Avaya Aura redefines and simplifies existing voice and video communications architectures — including multi-vendor networks — delivering a new value proposition to business communications: more capabilities with less cost and complexity.
A milestone for Avaya and business communications, Avaya Aura goes beyond existing telephony and data communications networks and delivers a platform that unifies all forms of communication (voice, messaging, e-mail, voice mail, and more), without sacrificing any of the resiliency, security and performance that Avaya communications systems have always been known for.
By combining a secure, reliable core infrastructure — the proven Communication Manager software — with industry-leading SIP and Presence capabilities, Avaya Aura addresses these challenges and delivers:
Enterprise-wide, On-demand Unified Communications: Instead of slow, expensive, system-by-system configurations, capabilities implemented in Avaya Aura are instantly available to employees across the business. Services and applications are deployed to users based on their needs and individual profiles, not the systems they are connected to, in a fraction of the time it takes today.
Aggregated, Enterprise-wide Presence: In today's world, getting value from multiple modes of communication depends on presence: the instant indication of a user’s availability and current activity. Avaya Aura provides any user, anywhere on the network, with an actionable, aggregated view of all users across devices and multi-vendor applications, including IBM and Microsoft desktop applications.
True Multi-vendor Interoperability: Avaya Aura provides flexible SIP routing across Cisco, Nortel and other vendor PBXs, old and new – integrating legacy TDM systems with cost-effective SIP gateways – enabling leading-edge capabilities to inter-operate with legacy systems.
Older, legacy PBXs deployed across many enterprises are generally unable to deliver the advanced communications applications that newer, software-based application-rich platforms can provide. While these old systems provide reliable dial tone – they cannot provide businesses with today’s advanced communications capabilities which can significantly cut their operating costs. To increase efficiencies, a more advanced communications platform is necessary.
But, it is not always practical to fully replace that older system. Companies
have generally made substantial investments in these systems, which have
not reached the end of their useful life. Ripping out and replacing these older systems is often not the most sensible approach. This is especially true in
these economic times - when businesses must carefully manage their investments in IT and communications technology - just to remain viable.
Wrap and Embrace is the new way : The Avaya AURA way !
Avaya Aura makes it possible to leave these older systems in place yet start to take advantage of the cost-savings new technology provides. These older systems can be from ANY PBX manufacturer, such as NEC, Mitel, Nortel, Siemens Enterprise and Alcatel or Lucent. By interconnecting Avaya Aura to these older PBX systems, businesses can maintain their existing telephony infrastructures, while at the same time laying the foundation for a new set of business communications services. These businesses will be able to benefit from a wide range of advanced communications and collaboration applications that older systems are not capable of delivering.
A state-of-the-art communications environment must provide cost-effective business continuity, operational efficiency and deliver a competitive advantage over your competitors.
The benefits of networking Avaya and Nortel PBXs
Avaya Aura IP telephony platforms can be interconnected with legacy Nortel Meridian PBX systems to provide a broad range of voice services across both systems. Avaya Aura is an open, highly reliable and extensible IP telephony platform that becomes the foundation for a wide range of communications applications, including voice messaging, meet-me conferencing, web-based collaboration, contact center and mobility. This makes it a powerful alternative to further investments in legacy PBX equipment.
Administrators can set up a common dial plan and provide a common set of voice features across both Avaya and Nortel systems.These businesses can retain the rest of their Nortel PBX infrastructure, Nortel handsets, and Nortel applications in place, as well as retain their Nortel- trained support staff. At the same time, these businesses can begin to introduce Avaya Aura platforms to the otherwise Nortel-centric communications environment and gradually extend Avaya’s advanced collaboration, conferencing, mobility, and other applications to all end users.
Here is a sample of the cost saving applications your business can take advantage of when interconnecting Avaya Aura and a legacy PBX system:
Collaboration: Built-in features like Meet Me Conferencing (up to six parties) or the optional Expanded Meet Me Conferencing (up to 300 participants) make it easy to meet – without leaving your office.
Integrated Messaging: Voice, fax and e-mail messaging features are built into one easily accessible mailbox.
Call Center Integration: Call center applications like Avaya Call Management System with real-time reporting and performance statistics and Avaya Business Advocate for expert predictive routing based on real-time analysis of incoming calls, not historical data, are easily integrated.
Telecommuting: Telecommuter capabilities utilize user defined rules-based routing and give employees access to the full Aura feature set whether working at home, in the office or on the road.
SIP Support: Integrated SIP proxy/registrar server and SIP trunking support provide complete SIP interoperability to further reduce costs.
Security and Privacy: Security features that detect probable breaches and can take proactive measures to protect the system. This also includes real-time media encryption for environments where enhanced voice privacy over a LAN/WAN is required.
Safety and Disaster Recovery: A full range of tools to help organizations manage and respond to unforeseen emergency situations.
There are 3 different paths that you can chose:
Upgrade your Nortel System to the most current release and see what happens with the Nortel product
Start to Evolve with Avaya Aura – interconnect your old systems with new Aura functionality
Assess all other alternatives in the market place.
Remain As Is or Upgrade your Nortel System
Advantages:
No or low cost
Minimize end user impacts
No training required
Disadvantages:
Greatest risk over time
Cannot benefit from new, cost saving applications
Higher OPEX over time
EOL/EOS can impact the company’s operations and business continuity during an outage
Possible capacity issues
New communications technologies cannot be used to interact with your customers (twitter, mobility...)
Over time, decreased availability of knowledgeable support staff and increasing scarcity of replacement parts
Start to Overlay / Upgrade with Avaya
Advantages:
Current Incentives are very aggressive – drastically reduces payback time ( solid ROI )
Interconnection of old and new technology provides advanced functionality
Deploy only where needed and retain old equipment where impact is minimal
Training impact can be minimized and tightly controlled
Disadvantages:
Is Avaya’s stated technology direction of value to you?
Is that the direction you want to take?
Assess all the potential Communications systems in the marketplace
Advantages:
A new system offers the potential for lower OPEX
Many new entrants – many possible choices
Possibility of better optimizing the range of applications used
Negotiate better support and coverage agreements with better terms and conditions
Choose a Hosted or Cloud-based (SaaS) solution
Disadvantages:
Brings with it a need for high CAPEX and with it the possibility of unforeseen and expensive infrastructure costs
Time and resources required to assess all the options can have an impact on the business
User training costs and user learning curve impacts
Possibly issues with reuse/integration of third-party adjunct systems
Your Unity Telecom Advisor can help you work through all your options and help you determine YOUR best course of action.
More that just choosing the right technology - You need the RIGHT partner to implement it, Unity Telecom – Nortel/Avaya Certified.
Find Out How to extend the value of the communications investments you have made, contact us at: 905-952-2475 / sales@unitytelecom.net
