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BlackBerry Extends Reach To The Office Desktop |
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Written by Adam Gosling
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Wednesday, 09 May 2007 |
Research In Motion has taken a massive step forward in the way it's
BlackBerry devices integrate with the corporate phone system announcing
the first integrated enterprise solution to
enable the seamless convergence of a BlackBerry smartphone with an
office desk phone.
The BlackBerry Mobile Voice
System is an outgrowth of some software picked up last year when RIM
acquired Ascendent Systems, which developed the Ascendent Mobile VOice
System the lets mobile cell phones act like an office phone.
Using the system phones out in the field can communicate securely with
enterprise PBXs even IP PBX where systems are run on Voice over IP.
For users it means a single phone number where they can be reached whether in the office or on the road.
The system requires client software on the handset and component
software on a BlackBerry Enteprrise Server running within the company.
The system then uses software from Ascendent (Voice Mobility Suite) to
interface with heterogeneous PBXs. Combined, the system allows
BlackBerry smartphone users to be securely
authenticated to the enterprise telephony system (PBX).
PBX functions such as transfer, park, and extension dialing
can be accessed directly from the menu interface on
the BlackBerry with a new menu interface. They can place, receive and manage enterprise
calls and their company's caller ID can even be extended to the handset. The "Reach Me Anywhere" phone number simultaneously rings on their desk
phone and their BlackBerry.
BlackBerry MVS also
leverages the standard security features, IT policies and system
management functionality provided within the BlackBerry Enterprise
Solution, extending the administrative tools and services of the
BlackBerry platform to the Ascendent Voice Mobility Suite.
Among key
security benefits is the ability to automatically authenticate mobile
users to the PBX to help ensure that only authorized users and devices
are accessing the corporate telephony system, says the copmany. Further, since calls are
routed through the corporate PBX, any calls placed from a BlackBerry
smartphone can now be logged or recorded for compliance with applicable
corporate and regulatory requirements.
"RIM's ability to deliver
a robust, feature-rich platform that securely integrates with
enterprise data systems has always been a major contributing factor to
the success of the BlackBerry Enterprise Solution," said Mike
Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO at Research In Motion. "The ability to
now deliver the same value proposition for both voice and data systems
provides another unique dimension to the BlackBerry platform and
presents another major opportunity for customers to maximize their
return on wireless investments."
Key features of BlackBerry MVS include:
- Seamless convergence of BlackBerry smartphones with office desk phones
- uses existing corporate phone number, and maintains one "Reach Me
Anywhere" phone number for the user.
- Office desk phone functionality while mobile - supports extension dialing, transfer, park and consolidated voicemail.
- Intuitive menu-driven interface - makes placing and receiving
enterprise calls and accessing desk phone functionality amazingly
simple.
- Secure mobile desk phone - authenticates callers with the telephony system.
- IT controls - allows an organization to route all calls through the telephony system for billing / audit purposes.
- Works in heterogeneous PBX environments - supports IP, TDM or mixed vendor environments.
www.rim.com
www.blackberry.com
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