Mitel Networks` 3300 ICP voted 'Best of the Best in Test` by Miercom

Based on comparative tests of leading IP-PBX systems, Mitel Networks` 3300 Integrated Communications Platform (ICP) led the competition in advanced features and received a "Best of the Best in Test" citation for its 5140 IP Appliance. The tests were conducted by Miercom, a leading independent product test centre.

Mitel Networks entered its Integrated Communications Platform (ICP) in a competitive test of IP-PBXs supporting less than 1 000 stations. Testing was based on a methodology and test-bed that were developed by Miercom. The tests were conducted by Miercom engineers at the company`s testing facility in Princeton Junction, NJ. The goal of testing was to evaluate how well the Mitel 3300 ICP fared in four categories: basic features, advanced features, management and performance. Testing was completed with version 3.2 firmware (October 2002).

Among seven IP PBX`s supporting < 1 000 stations tested recently by Miercom, the 3300 ICP received a "Best of the Best in Test" citation for its advanced features from Business Communications Review (BCR), which co-sponsored the tests. Miercom also noted that the Mitel 5140 Appliance is still the best IP phone tested to date.

The Mitel 3300 ICP delivered "toll-quality" interactive voice quality and acceptable one-way latency in performance tests. When tested IP phone-to-IP phone on a LAN using G.711 vocoding, the Mitel 3300 ICP scored a 4.6 for voice quality. The 3300 ICP achieved a 4.3 voice-quality rating when tested IP phone-to-IP phone over a WAN using a G.729a vocoder.

Both scores are rated "toll-quality," which indicates that the voice quality is acceptable for all telephony applications and a suitable replacement for TDM. Tests using G.729a vocoding were conducted using voice activity detection (VAD).

Latency measurements on the 3300 ICP were well within acceptable ranges for good voice quality. (Voice quality begins to degrade slightly at latencies above 100 milliseconds.) An average one-way latency, conducted IP phone-to-IP phone on the same LAN with G.711 vocoding, was 81 milliseconds (ms). One-way latency, IP phone-to-IP phone over a WAN using G.729a vocoding, was 85ms. Neither latency had any negative effect on interactive voice quality.

The Mitel 3300 ICP had the highest score for basic features, a "90", which was shared with two other vendors - all of whom supported 88% of 38 basic station features tested for, ranging from call hold and call forwarding to whisper page. While it may seem axiomatic that IP-PBX`s support basic station features that end-users have come to expect on business telephones, that is not always the case. Support for 88% of them is notable.

Mitel led the competition in the advanced features category in which its 5140 IP Appliance was judged the best IP phone Miercom has reviewed to date. Testers cited the 5140`s ability to send and receive text messages to other Mitel system clients, its ability to display HTML pages and GIF images on its large, 320 x 240-pixel display and its infrared port for PDA integration. Also noted was the 5700 Voice First Application that combines a Mitel IP phone, a 5750 Desktop Video Appliance and a desktop application to deliver video conferencing to the station.

Another noteworthy feature is the IP Console 5550, an application that effectively "morphs" a PC into an attendant console. A specialised attendant phone handles the voice path, while call-handling tasks are completed through the application on a PC monitor.

Mitel also demonstrated its Symbol MiNet Wireless Phone, developed in partnership with Symbol Technologies. Using any wireless access point, a Mitel-branded Symbol Spectrum24 wireless phone can be used for IEEE 802.11(b)-based access to the Mitel 3300 ICP. The Mitel 3300 ICP was among the most competitively priced IP-PBX`s tested.

The Mitel Networks 3300 ICP is managed through the 3300 System Administrator (version 3.2 was tested), a Java-based Web interface served by GoAhead directly from the 3300 ICP. The frames-based Web interface is clean and well organised in an intuitive tree structure. Management Mitel also demonstrated its Symbol MiNet Wireless Phone, developed in partnership with Symbol Technologies. Using any wireless access point, a Mitel-branded Symbol Spectrum24 wireless phone can be used for IEEE 802.11(b)-based access to the Mitel 3300 ICP. The Mitel 3300 ICP was among the most competitively priced IP-PBX`s tested. Management strengths include useful real-time statistics, which are available through a command-line interface and manually refreshed.

The OPS Manager, which is provided on a separate server with Java-based interface, supports a powerful moves, adds and changes function and allows administrators to manage a single site, cluster and/or network of 3300 ICPs, and SX-2000 TDM PBXs in a cohesive network.

Miercom testers said the Mitel Networks offering was still the best IP phone they`ve seen to date. They said Mitel`s array of advanced features was notably diverse, offering product combinations, for example, that deliver video conferencing to a Mitel IP-phone. The 3300 ICP also supported 88% of basic features, which is comparatively very good.

In the unanimous opinion of the testers, "the Mitel Networks 3300 Integrated Communications Platform IP-PBX fully meets the expectations and requirements of the target user community for which it was designed and is hereby presented the 'NetWORKS As Advertised` award".

Full results of the test were published in the February 2003 issue of BCR (www.bcr.com).