“We are now at the stage where customers are moving to the next level and have realised the further opportunities around improving working practices and customer service that IP presents. By enabling multi-media communication, IP collaboration tools give users the ability to combine or move effortlessly between different communications methods, such as instant messaging, voice calls and video conferences.
The appeal and awareness of collaboration has risen markedly in recent times with the release of Microsoft’s Live Communications Server (LCS). While LCS provides the integration piece across all Microsoft applications, the real value comes from being able to seamlessly transition from any Microsoft application into a voice call with advanced telephony features, including multi-party conferencing and video conferencing. Access to Mitel applicatons such as Mitel NuPoint Messenger is available from within the Microsoft Office Communicator Client. This is where Mitel comes into the picture with our Live Business Gateway.
The Mitel Live Business Gateway is an integral component in achieving full presence and collaboration. The benefits to organisations are to enable teams to interact far more efficiently with each other, as well as extending the organizations’ corporate enterprise to allow users to federate with clients, partners and suppliers who are using the same solution.
The presence and availability features of LCS enable users to see who is available at any particular time and by which method they want to communicate. A mouse click can then initiate any combination of voice call, video call, conference or secure instant messaging conversation. Because voice and data are all transmitted in the same way, the possibilities for collaboration are endless.
For mobile employees, tools such as hot-desking and teleworking take the benefits of collaboration beyond the office. All users need is a broadband connection and IP phone to collaborate with colleagues from any location.
There is a real opportunity for the channel here to go back to existing customers and upsell new applications around collaboration. It also opens doors with new prospects and Mitel partners have a significant head start on others, due to the fact that they have a tried and tested product in the Live Business Gateway that they can go out and sell immediately.”