AudioCodes (News - Alert) has been aggressively pursuing the Microsoft UC/Lync space, having invested heavily in the last five years in collaboration with the software giant, Alan Percy (News - Alert), director of marketing development for AudioCodes, told TMC at ITEXPO in Austin.
Microsoft (News - Alert) recently launched Lync In-a-Box, which is targeted at mid-sized resellers and partners. The effort aims to simply Lync deployments by creating a hardware catalog that identifies the hardware required for various implementations. Media gateways and enterprise session border controllers from AudioCodes are in that catalog.
AudioCodes, plantronics, Polycom (News - Alert) and ScanSource Communications, all of which are strategic Microsoft partners, are sponsoring the Lync Lounge at ITEXPO. This Microsoft Lync Mixer from 4 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 14, will offer hors d’oeuvres, beer, wine and soft drinks. It’s targeted at enterprise CIOs and IT professionals, reseller partners, consultants, and press people and analysts.
Percy noted that AudioCodes products are used as PSTN gateways, E-SBCs (interfacing Lync to SIP trunks, for example) and more. The products are all about integrating legacy PBXs, existing IP phones, call recording technology, fax machines, analog phones and other solutions to Lync.
AudioCodes is promoting its E-SBC solutions at ITEXPO (News - Alert). AudioCodes got into the SBC space several years ago through the acquisition of Netrake. Since then, Percy noted, session border controllers have been morphing to be part of larger solutions. Indeed, AudioCodes offers SBC functionality paired with media gateway technology in its Mediant 1000 product.
When AudioCodes talked to businesses about their needs they voiced interest in SIP services, but were reluctant to jump into the SIP pool with both feet. Instead, businesses wanted to ensure survivability, so if a SIP trunk went down they could revert to the PSTN, or if pricing shifted they could decide which service provider offered the best deal. As a result of this customer feedback, AudioCodes added IP-to-IP features inside of its gateway. That includes a back-to-back user agent and mediation functionality.
AudioCodes is also using ITEXPO to talk about its VoIP Access Mobility Solution. The product is a soft client that brings the desktop phone experience to wireless devices running any operating system. A business can simply send an automated text to all its employees’ mobile devices, and those devices then download the client. That gives tech staff at the business a centralized management system for all the smartphone clients. AudioCodes sells this solution via its VAR partners as well as to service providers.
AudioCodes is a Platinum sponsor of ITEXPO West 2011. To be held Sept. 13-15 in Austin, TX, ITEXPO is the world’s premier IP communications event. Alan Percy is speaking during “The Business Case for VoIP and UC,” and “Enterprise SBCs: Extending Beyond Interoperability”. Don’t wait. Register now.
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Edited by Jennifer Russell