Avaya and Nokia have developed a solution to allow
companies to cut their mobile calling costs.
The joint offering includes a dual-mode device with Session
Initiation Protocol (SIP) capabilities that can make and receive
calls over both mobile and wireless local area networks (WLans),
both on and off a company campus.
SIP allows the mobile device to be easily connected to a
corporate network and to enjoy the same functionality as the users’
desk telephony equipment. By allowing a mobile phone to make calls
via the enterprise private branch exchange (PBX), companies can
also save money by cutting down on calls made over more expensive
mobile operator networks.
The device can be equipped with an Avaya mobile application,
enabling Nokia phone users to access Avaya Communication
Manager-based enterprise telephony capabilities.
"Nokia is working with Avaya to extend voice communications to
mobile workers who want to use a single Nokia device to access
either mobile or WiFi networks while retaining enterprise control
and PBX functionality," said Jaakko Olkkonen, Nokia's general
manager of enterprise voice solutions.
“The Avaya application for Nokia devices will allow users to
enjoy the convenience of one business number and one voice mailbox
and provide the ability to route mobile calls to enterprise IP
networks, for better cost control and streamlined management.”
Phillip Redman, an analyst at Gartner, said: “Convergence in the
enterprise is happening rapidly today on both the wired and
wireless Lan, reducing network and device costs and driving new
capabilities for voice and data access across wired and wireless
networks.”
The two companies are already trialling the solution on Nokia
Series 60 smartphones at organisations in Europe, including Italy’s
National Centre for Information Technologies in Public
Administration.
The system is expected to be commercially available later this
summer.