Centrix install Avaya Converged Communications Server

Centrix have become one of the very first UK resellers to install the new Avaya Converged Communications Server (ACCS) prior to the official release in the UK later in the year.

Converged Communications Server is the latest Avaya server which integrates seamlessly with Avaya Communication Manager 2.0 and the IP Softphone R5 to offer Instant Messaging, Presence Tracking and SIP. SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) is widely regarded as the “next big thing” in the industry as it attempts to bridge the two worlds of telephony and the internet in a way that Voice-over-IP (VoIP) alone can’t do.

Richard Burbage, Sales & Marketing Director of Centrix, explains: “The Converged Communication Server adds a great deal of functionality for any company looking for enterprise-class Instant Messaging and Presence Tracking. Both of these features are set to become huge as companies begin to realise the benefits of Instant Messaging and Presence Tracking in their distributed offices and home-workers.”

Instant Messaging began life as a free web-based product from companies such as MSN, AOL and Yahoo but for most corporate users these versions were neither secure nor suitable for an office environment as you’re not able to record the Instant Messages from the employees, nor are you able to administer staff’s log-in names.

Richard Burbage elaborates, “MSN Messenger is a great product to keep in touch with family and friends at home but it’s inappropriate in the workplace. You need to be able to police how and when staff log-on and also to keep a record of everything said, just as you do with email, on a central server. The Avaya CCS does just this by allowing the administrator to set up users and to choose where the IM (Instant Messages) are stored. Should an employee leave, the administrator can now remove them from the Instant Messaging server just as they would from email.”

Not only is the Avaya solution more secure than the free web-based versions but it also offers more features through it’s integration with Avaya Communication Manager 2.0. For example, by integrating it with the Avaya IP Softphone R5 the ACCS will automatically set your status to “On the Phone” the moment you lift your handset. Also, the Call History feature of the IP Softphone allows you to view not just the inbound, outbound and missed telephone calls but also all of your Instant Message conversations which are recorded in the list for viewing at a later date.

The Avaya Converged Communications Server is due to be released in the summer 2004 but this in-house trial for Centrix should put them in a unique position to sell and support the product upon release.

> More about the Avaya Converged Communications Server

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