Avaya Announces Broad Enhancements to IP Telephony Portfolio
o Delivers even more access to business continuity, productivity features of Intelligent Communications
o International Speedway Corporation to improve employee productivity and mobility with Avaya Communication Manager 4.0
o Avaya Communication Manager 4.0 software and Avaya G860 Media Gateways provide increased capacity, enhanced mobility; three Avaya one-X(TM) Deskphone models now available to meet business users' needs
ORLANDO, Fla., March 6 -- Avaya Inc. (NYSE:AV), a leading global provider of business communications applications, services and systems, announced broad enhancements to its Internet Protocol (IP) telephony portfolio, with the next generation of its industry-leading IP telephony platform and availability of its complete line of next-generation Avaya one-X(TM) Deskphones. The announcement was made at VoiceCon Spring 2007, which brings enterprise decision makers together with the industry's leading vendors, analysts and consultants to focus on the issues central to enterprise networks and communications.
Avaya Communication Manager 4.0 provides enterprise customers with the ability to build larger, more flexible communication networks and delivers industry-leading business continuity capabilities addressing the need for secure, highly available communications. Communication Manager 4.0 provides the core IP foundation on which Avaya's Intelligent Communication capabilities are delivered.
"As enterprises migrate into converged networking and expand their use of IP telephony, to deliver transparent communication services that are independent of network location and operational downtime, ensuring that mobile workers can be equally productive in the office or on the road becomes a mandatory core corporate business goal," said Frank Dzubeck, president, Communications Network Architects Inc. "It is becoming crystal clear that communications network vendors like Avaya that deliver corporate strategic enablement platforms as well as tactical economic and business needs are well-positioned to enable enterprises to move into the next stage of application-oriented IP telephony."
Daytona Beach, Florida-based International Speedway Corporation plans to integrate Communication Manager 4.0 software into its existing network to support its headquarters campus and a new retail complex being planned in front of the track. With the Avaya software, its mobile workers will be able to be productive no matter where they may be. Whether they're involved with pre-race hospitality events or other race activities, they can be reached by calling a single number. "This goes well beyond extension-to-cellular. The system will be able to ring multiple phones or devices simultaneously for maximum desktop integration," said Tom Canello, call center director, International Speedway Corporation.
"Our customers tell us they want to consolidate their networks to help control costs and complexity, and to get productivity and efficiency value from the network applications integrated into their business models," said Stuart Wells, senior vice president and president, Global Communications Solutions. "With Avaya Communication Manager 4.0 we're delivering on those demands, with network management, monitoring and analysis applications built into the new software to provide businesses with the tools necessary to run their communications networks efficiently and effectively. The Avaya one-X Deskphones that are now generally available are essentially gateways to the software capabilities and help companies make their employees more productive, their processes more intelligent and their customers more satisfied."
Avaya Communication Manager 4.0 combines superior business continuity and increased capacity with mobility and branch office enhancements.
Enhanced business continuity -- If there is a Wide Area Network service interruption, Avaya Communication Manager 4.0 software ensures continuity of communications, which minimizes business disruption. New Dial Plan Transparency features ensure users keep all their dialing capabilities until WAN connectivity is restored, and call details records are maintained, which ensures regulatory or policy compliance.
Increased capacity -- As large enterprises consolidate their telephony infrastructure, Avaya Communication Manager 4.0's dial plan expansion feature can help avoid dial plan conflicts, resulting in simplified deployment. A 50 percent increase in trunking capacity and additional media services capacity gives greater headroom for growth.
Avaya also introduces the Avaya G860 Media Gateway, a high-density, small footprint gateway providing a DS3 interface to support high call volumes. In addition, G860 supports open, standards-based Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) connectivity to Communication Manager.
Greater Mobility Capabilities -- Avaya Communication Manager 4.0 makes being productive while on the move a reality for more workers. With the improved Enterprise Mobility User capabilities, a user can log into a phone at a remote location and then make and receive calls as if at their primary phone. Now, at the same time, users worldwide can map their business calls to their mobile phone with the popular Avaya Extension to Cellular feature. These globally available features allow seamless communications capabilities across multiple devices in multiple locations, which is invaluable for workers who frequently travel between locations for a distributed enterprise.
Branch office solution enhancements -- Avaya Communication Manager 4.0 software is also the backbone for the Avaya IG550 Integrated Gateway, an industry-leading IP voice gateway that integrates into Juniper Networks' J4350 and J6350 J-series routers to deliver intelligent communications applications to branch offices. The integrated solution provides embedded local survivability functionality for branch offices, offering customers protection from business-critical communication interruptions due to WAN outages.
One-X Deskphones enable tools for more productivity
The Avaya one-X Deskphone family is comprised of the 9600 Series of Avaya phones designed for a variety of user profiles. Three models now generally available are:
o 9640 IP Telephone for sales people, relationship managers, attorneys
and others who use the telephone as an essential tool. The 9640 is
now available for the first time with a color screen.
o 9650 IP Telephone for busy executive assistants or building
receptionists who manage calls for themselves and others.
o9610 IP Telephone for lobbies and other common areas where simplicity
of operation is essential.
The phones will have new standards-based SIP firmware, providing an open, standards-based platform for greater interoperability and investment protection.
Each phone display can be personalized with "skins," background images and company logos, and any jpeg file can be used as a screensaver. Five standard colors as well as custom faceplates are now available for all 9600 Series models as well.
Scheduled availability of new software, gateways, SIP capability for one-X Deskphones
Avaya Communication Manager 4.0 software and the Avaya IG550 Media Gateway are scheduled for general availability worldwide in March. The Avaya G860 Media Gateway is planned for availability in Q3 2007 in North America. SIP for Avaya one-X IP Deskphones is expected to be widely available in May 2007, and current one-X phone users will be able to download the software at no extra cost.
About Avaya
Avaya Inc. designs, builds and manages communications networks for more than one million businesses worldwide, including over 90 percent of the FORTUNE 500®. Focused on businesses large to small, Avaya is a world leader in secure and reliable IP telephony systems and communications software applications and services. Driving the convergence of voice and data communications with business applications -- and distinguished by comprehensive worldwide services -- Avaya helps customers leverage existing and new networks to achieve superior business results. For more information visit the Avaya website: www.avaya.com/.
FCMN Contact: barbarab@avaya.com
Source: Avaya Inc.
CONTACT:
media
Barbara Burgess
+1-908-953-3348
At VoiceCon (Booth 601) +1-201-400-1451
barbarab@avaya.com
Web site: www.avaya.com/
