Small-Business Phone System Ships

Hardware for Response Point, a Microsoft-developed private branch exchange (PBX) solution for small business, began shipping in Nov. 2007 from D-Link. Response Point could interest resellers thanks to voice recognition, ease of administration, and PC integration features that set it apart from competitors in this fragmented market. However, partners should note that the first version lacks integration with Communications Server, casting uncertainty over the product’s future in Microsoft’s voice strategy.

Response Point systems consist of a base station, analog trunk gateway, and handsets, all of which interconnect over an organization’s Ethernet network. Systems also include two software components that run on Windows XP SP2 and Vista PCs—a management console that is installed on the system administrator’s workstation, and software for each user’s desktop that provides on-screen notification of incoming calls (via a small pop-up window) and allows users to upload their Outlook contacts or Windows address book information to the Response Point base station.