BlackBerry Extends Reach To The Office Desktop

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BlackBerry Extends Reach To The Office Desktop
Written by Adam Gosling
www.mobilised.com.au
Wednesday, 09 May 2007

Research In Motion has taken a massive step forward in the way it's BlackBerry devices integrate with the corporate phone system announcing the first integrated enterprise solution to enable the seamless convergence of a BlackBerry smartphone with an office desk phone.

The BlackBerry Mobile Voice System is an outgrowth of some software picked up last year when RIM acquired Ascendent Systems, which developed the Ascendent Mobile VOice System the lets mobile cell phones act like an office phone.

Using the system phones out in the field can communicate securely with enterprise PBXs even IP PBX where systems are run on Voice over IP.
For users it means a single phone number where they can be reached whether in the office or on the road.

The system requires client software on the handset and component software on a BlackBerry Enteprrise Server running within the company. The system then uses software from Ascendent (Voice Mobility Suite) to interface with heterogeneous PBXs. Combined, the system allows BlackBerry smartphone users to be securely authenticated to the enterprise telephony system (PBX).

PBX functions such as transfer, park, and extension dialing can be accessed directly from the menu interface on the BlackBerry with a new menu interface. They can place, receive and manage enterprise calls and their company's caller ID can even be extended to the handset. The "Reach Me Anywhere" phone number simultaneously rings on their desk phone and their BlackBerry.

BlackBerry MVS also leverages the standard security features, IT policies and system management functionality provided within the BlackBerry Enterprise Solution, extending the administrative tools and services of the BlackBerry platform to the Ascendent Voice Mobility Suite.

Among key security benefits is the ability to automatically authenticate mobile users to the PBX to help ensure that only authorized users and devices are accessing the corporate telephony system, says the copmany. Further, since calls are routed through the corporate PBX, any calls placed from a BlackBerry smartphone can now be logged or recorded for compliance with applicable corporate and regulatory requirements.

"RIM's ability to deliver a robust, feature-rich platform that securely integrates with enterprise data systems has always been a major contributing factor to the success of the BlackBerry Enterprise Solution," said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO at Research In Motion. "The ability to now deliver the same value proposition for both voice and data systems provides another unique dimension to the BlackBerry platform and presents another major opportunity for customers to maximize their return on wireless investments."

Key features of BlackBerry MVS include:

• Seamless convergence of BlackBerry smartphones with office desk phones - uses existing corporate phone number, and maintains one "Reach Me Anywhere" phone number for the user.
• Office desk phone functionality while mobile - supports extension dialing, transfer, park and consolidated voicemail.
• Intuitive menu-driven interface - makes placing and receiving enterprise calls and accessing desk phone functionality amazingly simple.
• Secure mobile desk phone - authenticates callers with the telephony system.
• IT controls - allows an organization to route all calls through the telephony system for billing / audit purposes.
• Works in heterogeneous PBX environments - supports IP, TDM or mixed vendor environments.