Avaya Helps Small and Mid-Size Companies 'Think Big' with Enhanced Collaboration Products, New Innovations

Online, May 18, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Avaya, a global leader in business collaboration systems, software and services, today unveiled new product releases and innovations in the small and medium business market. These announcements include the new version of Avaya's communications solution for this market-Avaya IP Office 7.0-which helps drive improved savings, user experiences, and collaboration for a new generation of entrepreneurs, early-stage companies, and mid-size firms.

The company also unveiled customer and partner support for Avaya IP Office 7.0. Customers around the globe include Carlo's Bakery, home to owner and television personality Buddy Valastro, top music booking firm The Agency Group, and China's Old Mutual-Guodian Life Insurance. Partner support included US and Canadian service provider partners Verizon and Bell Canada, and Indian distributor Beetel, a member of the Bharti Group.

New Avaya IP Office 7.0 Capabilities
Avaya IP Office 7.0 completes the integration of Nortel Enterprise Solutions' (NES) IP and digital phones into the IP Office platform (NES was acquired by Avaya, Dec. 2009). This integration now enables approximately 14 million NES users[1] to gain Avaya IP Office's collaboration capabilities, and can drive 40 to 60 percent in savings[2] for NES customers by enabling them to retain existing phones when upgrading to Avaya IP Office. This upgrade can be accelerated and simplified by a new Data Migration Tool that lets partners transfer all of a business' existing data (i.e. voicemails, phone extensions) to their new systems, maintaining productivity without business interruption.

Avaya IP Office 7.0 also delivers an expanded portfolio of devices for multimedia collaboration, including sophisticated new color touch-screen desktop phones that let users scroll through contacts or manage visual voicemail at the touch of a finger. Additionally, new conference phones offer patented wide-band audio, call recording via SD card, and fast USB connectivity to a laptop for temporary set-ups. This expanded portfolio also offers a range of video capabilities, including HD videoconferencing from a desktop PC softphone, with no added equipment necessary.

Forthcoming SME Capabilities
Nearly 60% of small and mid-size businesses state they use, are interested in, or are planning to use collaboration software.[3] Today, Avaya previewed forthcoming innovations in collaboration for this market, including the Avaya Flare Experience for small and medium businesses. Avaya also demonstrated advanced multi-party videoconferencing via several devices, desktop sharing capabilities, and an upgrade from a Nortel device to Avaya IP Office using the Data Migration Tool.

Today, Avaya also shared its vision for a hybrid cloud approach to small and mid-size business communications, which places Avaya IP Office on premise, while enabling select applications to be hosted 'in the cloud' on a partner network. This capability will allow more flexible use and faster deployments of Avaya's latest collaboration applications.

Supporting Quotes:

Distribution partner:
Beetel Teletech Ltd (Part of Bharti Group) is the authorized distributor of Avaya and is responsible for bringing its products & solutions to Indian Enterprises. Extending his congratulations to the Avaya team on the launch, ED & CEO of Beetel Teletech Ltd, Mr Vinod Sawhny said, "Today, small and mid-size businesses demand the best in class products and tools available in the market. Avaya, with the launch of IP Office 7.0, provides them the very latest in advanced communications. In addition, this is also very cost effective and certainly fulfills customer expectations for features, scalability, ease of management and reliability." He further added, "Avaya realizes the needs of different types of partners, and addresses them appropriately through its path breaking and innovative product offerings".

Avaya:
Adil Doctor, Director SMB Sales-India & SAARC, Avaya India Pvt. Ltd. : "Today, small & medium enterprises are in the thick of things and they need and demand best in breed technology, to effectively compete in the market place and remain at top of their businesses. At the same time, they also want technology to be cost effective. We at Avaya are committed to bring out best in class tools for them, and the launch of Avaya IP Office 7.0 is a significant step in the right direction."

Customer:
Lu Jiewei, IT Operations Supervisor of Old Mutual-Guodian Life Insurance Co., Ltd: "We have deployed Avaya IP Office in our headquarters in Beijing and also 4 branch offices across China, and the system has proved to be a cost effective tool for companies like us, which are very concerned about efficiency and prompt response to market. Avaya solutions have improved the productivity and collaboration of our employees and also brought down communications costs. Employees can contact their colleagues in any location by dialing a 4 digit extension. Staff traveling on business can make and receive calls as if they were at their own desks, because they can log in to any office phone in any of our offices, and always have the same extension. In addition, we have seen a 40 percent decrease in communications costs."