Acer Announces Upcoming Product Launches Signifying Entrance into UC Market

Acer has announced plans to enter into the unified communications (UC) market with an upcoming suite of hybrid PBX (Public Branch Exchange) products and a touchscreen desk phone. This news comes as part of an announcement regarding two new Build Your Own Cloud (BYOC) application solutions: the abPBX Plus series for enterprises and the aBeing series for consumers and small businesses.

The abPBX Plus series will consist of three models: the abPBX Plus 100 for small enterprises, the abPBX Plus 500 for medium-sized enterprises and the abPBX 2000 for large enterprises. Acer refers to these products as being developed with a “hybrid PBX” approach, which refers to a cross between traditional PBX and IP (Internet Protocol) telephony. The resulting system overcomes the limitations of traditional telephone switch systems — because it is based on IP communication — while maintaining compatibility with existing infrastructure.

Acer also announced plans to release a touchscreen desk phone built on technology from the company’s line of consumer tablets. The desk phone will reportedly run Google’s Android operating system.

By integrating traditional telephony systems and desk phones with modern mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones, businesses will benefit from a consistent, unified communication network. The abPBX is outfitted with robust switching and instant messaging features; and smartphones can serve as virtual extensions to enhance employees’ mobility capabilities. Internet connections can be established either via Ethernet or Wi-Fi-, depending on the needs of particular companies’ facilities. This clever technology and flexibility will presumably help companies improve the efficiency and productivity of their employees while making significant cost reductions.

As a company traditionally associated exclusively with the consumer market, this is a bold and interesting move. UC is a very active market with numerous competitors, many of which are quite ingrained and have technology that is more fleshed out as well as an existing customer base. However, Acer is a company known for its innovative technology, cunning marketing and reliability — assets that will help set it on the path to success.

Acer is still quiet on the details of this upcoming launch, other than the fact it will take place sometime during the second quarter of 2015. Time will tell if the company’s innovative approach to UC combined with its reputation in the consumer electronics market will be enough to succeed with the abPBX Plus series.

Edited by Maurice Nagle