NEC Topaz PABX: Small is beautiful

The PABX, the clunky reliable office equipment usually hidden from everyone’s view, gets a technical and aesthetical makeover from NEC Corp.

Short for Private Automatic Branch Exchange, the new PABX systems from NEC called Aspila Topaz and Topaz Lite are smaller than their older kin but can tackle their big jobs, too, if not more.

NEC Philippines executives presided over the media launch of their newest “gems” which are targeted for the small office and home office (SOHO) market. Leonardo Santos, head of the local subsidiary, said NEC serves the technology needs of large corporations but also has its eyes on the SOHO segment, including big residential clients, which is a growth sector.

With the Aspila Topaz series, SOHOs get a scalable system that can grow from three trunks and eight extensions to 27 trunks and 72 extensions. The Lite model, on the other hand, can meet the requirements of SOHOs with three to eight users.

Kathryn Fernandez, NEC Philippines’ networks product manager, said the Topaz PABX models provide fully hybrid ports for the combination of multi-types of terminals such as analog single-line telephones, proprietary keyphones, modems, facsimile, and answering machines, among others. They also support the integration of voice and data through supplementary services from telecom operators.

The Aspila Topaz is worth P25,000 and comes with two digital phones. The Topaz Lite costs P17,900, also with two digital phones.

NEC’s operations in the Philippines date back in the 1960s, but the local subsidiary was only incorporated in January 1996.

Today, it primarily does sales, marketing and services of telecommunications equipment, computers, IP and data networks, and system integration, among others.

NEC Philippines recently launched NECare Center, its 24x7 support center.