Siemens has developed a telephone system that doesn't require a switchboard. The HiPath BizIP telephones are directly connected to one another and communicate much like participants in an Internet file-sharing service (peer-to-peer, P2P), where computers exchange data without detours through a central server. Designed for up to 16 telephones, the solution is intended primarily for small companies and will make costly installations and maintenance work on telephone systems a thing of the past.
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