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AVAYA IP Office
Unified Communications for Small Business
Unified Communications for Small Business is a suite of applications:
- Turns a home phone into an IP Office telephone with the Phone
Manager Pro intelligent desktop application using Telecommuter
capabilities.
- Enables a mobile device to simultaneously ring when calls arrive
at an IP Office telephone.
- Empowers the mobile user with complete call control—place a
caller on hold, transfer, toggle between calls, or create a
conference call.
- Downloads software using mobile devices (Windows Mobile 5 & 6
and Symbian Single-Mode Version 4). This enables the mobile user to
make and receive calls through the IP Office system, saving on toll
charges, retaining customer records, and maintaining mobile number
privacy.
- Provides remote workers with software to turn the remote IP hard
phone into an extension of the system without the need for remote
VPN (Virtual Private Network) gateways.
Unified Communications is about allowing communications to happen where
and when you want it to happen, using the device that’s most appropriate
at that time and in that place. It helps small businesses deliver
real-time responsiveness to customers, suppliers, and vendors wherever
employees are. Unified Communications enables non-stop productivity even
when employees can’t get into the office. Unified Communications help
businesses retain and recruit talent from anywhere—no longer limit the
labor pool to local geography.
Conferencing
Avaya IP Office conferencing applications provide a private
audio-conference bridge for communicating with a large number of
people. The IP Office conferencing capability supports up to 2
conferences with as many as 64 participants on a single conference call
(or combinations thereof). Multiple conferences can take place
simultaneously. With the Meet-me Conferencing Bridge a PIN number can be
added for more secure conferences, requiring participants to input a
code before entering the call. The Conferencing Center application adds
management through the Scheduler component and audio control for the
host through the Web Client component. The Scheduler interface enables
conferences to be established, e-mail invitations to be sent, or set up
ad hoc. The Web Client enables the host to upload and publish documents
and presentations for real-time viewing. The Web Client interface allows
the Host to manage the audio portion by controlling who has Speak and
Listen privileges or who has Listen only capabilities. It is through the
Client interface that the Host can Whisper to a specific individual
without disruption to the conference call. Participants can also send
messages using the web chat functionality privately to the Host or to
all participants.
Employees can cost effectively conduct meetings over the phone and
spontaneously collaborate, share information and make decisions creating
more effective work practices leading to shorter project times and
increased employee productivity. The Meet-me Conference Bridge can lower
conferencing costs by reducing the need for third-party conferencing
service providers. ROI on IP Office conferencing solutions can be as
short as 9-10 weeks, depending on location and provider fees.
Messaging
IP Office offers several messaging applications designed to meet the
needs of the business. IP Office VoiceMail Lite, Embedded Voicemail
and VoiceMail Pro offer automated attendant, voicemail, unified
messaging, e-mail reading, fax routing, Integrated Voice Response (IVR),
text-to-speech (TTS), centralized voicemail, and networked
messaging.
Voicemail provides a telephone answering machine with a personalized
greeting on every employee's desk and allows callers to leave spoken
messages when the user cannot answer a telephone call. Voicemail
messages are retrieved either locally or remotely via any telephone
(users are prompted for a PIN if they are using any telephone other
than their allocated extension or a trusted location e.g. mobile
telephone). For users who prefer to have email as their main message
store, they can forward their voice messages to their email and
collect them via their email account.
Messaging applications are vital for businesses that want to ensure that
every call is answered, even after hours or when everyone is busy, and
that messages are properly and efficiently managed. Employees stay
connected to the business at all times from any location, helping
customers reach the right person, extension or department, which can
lead to improved customer satisfaction. Employee efficiency and
productivity are maximized as calls are appropriately routed and quickly
handled during peak call periods.
Networking
Small Community Networking links support multiple IP Office systems via
a standard data network, providing feature transparency and advanced
applications such as centralized voice messaging.
Businesses can extend communications capabilities like messaging
to remote locations, unify voice communications across multiple sites,
or connect branch sites. Networking can cost-effectively enhance the
value of an existing data network by improving operations, inter-company
communications, and processes—all while controlling communications and
system management costs.
Phone Manager
Phone Manager is a desktop communications application available in
three versions: Phone Manager Lite, Phone Manager Pro, and Phone
Manager Pro PC Softphone (VoIP mode).
The Phone Manager application offers control of a user's telephone
from their PC. Phone Manager Lite and Phone Manager Pro are for the
user who prefers to access telephony features (making/receiving
call, setting up conference calls, speed dials, etc.) through the
PC.
Phone Manager Pro Telecommuter mode provides the user with the
benefits of call control through the Phone Manager Pro application
while providing the talk path through an external number (i.e., home
number, mobile number).
Phone Manager Pro PC Softphone is for anyone who has a laptop and
high-speed internet access while traveling or working away from
their desk or office. The Phone Manager Pro PC Softphone adds
PC-based telephony via a sound card or USB headset/handset to the
product.
Simplifies communications via point-and-click access to commonly used
features. The Phone Manager application includes many productivity
enhancing capabilities such as a Busy Lamp Field (BLF) and Speed
Dials. This allows users to customize the application to reflect the
status of their departments, immediate colleagues, or the whole company.
User friendly icons allows frequently called internal and external
(work, mobile/cell, home) numbers to be dialed via a single-click.
The Busy Lamp Field feature allows you to see at a glance who is
available to take a call, who is already on a call, who has
forwarded their phone, and who has placed their phone on Do Not
Disturb.
The Phone Manager application also provides the user with a call
history log of calls made, received, and missed. It keeps a record
of call duration, including any time the caller was placed on hold,
for accurate billing and reconciliation.
Phone Manager PC Softphone supports mobile, traveling workers
by enabling lower long-distance costs, and makes staying in touch
with co-workers and customers easier while traveling.
SoftConsole
SoftConsole is the PC-based Windows Operator Console for IP Office
working with a desktop telephone. Commands and actions are available
through menus. Some features can only be used under
certain conditions—features will be grayed out until conditions change
that allow the feature to be used.
Call details include: Calling Name & Number, Called Name & Number, Call
Status, Call Duration, and Notes. Areas within the application include:
Directory entries, configuration of Script based on Caller ID,
Conference Room, Queue and Busy Lamp Field Panel, Held and Parked Calls,
Park Slots, and Call History.
SoftConsole has been designed to improve operator service by providing
the operator with call information and available call actions to
simplify call handling and give the appropriate response to the caller.
With this easy-to-use software tool the operator can maintain visibility
of the number and type of calls waiting and so ensure that clients are
greeted in a professional manner. SoftConsole has many configurable
options available to the operator to personalize the look and feel. The
Operator can tailor the usability specifically to each of their personal
preferences.
Computer Telephony Integration (CTI)
CTI allows users to access information in company databases during phone
calls. A services representative can automatically receive detailed
customer information in a screen-pop on their PC when a customer calls.
Employees can also control their phone via a familiar GUI. CTI is based
on the Telephone Applications Programming Interface standard, which
supports Microsoft Windows applications such as Microsoft Outlook.
Through CTI, IP Office can improve employee efficiency and productivity
by combining telephone and PC capabilities behind one easy-to-use GUI.
It can enhance customer contacts by providing employees with access to
important information.
IP Office Manager System Administration Tool
IP Office Manager is the system administration tool. Using a Windows
Graphical User Interface, Manager provides an intuitive interface
for installation, configuration and subsequent moves, additions, and
changes.
As with all IP Office applications, the Manager is multi-lingual and
provides the ability to use the application both locally and
remotely. It is possible for an administrator to manage any of their
IP Offices from any country using their local language preference.
Access to each IP Office is protected by passwords and definable
user rights. This allows Manager to operate according to the
individual administrator’s level of expertise. Manager provides
remote management facilities and off-line configuration.
By monitoring activity across all locations, businesses can control
costs, increase efficiencies, and drive improved system performance.
Remote Hot Desking
Hot Desking is the ability for a user on one IP Office system to log
into any telephone (analog, digital, or IP) on another IP Office system
within the Small Community Network.
A user can make and receive calls from any IP Office location as if
using their phone at their primary IP Office site. Remote hot desking
offers callers and other associates single number access to reach an
employee, improves mobility for the employee, and controls costs since
privileges and calling restrictions still apply.
SIP Trunks
SIP allows IP Office users to take advantage of new telephony services
being offered by Internet Telephony Service Providers.
These telephony services can offer substantial savings in comparison to
traditional trunks (analog and digital). With IP Office, regardless of
the phone type, users can make and receive calls on SIP trunks. SIP
trunks are handled like any other trunk on the IP Office, affording the
call routing and control needed to manage inbound and outbound calls.
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