Setting up a virtual meeting place where geographically dispersed corporate team members can share data, voice and video information in real time has just been made as easy as making a phone call.
Following the South African introduction of Lucent Technologies InterNetworking Systems - Enterprise Division`s MultiMedia Communications eXchange Server (MMCX), mixed media calling from the desktop in now an affordable reality for companies with dispersed branch, subsidiary or manufacturing locations.
The PC-based MMCX collaborative server links a standards-based PBX with a data network to enable key team members across the corporate campus, country or virtually anywhere in the world to interact from their desktops using a variety of endpoints such as video conferencing systems, standard or cellular telephones, computers, and Internet telephones.
Says Gary Martin, network consultant for sub-Saharan Africa at Lucent Technologies InterNetworking Systems Enterprise Division, "Up to six users could be sitting at their workstations jointly editing a document or amending a plan with a linked voice or video call to discuss the changes as they are being made."
"For the South African enterprise, there are many significant advantages in being able to call spontaneous conference meetings of staff scattered across the country. Apart from productivity gains and travel cost savings, you`re looking at honing your competitive edge by being able meet as required and so take decisions more quickly."
Users and media can be added or dropped as required and the virtual meeting can even bring in colleagues who are away from their desks. They can be bridged into the multimedia conference as voice only.
The MMCX is built on the ubiquitous TCP/IP communications protocol, integrates into existing Ethernet or ATM LAN infrastructures, supports multiple WAN access configurations and provides interworking with any PBX. As such it is seen as a key building block in constructing a new integrated multimedia communications network that utilises wide area bandwidth efficiently and is easily administered and maintained..
"It`s a solution that meets the needs of network strategists, designers and managers by moving separate voice, video and data networks toward a single integrated multimedia network. Even so, we`ve kept costs low. It can be linked to any standard voice switch, is PC-based, and can use existing 32-bit sound cards, so possibly the only additional investment would be a head set and camera," says Martin.
Apart from facilitating internal collaboration, MMCX can also provide the customer/ call centre Internet interface. A Web customer wanting personal contact can communicate directly with the call centre agent from the Web page. It can be used for remote training - in-company and educational. For example, the University of South Carolina recently installed MMCX to allow professors and students to hold simultaneous videoconferences.
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