Panasonic Telephone Systems KX-NCP500

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Comparison of Panasonic NCP500 vs. Toshiba Strata CIX40

For the Small Business Market

December 2008

This report summarizes the major advantages of NCP500 over CIX40 for the small business customer. Differences are compared graphically in terms of price-value and are described in the text.

The summary also compares average cost per station for the two systems. Panasonic KX-NCP500 vs. Toshiba Strata CIX40

Panasonic’s KX-NCP500 and Toshiba’s Strata CIX40 are converged IP PBX systems that target the small business market.

The Panasonic KX-NCP500 is a single, rack-mount unit designed for businesses with from four to 64 users, with a target of about 20 users. It is based on the company’s earlier KX-TDA and KX-TDE software. The NCP500 supports 64 total extensions (68 using DXDP) with maximums as follows: 40 IP phones (MGCP-based), 32 standard SIP phones, 24 digital proprietary phones, 20 analog phones, and 64 DECT wireless phones. Trunk capacities include eight SIP/H.323 trunks, two ISDN PRI interfaces (46 channels), and 12 analog trunks.

For customers with existing KX-TDA or KX-TDE systems, all Panasonic handset devices, CTI software and voicemail units can be migrated to NCP systems, as well as some desktop software. DSP system boards and option cards like Door Phone, Echo and IO Card also migrate into the NCP. All NCP500 cards except for the main processor can migrate to the larger NCP1000.

The Toshiba Strata CIX40 is a single, compact and wall-mountable cabinet designed specifically for locations with 4-12 employees, though it can scale to 26 users (16 digital telephones and eight IP telephones, for up to 24 stations or 26 using the two analog ports). The CIX40 system was introduced in 2006 to round out Toshiba’s Strata CIX product line, which includes Strata CIX100 (112 ports), Strata CIX200 (192 ports), Strata CIX670 (672 ports) and Strata CIX1200 (1,152 ports). Strata CIX40 customers who approach the maximum digital station count generally consider the larger CIX100 for growth capacity.

Strata CIX40 customers can migrate to a larger Strata CIX system, retaining all telephone devices; however, CIX40 is a wall-mount, flat-pack cabinet design that differs from the cabinetry of larger Strata CIX platforms, so circuit cards cannot be used with other Strata CIX systems. The basic CIX40 system supports eight digital telephone ports, three CO line ports and one standard single line (2500-set) telephone port. The system can be expanded, using optional interface cards, to a capacity near 40 ports.

With almost all of a customer’s investment protected, the NCP500 is much more cost effective and scalable than the Toshiba CIX40. Small businesses are risk averse, and most are not good planners as their businesses expand. The Toshiba CIX40 is optimized for a maximum of just 12 employees, and migrating to the next-step CIX100 requires new cabinetry and new system circuit cards.

The systems are compared on the basis of features important to small businesses. For each feature, a graph shows the trade-off a customer can make between cost and the features that they want or need: Messaging

The Panasonic NCP500 has three voicemail/unified messaging options, including a built-in capability at no extra cost. (Panasonic also offers support for third party conventional, analog voicemail systems.)

The KX-NCP main processor card supports Enhanced Simplified Voice Messaging (ESVM), Panasonic’s 2-port voicemail solution. This built-in ESVM2 gives basic voicemail functionality, including recording and storing personal greeting messages, message waiting lamp, storing, playing back and clearing messages (up to 125 greeting and voice messages with a maximum total recording time of 120 minutes). Alternatively, the optional ESVM4 card offers additional recording and outgoing message handling capabilities (500 messages and 120 minutes).

For more advanced capabilities, the system can digitally integrate with Panasonic's KX-TVA voicemail server. In addition to basic functionality, KX-TVA systems enable e-mail integration, auto attendant, call screening, live recording Caller ID features (Name Announcement and Personal Greetings) and other standard features that will benefit a business’ bottom line. KX-TVA messaging platforms scale to 64 mailboxes (KX-TVA50) or 1,000 mailboxes (KX-TVA200).

Voicemail and auto attendant on the Toshiba Strata CIX40 are optional and at an incremental cost to the base system. There are two voice mail options – a card option and an external server-based option.

Typically, customers choose the GVPH card designed to install specifically in the CIX40 cabinet (this card is not compatible with other Strata CIX systems). This integrated, card-based messaging solution can be configured as four, six or eight ports via licensing with support for 40 hours of voice processing and 374 mailboxes. Standard features include voicemail, auto attendant, soft keys, live call recording and call screening. GVPH does not support any e-mail integration.

Alternatively, Toshiba Strata CIX40 customers can opt for an external server-based messaging solution, the MicroMAS Media Application Server. Functionality includes auto attendant, voice mail, automated speech recognition, text-to- speech and unified messaging, with the platform supporting other applications like IVR, ACD, web-browser administration, Toshiba’s FeatureFlex feature customization and third-party applications. Strata CIX40 customers might deploy the MicroMAS (2-8 ports) if voicemail and other applications such as ACD or IVR are needed. The larger MAS, at 4-32 ports, is also compatible with the CIX40 but not priced effectively for smaller systems.

Panasonic’s integrated voicemail for the NCP500 is more economical and easier to implement for small businesses. ESVM provides two ports of voicemail out of the box at no incremental cost. Voicemail is always optional and at incremental cost for Toshiba users (about 40% more expensive than Panasonic’s 4-port card). Note that Toshiba’s voicemail card option is not compatible with larger Strata CIX platforms. And, the Toshiba MicroMAS server option, though it provides investment protection, is more costly than Panasonic’s KX-TVA platforms. Desktop Productivity

The Panasonic NCP500 comes with Communication Assistant Basic software (CTI) preinstalled on the main processor card; the first five users are free with additional user licenses for purchase. For ease of installation and management, Communication Assistant does not require a server.

Communication Assistant Basic gives users desktop information on other employees’ presence, chat capability, call history, a contacts database and CRM integration. The optional Communication Assistant Pro (also installed in the main processor card) adds more advanced presence capabilities, more capacity to call histories and contacts databases and compatibility on Windows Mobile devices. The mobile functionality adds unified communications features much in demand by small businesses like financial, insurance and real estate firms.

The Toshiba Strata CIX40 offers the optional Net Phone as a PC telephone application for personalized call handling and screening. Net Phone requires a separate server, adding cost and complexity.

Net Phone manages incoming and outgoing call functions and synchronizes with a company’s operations, CRM, or contact software. It provides users PC-prompted dialing, answering, transferring, placing of calls on hold and ending calls. Other features include Call Notes (attaching customer information to a call), contact manager and CRM integration, call logs and Personal Call Handler (customized incoming call routing).

Panasonic’s Communication Assistant Basic provides the desktop productivity tools small businesses need and use preinstalled on the NCP500. With five free licenses it is economical, and unlike Toshiba’s approach it does not require a separate server, making it a great choice for small businesses with limited IT time and expertise and little willingness to experiment. Note that Toshiba’s Net Phone desktop productivity application requires a user license for each user with no free users included; CA Basic is about half the price of Toshiba’s solution, and CA Pro is about 15% less expensive. Operation of all Toshiba Net Phone clients throughout the CIX system requires a Net Phone application running on an external server connected to the Strata CIX.

Mobility

Both Panasonic and Toshiba (via third parties) offer in-building wireless solutions and popular options for mobile employees such as softphones and hot desking that allow flexibility in moving about an office location.

The Panasonic NCP500 supports an in-building wireless solution via cards housed in the main unit, including optional 2.4 GHz or DECT Cell Station Cards. By installing cards and deploying cell stations throughout the building, the NCP500 can support up to 64 assigned wireless handsets. For even more flexibility, a wireless handset can share an extension with a wired telephone. Panasonic offers several models of 2.4GHz and 1.9GHz DECT wireless handsets to meet varying business needs. Additionally, Panasonic customers can take advantage of the company’s IP Soft Phone, as well as a Windows Mobile Device running Communication Assistant Pro software for advanced presence capabilities.

The Toshiba CIX40 supports in-building 900 MHz and WiFi solutions and IP wireless telephones from outside vendors. Unlike Panasonic’s embedded solution, Toshiba’s wireless implementations require external, third party components such as handsets, gateways, appliances and/or Access Points, an added expense compared to the integrated Panasonic Cell Station card solution. Alternatively, for mobile employees, Toshiba offers several mobile phone options, including Toshiba's SoftIPT softphone that runs on a wired or wireless laptop, PC or PDA, SpectraLink wireless phones and the Symbol (Motorola) MC50 Enterprise Digital Assistant. An IP User Mobility feature incorporates both IP hot desking and automatic log out of a previously in-use device.

Both vendors offer a mobility solution; however, Panasonic provides a complete in-house solution with less equipment and single-vendor support while Toshiba employs outside vendors for wireless adjuncts, handsets and access points, if required. The Panasonic and Toshiba wireless handsets are similarly priced, but when the cost of cards, base stations and other equipment is added the Panasonic wireless solution results in a less expensive cost per user. Further, DECT technology is said to guarantee a higher quality of voice transmission compared to the earlier 900 MHz and also the widespread 802.11 standard and has been growing fast in the North American market.

Telephones

The Panasonic NCP500 supports a variety of analog, digital and IP phones, including Panasonic models and third-party SIP hard/soft phones from a number of manufacturers, including snom, Linksys, Polycom and Grandstream. The compatible KX-TDA0350 IP softphone emulates the KX-NT136 set. Earlier Panasonic proprietary IP phones, digital and electronic phones can also be used. Panasonic’s DECT and 2.4 GHz multi-cell wireless phones, the KX-T7600 digital phones and the KX-T7000 series are also compatible.

Panasonic’s high-end IP phones have some advanced functionality such as self-labeling displays and Bluetooth connectivity. For specific comparison in a new customer sale, consider Panasonic’s KX-NT346 IP Phone versus Toshiba’s IP5122-SD. Both have comparable features and functionality; however, Panasonic IP phones are typically priced 15% lower than similar Toshiba IP sets, and typical Panasonic digital sets are 25% less expensive. Also, businesses focused on improving employee productivity will appreciate Panasonic’s KX-NT366 IP telephone with a flexible, self-labeling display. Each of 48 (12x4) buttons can be labeled on the LCD screen to reflect its function.

The Toshiba CIX40 supports a good selection of digital and IP telephones as well as standard analog phones. Toshiba’s latest IP5000 Series and 5000 Series Digital phones are compatible with the CIX family as are Toshiba’s Soft IPT and a SIP telephone from Uniden (the UIP200 does not have the same feature functionality as Toshiba IPT with MEGACO+ protocol). The system also supports all earlier Toshiba 2000-series, 3000-series and 3200-series digital telephones (including the DKT3207-SD telephone that only works on the CIX40), add-on modules, DSS consoles and CIX attendant consoles. Generic single-line telephones (2500 sets) are compatible. The Strata CIX40 does not support analog electronic telephones (like Toshiba’s 6500-series and 6000-series). The system also supports the earlier IPT2000-series IP phones (but not the IPT1020) and the Toshiba SoftIPT, a softphone that works over a wireless LAN (WLAN) and operates on notebooks, tablet PCs and PDAs.

Toshiba stresses that Strata CIX users can access the same telephony features whether they are using Toshiba analog, digital or IP wired or wireless devices. Some of the newest IP telephones from Toshiba support some advanced functionality for today’s professional, including Gigabit connectivity and an integrated Web browser.

Depending on system size, features and deployment of IP, phones can represent up to 80% of the cost of a new system. Panasonic’s IP telephones are lower-priced and comparably featured to Toshiba’s IP sets. Panasonic offers a much broader line of digital sets at both entry level and mid-featured functionalities.

Call Center

The Panasonic NCP500 includes key functionality for a small call center at no extra cost. An incoming call distribution (ICD) group can provide a small call center with call queuing, wrap-up, member login/logout, distribution to longest idle agent and VIP Calling (can assign priorities to call groups).

Uniform Call Distribution (UCD) distributes calls evenly to the extension following the last extension to answer a call and supports 128 groups with 128 extensions per group. A supervisor display extension can be assigned to monitor call statistics like the number of calls waiting and to change member status. Cellular phones can be part of an ICD group (with a maximum four per group).

For reporting, Panasonic customers can add the KX-NCV200 two-in-one system that combines an ACD Report Server and the KX-TVA200 Voice Processing System, enabling both call center reporting and voice processing in a single system. Reports (agent and group) based on incoming call data, including real-time call information such as extension status, call type and telephone numbers, are displayed to the ACD Report Client Windows-based PC.

The Toshiba CIX40 has an ACD software option via the external Media Application Server that runs ACD call processing and MIS applications (360 agents, 72 extensions). Basic and enhanced features are available, including advanced call routing, skills-based routing, priority queuing, multiple group agent login, call recording, voice assistant ODBC database, text-to-speech and optional MIS interface.

While the Panasonic NCP500 does not support full-featured ACD, an incoming call distribution group (included) provides a small call center with a good complement of functionality at no extra cost. Toshiba’s call center solution, however, requires the external MicroMAS server and optional call center software. Additionally, Panasonic's ACD Report Server can provide performance reporting and voice processing in a single-server system – two important functions in one. Conclusion

Panasonic NCP500 is an integrated and cost-effective telephony solution with the features and functionality most needed by small businesses. With an average street price of $513 for a 15-station NCP500 configuration with all common equipment, eight IP sets, seven digital sets, voicemail and desktop productivity software, Panasonic is about 22% less expensive than a comparable Toshiba solution.

The NCP500 is not only more affordable, with integrated versus server-based functionality for applications like voicemail and desktop productivity, it is also easier for small businesses without dedicated IT personnel to install and maintain. With its greater scalability and investment protection, the Panasonic NCP500 is a safer choice for growing businesses.

Panasonic Telephone Systems

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