Polycom versus Avaya B series conference phones 7

[Rhinorhino]

I've always used the Polycom wired and wireless over the years never tried the Avaya B series for the IP Office.

What's everyone's experience and thoughts on one or the other?

 

[IPOTS]

They are basically the same rebranded Polycom with the Avaya Name if I remember correctly, the Polycom requires a 3rd party endpoint license and the B Series uses an Avaya Endpoint.

https://ipoffice-techsolutions.com/

 

[gwebster]

B series are not rebranded Polycom. They are co-developed by Konftel which was acquired by Avaya in 2011.

 

[Nortel4Ever]

Most B series have been discontinued except for the top end B189. You will have to go with Polycom for an analog conference phone.

 

[sizbut]

End of sale by Avaya doesn't mean you can't get them. Personally I have a B129, B169 and B199 floating around my office.

- The B129 is attached to my PC as a USB device, and so working with Avaya Workplace as the app for making/answering calls.

- The B169 and B199 are on my IP Office test rigs. The display on the B199 and its related app are a bit gimmicky and don't really give you that much. The dockable charging plate of the B169 is very nice, can move the speaker around when in use and then park it in the corner to charge when idle.

They all have the same Knoftel hallmark of solid build quality and good audio (which are after all the base requirements that you want from conference phones). I would be sorely annoyed to lose the B129 and have to go back to a PC headset or the PC speakers.

Whilst in the area of former Avaya kit from the Knoftel marque, I also have an HC020 video camera on my PC and it kicks any other PC camera I've meet into touch. You can still find them for sale, they still seem pricey, but you are getting good value for money in my opinion. I also have a CU360 but that's a very different tale (excellent hardware scuppered by the enforced software).

Stuck in a never ending cycle of file copying.

 

[ipohead]

According to the compatibility matrix the B189 isn't compatible with IP Office and is for Communication Manager

 

[gwebster]

It is the SIP B199 that is still available.

https://support.avaya.com/css/public/documents/101086107

 

[Nortel4Ever]

@ipohead and @gwebster - I stand corrected, thank you for catching that.

 

[Desmisclvlv]

Is there a replacement Avaya conference phone?

 

[gwebster]

Avaya still sells the SIP B199.

If you are in Europe, you can probably buy analog/DECT models directly from Konftel.

 

[Shaun E]

@gwebster - can also confirm that the Konftel 300Wx DECT model works just fine with the Avaya DECT R4.

 

[T.Neugebauer]

@Shaun E.
Can you tell me which software you use for the Konftel 300Wx?

I have the following versions.
Dectsystem version 11.10.3
300Wx – Firmware 937 // Version 2.0.10

The 300Wx cannot be registered in the Dect system.
I'll try the AC and the 3rd Party Park

What am I doing wrong?
Many thanks for the support.

 

[Shaun E]

@T.Neugebauer apologies for the delay - I missed your reply.

300Wx is rev 2.02
DECT R4 is 11.5.11.
IP Office is 11.1 but this config has been in place since 9.1.

I just did a factory reset of the 300Wx and it worked first go (you must use the 3rd party PARK). In Settings -> DECT you also need to set PARK to Enabled.

Here you can see it registered in the DECT R4 interface.