Synway is a Chinese telecom hardware manufacturer providing VoIP gateways, IP-PBX, voice boards, and communications infrastructure to 3,000+ solution providers across 56 countries.
Synway Information Technology is a Chinese telecommunications hardware manufacturer based in Hangzhou that has been designing VoIP gateways, session border controllers, IP PBX systems, call recording solutions, and voice processing boards since 1995. With over 2,000 employees and a strong R&D investment of 10-15% of annual revenue, Synway offers a comprehensive range of analogue and digital media gateways that enable the migration from legacy PSTN and ISDN circuits to IP telephony. For South African resellers, Synway provides cost-effective gateway and SBC hardware for ISDN-to-SIP migration, contact-centre infrastructure, and carrier-grade voice network interconnection.
Synway Information Technology Co., Ltd. is a Chinese telecommunications hardware company that designs, develops, and manufactures VoIP gateways, session border controllers, IP PBX systems, call recording solutions, and computer-telephony integration (CTI) voice boards. Founded in 1995 in Hangzhou, the company has grown over nearly three decades into one of China’s leading telecoms hardware producers, with more than 2,000 employees and products deployed in telecommunications networks worldwide. Synway holds intellectual property rights across its entire product portfolio and has maintained a consistent R&D investment of 10-15% of annual revenue since 2005.
The company’s product range addresses the full spectrum of voice network infrastructure — from small-capacity analogue gateways that convert a handful of phone lines to SIP, through to high-density digital gateways processing 32 E1 circuits simultaneously and carrier-grade session border controllers handling thousands of concurrent sessions. Synway also produces IP PBX systems, IP phones, call recording hardware, wireless access points, and multimedia processing platforms. This breadth of product makes Synway relevant to telecoms operators, contact centres, enterprises, and system integrators who need reliable, cost-effective voice infrastructure equipment.
South Africa is in the midst of a long-running migration from legacy PSTN and ISDN infrastructure to IP-based telephony. Many businesses still operate Telkom ISDN BRI and PRI circuits that connect to traditional PBX systems, and these circuits need to be converted to SIP for connection to modern IP PBX platforms and cloud voice services. Synway’s SMG series of media gateways addresses this migration requirement with products ranging from small 2-port analogue gateways through to high-density 32-E1 digital gateways — covering every scale of ISDN-to-SIP conversion project.
The cost advantage of Synway hardware compared to European and American alternatives is significant, which matters in the South African market where price sensitivity is a factor in most infrastructure purchasing decisions. Synway’s products deliver carrier-grade reliability at price points that are typically 30-50% lower than comparable equipment from Western manufacturers, making them attractive for cost-conscious deployments in both enterprise and service-provider environments. The company’s SBC range provides an affordable option for securing SIP trunk connections and managing VoIP interconnections, while the call recording solutions serve the growing compliance and quality-assurance requirements of South African contact centres.
The SMG1000 series comprises analogue FXS and FXO VoIP gateways that convert traditional analogue phone lines to SIP. FXO gateways connect to existing PSTN lines and route calls over IP, while FXS gateways connect legacy analogue phones, fax machines, and alarm systems to an IP PBX. Available in configurations from 4 to 32 analogue ports, these gateways enable businesses to preserve their existing analogue endpoints while migrating their trunk infrastructure to SIP. The SMG1000 is particularly relevant for South African businesses that still have Telkom analogue lines and legacy equipment that they cannot immediately replace.
The SMG3000 series handles digital ISDN PRI (E1/T1) to SIP conversion for larger enterprises and service providers. Available in configurations from 1 E1 (30 channels) through to 32 E1 (960 channels), these gateways support both ISDN PRI and SS7 signalling, making them suitable for carrier interconnection as well as enterprise PBX migration. The SMG3000-B1L and B2L models offer compact, cost-effective 1-E1 and 2-E1 gateways for small and medium enterprises migrating from Telkom ISDN PRI services, while the higher-density models serve telecoms operators and large contact centres.
Synway’s SBC range includes models from the entry-level SBC30 for small deployments through to the enterprise-grade SBC2000 for high-capacity environments. The SBCs provide SIP trunking security, protocol normalisation, codec transcoding, call admission control, and network address translation traversal. For South African VoIP service providers and enterprise IT teams, Synway SBCs offer an affordable way to secure the boundary between their internal voice network and external SIP trunk providers, protecting against SIP-based attacks and ensuring interoperability between different VoIP systems.
The Synway SPBX is a multimedia soft-switch PBX platform designed for small to medium enterprises. It combines traditional PBX call management features — extensions, ring groups, IVR, voicemail, call recording, and conferencing — with modern UC capabilities including presence, instant messaging, and mobile integration. The SPBX supports both SIP endpoints and legacy analogue phones connected through Synway gateways, making it suitable for mixed deployments where businesses are transitioning from analogue to IP telephony.
Synway has been a specialist in call recording since its early years, producing both hardware-based recording cards and software platforms for capturing, storing, and managing voice recordings. The call recording solutions support recording from analogue lines, digital ISDN circuits, SIP trunks, and VoIP extensions. For South African contact centres and financial services companies that must comply with recording and retention regulations, Synway provides a cost-effective alternative to premium recording platforms from vendors like NICE or Verint.
Synway has expanded its portfolio in recent years to include SIP IP phones and wireless access points. The IP phone range covers basic to mid-range desk phones for office environments, while the access points provide enterprise Wi-Fi connectivity. These products complement the company’s core gateway and PBX offerings, allowing resellers to source a more complete solution from a single manufacturer.
Synway was founded in 1995 in Hangzhou, China, giving it nearly three decades of experience in telecommunications hardware development. The company started by producing CTI voice boards — PCI cards that enabled computers to process telephone calls for applications like IVR, call recording, and predictive dialling. These voice boards became the foundation of Synway’s deep expertise in voice processing, signal conversion, and telephony protocols. Over the decades the company expanded from voice boards into complete gateway systems, SBCs, IP PBX platforms, and unified communications products.
Synway’s consistent investment of 10-15% of annual revenue into R&D since 2005 has enabled the company to keep pace with the rapid evolution of telecommunications technology — from TDM-based voice networks through to all-IP architectures and cloud communications. The company showcased its latest products at CommunicAsia 2025, demonstrating continued investment in both analogue gateway technology (for the ongoing PSTN-to-IP migration market) and newer product categories like SBCs, IP phones, and access points.
Synway’s primary differentiator is its specialisation in voice media gateways and the depth of its product range in this category. While many vendors offer gateways as a small part of a broader portfolio, Synway’s core business revolves around the conversion between legacy and IP telephony networks. This focus results in products that handle complex signalling scenarios — including SS7, ISDN PRI, analogue loop-start, and ground-start — with the reliability required for carrier-grade deployments. The company’s heritage in CTI voice boards gives it deep expertise in the signal processing and codec technology that underpins gateway performance.
Price competitiveness is another significant differentiator. Synway’s Hangzhou manufacturing base and scale of operations allow it to offer media gateways and SBCs at price points that are substantially lower than comparable products from North American and European manufacturers. For South African resellers and service providers operating in a price-sensitive market, this cost advantage can be decisive — particularly for large-scale deployments where the savings on gateway hardware across multiple sites add up significantly.
Synway products have been available in the South African market through specialist telecoms distributors and direct supply arrangements. The company’s products are relevant to several segments of the South African telecoms industry. Telecoms operators and service providers use Synway digital gateways for carrier interconnection and voice traffic conversion between PSTN and IP networks. Enterprise customers use analogue and digital gateways for migrating from Telkom ISDN to SIP trunking while preserving legacy endpoints. Contact centres deploy Synway call recording hardware for quality assurance and compliance recording.
The South African market’s ongoing ISDN sunset — as Telkom gradually decommissions legacy circuit-switched infrastructure in favour of IP-based services — creates sustained demand for media gateways that bridge the old and new worlds. Synway’s range of E1 gateways is particularly relevant for this transition, as many South African businesses still rely on ISDN PRI circuits for their primary telephony connectivity. The SBC range addresses the growing need for SIP trunk security as more businesses connect directly to IP-based voice services over the public internet.
Synway sells through a combination of direct engagement with telecoms operators and through distributor and reseller partnerships in regional markets. Ideal Synway partners in South Africa include telecoms integrators who deploy PBX systems and need gateway hardware for ISDN-to-SIP migration, VoIP service providers who require SBCs for trunk security and interconnection, contact-centre integrators who need recording solutions, and IT distributors looking to add a cost-effective gateway brand to their portfolio.
Partners should have technical staff with knowledge of SIP telephony, ISDN signalling, and network configuration to deploy and configure Synway equipment effectively. The company provides technical documentation, configuration guides, and a wiki-based knowledge base to support partner deployments. For larger opportunities, Synway’s sales and engineering teams can provide direct pre-sales support including solution design, proof-of-concept assistance, and custom configuration for complex deployments.
Synway products are available in South Africa through specialist telecoms distributors and through direct engagement with Synway’s international sales team. Resellers interested in sourcing Synway equipment should contact the company directly through their website at synway.net to discuss distribution arrangements, pricing, and technical support for the South African market. The company has established supply arrangements in multiple African markets and can support direct shipment to South African partners.
For resellers who prefer to work through local distribution, enquire with specialist VoIP and telecoms distributors in South Africa about Synway product availability. As the ISDN migration market continues to grow, distribution options for Synway products in South Africa are likely to expand. The company’s participation in international telecoms exhibitions and its growing presence in the African market make it increasingly accessible to South African channel partners looking for cost-effective voice infrastructure equipment.
Yes, Synway’s SMG3000 series digital gateways are designed specifically for ISDN PRI to SIP conversion. You connect the Telkom ISDN PRI circuit to the gateway’s E1 port and configure the SIP side to register with your IP PBX or SIP trunk provider. The gateway handles all signalling conversion between ISDN and SIP protocols, allowing your existing ISDN lines to work with modern IP telephony platforms. Models are available from 1 E1 (30 channels) up to 32 E1 (960 channels) depending on your capacity requirements.
Both Synway and Sangoma produce quality VoIP gateways for ISDN and analogue to SIP conversion. Sangoma has stronger local distribution through MiRO and deeper integration with the Asterisk/FreePBX ecosystem, while Synway offers more competitive pricing and a wider range of high-density gateway options for carrier-grade deployments. Synway’s product range extends to 32 E1 ports in a single unit, making it better suited for large-scale telecoms operator deployments. For South African resellers, the choice often comes down to local support requirements versus price sensitivity and scale of deployment.
Yes, Synway manufactures a range of session border controllers including the SBC30 for small deployments and the SBC2000 for enterprise and service-provider environments. These SBCs provide SIP trunk security, protocol normalisation, codec transcoding, and interoperability management between different VoIP systems. South African VoIP providers can use Synway SBCs to secure their SIP infrastructure at a significantly lower cost than comparable products from vendors like Oracle, Ribbon, or AudioCodes.
Yes, Synway’s call recording solutions can capture and store voice recordings from analogue lines, ISDN circuits, and SIP trunks, making them suitable for compliance recording in South African contact centres. The recording platform provides search, playback, and export capabilities for quality assurance and dispute resolution. While Synway’s recording solution is more basic than premium platforms like NICE or Verint, it provides the core recording and retrieval functionality that many South African mid-market contact centres require at a fraction of the cost.
Synway products can be sourced in South Africa through specialist telecoms distributors or by contacting Synway’s international sales team directly through their website at synway.net. The company supports direct sales to South African partners and can arrange shipping from their manufacturing base in China. For specific product availability and pricing, reach out to Synway’s sales department or enquire with local VoIP distributors about their Synway stock and ordering options.