As reports emerge that Vodafone in the Netherlands has blocked calls app Viber, unified communications provider ShoreTel has launched a new smartphone technology for businesses that cuts mobile and roaming costs by up to 80pc.
The new technology turns smartphones into mobile desk phones, giving users the freedom to work anywhere, even beyond the wireless network.
Companies who implement this solution with local unified comms provider PhonePulse are saving up to 80pc on mobile and roaming calls.
ShoreTel Mobility routes mobile calls via the cheapest path inside and outside the organisation and is also one of the only systems to use voiceover IP over wireless local networks on leading smartphones.
The large cost savings are being achieved by reducing mobile and long-distance costs and allowing businesses to use smartphones as PBX extensions.
The system easily integrates with other PBX systems, including those from Cisco, Avaya, Alcatel and Siemens.
The smartphone is emerging as the comms tool of choice for workers
According to David Lang, senior telecoms consultant at Phone Pulse, the new offering is a perfect fit for medium-sized organisations that have a lot of staff working outside the office.
“There are great opportunities for organisations to cut costs and increase efficiency with this new offering and we are already experiencing a lot of interest from our own customers.
“Our research shows that, organisations with 10 employees using their smartphones abroad can make savings of up to €26,000 per annum,” Lang said.
The new solution will leverage multi-band capabilities to present calls to remote smartphones via an application on the device.
“The key value for mobile workers is that they can get all of the capabilities of their desk phone anywhere, putting the power of office communications right at their fingertips, whether they are inside or outside the enterprise,” Barry Dillon, regional sales director, ShoreTel, explained.
The smartphone is growing as the communications tool of choice for many employees and is starting to replace the traditional desk phone, regardless of whether the employee is typically in or away from the office, said Michael O’Hara, managing director of DataSolutions, ShoreTel’s Irish distributor.
“ShoreTel Mobility is enabling this by creating one enterprise number for employees and integrating the smartphone to the office phone system,” O’Hara added.
