|
Avaya claims industry first with new Aura architecture
Avaya is claiming an industry first with Aura, an architecture that integrates comms across multi-vendor, multi-location and multi-modal businesses. Avaya says it simplifies comms networks, cuts costs and delivers voice, video, messaging, presence, web applications etc to employees anywhere.
The new architecture, available globally in May 2009, is anchored by the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)-based, open standards Aura Session Manager, which centralises communications control and application integration. Session Manager orchestrates communications applications and systems by decoupling applications from the network. As a result, services can be deployed to users depending on what they need rather than by where they work or the capabilities of the system to which they are connected. Session Manager instantly reduces complexity and provides the foundation for broader unified communications strategies.
Kevin Kennedy, president and CEO, Avaya, stated: "With Avaya Aura organisations can achieve rapid returns on their business communications investment, while simplifying the development and deployment of applications that improve operational performance. We've seen some organisations use SIP routing to reduce trunking costs by 20% to 60%. With this new architecture the way we communicate is defined by the applications and the user, not the network."
Abner Germanow, director of Enterprise Comms Infrastructure Research at IDC, said: "Each step in the migration from TDM to IP communications has to deliver operational and business benefits in the face of dealing with a hodgepodge of legacy and new infrastructure. The recession has turned the attraction of reducing communications complexity and cost into a business imperative."
According to Avaya the technology addresses a key concern of businesses - incorporating social media in an effective, business-driven capacity. Using Avaya Aura, enterprises will be able to securely incorporate consumer communication methods, i.e. social media such as Facebook and Twitter, Short Message Services and peer-to-peer communications.
For example, a communication session could be augmented with a social network profile on the participants. To do so would provide more context than is available with current capabilities such as CallerID and presence that could boost the outcome and value of the session. Similarly, widgets to social network home pages can be added to facilitate real time communications and enrich customer service transactions.
Avaya Aura is a cost saver in these difficult economic times. Businesses can leave existing multi-vendor equipment and applications in place and bring in the benefits and simplicity of Avaya Aura's architecture to drive significant and rapid return on investment and with the promise of greater business agility in the future.
According to Avaya the technology addresses a key concern of businesses - incorporating social media in an effective, business-driven capacity. Using Avaya Aura, enterprises will be able to securely incorporate consumer communication methods, i.e. social media such as Facebook and Twitter, Short Message Services and peer-to-peer communications.
April, 2009
