TelecomTactics Survey: Leading Edge Applications Address the Mobile and Distributed Workplace

By Sandra M. Gustavsen

Analyst, Access Intelligence LLC

 

A recent TelecomTactics survey finds “highest” interest in the following leading-edge telecommunications applications: Unified Messaging/Unified Communications, Teleworker, Mobility/Wireless (PBX functionality on a wireless phone) and Voice over IP (VoIP) Security. Among those surveyed by TelecomTactics were resellers of telecom equipment and applications who indicate that these applications are high on the lists of their customers looking to purchase new telephony systems. 

The survey included over 28 application areas, and survey respondents were asked to rank these according to interest level. Other high interest application areas include SoftPhones, In-building Wireless LAN, Remote Office Gateways, Presence/SIP and IP Contact Center. The survey showed lower interest in Tele-Training/Tele-Education, Personal Digital Assistant applications and Voice Media Recording.

 

The following are excerpts from TelecomTactics’ monthly newsletter describing recently announced and leading-edge telecommunications applications.

 

Unified Communications: Leading manufacturers continue to develop Unified Messaging and Unified Communications solutions designed to improve business communication and productivity through advanced messaging functionality and “anytime, anywhere” availability that keeps workers connected to customers and colleagues. Microsoft (News - Alert) has entered into the Unified Communications arena and several leading vendors, including Alcatel (News - Alert), Avaya (News - Alert), Cisco, Mitel, NEC (News - Alert), Nortel and Siemens, are announcing integration of Microsoft’s Live Communication Server (LCS) platform with their communications systems using the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP). The LCS integration provides employees with secure, real-time telephony, presence and collaboration features on the Microsoft Office Communicator client, enabling them to view the “device presence” of a colleagues’ availability - voice, email, web chat, fax, instant messaging or video – regardless of location, making the set up of collaborative conversations easy and efficient.

 

Teleworker: New solutions that target remote workers, such as Avaya’s VPNremote, enable “headquarters-quality” communications from a home office environment. Employees can quickly and easily install the IP telephone with embedded VPNremote software and enjoy telephone features exactly like those of the corporate headquarters, a benefit to contact center agents, sales executives and other employees in customer-facing roles. Mitel’s Teleworker licenses enable remote or home-based employees to use a Mitel IP phone and Teleworker Gateway to access 3300 ICP features, and HiPath CorporateConnect from Siemens gives mobile device users one number service – employees can access the enterprise telephone network and features using their corporate phone number whether they are in or out of the office and miles away.

Mobility/Wireless: Forward-looking mobility solutions such as the one from Cisco and Nokia (News - Alert) let mobile employees access Cisco's array of CallManager telephony features and applications using a Nokia Eseries smartphone. End users can make and receive calls from their Nokia phone on the enterprise IP telephony network using their business IP telephone number. Avaya has also announced the integration of Avaya Communication Manager software on the Nokia mobile devices, enabling Nokia phone users to have access to the same telephony features found on their office phone. New for mobile workers and teleworkers is Mitel's Mobile Extension, a software application that links a desk phone with a cell phone or wireless handset for simultaneous ringing and extension of PBX features to the twinned device.


VoIP Security: The move to IP-only telephony continues to be a concern for businesses since the compromise of an IP network puts both voice and data communications at risk. Manufacturers are racing to introduce VoIP assessment and security tools to help ease the migration from traditional circuit-switched telephony to packet-switched IP telephony. Toshiba America recently announced products and services from partner SonicWALL, Inc. to address security issues using firewalls and Gateway Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware and Intrusion Prevention security services. Avaya, Cisco, Mitel, ShoreTel and other leading manufacturers are also enhancing VoIP security with standards-based encryption technology that protects voice conversations and sensitive information transmitted over a data network.

 

 

TelecomTactics is a database and newsletter publication, covering the business telephony industry. For more information, visit www.telecomtactics.com or contact Sandra M. Gustavsen at [email protected] (856-424-1100 x11) or Ken Dolsky at [email protected] (973-602-0149).