Overview

Estech Systems, Inc. (ESI) designs, manufactures and markets advanced, highly featured, business communications systems for small and mid-size companies. ESI’s products are sold and supported directly through a carefully selected, nationwide network of factory-trained Resellers. ESI has enjoyed remarkable growth and uninterrupted profitability since its inception in 1987. To date, the company has built and shipped over 100,000 systems. ESI is a privately held corporation headquartered in Plano, Texas.

ESI and its products have been embraced by its customers since it introduced award-winning voice mail and telephone systems to the telecommunications industry more than a decade ago. ESI was the first manufacturer to build a truly “combined” telephone and voice mail system and has numerous patents granted on the unique design and features. ESI is highly regarded for the reliability of its products and for supporting unique, real-world applications that provide practical and effective features. Progressive vision, leading-edge technology, legendary reliability and award-winning products define ESI.

Click Here for the ESI feature phone guide.

Core Technology

ESI chooses to design and build all of its products, using internally developed technology wherever possible. The significant investment in these core capabilities has created an extraordinary depth of technical expertise and is the foundation that allows the company to be true product design innovators.

By using high-efficiency components such as the Motorola 68000-class processor and custom-designed disk operating sub-system, ESI products meet stringent voice processing requirements.

DSP Leadership

Digital signal processors (DSPs) are high-powered semiconductors that manage analog functions in a digital environment. Using ESI’s designs, a DSP, along with related software, replaces hundreds of hardware components.

Such powerful and intelligent DSP usage, along with bold architectural designs, creates products that use significantly less hardware. The result is increased reliability and greater long-term customer satisfaction. ESI products lead the industry in actual DSP content and, more importantly, in the exceptional application of our customdeveloped DSP algorithms. This results in stronger, more reliable DSPs than those of the DSP manufacturers themselves.

A good example of this DSP design approach is in the telephone design itself. At ESI, we use a single, highpowered DSP loaded with custom algorithms to process the features you look for in a phone system — like a speakerphone and the display information that appears on the LCD. As a result, ESI’s phones deliver unique combinations of features other phone systems simply cannot match.

While many other manufacturers were late to discover the superior performance and reliability that digital signal processing (DSP) provides in voice storage and retrieval, ESI has been using DSP technology since 1992.

DSP technology provides many operating advantages. A DSP rapidly samples and converts speech and DTMF tones from analog waves into digital data. Storing this data electronically not only improves system speed and reliability, but it also gives users more flexibility while storing, retrieving and moving voice messages. Because DSP technology requires less discrete hardware and fewer integrated components, ESI is also able to design products that are more compact and economical.

Beyond the Integration of Voicemail

Traditionally, voice mail systems are an adjunct to the phone system and require separate hardware and software. Using either standard analog or digital interfaces to connect the phone and voice mail systems requires that calls be “passed” between the PBX and the voice mail system, often many times, in order to process a single call. More recent developments moved voice mail systems inside the phone system’s cabinet, sharing the power supply and data back plane. While this slightly improved approach looks completely integrated, it still requires separate phone and voice mail operating systems, along with separate programming and support structures.

ESI’s patented approach combines both functions into one. Call handling and voice processing are designed together, all operating on a single platform as an integral part of the operating software and are designed to provide years of reliability and customer satisfaction. This goes well beyond the pseudointegration concepts used by competitors.

VoIP Capability

VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) was originally designed to be used between PCs as a way to avoid the toll charges of traditional long distance service. As the market matures, customers and manufacturers realized the technology could offer much more. VoIP is rapidly emerging as the ideal business solution for many employers and employees. It isn’t just about free long-distance calls from home and it isn’t just for very large corporations; it’s a viable business solution for all companies. ESI is leading the charge in delivering IP-based solutions designed specifically for the small to medium-sized business market.

In keeping with ESI’s design implementation philosophy, the company developed its own enhanced VoIP capability. Because ESI develops all the components integral to the design, the resulting products offer a complete and total solution that has earned strong industry praise. ESI believes VoIP is one of those core technologies that will fundamentally change how people communicate. Acting on that belief, ESI developed and successfully introduced products that capitalize on those market changes.

Quality

Technical support

The ESI Technical Support Center consists of highly trained industry professionals who provide remote diagnostics and phone support to Resellers. All Resellers must attend in-depth, multi-day training classes and be certified before selling and installing ESI products. Rest assured that ESI trains Resellers to provide a high level of immediate support and that they are backed up by the best Technical Support Center in the industry today.

Manufacturing

The ESI manufacturing operation is a premier facility, having built hundreds of thousands of system components and circuit boards. ESI procures, assembles and performs all quality tests in its manufacturing facility in Plano, Texas.

Quality assurance

ESI is proud to be an ISO 9001-certified company.

Moving beyond certification, ESI has made the ISO standards of quality assurance an inherent part of its everyday business philosophy and practices.

Distribution

ESI firmly believes in the value of a strong distribution partnership with Resellers. ESI is committed to building long-term distribution relationships with solid companies that demonstrate strong service and support infrastructures.

Because of ESI management’s strong commitment to support this select group of Resellers, your decision to purchase your phone system from an ESI Reseller will result in many years of satisfaction.

Patents

ESI has several significant and potentially valuable patents. ESI takes a unique approach to product design, which has been the cornerstone of its success. Protecting of intellectual property through the patent approval process ensures that significant ESI design accomplishments will remain its property in the future. For example, patent #6,252,944 was awarded on June 26, 2001. This patent awards ESI ownership of the technology that combines a phone system and a voice mail system in a single platform, controlled by a single processing method. While other manufacturers worked to tightly integrate these two systems, ESI envisioned building a single product, incorporating both a phone system and a voice mail system on a single platform, controlled by a single operating system.

Earlier, on May 23, 2000, ESI was awarded Patent #6,067,349 — “Dialing Using Caller ID.” ESI’s technology allows users of the IVX Series and the IP Series to maximize the power of Caller ID service available from their provider.

For example, if someone calls a user and leaves a voice mail message, the user can redial the caller by pressing a single key. Additionally, just one touch of a different key on the Feature Phone adds the caller’s name and number to the user’s personal speed-dial list for easy recall at any time. All of this is possible because ESI’s patented enhanced Caller ID technology allows its systems to store Caller ID information with each saved message and even display it during playback of the message.

Products

All ESI products are designed for small to medium-size businesses. The main product categories are: voice mail systems, digital phone systems, and IP-based PBX phone systems.

Communications Servers

Communications Servers is ESI’s most comprehensive class of systems, offering a complete package of features, cost-effective expansion, IP functionality, and advanced messaging capabilities.

Communications Servers consists of the ESI-100, ESI-200, ESI-600 and ESI-1000. All offer a complete package of features, such as a selection of 12, 24, or 48-Key Feature Phones, cost-effective expansion, automated attendant, automatic call distributor (ACD) and voice mail. Communications Servers also offer special ESI-innovated features such as live call recording, live call screening and the Verbal Help Guide. In addition, Communications Servers boast extensive expandability, with up to 1,128 call processing ports, up to 1,200 hours of voice storage, and support for 240 T1 channels, 230 ISDN PRI channels, 240 CO lines and TAPI computer telephony interface (CTI).

The IVX Local Network Card (LNC) adds advanced IP capabilities to the Communications Servers product line, allowing existing customers to benefit from VoIP technology. The LNC allows the system to connect to the customer’s Local Area Network (LAN). With the LNC, the optional Remote Network Card (RNC), and Esi-Link multi-site networking software installed into a Communications Server, a combined total of 816 local and/or Remote IP Feature Phones can be connected across an enterprise’s Wide Area Network (WAN).

Options such as easy expandability, Esi-Link, and the Remote IP Feature phone allow the Communications Server to grow with your company and to anticipate your future needs.

Click here to learn more about the Communications Server.

VIP

All of ESI’s VIP PC applications let you combine the power of your ESI phone system and Microsoft Outlook to enhance communication in your day-to-day activities — including the ability to control calls and organize voice mail and contacts.

VIP (Visually Integrated Phone) comes in two “flavors”: the basic VIP and VIP Professional. Each configuration is licensed independently, with easy migration from VIP to VIP Professional. Each lets you intelligently do the following from your PC’s screen:

- Manage your telephone calls
- Manage your voice mail
- Organize your contacts
- Log all your inbound and outbound calls
- Quickly program your ESI Feature Phone

With VIP Professional, you also get:

- Enhanced, more informative user interface
- Secure text-messaging
- Auto-recording capability
- Compatibility with VIP PC Attendant Console, VIP ACD, and VIP Softphone

These independently licensed members of the VIP product family, all compatible with VIP Professional, add their own specific capabilities (click their links for more information):

VIP PC Attendant Console - Makes it easier for even the busiest attendant to handle call traffic efficiently.

VIP ACD - Helps you improve the quality of your customer service when used with certain ESI phone systems and their built-in ACD (automatic call distribution).

VIP Softphone - Lets you use your PC to connect to your ESI-600 phone system from nearly any location with a broadband connection.
Regardless of your selected configuration, VIP is easy to implement. It connects to your existing local area network (LAN) and is non-invasive. There’s no need to upgrade the LAN or install Microsoft Exchange® — thus avoiding a costly and impractical solution for the small to mid-size business. (VIP requires Microsoft Outlook 2000, 2002, 2003, or 2007.)

Click here to learn more about VIP and VIP Professional.

IVX S-Class

The IVX S-Class system is designed for small to mid-sized businesses with flexible voice mail needs and moderate growth requirements. The IVX 42s standard configuration supports four CO lines, eight digital stations, and two analog stations. It grows to as many as 12 CO lines, twenty-four digital stations and six analog stations, and is ideally suited to handle the majority of small business growth requirements. Additionally, the IVX 42s offers different voice mail options based on customer needs.

For the active voice mail customer, a six-channel, thirty-hour memory module provides the best combination of channels and message storage space. For the less active user, a four-channel, two-hour message CompactFlash option is available. Any IVX 42s system can be upgraded to a six-channel, thirty-hour message storage by installing the six-channel memory module.

The Integrated Answering Machine™ offers many of the same features as ESI’s award-winning systems with voice mail, but is tailored for small businesses that need advanced answering machine capabilities.

Click here to learn more about the IVX S-Class.

IVX C-Class

Loaded with advanced capabilities yet amazingly easy to use, ESI's patented IVX C-Class All-In-One Digital Phone System gives your small business the power to present your most professional side to your customers. IVX C-Class combines multiple first-rate, feature-rich systems into one tightly integrated unit.

Business phone system voice messaging choices include an entry-level model for businesses that don't need voice mail, and a full-featured voice mail, which includes an auto attendant. Also included is a verbal user guide, messages-on-hold, and enhanced caller ID.

IVX C-Class accepts two different models of ESI Digital Feature Phones. Each is a compact, attractive edition to any desk and will simplify your business communications. Its display is large and easy to read; and the dedicated function keys (so you don't have to memorize codes) give you more ease of use.

The IVX C-Class All-In-One Digital Phone System is an easy choice over phone systems in its class. It's easy of use and feature-richness reduces staff frustrations, increases productivity and enhances your business's image. And IVX's unique integration provides efficiency and cost savings previously impossible.

Click here to learn more about the IVX C-Class.

Presence Management

ESI Presence Management is a hardware and software solution incorporating an innovative combination of RF scanning technology and ESI’s award-winning telephone systems. Now even small and medium-sized enterprises can reap the benefits of:

- Presence indication
- ESI’s Personal Call Routing
- Access control
- Documented tracking of users’ work hours and attendance history

ESI Presence Management is offered as a basic doorphone solution for addressing basic entry and exit applications, and as an advanced supervisory solution utilizing RFID technology to provide access control and personnel location. Optional ESI TimeLine™ PC software maximizes the value of this amazing product.

Click here to learn more about Presence Management.

Esi-Link

Ever wish it could be simpler — not to mention cheaper — for the people at your various locations to talk to each other? Ever wished also that this could occur without your people losing the special features that your phone system has?

Wish no more. ESI’s exciting Esi-Link (“easy-link”) technology helps you unite your team members, whether they’re a street, a city or a country apart.

Esi-Link uses your WAN or the Internet to join together up to 100 compatible ESI phone systems into one interconnected, IP-based system. While ESI wasn’t the first company to offer a multi-site solution, it was the first to offer one that unites the many advantages of multi-site communications (see full details) with the unique, high-performance features of ESI phone systems.

As the name implies, Esi-Link is amazingly easy to use. For just one example: let’s say you want to call an extension at another one of your locations. Up to now, you’d have had to make a regular phone call (and run up the charges associated with that). But, with an Esi-Link-enabled ESI phone system, simply press one key to get dial tone from that office, and then dial the extension just as you would if it were right down the hall, instead of miles away — perhaps even thousands of miles away. And this all happens over your data network; so, if you have additional lines (especially expensive dedicated phone lines), it’s even easier on your bottom line than it is to use.

Click here to learn more about Esi-Link.

Keys to ESI’s Success

Customer satisfaction
ESI’s commitment to total customer satisfaction has earned it a strong reputation among Resellers, who demonstrate strong loyalty to the ESI product line. Because of their confidence in ESI’s commitment to customer satisfaction, they provide similar high levels of service to their own customers — resulting in similar loyalties.
Financial stability and strength
ESI has been self-funded and profitable since its inception. Effective management of the company’s growth (in excess of 35% per year over the past five years) and sound fiscal practices are the guiding principles within the ESI management team.
Focused product development
The cornerstone of ESI’s success is incorporating the newest advanced and viable technologies into usable, real-world products. Further, by listening to customers, ESI creates and then enhances those products. That is why ESI consistently earns praise for exceeding customer expectations.

Why Purchase ESI?

ESI understands the needs of small and medium-sized businesses like yours, and designs systems with you in mind. ESI doesn’t waste space and system resources on features that are too confusing or complex for everyday use; nor does ESI add features that decrease employee productivity. These elemental design decisions lead to real-world systems that solve your communications needs. ESI includes only features that are powerful, robust and still practical — not just features that look good on a specification sheet.

In small and medium-sized businesses like yours, employees are often called on to do more. ESI knows that each of your customers means just a little bit more to your bottom line. In a perfect world, your customers would reach the right person every time — on the first ring, with no waiting. In today’s hectic environment, that is often not possible. A phone system with standard features like automated attendant and automatic call distribution helps get your customers to the right person quicker and more efficiently. ESI understands the importance of your customers to your success, and has built these features directly into the system — no costly upgrades or additional resources necessary.

ESI understands that even small companies benefit from access to technologies like unified messaging and Voice over IP. Customers can add Esi-Mail, Esi-Link and Remote IP Feature Phone capabilities into ESI digital systems as well as IP systems. You can experience the power and flexibility of these applications now, or in the future when you are ready.

Businesses are searching for suppliers whose products are designed to meet their specific needs. ESI continues to evolve, developing products that are significantly easier to use than those of our competitors. ESI combines today’s products with a clear vision of the future and is prepared to grow with you, now and for many years to come.