Aastra has announced the introduction of its latest version (2.0) of the Aastra Mobile Client, bringing the benefits of fixed mobile convergence (FMC) to businesses of all sizes.
Mobile phones have become an indispensable tool for enterprise communications. With more and more business done on the move or remotely, it is vital that companies are able to integrate mobility into their communications environment for improved productivity, availability and responsiveness.
This is true for road warriors, especially those who travel internationally, employees requiring on-site mobility, home workers or even for disaster recovery imperatives.
With a user-friendly mobile interface, the Aastra Mobile Client brings the benefits of a desk-phone to those of a mobile device, integrating it seamlessly with the user's enterprise communication platform.
* With this new release, the mobile client offers valuable features such as presence information for more efficient call management (less telephone tag and better access).
* This complements all of the call features popular with business users (such as enquire/transfer, conferencing and extension dialling). In addition, there is no further need to juggle between numbers and voice mails: one-number calling and a single voicemail ensures members of staff are more reachable and responsive to customers and colleagues. So being away from the desk no longer means being cut off from the communications within the enterprise.
When considering the benefits of fixed mobile convergence, Aastra not only concentrates on improving the user experience, but also addresses businesses' imperatives for cost control and reduction. Escalating mobile call charges can represent a significant cost for companies with a workforce travelling overseas or making international calls from their mobile phone. Businesses that use the Aastra Mobile Client benefit from reduced mobile call charges by using the built-in Mobile Least Cost Routing functions: the Aastra Mobile Client determines transparently the most cost-efficient call method for each call, resulting in significant savings.
Aastra has reinforced the savings opportunities with this latest release:
* Dual mode: smartphones supporting both cellular and WiFi networks can connect seamlessly with the corporate wireless LAN - so when in the office space, users keep the benefits of mobility with improved in-building coverage by using their smartphone, while their company enjoys cost savings by routing these calls through the corporate network.
* Instant messaging: text messages sometimes end up being used like instant messages with numerous exchanges. Why not access instant messaging with the Aastra mobile client and also benefit from presence information.
“Aastra believes that mobility is a crucial accelerator to the adoption of unified communications solutions. The Aastra Mobile Client brings the best of both worlds together: mobility and key features of enterprise communications in a really user friendly interface. As ever our focus is on leveraging open standards in our product development,” said Stefan M"oller, Product Manager for the Aastra Mobile Client.
The Aastra Mobile Client can easily be installed on mobile devices as an application via SMS and Over the Air file download, using a straightforward activation which is unobtrusive to the end user. As the Aastra Mobile Client is licence-based, companies can adopt this fixed mobile convergence solution as needed: for a small group of mobile users or an entire fleet of mobile phones for businesses of all sizes and in all vertical sectors requiring mobility beyond the company's premises (transportation, utility, etc).
The Aastra Mobile Client supports a wide range of mobile phones and smartphones popular with business users: Symbian S60 3rd and 5th edition (including LG, Nokia, Samsung and Sony Ericsson), BlackBerry RIM 4.5, 4.6, 4.7 and 5.0, iPhone and Android. The Aastra Mobile Client is already available on Aastra's call control managers for SMB and large enterprises.
The Aastra Mobile Client further strengthens Aastra's comprehensive product portfolio which delivers mobility solutions (including softphones, SIP DECT, voice over WLAN and integrated Mobile Extension) to meet the needs of businesses of all sizes.
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