Patton ships tiny VoIP adapter
AT&T, Vonage and other carriers are probably coming to terms with the notion that voice over Internet Protocol is the future of residential and business telecom. So, apparently, is Patton Electronics Company, which is shipping the SmartLink M-ATA, an ultra-miniature analog telephone adapter that Patton claims is the world's smallest.
The SmartLink M-ATA can connect any standard analog phone or fax machine to a service provider's VoIP network over a broadband Internet connection. Using VoIP can significantly reduce phone charges, which is especially important to small businesses with remote offices.
The adapter was designed to be small and lightweight so carriers can save money on shipping costs. The light weight has the potential to save VoIP service providers a dollar or two every time they ship a unit. The small size also makes it easy for employees to toss the gadget into their pocket for use at home or at a remote office.
The M-ATA includes calling features like caller ID, call-waiting, call-forwarding and conferencing. It can be configured, monitored and upgraded remotely. The unit comes with built-in Web management, free tech support and free lifetime software upgrades.
The M-ATA has an RJ-11/12 FXS port on one side to connect it to an analog phone or fax machine. The other side has an R-45 10/100Base-TX full-duplex/auto-sensing Ethernet port for connecting to your DSL or cable modem.
