Are businesses ready to use the advanced technology called teleworking, which, together with other integrated systems, would help them increase its productivity and efficiency? Dean Hines, senior systems engineer at Mitel Networks Ltd, which is listed on the Nasdaq stock market (MITL), explained that teleworking provides solutions that enable employees to communicate and work remotely from home, in an alternative work location, or while travelling in a secure and transparent way. Mitel, which has its global headquarters in Ottawa, Canada, has described itself online as a leading provider of integrated communications solutions focused on the small-to-medium sized enterprise, or SME, market.
Hines was giving a live demonstration last Thursday during a one-day conference on communication innovations for corporate companies at Hyatt Regency Trinidad hotel, Port-of-Spain.
The conference, themed Freedom, was hosted by Telecommunications Services of T&T (TSTT), and Mitel Networks Ltd, sought to educate and corporate T&T about the partnership's new communication innovations that would enable companies to perform with more mobility and flexibility. Jay Alvi, executive vice-president, enterprise services, TSTT, said T&T tends to embrace the latest technology a little later than the rest of the world. Alvi was confident that the innovative solutions that TSTT and Mitel were providing would change the way how corporate T&T does business. He said their innovative solutions would provide a one-stop shop, reduce cost and increase productivity. Both companies established its partnership since in the 1990s, and Mitel portfolio with TSTT has progressed, said Camille Salandy, manager of corporate communications at TSTT.
Teleworking innovations
Teleworking functions in collaboration with other integrated systems, including video conferencing, audio web conferencing, virtualisation and desktop sharing. Teleworking provides an employee with the opportunity to work at home as if he or she was at the office. Hines said this plug-and-work solution, using a full range of desktop or soft phones, allows companies to offer remote workers with all the features and functionality of their office phone and full presence-wherever they are.The unified communicator operates with Mitel application suite on a single server. Hines explained that employees can be geographically located anywhere, even in another country, still function and be accessed as if they were actually in the office in T&T. Drawing on a real live scenario, Paul Alfano, regional sales manager, Mitel, and Hines demonstrated exactly how the teleworking technology works. Alfano, who pretended he was in a different country to Hines, was contacted by their supervisor, who was in another country to where they were.
The supervisor who dialled one number had access to Alfano, who then connected Hines to the call by pressing a button on his wireless desktop phone. All three parties have the same desktop phone, which carries various features which would enable them to provide a number of functions while being mobile.
If Hines needs to rush off to a meeting, he can transfer his desktop call to his cellphone while he's on the road. While at the meeting, Hines can now transfer the call to his laptop as he shares his work with Alfano and the supervisor, all through desktop sharing capabilities. Alfano can not only view Hines' work, but both of them can also work on the document together. With the same phone call, Hines could also invite Morris and his supervisor to the meeting through audio Web conferencing or video conferencing via his laptop. All this takes place on one phone call through a DSL connectivity, which is a high speed modem via Internet connection, Hines said. This system can link up to as much as eight phones. Hines said the company would only incur one cost, which would be its Internet bill. The same features on the wireless desktop phone can be translated on the laptop to allow freedom and access to the same work space, Hines said.
Intelligent Solutions
Mitel comprises a number of subsidiaries that specialise in a particular innovation, Ben Morris, vice president sales, Wesley Clover said. One such innovation, Morris said, is the Intelligent Notification Solution offered under the subsidiary Benfria. He explained that the solution is targetted mainly towards education system, government ministries and organisation such as the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM). In the event of an emergency or disaster, with one call or the press of a button, the solution can issue an alert which will be broadcast throughout, say, a school. This would then trigger a message or e-mail in real time to all parents' phone. Parents also have the capability of responding. This would allow teachers to actually view all parents who did not respond, which would prompt the teachers to call those parents individually. Morris stated that a number of companies, such as the T&T Electricity Commission and government ministries, were part of the workshop and gave positive feedback. Christian Szpilfogel, vice-president, said mobility is essential and the key way to communicate . He said people are increasingly more mobile and connected as successful decision-making requires immediate access to the right people at the right time.
Szpilfogel said that Mitel Freedom allows:
• Connection with one number, one identity, one software stream
• Communication: collaboration from anywhere, on any device
• Break away from "walled garden" architectures
• Choice of commercial options to fit your business.
Mitel corporate fact sheet
Mitel, (Nasdaq:MITL), is a leading global provider of business communications and collaboration software and services. Its 2010 revenues were US$648 million. Mitel's Freedom architecture provides the flexibility and simplicity organisations need to support today's dynamic work environment. Through a single cloud-ready software stream, Mitel delivers a powerful suite of advanced communications and collaboration capabilities that; provides freedom from walled garden architectures and enables organisations to implement best-of-breed solutions on any network; extends the "n-office" experience anywhere, on any device; and offers choice of commercial options to fit business needs.
Mitel operates in more than 90 countries.
Quick facts:
• #3 in North American,
IP Telephony ports shipped,
Q4 2010
(Source: Enterprise Voice Q4 2010
Marketshares, Synergy Research Group)
• #2 in the UK IP telephony
extensions shipped, Q4 2010
(Source: The World Corded PBX/IP PBX
Market Q4, 2010 MZA)
• #3 in Canada Telephony lines
shipped in Q4, 2010
(Source: Info Track for Enterprise
Communications, Q4 2010, T3i Group)
• Revenues of US$648 million, fiscal year 2010
Recent recognition includes:
• Tech Awards Circle 2010, silver
Virtual Mitel Communications Director
• 2010 International Business Awards Best New Product or Service of the Year, Telecommunications
Virtual Mitel Communications Director
• Frost & Sullivan 2010 Global New Product Innovation of the Year Award
in the World Enterprise Telephony Platform and Endpoints Market
Virtual Mitel Communications Director
• VMware® Global Technology Innovator Award 2010
Virtual Mitel Communications Director
• Nemertes Research 2010 Pilothouse Award, Unified Communications Vendor winner in Market Challenger category