Sonoran Integrations Special Offer!

September 21, 2011

Sonoran Integrations is proud to announce that as part of the BBB Accredited Business Program, we are offering a 10% discount on all new ShoreTel IP Phone systems. Already have a ShoreTel? We are also offering $25.00 off of our hourly labor rate for service calls occurring during our normal Monday through Friday business hours of 8 AM to 5 PM. If you, or someone you know, are interested in taking advantage of this special offer, please contact us today at sales@sonoranintegrations.com or by calling us at (480) 948-3040.

Connectivity and Performance are Key

September 13, 2011
View the original article here.

As enterprises continue their steady march toward the adoption of cloud services, the industry is working to address the major challenges of the shift. Much has been written regarding security of the cloud. How will data be protected? Does my data need to be encrypted, and if so at what level? What about backup? To multiple data centers for resiliency?
All these are very good questions and certainly should be of concern. And I think all are readily solvable with today’s technology. But the key questions should be around connectivity.
Once a business begins to rely significantly on resources in the cloud, the demand for bandwidth will rise significantly. Productivity gains realized by cloud scalability and mobility cannot be lost by waiting for information. Congestion and latency affect the quality of many cloud based services such as hosted VoIP.
For carriers, this presents a significant challenge. SMB customers that now have access to ADSL will need bonded multi-pair DSL or Ethernet connections. Fiber will need to be driven deeper to the edge to handle the needed bandwidth and latency. Most carriers understand this and are working diligently on expanding services and we are working with many of them to deploy those services with our flagship TA5000 family.
Carriers also need to consider what’s at the customer premises. A non-performing router or gateway on site will stymie all the bandwidth increases at the edge. Router performance now becomes a key consideration for carriers and end customers alike and should be a driving requirement in any vendor selection. Some routers don’t perform at line rate when many security and firewall features are enabled. Latency can also become a significant issue as complex functionality is implemented at the edge.
Moving customers to cloud services is an excellent opportunity to help them streamline their IT model, increase productivity, and move towards a managed services model. Make sure their connectivity and router performance make the grade as well.

Oaisys Releases Tracer 7.1

August 16, 2011
Oaisys just announced that their 7.1 release is now available for Early Adopter Trials.  The key features in this release are:

Live Screen Monitoring This feature will benefit customers who use our optional Screen Recording feature.  This feature allows monitoring or viewing of agent’s desktops while they are live on a recorded call.

Keyless Licensing OAISYS adds support for keyless licensing with this release.  Hardware dongles will no longer be required for licensing an OAISYS recording system.  The licensing will be achieved via a web-based licensing function.  An Internet connection is required.

Caller Location Driven Map This feature will allow the user to display a map that shows the location of the caller according to the caller’s physical address or the longitude/latitude coordinate information.  This information can be entered in several ways; ALI integration with a 911 system, 3rd party application (OAISYS API), user-entered information via the Desktop Client application or Customizable Call Columns in the Management Studio.

OAISYS is accepting a limited number of Early Adopter sites.  If you are interested in participating in the Early Adopter Program, please contact us at (480) 948-3040.

Logitech (Lifesize) Aquires Mirial

July 20, 2011
View the original article here.

Acquisition of Premier Mobile Visual Communications Provider to Extend LifeSize Video Calling to Mobile Users

Logitech announced today the acquisition of Mirial, a Milan-based leading provider of personal and mobile video conferencing solutions. Mirial will be integrated into Logitech’s LifeSize division.

With the acquisition of Mirial, LifeSize now offers a more comprehensive portfolio of universal video collaboration solutions, from conference room endpoints and infrastructure to now including best-in-class desktop, tablet and mobile video calling software. Mirial brings to LifeSize strong leadership in extending open, interoperable video collaboration solutions to anyone, anywhere on nearly any mobile device through Mirial’s standalone video software clients for the PC and Mac, client/server enterprise video software solutions, and service provider offerings. Mirial supports a broad range of iOS and Android devices including the iPhone 4, 3GS and iPad 2; HTC EVO, Desire, Incredible, myTouch 4G, Sensation and ThunderBolt; Motorola Atrix and Xoom; Samsung Epic 4G, Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab as well as Google Nexus S and Dell Streak.
Companies are increasingly expecting their business-class video conferencing solutions to work on both tablets and smartphones. With shipments of tablets into the enterprise expected to reach more than 49 million in 2015, according to Frost & Sullivan, support for video collaboration on these devices has become a key customer requirement. Mirial’s enterprise desktop and mobile video conferencing solutions address one of the most substantial challenges to the adoption of video calling across the enterprise: using video to connect with remote colleagues and partners on a variety of mobile devices and networks. With Mirial, LifeSize now offers customers true mobility with interoperable enterprise video conferencing software solutions for distributed desktop and mobile users, taking video collaboration one step closer to true ubiquity.

“The advent of mobile devices has created a new anytime, anywhere office environment – burdening businesses with a fresh set of communications needs and challenges,” said Gerald P. Quindlen, Logitech president and chief executive officer. “Acquiring Mirial makes Logitech uniquely positioned to address these needs by equipping businesses with a complete HD video conferencing solution spanning the mobile device to the desktop to the conference room. This acquisition is a significant step forward in our ongoing efforts to make video communication as ubiquitous as voice-only calls are today.”

Mirial products are expected to be immediately available through LifeSize and will be integrated into future LifeSize products and services, enabling new and existing customers to enhance their video calling networks, reaching more people on more devices.

7 Questions You Must Ask Before Selecting an IP Phone

July 13, 2011
View the original article here.

Reports of the death of the desk phone are greatly exaggerated.
The desk phone is still a workhorse of communications; market research firm In-Stat predicts IP phone shipments will exceed 40 million units in 2015. At the same time, businesses have more choices than ever when it comes to selecting the right phones for their employees and many workers may also have a smartphone in their pocket or a software-based phone on a laptop or tablet.
With so many options available, businesses should weigh their users’ needs and workplace environment before selecting their next-generation phones. Organizations can choose from a variety of phones, including:
• IP phones. An IP phone, especially when paired with a state-of-the-art unified communications (UC) client, allows workers to be highly productive. They are “always on,” ready-to-go, and ShoreTel’s IP phones are easy to use, delivering high-fidelity sound so communications are crisp and clear. ShoreTel has a wide range of IP phones with features to suit every application, extending from the conference room, to the executive office and down to a lobby phone.
• Soft phones. Soft phones let people make phone calls over the Internet using their PC, laptop or tablet and a headset or USB phone. ShoreTel Communicator has an integrated soft phone that allows users to turn their PCs into their phones when connected by a suitable broadband connection. Soft phones may be ideal for people who occasionally work remotely or from home.
• Smart phones. Workers can use their mobile phones in the office, but they may find that in-building coverage is poor or that their cell phone usage charges can quickly add up. Organizations can use ShoreTel Mobility to extend the power of UC and their desk phone to their smartphone by enabling access to either the Wi-Fi or cellular network. Cellular calls are routed over the cheapest path both inside and outside the enterprise, which keeps costs down—and users productive.
With ShoreTel, customers can choose the right phones for their needs. All ShoreTel IP phones interoperate with ShoreTel Communicator, so settings, call-handling rules, presence information, and automatic directory updates can be managed according to users’ preferences. Communicator gives workers a suite of tools to manage real-time communications on their computer or mobile phone and move seamlessly between voice, video and IM as needed.

Questions to Select the Right IP Phones
As you determine the right IP phones for your organization, here are some questions to ask to help you select the kind of phones that best fit your business:
1. Who will use the phones? IP phones have a wide range of features and functionality depending on the typical usage. Phones are designed for a variety of uses, including by executives, professionals, operators and call center agents. IP phones that are used in lobbies, lunchrooms or other common areas may have a streamlined feature set. 
◦ Executive - An executive or an executive assistant may need a 12-line phone that has an excellent quality speakerphone and a large color display. Support for a Bluetooth headset may be desired for cordless hands-free calling.
◦ Professional - Professionals, executives and executive assistants who spend a large chunk of their day on the phone may need a “professional” level phone. Three to six lines may be appropriate, as well as a bright, back-lit color display, a full-duplex speakerphone and an integrated headset jack. Design professionals, media creators and others who work with bandwidth-intensive applications may want their IP phone to provide support for Gigabit Ethernet for higher performance.
◦ Essential - For open areas such as lobbies, visitor offices, classrooms and dorm rooms, a more basic phone is usually warranted. In these scenarios, a single-line phone with a two-way speakerphone, and a one-line display to show caller ID is typically sufficient.
2. How does the phone sound? IP phones with high-fidelity sound (also known as wideband) quite simply sound better. For instance, ShoreTel’s phones deliver seven octaves of range, whereas many phones deliver only three octaves. Hi-fidelity sound is easier to understand and is less tiring on the listener.
3. How does the phone look? Office phones may be practical, but they are also part of the décor. Do the phones come in different colors? Is it possible to customize the background image on the phone, such as with a company logo or message? ShoreTel’s phones are designed to look elegant and come in both black and silver.
4. How does the phone feel? Knowledge workers may spend hours on conference calls each day. Contact center agents may spend all day on the phone. Ergonomics is important. At ShoreTel, we strive to make phones that are beautiful, comfortable and practical. Our contoured handset rests comfortably against the ear, which maximizes productivity and minimizes user fatigue. The touch screen enabled IP 655 provides haptic feedback allowing a user to get positive physical feedback when interacting with the screen.
5. What features are needed? Most IP phones come with a set of basic features, including three-way calling, call waiting, and call-rollover, but there are a broad array of other features and functionality to consider.
◦ Hi-fidelity sound (wideband)
◦ Speakerphone performance
◦ Color or grayscale display
◦ Number of Ethernet ports
◦ Support for Gigabit Ethernet
◦ Power over Ethernet
◦ Headset support
◦ Support for multiple languages
6. Where is the person located? If the person works from home or a remote office, consider a phone with an integrated virtual private network (VPN) client for added security. For instance, remote workers can connect a ShoreTel IP phone to a broadband router, and quickly establish a secure tunnel to the ShoreTel VPN Concentrator. The phone will then act as though it was in the office
7. How do you configure and manage the phones? A phone system that’s easy to manage will keep operational costs low. For example, once a ShoreTel phone is plugged into the network, ShoreTel Director automatically discovers it and adds it to the system. The phone can then be centrally managed as part of the enterprise network. As new software releases become available, all IP phones can be updated automatically, which also simplifies ongoing management.

ShoreTel Customer Wins Excellence Awards for ShoreTel Contact Center Solution

June 20, 2011
View the original article here.

For the past couple of weeks we’ve demonstrated some of the tips and tricks you can use to make the most of your ShoreTel Contact Center experience.

And when it comes to company success nothing tastes as sweet as when your customers are recognized for using your solution. One of our customers, Firstmark Credit Union, located in San Antonio, Texas, recently won two excellence awards from the Professional Teleservice Management Association (PTMA).

Firstmark Credit Union provides financial services to residents in Bexar County and 12 surrounding counties in Texas. The lender has more than 90,000 members and manages more than $700 million in assets.

The competition was rigorous and took place over a three-month period. Nominees completed a lengthy application followed with on-site visits and presentations before a panel of judges recognized as experts in the field of customer contact.

Firstmark Credit Union, won “2011 Contact Center of the Year (under 75 seats)” and Linda Sue Rodriguez, assistant vice president, Firstmark Credit Union was recognized as “2011 Contact Center Leader of the Year”!

Congrats to Firstmark Credit Union and other ShoreTel customers who are revolutionizing how they do business with ShoreTel!