Alcatel-Lucent woos SMEs with IP-ready package

Alcatel-Lucent promises a low cost introduction to converged voice and data comms

Alcatel-Lucent has unveiled an IP-ready communications package designed to help get small and medium sized enterprises onto the path of unified communications.

The Productivity Booster Pack aims to provide a low cost introduction to converged voice and data communications, including VoIP, mobile working and enhanced conferencing.

Smaller businesses without the luxury of a dedicated IT department often find it difficult to implement such technologies, according to Alcatel-Lucent. The firm hopes that its new package will help extend the office environment to mobile employees in these environments by providing always-on access to voice and data communications.

As well as VoIP and mobile working, the package will allow the sending and receiving of faxes via email, as well as offering reduced conferencing costs and single number access per employee for all calls.

The package includes an IP-ready phone system for up to 16 IP users and 10 mobile 'one number' users, along with Alcatel-Lucent's six-party conferencing tool. Customers also have the option of features such as IP Touch handsets and other IP-based applications.

"Many vendors keep talking about how their technologies can help companies combat the recession, but these technologies still require investment and commitment, and that represents a risk, particularly for smaller companies," said David Parker, vice president for Alcatel-Lucent's enterprise activities in the UK and Ireland.

"Our new Productivity Booster Pack is designed to lower the risk involved in migrating to IP, transforming smaller companies into more dynamic enterprises by allowing them to future-proof their communications systems while immediately benefiting from the next-generation services enabled by convergence."

The package will be available from Alcatel-Lucent business partners until the end of September 2009. There are three different basic packs available, with pricing starting from £3,000, and customers can build on these to meet their specific requirements.