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Mobile Communications Featured Article
March 03, 2009
AT&T Launches FMC Solution with Avaya one-X
By Erik Linask, Group Managing Editor
It seems that every day, an increased focus is placed on mobility. In fact, the snowstorm that hit the Northeast Sunday night and Monday provided ample proof of how valuable mobility is to businesses today — it allowed countless people who were either snowed in themselves or at home due to school cancellations to remain as productive as if they had been in the office.
This includes not only data services that allow remote connectivity to PCs — equally important from the road as well as home — but also the ability to receive and manage phone calls from remote locations. These capabilities are what have driven the popularity of Unified Communications solutions, and why nearly every service providers and solutions vendor has renamed their VoIP solutions as UC.
The key value in UC — at least the most talked about lately with the focus on mobility — is the integration of fixed and mobile communications networks in some way — fixed/mobile convergence.
AT&T, already entrenched in the mobile space, thanks to its exclusive iPhone deal, which has also catapulted Apple (News - Alert) squarely into the mobile business communications space, is taking another step to solidify its position in the business market. Along with Avaya, it is adding to its enterprise package with a fixed/mobile convergence solution that combines AT&T’s Mobile Extension with Avaya’s one-X Mobile solution, part of it’s broader UC offering.
“Fixed/mobile convergence technologies are rapidly maturing to enable companies to better integrate their wireline and wireless communications infrastructures,” said Carrie MacGillivray, senior research analyst, IDC (News - Alert). “Enterprises are looking to a provider that can provide the ability to enable accessibility at all times with multiple devices, providing employees with the ability to stay connected no matter their location.”
This enhancement to Mobile Extension delivers an FMC solution to Avaya Communication Manager customers, extending their IP PBX features to mobile handsets, including iPhones, BlackBerry (News - Alert) devices, and Windows Mobile smartphones. The solution includes Avaya one-X Mobile software, which completes the integration of the mobile devices as extension of the corporate IP PBX. Avaya’s (News - Alert) one-X Mobile has included iPhone support for more than a year now, but the integration with AT&T creates a comprehensive package for businesses.
AT&T is also packaging a selection of wireless voice plans with the solution — after all, what good is an FMC solution without a calling plan? The offer also includes 500 additional minutes earmarked for calling between the Avaya platform and the registered wireless devices.
The collaborative solution brings a common set of features for users on their office phones and their mobile devices, adding flexibility and increased productivity, thanks to the convenience of a single set of voice features, including one-number access and unified voice mail.
Avaya’s one-X mobile solution adds a number of functions that further drive users’ ability to communicate productively while out of the office. They have the ability to select from a list of voice messages to choose which ones to listen to, eliminating the need to listen to several messages before getting to the one they’ve been waiting for to close a deal. Because the solution includes unified messaging, it also means they can access the messages without dialing into the corporate system.
Users can also access and search their corporate directories and access call logs from their mobile devices, which also means they can initiate calls (and callbacks) on their mobile devices through the corporate PBX, keeping their mobile number hidden. This is particularly convenient for users with their own mobile devices added to their corporate networks, which is becoming increasingly common, as most people prefer a single mobile device, as opposed to carrying separate business and personal devices.
Call handling and routing rules can be specified based on any number of parameters, including caller ID, location, time of day, and more. Of course, this being an FMC solution, users can also save mobile minutes by seamlessly switching from a mobile call to a deskphone with a single button push — and can continue conversations started in the office by similarly switching calls to their mobile devices.
Today’s business world is more mobile than any before, and service providers and hardware and solution vendors must accommodate that mobility. Obviously, AT&T has the mobile part well in hand, especially with the iPhone (News - Alert). It also offers data and VoIP services and, now, with its partnership with Avaya, has access to a sizable Avaya user base, which, according to the Dell’Oro Group, is the largest UC customer base worldwide in terms of revenue.
AT&T’s Mobile Extension also integrates with Cisco IP PBX solutions.
Erik Linask is Group Managing Editor of TMCnet, which brings news and compelling feature articles, podcasts, and videos to nearly 3,000,000 visitors each month. To see more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.
Edited by Erik Linask
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