Avaya Builds on one-X Family; Launches New IP Phones

Editorial Director,
Internet Telephony magazine

In a follow-on announcement to March’s launch of the one-X family, Avaya (News - Alert) today unveiled its next generation of IP phones designed to deliver simplicity and faster access to advanced applications. The new Avaya one-X Deskphone Edition is designed to enhance user experiences through more intelligent access to intelligent communications.

“With more businesses facing information overload, it’s the clarity of voice communications that cuts through the clutter and gets things done,” said Geoffrey Baird, vice president and general manager, Communications Appliances Division, Avaya.

“We’ve made voice communications more valuable for businesses by providing richer user experiences, simplified access to features, and application enhancements that expand the possibilities of what a phone can do. With one-X Deskphone Edition, Avaya delivers phones designed by users, for users, and which help raise enterprise communications to a whole new level, he concluded.”

The phones are the latest addition to the Avaya one-X family of products that give users access to the full range of IP applications with greater simplicity, consistency and control across Avaya devices and interfaces. The one-X family also includes the Avaya one-X Mobile Edition, Quick Edition, and Desktop Edition.

In redesigning and building its new IP phones for businesses, Avaya reached out to actual users. In a survey conducted by Avaya, 85 percent of people who used the phone said it could have a positive impact on productivity and save costs by reducing mistakes and dropped calls, while 90 percent said the phones could save time through easy access to mobility features, reducing phone tag. Ninety-six percent were won over by the phone’s ability to quickly find contact information.

Simplified access to applications is delivered through an intuitive context-sensitive screen that presents different information depending on what the user is doing, whether he is making a phone call, retrieving messages, or checking contacts.

Enhanced capabilities, such as multi-party conferencing and mobility options, showcase the capabilities of the new phone. On a multi-party conference, for instance, users can now see all of their teleconference participants on the screen, and scroll through them to add, drop, or mute individual people. Mobility applications let a user bridge their IP phone with their cell phone with one touch, providing constant connectivity and one-number access for users on the go.

The Avaya one-X Deskphone Edition models have been developed to meet the needs of a wide range of users, categorized into four basic profiles — ranging from power communicators who are often mobile, to those who require only basic telephony functions. The categories are currently designated as Walk-up (e.g., customers, visitors), Everyday (e.g., engineers, accountants), Essential (e.g., sales executives, bankers, lawyers, etc…), and Navigator (e.g., executive assistants, receptionists).

The phones have an international design to serve users around the world, and screen prompts will be available in 14 different languages.

In related news, Avaya announced that member companies of the Avaya DeveloperConnection program are bringing to life applications for the new IP phones. The applications include time reporting, automated conference call reminders, integrated corporate directory access with contact search, and solutions designed specifically for education and healthcare environments.

Citrix, CalAMP, and Millenigence have already developed applications for the new phones.

Avaya’s new Software and Custom Application Practice is also developing its own custom applications for the one-X series.

I had the opportunity to visit with Avaya executives, and get a hands on look at the phones. I have to admit that I was rather impressed with the functionality and ease of access to the applications. The interface is definitely user-friendly, and the audio enhancements such as the inclusion of high-quality wideband audio are differentiators. The speakerphone produces an extremely clear sound.

At the end of the day, phones remain a key driver of phone system purchasing decisions for an enterprise. People want more functionality, and the ability to tie in communications into everyday business processes by a simple click on a desktop phone is the type of enabler enterprises are increasingly seeking.