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Avaya IP Office Features

 

Unified Communications for Small Business

Unified Communications for Small Business is a suite of applications:

  • Turns a home phone into an IP Office telephone with the Phone Manager Pro intelligent desktop application using Telecommuter capabilities.
  • Enables a mobile device to simultaneously ring when calls arrive at an IP Office telephone.
  • Empowers the mobile user with complete call control—place a caller on hold, transfer, toggle between calls, or create a conference call.
  • Downloads software using mobile devices (Windows Mobile 5 & 6 and Symbian Single-Mode Version 4). This enables the mobile user to make and receive calls through the IP Office system, saving on toll charges, retaining customer records, and maintaining mobile number privacy.
  • Provides remote workers with software to turn the remote IP hard phone into an extension of the system without the need for remote VPN (Virtual Private Network) gateways.

Unified Communications is about allowing communications to happen where and when you want it to happen, using the device that is most appropriate at that time and in that place. It helps small businesses deliver real-time responsiveness to customers, suppliers, and vendors wherever employees are. Unified Communications enables non-stop productivity even when employees can’t get into the office. Unified Communications help businesses retain and recruit talent from anywhere—no longer limit the labor pool to local geography.

Conferencing

Avaya IP Office conferencing applications provide a private audio-conference bridge for communicating with a large number of people. The IP Office conferencing capability supports up to 2 conferences with as many as 64 participants on a single conference call (or combinations thereof). Multiple conferences can take place simultaneously. With the Meet-me Conferencing Bridge a PIN number can be added for more secure conferences, requiring participants to input a code before entering the call. The Conferencing Center application adds management through the Scheduler component and audio control for the host through the Web Client component. The Scheduler interface enables conferences to be established, e-mail invitations to be sent, or set up ad hoc. The Web Client enables the host to upload and publish documents and presentations for real-time viewing. The Web Client interface allows the Host to manage the audio portion by controlling who has Speak and Listen privileges or who has Listen only capabilities. It is through the Client interface that the Host can Whisper to a specific individual without disruption to the conference call. Participants can also send messages using the web chat functionality privately to the Host or to all participants.

Employees can cost effectively conduct meetings over the phone and spontaneously collaborate, share information and make decisions creating more effective work practices leading to shorter project times and increased employee productivity. The Meet-me Conference Bridge can lower conferencing costs by reducing the need for third-party conferencing service providers. ROI on IP Office conferencing solutions can be as short as 9-10 weeks, depending on location and provider fees.

Messaging

IP Office offers several messaging applications designed to meet the needs of the business. IP Office VoiceMail Lite, Embedded Voicemail and VoiceMail Pro offer automated attendant, voicemail, unified messaging, e-mail reading, fax routing, Integrated Voice Response (IVR), text-to-speech (TTS), centralized voicemail, and networked messaging.
 
Voicemail provides a telephone answering machine with a personalized greeting on every employee's desk and allows callers to leave spoken messages when the user cannot answer a telephone call. Voicemail messages are retrieved either locally or remotely via any telephone (users are prompted for a PIN if they are using any telephone other than their allocated extension or a trusted location e.g. mobile telephone). For users who prefer to have email as their main message store, they can forward their voice messages to their email and collect them via their email account.

Messaging applications are vital for businesses that want to ensure that every call is answered, even after hours or when everyone is busy, and that messages are properly and efficiently managed. Employees stay connected to the business at all times from any location, helping customers reach the right person, extension or department, which can lead to improved customer satisfaction. Employee efficiency and productivity are maximized as calls are appropriately routed and quickly handled during peak call periods.
 

Networking

Small Community Networking links support multiple IP Office systems via a standard data network, providing feature transparency and advanced applications such as centralized voice messaging.

Businesses can extend communications capabilities like messaging to remote locations, unify voice communications across multiple sites, or connect branch sites. Networking can cost-effectively enhance the value of an existing data network by improving operations, inter-company communications, and processes—all while controlling communications and system management costs.

Phone Manager

Phone Manager is a desktop communications application available in three versions: Phone Manager Lite, Phone Manager Pro, and Phone Manager Pro PC Softphone (VoIP mode).
 
The Phone Manager application offers control of a user's telephone from their PC. Phone Manager Lite and Phone Manager Pro are for the user who prefers to access telephony features (making/receiving call, setting up conference calls, speed dials, etc.) through the PC.
 
Phone Manager Pro Telecommuter mode provides the user with the benefits of call control through the Phone Manager Pro application while providing the talk path through an external number (i.e., home number, mobile number).
 
Phone Manager Pro PC Softphone is for anyone who has a laptop and high-speed internet access while traveling or working away from their desk or office. The Phone Manager Pro PC Softphone adds PC-based telephony via a sound card or USB headset/handset to the product.  Simplifies communications via point-and-click access to commonly used features. The Phone Manager application includes many productivity enhancing capabilities such as a Busy Lamp Field (BLF) and Speed Dials. This allows users to customize the application to reflect the status of their departments, immediate colleagues, or the whole company.
 
User friendly icons allows frequently called internal and external (work, mobile/cell, home) numbers to be dialed via a single-click. The Busy Lamp Field feature allows you to see at a glance who is available to take a call, who is already on a call, who has forwarded their phone, and who has placed their phone on Do Not Disturb.
 
The Phone Manager application also provides the user with a call history log of calls made, received, and missed. It keeps a record of call duration, including any time the caller was placed on hold, for accurate billing and reconciliation.
 
Phone Manager PC Softphone supports mobile, traveling workers by enabling lower long-distance costs, and makes staying in touch with co-workers and customers easier while traveling.
 
SoftConsole

SoftConsole is the PC-based Windows Operator Console for IP Office working with a desktop telephone. Commands and actions are available through menus. Some features can only be used under certain conditions—features will be grayed out until conditions change that allow the feature to be used.  

Call details include: Calling Name & Number, Called Name & Number, Call Status, Call Duration, and Notes. Areas within the application include: Directory entries, configuration of Script based on Caller ID, Conference Room, Queue and Busy Lamp Field Panel, Held and Parked Calls, Park Slots, and Call History.

SoftConsole has been designed to improve operator service by providing the operator with call information and available call actions to simplify call handling and give the appropriate response to the caller. With this easy-to-use software tool the operator can maintain visibility of the number and type of calls waiting and so ensure that clients are greeted in a professional manner. SoftConsole has many configurable options available to the operator to personalize the look and feel. The Operator can tailor the usability specifically to each of their personal preferences.

Computer Telephony Integration (CTI)

CTI allows users to access information in company databases during phone calls. A services representative can automatically receive detailed customer information in a screen-pop on their PC when a customer calls. Employees can also control their phone via a familiar GUI. CTI is based on the Telephone Applications Programming Interface standard, which supports Microsoft Windows applications such as Microsoft Outlook.

Through CTI, IP Office can improve employee efficiency and productivity by combining telephone and PC capabilities behind one easy-to-use GUI. It can enhance customer contacts by providing employees with access to important information.

IP Office Manager System Administration Tool

IP Office Manager is the system administration tool. Using a Windows Graphical User Interface, Manager provides an intuitive interface for installation, configuration and subsequent moves, additions, and changes.

As with all IP Office applications, the Manager is multi-lingual and provides the ability to use the application both locally and remotely. It is possible for an administrator to manage any of their IP Offices from any country using their local language preference. Access to each IP Office is protected by passwords and definable user rights. This allows Manager to operate according to the individual administrator’s level of expertise. Manager provides remote management facilities and off-line configuration.

By monitoring activity across all locations, businesses can control costs, increase efficiencies, and drive improved system performance.
 

Remote Hot Desking

Hot Desking is the ability for a user on one IP Office system to log into any telephone (analog, digital, or IP) on another IP Office system within the Small Community Network.

A user can make and receive calls from any IP Office location as if using their phone at their primary IP Office site. Remote hot desking offers callers and other associates single number access to reach an employee, improves mobility for the employee, and controls costs since privileges and calling restrictions still apply.

SIP Trunks

SIP allows IP Office users to take advantage of new telephony services being offered by Internet Telephony Service Providers. 

These telephony services can offer substantial savings in comparison to traditional trunks (analog and digital). With IP Office, regardless of the phone type, users can make and receive calls on SIP trunks. SIP trunks are handled like any other trunk on the IP Office, affording the call routing and control needed to manage inbound and outbound calls.