Tag Archives | nec

NEC’s Advantage

By on May 14, 2012 in Telecom

This week is the NEC Advantage conference in Florida.

NEC actually hosts two back-to-back conferences – the first one is for consultants and dealers, and then comes one for customers. It’s sound logic as they put a significant effort into their exhibit hall and demo setup. This will be my second trip to NEC Advantage.

NEC has a lot of history. It was founded in 1899 and originally worked closely with Western Electric to create Japan’s telecommunications infrastructure. The company is well established as a recognized player in business communications, not just in the US and Japan, but globally. Some studies list NEC as the world’s third-largest telephony vendor, with noted success in both SMB and very large deployments. Key vertical markets include hospitality, education and health care. NEC Americas (NECAM) is the US subsidiary that does communications, and a range of IT products and services from displays to storage.

  • 1899 Nippon Electric Limited Partnership was formed as a joint venture with Western Electric. The first Japanese-US joint venture with foreign capital.
  • 1902 Completes its factory for telephone and switch production.
  • 1904 Begins exporting telephones to China.
  • 1919 Produces first domestic Type 1 common-battery switchboards for long-distance toll calls.
  • 1927 Delivers first domestic-made A-Type automatic PBX to Mitsukoshi Department Store.
  • 1929 Produces domestic A-Type automatic switching system for central telephone office.
  • 1952 Receives Deming Application Prize (first time for company in communications industry).
  • 1953 Produces microwave PTM (Pulse Time Modulation) multiplexing equipment.
  • 1955 Produces first domestic-made XB switching system for PBX. Continue Reading →
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NEC Updates its UC

By on March 30, 2012 in Telecom

NEC has been in the news recently. The company shared its vision for small cell back haul using 60 Ghz radios. It launched new indoor LTE Femtocell base stations for telecom carriers.  It also developed a smartphone solution to gauge the appropriate path for an incoming call. And then developed a .3 mm “organic radical battery” using printing technology.

NEC has completely refined and expanded its UC offering–or more specifically its Unified Communications and Collaboration offering announced this month under the new brand UNIVERGE 3C. They also launched an initiative for Cloud solutions now collectively referred to as UNIVERGE Cloud Services

Prior to 3C, NEC had multiple UC solution sets–its SV8000 appliance series with various add-ons, and a software-based solution known as Sphericall which NEC acquired several years back. These two platforms were largely unrelated–different phones, devices, and certifications. Nor was there a hosted offering. That all changed this month: UNIVERGE 3C is the new brand, and it’s designed for the very small to very large enterprise, with specialized vertical market options. The 3C technology is available as a premises based solution and soon as a hosted option.

Read the rest on NoJitter.

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Word is Getting Out on TalkingPointz

By on January 16, 2012 in TalkingPointz Research

It’s a new brand.   It’s a new concept.

It takes time, but the word is getting out.

TalkingPointz Research reports are independent UC research that can be purchased ad-hoc, without a subscription.

Check out what InsideCTI says.

I like how it starts off with a “Recent Performance” section right after the “Executive Summary.” The reader will understand the currency of the information contained in the report, as well as a peek into the recent financial performance of the vendor…After all, a vendor could be a market leader but running on fumes — and that’s important information to know for any potential customer.

Obviously, the report covers the vendor’s existing product portfolio in detail, SWOT analysis, as well as an interesting “Common Sales Objections” section that any salesperson would find valuable.

But the coolest thing to come out of these reports is Michels’ own TalkingPointz UC Web diagram. Undoubtedly a spark of analyst genius!

The reports were also distributed to all members of the Society of Telecommunications Consultants (STC). The feedback has been very positive and managed to provide new perspective and information even to industry insiders and professionals. These reports are not sponsored and include tips on how to both save money and make the most of a deployment.

Aastra report is progressing, and Lync is next.

Check out these short no-charge summaries:  Mitel and NEC

To purchase reports: click Mitel or NEC.

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Social Blue

By on January 10, 2012 in Telecom

IBM is an impressive company – It has lived through more computational generations than any other. The company doesn’t have the fan base of say an Apple, or the fight evil of Google – but it does have impressive credentials with enterprise computing.  Next week, in Orlando, is LotusSphere. It’s a huge event that takes over the Swan and Dolphin complex.

IBM marches to the beat of its own UC drum. It offers Sametime, a presence solution sans voice. Sametime is positioned as a front-end to the call manager and has developed supported partnerships with multiple premises based voice vendors and Broadsoft.

While the lack of direct voice technology may seem a major omission, there is some logic to it. Basically, IBM figures voice is a commodity and can and should be provided by whatever is cheapest, installed, or architecturally aligned. By using Sametime as the front-end (softphone, phone control, dialing, etc.) an enterprise can achieve a consistent user experience without having to rip and replace lots of equipment. This approach adds some unusual challenges. For one, partnerships change. IBM has featured both Digium and Mitel as partners in the past which don’t seem to be viable current partnerships. Another factor is competitors don’t make the best partners – Avaya, ShoreTel, and Cisco may integrate with Sametime, but all have their own ideas about collaboration and mobility.

IBM Foundations was an attempt to create an SMB appliance ready to go with Sametime and voice from NEC, ShoreTel, or Mitel. The product was discontinued in 2010 before it got much traction. There were numerous problems – SMB didn’t make a lot of sense for the target, and channel conflicts were a problem. Foundations had already displaced IBM’s SmartCube which featured an Asterisk voice solution from Digium. IBM has a very spotty track record when it comes to voice. Continue Reading →

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Cisco and Avaya Leaders Again

By on January 5, 2012 in Telecom

Cisco and Avaya were once again identified as industry leaders. This time, by a new IDC worldwide unified communications Marketscape report. The report claims to use a “rigorous scoring methodology that produces a definititive assessment of each vendro’s current market capabilities and stategies.”

IDC placed Cisco and Avaya in the Leaders category for 2011/2012 with several others, including Microsoft, Alcatel-Lucent (ALU), Siemens, NEC, IBM, and ShoreTel, recognized as Major Players. The report also evaluated Aastra, Digium, Huawei, and Interactive Intelligence – which evidently are not “major players.” That seems like a slippery slope as all of those four have compelling value propositions of their own.

Additional findings from the report include: Continue Reading →

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Industry Update

By on November 18, 2011 in Telecom
The iPhone and iPad have broken more records than the iPod did CDs. Microsoft buying Skype was a game changer, but the new game remains a mystery. Here is the current industry round-up. Read it quickly as things are changing fast. Continue Reading →
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Conference Update

By on August 11, 2011 in Telecom

Telecom and UC, VoiP, telephony, or whatever term you choose to describe the convergence, concentration, and diversification of real time communications is indeed in a state of transition, transformation, disruption or whatever term you prefer to use to describe explosion.

There is lots of stuff taking place – partners becoming competitors, technology life cycles condensing, mobility changing everything, social networking consternation, and so on. Plenty of things to blog and write about and I am working on it. More on that later.
But I think there are some clear patterns emerging just from three recent conferences, which I posted at NoJitter.

UC What I See? Provides a view into the recent conferences by NEC, Mitel, and ShoreTel.

What I likey:
NEC: NEC is a big ship that is turning quickly – and I’m not talking about the NEC parent organization with revenues of nearly $40 B, but I am talking about a product portfolio that serves from the very small to very large with everyone in between around the globe.  I’ve been critical of NEC for taking too long to put Sphericall on its front burner, but that is clearly about to change with gusto. NEC has a deep heritage in both telephony and computing – it is evident in Sphericall which will likely complement CIOs strategies broader than UC.
Mitel: Mitel is crystallizing its go to market strategy from just right for anyone to perfect for users with advanced and specific needs around virtualization and mobility. Product focus is on MCD and 5000 though none of the other platforms have been discontinued (yet). I think this focus will help the company and its resellers more clearly communicate Mitel’s value proposition. The big club Mitel has in its bag is the heavy lifting is done, I would expect to see its R&D; commitment to shrink or hold while its marketing and sales efforts increase. This is not the case for many of its competitors. Mitel also has three cloud strategies in play – that’s three more than most of the players coming from CPE voice.
ShoreTel is proving two things: That strong demand remains for VoIP and the complexities associated with UC are likely hurting competitors. ShoreTel has its eye on UC, which is a challenge as its so busy counting sales of VoIP. ShoreTel’s commitment to simplicity makes it easy for channel partners to prospect, sell, implement and support while competitors are still working up the quote.
Things I don’t like:
While the above are specifically attributed to each vendor, what follows is much more broad and based on numerous conversations and observations.

  • The channel is is the big battle ground. UC is too complex for direct sales. UC requires a trusted advisor to pull it all together, and it seems pretty clear that a lot of the pre-existing voice resellers are not going to make the transition.
  • Virtualization is moving from optional to mandatory. I did a separate post on virtualization at UCStrategies here with the point that not all vendors that check this box mean the same thing.
  • Hosted voice and hybrid models are coming, but there is still some confusion around not only what customers may actually need or want, but how they would like to purchase it.
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Is That A Tablet In Your Pocket, or…?

By on July 12, 2011 in Telecom

My problem with tablets is they don’t replace anything. My smartphone replaced a lot of things, my laptop replaced my desktop. My Kindle replaces lots of books. From what I see, tablets don’t replace anything. They are a new device joining the primal fight for airport power outlets.

They do seem kind of fun. On planes I sometimes watch videos on my laptop, and it would be nice to have something smaller – the keyboard gets in the way. My smartphone can play videos, but that is too small. A tablet looks just right. Tablets, or at least the iPad, are clearly popular and people seem to love them.
Apple is rumored to release the iPad 3 in time for holiday shopping. Feel free to get me one. The main thing holding me back is principle – I don’t like iTunes and refuse to get any more devices that require I install it (don’t tell me about the post PC era until a tablet doesn’t require one).
Will the tablet replace the enterprise phone? In my recent post on the future of the phone, I ignored tablets. I don’t really know what to make of them yet.  Jon Arnold seems pretty enamored with the Cius, but I don’t see why on the surface. I see potential based on business applications or processes, but right now my tools are more optimized for a smartphone or notebook. The Avaya Desktop Video Device with the Flare Experience is larger, nice full screen display – but the description won’t fit in the space on the purchase order form. I really like my Samsung smartphone and believe the Galaxy tab could nail it as a general purpose workhorse, but there’s a realistic chance Apple will shut down that business. If apps are not important, then the RIM Playbook or HP TouchPad could be the ticket.
Cisco, Avaya, Samsung, RIM, HP, and Apple all believe the tablet is destined for the enterprise as a mobile video, email, application savvy, portable, communications thingy. For this to happen, it will take an ROI. Increased productivity could do it alone, but eliminating a device such as a desktop phone makes it a stupid easy justification. The big question is does it make sense?

I see two major barriers. Easy to overcome.

Coverage: Wireless devices suffer from coverage issues. 3G, 4G, wi-fi, whatever, same ol story. The answer is a wired connection as an option. Not widely supported for reasons I don’t get. Ethernet jacks are thicker than most tablets, so that means pigtail, X-Jack, or docking station. (anyone remember the X-Jack on PCMCIA modems?). Power and signal coverage are recurring problematic themes for wireless devices – a dock solves both. One lawsuit of an employee unable to dial 911 is all it takes.

Kiosk mode is handy too. Desk phones can be used by anyone. Cell phones and tablets have so much personal information that a password is prudent. Cell phones allow 911 without a password, but an enterprise desk phone really should allow internal dialing without a password.

There is also a form factor thing to consider. The tablet needs to be propped on the desk so the owner can see it (and show it off to everyone else). Accessories such as a handsets, keyboards, quality external speakers, and so on need to be available, but this area seems under control. These accessories need to be easily reallocated as needs change. Tablets are more breakable and easier to lose than a desktop phone. Probably should have an RFID chip installed, but that seems more reasonable as a customer added accessory.

At the recent NEC Advantage conference, a proof of concept tablet docked phone was demonstrated that used a telephone base as a tablet dock. The phone could still receive calls without the tablet, but had no display or keypad in this mode. The tablet effectively runs the same soft phone client as one the desktop, NEC uses RIA technology so the porting of applications between devices is fairly simple. This is a great concept and I hope to see it come to market. Tablet makers would do themselves a favor if they could standardize on a basic dock connector, but don’t hold your breath.

Kudos to companies that have figured out how to include the tablets with collaboration tools – such as shared PowerPoints and desktops. SEN and RADVISION have solutions on an iPad, very impressive. Love the fact on RADVISION I can control the deck. Avaya and Cisco have built this into their devices as well.

Evidently Microsoft intends to address this market with Windows 8. That will be interesting – a mainstream OS that works on a desktop or tablet could be very powerful. Clearly an interesting space to watch, but for now I’m keeping my desktop phone.

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World’s Collide: Phones and Home Automation

By on June 23, 2011 in Telecom

A Man’s home is his castle laboratory. My last post was about phones needing more apps – and here is a great one for the home.

There are two things I believe every home should have – home automation and a PBX. However, my opinion (in this case) does not reflect the opinion of the majority. Both resi-PBX systems and home automation rise and fall in popularity, but never penetrate the mainstream.

My home automation system is produced by HAI. It has sensors and control over numerous items in my home. Many of its tasks are fully automated or triggered by events such as ‘sunset’, Some activities require manual control such as the music system.

System control is done through a wall unit, a desktop computer, or a cell phone app. Recently, HAI and NEC announced an integration that enables phones on the NEC DSX phone system. This means that room phones can act as control units. Genius.

The DSX system seems reasonably appropriate as a resi-PBX. The DSX is a digital key system with optional IP capabilities. It is more reasonable as a resi-PBX than my Digium Switchvox SMB UC solution which is way over-the-top for a home. Home users don’t really need much in a phone system – key-system line appearances, paging, intercom, and simple non unified voice mail will meet most residential requirements.

As much as I like a PBX in the home, the PBX vendors and dealers aren’t so sure. Homeowners are terrible PBX customers because they don’t really value features and aren’t likely to pay for maintenance or buy high-end phones and options. Resi-PBX sales boil down to price. Factor in surprises with resi-wiring, difficult access to wires, and higher liabilities and you can see why dealers too generally avoid the resi-market.

For NEC dealers, this integration may not be compelling enough to get into home automation. Althought it would be nice to to sell in that market not based on price alone, I don’t get the impression the DSX is very strategic for NEC. It didn’t come up at the recent NEC Advantage conference. Most likely ongoing DSX sales are not  targeted to NEC Unified’s primary channel. Although I am sure some dealers will find it a natural extension of their business from SMB.

Now for the home automation dealer the integration represents a much stronger opportunity. They are already in the home and dealing with the wiring. Phone systems are expensive, but so are control panels. An automation dealer can up-sell a phone system and deliver significant value with it (a controller in every room, with paging, intercom, and voice calling!). These dealers are not telephony oriented, so a basic key system digital solution is a good channel fit.
Home automation on a phonetop makes a lot of sense. The next stage of evolution should be a more universal approach via an IP phone’s browser – subsequently followed by an hosted offering. The hosted offering would be just the interface – the controller would remain in the home.
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Upcoming Conference: NEC’s Consultant Symposium

By on April 18, 2011 in Telecom

NEC is holding their Consultant Symposium in Florida this May and intends to cover these topics:

  • The New UC&C; Architecture
  • NEC’s Vision and Strategy for 2011
  • Business and Technology Trends
  • Competitive Landscape and NEC’s Positioning
  • UC&C; and NEC’s Partner Technologies in Action in the Exhibit Area

I think NEC is a very intriguing company. They were a bit slow to transition from TDM to VoIP, but has been gradually upping its game and getting ready for a full on attack with a reasonably broad and comprehensive portfolio.

I recently had a chat with David Jantz of NEC about their UC & C architecture. You can hear/view it here.

The key to NEC’s strategy has been its super secret Sperhicall acquisition of 2007. Of course, it isn’t a secret, but no one at NEC ever talked about it. Until recently. Like most of the PBX makers, NEC has a long history with hardware – but Sphericall is a pure software play. It has some pretty impressive capabilities, is fully buzzword compliant, and in a big way represents both NEC’s future as a telecom/UC vendor and its immediate UC & C product line.

Sphericall was poised nicely with IBM’s Foundations server. The product ran in a virtual container on the Foundations appliance and didn’t require any special hardware as the ShoreTel implementation did. But IBM killed Foundations just prior to the launch of the NEC branded solution.

NEC has a huge base and a reasonable channel – though its channel is very segregated among not only its telephony solutions, but its entire portfolio. If that’s not confusing enough, chew on this: the company is also a major reseller of Cisco’s voice solutions.

The company has been popping up lately with more and more innovative solutions. At Enterprise Connect the NEC reps were sporting tiny wearable phones and were showing off a new web client.
NEC-DectThe tiny phones can be watch or pendant style and can receive text messages. Ideal for say healthcare or security where you can send updates/instructions to staff without requiring them to talk or even touch (watch style) the device. These little devices use DECT wireless technology which means low power consumption, crystal clear comms, and great range.

NEC’s new UC&C; RIA client framework fits into existing secure web architectures, and can be deployed across multiple device types (including desktop, smartphone, or a tablet). It utilizes a Java application framework and the latest Flash-based technology. This approach does not require a fat UC client application.

NEC’s new software architecture is part of NEC’s UNIVERGE family of products. It is a distributed IT services platform that operates on general-purpose infrastructure, provides open standards, and aligns with existing IT virtualization, cloud computing, security methods, directory structures, and application delivery models with easy operation and management.
Looking forward to the event.

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