For
Immediate Release: 07-Sep-2005
BASKING RIDGE, N.J., US
-
Avaya (NYSE:AV), a global leader in business
communications applications, systems and
services, today announced the global availability
of the first phase of its enterprise fixed
mobile convergence (FMC) applications, jointly
developed with Nokia, for Series 60 platform
devices. These downloadable applications
transform Nokia Series 60 mobile devices
into virtual desktop phones by enabling
mobile workers to access the features and
functions of their Avaya Communication Manager
office desk phone through an easy-to-use
onscreen interface. This is the first tangible
result of a strategic collaboration between
Avaya and Nokia to deliver enterprise FMC
solutions, announced earlier this year,
and delivers on their promise to enable
mobile workers to productively manage their
voice communications with clients and colleagues
while reducing enterprise telephony costs.
The Series 60 Platform is the world's most
widely adopted smartphone platform, with
millions of devices already in use.
Avaya Mobile for Series 60 extends the reach
of enterprise IP telephony by integrating
the ubiquity of mobile communications with
the reliability and features of enterprise
telephony services. The application enhances
accessibility of mobile workers with a feature
that enables workers to be reached at a
single business phone number that rings
the desk phone and mobile phone simultaneously,
enabling people to be easily reached and
productive regardless of their work location.
The applications integrate mobile phones
into an enterprise's business operations,
providing centralized intelligence and control
of policies between enterprise fixed and
mobile voice communications. For example,
through the one business number feature,
calls made or received on both the desktop
phone and the mobile phone can now be recorded
or accounted for, which supports compliance
with federal regulations, an issue of particular
interest to financial services companies
and institutions.
With the application, workers can receive
calls either on their desktop or on their
mobile phone, switching between them transparently
as needed. Calls made from a mobile phone
appear as if they came from the desktop
phone. The intuitive user interface of the
mobile phone provides easy access to business
telephony features such as abbreviated extension
dialing, multi-party conferencing, call
transfer, voicemail forwarding, group call
features, and call forward to coverage for
executive support. Mobile workers also have
the flexibility to turn off the business
profile as needed while remaining accessible
for personal calls, enabling them to separate
their business and personal communications
on their mobile phones.
"In cooperation with Nokia, we are
bringing this solution to market within
six months of commencing the joint project,
and after conducting extensive testing with
customers," said Geoffrey Baird, Avaya
vice president and general manager, Communications
Appliance Division. "By bringing together
enterprise and mobile networks, Avaya and
Nokia are helping companies see the tangible
benefits of fixed to mobile convergence."
Trials of the global solution have been
conducted in organizations located in North
America, Europe and Asia Pacific, with more
than 100 users active. The results of a
preliminary survey conducted by Avaya showed:
- 89 percent were satisfied
with the Avaya Mobile client.
- When asked which capabilities
they liked most, 75 percent believed the
ability to have flexibility and mobility
in daily activities key, followed by the
"one business number" feature
coming in at 72 percent.
- 74 percent indicated
that the application met or exceeded their
expectations.
- 72 percent of respondents
liked the fact that they could choose
to enable/disable the business extension-to-cellular
feature to better manage their life style
balance.
- Even though trials only
recently commenced, as a result of enhancing
their mobile phone with Avaya Mobile applications,
56 percent said that they had experienced
an increase in productivity and in the
usage of their mobile phone for business
operations.
Jaakko Olkkonen, Nokia's
General Manager of Enterprise Voice Solutions,
said, "These results validate the efforts
that our teams have placed on building an
intuitive user experience regardless of
location and scope of business. Our objective
is to provide enterprises all over the world,
despite their diverse requirements, with
a solution that addresses their mobility
needs and well as increases productivity."
Pacific Internet, the largest telco-independent
Internet Communications service provider
in Singapore, was one of the first companies
to use Avaya Mobile for Series 60. According
to Tan Jin Siong, senior vice president
of Engineering and Network Operations for
Pacific Internet, "We believe the Avaya
mobile solution will enable our workforce
to increase productivity, enhance sales
and reduce communication cost when they
are away from their primary workstation."
Strategic Products and Services (SPS), one
of Avaya's largest BusinessPartners in the
United States, is trialing Avaya Mobile
for Series 60. "I have utilized this
application extensively. Having one business
number access, an easy-to-use interface
to enterprise voice features, and the ability
to control when I want to take business
calls on my mobile phone make me more productive,"
said Michael Taylor, Vice President, Emerging
Technologies. "SPS is excited about
the potential Avaya Mobile has with our
customer and prospect base."
Avaya Mobile for Series 60 is available
globally through Avaya's direct sales force
and authorized Avaya BusinessPartners. Newtel
Essence, an Avaya BusinessPartner, operating
across Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg,
also served as a trial site for the solution.
"Our distributed sales force has experienced
improved availability to customers since
adopting Avaya Mobile for Series 60 with
its single reach number capability,"
said Serge Poppes, CEO of Newtel Essence.
"Our customers are impressed by the
easy access to telephone features and how
the solution can enhance productivity, simplify
management of mobile communications and
cut down on missed calls."
Avaya Mobile for Series 60 is currently
supported on the following Nokia Mobile
Devices: Nokia 3230, 6600, 7610, 6620, 6260,
6630, 6680, 6681, 6682.
About Avaya
Avaya Inc. designs, builds and manages communications
networks for more than one million businesses
worldwide, including over 90 percent of
the FORTUNE 500®. Focused on businesses
large to small, Avaya is a world leader
in secure and reliable Internet Protocol
telephony systems and communications software
applications and services.
Driving the convergence of voice and data
communications with business applications
- and distinguished by comprehensive worldwide
services - Avaya helps customers leverage
existing and new networks to achieve superior
business results. For more information visit
the Avaya Web site: http://www.avaya.com |
