Avaya unveils IP Office 8.0 upgrade with Android support

Unified communications firm Avaya has announced the launch of the next update to its IP Office collaboration platform centred around offering interoperability with other key applications and mobile device support.

The 8.0 update features a version of the tool for Android smartphones that provides core features including conference management, presence, instant messaging, geopresence and enhanced voicemail management.

Avaya's director of product marketing Nigel Moulton, explained to V3 that while the firm was launching this capability for Android devices first, other platforms including iOS would follow shortly.

"Android is clearly the market leader globally, so we decided to bring the update to this platform first, but you should expected us to announce further platforms in the coming months," he said.

"Mobility is a huge new area now for many businesses with the use of smartphones increasing all the time and so providing the capabilities of the IP Office tool on these devices will help meet this growth."

The second key aspect of the update is the ability for the IP Office platform to integrate directly with third-party applications, notably Salesforce.com, to offer click-to-call functionality, and Google Talk to draw contact information to the IP Office tool.

"By federating the use of IP Office tools within applications such as Salesforce.com we can make it much easier for businesses to link their applications, helping to add value to the products they are using," Moulton added.

He also said that other popular cloud applications would be added to the platform throughout the year.

Dan Cholerton, director of Avaya reseller Aurora Networks, told V3 that, with demand from SME clients for improved mobile integration and access to applications increasing all the time, interest in the new update was strong.

"We are seeing a more integrated office environment with many of our customers now, particularly in the growing use of mobile devices, so the feedback on this update has been good as they see the benefits it could bring," he added.

The product is available from Wednesday with pricing to be confirmed.