Panasonic Rolls Out New Series of Corded SIP Phones

By Beecher Tuttle
TMCnet Contributor

Panasonic broadened its portfolio of business-centric solutions recently by launching a new line of corded desktop SIP phones for the small and mid-size business sector.

The new models, dubbed the UT Series, will provide end users with all of the next-generation communication features associated with IP telephony, and at an extremely competitive price.

Panasonic's corded SIP phones are exceptionally flexible and scalable, and are interoperable with a wide range of SIP-based IP PBX platforms and Hosted Service Providers. Certified by BroadSoft on Broadworks and Digium's Asterisk, each of the four new models includes support for Power over Ethernet and high definition audio (G.722 codec).

The cost savings associated with routing the calls over the Web is further supplemented by the SIP phones' low power consumption. When not in use, the phones fall into Eco mode and draw less than one watt of power.

"The benefits of a standards-based approach, such as with SIP phones, are especially compelling in today's business environment where every dollar counts and flexibility and reuse are highly desirable," Bill Taylor (News - Alert), president of Panasonic System Networks Company of America, noted in a statement.

"Panasonic's SIP phones are designed to be expandable at no additional cost, without sacrificing quality," he added. "Our phones are also easily provisioned and interoperable, allowing the customer to expand their communication capabilities as their needs grow."

By launching the four phones, KX-UT136-B, KX-UT133-B, KX-UT123-B and KX-UT113-B, Panasonic is adding to its established line of cordless SIP models, which provide similar functionality and support.

The KX-UT123-B and KX-UT113-B models are the line's two most competitively priced desktop phones. Each model sports a three-line LCD display and is accompanied by a two-year limited warranty. The KX-UT113 is equipped with one Ethernet port, while the KX-UT123 has an additional port and a backlit graphical display. Both models include a comprehensive phone book and support for multi-party conferencing, among other features.

Panasonic's most advanced corded SIP phones – the KX-UT136-B and the KX-UT133-B – each contain 24 programmable feature/functionality keys and two Ethernet ports for connecting a secondary device. The KX-UT133-B boasts a three-line backlit graphical LCD display, while the KX-UT136-B is loaded with a six-line backlit LCD.

All four models can be easily configured and provisioned to grow with a company's needs. In addition to being extremely user friendly, the SIP phones provide industry-leading voice quality and bandwidth utilization.

Beecher Tuttle is a TMCnet contributor. He has extensive experience writing and editing for print publications and online news websites. He has specialized in a variety of industries, including health care technology, politics and education. To read more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.