See how Avaya compares to the competition

REVIEW OF AVAYA IP 500 OFFICE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES
Most phone system reviews talk about the trade-off between price, features, usability and technology. However, the latest Avaya IP500 Office R6 is rewriting the rule book. You can now buy the world’s best-selling SMB (small to medium business) phone system for the same price or less than its inferior competitors.
The strong Australia dollar has changed everything, throwing the whole “trade-off” concept out the window. Never before have you been able to buy such a phenomenal PBX system at these prices. It may be bad for our exporters, but the Australian dollar is great for you and Avaya in Australia. You can literally get a Rolls Royce solution at Hyundai pricing. So enough about car analogies and exchange rates. Lets’ start this review with…
THE GOOD
Ask anyone who knows about phone systems and, if they’re honest, they’ll agree the Avaya deserves its title of the world’s largest selling SMB PBX solution. In fact, Avaya has no less than 22% of the world’s market share, and is used by 80%+ America’s top Fortune 500 organisations! Most companies will try and “sell” you as to why their systems are better – but when it comes to the Avaya, they can’t. It’s a privilege to be selling such a world class solution at prices any small business can now afford! What makes the Avaya so popular with SMB customers is that you get finally get all the big business features included to help improve professionalism and communication – like hold, mute, transfer, voicemail, after hours answering, auto attendant, call queuing, etc. Check out our comparison chart and see how other phone systems out there compare. The short answer is, they don’t! The Avaya IP500 also gives you:
- Award-winning Avaya platform (stable, reliable and proven)
- Expansion up to 384 users (1000 when networked between sites) - only pay for what you need!
- Handsets that are incredibly easy to use
- The latest IP and SIP technology to slash costs, network multiple sites and connect remote workers
- Easy customer self administration software to save you $1000s and significantly reduce TCO and improve system control
- Lowest power consumption
- The easiest to use computer telephony interface on the market (you be the judge)
- Incredible 60-month extended warranty (optional) for ultimate peace of mind
- Specialised call centre applications
- Evergreen software based platform so as new technology becomes available you can update your phone system.
- Call recording
- Self diagnostics
- And so much more…
Avaya simply does "technology" better than anyone, and has the awards to prove it. What business owners like most is not just the advanced features, but how the latest handsets make them so easy to use on a daily basis, to really transform staff productivity. The IP 500 is ready to communicate whichever way you choose – whether your priority is on computer telephony integration (CTI), taking advantage of incredible cheap VoIP calls, networking or any other recent innovation. If you are looking to transform the way you communicate, and slash your costs, then say hello to the Avaya IP500 - your business’ new best friend.
THE NOT SO GOOD
Historically for SMB buyers there were always 2 major shortcomings with the Avaya IP500 system. The first was the higher price and the other was the way the previous model handsets operated.
Luckily, ‘historically’ is the operative word here! As we’ve already mentioned, price is no longer an issue thanks to the strong Aussie dollar. Avaya have also taken the hint about the handsets, redesigning them to look fantastic and be even more user friendly. Call us biased, but this means the only 2 negatives are now screaming positives!
THE VERDICT
If you’d read our Avaya IP 500 review at the beginning of 2011, we’d be recommending the Avaya if budget permitted. After all, unless you believe other companies’ marketing hyperbole or are a particularly loyal brand buyer, you’d be crazy not to throw the world’s biggest selling SMB system into the mix. But now with current prices, some might say you’d be crazy to buy anything else! Plus by choosing Infiniti to supply and install your Avaya system, you’ll enjoy a host of exclusive benefits including
- Unbeatable pricing on Avaya IP500
- Australia's only 100% money back guarantee
- Local expert service and support from fully qualified technicians in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth
- Free phone support for life
- Free customer administration that can save you $1000s
- Incredible 60 month warranty (option)
- One-stop-shop for phone lines, data cabling, headsets, handsets and more
Change the way you work forever and slash costs with award-winning, proven Avaya technology.
People that liked the advanced technology and features of the Avaya IP 500 also liked the Alcatel OmniPCX
Leading brand phone systems to suit your business
Avaya new phone system packages from Infiniti start from an incredible $88.82 per month. At that price it’s hard to imagine a comparably priced investment that will have such a significant impact on your business!
Below is just one example of the type of phone system solution Infiniti can put together for your business. Give our team a call today and let us find the most affordable package and price for your organisation.
Avaya small business package
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Contains:
1 x Avaya IP 500 Office phone system |
5-14 x Avaya handsets |
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Features & Benefits:
 | Essential phone functions – hold, transfer, conference, mute and more |
 | Voicemail – never miss a call again |
 | Day & night greetings – sound more professional to callers |
 | VoIP functionality – save up to 70% in call costs |
 | Cordless compatibility – plug in any cordless phone to walk and talk And more |
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avaya IP500 office solutions of 5-14 handsets starting from as little as $88.82 per month
100% tax deductible rental or call 1800 793 396 for outright purchase prices
* The installation included in this pricing is defined to existing cabling (phone points) in your business. Should you require additional cabling or parts this will incur additional charges.
Australia’s Only Money Back Guarantee
Infiniti offers Australia's only 14-day, 100% money back guarantee on all Avaya telephone systems we install. If you're not completely satisfied that your new telephone system is doing exactly what we said it would, we'll remove it at no charge and replace it with another phone system that does. This is the ultimate peace of mind and it's in writing!
Warranty for the Avaya IP 500 Office
The Avaya IP 500 Office phone system comes with a 12-month manufacturer warranty that covers all phone system components and handsets. For ultimate peace of mind this warranty can be extended to a massive 60-months. Please note Avaya warranties covers parts only and do not cover labour. If you’d like labour cover too, please ask for a quote on our extended maintenance option.
Payment Options From Infiniti
Infiniti offers a variety of payment choices to suit your budget. You can choose to rent, lease, bundle with a call plan or buy your phone system outright. To find out more, give the Infiniti team a call today.
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Technical specifications
Popular features of the Avaya IP 500 Office
The Avaya IP 500 Office has all the features your home office needs to transform the way you do business. Check out some of the most popular features you get as standard on the IP 500.
Transferring calls
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In order to manage incoming call traffic effectively you need to be able to transfer calls quickly and efficiently. Avaya lets you do this at a touch, letting any handset user direct callers to the right extension with ease. In this way your callers will receive a positive, professional image of your company while your staff can remain productive throughout their day.
Like to know more about this feature? Give the Infiniti team a call today on 1800 783 396.
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Hold Functionality
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The most commonly used button on your new handset will be the ‘hold’ button – and with good reason. It’s essential for smooth, professional handling of calls. Rather than (ineffectively) cupping a hand over the mouthpiece, users can place callers on hold at the touch of a button, giving your staff time to resolve call enquiries quickly and proficiently.
Like to know more about this feature? Give the Infiniti team a call today on 1800 783 396.
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Conference Calls
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With business being conducted both nationally and globally nowadays, getting people to meet in person isn’t always possible. The Avaya IP 500 Office, however, lets you conference call seamlessly with whoever you need to, getting a real time conversation going with up to 64 internal and external phone parties. Simply place your caller on hold, select a new line and join the calls by pressing the conference button. It’s as simply as that!
Like to know more about this feature? Give the Infiniti team a call today on 1800 783 396.
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Day & night greetings
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Day & night greetings ensure your callers receive a polished, professional impression of your company, first time, any time. If you and your staff are on other calls, or are too busy to take a call, you can let the customer be answered by your day & night greeting. This professionally recorded service can be changed to differ in content depending on the time of day or night. Read more
Regardless of how busy you get in your day, a day & night greeting system means valuable callers will be looked after. A tailored greeting such as “Thank you for calling ABC, your call is important and we will be with you in just a moment” will be heard by the caller, who will then be placed on hold automatically to wait until you can attend to them.
At night this message can be changed to something more appropriate, such as “Welcome to ABC, our office is currently unattended. However if you would like to leave a message our staff will return your call the following business day.” In this way your business will always sound great and never miss a sales opportunity.
Like to know more about this feature? Give the Infiniti team a call today on 1800 783 396.
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Personal voicemail
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No matter how busy you get, you never have to miss a call again with personal voicemail. On other phone systems this can cost as much as $500 or more but it comes free on the Avaya IP 500 Office. Read more
Personal voicemail on the Avaya works in exactly the same way as it does on your mobile phone. Callers hear a personalised greeting and are invited to leave a message. You can then access these greetings, save them, replay, forward or delete them as necessary. And unlike some voicemail services, it won’t cost you a cent to retrieve them.
Voicemail is available to all system users but if required you can specify which of your staff have access to the service. Users are notified that they have a message thanks to a bright red light on the handset. Now, rather than having to take phone messages for colleagues, you can now simply transfer a call to the user’s voicemail system and let them leave a message. The great thing about voicemail is that both your staff and callers will already be familiar with the concept and therefore happy to use it.
Like to know more about this feature? Give the Infiniti team a call today on 1800 783 396.
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Voicemail to email
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No matter where you are you can always access your voicemail with the option of unified messaging. With this smart feature your voicemails are automatically turned into audio files and emailed to your inbox. It is then simply a matter of listening to them on your smart phone or laptop.
Like to know more about this feature? Give the Infiniti team a call today on 1800 783 396.
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Auto attendant
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An auto attendant places your callers into a queue and then give options for different extensions with your company. This frees up your receptionist to handle more complex calls, while ensuring your callers get to their desired contact person quicker. Read more
Perfect for businesses with heavier call traffic or no receptionist, the auto attendant feature will answer all incoming calls and provide customers with options to direct them to the correct department. For example, “Welcome to ABC, for all sales enquiries please press 1, for accounts press 2. For all other enquiries please hold and an operator will be with you shortly.”
The menu tree options provided can be as simple or as complex as your business requires. The auto attendant function can also be used in place of a receptionist or to simply take any overflow calls the receptionist is unable to get to in time. Either way, it is very efficient and incredibly effective.
Like to know more about this feature? Give the Infiniti team a call today on 1800 783 396.
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Cheap VoIP Calls
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With the Avaya IP500 you can connect a multitude of different VoIP services, from VoDSL to SIP trunking. This means huge savings on line rental and external call costs, as well as free internal calls – even if those calls are to other branches. This means you can expect calls savings of up to 70%, which could end up paying for the system in itself. Read more
VoIP offers an instant and ongoing way to reduce your call costs dramatically. Here’s how: When you make a normal phone call, your information travels through a series of phone line junction points until it reaches its destination. You pay for every junction point you use. With an Avaya IP phone system, your call is transmitted directly via the internet, emerging at a single, final junction point. That means you incur the cost of just a single junction point which translates into savings of up to 70% on your normal phone bill!
In addition to reducing the cost of each call, VoIP also does away with line rental expenses. Take a look at your phone bill when you get a moment and see how much you are paying for each phone line your company uses. Whereas Telstra charges around $35 per line, VoIP doesn’t require any - so you can wipe this cost from your phone bill.
Like to know more about this feature? Give the Infiniti team a call today on 1800 783 396.
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User friendly handsets
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Despite the power and complexity of the IP 500 Office, Avaya’s user friendly handsets make accessing its features entirely natural and intuitive. There are many different handset models to choose from to let you pick the right mix of features and value for your business. Read more
All Avaya handsets feature large, backlit digital displays to give users the information they need to make calls quickly and easily. Pertinent menu options are automatically displayed at the bottom of the screen, and these change to the most relevant choices depending on what task the user is currently performing. The display can also be employed to change user settings thanks to a simple menu system operated entirely from the handset.
With fast, ‘first-time’ communication being the order of the day, Avaya offers call status LEDs to let you see at a glance which of your colleagues are on a call and which are busy. This saves both you and the caller time, since there’s no need to dial an extension to see if important colleagues are on the phone. The handsets are programmable to let you configure which lines (internal or external) are allocated to these call status LEDs.
Avaya combines the latest technological advancements with common sense. Fixed, frequently used function keys (such as mute, redial, volume, etc) are laid out clearly on the keypad for fast, easy access. Meanwhile, many handsets offer programmable buttons with digital labels, so that these keys are always correctly and clearly annotated.
Avaya offers a wide range of handsets which you can mix and match to meet the needs of your staff. Equip power users with higher-end phones, whilst selecting more basic models for less intensive applications. It’s the smart way to the performance you want, at the price you need.
To further sharpen your budget you can also choose from a high-end series of handsets, as well as a low-end selection. Although all models feature Avaya’s famous build quality, the choice of handset series means you can spend as much or as little as you like and get the appropriate functionality for your organisation. The full range of handsets include:
- Avaya 9504 Digital Phone Handset
- Avaya 9508 Digital Phone Handset
- Avaya 1403 Digital Phone Handset
- Avaya 1408 Digital Phone Handset
- Avaya 1416 Digital Phone Handset
- Avaya 9608 IP Phone Handset
- Avaya 9621G IP Phone Handset
- Avaya 9641G IP Phone Handset
- Avaya 1603 IP Phone Handset (VoIP)
- Avaya 1608 IP Phone Handset (VoIP)
- Avaya 1616 IP Phone Handset (VoIP)
- Avaya 3720 Dect Phone Handset
- Avaya 3720 Dect Phone Handset
Like to know more about this feature? Give the Infiniti team a call today on 1800 783 396.
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Cordless compatibility
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Give yourself the freedom to move around your office space by plugging in a cordless phone. The Avaya IP 500 Office is compatible with all analogue and digital cordless phones, saving you having to buy more expensive DECT handsets.Read more.
While the cordless compatibility of the IP 500 Office will save you having to buy DECT handsets, be aware that a standard cordless headset won’t give you any of the basic phone system features your desk phone does, such as call conferencing or one-touch transfers. However, you will be able to call other phone system users for free, just as you would with your desk phone. This is handy if you have a large floor space or warehousing, since by equipping your staff with cordless phones you can effectively create a private mobile network that won’t cost you a cent in internal calls.
In a nutshell, the cordless compatibility of the IP 500 is a great way to stay mobile for very little financial outlay. Just bear in mind, however, that you won’t be able to do any complex call functions as you would with a desk handset or DECT wireless handset.
Like to know more about this feature? Give the Infiniti team a call today on 1800 783 396.
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Remote staff
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With the flexibility of VoIP technology, staff can now work from anywhere and stay connected to the office phone network. This means key staff travelling interstate can keep in touch with the office easily, and remote staff can be employed from anywhere in the world. Read more
Using VoIP, staff members can connect to your phone system anywhere there is an internet connection. By either plugging in an IP handset or using a soft phone (virtual phone) on a PC or laptop, users can instantly connect to the office phone system becoming, essentially, just another extension number. This means they can contact the office for free, as well as see who is on the phone, who is free, etc. Hot desking abilities also let the phone system automatically recognise the user and set him or her up at shared (or ‘hot’) desk with their personalised settings and voicemail.
Conversely, when it comes to monitoring remote staff performance, supervisors can view call activity, usage, numbers dialed and other important statistics. This means you can now effectively manage staff from anywhere in the world, opening up a world of potential HR opportunities.
Like to know more about this feature? Give the Infiniti team a call today on 1800 783 396.
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More essential phone system features
To effectively manage call traffic, the Avaya IP 500 Office equips you with a host of essential phone features including mute, volume control, transfer, hold, speed dial and more.Read more.
Mute – Did you know that if you simply put your hand over the handset mouthpiece, callers can still make out much of what you say? The mute feature electronically turns off your handset microphone so you can converse with your colleagues in private, without having to put your caller on hold. This is perfect if you want to discuss a private subject without letting the caller know you’re doing so.
Volume control – No more straining to hear a muffled conversation, or having your eardrums blasted by a yelling caller! Volume control lets you adjust audio levels on both your handset and speakerphone (where applicable) to ensure a natural listening experience.
Speed dial – Rather than having to remember frequently dialled numbers, speed dial lets you store your most important contacts on the phone so you can dial them with a single push of a button or scroll through a speed dial directory than allows you to save 1000s of business contacts.
Like to know more about this feature? Give the Infiniti team a call today on 1800 783 396.
See how Avaya compares to the competition
Below are various white papers from Avaya that compare the IP500 phone system to the competition. Simply click on a pdf to learn more.
Competing with Hosted Solutions
Alcatel Lucent Comparison
Avaya IP Office And Alcatel Lucent Omni PCX Office
Avaya IP Office And Cisco UC500
Avaya IP Office And Mitel 3300
Avaya IP Office And NEC Univerge SV8100 And 8300
Avaya IP Office And Panasonic KXTDA
Avaya IP Office And Panasonic NCP
Avaya IP Office And Samsung OS 7000 Series
IP Office Vs Other Phone Systems Chart
Other FAQ about the Avaya IP500 Pbx
The Avaya IP500 pabx replaces the existing Avaya IP406. The IP406 is not longer supported or sold by Avaya. If you need support or spares for the Avaya IP 406 office please contact our service department.
But I've heard the Avaya IP500 costs a little more?
Not any more. Comapre the pricing for yourself and you’ll be amazed. Plus, in the medium term you actually save money! Its future proof design, latest technology and 36 month warranty (option) combine to ensure a lower total cost of ownership. The reality is you can end up with the world's best IP Pbx for less money than a traditional phone system.
What makes the IP500 so fantastic for small business?
Comparing the Avaya IP 500 pbx to a normal phone or IP phone system isn't really fair. A normal pbx just doesn't stack up. If you've ever thought of linking Outlook or your CRM package to your pbx, going VoIP, having multiple sites or even working from home then Avaya IP500 is the right system for you. Avaya used to be priced out of the SME market place but not any more! Your Avaya IP 500 for small business offers:
- Incredible expansion
- Licence driven so you only pay for what you need!
- Avaya IP handsets or digital handsets
- Software based platform so as new technology becomes available you can update your phone system.
- The easiest to use CTI interface on the market
- Easy to use handsets
- Fantastic customer administration
- Built in modem and remote diagnostics
This is why Avaya is the choice of IT professionals that have their finger on the technology pulse. Don't get a system that's obsolete within a year. The Avaya IP500 offers a lower TCO over the life of the system.
More Avaya IP 500 phone system options.
The IP 500 offers every feature you can think of when it comes to phone system. No matter what you're application the IP500 has a solution:
- IP networking for multiple sites
- IP soft phones and IP Handsets
- Call Accounting
- Award winning call centre application (CBC contact Business Centre)
- Call recording
- 64 party conferencing
- Phone Manager Pro for on screen calling and screen pop
- IP DECT and traditional DECT handsets
- And much more...
Avaya IP500 flexible payment options
You can choose to rent, lease or buy your new Avaya IP500 phone system. Renting is by far the most popular small business option but it comes down to what's right for you and your cash flows. Just ask for your free quote to include one or more of these easy payment options.
Help pay for your IP500 system with our dirt cheap phone call charges
Any customer that purchases an Avaya IP500 from Infiniti will also receive our super sharp, wholesale phone call charges. There are no contracts and the rates are optional. On average we have saved our small business customers 30%+ off their phone call rates. Check out our phone call rates for more info.
100% Money back satisfaction guarantee on the Avaya IP500 phone system
We offer Australia's only 14 day 100% money back satisfaction guarantee on every IP 500 pbx we install. We are so confident that your small business will love the IP500 that we'll pull it out and replace it with another system if you don't - at no charge!
This is the ultimate peace of mind and it's in writing for you!
Free refresher training on Avaya IP500 Office pbx installations
On the day we install your Avaya IP500 pbx you will receive professional phone skills training showing you all the ins and outs of the handsets and system. A week later our techs will come back for a free skills refresher. This free service is designed for maximum customer satisfaction and maximum staff ROI.
Free lifetime phone support for your Avaya IP500 pabx
For the life of your Avaya IP 500 pbx system you will receive unlimited access to our expert phone support. Have a question? Give us a call free.
It's easy to see why more customers choose their Avaya IP500 office phone systems from Infiniti. Click here for your free Avaya IP500 telephone quote or call on 1800 783 396 .