Simplifies and Further Secures Flagship SME System
by Ray Horak, Technology Editor
July 17, 2012: Avaya has just released the newest version of its Unified Communications (UC) solution for small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs). Avaya IP Office 8.1 is a major release that greatly boosts system scalability, enhances BYOD mobility, centralizes management and adds new security features to the flagship IP Office system.
Avaya IP Office 8.1 cost effectively scales from as few as 5 to as many as 1,000 users in a single location, which is considerable increase from the previous limit of 384. In a multi-site deployment, as many as 32 offices can be networked.
Avaya IP Office 8.1 goes a long way towards making SME mobility simple and secure, which can be a real challenge, given the clear and present trend towards Bring Your Own Device (BYOD). An April 2012 Forrester Research study on BYOD trends reported that 56% of SME workers who use a tablet for work say they bring in their own personal tablet, while 66% say the same for their smartphones. Avaya IP Office 8.1 introduces Avaya Flare Communicator, the advanced mobility app previously only available to large enterprises. Now available to Avaya IP Office SME users on Apple iPad tablets or Windows-based laptops. Avaya Flare Communicator enables mobile access to collaboration capabilities such as business-class calling, presence, company directory search, and management of two simultaneous calls while mobile.
Avaya IP Office 8.1 also introduces centralized management and licensing capabilities designed to eliminate the complexity of overseeing communications for multi-site environments by enabling effective management of several sites from one location. Adjustments to individual sites can be made using a simple administration tool, saving on costs, labor and time.
Enhanced security options for Avaya IP Office increase protection against threats such as toll fraud and denial of service attacks through use of a new SME version of Avaya Session Border Controller. This SIP-based firewall not only makes security much easier and more affordable for SMEs to implement, but also offers mobile workers advanced capabilities such as media encryption media and UC signaling without using a VPN.
Avaya IP Office 8.1 introduces support service for fast fault and trouble resolution, expert technical support and secure remote access. Newly embedded SSL-VPN capabilities help ensure secure delivery of upgrades, patches and Web-based services. According to Brad Gifford, Avaya Senior Director of Channels, “Avaya IP Office 8.1 customers are entitled to major upgrades, which Avaya partners can offer via wholesale or co-delivery models. (Note: Avaya IP Office is sold exclusively through channel partners.) Avaya support services can be positioned as Tier 1, 2, 3, or 4, depending entirely on the channel partner’s market model.”
Gifford noted that Avaya IP Office 8.1 establishes IP Office as a full service platform. Avaya expects to achieve full interoperability with Radvision SCOPIA endpoints by the end of 2012. “Avaya IP Office 8.1 provides mid-sized companies a highly scalable, thoroughly cost-effective, simplified way to manage more people on a network in one or multiple sites. It also provides Avaya business partners with new opportunities to provide mid-market customers with highly advanced, yet thoroughly affordable collaboration solutions. We know that Avaya IP Office is a strong mid-market UC solution with substantial appeal. Avaya has added some 400 new channel partners in 2012 and we are actively recruiting.
For more information visit www.avaya.com.
