Panasonic vs NEC Phone Systems - An In-Depth Comparison of IP Phone Systems

VoIP — or Voice over Internet Protocol — is part of a new generation of telecommunication technology. The way VoIP works is simple, but the concept provides numerous benefits to today's business owners. Basically, when you make a telephone call across a VoIP system, your voice and that of the person at the other end are converted into digital signals and transmitted across a broadband internet connection.

This translates to a reduced cost, as well as better quality and more reliable telecoms. Businesses across almost all sectors are looking to ease their cost profile and implement more effective communications, and VoIP is the perfect candidate for this.

But which VoIP technology is best for you? In this article, we'll be comparing Panasonic phone systems with NEC phone systems, giving you valuable insight into which one represents the best choice. Read on to discover more about good options for your business's VoIP phone system.

IP Phone Systems

Before we examine Panasonic and NEC phone systems in more detail, let's take a closer look at IP telephony. We've already looked at VoIP, and these two terms are very similar. In both instances, the IP stands for Internet Protocol, and both terms relate to phone calls that are placed over an internet connection.

Originally, VoIP was a more specific term that denoted voice calls placed over an internet connection. Meanwhile, IP telephony was more general and related to a range of different communications, including faxes and other internet-based tools.

More recently, however, the terms have become interchangeable. Generally, when we say either VoIP or IP telephony, we are talking about the same thing. This is different from when we are talking about VoIP and Skype. Skype is a form of VoIP provided by a specific brand, and it is generally free for calls between Skype accounts. Meanwhile, VoIP is a more general replacement for traditional analog phone services.

How Do IP Phone Systems Work?

From the user's point of view, an IP or VoIP system works in just the same way a regular telephone system does. You receive a call to your handset, you accept the call and start speaking. Or you pick up your handset, place a call, and then begin speaking. There are other ways to carry out calls with this system — using an application downloaded to your desktop or tablet, for example, that allows your device to function as a telephone receiver — but the fundamentals are largely the same.

One of the key components of IP telephone technology is the PBX, or Private Branch Exchange. This functions as an internal switchboard that manages the calls placed and received across the VoIP connection. Calls are handled by the VoIP provider, transmitted across the internet connection, and then routed to the appropriate device or handset by the IP PBX using Session Initiation Protocol, or SIP.

But utilizing a physical PBX means having hardware installed on-premises. It also effectively adds another link to the chain between the party placing the call and the party receiving it. This made it difficult for smaller businesses to leverage the benefits of VoIP in a cost-effective way.

A New Form of PBX

To combat this, many businesses opt for a hosted PBX service. This is a managed service, sometimes delivered by the VoIP provider itself. Businesses use a virtual PBX that routes calls to the appropriate location, with no hardware installed on-site. There is no need for business owners to worry about maintaining the PBX, as this is handled by the managed service provider.

With hosted PBX services, the technology is made accessible and VoIP becomes worth it even for small businesses without the resources required to manage an internal PBX on an ongoing basis. But which phone system is the best for your business as you deploy your IP telephony solution? Read on to learn more about NEC vs. Panasonic IP phone systems.

Panasonic Phone Systems

Panasonic phone systems are a popular VoIP solution for small to medium-sized businesses. As one of the leading providers of VoIP solutions, Panasonic is a brand to be trusted. However, you still need to know whether or not their solutions are suitable for your needs, so let's take a look in more detail.

Panasonic Phone System Features

In general, Panasonic phone systems include features that match up to their competitor systems, including those offered by NEC. Both the Panasonic KX TDA30AL and KX NCP 500 include hold, call transfer, and caller ID features, also found on NEC's SL 1100. However, the Panasonic systems also provide remote working capabilities, which the SL 1100 does not.

Of the two Panasonic devices, only the KX NCP 500 offers conference calling, greetings, transfer to mobile, and auto-attendant features. The SL 1100 also offers these. Additionally, the KX NCP 500 offers voicemail to email functionality — not provided by the NEC SL 1100.

Panasonic Phone System SIP Trunking Capabilities

We've touched upon SIP or Session Initiation Protocol above, examining why this is so important for any VoIP phone system. Let's take a look at what Panasonic can offer when it comes to SIP trunking — i.e., the digital phone lines that deliver connectivity to different users within the working environment.

Panasonic's KX TDE offers support for up to 64 SIP trunks. This should give plenty of capability for small businesses looking to provide VoIP connections within their main office or headquarters. Business customers can opt for fewer trunks at a reduced cost if necessary, expanding their trunk licensing when required. This may make Panasonic phone systems unsuitable for larger-scale businesses or call centers, which may require a greater number of SIP connections.

Panasonic Phone System Flexibility

Business owners need to be aware of the cost of any upgrade, particularly something as fundamental to their operations as a phone system. Managing this cost is crucial, as small businesses need to be able to balance the price of implementation with the eventual cost benefits of switching to VoIP.

Panasonic phone systems help business owners achieve this by offering a flexible product roster. Businesses can choose from VoIP phones and digital phones when building their IP set-up. This means they may be able to use many of their existing handsets and physical telecom devices, significantly reducing the cost of the initial installation and implementation.

But what exactly is the difference between a digital phone and a VoIP phone? Both phone systems work with digital signals, but the difference lies in the way the signal is transmitted. A digital phone will use a traditional phone line, but the analog signal will be converted into a digital signal during transmission. This results in a clearer and more precise sound when compared to traditional analog calls. VoIP phones, as we have seen, transmit their digital signals via an internet connection. 

In this sense, a digital phone is a stepping stone between the analog systems of old and the VoIP systems of today. Businesses can avoid some of the initial implementation costs by using existing hardware as digital phones, upgrading incrementally to make costs more manageable.

Panasonic Phone System Support

It's critical that businesses select a phone system they can rely on, and this makes technical support an important consideration. Panasonic provides a range of different support resources to their users, and customers can contact the manufacturer directly for more detailed tech assistance.

NEC Phone Systems

NEC is a Japanese-based telecommunications provider, with regional headquarters here in the United States. Like Panasonic, NEC offers some of the industry's leading connectivity solutions, including VoIP phone systems. However, expanded trunking capabilities may make NEC more suitable than Panasonic for businesses that need a large number of connections.

NEC Phone System Features

NEC phone systems are designed to provide an impressive array of different features that improve the operations of business users. For example, the NEC UT880 IP phone supports Unified Communications or UC, bringing together a wealth of different communication capabilities in one device. This means voice calls, video conferencing, instant messaging, and voicemail, among other aspects, are made possible with the UT880, which essentially becomes a centralized communication console to maintain productivity and facilitate easy collaboration.

The UT880 features a seven-inch color display with built-in touchscreen capacity. There is also a camera fitted to the device, so no additional hardware is required for video calls or image sharing. Additionally, the UT880 features a multiline SIP client, supporting connections between the UT880 IP Endpoint and other pieces of NEC phone technology.

Other products in the NEC portfolio include the DT900 and DT800 VoIP phones, offering IP telephone technology but without the UC capabilities offered by UT880's touchscreen display. Business customers can also choose the DT930S Touch Panel SIP phone, along with other models across the VoIP/digital/analog spectrum.

NEC Phone System SIP Trunking Capabilities

NEC phone systems provide a high level of capability to business customers, offering up to 4,000 SIP trunks with the Univerge product. While this is not as high as the number offered by some other providers, such as Cisco, it does exceed the capabilities of most of NEC's competitors in the market, including Panasonic.

This makes NEC more suitable for call centers or for larger-scale business operations, both of which will require a large number of VoIP connections. Customers can also opt for fewer connections if they prefer, significantly reducing the subscription cost. They will be able to add extra SIP trunks if and when their requirements increase. The NEC SL1100, for example, offers up to 16 trunk licenses. This can be built upon to achieve further support for more operators. 

NEC Phone System Flexibility

Just like with the Panasonic phone systems discussed above, NEC systems provide some flexibility to users. Users can opt for digital or VoIP phones on the system, reducing some of the initial capital outlay associated with upgrading all of the hardware at the same time.

This makes both Panasonic and NEC preferable in some senses to Cisco, Adtran, and ShoreTel. These vendors are only equipped to offer IP phones, which may translate to increased implementation costs for business consumers, especially those working with larger-scale teams. However, there are other options available — such as analog telephone adapters or ATAs that can be used to connect existing hardware to the hosted PBX service.

It is also worth noting that other vendors are able to offer more variety regarding the VoIP phone systems themselves. Both Cisco and Mitel offer a choice of more than 25 different IP phone models, whereas neither NEC nor Panasonic can match this.

NEC Phone System Support

Businesses need to know that they are supported and assisted when they adopt a specific tech solution. NEC provides support to users of its products and systems, as outlined in their End User License Agreements.

Choosing the Right VoIP Phone for Your Business

Both Panasonic and NEC phone systems provide an impressive array of features and functionality that help businesses leverage the potential of VoIP connectivity, and so both represent good options for business owners. The key takeaway when choosing the best IP phone system is to carefully consider the needs of your business beforehand.

For example, NEC offers devices that harness Unified Communications, bringing together a range of different telecom tech concepts in one centralized console. This may be very useful for some business owners, but less so for users who only need to be able to make reliable and clear telephone calls. Similarly, Panasonic may not offer support for hundreds of SIP trunks, but this may not be important for an office with 20 to 30 operators.

If you want to discover more about VoIP phone system options, head to our resources page.