Enterprise Telephony News
Inter-Tel Upgrades IP Portfolio
Inter-Tel, Inc. announces upgrades to its entire portfolio of telephony systems that address all market segments from Small Office Home Office (SOHO) environments to mid- or larger-sized businesses. Inter-Tel IP-based communications systems meet the needs of homes and offices requiring from five to 2,500 extensions with expansion to 20,000+ devices via networking of systems. 
Inter-Tel re-introduces its Key Telephone System for the “under 40 user” market with new branding, new functionality, improved collateral, aggressive pricing, dealer incentives and new reseller tools, making it more attractive for channel partners to sell and support this system. The newly named “Inter-Tel 3000” (formerly called EncoreCX) targets smaller, single site businesses and the high-end residential market with a modular, intuitive and easy-to-install telephone system that scales to 52 extensions. A new optional Broadband Module provides LAN/WAN connection of IP extensions, an integrated ADSL Modem, an integrated WLAN Access Point and 12 VoIP channels for IP stations or trunks (station support is available in this first release). The new Inter-Tel 3000 IP-based System Phone has a full duplex hands-free speaker, a menu interface, a 6 x 16 display, a headset port, a 2-port Ethernet switch and can use Power over the Ethernet. Two digital telephones are improved with full duplex speakerphone capability, eight or 16 programmable keys and a large, backlit display on the 16-button model. New software adds paired extensions (digital and IP phones), a General Page Timer for internal paging and a system phone menu.
 As relationship management is a key goal for Inter-Tel, the company has developed new collateral for resellers and customers, including new product brochures, sales guides, testimonials and a one-page configuration guide (pictured) that explains how to configure the Inter-Tel 3000 in “4 Easy Steps.”
Inter-Tel also upgrades its Inter-Tel 5000 pure IP platform for small- and medium-sized businesses. Version 2.2 improves Caller ID functionality which forwards the calling name or number when transferring and forwarding calls to outside parties, as well as adds an application interface that controls what Caller ID information is passed. “Phantom” functionality or virtual endpoints are increased, enabling more mobile employees to use the phone system to route calls to a cell phone, for example. UPS monitoring lets the system know when a power outage is about to occur so that a graceful shutdown can take place. Also, for Inter-Tel Axxess PBX customers that plan to migrate to IP, Inter-Tel makes this transition easier with the Database Converter tool that converts Axxess databases to Inter-Tel 5000 databases. And, with SIP as the protocol of choice now, Inter-Tel is supporting the Quintum AFT400 for IP trunking at a remote office, replacing the MGCP-based alternatives.
Finally, for medium- to larger-sized businesses and enterprises, the Inter-Tel 7000 SIP Softswitch (to 2,500 users) addresses multi-vendor environments via “basic subscriber accounts” in which users from another vendor's system can be tied into the Inter-Tel 7000 for voice mail, speech recognition or call routing, creating a partial migration to the Inter-Tel 7000. An Open Standards Edition for Inter-Tel's Messaging Central unified messaging solution adds multi-vendor and multi-client support (no longer tied to Microsoft Outlook only). Additional V1.1 functionality includes service and support improvements that ease trouble shooting and migration. ( www.inter-tel.com)
TelecomTactics Takeaway: Inter-Tel forges ahead and upgrades its entire portfolio of telephony systems that address a range of market segments from Small Office Home Office (SOHO) environments to mid- or larger-sized businesses. The company re-introduces its Key Telephone System for the “under 40 user” market with new branding - EncoreCX is now the Inter-Tel 3000 - and new VoIP functionality, but perhaps more importantly, the company has improved collateral, added aggressive pricing, created dealer incentives and introduced new reseller tools, making it more attractive for channel partners to sell and support this low-end system.
Polycom Adds New Executive Desktop Video Conferencing System
Polycom, Inc. announces the Polycom HDX 4000, a new executive desktop video conferencing system with High Definition (HD) voice, video and content sharing. Designed as a personal system for the desktop or for a small conference room (up to four people on camera), the HDX 4000 works with Polycom's other conference room and telepresence video systems (and any standards-based conferencing system) to enhance communication and collaboration among colleagues, partners and customers. Applications for a personal video system abound - merger negotiations, outsource management, manufacturing, partner negotiations and design to name a few.
 The HDX 4000 personal conferencing solution reflects Polycom's vision for the future of conferencing. Polycom sees a transformation in the way businesses use video conferencing, noting a trend away from scheduled video conferences (that require technical personnel for assistance) toward unattended, on-the-fly conferencing, combining both audio and video participants.
HDX 4000 promises a “true multimedia experience” with a 20-inch HD display with 1280x720 resolution, a built-in HD camera that can pan, tilt or zoom electronically, dual microphones and high-fidelity speakers that deliver natural conversations via stereo surround audio. A patent pending microphone technology with two microphone arrays picks up a speaker's voice clearly even when participants are seated at different angles. The technology also reduces background noise and eliminates interference from cell phones or other wireless devices. An integrated keypad for dialing and answering video calls functions just like that of a telephone.
Content sharing facilitates collaboration in medical, education, manufacturing, entertainment and a wide variety of industries. With HDX 4000, users can share content in high definition such as CAD drawings, movies, spreadsheets, patient X-rays and animation. All types of content are displayed in the native resolution available from the source up to 720p. The system can double as a PC monitor, and also includes a telephone line connection which enables the system to function as a desktop speakerphone without video or allows a voice-only participant to join a video meeting.
Options include support for multipoint conferences (four sites per call), a “weatherman” feature which enables a static or full motion content behind a participant (called “People on Content”), and optional network interfaces for ISDN or satellite networks. Two models are expected to become available in the fourth quarter of 2007, HDX 4002 (high definition 720p) and HDX 4001 (standard definition 480p), starting at
US$7,999. Polycom's HD Readiness services, available through Polycom channel partners, are offered to help customers plan, design and optimize an HD video conferencing deployment. ( www.polycom.com)
TelecomTactics Takeaway: The HDX 4000 executive desktop video conferencing solution reflects Polycom's vision for the future of conferencing. Polycom sees a transformation in the way businesses use video conferencing, noting a trend away from scheduled video conferences (that require technical personnel for assistance) toward unattended, on-the-fly conferencing, combining both audio and video participants. Applications for a personal video system abound - merger negotiations, outsource management, manufacturing, partner negotiations and design to name a few.
ShoreTel Offers New IP Conference Phone
ShoreTel, Inc. expands its IP telephone portfolio with the ShoreTel IP 8000, an IP conference phone with high definition audio and high quality voice, an ergonomic design and complete room coverage. ShoreTel IP 8000 incorporates 16 omni-directional microphones arranged in a patent pending Circular Microphone Array that delivers better speech clarity and less background noise than legacy conference phones that often have only three microphones. The circular design improves microphone pickup and can more accurately distinguish between voice and noise to send out a high quality signal. Sound quality is further improved via Radio Frequency Immunity that eliminates interference from electronic devices (such as cell phones), as well as a titanium speaker driver and specialized enclosure that reduces distortion.
 ShoreTel customers will also appreciate the ergonomic design with intuitive keypad and backlit display that shows Caller ID and call duration, as well as one-touch button for adding participants. No additional microphone pods or subwoofers are needed. Users can set up ad-hoc conferences (3-way) without using up any PBX resources or audio bridge since the IP 8000 performs on-board mixing of up to three audio signals, acting as a mini-bridge, according to ShoreTel. Though users cannot set up a 6-way conference as permitted by the ShoreTel IP phone system or use the IP 8000 to set up meet-me conferences, the IP 8000 user can be a participant in 6-way call that is set up via another telephone.
Available now worldwide, the ShoreTel IP 8000 is priced at $1,299 U.S. ShoreTel OEM's this product. ( www.shoretel.com)
TelecomTactics Takeaway: All eyes have been on ShoreTel after the company won the Best in VoiceCon Award at VoiceCon Spring 2007. Since then, ShoreTel has made several announcements, including a seventh generation of the company's IP PBX platform, a new Managed Services Program and a distribution agreement with Horizon Solutions, a system integrator and distributor in the UK and Ireland. Now, ShoreTel adds the new ShoreTel IP 8000 conference phone to its IP telephone portfolio, keeping up with other leading telecommunications manufacturers that are broadening their range of IP telephone options.
Vertical Integrates Product Lines with Wave IP 2500
Vertical Communications introduces the Wave IP 2500 Business Communications System, a new IP-based communications platform for small- to mid-sized businesses and larger distributed organizations. Wave IP is the second of two new products from Vertical and 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.
 A solution “two years in the making” and set to become Vertical's flagship system, Wave IP incorporates an “Applications Inside” architecture - a suite of pre-loaded applications. Voice mail, auto attendant, unified messaging, conferencing, contact center and call recording and other critical business applications are embedded in a single box, eliminating the need for the separate software or hardware that is typical with traditional PBX systems. Furthermore, Wave IP is “endpoint agnostic” so users can access the full application range whether they use a SIP, analog or digital telephone.
More specifically, with a dedicated application server, basic applications are embedded and come standard on the Wave IP 2500, while more advanced applications are “ready-to-run” and activated easily with license keys. Basic, standard applications include the Wave ViewPoint desktop call management tool, Wave Voicemail, Wave Auto Attendant and Wave Call Recording. Advanced applications can be optionally activated, including Wave Contact Center, Wave Call Classifier, Wave Conference Manager (available late 2007), Wave Fax Manager (available late 2007) and Wave Voice Server (available late 2007). Optional, add-on applications can be trialed for 30 days at no charge.
Three Wave IP 2500 platform options are available: (1) Standard Edition with support for 50 users, one T1/PRI or 24 SIP trunks; (2) Professional Edition with support for 200 users, three T1/PRI or 72 SIP trunks; and (3) Enterprise Edition with support for 350 users, four T1/PRI or 96 SIP trunks. Each Edition comes with the Global Administrator, four IP Gateway Ports, the Integrated Services Card (voice processing and packet switching), Vertical Application Module (Intel processor module with voice applications) and user licenses that entitle customers to ViewPoint desktop call management, Voicemail/Unified Messaging, Call Recording and Auto Attendant.
Wave IP 2500 supports legacy telephone equipment to help migrate existing Vertical customers to Wave IP without forfeiting their investment in costly telephone equipment. SIP hard and soft phones, including a family of Vertical SIP desk phones (manufactured by Aastra, as well as the CounterPath eyebeam softphone) are compatible with Wave IP, Vertical TeleVantage (formerly from Artisoft) and InstantOffice (formerly from Vertical Networks) systems. Digital phones are compatible with Wave IP, Comdial and Vodavi systems.
Available in third quarter 2007 from Certified Vertical Business Partners, Wave IP 2500 is priced at about $350-$500 per user with phones (30-50 user configuration) or $7,500 for the base platform with no phones. (www.vertical.com)
TelecomTactics Takeaway: With an eye toward evolving the business and setting forth a migration path for its customers (supports legacy telephone equipment), the new Wave IP is the evolution for Vertical Communications' installed base as it begins to retire earlier telephony systems in favor of a next generation IP platform, packaged with business critical applications for a competitive price. The company has a large installed base of telephony systems from Artisoft, Vertical Networks, Comdial and Vodavi, four well-respected telephony vendors that were merged over the past three years to form the current company, Vertical Communications. Key differentiator: “Applications Inside” architecture - a suite of pre-loaded basic and advanced applications that eliminates the need for separate software or hardware that is typical with traditional PBX systems.
| Productivity Applications |
Aspect Software Adds SIP-based VoIP to Aspect Spectrum ACD
Aspect Software, Inc. announces new SIP capabilities for the Aspect Spectrum ACD, a contact center solution that combines automatic call distribution (ACD) functionality with advanced CTI applications for traditional circuit-switched telephony, and now, SIP-based environments. While Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) functionality has been available for Spectrum ACD for some time, the new Version 10.1 introduces a native Voice over Internet Protocol Resource (VIPR) network termination card that allows the Aspect Spectrum ACD to connect agents through VoIP using SIP-enabled hard or soft phones (SIP 2.0). The VIPR card eliminates the need for additional external IP Gateway hardware and the need for an analog phone connection since agents communicate via the LAN agent desktop or the enhanced Web Powered Agent desktop.
SIP functionality not only makes it easier and less costly to tie in remote agents over an Internet connection, but also improves disaster recovery. Multiple Web Powered Agent servers (each supporting 300 agents) can operate as a single site environment with load balancing that redirects customers as needed among up to 1,800 agents in total.
 In addition to the new SIP functionality, Spectrum ACD 10.1 enhances the Web Powered Agent desktop (pictured) with expanded customer data, agent scheduling tools and statistical displays. Security is improved with support for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPs), encryption of customer data used for screen pops at the agent desktop, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and login authentication against an existing LDAP/Active Directory Server. Supervisors using the Enterprise Web Monitor application will have access to more real-time data and threshold settings.
To facilitate the deployment of the new IP capabilities, Aspect Software is offering IP Starter bundles that gives customers a way to test IP-based tools and their effectiveness in their current operation. The IP Starter bundle includes one 24-port VIPR card for soft or hard IP phones (SIP 2.0) and a limited scope network assessment, while the IP PLUS Starter bundle includes the 24-port license and limited network assessment, plus 24 Web Powered Agent licenses (promotional price of 50% of list price) and 24 Polycom desktop phones.
Aspect Spectrum ACD is now generally available globally. (www.aspect.com)
TelecomTactics Takeaway: Aspect Software continues to improve and consolidate its contact center offerings following the 2004 purchase of Rockwell FirstPoint Contact from Rockwell Automation, Inc., the July 2005 merger between Concerto Software and Aspect Communications and 2006 acquisition of SophistiCom Technologies. While Aspect Software is rolling out Aspect Unified IP, the company's SIP-based VoIP advanced contact center that consolidates several of the company's products following these mergers and acquisitions, the company continues to pay attention to its installed base of Spectrum ACDs (originally developed by Rockwell), offering a smooth migration path to IP through investment protection and low-cost starter bundles.
AVST Introduces NotifyXpress
Applied Voice & Speech Technologies Inc. (AVST) introduces NotifyXpress, an outbound notification solution for CallXpress, the company's flagship unified communications solution. NotifyXpress enables the recording and delivery of outbound phone messages to individuals and groups. A business can deliver from 10 to thousands of messages per day. Healthcare, education, legal, financial and government industries are among the verticals that will find this solution beneficial for strengthening customer relations. Businesses can use NotifyXpress to send appointment reminders, emergency notifications or marketing material or other important information. Additional functionality includes configuration by time period, password protection, support for do-not-call requests, reporting and support for multiple languages.
NotifyXpress is an add-on application for the CallXpress unified messaging solution which is switch-independent and works with most popular telephone systems, including those from Avaya, Cisco, Ericsson, NEC, Mitel, Nortel, Siemens, Toshiba and others. CallXpress can support concurrent integration with multiple telephone systems - traditional and/or IP systems.
With CallXpress, all message types can be managed from a telephone, PC or an Internet connection. Users can take advantage of multilingual text-to-speech and the Seneca speech-enabled module for voice-activated calling. With voice commands, users can log onto their mailbox, dial a phone number, record calls, barge-in, screen calls, compose e-mail using the phone, configure their mailbox and more. CallXpress scales to 192 ports, 20,000 voice mail users and 10,000 unified messaging users in a single server. (www.avst.com)
NEC Launches UC for Business
NEC Unified Solutions, Inc. launches UC for Business (UCB), a new enterprise-wide unified collaboration solution for small- and mid-sized businesses. UCB combines several NEC productivity solutions - contact center, unified messaging, mobility and desktop telephony applications - in a customizable desktop application that functions alone or with Microsoft Outlook. The Outlook client option gives users a unified inbox for call management (wired and wireless), voice messages, e-mails, faxes and Web chats. Real-time alerts provide onscreen notification about incoming calls that users can answer or redirect to voice mail if desired. Attendants can easily manage call volumes by viewing presence status of staff, monitoring queues and using one-click telephone functions.
 UCB is comprised of three components: (1) Mobility provides a single repository for address book information. Messages can be accessed using a phone, Outlook Web Access or Lotus iNotes; (2) Presence enables detailed views of status of other colleagues, while the optional Outlook functionality lets users view calendar appointments and scheduling information and use the calendar in conjunction with presence profiles; (3) Contact Center management enables multimedia queuing (of phone, fax, email and Short Message Service, chat and Web contacts), queues status and real-time reporting.
UCB is compatible with NEC's UNIVERGE and NEAX platforms and is currently available through NEC's dealer network. (www.necunified.com)
Inter-Tel Stockholder's Approve Merger with Mitel
 Inter-Tel, Inc. stockholders approved the merger with Mitel Networks Corporation for US$723 million, bringing the merger closer to fruition. A preliminary injunction hearing is scheduled for August 8, 2007, and following this, the companies expect to finalize the merger promptly. The merger combines two market leaders in IP communications, each with well-respected product portfolios that target small to large businesses. Mitel's international presence and Inter-Tel's successful managed service offerings in North America also lend strength to the union. (www.mitel.com and www.inter-tel.com)
The combination of Mitel and Inter-Tel has the potential to be a major force in the SMB market for IP Telephony with a combined market share that exceeds that of Cisco and Nortel, according to Terry White, vice president of InfoTrack for Unified Communications (a TelecomWeb and TelecomTactics sister division, www.telecomweb.com).
TelecomTactics Takeaway: Though there is some overlap in the product lines of the two companies, both offer solid and forward-looking communications solutions for small, mid-size and larger businesses. For a time, the combined company is likely to continue to sell and support both product lines, but like other telecommunications corporate mergers, eventually the products will evolve into new offerings that reflect the best of each manufacturer, while ensuring investment protection for existing customers.
See the May 15, 2007 issue of the TelecomTactics Insider for more details on the Inter-Tel and Mitel telephony portfolios.
snom technology Launches International Partner Program
German telephony provider snom technology AG launches a new partner program designed to strengthen partner relations and ultimately improve service for snom customers worldwide. The program categorizes distributors into three groups - official distributors, gold distributors and platinum distributors - according to their expertise in selling snom telephone equipment. “Official” distributors are listed on snom's website as a snom sales partner (with a reciprocal link) and are permitted to send unresolved issues to snom for support. In addition to these benefits, “Gold” and “Platinum” status adds annual training sessions, industry specific marketing support, direct technical support and exhibitions in the distributor's area.
 All partners (distributors and Value Added Resellers or VARs) can access firmware updates before general availability and for new products in beta testing. Each VAR with basic installation knowledge of Asterisk or trixbox, a business class IP PBX system based on Digum's Asterisk Open Source PBX Software, or any other VoIP solution can apply to be a “registered” VAR, and certification is awarded once the VAR attends a worldwide snom reseller training or a snom webinar. This training must be renewed once a year.
In other news, snom announces that its phones are compatible with Third Lane Technologies' PBX Manager, a Web management interface for Asterisk-based PBXs. snom's family of Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) telephones are interoperable with other manufacturer's SIP-based solutions and open source based IP PBX systems such as Asterisk. Four snom phones are available, including the newest snom 370 (pictured) with large graphical high-definition display and extended memory. Compliance with security standards, SRTP and SIPS, reduces unsolicited eavesdropping, data theft and spam calls, providing a secure telephone for sensitive environments such as banks, medical or military offices.
Distributor ABP Technology will offer the Third Lane PBX Manager and the snom phones as a complete solution to small and medium sized businesses in North and South America. According to ABP, Third Lane’s Asterisk PBX Manager has advantages to end-users and resellers over other Asterisk User Interfaces on the market, including a full Asterisk feature set that does not require technical expertise for configuration, a modest price ($349 for a basic 25 extension phone system) and customer choice of telephones and VoIP service. (www.snom.com)
TelecomTactics Takeaway: There is no stopping snom technology AG as the German telephony provider continues to add new partners to a growing list of SIP-based systems and suppliers that support the snom portfolio of SIP phones. The new international partner program with annual training sessions, industry specific marketing support and direct technical support is sure to strengthen partner relations and ultimately improve service for snom customers worldwide.
Sphere Communications Joins NEC Family
 NEC Corporation of Tokyo Japan has acquired Sphere Communications Inc., a software-based enterprise telecommunications company headquartered in Illinois. The acquisition ($42 million) provides NEC with new service oriented communications software technology and promises to accelerate the company's growth worldwide. Sphere Communications has received several industry awards for its software-based IP PBX technology, including the 2007 Frost & Sullivan Award for Product Differentiation & Innovation. (www.spherecom.com and www.necunified.com)
A global initiative within NEC's Enterprise Solutions Business Unit, Sphere will continue to operate out of its Illinois offices with Graeme Robinson as President and CEO.
Unlike many corporate telecommunications mergers, the NEC and Sphere technologies do not directly overlap. NEC offers a complete portfolio of traditional and IP-based telephony systems and unified communications products for businesses of all sizes, including DSX and Aspire systems for small business (formerly from Nitsuko), the Electra Elite IPK II for SMBs, the NEAX family of PBX/IP-PBX systems and the UNIVERGE SV7000 pure IP system. The addition of the Sphere technology adds an innovative solution based on open-systems, standards-based enterprise software and a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA).
A good complement to the NEC portfolio, the Sphericall software-based IP PBX runs on industry standard servers and integrates with standards-based third party devices to deliver a full PBX feature set that scales to 30,000 ports across multiple locations. A free Software Development Kit (SDK) makes it easy for application developers to integrate new XML- or SOAP-based applications for the IP PBX such as PDA or CRM applications. Sphere also offers the solution as Sphere's SphereCSE (Communications Service Engine), an IP PBX software development platform that targets Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) looking to build an IP communications solution. And, via SIP trunking, Service Providers can offer Sphericall as a "hybrid" solution that combines a hosted service with a premised-based IP PBX.
Sphericall IP PBX is deployed in enterprise, education, government and U.S. Department of Defense organizations in over 15 countries around the world. Sphere's Assured Services for emergency communications application ensures emergency calls are connected immediately by allowing designated individuals to make and receive phone calls at all times. Sphericall IP PBX has passed rigorous PBX testing (Joint Interoperability Test Command or JITC) by the U.S. Department of Defense and is considered 99.999% reliable and highly resilient in mission-critical government and military environments.
TelecomTactics Takeaway: Unlike many corporate telecommunications mergers that must find a way to integrate similar product offerings, the NEC and Sphere technologies do not directly overlap. A long-time top enterprise communications vendor, NEC offers a complete portfolio of traditional and IP-based telephony systems and unified communications products for businesses of all sizes. The Sphericall software-based IP PBX is a good complement to the NEC portfolio. It runs on industry standard servers and integrates with standards-based third party devices to deliver a full PBX feature set that scales to 30,000 ports across multiple locations. A Software Development Kit from Sphere makes it easy for application developers to integrate new XML- or SOAP-based applications for the IP PBX such as PDA or CRM applications. Further, the Sphere solution is available as a software development platform for OEMs and ISVs or as a hosted service for Service Providers.
For questions, feedback and product information,
contact sgustavsen@accessintel.com. |
First announced at VoiceCon Spring 2007, and now, generally available, Nortel's Communication Server 1000 IP PBX R5.0 reveals a new architecture with improved reliability and performance, enhanced security and added support for more open standards. Nortel notes that the CS 1000 is an integral part of the company's Unified Communications vision and sums up the Release 5.0 improvements in four words - resilient, secure, open and simple. 
