NEC SL1100 Review – The VoIP Solution Which Puts Small Business First

NEC SL1100 IP-PBX Review

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NEC SL1100
Unified CommunicationsUnified Communications Reviews

Published: April 5, 2017

Ian Taylor Editor

Ian Taylor

Editor

While most of the attention of the telecoms industry seems to be focused on developing the most feature rich, scalable, all singing, all dancing integrated communications solutions possible, sometimes don’t we need to sit back and ask – what about the little guy?

Here are some interesting statistics for you – at the start of 2016, small businesses accounted for a staggering 99.3 per cent of UK registered private businesses, employing 60 per cent of the private sector workforce.

Some of these small businesses are no doubt ambitious, entrepreneurial set ups with aspirations to grow one day into the mid-market and beyond, and want IT and comms systems which will grow with them.

But a majority are not. Small retailers, local hospitality outfits, sole traders and micro-businesses make up a huge chunk of the UK economy. They may never need more than 10 telephone endpoints, they do not have multiple branches to link, they have no need for sophisticated contact centre management and analytics software as their call traffic is just not high enough.

This is a huge market for UC vendors. A market which seeks straightforward deployment, ease of use, reliability and cost effectiveness from its communications solutions.

Enter the NEC SL1100 platform. An on premises PBX and UC server aimed squarely at the end of the SME market, its Japanese manufacturer positions the SL1100 as a straightforward IP telephony solution that offers enterprise quality for small business needs. With a pay-for-what-you-need licensing system, it also promises better value by allowing customers to budget smartly for their core communications requirements.

In this review, we will ask whether a small business solution means cutting corners on features and quality, or whether the SL1100 delivers on its promise to meet small business needs with a high quality offering.

As always, please remember that UC Today is entirely independent and plays no role in endorsing or promoting and particular product or brand. Our reviews are intended only to provide our readers with useful information when making their purchasing decisions.

How Does It Look?

The main SL1100 server unit comes in a 15” mountable chassis with a total of 56 inbuilt ports and two expansion card slots, plus a LAN Ethernet Port (10/100 Mbit interface), 1 external backup battery connector and a total of 3 audio mini jack outputs for connecting paging systems or external music sources.

The main server can be linked with up to two stackable expansion units. These are similar in appearance to the main unit, but they do not include the CPU or software installations.

What Can It Do?

As a PBX server, the SL1100 is a highly flexible hybrid solution offering IP, analogue and digital telephone extensions. It provides access to SIP trunking but also supports legacy connections such as PSTN and Basic and Primary ISDN. This gives customers the freedom to keep using existing systems for as long as they want, and start updating systems as and when they choose.

There are a maximum of 40 extensions supported on a single server, rising up to 100 with the maximum of two additional expansion units. There are a total of 16 SIP trunk ports available, and 12 analogue and ISDN trunks per unit.

There are three telephone handsets available in the SL1100 range as standard, a 12 and 24 key digital option plus a 24 key IP telephone. There is also the option to bundle in one of two wireless DECT telephones and a DSS desktop unit with 60 programmable keys.

Voicemail and auto attendant are included in the purchase price. The InMail voicemail system includes notifications to your desktop phone, mobile and email, plus a call record feature for tracking important conversations. The auto attendant is a great feature for small businesses which may have to leave business premises un-staffed for periods of time, with up to eight programmable modes for setting call responses.

Other features and applications are offered on a flexible licensing basis so customers only have to pay for what they need. All apps are managed via NEC’s SL Desktop Suite, an integrated UC software platform with an easy to use GUI interface. Key features of the desktop suite include the option to manage calls from a PC screen via the SL Desktop Softphone and straightforward system configuration and management without having to get an engineer out.

The suite also features a 16 party dial-in conference bridge and easy integration with Microsoft Outlook, providing access to contacts and allowing calls to be made from within emails.

The SL1100 system supports mobility in a number of ways. Once downloaded onto a laptop, the Desktop Suite softphone can be used from anywhere via IP networking, giving you full access to the business telephone network over an internet connection. The Mobile Extension option means a business number can be used from anywhere on a mobile phone, providing access to features like voicemail, caller ID and call transfer as well.

In addition, the SL1100 uMobility Wi-Fi client turns a smartphone into a SIP station, linking a mobile into the system via Wi-Fi. This gives access to the full range of business network features.

What do we like?

With the SL1100, NEC really has gone the extra mile to think about what matters most to smaller businesses. Bundling in voicemail and auto attendant for no extra cost is a good example, as these are the sort of things the smallest business are likely to get the most out of. Similarly, integration with Microsoft Outlook will save small businesses huge amounts of time creating contacts lists, and the ability to dial out from emails is an example of how user friendly the desktop suite and smartphone are.

There are also some other quirkier little touches which demonstrate the depth of thought that has gone into this product. It comes with a hotel/motel room to reception exchange system ready to go, making it an ideal option for small businesses in the hospitality industry. There is also an access control system built in which can be distributed to any phone, including mobiles. So if someone presses the front door intercom and no one is front of house, a member of staff can still pick it up whether they are in the back office or out and about.

Who is it for?

This does what it says on the tin – a VOIP system server for the smaller end of the SME market. With only 40 extensions supported on a standard one server installation, there is no great room for scaling upwards, but the features available, the flexibility of the licensing system and the ease of deployment are all very much geared towards meeting the needs of the massive small business market.

What is it compatible with?

The SL Desktop Suite links in with Microsoft Outlook to share contacts and allow calls to be made from within emails. There is also optional Integration with third party CRM Systems such as Salesforce, Time Matters, Tiger Paw, Gold Mine and ACT!.

Review Sponsored by UK Distributor

Trust Distribution

NEC’s UK Distributor for NEC SL1100

UC Today Opinion

Hail to those that champion the smaller business, we say, and all power to NEC for doing so with the SL1100. What can be forgotten when talking about the ‘SME market’ is that there are sometimes huge differences in communications needs between a business of 250 employees and a business of five. The SL1100 is a great bid to redress that imbalance.

Of course, the market is awash with entry level communications products, and these are what tend to be rather patronisingly considered ‘small business products’. The SL1100 does not fit into that category. In terms of ease of deployment, the option to control costs through the application licensing system and the no frills focus on core services, it appeals to a small business owner’s eagle eye for value.

But in terms of what it actually delivers, the flexibility, the mobility options, the ready made solutions for small business demands, it offers top quality.

Are you a small business owner which runs the NEC SL1100? Or a reseller marketing it to UK customers? What are your thoughts? What feedback do you get on how it meets small business needs? We’d love to get your angle, so please add any opinions you have to the comments section below. And feel free to share this article with friends and colleagues to widen the conversation further.

DECTHybrid WorkMobilitySmall Business
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