohlbruck says the bridged call appearance feature is one of the key benefits of the new system.

"It's a huge feature, particularly for banking and financial environments," he says. "It allows users to emulate the functionality of key systems and really flattens the learning curve for new users."

ShoreTel 6.1 is available now as a free upgrade for customers with a maintenance contract. The ShorePhone IP 230 lists for $259 and is available now. The ShorePhone IP 212k key system phone will ship by the end of May for $299. The ShorePhone IP 560g is scheduled to ship in August for $429.