What is the Underlying Technology of the Cisco UC320W?
The UC320W is based upon a small Cisco appliance that runs on Linux. The Cisco telephones operate using their proprietary SCCP (skinny) protocol. The system supports SIP Trunking.
What Are the Primary Capabilities of the Cisco UC320W?
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Supports up to 12 analog lines
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Supports eight SIP trunks
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Supports 24 telephones
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Eight ports voicemail, 40 mailboxes and 20 hours of storage
What Are Some Cisco UC320W Strengths?
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Strong brand recognition
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Distributed worldwide
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Integrated wireless access point
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Native SIP Trunking support
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Key system mode
What Are Some Cisco UC320W Weaknesses?
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Only grows to 24 phones
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Limited choice of phones
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No PRI support
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Not popular with resellers
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Low feature set
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Does not support popular Cisco phones, only low-end Linksys phones
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No migration to larger Cisco PBX’s
Who’s the Typical Buyer of a Cisco UC320W?
The Cisco UC320W is a very basic, low-featured telephone system. It would be suited for only the smallest business who has a need to buy Cisco-branded products, but it is not the best small business phone system.
About Cisco
Cisco is a titan in size. The company provides technology products to the world. Cisco has always targeted the enterprise and government sectors. It has had limited success with small to medium-sized businesses. Cisco has a very secure financial position and is sitting on a large pile of cash.
My Opinion on the Cisco UC320W
Frankly, this small business phone system does not fit in with Cisco’s product strategy. A $995 Cisco phone system doesn’t seem plausible and in the real world, it isn’t. The product is quite limited in its feature set. And then there’s the Cisco resellers’ distinct distaste for the product. The vast majority of Cisco resellers do not support customers with 5-20 users, so it’s hard to find someone to sell and install this system. Lastly, Cisco has been rumored to be trying to sell off their small business products division. Cisco makes some wonderful products, but the UC320W phone system is not one of them.
