Avaya IP Office communications solution for SMEs

Avaya has introduced the Avaya IP Office communications solution for SMEs that features UC capabilities that include advanced collaboration tools using voice, instant messaging, presence and video.

The solution enables implementation of the advanced communications and customer service functions of larger systems and claims to make unified communications up to 40% more affordable for small business.

The user-based SME solutions are designed for teleworkers, mobile workers and office workers and improvements have been made to the company’s one-X Portal for IP Office, a desktop communications tool easily accessible via web and video collaboration capabilities.

IP Office allows users to manage communications from a business office, home office or on the road via an easy-to-use web browser-based interface (using a VPN and PC/phone combination). Fully integrated instant messaging with embedded voice calling capabilities, as well as presence to show availability via status icons, is available. This boosts the speed and responsiveness of inter-office communications among coworkers.

The audio conferencing feature, which allows up to 64 parties on a single call, provides the ability to view, add, drop and mute attendees, as well as record conference calls.

Video collaboration is available through a video softphone application. This offers voice control features via a virtual phone on a PC or laptop, supporting point-to-point video communications when visuals are required.

Its support capacity in a multi-site network has been doubled to 1000 users. This enables SMEs in a wide-area network to extend communications, such as extension dialling and conferencing, to everyone across a business. To keep essential communications running during an outage, business continuity capabilities beyond telephony operation now include voice messaging, auto-attendant capabilities and other functions.

Its ‘combination card’ provides a single card for what used to require several cards to support digital, analog and IP devices. This, paired with a line of phones for businesses with fewer than 20 employees, reduces costs without reducing capability.