Digium Enhances Switchvox with Fixed Mobile Convergence
Digium, Inc. has recently introduced Switchvox 5.0, the latest version of its voice over IP Unified Communications solution, which now integrates fixed mobile convergence (FMC) and more third-party business applications. This new release, designed for small and mid-sized businesses, allows users to integrate Switchvox into any type of phone, including VoIP, digital, analog, smartphone, or soft phone, so they can route, record, or transfer calls at any location.
Based on Asterisk, Switchvox 5.0 provides IT administrators, users, and resellers with a new level of features and customization, along with more application programming interfaces. Businesses can leverage their other IT investments with Switchvox, including CRM, customer support, and ERP systems. It also comes with an enhanced user interface, as well as detailed call reporting and online support. With these features, Digium predicts that users can save up to 60-80 percent compared to other VoIP business phone systems.
Included in the Switchvox 5.0 is fixed mobile convergence, detailed call queue reports and logs, additional application programing interfaces, and the Switchvox graphical user interface.
“There are some nice capabilities in the FMC offerings, notes Blair Pleasant of UCStrategies. “Authorized mobile phones can be converged with the office phone for FMC, so that when you hit ** on your phone you can have the call transferred to your mobile phone and vice versa. This is done through key presses and it doesn't put the user on hold during the transfer, and is very seamless FMC. Also, you can have up to six converged devices, so it’s more than just mobile twinning. Switchvox also now offers mobility integration with a range of devices, including tablets and even analog phones.” Pleasant adds, “I was also pleased to see that Switchvox updated its user interface and has a new interface that’s easier to use – especially for administrators.”
Not everyone likes the FMC offering, however. “Digium has two of the three major mobile operating systems covered with iOS (Apple) and Blackberry, though they don’t support the touch screen Torch model," says Michael Finneran of UCStrategies. "However, what they will find out is that mobile users don’t like separate apps for placing business calls, and this will go the same place as Cisco’s Jabber for mobile, Avaya’s oneX, and the rest, which is ‘nowhere.’”
Users of Switchvox SMB with active subscriptions can download version 5.0 for free. For new customers, the price starts at $3,195 for up to 30 users.
For more information, visit www.digium.com.