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Avaya now integrates with Slack app

Lauren Kate Rawlins
By Lauren Kate Rawlins
Austin, Texas, 25 Jan 2019
Avaya adds professional chat app Slack to its ecosystem.
Avaya adds professional chat app Slack to its ecosystem.

Global conglomerate Avaya will add a virtual assistant for professional chat app Slack within its collaboration software, opening its ecosystem to partnerships with vendors.

This was announced at Avaya's annual Engage user conference in Austin, Texas this week, where over 2 500 customers, analysts and investors attended from more than 40 countries.

Slack is a cloud-based tool used within organisations to manage and track projects, and for teams to chat without resorting to the back-and-forth of numerous e-mails. Similar offerings from other companies include Microsoft Teams, Cisco Webex Teams and Google Hangouts.

The new Slack virtual assistant on Avaya means organisations using Avaya unified communication technology and Slack will be able to use them together without having to switch between the two applications.

By using simple Slack commands like call-icons and slash commands, users can instantly create Avaya meetings and conference calls within a Slack channel.

Avaya says this partnership is a key extension of its cloud-native application ecosystem delivering a more 'consumerised' and user-driven approach.

"Our directives for team collaboration tools insist they deliver persistent, immersive experiences for the digital workplace, and Slack's millions of users around the world demonstrate just how much value they are bringing," says Chris McGugan, Avaya senior vice-president of solutions and technology.

"Today's announcement with Slack is a continuation of our open approach to support cloud-native apps with AI [artificial intelligence] capabilities for customisable and robust communications and collaboration."

Earlier this week, Avaya announced it would rename all the architecture in its solutions portfolio, moving away from conceptual names and simplifying branding so that names reflect what the product does.

The roll out is set to take up to nine months to complete. The new Avaya unified communications software will be called Avaya IX Digital Workplace, and fall under the new Avaya Intelligent Xperiences umbrella.