Alcatel and IBM are working together as part of their partnership agreed in 2003 to offer businesses a complete and unique solution bringing together networking tools with real-time communications services.
This offering integrates Alcatel OmniTouch Unified Communication (1) solutions, a software suite of productivity applications, and IBM Workplace technology (2), for implementing a customised, unified and secure virtual office based on open standards . Integrating unified communications services into networking tools lowers costs, improves user productivity, and enables faster execution of business processes.
Businesses today have to manage an ever-increasing number of communication media (e-mail, fax, voice messaging, instant messaging, SMS), for increasingly mobile users spread over remote sites (office, telecommuting, travelling, campus), from increasingly sophisticated terminals. Businesses must adapt to this new environment where communication is at the core of business processes, and where workstations are becoming ever more virtual, and where collaboration within "virtual" teams is a priority.
To reduce costs while still encouraging knowledge sharing and collaboration among employees, partners, and customers, businesses are taking advantage of the opportunities offered by IP Communications. According to the analyst COMMfusion, the unified communications market should increase from $289 million in 2002 to $762 million in 2006. This growth is due in part to the coming-of-age of IP technologies - with ever growing numbers of wireless terminal users - and to improvements to voice recognition technologies.
With IBM Software collaborative technologies and Alcatel unified communication solutions users can:
* Send and receive voice messages, be notified of important messages on their mobile telephone, and handle communications in real-time. This functionality is available in six languages;
* Auto-dial or access a phone number quickly, thanks to a unique user interface;
* Consult their IBM Lotus Notes personal address book, or the company address base, from any and all terminals (personal digital assistant, pager, desktop or laptop wireless computers, and fixed or mobile telephones) with a single click;
* Organise conference calls "on demand", locating participants automatically from their address books or attendance lists; and
* Access all their integrated real-time communication devices directly through their enterprise portal.
Alcatel Unified Communications applications integrate not only with Lotus Notes and Domino from IBM, but also directly into the software infrastructure of IBM WebSphere Portal, IBM WebSphere Everyplace for the mobile sector and new Lotus Workplace products.
Developed on open platforms such as SIP, XML, SOAP, Web Services, VXML, and J2EE, Alcatel unified communications applications can be integrated quickly, easily, and therefore, at low cost, not only into IBM WebSphere Portal, IBM WebSphere Every Place, but also directly into Lotus Notes, Lotus Instant Messaging and Web Conferencing and Lotus Workplace offering - or any other business application such as ERP, CRM, PLM or SFA.
With this announcement, IBM reaffirms the importance of integrating real-time communication into applications to enter the world of on-demand computerised communications.
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The Alcatel OmniTouch Unified Communication is a suite of next-generation enterprise software applications that enables enterprises to communicate more effectively, generating an unprecedented total economic value from improved business processes. The Alcatel OmniTouch Unified Communication comprises four groups of IP-based applications that interact together leveraging a common framework: My Assistant (Web and VXML personal assistant), My Messaging (VXML unified messaging application), My Phone (PC telephony application) and My Teamwork (set of Web-based conferencing and Instant Messaging applications).
IBM Workplace
IBM Workplace is a model and a family of products that brings together IBM Lotus Workplace, IBM Lotus Notes and Domino, IBM WebSphere Portal, IBM WebSphere Everyplace and the latest updates of the IBM Lotus Workplace software applications, is a group of networking tools that serve as the infrastructure for implementing a customised, unified and secure virtual office.
IBM
IBM, making on-demand e-business the driving force of their development, is the world leader in information services and technologies. IBM develops and markets global on-demand e-business solutions: hardware (servers, storage, and PCs), software, services and financing. Through their vast worldwide network of consultants and experts in services and solutions, and their 45 000 commercial partners, IBM transforms these advanced technologies into added value for the benefit of businesses of every size, in particular, small and mid-sized businesses and industries.
Innovation is at the core of the strategy of IBM, which each year invests nearly $6 billion in research and development, with more than 3 000 researchers and engineers and eight laboratories spread over six countries.
For the 11th year in a row, IBM is the US leader in new patents, with nearly 3 415 patents being filed in 2003. Every year, more than 30% of these patents lead to tangible IBM commercial offerings.
To find out more about IBM and e-business, please visit our Web site, at http://www.ibm.com/fr.
Alcatel
Alcatel provides communications solutions to telecommunication carriers, Internet service providers and enterprises for delivery of voice, data and video applications to their customers or to their employees. Alcatel leverages its leading position in fixed and mobile broadband networks, applications and services to bring value to its customers in the framework of a broadband world. With sales of EURO 12.5 billion in 2003, Alcatel operates in more than 130 countries.