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PANASONIC KX-TDA50G OVERVIEW 
The KX-TDA50G is the smallest PBX in the KX-TDA series lineup. When it was first introduced, it was known as the KX-TDA50 without the “G”. In 2009, when Panasonic started shipping the KX-TDA50 with Version 5 software they decided to preinstall a Caller-ID card and change the model number slightly by adding the “G” at the end. The only reason for the change was to differentiate between inventory that included a Caller-ID and that which did not. In essence, if one was to upgrade an older KX-TDA50 with Version 5 software or higher and install a Caller-ID card, the system would then be a KX-TDA50G.
Earlier versions of the KX-TDA50 were very similar to the KX-TAW848. In fact, the same (but different colored) plastics were used for the housings. The circuit cards were even the same (but with different software). The KX-TAW848 used 4-wire analog phones while the KX-TDA50 could use either analog or digital.
With the release of Version 5 software, the KX-TDA50G became a more serious product. SIP Trunking was added to its list of features and so now it is considered to be a major step up from the KX-TAW848. In the telephone world, you might say that the KX-TDA50G is now the same thing as a KX-TAW848 but on steroids.
In addition to all that the KX-TAW848 is capable of, the KX-TDA50G can use Digital Telephones, SIP Trunking, up to 12 analog phone lines (POTS) and up to 8 Cell Stations. You can network the KX-TDA50G to other Panasonic PBX systems either on a LAN or through a VPN Tunnel across a WAN. You can connect up to 4 VoIP Network telephones to the system for such uses as work-at-home employees, off-premise warehouses or even a vacation home. NOW FOR SOME VERY STRAIGHT TALK:
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KX-TD.com does not recommend the KX-TDA50G system if you are using or plan to use SIP Trunking, VoIP Telephones or VoIP Gateway Services. If you already own a KX-TDA50 or KX-TDA50G, it "might" be something that you should explore but only because you have made the initial investment in the PBX. If you do not already own a KX-TDA50 or KX-TDA50G and want to use SIP Trunking, VoIP Telephones or VoIP Gateway Services then you should consider the KX-NCP Series or KX-TDE Series. The reason for this is simple. Getting IP devices or services to operate on the KX-TDA50 or KX-TDA50G is difficult and expensive. In order to address the SIP Trunking Cards, the Gateway Card or the IP Extension Card, you must be physically in front of the PBX. That is not realistic today and can cost hundreds if not thousands of dollars in wasted labor costs over the life of the product. If your KX-TDA50G happens to be located in a far away location, you could find yourself on a plane, heading toward a product that could have been 100% remotely addressable to begin with. Having said all that, if you already own a KX-TDA50 or KX-TDA50G and you want to add a few KX-NT136 VoIP phones for that warehouse across town, we are not suggesting that you change out your PBX. However, you might consider an upgrade to NCP or TDE if you are planning to add SIP Trunking - even though the 50G supports a limited amount of SIP. Upgrading would keep administrative costs lower over the life of the product.
The KX-TDA50G even does a few magic tricks like DXDP. DXDP stands for Digital eXtra Device Port. Translate that into English and you have the ability to plug one Digital Telephone into the back of another Digital Telephone and create two totally separate extensions. This feature is huge where you have clusters of employees working as teams or in cubicles. It saves on wiring costs and on PBX hardware. So if the KX-TDA50G was carded for 32 extensions, you could squeeze up to 64 extensions out of it if your seating arrangement was just right.
In a business application, perhaps one of the nicest tricks that the TX-TDA50G does is “Wireless XDP.” Here’s how Wireless XDP works: Let’s say that you have a telephone on your desk and its’ extension number is 123. And – let’s say that in your job, you are constantly walking away from your desk to check stock, confer with colleagues, etc. Wireless XDP lets you electronically associate one of our wireless phones with your desk phone so that any time 123 rings, so will your wireless. Answering either phone will automatically stop the other phone’s ringing. You can even connect a small headset to the wireless phone for total mobility. Since all of our wireless phones have a “vibrate mode” many people that use the Wireless XDP feature set their wireless phone to vibrate so that other people do not hear both phones ringing at once.
There are a few less earth shattering feature enhancements to the KX-TDA50G such as programmable Ring Tones by Outside Line and a wider variety of timers but those are the big chunks.
In commercial applications such as an office, a person or a Voice Processing System has the ability to transfer callers to individuals or to groups like those in a Sales Department, Service Department or Accounting. Ringing multiple extensions at once is not a feature of the less sophisticated KX-TA series.
The KX-TDA50G can handle the multiple company or multi-entity issue very well. By that we mean Homes and Home-Offices coexisting on one system or ABC Company coexisting with XYZ Company on the same system, using the same VPS, sharing some or all of the employees. This is an example of using the ICD Group feature and the Voice Group feature at the same time. The KX-TAW848 can do all that.
The KX-TDA50G is shipped from the factory 4x4x4 configuration (4 Outside Lines, 4 Multiline Digital Extensions and 4 Single Line Extensions). If 4 C.O. Lines or 4 Extensions is not enough for you, the system can be expanded in a numbers of ways until it reaches it's maximum size of 12 C.O. Lines and 16 Wired Extensions (12x16 or 12x32 with DXDP) or 8 C.O. Lines and 24 wired extensions (8x24 or 8x48 with DXDP).
The KX-TDA50G also supports twice as many Cell Stations as the KX-TAW848 – 8 in fact. Cell Stations are the access points used to communicate with Panasonic’s Proprietary Cellular (PPC) technology. With PPC, you can locate several small Access Points throughout the property or facility. Then, using small wireless phones like the one you probably already use with T-Mobile, Verizon or AT&T you are able to roam around freely without the fear of walking out of range. We recommend PPC technology whenever there’s a wireless need and there is more than 3,000 square feet to cover. Or - when there are several people that need a wireless phone with an organization or home. There are many variables that effect PPC range but generally speaking, in building constructed of mostly wood and drywall we find that one Cell Station (Access Point) per 2,500 square feet and one Cell Station per floor unless the floor has more than 2,500 square feet. Example: A 4,000 square foot ranch would likely need 2 Cell Stations as would a 4,000 foot 2-story with 2,000 feet on each floor. However, a 2,000 foot, 2-story would also need 2 Cell Stations because each floor should have its’ own Cell Station and one for every 2,500 square feet or so.
A typical candidate for this system in a commercial application would be someone that has one or more offices and perhaps a mixture of wired phones and wireless phones. It could be 1 business entity or as many as 8, all sharing the same VPS and perhaps employees. This business might want calls transferred either to people’s individual desks or to multiple phones in a department. It would be a company that would never need to expand past 12 POTS lines or 8 SIP Trunks.
A typical residential candidate would be a home of between 3,000 and 6,000 square feet, with or without multiple family members usually under one roof. This candidate may or may not operate a business from home and might want to add VoIP phones to perhaps a vacation home one day.
So to summarize, the KX-TDA50G is a major step up from a KX-TAW848 and a good choice for very small business operating under one roof with departments. It’s also suitable for mid-sized homes having the ability to use off-premise VoIP phones in other locations such as vacation homes or school dorms. This system is not the best choice for large business or large estates with several buildings. It is also not the best choice for businesses that know they will be expanding or branching out to several locations. For those applications, one should consider one of the larger TDA series models such as the KX-TDA100, a KX-NCP500 or any of the models within the TDE series.
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