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Hitachi Cable, Ltd. announced it has confirmed the interoperability of its AquaVocal*1 all-in-one IP-PBX*2 and the 3d-Reco*3 3D reception system from Netdimension Corporation (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Toru Hayashi).

Major offices run by enterprises and other organizations generally position full-time receptionists or reception systems at the front desks to receive visitors. In contrast, small and mid-size offices typically place only an extension phone at their front desks, due to the cost of full-time receptionists or full-scale reception systems. This difference often results in inconvenience for visitors and has led to demand for a reception system that can be introduced at lower cost.

The 3d-Reco reception system incorporates an IP telephony system, a strategy that reduces its purchase price to 198,000 yen. To use the system, visitors simply operate the name card displayed three-dimensionally on the PC touch panel located at the front desk. This system lets visitors intuitively and swiftly check the name and picture of the individual he or she is visiting and to initiate a phone call from this screen to indicate his or her arrival. The link to the IP telephony system eliminates the need for special hardware to implement these convenient functions and achieves low cost.

Despite the reductions in communication and wiring costs made possible by introducing IP telephony systems, mainstream IP telephony systems IP-PBX have targeted large offices accommodating 500 to 1,000 users or more. These products are generally too expensive for small and mid-size offices.

In response, Hitachi Cable and Netdimension recently confirmed the interoperability of Hitachi Cable's AquaVocal and Netdimension's 3d-Reco. AquaVocal is an all-in-one IP-PBX for small and mid-size offices with 200 or fewer users. This single-unit device provides IP telephony system various functions*4 , and the combination of 3d-Reco and AquaVocal allows even small or mid-size office to install a cost-effective reception system linked to an IP telephony system and improve convenience for visitors.

AquaVocal is primarily sold by Hitachi Cable through its sales partners. Hitachi Cable plans to continue promoting the integration of AquaVocal with various software and applications to expand its market share for small and mid-size office IP-PBX systems.

*1	PBX stands for Private Branch Exchange. IP-PBX refers to a Private Branch Exchange for an IP telephony system.
*2	AquaVocal is a registered trademark of Hitachi Cable, Ltd. in Japan.
*3	3d-Reco is a registered trademark of Netdimension Corporation.
*4	In addition to the IP-PBX function, AquaVocal is equipped with various gateway functions (connecting different networks, including communications carriers, IP telephony networks, the public telephone network, and the internal telephone network); the PPPoE (Point to Point Protocol over Ethernet: permits use of PPP over Ethernet networks; the PPP protocol is used to link computers to networks over telephone lines); and a survival function that allows sending and receiving between analog phones and the public network even during power failures.

Overview of specifications for major models of the AquaVocal series

(Specifications are subject to change without notice.)

AquaVocal 2004-FXSO AquaVocal 2112-FXSO AquaVocal 3000 All-in-One 4-line model (IP-PBX with PSTN gateway model) All-in-One 12-line model (IP-PBX with PSTN gateway model) Dedicated IP-PBX model Port configuration 10/100BASE-TX 2 2 2 PSTN/FXS 4 12 - PSTN/FXO 4 (1) 12 (3) - Power supply specifications Input power source AC 100V(85 V - 132V), 47 Hz - 440 Hz Switch Locking switch with anti-error guide (housed in front panel) Environmental specifications Operating conditions Operating temperature 0 C to 40 deg.C Operating humidity 20% to 85 % Rh (No condensation) Installation conditions Installation (mounting)   Level installation Stacking Stackable when housed in panel/used on tabletop Storage conditions Storage temperature -20 C to 60 deg.C Storage humidity 20 % to 85 % Rh (No condensation) Acquired certification specifications Noise emission regulation VCCI-Class A Communication device certification JATE certification Functional specifications Network connection functions LAN connection specifications 10BASE-T/100BASE-TX (IEEE802.3-compliant) Number of channels 2 (LAN0, LAN1) External connectors RJ-45 (RTP with shield) x 2 (double x 1) Serial I/F functions for maintenance I/F specifications RS-232 level, full-duplex, asynchronous serial I/F External connectors RJ-45 x 1

External appearance of AquaVocal2004-FXSO

Screen shot of 3d-Reco reception system

Contact information for Netdimension Corporation is given below

Address: Nissanken Kaikan Building 1F, 5-3-14 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo
TEL : 03-5733-1611
FAX : 03-5733-1619