Enterprise communications is evolving rapidly to exploit the benefits of IP networking and service flexibility. Small to medium-sized businesses in particular can benefit from reduced infrastructure and call costs while gaining new capabilities such as service availability from any location and very simple user configuration. Hosted business communications further enhances these advantages to the enterprise by removing the need to acquire and maintain equipment and ensuring continuous on-line service availability. For the service provider, the ability to consolidate multiple business accounts on a single platform enables the economy of scale to support a highly competitive service.

IP Virtual Office is a complete service-ready application supported on the DIGITALK Multiservice Platform that may be bundled with a business broadband internet service or form the basis of a standalone business communications service. IP Virtual Office can be offered both as a retail service and as a wholesale ‘white label’ service to maximise market accessibility through reseller channels, an essential capability in the competitive business services market. When combined with Conferencing and perhaps Service Numbers number translation and call distribution, the service provider has a powerful suite of business applications to offer the market to gain and retain customers.

BENEFITS

Key benefits to business customers of IP Virtual Office include:

• Removes the need for on-site PBX systems
• Very simple and immediate moves, adds and changes via web self-care
• Service availability from any location with broadband internet access
• Users can be accessed on alternative phones e.g. mobile from a single number
• Improves productivity through advanced features, such as unified messaging
• Offers auto-attendant and call distribution to ensure a call is never missed

FEATURES

IP Virtual Office features include:

• Auto attendant menu to enable callers to navigate to the right department
• Location-independent extension dialling for anywhere service access
• Group calling and call pick-up to distribute calls across users
• Multiple group and user call forwarding options to allow calls to follow users wherever they are
• Call hold and transfer so calls can be re-allocated with redialling
• Individual voicemail boxes with forwarding to email
• Fax receipt and forwarding to email
• Individual or office number presentation so return calls are directed appropriately
• Call barring to prevent inappropriate use of office phones
• Caller screening so users can manage their time effectively

Web self-care enables office administrators to set up and configure new users and groups and individual users to manage their own phones. This not only eliminates delays from the enterprise viewpoint but also minimises the operations overhead of office management for the service provider.