Avaya Brings Out New VoIP Wares for SMBs
The latest version of Avaya's SMB communications server software, IP Office 4.0, is available in Standard Edition for sites with up to 32 users and Professional Edition, which scales to 270 users. Standard Edition customers can upgrade to Professional Edition via a software license, which adds networking and enhanced conferencing capabilities as well as support for optional upgrades for applications such as unified messaging, contact centers and CRM.
The new IP Office 4.0 software adds SIP trunking capabilities, which will enable single-site small businesses to utilize less expensive SIP trunks from their service providers instead of costlier T1 lines, said Joe Scotto, global director of product and solutions marketing at Avaya, Basking, Ridge, NJ. In addition to saving customers money on their telecommunications services, the new feature also gives channel partners the opportunity to bundle in SIP trunks with their IP Office sales, he said.
Avaya is also launching a new server for the IP telephony portfolio, the IP Office 500 Series, which features a modular design with interchangeable slots.
"The modular design makes it easier to quote out and price out because everything is based on license upgrades. You don't have to change out the hardware as you grow," said Kristian Guntzelman, chief innovation officer at G and C Interconnects, a solution provider in Cincinnati.
With the combination of the new software and hardware platforms, Guntzelman expects to target IP Office at both larger and smaller customers than he has in the past, including mid-size customers with 300 to 500 employees as well as smaller customers looking for a system that will grow with them.
Guntzelman also expects to bolster his service capabilities based on Avaya's new remote diagnostics capabilities, provided via a Java-based application that helps make sense of raw performance data from the IP-PBX.
Avaya is also teaming with technology partner Extreme Networks to offer a new product bundle that pairs IP Office with Extreme's Summit switches. The bundles will be available this month through distribution at competitive prices, Scotto said.
Pricing for IP Office 500 with Standard Edition software, available later this month, starts at $700. Cards to support handsets and trunk lines start at $250. Users can upgrade to Professional Edition software for $1,000.