The Avaya channel has been swift to respond to the new software release.
Jim Robertson, commercial director at Avaya distributor MTV Telecom told Comms Business Magazine, “With the release of the Quick Edition 3.1, Avaya has raised the bar. With connectivity for SIP, ISDN 2, Analogue Trunks and now the ability to add analogue extensions, the Avaya QE has all the flexibility any business requires. With an enhanced set of business benefits such as Auto Attendant, Presence, Call Detail Recording, Voice Mail, Night Service and programmable feature keys, the QE makes an ideal solution for any small or multi-site business.”
Robertson concluded, “Resellers and ITSP’s are now seeing the advantages that this technology brings with many adopting new and easier ways to sell into what is a potentially massive sub 20 extension market.”
“You get big system functions for comparatively little outlay. It’s certainly has a lot more features than our previous cabinet based system. For us and any small business Avaya’s Quick Edition is ideal. It requires no complex installation and is up and running on a LAN in minutes. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it,” said Fraser Bell, managing director, Northern Star a company which provides outsourced IT services for businesses in the SME sector.
Avaya say Quick Edition is simple to set up and use, with all the software in the phone and no need for a communications server or advanced installation skills. When the Quick Edition IP phones are plugged into the local area network, they automatically ‘discover’ each other. In minimal time, users have access to commonly used telephony applications, including voice mail, conferencing and auto attendant.
Susie Ward, marketing director, Spitfire, an Avaya BusinessPartner said, “We are delighted that the Avaya Quick Edition provided Northern Star with a simple and effective solution for its telecoms needs. The SIP technology used by Quick Edition means Northern Star requires only one network for both voice and data communications, it has also allowed Northern Star’s two home tele-workers to use the phone system via the company’s virtual private network (VPN).”
Among the new software-enabled features, which can be uploaded to existing Quick Edition systems, free of charge, are:
Presence and status monitoring. An icon next to an employee’s name on the phone’s screen shows whether the employee is busy, on the phone or away from the office.
One-touch, alternate auto attendant greetings. Users simply press a key to change a customized greeting when there’s a special promotion, they are out of the office or the business is closed for the evening, enhancing customer service.
Call detail recording. Companies can log calls and search and report by type of call (incoming or outgoing) or type of voice mail activity, allowing for a simplified way to track employee phone usage and bill back for time spent on the phone on behalf of clients.
Programmable softkeys. Users can speed up call handling by having single-button access to frequently used functions, such as paging, do not disturb or call forwarding.
Avaya also has introduced special Quick Edition “demo kits” for resellers that include three Quick Edition phones, an Avaya G20 or G11 Gateway to connect Quick Edition to the PSTN and new Quick Edition 3.1 software. Resellers who are part of Avaya’s BusinessPartner programme have been invited to special webinars on Quick Edition to learn about the solution and the benefits it can deliver to customers. They also can download advertisements, direct mail literature and other demand-generation tools from the Avaya BusinessPartner website and customize them to suit their needs.