Today, most businesses will agree that private communications is beginning to shift towards a cloud-based Unified Communications (UC) model. Private communications systems such as premise-based PBXs made sense when work was conducted at fixed locations and the worker was at the desktop. Today, business is conducted both face-to-face and remotely using a wide variety of voice, web and video conferencing tools as well as mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. Mobility is not really a choice any more—it’s a fact of business life. Traditionally, the desktop was king (hence the PBX was the core element of the service delivery), but today mobility in its many forms (smartphones and tablets and handheld devices running on either public, cellular or WiFi networks) has taken center stage. In fact, a Cohen Research Group survey found that 44% of enterprises have at least a quarter of their workforce operating solely using a mobile phone, and that 25% of IT decision makers believe desk phones will be displaced by mobile phones within two years.
For enterprises, it makes financial sense to centralize their communication applications and distribute these over private, public and hybrid cloud communication infrastructures. An enterprise can significantly improve productivity and save up to 40% by moving communications to network-based cloud solutions, which allows workers (and customers) to access communication applications from any location on any device.
But how can a service provider help an enterprise migrate to a cloud-based model when the enterprise has already so much invested in premise-based PBXs? The answer is by offering a cloud-based VoIP and UC that seamlessly connects to their PBXs.
As the diagram below depicts, a service provider can help an enterprise can cap investments in PBXs by deploying a hosted cloud-based UC solution that seamlessly connects to all its users. Those users already serviced by existing PBXs will continue to do so, but will also be able to benefit from the additional features offered by the new cloud-based solution. New enterprise users at the corporate office or remote home offices can be directly serviced by the new cloud-based solution – and can seamlessly communicate with other subscribers of the enterprise whether they are also serviced by the new solution or the legacy PBX.
This model provides a flexible and sensible model for enterprises to fully depreciate the investments made on the PBX, before migrating to a full cloud-based model – if they choose to eventually do so.
Eliminating The Desktop Client As an Obstacle
In the past service providers often had to choose between overly simple applications not suited for business or Enterprise class applications that were not suited to volume deployment. Sonus' Enhanced Services Portal offers the feature functionality of a desktop client delivered on a web browser.
- No client software to install or manage
-
OS and device independent - PC, MAC or Linux - only a web browser is required
- Ideal for next generation tablet devices
- No barrage of support calls when PC OSs are upgraded
Sonus has developed its own Webtop solution, the Enhanced Services Portal (ESP), to deliver a unified collaboration and communication portal that combines business applications, contact management tools, voice services and instant messaging into a single, Web-based GUI experience. Customizable at the enterprise and individual level, ESP provides businesses with an alternative to investing in their own hardware and software maintenance.
Speed Development
Most service provider IT organizations are battling to keep up with increasing workloads. Sonus develops the ICP in concert with its feature development so services can be deployed as soon as the network is upgraded; no need for a long and costly IT project for a portal refresh.
OpenSocial - Connect To Your Subscriber (lets link to the OpenSocial Wiki in the learn more area)
The Sonus Insight Customer Portal (ICP) is designed to integrate into the latest OpenSocial framework, enabling your subscribers to manage their services on OpenSocial compatible websites like iGoogle. Subscribers can use Google Gadgets to modify features, view history or even click to dial, all with their common log-in credentials.
Bilingual
Sonus' ICP is inherently designed to simplify support for multiple languages; subscribers can easily select a preference on a per session basis (ideal for a multi-lingual family).
ICP provides:
- Simple, secure Web login to configure any IP-based voice service
- Web portal or Google Gadget access
- Multiple layers of management for Service Provider or reseller management
- Manage/access voicemail
- Expose the value of "high touch" call features like find me/follow me
- Designed for localization to support a global subscriber base
