The ZIP 2+ is black all over, which actually looks quite smart. The 2+ weighs in at 505 grams and has a small footprint of 160 x 170 x 70mm -- perfect for those with limited space on their desks.
The buttons, which have a very positive feel to them when pushed, are round and convex which means that with the light shining the wrong way, the numbers could occasionally be quite hard to read. There is also no adjustment allowing the phone or display to be tilted.
The handset is very light at 157 grams and is a strange shape. It fits very well in one's hand when holding it to their ear, but holding it straight, (like when picking it up or placing it back on the receiver) its shape and the smooth plastic it is constructed out of tend to allow it to slip.
During the testing we also found that on some occasions my sausage like fingers were covering the microphone. Despite this, the LCD is superb -- the backlit green makes it very easy to read.
All in all this is a neat little phone that looks great and does not take up much room. It would be nice if the handset had a little more "waist", however, this small shortcoming is more than made up for by the excellent backlit display.
The 2+ is a very basic entry-level phone but it is more than adequate for light telephone usage. There is only a single RJ45 port, no encryption, and no support for PoE.
Zultys ZIP 2x2
The 2x2 has exactly the same chassis as the ZIP 2+; therefore the colour, footprint, buttons, display, and handset are all the same. The 2x2 however weighs in at 525 grams.
The 2x2, while physically appearing similar to the 2+, offers many additional features such as a second RJ45 for connecting a PC or notebook without having the need for addition network cabling. The 2x2 also offers encryption functionality and supports power over Ethernet (PoE).
The fellows at Zultys are very keen on their pricing, making the 2+ a definite budget handset, and bringing the ZIP 2x2 with all the additional features in at a whisker over AU$130 more than the 2+. Therefore, it would really depend on the existing environment which of these two handsets it would be best to deploy. In our book the encryption option offered by the 2x2 would win hands down.
Zultys ZIP 4x5
The Zultys 4x5 is totally different from the 2+ and 2x2. For a start it is white in colour, with dark grey buttons. It weighs in at 920 grams. Its footprint is 180 x 210 x 75mm, and there is a small removable block which adds a further 15mm to the rear of the handset.
The bright blue backlit LCD also has a separate tilt mechanism. The buttons are rectangular with clear white writing to read from many angles. The handset weighs in at 180 grams and is very well balanced and feels great in the hand.
This telephone is relatively plain to look at when compared with most of the others in this review, even the other Zultys siblings. It is very functional with an amazing array of features including support for Bluetooth headsets, voice dialling, a PSTN port for normal telephony use should the Internet connection go down, a built-in PPPoE client, and a four-port switch!
The PSTN port is a real bonus for when the broadband gives out. Naturally this is only really applicable in small office environments or for remote tele-workers. This phone is definitely worth of considering if you have multiple, geographically dispersed small offices.
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15%
7%
ISP's are currently battling the broadband war. The race for customer aquisition is aggressive. What is the holy grail... VoIP or basic broadband revenue? The answer lies in the current broadband price offerings of ISP's.
The cost savings of VoIP to corporations is unquestionable and the future economic benefits of widespread adoption is inevitable. One just needs to review the developments of such products as 'Skype' over the last 12 months to arrive at the realisation of just where VoIP is heading. Companies in Asia have even commenced manufacturing 'Cisco ATA type' devices which interface with skype enabling VoIP calls from your normal PSTN phone. The future of VoIP is cemented and the war for market share is definitely on.