Not every unified communications player is, or needs to be, the size and scope of a Cisco or even an Avaya. A Dutch company called StartReady is looking to break into the U.S. market this year with a unified communications appliance that can be dropped into a customer’s environment for a fraction of the cost of more complex offerings from market leaders.

Founded two years ago in Amsterdam by two former Microsoft executives, StartReady is applying the security appliance paradigm—think Sonicwall or Fortinet—to the UC space and focusing its value proposition around fast implementation time and simpler, reduced maintenance that can be done as a service. The software inside the StartReady UC Appliance is based on Microsoft’s UC portfolio, including Office Communications Server. The StartReady team customizes the implementation and maintenance so that updates and other changes can be done remotely.

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“It’s an on-premises managed service,” said Lucas Wensing, CEO of the company. “It can integrate more easily than other solutions, including into the existing local telephony systems that users have.”

Wensing said the product is ideal for the channel because it has lowered the barrier for configuration, taking away complexity for quick installation.

“Channel partners can do add-on services and make margin on the box transaction and maintenance,” he said. StartReady will handle the patch management and routine software updates remotely, but any other changes to the box can be done by the partner, he added. One appliance can accommodate up to 750 users.

To date, StartReady has 35 customers in Europe, but is currently building out its North American presence, with an initial emphasis on the Boston regional area.