The company also unveiled customer and partner support for Avaya IP Office 7.0 including two new 7.0 customers: Carlo’s Bakery, home to owner and television personality Buddy Valastro, and top music booking firm The Agency Group.
Avaya says 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 to gain Avaya IP Office’s collaboration capabilities, and can drive 40 to 60 percent in savings 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 a business’ existing data (i.e. voicemails, phone extensions) to their new systems, maintaining productivity without interruption.
Avaya IP Office 7.0 also delivers an expanded portfolio of devices for multimedia collaboration, including sophisticated new colour touchscreen desktop phones that let users scroll through contacts or manage visual voicemail at the touch of a finger. Additionally, new conference room phones offer patented wide-band audio, call recording via SD card, and fast USB connectivity to a laptop for temporary set-ups. These are part of a portfolio that offers a range of advanced communications, such as HD videoconferencing via desktop PC with no added equipment required.
Nearly 60 percent of small and mid-size businesses state they use, are interested in, or are planning to use collaboration software.
Nigel Stagg, Managing Director, BT Business said, "One of BT's key priorities is to become the brand for business for UK based small and medium enterprises. A key angle for us is to provide the communications solutions that meet the specific business needs of SMEs. We are delighted to include Avaya's SME solutions as part of the BT Business portfolio, enabling us to offer SMEs high quality communications solutions with features previously only affordable to larger businesses. The latest Avaya SME solutions also enable BT to address a wider base of Avaya users and former Nortel Enterprise Solutions users."
Isabelle Guis, general manager, Avaya Small and Medium Enterprise Division, said, “As the economy shifts into a higher gear, today’s small and medium businesses need the best tools available to collaborate and compete effectively. Avaya IP Office 7.0 represents the pinnacle of advanced communications in this market, providing vast unified communications capabilities, with a focus on simplicity and savings.”