Sphere Communications Announces Availability of Sphericall IP PBX Release 5.LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill. -- Release Delivers Comprehensive IP PBX (Internet Protocol Private Branch eXchange) A telephone switch that supports voice over IP (VoIP). IP PBXs convert IP phone calls into traditional circuit-switched TDM connections for the PSTN. Business Capabilities, Including SIP Trunking, Software-Based Distributed Recording, Expanded SIP Device Support, and Web Services (1) Loosely, any online service delivered over the Web. Such usage appears in articles from non-technical sources, but not in IT-oriented publications, because definition #2 below describes the correct use of the term. for SOA (1) (Start Of Authority) The first record in a DNS zone file. See DNS records. (2) (Service Oriented Architecture) The modularization of business functions for greater flexibility and reusability. Deployments Sphere Communications Inc. today announced general availability of Release 5 of Sphericall(TM), the company's next generation software IP PBX. Featuring communications Web Services for business application software integration, SIP trunking and expanded SIP device support, software-based call recording and Assured Services for optimizing emergency communications, the new Sphericall release enables a new era of all-software business communications that are cost effective, scalable, secure and built on a proven platform. "Sphericall Release 5 leads an inflection point Inflection Point An event that changes the way we think and act. -Andy Grove, Founder of Intel. Notes: For example, the fall of the Berlin Wall was an inflection point in global politics and the commercialization of the Internet was an inflection point in technology. in the industry where a 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). truly becomes a software application fully integrated into the core business processes of an organization," announced Graeme Robinson, President of Sphere Communications. "For 10 years, Sphericall has led the industry with the most flexible, scalable and feature-rich software-based IP PBX solution, and we are again breaking new ground that changes the way people think about business communications." Sphericall IP PBX Sphere Communications delivers enterprise IP PBX communications as an open, enterprise softswitch application that runs on industry standard servers across existing data networks and interoperates with a comprehensive array of standards-based 3rd party communications devices. Unique in the industry, Sphericall IP PBX is a fully distributed Fully distributed A new stock issue that has been completely resold to the investing public and is no longer held by dealers. fully distributed Of or relating to a new issue of securities that has been sold out. software solution that scales seamlessly up to 30,000 ports across multiple locations. Sphere's communications Desktop delivers drag & drop call control within it's smart directories providing presence, desktop 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. , 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. , 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. , integrated softphone with advanced mobility features, as well as multiple auto-attendants, on-demand recording, emergency response features and more. Sphericall Web Services Building on standard XML XML in full Extensible Markup Language. Markup language developed to be a simplified and more structural version of SGML. It incorporates features of HTML (e.g., hypertext linking), but is designed to overcome some of HTML's limitations. and SOAP technology, Sphere Communications now offers Sphericall Web Services which provide access to the rich communications services of the software-based Sphericall IP PBX. A key component of Sphericall is a Software Development Kit (SDK (Software Developer's Kit) See developer's toolkit and Windows SDK. SDK - Software Developers Kit (or "Software Development Kit"). ) that delivers a platform-neutral and language-neutral set of development tools for fast, flexible and repeatable application development and integration. "Now, applications developers, ISVs and OEMs can very easily embed communications functions into critical business processes without the need for extensive telecommunications expertise," says Todd Landry, Sr. Vice President, Sphere Communications. "Rather than brute force (programming) brute force - A primitive programming style in which the programmer relies on the computer's processing power instead of using his own intelligence to simplify the problem, often ignoring problems of scale and applying naive methods suited to small problems directly , application-to-application integration through cumbersome telephony API's, Sphericall Web Services offer a dramatically easier and more flexible integration process that aligns with enterprise software development standards and Service Oriented Architecture initiatives." The Sphericall Web Services SDK is currently available from Sphere and contains the Sphericall Web Service Definition Language (architecture) Web Service Definition Language - (WSDL) An XML format for describing network services as a set of endpoints operating on messages containing either "document oriented" or "procedure oriented" information. (WSDL (Web Services Description Language) An XML-based language for defining Web services. Developed by Microsoft and IBM, WSDL describes the protocols and formats used by the service. ) specification, sample applications (including Web, PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) A handheld computer for managing contacts, appointments and tasks. It typically includes a name and address database, calendar, to-do list and note taker, which are the functions in a personal information manager (see PIM). , and CRM (Customer Relationship Management) An integrated information system that is used to plan, schedule and control the presales and postsales activities in an organization. applications), Sphericall IP PBX Simulator and comprehensive documentation. Interested parties can learn more about the Sphericall Web Services SDK at www.spherecom.com or request the SDK via email at SDKrequest@spherecom.com. Comprehensive SIP Support Sphericall delivers support for a broad set of SIP capabilities, including support for SIP telephones, SIP tie-lines for all-software integration with other IP media applications, and SIP trunking which obviates the need for both PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) The worldwide voice telephone network. Once only an analog system, the heart of most telephone networks today is all digital. In the U.S. media gateways and traditional TDM (Time Division Multiplexing) A technology that transmits multiple signals simultaneously over a single transmission path. Each lower-speed signal is time sliced into one high-speed transmission. voice circuits. Sphericall's SIP trunking enables organizations to converge voice and data onto common all-IP connections, and establishes the foundation for rich communications services across enterprise boundaries. Sphericall SIP trunking also enables Service Providers to deliver a new hybrid of hosted/premise-based IP PBX solutions to organizations that demand the highest level of control over their communications environment as well as the ability to integrate on-premise IP communications A general term for networks that use the IP protocol for voice (VoIP) and video traffic. See IP telephony. with mission-critical business applications. This new class of hybrid IP communications services, made possible by SIP trunking, captures a market segment not otherwise addressed by traditional hosted-VoIP offerings. As a Broadsoft Technology Partner, Sphere Communications has certified Sphericall with the BroadWorks softswitch platform deployed by over 135 service providers worldwide, and supports the emerging SIPConnect standard, now part of the SIPForum Technical Working Group. Sphere provides a self-certification checklist to its channel partners and service providers to easily ensure interoperability and further facilitate adoption and deployment of SIP trunking. Sphericall offers SIP tie-line capabilities which enhance flexibility and scalability for large distributed organizations. Additionally, Sphere's SIP tie-lines enable low-cost software-only interconnection of Sphericall IP PBX with other enterprise communications systems such as third-party contact center solutions, third-party voice mail systems, fax routing, and more. Expanding Array of Alliances Sphere continues to certify new business class telephony devices, including the new Grandstream Networks' line of IP desktop phones as well as UTStarcom's WiFi SIP phones for mobile enterprise users. Sphere's open-system approach to IP communications enables new devices to be easily added to the growing list of choices available to meet the diverse needs of organizations of all kinds. "We provide our customers with the ability to continually choose the lowest cost, highest performing devices they require in phones, gateways, servers and more, over the life of their communications system," say Pat Henkle, Director of Product Management with Sphere Communications. "Today, Sphere customers can choose from over 30 different communications devices that seamlessly interoperate with Sphericall 5 IP PBX software." Information on supported devices is available on the Sphere website at www.spherecom.com. Assured Services for Emergency Response Sphericall also delivers unique Assured Services emergency response capabilities. Assured Services provides support for critical communications in times of emergency or other high priority situations. Developed for the U.S. Department of Defense, Sphere's Assured Services provides the ability for designated emergency responders or other high priority individuals to initiate and receive phone calls inside and outside of the organization at any time regardless of trunk usage levels. In cases where all voice trunks may be busy at any given moment, Assured Services enables key individuals to pre-empt pre·empt or pre-empt v. pre·empt·ed, pre·empt·ing, pre·empts v.tr. 1. To appropriate, seize, or take for oneself before others. See Synonyms at appropriate. 2. a. existing phone calls through special PIN codes. A graceful disconnect process ensures that all parties are alerted to the emergency situation, while the high priority call is connected immediately. Sphere's Assured Services capabilities are a part of its U.S. Department of Defense certifications representing the most stringent telecommunications testing available in the industry. Sphericall Call Recording Sphere also announces innovative call recording capabilities developed entirely in software for extremely cost effective, flexible and scalable call recording. Leveraging Sphericall's unique distributed software architecture, Sphere's Call Recording includes auto-recording and on-demand recording features available anywhere on the network with rights-based storage, retrieval and playback, as well as comprehensive call logging and reporting. Sphericall enables a flexible recording solution completely independent of the underlying network and end points, and requires no specialized hardware. Pricing and Availability Release 5 of Sphericall IP PBX is currently available at $199 per access license. Sphericall Call Recording is currently available in Release 5 and can be added for $299 per recording license. The Sphericall Web Services SDK is available free of charge and can be requested via email at SDKrequest@spherecom.com. About Sphere Communications Sphere Communications is the first to deliver IP PBX technology as a business application for Service Oriented Architecture. A software company, Sphere delivers the most robust IP-based software communications technology Noun 1. communications technology - the activity of designing and constructing and maintaining communication systems engineering, technology - the practical application of science to commerce or industry available in the marketplace. The Sphericall platform hosts an extremely rich PBX feature set and is proven in deployments that scale to more than 20,000 users. Sphere provides OEMs, ISVs and application developers with the Sphericall Web Services SDK, enabling communications to be easily integrated into business applications and purpose-built communications systems. Founded in 1994, Sphere Communications is headquartered in Lincolnshire, Illinois Lincolnshire is an affluent village in Lake County, Illinois, United States. The population was 6,108 at the 2000 census. It is the headquarters of Hewitt Associates, Quill Corporation, and Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, as well as Newman/Haas Racing, an auto racing team in and provides its products to a wide variety of customers worldwide. For more information please see the Sphere Communications web site at www.spherecom.com or contact us at 1-888-774-3732. Sphere and the Sphere logo are registered trademarks and Sphericall is a trademark of Sphere Communications, Inc. All other names are trademarks of their respective companies. |
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