OpenScape Business

2017: Offer of packets of licenses

On January 30, 2017 the Unify company announced development of the package offer of licenses for the OpenScape Business systems.

According to the statement of the company, the package offer of licenses assumes economy to 20%, in comparison with the cost of the licenses purchased separately.

The offer consists of software packages for TDM and IP users. In its structure packets (bundles):

• Bundle1 - 10 subscriber IP licenses and 10 subscriber TDM licenses
• Bundle2 - 40 subscriber IP licenses and 40 subscriber TDM licenses
• Bundle3 is the basic license for OpenScape Business X3/X5/X8 and S,
• 30 licenses for external lines (SIP/T1/T1)
• license for operation of the auto attendant (Auto Attendant).

2014: OpenScape Business

The solution OpenScape Business provides not only reliable communications in the company, but also has an essential positive business impact to the company, thanks to implementation of the latest effective instruments of work allowing to be in touch everywhere and always and quickly to react to requests of clients.

The market became more dynamic as technology development received a notable boost in recent years. For anybody not a secret that small and medium business in many countries of the world makes very notable contribution to development of national economy, to increase in GDP as one of the most dynamic segments of the market. More and more perfect tools for work are required for it, decisions in such companies are made more quickly, than in large. In Russia the share of small business is still far from perfect, however the Government of the Russian Federation sets a task of its development in the next years, selecting considerable resources from the state budget.

The range of the companies of small and medium business is very wide and provided practically in all industries. Certainly, each industry has the and sometimes very specific requirements imposed by them to communication frameworks; it can be special interfaces for integration with internal systems and applications, a connectivity of third-party terminal equipment, providing the additional opportunities connected with reservation and reliability of a system and much, many other. Nevertheless, for all requirements we have a single solution, the OpenScape Business system is new generation of communication frameworks for small and medium-sized companies. This system provides to the companies of small and medium business all communication services integrated into a single platform based on IP technologies and unified communications.

What is represented by the potential customer of our communications system? First of all, it is the company working in competitive environment and aiming at growth. Besides, it is the company having a branch network and also the employees working out of office. It is possible to give small banks, insurance companies, travel agencies and trade enterprises as an example. The number of employees of the companies on which the solution OpenScape Business is focused should not exceed 500 people.

So, how the market of the small and medium companies looks? First of all, it should be noted that it is rather complex market requiring serious functionality and service quality and at the same time very price-sensitive solutions. In this case the ratio price/quality comes to the forefront. In recent years in this segment growth in sales of unified communications as main instrument of increase in efficiency and performance of work is noted let small, but after all. At the same time domination of TDM ports over IP remains so far though statistics shows a steady tendency to growth in sales of IP. As for mobile solutions, DECT remains a preferred solution for ensuring mobility of employees within office so far. Nevertheless, the trend of BYOD (use of personal devices in a workplace) gains steam.

The SIS International Research company in 2012 conducted survey more than 500 companies of small and medium business. The main issue was: "What constrains, in your opinion, development of small and medium business and what takes away means?" 5 main problems were as a result formulated.

• Inefficient interaction - is often difficult to find the colleague who is absent in a workplace which has several phones (mobile, DECT, house, etc.). The same problem arises if necessary to bring together the necessary people in a conference or on a meeting.

• Waiting of information - waiting of the fax, voice mail or the electronic message. It is not always possible to receive the notification about the arrived information when we are out of office.

• Undesirable calls – at the wrong time the incoming call or the message can distract us from an important conversation and sometimes it is necessary to reject timely such calls or to readdress them on voice mail or to colleagues.

• Unavailability to the client - for the companies always important that employees were always in touch, and for the employees working with clients it is crucial.

• Barriers in interaction - lack of the correct instruments of customer interaction (CRM systems, etc.) and also difficult and long algorithms of connection with the necessary subscriber increase time of processing of a call and by that affect the end result.

Summing up all above-mentioned, the conclusion was drawn on what up to 40% of working time leaves on the solution of these problems that seriously affects company performance in general, decreases, effective time of work, costs of the company grow and the satisfaction of her customers falls.

So, we will try to sum up all requirements from medium and small business to solutions:

• Simplicity of installation and system maintenance: in the companies of small and medium business usually there are no certain telephone systems specialists therefore a system should be the simplest in service and installation.

• Scalability and flexibility - as we deal with very dynamic segment, solutions should be the most flexible in building both functionality, and capacity.

• The mobility and availability - i.e. should be provided in the solution both functions of mobility of personnel, and display of the statuses of availability of this or that employee.

• Cost management - the aggregate value of the solution should not be high; the solution should be the most economic, from the taken place and the consumed electric power, need for cooling, before use of IP-telephony/SIP for cutting of costs for communication and the uniform server hardware and software for deployment of this or that solution.

• Productivity and Service quality – the new implemented features and applications should provide maximum efficiency for personnel and high quality of service for clients of the company.

• Support - the solution should have support from the producer and the supplier: the company should be sure that the producer not only guarantees operability of a system, but also has precise plans on further development of the solution, and the supplier will provide service support of the solution.

In return, Unify company, having analyzed all problems and requirements of a segment and also existing solutions proposed in the market developed a communication framework of OpenScape Business – the solution "all-water", both architecturally, and it is functional. It allows to reduce the aggregate value of the solution, to facilitate setup and support of a system in general.

The OpenScape Business platform appeared not from scratch; from the well-known and proved HiPath 3000 systems and also the OpenScape Office systems it took all best, offering functionality both IP systems, and a convergent system with support of subscribers to IP and TDM, DECT technology, etc.

Principal components of a system include applications, terminal equipment and hardware platforms. Applications of unified communications; it and applications for the PC, and for smartphones. Besides, it applications for receptionists, the built-in fax server and also different interfaces for integration with the systems of other producers. The portfolio of terminal equipment includes support analog, digital, IP/SIP, DECT and Wi-Fi of phones.

Hardware platforms are provided by three models: In X3, X5 and X8 which are scaled up to 500 IP/SIP subscribers for one station up to 1000 subscribers in network, and differ in the sizes and also the maximum number of the supported TDM of subscribers. X3 and X5 models have modifications which can be rack-mounted and also have wall execution. One of interesting features of the solution OpenScape Business, existence of a software platform of OpenScape Business S is. This platform can be set both on standard Linux the server, and in virtual environment of VMware. At the same time on this platform practically the same applications and the UC functions, as on above-mentioned hardware platforms are supported.

The system of licensing of the OpenScape Business platform differs in flexibility and convenience: the client pays only those functions or applications which are necessary for him, both gradually these functions and applications it is possible to increase by buy-in necessary licenses and their activation. Besides, there is a 30-day trial period beginning after start of a system within which all functions are available to acquaintance. After that, if the client needs extra time to try and test all functions of a system, there is a possibility of activation of the 90-day test period.

Rich portfolio of the OpenScape Business built-in applications the travel agency or the medical center allows to organize effective work practically of any company, whether it be. The multimedia call center allows to process different traffic: voice calls, electronic messages or faxes, and special interfaces will allow to provide integration with systems and applications of other producers for ensuring effective business processes of the company. As you know, people remember 20% of what they saw, 30% of what they heard, 50%, the fact that they heard and saw, and 70% of what they heard, saw and discussed. Therefore the Web Collaboration application allows to work both in a command, and with customers most effectively. A simple example, the manager needs to discuss the agreement with the customer and to make in it some changes. It sends to the customer the link to the document generated by a system in the Internet, a system itself does a call to all subscribers, at the same time shared access to the document is provided via the Internet, and voice communications – through a public service network. Thus, joint work over the document online allows to edit and approve quickly the document resources of one communication framework. One more interesting application - Gate View, it allows to transfer the video image from the webcam to the display of the OpenStage phones or smartphones, providing, thus, a possibility of video control of different zones, whether it be warehouse or office spaces. For ensuring functions of conference communication in a system there is a possibility of the organization of moderiruyemy audio conferences which can gather as the organizer, and according to the schedule.

At the OpenScape Business system three main advantages – architecture, functionality and support are had.

Advantage of architecture of OpenScape Business is the full integration of all applications in a system; for the UC applications, contact center, the fax server and conference communication uniform built-in Linux server is used. At the same time there is no need for additional software and external servers that is one of key factors of cost reduction of the company. Existence of several equipment rooms and program platforms give to the customer a choice opportunity – what to it to begin with and how further to develop the system, both in terms of technology, and in terms of capacity. The OpenScape Business web interface is a set of different intuitive setup wizards and management. Using the Web interface it is possible to manage also on a centralized basis setup of the user clients – that significantly facilitates setup and system maintenance.

Universal licenses of the platform, allow to connect both own Unify terminals, and SIP terminals of other producers to a system, and the trial period will allow the customer to get acquainted with systems capabilities fully.

Functionality is what distinguishes in the market of the solution of one producer of solutions of another today, doing functionality by important competitive advantage. The built-in functions and the OpenScape Business applications are at the expense of what the customer can increase efficiency of the business and increase performance of the personnel. The built-in call center will help to organize with the company accurate and timely service of incoming requests from customers, and the ability to integrate with external applications will provide transfer of all necessary customer information and its requests in the Customer Relationship Management System. Besides, possibilities of remote work and unified communications do work in the company simple and convenient that positively affects loyalty of employees and, finally, profitability of business.

Important advantage of this or that solution in the modern world is support of the solution by the producer. For the solution OpenScape Business there is a free 3-year software maintenance, including software updatings at a release of new versions.

The non-management employee of customer company can feel advantages of use of UC solutions, receiving data on availability of colleagues in real time, performing contact with them from the first attempt. Besides, the employee will receive freedom in the organization of a workplace: whether it be the office, the house, the airport, cafe, and tools for conferences and joint work in groups will allow to organize effective interaction with colleagues and customers that can have an impact on loyalty of the employee to the company and, as a result, on success of business of the company in general.