Kerio upgrades its Operator IP PBX solution for SMBs

Unified communications software specialist Kerio Technologies rolled out the first update of its six-month-old IP PBX phone system, Operator, a VoIP solution aimed at SMBs.

The company dipped its toe in the water earlier this year and has spent the last few months educating its partners on the merits of Operator. Operator 1.1 is a solution for small and medium businesses that has the features of an enterprise--along with some strong security features. The company is counting on it to score with companies in the five to 150 user range.

Kerio's VP of business development, James Gudeli, told FierceEnterpriseCommunications that Operator 1.1 is more secure, flexible and easier to set up and deploy than other services. And, he said, it's a product driven by the demands of its channel partners.

"A small amount, about 15 percent, already are doing VoIP," he said. "And they're looking for cheaper, better products than are out there, which often are outdated and complicated to provision. We wanted to give them a product that stands up to Kerio's tradition of simplicity, security and value, and we believe we have that with Operator 1.1"

The system is designed to improve voice communications, control costs and to keep users stay connected anywhere. It also was designed to be simple for both the employee and the IT administrator. Kerio Operator utilizes the industry-standard SIP VoIP protocol, is compatible with any IP Phone and SIP provider and will auto-configure with many popular phones.

Security also is a mainstay of the system, especially since VoIP has a reputation of being prone to security lapses. Kerio incorporated enhanced security mechanisms into the system, including dynamic protection against password guessing and the ability to monitor and address abnormal use of any extension within the system.

"The system can detect anomalous behavior and is flexible enough so an administrator can either block it outright or simply be notified of a problem," Gudeli said.

Kerio Operator 1.1 is available as a software appliance, with its own security-hardened operating system, as well as a VMware virtual appliance, allowing for rapid production or evaluation deployment on standard PC hardware. Kerio's standalone hardware appliance, the Kerio Operator Box, is available in select countries and comes in two models: the desktop Kerio Operator Box 1210, which handles up to 40 concurrent calls, and the 1U rack-mountable Kerio Operator Box 3210, which supports up to 150 concurrent calls.

Kerio Operator 1.1 pricing starts at $600 for a 5-user server license. The Kerio Operator Box 1210 with a 20-user license costs $2,000; the 3210 with a 40-user license costs $3,000. Additional user licenses are $24 each.

For more:
- see this release
- see the TMCNews article