3Com NBX
The 3Com NBX is VoIP telephony platform sold by 3Com Corporation.
History
1999
3Com acquired NBX Corporation on February 22, 1999 for $60 million 1. NBX Corporation was founded in July, 1996 with $16.7 million of venture capital from investors who included the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). At the time, NBX Corporation claimed to be "the developer of the world’s first reliable, powerful network-based business telephony system integrating voice and data communications"2. 3Com began selling the NBX 100 Communications System under its own brand and the NBX was the winner of PC Magazine's 1999 Technical Excellence Award3.
2000
Released software version 2.0 which fixed a number of known issues with the version 1.0 code.
2001
Released software version 3.0 which included support for new 10/100 Mbps phones. A software-based attendant console called the Complement Attendant Software was also supported in this release. 3Com also introduced a new NBX model called the SuperStack 3 NBX. Software version 4.0 was released late in the year and included many new features including:
- Bridged Extensions
- Do Not Disturb
- Off-site Notification by E-mail
- Virtual Tie Lines (VTLs)
2002
Software version 4.1 was released. It increased the number of devices supported by the NBX 100 from 150 to 200 and on the SuperStack 3 NBX from 750 to 1500. Version 4.1 also included a large number of new features including:
- Web-based access to Voice Mail
- Windows XP Support for NBX Applications
- Full Duplex Speakerphone
- Call Recording
- Tagging of Control Packets
- Improved Administrator Reports and Functions
Applications
- TAPI Service Provider (TSP) - enables a TAPI application on a user’s PC to interact with the user’s 3Com telephone.
- Connextions H.323 Gateway - allows an appropriately configured Windows system to act as an H.323 gateway for use with NBX systems.
- pcxSet - a software phone that displays the equivalent of a NBX business telephone on the screen of a WindowsPC.
- NBX Call Reports - a Windows application that allows the printing of call reports. Formerly known as NBX Call Detail Reporting (CDR).
- Desktop Call Assistant (DCA) - works with the NBX TAPI Service Provider (TSP) to monitor and control one specified telephone extension. Some of its features include dialing any internal or external phone number and answering and transferring calls.
- NBX Media Driver - allows 3rd party products to integrate with the NBX. Formally known as TAPI/WAV.
- Local Phone Configuration Utility - used to configure the 3100 basic phone.
- ACD Desktop Statistics - application that displays real-time Automated Call Distribution (ACD) statistics on a supervisor's PC.
- NBX Dial Plan Editor - replaces the standard text dial plan editor with a Windows-based user interface.
- NBX Multi-site Backup - automates the task of archiving NBX system configuration files in a multi-site installation.
- Complement Attendant Software - Windows application that provides attendants with desktop call control.
- 3Com Network Supervisor - Windows application that graphically discovers, maps and displays network links and IP devices, including NBX telephones.
- 3Com eXchange Call Center - a full-featured, call center solution for the NBX telephony platforms.
- 3Com Education Module - a set of integrated applications for the K-12 schools.
- 3Com Executive Assistant - an application suite that adds many additional call control and routing features to the NBX.
- NBX MIBs - SNMP MIBs for the NBX.
Platforms
NBX 25
The NBX 25 supported up to 25 devices (phones and lines). It was discontinued in 2001.
NBX 100
The NBX 100 was the primary NBX platform until the introduction of the V3000 in 2004.
Superstack 3 NBX (V5000)
The V5000 was introduced in 2001 and because of its more powerful processor it was capable of supporting up to 1500 devices. It was discontinued in 2007 with the introduction of the V3001R.