Avaya (News - Alert) on Wednesday released Avaya IP Office 8.0, a new version of its unified communications (UC) solution for small and midsize business users. The new version offers a wide range of advanced collaboration and communication tools that can be enabled on Android-compatible devices – iPhone (News - Alert) devices in early 2012.

The new mobility application, “one-X Mobile Preferred for IP Office,” allows users to communicate more effectively with co-workers without having to be in the office. Key features include: 

• Instant Messaging: Workers can text chat with each other via an integrated corporate directory.
• Integrated Presence: Users are able to update their status via mobile device and display their availability based on their Microsoft (News - Alert) Outlook calendar. If a co-worker is away the user can follow them and receive an alert when they return.
• Geopresence: This features displays where employees are located – anywhere in the world. Ideal for hospitals, hotels, or companies where an employee needs to be quickly found.
• Visual Voicemail: Not only can users hear voicemail messages as they are being left in real-time, but can also see their messages on their mobile device with date/time information.

“One of things we’re seeing in the SMB space is the ever-increasing importance of mobility,” said Joe Scotto, director of small and medium enterprise marketing at Avaya. “[The new application offers] the ability to take what is typically done at the desktop and extend it out to the mobile device.”

According to Evans in itbusiness.ca, the mobile collaboration tools from the IP Office 8.0 are the most sought after feature by SMB users.

“As much as 60 percent of workers in the SMEs (small midsize enterprises) own mobile phones and they want to use these devices to connect with colleagues and clients as well as access files and application,” said Laura Evans, director for SMEs at Avaya.

Along with the mobile features provided by the IP Office 8.0, the new version also integrates with Microsoft Outlook, Salesforce.com and Google (News - Alert) Talk.

With this capability users are able to make receive phone calls from a Salesforce.com page, as well as use visual voicemail within an employee’s Microsoft Outlook email window. Also, if business users are trying to make a conference call they can locate their contacts for Google Talk and IP Office in one spot and use the click-to-call tool.

For Jeff Stark, technology director for Duluth Entertainment Convention Center, a 500 employee midsize organization, the mobility advancements in the Avaya IP Office 8.0 is the most comprehensive they’ve seen and is essential when running large locations.

“We'll now have the ability to see who's available, where they are, and keep them connected into the team. Fast collaboration is essential for the 150-plus people we have dedicated to running a day's event at DECC, and we couldn't do it this effectively without Avaya IP Office.”

Avaya is a Platinum sponsor of ITEXPO East 2012. To be held Jan. 31- Feb. 3 at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami, Fla., ITEXPO (News - Alert) is the world’s premier IP communications event. Jack Rynes, Product Management – Multiservice and SBC Security Group at Avaya, is speaking during “E-SBCs: Handling Users, Applications and Enterprise Networks (DOUBLE SESSION).” For more information on ITEXPO registration click here.

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