NEC SV8100 Review

As one of the largest global suppliers in business telecommunications, buying your phone system from NEC is a safe bet.

They make everything you will need, from full enterprise telecommunications systems right down to individual phone handsets.

NEC invests over £2 billion in research and development every year

NEC’s SV8100 is a scalable Unified Communications solution designed to meet the needs of small to medium-sized businesses.

The NEC SV8100 allows you to implement the latest VoIP technology and provides you with the technology necessary for advanced communication.

The NEC SV8100 has an extensive feature range, but it also has development capabilities, you can customise your system to your business.

XML Open Interface Support allows your developer to build displayable and accessible applications useful to your business.

With many options available, its hard for start-ups and Small businesses to find the right unified communications solution.

Here we break down the features, and technical terms in this extensive guide compiled just for you with prices, information, and comparisons:

NEC SV8100 average costs and fees.

You can choose between a range of different packages when buying an NEC SV8100. The differences come down to:

1. How many users you need to support and therefore how many stations you will need
2. whether you want the smaller three slot 9.5-inch chassis or a larger six slot standard chassis. The standard chassis is suitable for larger companies or those that expect to expand but takes up more space.

NEC SV8100 core features

At its core, the NEC SV8100 is a call management system that brings all of your communications channels together through Unified Communications (UC).

Here is what the NEC SV8100 can do:

Call management

The Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) function distributes incoming calls according to your instructions, so your customer’s calls are always answered.

The PC attendant visually shows you who in your team is on the phone and who is available and allows you to push calls to the right people from your computer, an excellent tool for call centre supervisors.

Customisable

XML Open Interface Support means that you can build your apps for your system using Univerge.

You can use this to display your logo on your phones and create reservation or information tools, especially useful for hotels and restaurants.

Unified Communications

Links your different communication channels together, for example, you can have your voicemail messages sent through to you in an email.

You also get an instant messaging system so that your team can keep in touch with each other easily.

Compatibility

This system supports both IP and analogue trunks so that you can use SIP trunking and probably use any existing infrastructure that you have.

The system is compatible with ISDN, TAPI and your current PBX if you have one.

Connects to a wide range of phones

Including, Bluetooth cordless handsets, cordless phones, IP DECT wireless handsets, Wi-Fi handsets and mobile phone extensions.

If you decide that you need a slightly bigger system, then take a look at NEC’s newer SV9100.

It is similar to the SV8100 as they are built on the same technology.

However NEC has scaled up the SV9100 system to accommodate up to 800 users, and it can run audio and video conferencing.

This newer offering will cost you a little more, so if the SV8100 sounds like it suits your needs, then it will be a safe bet at an affordable price.

Customer support and sales

NEC offers support to help you find the right solution for your needs but mostly sells through approved partners and distributors.

NEC has 16 partners spread across the UK so that you can work with the one closest to you.

The UK is NEC’s base in Europe, so you are assured excellent sales and customer service support.

NEC’s customer support centre in the UK is located in Middlesex and can be contacted via telephone (during office hours) or email.

Customer Reputation

The NEC SV8100 has excellent customer reviews,  NEC reports that it has the highest level of customer satisfaction among Unified Communications vendors.

Users say the SV8100 Unified Communications solution is reliable and scalable for small to medium businesses.

Current users say that the SV8100 shines when it is used with a VoIP system, but it is helpful that it has the flexibility also to incorporate analogue lines.

Additionally, this feature-rich UC platform makes it easy to access the features through your PC.

On the downside,  most customers mentioned that this is a complex system that requires third party setup and support.

Therefore if you choose to go with the NEC SV8100, it might be in your best interest to get an installation and maintenance contract from your supplier.

Comparing the NEC SV8100

How does the SV8100 stack up against the other systems you are considering?

Here it is compared against the  Avaya IP Office and the NEC SV9100.

Who should use the NEC SV8100?

Is the NEC SV8100 ticking the boxes for you? If you still aren’t sure if this is the right system for you, here is a bit of a summary.

NEC has designed this Unified Communications solution to suit the needs of small to medium businesses and is designed to grow with you.

You can start with a single chassis for just a few users, and your system can develop to support a team of up to 500.

If you think you will expand beyond this number in the next few years, then you will need to choose a bigger system, like the SV9100.

Whether you are running a call centre, hotel or a busy office, the NEC SV8100 is flexible enough to support your needs through customisation.

This system ticks all the boxes but doesn’t have all the cutting-edge bells and whistles.

Final verdict

The NEC SV8100 is scalable, and an excellent fit for small businesses.

It provides a feature-rich unified communications solution with a wide range of packages to match your business needs.

If you choose this system, you will want some support for installation.

However, once your system is up and running, you should have no problems with this reliable unit.

This affordable choice will cover all of your bases, so you can get on with running your successful business.