Ericsson has developed a private branch exchange (PBX) extension
system which allows companies to make mobile phones the primary
contact for their employees, whether they're in the office or
travelling.
The improved reachability to companies' employees, should also
save them money by reducing the number of missed calls that have to
be returned as a result of employees not being at their desks.
The MD110 extension system is part of Ericsson's strategy to
persuade companies to rely more on its mobile phones. But the
general benefit to companies is that their staff can be contacted
through a single number, and staff can make voice and data calls on
business from a single device - instead of having to use a desk
phone, a mobile phone, and perhaps a separate fax machine.
The PBX can be programmed to allow certain calls, including
those from the most important people, to take precedence when it
comes to allowing a connection.
Research by analyst IDC, based on 250 UK respondents, shows that
a third of companies have more than 40% of their staff away from
their desks on business for more than two hours a week, a figure
that IDC says illustrates the potential of Ericsson's solution.
The research from IDC also shows that the UK has the most
companies in Europe (not including Scandinavia) who pay for their
employees to carry a mobile phone - 30%. With such a high
percentage companies may want to get more out of these
subscriptions, suggests IDC.
This article was part of Computer Weekly's enterprise mobile
business channel, sponsored by Nokia