The Sutus Business Central BC-200 is perhaps one of the easiest VOIP PBXes to set up. A skilled technician could easily deploy a BC-200 in about 15 minutes, from unpacking the box to getting a dial tone.

The BC-200 includes a basic file server, e-mail server, Web server, and routing and firewall functions. It includes Wi-Fi among its network options, along with Power over Ethernet (PoE) connections. All of those networking features are built on top of the unit’s core VOIP functionality.

Like many SMB VOIP PBXes, the BC-200 includes support for analog lines. Installers can integrate as many as three POTS lines, as well as a fax line. Further easing setup is the automatic support for any Polycom IP telephone, which when connected via a POE only needs a single cable run to power and communicate with the phone. That helps to make wiring a bit simpler, and when one considers that most Polycom IP phones also have an RJ-45 jack on them for providing Ethernet to a PC, new cable runs to existing PC locations can be eliminated.

Sutus uses a managed service model, giving solution providers the option of providing VOIP/PBX to small businesses as a hosted/on-premises service. The BC-200 is for businesses with 25 employees and under, making it an ideal device for solution providers looking to equip and support a small office.

Sutus offers a user-centric approach to communications, where each user has access to a “My Sutus” Web page, which acts as a digital concierge for the user’s settings, information and communications.

Sutus offers a multitude of wizards, assistants and other “ease of use” elements that come in handy during setup and maintenance of the system.

The browser-based administration screens are all done in Flash and are much more robust than the typical browser-based management application. That said, Flash-based administration does run slower than browser-based consoles, but it is worth the trade-off. Thanks to Flash, administrators will find it very easy to set up most of the unit's features, ranging from the integrated Wi-Fi access point to firewall settings to Internet connectivity. All administration screens offer ample help and recommendations.

The system can be configured to offer private and public work spaces (shared folders) that are easily accessible from a user’s PC. Full security, including group management, can be applied to the work spaces, as well as remote access. Sutus doesn’t offer an integrated conference bridge and recommends that users choose an external conferencing service to avoid overutilizing the appliance.

Some key features include Power over Ethernet, RAID storage and QOS for wired and wireless connections, all of which can improve the business user experience.

Starting at $2,199 the BC-200 is not the cheapest VOIP PBX on the market, but when one considers that the unit is more than just a PBX and brings networking, wireless and the beginnings of unified communications to a business, it seems like a downright bargain.