From hardware PBXes like Jazinga, we move to a PBX that runs on Windows. 3CX sent me a press release about version 6.0 of their Windows-based PBX. They made a big deal out of adding 10 features in 20 weeks.

3CX has four different versions, including a free edition that is feature-limited, which includes an 8 simultaneous call limit. The other editions support additional features and more simultaneous calls (up to 32), as you can see in the comparison chart.

I suppose this is good if you're not comfortable with Linux-based solutions like Asterisk (and derivatives), but I am failing to see what is particularly innovative about this product other than it runs in Windows and is explicitly supported in virtual machines. Anyone?

I got a piece of hardware from UPS on Monday from a company called Jazinga. It's a Wifi-enabled router with a PBX that promises to make it possible to have a PBX up and running without an IT staff. In it's pre-release form, it's not quite like that, but with some bug fixes (and updated documentation), this could be really big.

After going through their web-based setup wizard, which took maybe 15 minutes at the most, I had defined users, extensions, and an auto-attendant. There is a lot of features in the box to explore, but I left it at that for the moment.

One feature I did play with was device provisioning. The promise is plug-and-play, and it was basically that. Aastra, Cisco, Linksys, Polycom, and Snom handsets are supported in this manner. Given how complex these devices are to configure by hand, having the PBX do it for you is an absolute must!

I took a Linksys SPA-941, plugged it into the Jazinga box, reset it to factory defaults, and within a few minutes, it was an assignable IP phone on my Jazinga box. I had a similar experience with a Polycom IP600 phone-after I upgraded the antique firmware to something more current.

All in all, for a pre-release product, it left a favorable impression. More exploration in the days to come.

I am excited to see my friend Alec Saunders launch his latest baby: Calliflower. They have taken the Free Conference Calling application on Facebook, which has more than 200,000 users, and brought it to the rest of the web with a fresh, new look!

Feature-wise, at this point, it's not much different from the Facebok app, but it does look a lot nicer than the Facebook app. However, even those features are still pretty impressive. The web interface for the conference call is very easy to use. You can see exactly who is dialed in, complete with their picture. The "live wall" is there for anyone to contribute information to-before, during or after the call. Invitations and reminders are sent out-by SMS if you'd like. You can also record MP3s of calls for later use.

The web page isn't functioning yet, as it is scheduled to launch until Wednesday. However, you can find out more by joining the Alec Saunders Squawk Box call on Tuesday at 11am US-Eastern time. While you're there, you can get a taste of what you'll see with Calliflower!

The folks at SightSpeed continue to quietly amaze. As I mentioned last week, SightSpeed was going to announce 9-way video conferencing, and they did exactly that for their SightSpeed Business customers. SightSpeed Business customers can now talk to up to 9 people simultaneously on a video call with prices starting at $19.95 a month per user.

My experience with SightSpeed's 4-way video calling was pretty good. I'm told, though I haven't yet tested it myself, that the 9-way calling is even better thanks to some work they did on the server end. Keeping 9 videos in sync is quite a feat to say the least!

I wonder how this stacks up to the Halo conferencing system Nokia is employing internally. Buying everyone webcams and a copy of SightSpeed Business has got to be cheaper than building out these Halo conference rooms.

My pal Alec Saunders got a major score for his Free Conference Call service on Facebook: a call with William Shatner!

This coming Thursday from 6:30PM to 8PM PDT, Allan Hunkin will spend 45 minutes interviewing him, primarily about his new autobiography entitled Up Till Now, and the balance of the time will be an open Q&A session with the gathered masses. Most geeks know William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk from Star Trek fame, but he's done a number of other memorable roles, including Denny Crane on the T.V. show Boston Legal.

I hope Alec and his team are prepared for the flood of calls this is likely going to get. Register now while there's still space!

Every once in a while, I have to exercise my responsibilities as one of Creative Weblogging's "network bloggers" (i.e. I blog on a series of CW's tech-related blogs). This time, it's to tell you about one of CW's newest sponsors for the tech-related blogs: AIM Call Out.

AIM Call Out gives you three ways to make cheap calls to ordinary telephones: through the AOL Instant Messenger client on Windows, using any telephone using the Web Connect feature, and if you're a geek, using any SIP-enabled device you desire. $5 is all it takes to get started using this service.