AltiGen Upgrades IP Telephony

The company, based here, also intends to introduce two optional software modules to improve its call-center features.

The new features in AltiWare Open Edition 4.5 should help solution providers better serve clients at the upper end of AltiGen's target market, which includes SMB customers with fewer than 500 employees, said Richard De Soto, senior vice president of marketing and sales at AltiGen.

The upgrade increases the number of IP extensions supported per system to 108, up from about 70; adds support for high-capacity 30-port IP boards; and improves inbound routing, he said. It also includes Multi-Site Configurator, a tool that lets customers set up and synchronize systems in different sites from a single location.

"It definitely puts us in an arena we didn't compete in," said Darrell Murray, president of NETsystems Communications, an Orlando, Fla.-based solution provider.

AltiGen is also unveiling Contact Advantage, a contact center application for companies with five to 25 agents. Features include basic call routing, workgroup statistics, supervisor monitoring capabilities and reports.

"It's a much more affordable call-center [solution than most of the competition offers," said Bruce Steinfeld, president of Bit By Bit, a solution provider in New York.

AltiGen's Contact Center Advanced, intended for 25 to 150 agents, adds Web chat, Web calling and VoIP support for remote agents to Contact Advantage's basic features.

AltiWare Open Edition 4.5 starts at $1,800, plus license fees starting at $550 for 24 seats. Contact Advantage lists for $4,000, and Contact Center Advanced is $12,900.