VoiceCon San Francisco 2008
| Unifying Enterprise Communication |
For several years, Unified Communications (UC) has been an important focus of VoiceCon with discussions around how to incorporate UC functionality with an IP telephony platform. This year, however, UC was more than a focus. It was the “core of the conference,” according to Eric Krapf and Fred Knight co-chairs of the recent VoiceCon San Francisco event, November 10-13, 2008. Despite the economic slowdown of late, Krapf and Knight reported strong attendance and high interest at VoiceCon as usual, particularly in the UC sessions.
Interspersed among keynote speeches by leaders from Avaya, Microsoft and IBM, roundtable discussions, summits, sessions, tutorials and over 90 company exhibits, there were some announcements by leading communications manufacturers in the areas of UC, and collaboration.
Avaya announced the Unified Communications All Inclusive package to simplify the purchase and deployment of a range of UC applications from Avaya. Specifically, the package, which is included free for Avaya Communication Manager 5.0 Enterprise Edition (or $50 per user license for Standard Edition), is comprised of the following: Avaya Communication Manager software, Avaya one-X Communicator softphone, Avaya one-X Portal, Avaya one-X Mobile, Avaya Extension-to-Cellular, Avaya VPNremote software, Application Enablement Server (for integration with Microsoft Office Communicator or IBM Lotus Sametime) and Avaya Intelligent Presence. With all of these applications at hand, employees can be equipped with the specific tool or tools they need for their particular job function. Stay tuned for more on this new packaging scheme and the associated hardware (servers) needed to support these applications.
Avaya also announced two new contact center solutions, called Proactive Outreach, for outbound self-service applications in the financial and healthcare industries. And, Avaya introduced a new Speech to Text solution (jointly developed by Avaya, Mutare Software and SpinVox) that lets workers read their voicemail on a mobile device or computer.
Mitel revealed several new developments within its UC portfolio, including the SiMple Personal Licensing role-based software licensing scheme that aims to simplify UC implementation and purchase with bundled applications for common user groups (UC Basic User, UC Standard User and UC Advanced User). Mitel also introduced new desktop and mobile UC clients: Unified Communicator (UC) Express, Unified Communicator (UC) Advanced, Unified Communicator (UC) Mobile and the TeleCollaboration Solution. Stay tuned for more from TelecomTactics on all of these new products.
ShoreTel demonstrated the new version of its Converged Conferencing solution, a collaboration solution with a browser-based interface that integrates audio and Web conferencing (desktop/application sharing, instant messaging, virtual meeting rooms, on-line presentations, and multi-media recording). The solution eliminates the expense of outside conferencing services, and the new release, Converged Conferencing 7.1, increases capacity to 204 ports (up from 96).
See below for more details on some new business VoIP products from Microsoft, NEC, Panasonic, Polycom, snom, Siemens and others.
| SMB and Enterprise Platforms |
Mitel 3000 Version 6 Delivers UC Features for Small Business
Mitel recently released a new version of its Mitel 3000 communications system for small office home office (SOHO) environments and small businesses with fewer than 50 employees. Mitel 3000, formerly Inter-Tel 3000 or EncoreCX, has been rebranded following the merger with Inter-Tel, Inc. in 2007. And, now, Mitel enhances this system with new telephones and new unified communications solutions (for the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean and Latin America or CALA region) and a hospitality solution (available in CALA only).
 Specifically, the Mitel 3000 targets smaller, single site businesses and the high-end residential market with a modular, intuitive and easy-to-install telephone system that is ideal for organizations from five to 20 users (the sweet spot), but which actually scales from two to 52 extensions (40 analog or digital telephones and 12 IP phones). Mitel 3000 enables over 100 popular call features and offers three in-skin voice mail card options (2-, 4- or 8-ports, 5-, 10- or 20-hour storage and 52 mailboxes).
An optional Broadband Module provides a LAN/WAN connection for up to 12 IP extensions or 12 VoIP lines (or a mixture of IP extensions and VoIP lines with a maximum of 12 total). Additionally, the Broadband Module supports unified communications functionality (for the U.S., Canada and CALA region), including Unified Messaging (voicemail and e-mail integration), Click-to-Dial (address book, Caller ID and Microsoft Outlook integration) and the Mitel 5110 Softphone (PC-based calling). Also optional (for the CALA region only) is a hospitality software package that features check in/check out service, room status information, a wake up call feature and more.
 Customers can choose from several telephones, including two earlier digital phones (now branded as the 8-button Mitel 4110 and 16-button Mitel 4120) and an IP Feature phone, but also the new Mitel 5110 Softphone (a software version of the IP Feature phone) and the pictured Mitel 5330 IP Phone which is also compatible with the company’s larger 3300 ICP and the Mitel 5000 SMB platform (formerly Inter-Tel 5000). Note that when the 5330 IP Phone is deployed with the Mitel 3000, it uses the keys differently, and offers six softkeys and 15 self-labeling programmable keys (used with the 3300 ICP, the 5330 IP Phone has three softkeys and 24 self-labeling programmable keys)
Mitel currently sells a North American variant (U.S. and Canada) of the Mitel 3000 which includes the new Mitel telephone support and new unified communications functionality, but also sells a CALA variant that adds a hospitality option. There are additional technical differences in digital trunk support and power options. LAKE Communications, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mitel since the merger with Inter-Tel, develops the Mitel 3000 for North America and CALA and offers versions of the product for customers in Europe, including BT and Telecom Italia, and Commander Communications PTY in Australia. www.mitel.com
TelecomTactics Takeaway: Mitel targets smaller, single site businesses and the high-end residential market with the Mitel 3000, formerly the Inter-Tel 3000 or EncoreCX. Version 6.0 sports some new functionality for systems sold in the U.S., Canada and the CALA region (support for the Mitel 5330 IP Phone, the Mitel 5110 Softphone, voicemail and e-mail integration and click-to-dial). The CALA variant also supports a hospitality package. Mitel is competing well in the SMB market space, according to the recent T3i Group report entitled “InfoTrack for Unified Communications: 2008 SMB Market Analysis.” Per the report, Mitel captured 15.5% of the 2007 SMB IP telephony market, ahead of major competitors like Cisco, Avaya and Nortel.T3i Group’s InfoTrack defines the SMB market as Small Businesses (SB) with two to 100 employees and Medium Businesses (MB) with 101 to 500 employees.
Read more about this SMB market study at http://www.telecomweb.com/IUC/2008SMBMarketAnalysisJuly2008/
NEC Begins Shipping UNIVERGE SV8500
NEC Unified Solutions, Inc. continues to roll out new products within its UNIVERGE360 vision around the enterprise communications market and its shift toward roles-based solutions. By identifying the roles people play in an organization, NEC has been unveiling solutions in 2008 that unify technology, vertical-specific applications and business processes, making employees’ functions more efficient and effective. Per this vision, NEC recently began shipping the UNIVERGE SV8500 Communications Server, an open standards-based enterprise platform that is a forward-looking alternative and upgrade path for the company’s NEAX 2400 IPX and the UNIVERGE SV7000. SV8500 can be part of a network of SV7000 and/or NEAX 2400 systems, as well as other NEC platforms, including the earlier NEAX 2000 and the newer SV8100 and SV8300 server options.
 UNIVERGE SV8500 scales to 4,000 stations on a single server or up to 192,000 ports in a multi-server, multi-node distributed networked environment. For high availability and business continuity, the server has optional component redundancy and can be configured with active/standby CPU and redundant power. In addition, a Survivable Remote Media Gateway Converter can provide backup to the SV8500 CPU in a remote location, enabling remote terminals to function even if the connection to the SV8500 is lost. The SV8500 system is “self-healing,” detecting errors and automatically switching over to redundant equipment so that there is no interruption of service.
Businesses that deploy the SV8500 can take advantage of NEC’s UC for Enterprise suite of applications. The portfolio includes the UC700 Desktop application for presence, click-to-call, instant messaging and Microsoft Outlook calendar and contact integration, UC Collaboration for video and Web collaboration, UM8500 Unified Messaging that features find me/follow me and VideoMail, the UA5200 Attendant Console, the MC530 Mobile Client running on a Microsoft Windows Mobile 6 or RIM Blackberry device and NEC’s UNIVERGE MA4000 Web-based management application.
UNIVERGE SV8500 supports NEC’s newest family IP and digital telephones, the DT700 and DT300 Series phones, which include built-in applications (directories and call history on digital models; plus SIP, XML, instant messaging, presence on IP models), optional adapters for Bluetooth, call recording, PSTN survivability and a selection of keypads among other productivity features. SV8500 also supports NEC’s SP30 softphone, as well as legacy Series E and Series i phones from NEC. www.necunified.com
TelecomTactics Takeaway: Per its UNIVERGE 360 vision, NEC continues to unveil solutions that unify technology, vertical-specific applications and business processes. The newest platform, UNIVERGE SV8500 Communications Server, targets larger enterprises (4,000 stations per single server or up to 192,000 ports per network) and is a forward-looking alternative and upgrade path for the company’s NEAX 2400 IPX and the UNIVERGE SV7000. For existing 2400 IPX and SV7000 customers, there is support for some legacy trunk and station cards, Series i and Series E terminals, and some hardware (2400 hardware PIMs and the SV7000 PIRs in a future release). NEC also highlights its commitment to the environment with a series of green initiatives; the SV8500 server was designed to minimize environmental impact, including low power consumption components, environmentally safe chemicals, carbon reductions and recyclable materials. www.telecomtactics.com
Panasonic Debuts ECS Portfolio, New KX-NCP Systems
 At the recent Panasonic Communications Solutions Division Press Event on November 6th, Panasonic unveiled the Enhanced Communications Solutions (ECS), a portfolio of systems and applications for small- and medium-sized business (SMBs) and the high-end residential market. Central to the ECS portfolio are two new network communications platforms, KX-NCP500 (to 68 stations) and KX-NCP1000 (to 108 stations), that combine telephony, applications and built-in management tools in a single rack-mount unit. The all-in-one communications systems, which support Voice over IP (VoIP) and traditional telephony, offer scalability and promise simple maintenance by IT and telecom personnel. Panasonic provides free technical support is available to certified dealers and support specialists in the United States.
While the KX-NCP system is based on the company’s earlier KX-TDA and KX-TDE software, its form factor is different. The KX-NCP is a single, 19-inch rack-mount unit with a pre-installed Main Processing card which has an option for virtual IP trunks and virtual IP extension ports and which runs desktop productivity software (Communication Assistant) and simple voice mail (Enhanced Simplified Voice Messaging). Thus, a complete IP system (including voicemail and CTI) can be configured using only the Main Processing card and optional VoIP DSP cards – no external components are needed.
Addressing the unified communications experience, Panasonic’s Communications Assistant (CA) software enables point and click telephony, screen-based presence and integration with Microsoft Outlook and TAPI-enabled CRM desktop tools. A 5-user Communication Assistant (CA) Basic license is included (free) and can be increased to 128 users via a simple license upgrade. CA Pro, also a license-based application, is similar, but adds additional presence functionality and increased call log and contact list capacity. Customers can also take advantage of three other CA versions, including CA for Supervisors and CA for Call Accounting and CA for Mobile Device available in the next release. (The earlier server-based Phone Assistant (PA) product has more functionality than the server-less CA at present.)
 Also running on the main processor is Enhanced Simplified Voice Messaging (EVSM), Panasonic’s 2-port simple voicemail service that supports 125 messages, 64 outgoing messages and 120 storage minutes. Additional special features or applications can be added optionally with feature cards (ESVM4 4-port voicemail, door phones and remote programming, for example) or by attaching separate, external servers for more advanced messaging features and/or call center reporting. Panasonic’s KX-TVA voice processing systems, on the market for a number of years, include some more advanced features that smaller businesses will appreciate, including e-mail integration, call screening, live recording and greetings that can be set according to Caller ID. An ACD Report Server provides performance reporting and voice processing in a single server – two important functions in one box.
KX-NCP supports a variety of analog, digital and IP phones, including Panasonic wired and wireless devices, plus third party SIP hard/soft phones. New to the portfolio are the KX-NT321 IP desk phone, the Panasonic HGT100 SIP phone (the company’s first SIP phone) and the TD7696 Multi-Cell DECT 6.0 cordless telephone designed for harsh workplace environments (IP54 compliant). Earlier Panasonic proprietary IP phones, digital and electronic phones can also be used. Panasonic customers will also benefit from some new third party applications for hospitality, call center, security and home/business automation. While the KX-TDA, KX-TDE and new KX-NCP systems already include basic, small call center functionality and hospitality features at no extra cost, the systems can now be fully integrated with the DuVoice hospitality package and/or a call center suite from Poltys. Panasonic is also partnering with Quadrox for a digital video recording solution and Control4 for home automation, including automation and control of lighting and environmental settings. www.panasonic.com
TelecomTactics Takeaway: Panasonic is evolving and advancing its communications solutions for SMBs and high-end residences with the new portfolio of hardware and software called Enhanced Communications Solutions. ECS is a’ total solution package’ that encompasses the recently-introduced KX-NCP rack-mount business telephony systems, KX-NCP500 (to 68 stations) and KX-NCP1000 (to 108 stations), digital, IP and SIP telephones, DECT 6.0 wireless telephones, desktop and business applications, video cameras and third party applications. As Panasonic moves its products forward in a competitive telecom market, the company is minding its customer base through investment protection (most cards, new and older handset devices, business applications, voicemail units and wireless solutions are compatible among KX-NCP, KX-TDA and KX-TDE platforms). Panasonic also broadens the options for its customers, announcing several new partnerships in the areas of hospitality, call center, security and home/business automation. www.telecomtactics.com
snom Introduces Next Generation snom 820 Business VoIP Phone
 snom technology AG of Germany debuted the snom 820 business VoIP phone at the recent VoiceCon San Francisco 2008 conference, introducing the new model as “the 8 experience” and fourth generation of VoIP phones from snom. The 820 differs from the flagship snom 300 series VoIP phones with a new design and color scheme, a more intuitive user interface, a high resolution color display and dual angle tilt for good visibility. All snom phones are Linux-based and SIP compatible.
Aside from the new appearance, the snom 820 incorporates high quality wideband audio (G.722 codec) which is optional on the earlier 300 series models by attaching the snom klarVoice handset. The phone has several powering options, including a USB port for Wi-Fi that eliminates the need for cabling (‘power over plug’ and Power over Ethernet (PoE) are also options). And, while all snom models are compliant with the security standards, SRTP, TLS and SIPS, the snom 820 further improves VoIP security using VPN technology, acting as a VPN client and eliminating Network Address Translation traversal issues to provide a secure telephone for sensitive environments such as banks, medical facilities or military offices. Additional notable features include multiple ring tones, a 300-entry call log, a 250-entry directory and 12 SIP registrations (12 lines).
The snom 820 is the first in a new line of phones and has been introduced in Europe, the U.S., Canada and Mexico for a list price of $419. www.snom.com
TelecomTactics Takeaway:The snom 820 VoIP phone represents a fourth generation of phones from German provider snom. The new phone differs from the flagship snom 300 series in appearance (design, color scheme, high resolution color display), as well as functionally (e.g. integrated wideband audio and Wi-Fi power option). snom VoIP telephones utilize SIP which allows interoperability with other manufacturer's SIP-based solutions such as those from Asterisk/Digium, Epygi, Pingtel, Cisco, Nortel, Fonality, BroadSoft, Pandora Networks and Sylantro, to name a few. And, snom is increasing its global footprint with headquarters location in Germany, a U.S. sales office in Massachusetts and reseller partners throughout Europe, South America, Asia Pacific, Africa and Australia – a total 40 countries and growing. This year, snom has been expanding its U.S. presence, announcing major distribution partnerships with ABP Technology, Novus, Interlink Communications Systems, Gentek and D&H. For more detail on the snom portfolio and other VoIP telephones on the market, visit www.telecomtactics.com. www.telecomtactics.com
Swyx Launches SwyxWare 6.20 and New Phones
 Germany-based IP telephony solution provider Swyx introduces a new range of system phones for customers that deploy the SwyxWare software-based IP PBX for small, medium and larger businesses. The Swyx IP PBX is a software solution on CD (or can be downloaded from the Swyx website) that scales from a 10-user installation to multi-site deployments with thousands of users. All in all, Swyx touts support for more than 1,000 telephone devices, including third party SIP phones and an entry-level SIP phone from Swyx, as well as USB phones, softphones, deskphones, DECT, WLAN, mobile phones and smartphones.
With the latest version 6.20 software, Swyx introduces four new IP deskphones: the SwyxPhone L620, L640 (pictured), L660 and L680. The new phones feature tiltable, graphic displays, access to call lists, directories and caller information; the L660 and L680 have a color display. The L6xx series joins other Swyx system deskphones, the L4xx and L5xx IP phones.
In addition, SwyxWare users can take advantage of the company’s Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC) solution called SwyxMobile that routes calls over the Wireless LAN via SIP, or over a cellular network when the user is outside the WLAN infrastructure. Employees have one device and a single phone number wherever they are. Smartphone support with SwyxIt! Mobile client was first introduced with SwyxWare version 6.10 for Symbian and Windows Mobile devices. Version 6.11 added Blackberry support, and version 6.20 adds dual-mode support if the appropriate SIP stack is provided by the operating system. Currently, dual-mode functionality is available for selected Nokia devices only (calls can be routed via SIP within the WLAN or via GSM outside the WLAN).
SwyxWare version 6.20 is expected to become available at the end of November 2008 with free upgrades for Swyx customers that subscribe to the Swyx Update Service. SwyxWare is sold in the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East, Africa) and several countries in the Asia Pacific region (Australia, New Zealand and Singapore). www.swyx.com
TelecomTactics Takeaway: German IP telephony provider Swyx focuses on mobility, a key application for today’s business environment in which employees are more often away from their desks or off-site, but need to stay in touch with colleagues and customers. The company offers a Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC) solution called SwyxMobile that routes calls in dual-mode - throughout a Wireless LAN using SIP, but also over a cellular network (GSM) when the user is outside the WLAN infrastructure. Swyx also highlights a new series of IP deskphones (SwyxPhone L620, L640, L660 and L680) for its SwyxWare software-based IP PBX and touts support for over 1,000 telephone devices, including their own line, plus third party SIP devices. www.telecomtactics.com
| Productivity and Collaboration |
Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 Release 2 in Beta
Microsoft Corporation demonstrated the Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 (OCS 2007) Release 2 at the recent VoiceCon tradeshows in Amsterdam and San Francisco. OCS 2007 R2, now in private beta testing and available for purchase in February 2009, will add some new features for telephony, collaboration and mobility, as well as new tools for developers.
 The new release is set to position OCS 2007 unified communications software one step closer to traditional PBX replacement. Microsoft identifies some major trends that are enabling the transformation toward software-based communications from a traditional PBX telephony model, including hardware performance improvements, advances in technology and the global and mobile nature of today’s businesses. The company cites customer Royal Dutch Shell plc that is currently using Microsoft OCS and the associated Microsoft’s Office Communicator client for their mobile and remote workers instead of PBX phones, reducing the load on their existing PBX, but also helping remote employees to reach colleagues more efficiently through presence status information, click-to-communicate and other time-saving features.
New Release 2 capabilities address collaboration with an on-premise audio-conferencing bridge (for dial-in conferencing), desktop sharing via a Web-based interface and a group chat application. Also new is a software-based attendant console and Response Group, an incoming call handling application that routes calls based on user-defined rules such as a round-robin technique, to the longest idle extension or simultaneously. Mobile workers can take advantage of the Microsoft Office Mobile Communicator, a mobile client that is now available on Nokia S40, Motorola Razor, RIM BlackBerry, BlackBerry, and Windows Mobile platforms. With the mobile client, the cell phone acts as an extension of the office phone for ‘single number reach’ and displays presence information and enables instant messaging in addition to voice communications. (Microsoft notes that the BlackBerry client does not include ‘single number reach’ at this time.)
And, the new Release 2 supports SIP trunking for direct connection to an Internet telephony service provider (no on-premise gateways required), as well as new APIs and Visual Studio integration that enables integration of new applications into business processes. www.microsoft.com
TelecomTactics Takeaway: “Team communications” describes the new features in the forthcoming Microsoft OCS 2007 Release 2 software. One year after Microsoft’s October 2007 launch of its OCS 2007 software (the evolution of Microsoft Live Communications Server 2005), the company is highlighting a second release, now in beta testing, but due out in February 2009. The new Release 2 will add some more traditional telephony features (a software-based attendant console, ACD–type call handling techniques), but also a few new collaboration and mobility capabilities (dial-in audio conferencing, desktop sharing, group chat and a mobile client), as well as new tools for business application integration. While R2 seems to bring OCS 2007 another step closer to PBX replacement, it is not yet a substitute for TDM-based PBXs or current IP telephony systems. Still, while leading business communications manufacturers have their own unified communications portfolios on the market and in development, they have also made their equipment compatible with Microsoft OCS. Read more about the impact of Microsoft’s IPT market entry in T3i Group’s report on Microsoft’s Disruptive Impact on the IP Telephony Market.
Polycom Expands TelePresence Portfolio, Supports 1080p High Definition
Polycom, Inc. expands its portfolio of video conferencing solutions with improved high definition (HD) resolution, a new conference room system and a next generation video network management solution. These new offerings build upon Polycom’s comprehensive portfolio of video conferencing systems that includes the so-called immersive solutions that enable a same-room, life-like experience – the Telepresence Experience (TPX) solutions (2-6 people on camera) and the RealPresence Experience (RPX) solutions for up to 28 people on camera in each location. Polycom also offers the Polycom HDX conference room portfolio (HDX 4000, 7000, 8000, 9000), including the HDX 4000 personal telepresence solution for executive desktops or for a small conference room (up to four people on camera). And, the RMX 2000 is a real-time, on-demand platform for ad-hoc multi-point video conferencing in conference rooms and on desktops and mobile devices.
 Previously, all Polycom high definition telepresence solutions utilized 720p video resolution at 30 frames per second, but now Polycom announces plans to support 1080p high definition (HD) resolution (30 frames per second) across its entire telepresence product line, including RPX, TPX and HDX series telepresence products and the RMX 2000. In environments where 1080p is not possible for all sites or all participants involved in a particular video conference (all cameras, displays and peripherals must be capable of 1080p to achieve full value), Polycom also announces support for 720p at 60 frames per second which enables excellent resolution and the same frame rate as broadcast HDTV for motion handling, while utilizing less bandwidth. Support for these improved resolutions is planned for first quarter 2009.
New in the HDX line is the HDX 8006, a high definition room telepresence solution designed for medium and large conference rooms. The HDX 8006 system (pictured) is capable of supporting 1080p and 720p/60 HD and features a new 1080p EagleEye camera, a remote control and a 360-degree microphone array that is immune to interference from mobile devices, according to Polycom. The company also offers HDX 8006 Media Center configurations with single or dual monitors, a stand or wall mount option and an integrated audio system (US$17,499 for base package; $19,499 or $22,099 for XL Package or XLP Package).
Bringing the network together is the Converged Management Application (CMA) that provides centralized provisioning and video network management for an organization’s entire network of video and telepresence endpoints and infrastructure systems. A key component is the CMA Desktop, an integrated, scalable desktop video application for PCs that allows users to make video calls using a presence-based contact list tied the corporate directory. CMA Desktop video clients interoperate with standards-based video endpoints, including the Polycom RPX, TPX and HDX telepresence systems and standards-based systems from other vendors. (CMA is a next generation replacement for Polycom’s earlier ReadiManager.) www.polycom.com
TelecomTactics Takeaway: In a series of recent announcements, Polycom expands and enhances its portfolio of telepresence solutions that address a range of video conferencing needs, introducing improved high definition (HD) resolution (1080p), a new conference room system (HDX 8006) and a next generation video network management solution (CMA). Polycom stresses that video and telepresence are an effective travel alternative, helping companies significantly lower the costs and carbon emissions associated with travel. Polycom’s Going Green program helps businesses plan and implement video conferencing per their objectives, but also to measure the actual cost savings that result from reduced travel. In other news, Polycom is broadening its ARENA partner program to include voice, video and wireless application developers (previously included just video application developers) for a more rounded suite of productivity or “uc” applications. ARENA has gold, silver, platinum and associate partner levels with associated sales, marketing and technical benefits. www.telecomtactics.com
Siemens Announces OpenScape Mobility, Enhances OpenScape Contact Center
Recently, Siemens Enterprise Communications announced new functionality for its OpenScape Unified Communications Suite introduced earlier this year. The OpenScape UC Suite combines several software components on one platform (OpenScape UC Server), currently available on a standard IBM server or Fujitsu-Siemens hardware server. At the first release, Siemens included the OpenScape Voice Application (new branding for Siemens HiPath 8000 V3.1 R2), OpenScape Video (an application that integrates HD video, desktop client video and voice) and the OpenScape UC Application Version 3 (role-based UC). OpenScape Contact Center (formerly ProCenter) and OpenScape Messaging (formerly Xpressions) were subsequently added.
Now, Siemens addresses the mobile workforce with OpenScape Mobility that combines Siemens HiPath MobileConnect (fixed mobile convergence solution), HiPath Wireless (802.11n WLAN) and the new OpenScape Enterprise Mobile Client (a unified communications application running on RIM, Symbian and Windows mobile devices). Siemens explains that there are a wide range of mobility requirements for users. For some, an in-building solution such as Siemens’ OptiPoint WL2 Professional handset connected over the WLAN is sufficient and cost-effective. Other users require the ability to roam between Wi-Fi and cellular networks and can benefit from Siemens’ MobileConnect client running on a dual-mode device. Still, other users, such as sales personnel who are rarely in the office, will require the presence capabilities of the Mobile UC client. Siemens’ OpenScape Mobility solution allows enterprises to tailor the solution to best meet their own unique mobility needs.
Siemens also enhances the OpenScape Contact Center portfolio with a new hosted interactive voice response (IVR) solution from Contact Solutions, Inc. Available for U.S.-based customers, the hosted offer has a per minute or per transaction price scheme which can prove to be cost effective compared to an on-premise IVR system. Alternatively, Siemens also offers OpenScape Contact Center Call Director integrated IVR with less functionality and a lower price-point, but which is fully integrated into the contact center solution as a licensed feature. www.siemens.com/open
TelecomTactics Takeaway: Siemens stresses choice and flexibility for customers with its OpenScape Unified Communications (UC) Server, a software platform that comes complete with call processing and a portfolio of applications resident on a single server. Siemens continues to build on the initial offer that incorporated three components, OpenScape Voice (formerly Siemens HiPath 8000), OpenScape Video and OpenScape UC, and subsequently added OpenScape Contact Center (formerly ProCenter) and OpenScape Messaging (formerly Xpressions). Now, the portfolio includes OpenScape Mobility that brings together three Siemens products: Siemens HiPath MobileConnect (fixed mobile convergence solution), HiPath Wireless (802.11n WLAN) and the new OpenScape Enterprise Mobile Client (a unified communications application running on RIM, Symbian and Windows mobile devices). The suite of mobile solutions is designed to address the varying mobility requirements in a business environment. www.telecomtactics.com
For questions, feedback and product information,
contact sgustavsen@t3igroup.com. |
