However, while initial versions of these products are in trial stages, they have not been proven for high numbers of users. Alcatel is the first to stake that claim, and Cisco and 3Com will have products in the future that compete. 3Com now says its product is only for midsize businesses with less than 500 users. The beauty of an IP PBX is being able to create a distributed system. Alcatel's, 3Com's, Lucent's and Cisco's IP PBXs do not offer these features.
Several vendors offer such appliances.
For example, Vertical Networks' InstantOffice offers call services, voice mail, routing and LAN connect for voice and telecom, for a small to midsize office, all included in the same box and managed together. Also, Praxon's PDX, a modular communications platform, combines voice PBX features with a full complement of data networking, messaging and Internet functions. Interestingly, this other category is not necessarily the smallest. In fact, given the number of insertion points for voice over IP and the options available, it's probably the largest. Lucent, for example, has a line of products that allow the convergence of your existing voice with IP system at different points along the chain.