Dell Simplifies Unified Communications.Company Partners with Microsoft, Nortel to Extend Unified Communications The real time redirection of a voice, text or e-mail message to the device closest to the intended recipient at any given time. For example, voice calls to desk phones could be routed to the user's cellphone when required. to Voice Over Internet Protocol See Internet and TCP/IP. (networking) Internet Protocol - (IP) The network layer for the TCP/IP protocol suite widely used on Ethernet networks, defined in STD 5, RFC 791. IP is a connectionless, best-effort packet switching protocol. and Deliver a "Business-Ready" Solution ROUND ROCK, Texas -- Dell's (NASDAQ NASDAQ in full National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations U.S. market for over-the-counter securities. Established in 1971 by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), NASDAQ is an automated quotation system that reports on :DELL) rallying cry Noun 1. rallying cry - a slogan used to rally support for a cause; "a cry to arms"; "our watchword will be `democracy'" war cry, watchword, battle cry, cry catchword, motto, shibboleth, slogan - a favorite saying of a sect or political group 2. is "simplify IT" and today it announced a new solution with products, partnerships and services to help customers reduce complexity and improve their productivity with myriad communications options - e-mail, fax, phone, video or PC - known as Unified Communications (UC). Dell's Unified Communications solution pre-integrates all the necessary components - desktop to data center computer systems, software, telephony and services expertise - to deliver a "business-ready" solution. Dell's modular approach allows customers to choose the functionality that makes the most sense for their environments, followed by the delivery of a pre-tested and validated configuration. Customers can customize modules within a safe and tested set of configurations to help them reduce risk and complexity - and do so without a lengthy, required service engagement. Dell has partnered with Microsoft to deliver validated solutions based on the recently released Microsoft[R] Office Communication Server 2007. The company also launched a partnership with Nortel to deliver the telephony, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)1 components and telephony services integral to UC. "Unlike recent competitive offerings, Dell chose to pre-integrate a solution so customers don't have to purchase and manage separate systems and services," said Rick Becker, vice president of solutions, Dell Product Group. "We want to make it simple for our customers to deploy unified communications so their end users can get access to all their messages in one place - whether its e-mail, phone or mobile device. This will pave the way for more business-ready productivity tools." UC combines e-mail with telephony, voicemail, audio and video conferencing See videoconferencing. (communications) video conferencing - A discussion between two or more groups of people who are in different places but can see and hear each other using electronic communications. , instant messaging Exchanging text messages in real time between two or more people logged into a particular instant messaging (IM) service. Instant messaging is more interactive than e-mail because messages are sent immediately, whereas e-mail messages can be queued up in a mail server for seconds or and SMS (1) (Storage Management System) Software used to routinely back up and archive files. See HSM. (2) (Systems Management Server) Systems management software from Microsoft that runs on Windows NT Server. text messaging Sending short messages to a smartphone, pager, PDA or other handheld device. Text messaging implies sending short messages generally no more than a couple of hundred characters in length. into a single interface. Removing the barrier between phones and computers opens a new world of powerful features; whether it is voicemails and faxes that arrive in the inbox where they can be forwarded or responded to just like e-mail, or a phone call that transforms into a video conference, Dell presents a comprehensive, simplified solution for each customer's communications needs. Dell and Microsoft Office Microsoft's primary desktop applications for Windows and Mac. Depending on the package, it includes some combination of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access and Outlook along with various Internet and other utilities. Communication Server 2007 - Modular Approach to UC Dell's long-standing partnership with Microsoft enables it to deliver a unique, modular UC solution. It combines Microsoft Office Communication Server 2007, Microsoft Exchange Server Microsoft Exchange Server is a messaging and collaborative software product developed by Microsoft. It is part of the Microsoft Servers line of server products and is widely used by enterprises using Microsoft infrastructure solutions. 2007, Microsoft Office Communicator Microsoft Office Communicator is an integrated enterprise communications client, enabling information workers to communicate in real time through the use of instant messaging (IM), voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) and videoconferencing. and Microsoft Outlook For the e-mail and news client bundled with certain versions of Microsoft Windows, see . Microsoft Outlook or Outlook (full name Microsoft Office Outlook with UC-enabled hardware and telephony platforms, along with infrastructure consulting services, that are validated in Dell's labs. "Dell is putting a stake in the ground and betting big on the Microsoft Unified Communications solutions to deliver innovative and new communications solutions for its customers," said Jeff Raikes, President of the Microsoft Business Division. "Dell took the pain out of buying a PC, and now they're bringing that same simplicity to unified communications." Customers can implement one or all four of the modules based on their unique business needs. The four modules are: * Core Office Communication Server 2007 - provides instant messaging and on-premise Microsoft Live See Windows Live. Meeting. * Office Communication Server: Telephony - enables call routing tracking and management, VoIP gateway and public branch exchange (PBX (Private Branch eXchange) An inhouse telephone switching system that interconnects telephone extensions to each other as well as to the outside telephone network (PSTN). ) integration. * Audio and Video Conferencing - allows point-to-point conference, video conference and VoIP audio conference. * Exchange Unified Messaging Having access to e-mail, voice mail and faxes via a common computer application or by telephone. For example, unified messaging may send faxes and digitized voice mail to a mail server that turns them into e-mail attachments. - provides voicemail, e-mail and fax in Microsoft Outlook, and anywhere access of Microsoft Outlook Inbox and Calendar. Dell Unified Communications solutions can be implemented quickly and easily, and with minimal risk by combining its expertise in Microsoft Active Directory, Microsoft Exchange Messaging and groupware software for Windows from Microsoft. Exchange Server is an Internet-compliant e-mail system that runs under Windows NT/2000 and Windows Server 2003. It can be accessed by Web browsers, the Exchange client, versions of Outlook and the earlier Windows Inbox. and x86 computing environments with the knowledge of its telephony and network partners into a single point of contact. Dell has a strong legacy in providing customers with Microsoft-based services, and Dell has participated in Microsoft's UC Technology Adoption Program. This program intends to provide real-world knowledge for deploying UC in large organizations and building consistent, repeatable service practices. Dell and Nortel Dell and Nortel have signed an agreement to offer customers in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. and Canada a comprehensive UC solution leveraging Nortel's entire Enterprise Solutions portfolio. Dell will offer a suite of professional services to support UC, utilizing reference architectures and best practices such as environment assessment, network design, proof-of-concept, program management and on-going technical support. This collaboration represents a unique value for customers because it combines Dell's expertise in designing and deploying Microsoft solutions for PCs, servers, and storage with Nortel's world-class VoIP, data networking and multimedia-conferencing solutions. "Communications and business process are rapidly intersecting," said Joel Hackney, president, Nortel Enterprise Solutions, "Today's announcement with Dell underscores our commitment to accelerating the ability of today's enterprises to realize the full benefits of moving to unified communications." Victor Bohnert, executive director of International Nortel Networks Users Association (INNUA INNUA International Nortel Networks Users Association ), said, "Early adopters of unified communications are experiencing double-digit productivity gains and our members are excited to see these solutions coming to market. With Dell's ability to drive performance from the desktop to the datacenter and Nortel's leadership in VoIP, these solutions will further accelerate our members' ability to optimize their management and use of communications throughout the enterprise." "At Dell, we are aggressively extending our worldwide Microsoft Consulting Practice with industry-leading messaging, communications and UC expertise. In addition, through our relationship with Nortel, we are making it easy for customers to enable a mobile workforce by delivering comprehensive customer-driven UC solutions," said Stephen Murdoch, vice president of Global Infrastructure Consulting Services, Dell. "We are building on our ability to deliver simplified IT solutions and helping customers remove cost and complexity with a fully integrated solution." Availability Dell's Unified Communications solutions are available in North America today and will expand to additional regions in the coming months. For more information please visit www.dell.com/unified. About Dell Dell Inc. (NASDAQ:DELL) listens to customers and delivers innovative technology and services they trust and value. Uniquely enabled by its direct business model, Dell is a leading global systems and services company and No. 34 on the Fortune 500. For more information, visit www.dell.com, or to communicate directly with Dell via a variety of online channels, go to www.dell.com/conversations. To get Dell news direct, visit www.dell.com/RSS. 1 Service subject to third-party service subscription terms and conditions. Dell is not a VoIP provider or a telecommunications carrier. |
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