Future of 3CX

[richardwilliams]

How does everyone think the future of 3CX will be affected by the recent introduction by grandstream of their new PBX's, the Grandstream UCM6102 IP PBX, Grandstream UCM6104 IP PBX, Grandstream UCM6108 IP PBX and Grandstream UCM6116 IP PBX

In the UK they are available for under £300 including VAT on the entry level model. This gives you a vast array of features with up to 30 consecutive calls on the entry level PBX. All this and the fact that it comes with its own hardware so no need for a computer and operating system to run the PBX on. Alsos includes two PSTN Line FXO so no need for additional hardware to link your current fixed lines into the system.

Can 3CX keep the current business model with very limited consecutive calls (4) at a price point of over £350 given all the other disadvantages in set up and additional hardware. In simple power consumption costs I wonder how cost effective a PC / Server can be against an all in appliance.

Of course it remains to be seen if the units are reliable in the long term but you would think a grandstream product should be OK. I remember reading a post on this forum from someone who said if anyone put a decent understandable interface on Asterisk then it would be a big blow to other SMB PBX suppliers and it looks like grandstream might actually have done this now.

It looks like this product will drive the costs of small PBX's down quite a considerable amount, how much do think 3CX will be able sell an entry level license for and still be competitive.

 

[leejor]

One question that you have to ask, when investigating a small(er) system, is....what happens when/if we outgrow it?

With 3CX there is no limit to growth other than the capacity of the server. Any hardware that you currently use can be re-used in the future, adding only what is necessary, as needed.

 

[jpillow]

I actually was attracted to the flexibiity of being able to pick and chose different hardware vendors, I've discovered this to be a huge boon with our clients. As Leejor stated if they grow you are stuck having to upgrade the entire system as opposed to adding just a gateway etc...... i've found 3cx to be a solid soution and have staked the future of our ip pbx business on it

 

[bardissi]

I think you need to also take into account the fact that these smaller cheap PBX's a lot of the time are a flash in the pan.

Examples:

Microsoft Response Point
Snom PBX
Granstream - 3rd go around

Would your customers be happy if they make an investment and then the product is discontinued?

 

[paul.hadley]

Some interesting points.

What happens if you out grow it.

Well I guess if I have read the specs correctly with 500 extensions and 30 calls available on an entry level device you have plenty of room for expansion.

The flexibility of being able to pick and chose different hardware vendors

Isn't the point of the product that you don't have to choose a hardware vendor, it all comes in one package

Smaller cheap PBX's a lot of the time are a flash in the pan

A fair comment, SNOM One appears to still be going although it appears not with SNOM anymore but Microsoft obviously did a pretty poor job and died, but then that is not unknown for them, their SBS range appears to be dead as well. As regards Grandstream their old range of PBXs seemed popular, I have set a couple up without any problems. They seemed to drop the product when they went with 3CX as a partner and now that looks dead. Probably not a good idea to write the product off just yet, it is Asterisk based and that is definitely not a flash in the pan.

Having said that from reviews I have read they have some security issues to deal with before the product becomes genuinely viable.

But price will be a major factor

Half decent server £550
Two SPA 3102 for PSTN £100
One PAP2 for Analog / Fax £40
One 4 calls 3CX Licence £350

Total System £1040 for four calls max
Plus upgrades after one year and the costs of a specialist to install and configure it all on your site.

One Grandstream all in one PBX £300 for 30 calls max
Life time upgrades and probably could be sent out pre configured to just "Plug and Go"

Quite a price difference and that's before considering operating costs like power consumption. I can't believe it will consume power like a server and all the separate boxes, and thats a factor on more and more peoples minds today.

Its seems to me that unless the product turns out to be a lemon, and we don't know yet, others have tried and failed, its going to make a big difference to the price a PBX can be sold for, and if it proves simple enough for end users to set up also a big difference to the install and after market business. Grandstream describe it as market disruptive, and if it works it certainly will be.

 

[bardissi]

The flexibility of being able to pick and chose different hardware vendors

Isn't the point of the product that you don't have to choose a hardware vendor, it all comes in one package

I don't agree. Most of our prospects want to know that if they don't like the system they don't have to re-purchase new equipment to go elsewhere. Being able to select from a main line of equipment vendors like Cisco, Polycom, Yealink, etc is what they want.

Smaller cheap PBX's a lot of the time are a flash in the pan

A fair comment, SNOM One appears to still be going although it appears not with SNOM anymore but Microsoft obviously did a pretty poor job and died, but then that is not unknown for them, their SBS range appears to be dead as well. As regards Grandstream their old range of PBXs seemed popular, I have set a couple up without any problems. They seemed to drop the product when they went with 3CX as a partner and now that looks dead. Probably not a good idea to write the product off just yet, it is Asterisk based and that is definitely not a flash in the pan.

Most of the smaller based pbx's are based on Asterix and FreePbx. We are just not going through a conversion of 18,000 extension from another PBX (proprietary) to 3CX and we don't every want to go back to proprietary or to a system that has a high chance of being discontinued.

Its seems to me that unless the product turns out to be a lemon, and we don't know yet, others have tried and failed, its going to make a big difference to the price a PBX can be sold for, and if it proves simple enough for end users to set up also a big difference to the install and after market business. Grandstream describe it as market disruptive, and if it works it certainly will be.

As far as I am concerned any customer that is under 20 phones should really be cloud or hosted pbx anyway. That is how our company is handling smaller entities utilizing the 3CX multitenant from the cloud.

 

[paul.hadley]

I don't agree. Most of our prospects want to know that if they don't like the system they don't have to re-purchase new equipment to go elsewhere. Being able to select from a main line of equipment vendors like Cisco, Polycom, Yealink, etc is what they want.

Regardless of the choice of PBX they still can choose from Cisco, Polycom, Yealink etc for phones so I don't see the influencing factor there. Also seems a bit worrying prospects are buying a PBX with a view to changing the PBX if they don't like it. Sounds a very poor evaluation process if they are not 100% committed to the product on purchase. A PBX is a fairly critical purchase for any business.

Most of the smaller based pbx's are based on Asterix and FreePbx. We are just not going through a conversion of 18,000 extension from another PBX (proprietary) to 3CX and we don't every want to go back to proprietary or to a system that has a high chance of being discontinued.

3CX is a propriety system unless I lost the plot and it suddenly become open source, it is just supplied without hardware. As regards the chance of being discontinued then there are no guarantees with 3CX, Grandstream has been in business longer than 3CX if you think about it. In practice I would be surprised if either company disappeared from the market in the short or medium term, but I wouldn't like to rate one above the other from the current position.

As far as I am concerned any customer that is under 20 phones should really be cloud or hosted pbx anyway. That is how our company is handling smaller entities utilizing the 3CX multitenant from the cloud.

I might well agree with you on that point, for a small company it probably makes sense to go with the cloud, but that does not really say much about the Small Business PBX market, those choosing the cloud option won't be purchasing a 3CX or Grandstream PBX, and I wouldn't have thought neither 3CX or Grandstream are going be a dominate supplier to cloud based suppliers, given the volumes they look for a customised Asterisk solution is probably going to win that battle.

 

[leejor]

When it comes down to it, isn't competition, in the best interest of all customers that are looking for a PBX, or any product?

It keeps all of the providers, suppliers, and vendors, on their toes.

When it comes to electronics/technology, now a days, some company always seems to be coming out with a faster, more efficient, less expensive way of doing something. It's innovation, and without it things would stagnate, suppliers would become complacent.

We have to assume that 3CX meets (and beats) the competition head on.