Enterprise Telephony News
Avaya Upgrades IP Office for SMBs
 Avaya introduces new software and hardware for the IP Office “all-in-one” telephony solution for small and mid-size businesses (SMBs). IP Office, available globally, includes servers, media modules, trunk interface cards and a full complement of applications (some of which are free of charge, while others are easily added by purchasing a license key). Version 4.1 is now available for the entire IP Office portfolio which includes the IP Office Small Office Edition, IP Office 406v2, IP Office 412 and the newest platform, IP Office 500. New IP Office applications and new telephone devices aim to improve business continuity, end user mobility, and ultimately, customer service.
Telecommuter Mode software is introduced for IP Office, allowing remote workers to make and receive calls using any phone (a home phone or mobile phone for example) and take advantage of all headquarters IP Office features such as conferencing, call recording, transfer, speed dial, call history logging, account codes and other popular telephony features. The software routes calls over the public switched telephone network or the user’s cellular network rather than the Internet where voice quality cannot be guaranteed according to Avaya (Telecommuter Mode is built into Phone Manager Pro and requires a Phone Manager Pro license for each remote worker).
 The internal twinned phone capability is also improved so that users can receive line appearance, bridged appearance and coverage calls on their twinned phone. Additional Version 4.1 functionality introduces new virtual private network (VPN) software for remote employees (no VPN gateway is required at the remote location), a Universal PRI daughter card for the IP Office 500, more flexibility with Small Community Networking and improvements to Voicemail Pro and Embedded Voicemail, including 40 auto attendants, a recording label field and polite shutdown.
 Also new are two durable IP wireless handsets for IP Office R4.1 (and Avaya Communication Manager 3.0 or greater). The 3641 IP Wireless Telephone and 3645 IP Wireless Telephone support the IEEE 802.11a, b and g radio standards, giving businesses a choice in Wi-Fi implementation. Both models are slim and lightweight with a large, backlit display, several battery options and up to eight hours talk time (160 hours standby), and they comply with IP-53 (liquid and dust protection) and MIL 810F (shock protection). The 3645 adds push-to-talk technology for communicating with workgroups, as well as an enlarged earpiece for noisy environments and rubberized grips. (An additional new low-cost, 802.11b/g wireless telephone with color display and Avaya one-X user interface (the 3631 IP Wireless Telephone) works with Avaya Communication Manager 3.0 or greater, but not IP Office). www.avaya.com
TelecomTactics Takeaway: Avaya’s IP Office 4.1 introduces new features that aim to improve business continuity and end user mobility for SMBs. Among the new capabilities are Telecommuter Mode software, improvements to phone twinning and Small Community Networking and two durable IP wireless handsets (manufactured by Polycom SpectraLink) that support the IEEE 802.11a, b and g radio standards. With customer service in mind, Avaya offers free Web-based training to registered Avaya Business Partners on product sales, design, implementation and support for IP Office R4.1 and other Avaya solutions. R4.1 is supported on IP500, Small Office Edition, IP406 V2 and IP412 platforms that support from 28 to 360 stations.
NEC Philips Introduces UNIVERGE SV7000 Release 23
 NEC Philips Unified Solutions introduces new capabilities for the UNIVERGE SV7000, an IP communications server designed to meet the needs of medium or larger enterprises within numerous vertical markets, including government, healthcare, education, hospitality, retail and call center. The new Release 23 addresses desktop productivity with new applications, including the Business ConneCT CTI client-server application with .NET technology that provides PC-based call handling, contact management and presence management for employees, call handling for operators, or enables contact center agents to view caller information and take advantage of routing, queuing and IVR functions.
Also new is the Virtual PC Centre solution in which the user handles PC tasks and makes phone calls using a thin client on the deskwith keyboard, mouse, monitor and handset instead of a normal desktop PC. End users will also benefit from a local and system phonebook on the company’s Dterm and DtermIP/SIP telephone sets, as well as a Boss/Secretary feature and additional features have been added for the hotel environment such as indication of guest names for a room with multiple telephone lines.
Mobile employees that need access to both voice and data can take advantage of the latest version of NEC’s UNIVERGE Assured Mobility Wireless LAN solution and a new MH250 SIP handset (pictured). Assured Mobility uses NEC’s wireless LAN architecture (Wireless Optimized Architecture) with WLAN controller(s) and access points to enable a voice over wireless LAN  solution for any size organization – a small or mid-sized businesses or larger enterprise. Alternatively, mobile workers with voice needs can utilize the Business Mobility IP DECT wireless solution that supports up to 750 Access Points for large deployments such as universities or hospitals.
Aside from end user improvements, Release 23 enhances system administration, reliability and security. Health check processing (which monitors SV7000 components) is improved with additional SNMP alarm messages, and for security, voice and signaling information is encrypted even if a remote survivable gateway controller takes over call control. New Release 6 software for MA4000 Web-based system management adds enhancement of LDAP Auto Provisioning for TDM phones, configuration of IP-DECT terminals, secure proxy functionality and user statistics for more detailed system and network analysis. www.nec-philips.com
TelecomTactics Takeaway: NEC Philips Unified Solutions focuses on larger enterprises with new software and hardware for the company’s UNIVERGE SV7000 IP communications server. The new Release 23 adds desktop productivity applications, mobility (a new SIP handset for the UNIVERGE Assured Mobility Wireless LAN solution) and improvements to system administration (MA4000 R6), reliability (health check processing) and security (enhanced encryption). NEC Philips is a joint venture formed in April 2006 when NEC took a majority share (60%) in Philips' Business Communication (PBC) as set forth by a Memorandum of Understanding signed by Royal Philips Electronics of The Netherlands and NEC Corporation of Japan. The joint venture formed the new company called 'NEC Philips Unified Solutions' that combines NEC's market presence in North America and Japan with Philip's presence in the European enterprise market.
Siemens Adds New Features to HiPath 8000
Siemens Communications announces Version 3.1 capabilities for its HiPath 8000 SIP softswitch, adding new or enhanced end user features, new architectural features and improved network and security functionality. HiPath 8000 is sold as software that runs on an IBM server (and other servers in the future such as the FujitsuSiemens server planned for March 2008), scaling from 300 to 100,000 users per node and to an unlimited number of users per network (depending upon configuration) and providing carrier class reliability and survivability for mid-size to large enterprises.
HiPath 8000 supports industry standards (including SIP, MGCP, SOAP/XML and CSTA) and employs an IT/data center centralized model ideally suited for distributed environments. Because the HiPath 8000 is a carrier-class system, it has survivability and reliability that may exceed the typical customer premise equipment (CPE) solution, including failover of 'active-active' clustered server nodes, active/standby Fast Ethernet links and crossover network connections. Siemens reports that an independent study showed the HiPath 8000 centralized operation model resulted in a 15-25% lower total cost of ownership than other distributed IP-PBXs used in the study.
 The new Version 3.1 improves functionality in a number of areas, including architecture with support for larger business groups in a Managed Service Provider offering (from 1,000 to 6,000 groups), as well as improved emergency callbacks and geographic node separation in which the connection between two nodes is now routable through an IP network (Layer-3 cluster interconnect). In the area of networking, V3.1 enhances Call-Admission-Control which ensures that bandwidth resources are available before establishing a call and reroutes calls when bandwidth is insufficient. CAC now applies to tree and mesh network topologies (previously only hub and spoke (star) configurations were supported).
In addition, HiPath 8000 V3.1 supports high-definition videoconferencing and SIP-Q enhancements such as improved displays for networked parties and media encryption. End users will benefit from several new features, including call forwarding-dependable that gives administrators the ability to specify an alternate destination for calls if the subscriber is unreachable (if the SIP line is turned off, unplugged or not registered). www.siemensenterprise.com
TelecomTactics Takeaway: Siemens addresses mid-size to large enterprises with new capabilities for its HiPath 8000 SIP softswitch as the company targets this platform to a wide range of business sizes – from 300 to 100,000 users per node (unlimited users per network depending on configuration). The system, which promises carrier class reliability and survivability, improves functionality in a number of areas with Version 3.1, including architecture (to 6,000 business groups in a Managed Service Provider offering), improved emergency callbacks and geographic node separation, enhanced Call-Admission-Control, SIP-Q enhancements and new end user features. These new capabilities build on V3.0 software introduced in mid-2007 that addressed user and network capabilities, improved application interworking, security and system manageability – features critical to enterprises looking to improve productivity, collaboration and responsiveness among employees, while lowering the total cost of ownership (TCO).
Toshiba Introduces SIP Trunking
 Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., Telecommunication Systems Division adds SIP trunking for its Strata CIX family of IP-PBX systems, allowing enterprises to reduce costs and also boost productivity through converged communications. With SIP trunking, the Strata CIX IP system transmits both voice and data packets to the service provider over a single IP circuit, eliminating the need for VoIP gateways or separate voice connections such as T1, ISDN PRI or analog lines. Enterprises that take advantage of SIP trunking not only save equipment costs, but also reduce long distance charges since SIP calls travel over the Internet or provider’s IP network before terminating on the local public switched telephone network. SIP trunking enables ISDN-like features (Direct Inward Dialing, Caller ID, Call Forwarding, Call Blocking, for example) over a data connection, and in addition, transmitting both voice and data traffic over the Internet opens the door to converged applications such as video and collaboration.
In SIP trunking, sharing bandwidth between voice and data traffic called Quality of Service (QoS) is a key consideration. “For QoS, the Strata CIX works in tandem with the carrier to ensure that the voice packets are prioritized over the data packets from end to end. The Strata CIX supports a QoS mechanism called differentiated services or “diffserv” where we tag our voice packets. The carrier can then prioritize our tagged voice packet over other data packets ensuring that the voice packets are low latency and are not dropped. The result is that voice has great quality and data uses all the
remaining bandwidth over a converged network,” noted Eric Abing, Product Manager, at Toshiba.
Toshiba enables SIP trunking via two new IP Interface Units (MIPU cards) that install in any Strata CIX system (Strata CIX40 (pictured), CIX100, CIX200 and CIX670). The MIPU (available in 16- or 24-channel versions) supports IP telephones, remote telephones, soft phones, WiFi phones, as well as Strata Net channels. Retail pricing is determined by Toshiba dealers.
Toshiba is working with SIP carriers Cbeyond of Atlanta, Georgia and American Broadband Services of Fresno, California that provide the necessary components and technology to ensure security of SIP trunk calls. Additional carriers will be added throughout 2008. www.telecom.toshiba.com
TelecomTactics Takeaway: Toshiba joins other telecom manufacturers looking to help their customers reduce costs and boost productivity as they begin to take advantage of converged communications. To this end, Toshiba introduces SIP trunking for its Strata CIX family of IP-PBX systems, allowing transmission of both voice and data packets to the service provider over a single IP circuit. This not only saves equipment costs (eliminates the need for VoIP gateways or separate voice connections) and lowers long distance charges while enabling important calling features, but also opens the door to converged applications such as video and collaboration. Toshiba ensures Quality of Service for voice calls, while the SIP carrier ensures security. Toshiba is working with SIP carriers Cbeyond and American Broadband Services. Additional carriers will be added throughout 2008.
WIN Launches eNet100 IP PBX
 WIN Communications Corporation announces eNet100, a new Voice over IP telephony appliance for small businesses. The new eNet100 (100 endpoints) joins WIN’s earlier eNet200 VoIP switch (200 endpoints) to address the small and mid-size business (SMB) market with a complete solution that integrates a call processing server, voice gateway, voice mail server and conference server into a single device. Advanced functionality such as IP recording, a SIP Proxy Server and CTI can be added optionally. The solution is suitable for businesses with a single location or multiple sites. WIN’s Joint Server feature enables clustering of 12 systems using a licensing schema, all administered through a Web browser interface.
“The eNet200 and eNet100 family are our latest soft switch technology based communication appliances. WIN® is positioning these products to be a disruptive entrant into the VoIP SMB marketplace. Simply stated, it’s VoIP with key system functionality and pricing,” notes Sam Aiello, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for WIN® Communications Corporation. WIN sells eNet exclusively through WIN’s Authorized Business Partner Network in North America. The eNet200 and eNet100 are currently shipping.
The eNet appliances support WIN’s IP telephone desk sets (IP580 and IP500), the eNet Softphone for telephone management via a PC or laptop, a soft or hard attendant console and third party SIP phones (such as 3Com’s 3101 and Inter-Tel 8600), as well as analog telephones. Trunking is established via analog gateways (up to 12 integrated analog ports for eNet100 and 24 analog ports for eNet200) and digital gateways (single digital gateway on eNet100 and four digital gateways for eNet200). Voice Mail and auto attendant with unified messaging (e-mail notification and play of voice mail), basic ACD and a multi-party conferencing server (18 conference sessions) are standard capabilities, while call recording (internal on eNet200 and external server for eNet100), a SIP Proxy Server, NAT Proxy and CTI are optional applications.
List prices are $2,250 (eNet200) and $1,499 (eNet100). WIN plans a full product launch in first quarter 2008. www.win-phone.com
TelecomTactics Takeaway: WIN joins a number of leading communications vendors of late that are rolling out a complete, pre-configured telephony system for SMBs. WIN’s new eNet100 (100 endpoints) and eNet200 (200 endpoints) VoIP switches offer a complete solution that integrates a call processing server, voice gateway, voice mail server and conference server into a single device. Advanced functionality such as IP recording, a SIP Proxy Server and CTI can be added optionally. List prices are $2,250 (eNet200) and $1,499 (eNet100). WIN is planning a full eNet product launch in first quarter 2008. (WIN’s eNet IP PBXs add a packet switch design to the portfolio of WIN telephony systems which also includes the earlier 440IP family, a key-hybrid converged IP solution based a TDM product design.)
Aastra Addresses the Mobile Office
 Aastra Technologies Limited, a global company headquartered in Concord, Ontario, Canada, with business units worldwide has unveiled two new mobility options for end users in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Aastra continues to build its portfolio of mobility solutions based on open standards, recently introducing two Wireless LAN devices for mobile employees who need access to both voice and data while away from their desks, the Aastra 312w Wireless LAN handset and the dual-mode Nokia E series mobile phone. The new devices are currently offered to customers in EMEA with availability expected in other regions in the future. (Alternatively, for workers with voice-only needs, Aastra offers an IP DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications) solution in EMEA, Australia and in North America that provides high quality voice, support for secure and confidential calls and popular desk phone features.)
Mobile workers within a business where an Aastra system is deployed can opt for the Aastra 312w (pictured), a SIP-based Wireless LAN handset that enables employees to communicate throughout a multi-site enterprise or a campus environment within a Wireless LAN. The 312w complies with IEEE 802.11a, b and g radio standards, supports popular telephony features (such as call transfer, call forward, call waiting, caller ID with name and call logs) and includes a large, back-lit color display, a back-lit keyboard and a speakerphone. The new wireless handset is compatible with any Aastra PBX that supports SIP extensions such as Aastra’s NeXspan, IntelliGate and OpenCom 100 systems (SIP support will become available for OpenCom 1000 in December 2008). The Aastra 312w has been successfully tested with Wireless LAN equipment from Cisco, 3Com, HP, Linksys, Meru, Trapeze and several others. Additional Wireless LAN equipment will be compatible in the future. The Aastra 312w, launched in EMEA in third quarter 2007, is planned for North America per FCC approval.
 For mobile employees who need voice and data access both inside and outside a corporate environment, Aastra introduces a Fixed Mobile Convergence solution for its customers in EMEA. Aastra utilizes a standard Nokia E series mobile phone, leveraging the built-in SIP client so that it is managed as a SIP extension on Aastra’s NeXspan VoIP system for medium and large enterprises and Aastra’s IntelliGate for the SMB market. The Nokia E60 dual-mode mobile phones operate over a company’s Wireless LAN, but also enable mobile workers to seamlessly transition between a corporate WLAN environment and a cellular network. The Nokia E60 dual-mode mobile phones (GSM/Wi-Fi) have a hands-free mode, loudspeaker and a large, high resolution display. SIP integration means that no additional software is needed on the VoIP system and no modification to the mobile phone. The Nokia E series handsets are sold through traditional mobile operators channels.
For partners, Aastra recently launched the three-level Aastra Approved Partner Program (A2P2) to certify third party products to work with the Aastra portfolio (Trapeze Networks wireless controllers and access points are one recent example). Available to all partners, A2P2 includes Registration (partners can check specifications, download drivers, and collect system information), Qualification (promotion and endorsement of Aastra-tested products to the dealer network) and Certification (joint solutions with unique selling propositions following field-testing and validation). www.aastra.com
TelecomTactics Takeaway: Aastra Technologies Limited and its business units worldwide continue to roll out new business telephony solutions for Aastra customers as the company streamlines its product portfolios following the acquisition of Aastra Intecom (formerly EADS TELECOM North America) and DeTeWe Business acquired in 2005. While the company as a whole offers a full range of VoIP solutions (communications servers, gateways, telephone terminals and software applications), new solutions of late address the mobile workforce. The Wireless LAN 312w and dual-mode Nokia E60 handsets are introduced in EMEA with other regions to follow. In addition, the company has added ClearSpan, a new IP-PBX for large (and very large) enterprises in North America based on the BroadSoft hosted platform, but delivered as a premised-based system with carrier-grade reliability and performance. Aastra has also launched a new partner program (A2P2) that promises to expand the Aastra solution portfolio via new third party products.
Aspect Software Unveils Aspect Unified IP 6.5.1
Aspect Software, Inc. announces the general availability (December 27, 2007) of Aspect Unified IP 6.5.1, a new version of the company’s complete contact center solution that blends (inbound and outbound) multi-channel communications, single administration and unified reporting for up to 2,000 inbound or 1,500 blended agents on one system and also provides quality monitoring and recording capabilities. The solution is compatible with traditional voice telephone systems, SIP 2.0-compliant PBXs, proprietary IP PBXs and open source IP PBX solutions such as the Asterisk Business Edition from Digium.
New functionality includes support for the global contact center market through the addition of German, Japanese, Colombian Spanish, Portuguese and Korean languages for the agent desktop, administration, reporting and documentation. A new manual answer feature (required by the German contact center market and desired in other countries) lets agents answer an incoming call when they choose. If the agent is busy with another task or the time-out threshold occurs, the agent can choose not to take an incoming call, and the call will be routed to the next available agent. Aspect notes a strong market demand for this inbound feature around the world.
 Additional new features include Agent-on-Demand to engage remote, at-home agents whenever needed per call volume and a Web services interface with a SOAP Software Developer’s Kit for custom integrations. Also, new VMware technology allows a single computer to run multiple operating systems and applications, delivering improvements in efficiency, availability, flexibility and manageability.
Unified Command and Control™ (screen shot pictured), a recently introduced management application for the enterprise contact center centralizes reporting, routing, administration and workflow management within a single console. This scalable solution accommodates up to 40,000 agents and up to 40 nodes (applications) in a single site or multiple site contact center environment. The new solution creates a virtual contact center that consolidates information across multiple locations (or within a single site), unifying data on workforce management, routing, quality and performance – one system handles agent moves, adds and changes across sites and provides critical information about local network failure.
The initial release of Unified Command and Control synchronizes data (administration, reporting and routing) from Aspect® CallCenter® ACD 9.3 and Aspect® eWorkforce Management™ 7.1, which is the workforce management component of PerformanceEdge. In the first quarter of 2008, Unified Command and Control will offer Real-Time Reporting capabilities for Aspect Unified IP. The next release will add other Aspect Software products such as Aspect Unified IP, Aspect Spectrum ACD and quality and performance elements from PerformanceEdge. Aspect intends to add other vendors’ contact center systems to the list per market needs and vendor cooperation. www.aspect.com
TelecomTactics Takeaway: Aspect Software (formerly Concerto Software) continues to roll out new contact center offerings following a series of mergers and acquisitions (the 2004 purchase of Rockwell FirstPoint Contact from Rockwell Automation, Inc., the July 2005 merger with Aspect Communications and 2006 acquisition of SophistiCom Technologies). Aspect Unified IP, the company’s complete contact center solution that blends (inbound and outbound) multi-channel communications and single administration and unified reporting, combines the best of several Aspect products: Aspect EnsemblePro, Aspect Uniphi Suite and Aspect Enterprise Contact Server and represents the next release for those customers currently using Aspect EnsemblePro. Version 6.5.1 adds new functionality that addresses the global contact center market (additional language support and a manual answer feature that is in demand by contact centers around the world), as well as new functionality for remote agents, a Web services interface with a SOAP Software Developer’s Kit, VMware technology and support for Unified Command and Control™. Also key is compatibility with a wide variety of third party telephony systems. Unified IP is compatible with traditional voice telephone systems, SIP 2.0-compliant PBXs, proprietary IP PBXs and open source IP PBX solutions.
Esnatech Releases Telephony Office-LinX Version 7.1
Esna Technologies Inc. (Esnatech) releases a new version of its Telephony Office-LinX unified messaging and communications platform that comes in three versions for small, medium and large businesses (to 20,000 users). Telephony Office-LinX (TOL) offers advanced unified messaging with presence management and mobility and synchronizes all message stores for access from any client device with a Web, LAN or WAN connection. Users can access and manage voice mail, e-mail and fax messages from any SMTP, POP3, or MAPI compliant mail package, including Microsoft Outlook, Lotus Notes and Novell GroupWise. Messages can also be accessed from the Web.
Version 7.1 addresses integration to leading IP PBX platforms, adding multi-PBX integration (one TOL system can integrate with multiple PBXs at the same time using SIP), and support for over 10 additional IP PBX platforms based on the Asterisk open source technology from Digium, as well as new Hosted PBX services using SIP trunking (OneConnect and babyTel). Telephony Office-LinX already integrates with most traditional telephone systems from leading telecommunications manufacturers, as well as IP PBX systems from Avaya, Mitel, 3Com, Iwatsu and Cisco and a number of SIP-based systems so these additional integrations make the solution even more comprehensive in both single and clustered deployments.
 In addition to key features added in the previous version 7.0, such as a presence management solution (pictured) that lets users view phone and network presence and status of others in the organization (on and off-site), the new version 7.1 allows users to manage their schedule through Microsoft Outlook, to filter calls (by Caller ID or contact information in a Microsoft Outlook address book) and utilize speech access to corporate directories and contact information. Additionally, TOL fully supports Microsoft Exchange 2007 for unified messaging. Microsoft Live Communication Server (LCS) and Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 (OCS) integrations and Google Talk are planned for Release 7.2. TOL is compatible with Windows 2003 Server and Windows XP and Windows Vista workstations.
A new Emergency Notification Services module can be added to enable mass broadcasting of thousands of messages in seconds. Designed for the education market, the new solution allows users to send a message from a phone, PDA, Web browser or e-mail which is then broadcasted over an approved Short Message System network. While there is no physical limitation, the solution targets 20,000 or less recipients per message. This new solution is the result of a November 2007 partnership with CellTrust Corporation. ENS combines the CellTrust SMS Gateway and CellTrust CampusReact SMS broadcast service.
All models of Esnatech's messaging portfolio support the new 7.1 features, including TOL Small Business Edition, TOL Standard Edition and the advanced TOL Enterprise Edition.
Polycom Announces SoundPoint IP 560 with GigE and HD Voice
 Polycom, Inc. announces the SoundPoint IP 560 desktop phone with Gigabit Ethernet support and Polycom’s High Definition (HD) Voice technology that promises more than twice the clarity of an ordinary phone. Polycom’s HD Voice improves sound quality using wideband audio (G.722), enhanced signal processing, Acoustic Clarity Technology (full duplex, echo cancellation and noise reduction combined with advanced voice processing) and a specialized system design. The new model (pictured) targets users who require advanced features (bridged line appearance, busy lamp field, presence, text messaging and buddy lists). A micro-browser lets users access XHTML-based applications such as stock quotes or weather forecasts, while SIP 2.0 compatibility enables support for Microsoft Live Communications Server and Microsoft Office Communicator instant messenger client.
SoundPoint IP 560 (US $469) is similar to Polycom’s earlier SoundPoint IP 550, but adds the Gigabit Ethernet support. The new phone joins Polycom’s current family of SIP-based phones which includes entry level, mid-range and enterprise-class models for the employee, the attendant or the conference room. All Polycom SIP-based desktop phones are designed to work with IP PBX platforms and softswitches from over 25 partners, including 3Com, Fonality, Inter-Tel, NEC Philips Unified Solutions, Digium, Pingtel, BroadSoft, Sphere, Sylantro, Interactive Intelligence, Nortel and others.
The enhanced clarity of Polycom HD Voice is part of the company’s “UltimateHD” strategy which includes HD Voice, HD Video, HD Infrastructure, and HD Global Services. www.polycom.com
TelecomTactics Takeaway: While Polycom continues to round out its portfolio of IP telephones for the employee, the attendant and the conference room, adding the new SoundPoint IP 560 (US $469) with Gigabit Ethernet and HD Voice, the company is also announcing new video conferencing equipment and global expansion. Polycom is now shipping its HDX 4000 executive desktop video conferencing solution with R2.0 software that features Lost Packet Recovery technology and is introducing HDX 8000, a brand new series of endpoints under the HDX line. The HDX line now includes the HDX 9000 (integrated, custom rooms environments, large meeting areas, vertical applications), HDX 8000 (conference rooms, class rooms, large and medium meeting areas), and HDX 4000 (executive desktop, offices, small meeting areas). Aside from new product offerings, Polycom is expanding globally, opening a Development Center and new offices in India to support Polycom’s sales and distribution channels in this fast growing market. In 2008, six new office locations are planned in India.
For questions, feedback and product information,
contact sgustavsen@accessintel.com. |
Vertical Communications’ Wave IP 2500 Business Communications System, a newly released IP-based communications platform for small- to mid-sized businesses and larger distributed organizations, is set to become Vertical’s flagship system. Wave IP represents the integration of product lines following the merger of four well-respected telephony vendors over the past three years – Artisoft, Vertical Networks, Comdial and Vodavi. With an eye toward evolving the business and setting forth a migration path for its customers, Wave IP is the evolution for the company’s installed base as it begins to retire earlier telephony systems in favor of a next generation IP-based platform, packaged with business critical applications for a competitive price. 
