Whaleback Systems Intros Second Release of the CrystalBlue Voice Service, Expanding on Its Unique Ability to Blend the Best of Hosted IP and Premises-Based PBX Solutions.New "Cuttyhunk" Product Release Reaffirms Whalebacks Market-Leading Position for Serving SMB (1) (Small to Medium-sized Business) Also called "SME" (small to medium-sized enterprise), it refers to companies that are larger than the small office/home office (SOHO), but not huge. Customers; It Offers Additional Key Systems Unit Functionality and Calling Features and Delivers New Hosted ServicesCoIncluding OrcaFax Service and Multisite Integrated Dial Plans PORTSMOUTH, N.H. -- Whaleback whale·back n. A steamship with the bow and upper deck rounded so as to shed water. Systems[TM] today announced a new release of its managed CrystalBlue Voice Service[TM] offering new telephony calling features and hosted applications designed to address the requirements of Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs). The "Cuttyhunk" release features enhanced Key Systems Unit (KSU (Key Service Unit) The cabinet that contains the electronics for a key telephone system. See key telephone system. ) and 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. calling functionality, a hosted desktop fax service and new calling plan options, providing SMBs with critical tools to boost workplace productivity. First launched in February of this year, the CrystalBlue Voice Service is the first business phone solution built from the ground up for broadband to help SMBs reduce capital and operating costs operating costs npl → gastos mpl operacionales while taking advantage of full-featured telephony solutions. Only seven months into the initial release of CrystalBlue, Whaleback is announcing major new features and services that improve productivity, enhance 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. and allow SMBs to benefit from a single, managed platform that delivers both KSU and IP PBX functionality. "Whaleback customers receive an all-inclusive, flat-priced monitored and managed telephony service that makes the latest voice technology immediately available for SMBsCowithout the operational hassles of maintaining equipment or the feature limitations of business-class hosted IP / IP Centrex A telephone service in which an IP-based PBX is located in the telephone company's facilities. It connects to the customer via the LAN rather than by telephone wires. IP CENTREX offers voice over IP and other IP-based services as well as connectivity to the regular telephone system (PSTN). services," said Mark Galvin, Whaleback Founder, President and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. "SMBs have traditionally been faced with selecting either hosted services originally designed for large companies or traditional 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). platforms that are expensive to deploy and manage." The initial release of CrystalBlue offered important KSU features, such as Intercom Groups and Shared and Bridged Line Appearances that can be mapped on both local and remote phones. This new release expands these capabilities with new features, including Page All, Page Zones, Handsfree Answer Back, Call Diversion, Call Screening, Multilevel mul·ti·lev·el adj. Having several levels: a multilevel parking garage. Adj. 1. multilevel - of a building having more than one level Automated Attendant In telephony, an automated attendant (also auto attendant or auto-attendant, or sometimes autoattendant or AA) system allows callers to be automatically transferred to a user's extension without the intervention of a receptionist. and Multiple Operator services A variety of telephone services that require human intervention, including person-to-person calls, collect calls, credit card billing and directory and dialing assistance. Such services are performed by LECs, IXCs and alternative operator services (AOS), organizations that are used by . According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Galvin, "We've added these capabilities because SMB customers have grown accustomed to relying on these 'legacy KSU features' every day to run their businesses. As an extension of our robust architecture we are also able to layer on top of our calling features a suite of new network-based applications we can cost-effectively host for our customers." "The SMB sector differs greatly from the large enterprise market," said Michael Ladam, Program Manager at the telecommunications analysis firm Stratecast, a division of Frost & Sullivan. "Their smaller facilities and limited IT staff are often better served by a key system than a PBX-but which type of premises phone equipment to use is only a piece of the puzzle they face. A solution that provides a unified and comprehensive telecommunications service In telecommunication, the term telecommunications service has the following meanings: 1. Any service provided by a telecommunication provider. 2. and addresses carrier calling plan requirements will be more attractive than an equipment-only offering. The solutions available to small businesses have been limited, in part because the dominant telephone companies are giving priority to other initiatives including residential fiber build-out, mobile wireless and large enterprises. The Whaleback solution brings a welcome alternative to this underserved market." New Hosted Services Available Because of CrystalBlue's unique architecture that distributes intelligence between the customer site and Whaleback's network backbone, Whaleback can quickly introduce hosted, productivity-enhancing applications. OrcaFax[TM] is a secure, high-performance desktop fax service that allows subscribers to send and receive fax messages from 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 or any other POP3 email client See e-mail program. . For just $49.95 per month for the first subscriber for each SMB 1500 and $5.00 per month for each additional user, organizations can simplify and streamline the transmission and receipt of faxes. Fax numbers can be corporate, departmental or direct numbers personalized for each user, and organizations can increase productivity by implementing unified messagingCowith voicemail, faxmail and email delivered to a user's inbox. OrcaFax can run on virtually any POP3 email client running on a PC, Macintosh or BlackBerry device. Users can print, store and forward faxes as PDF (Portable Document Format) The de facto standard for document publishing from Adobe. On the Web, there are countless brochures, data sheets, white papers and technical manuals in the PDF format. attachments and can even fax from a BlackBerry to a nearby fax machine when traveling. Bill McGoey, Senior Vice President of American Partners Bank, said, "We assigned direct inward dialing See DID. (communications) Direct Inward Dialing - (DID) A service offered by telephone companies which allows the last 3 or 4 digits of a phone number to be transmitted to the destination exchange. numbers to our employees that work closely with customers, and have received the productivity advantages of receiving faxes to the desktop." Employees receive their faxes in their email inbox, and can fax documents directly from their PCs. "We don't have to worry about routing faxes going into a central fax machine, and employees can store fax documents on their PCs for easy access to information. OrcaFax simplifies faxing, improves document management and increases our productivity." New Multisite Integrated Call Routing Capabilities Multisite Integrated Dial Plans are now available, allowing users to dial a three-digit extension to reach colleagues based in remote locations over the secure Whaleback network backbone. This hosted service also includes Multi-level Automated Attendant routing between sites. External callers can dial by name across sites, and receptionists can transfer calls to users located at different sites to enhance customer service and improve worker productivity. Customers can create virtual work teams by mapping any Direct Inward Dial (DID) range on sites or intermix in·ter·mix tr. & intr.v. in·ter·mixed, in·ter·mix·ing, in·ter·mix·es To mix or become mixed together. [Back-formation from obsolete intermixt, from Latin extensions between sites, so now all departmental staff have a sequential DID within the corporation. There is no incremental per-minute charge or port capacity activation fees, and no truck rolls are required to activate these services for new sites. New Key System Calling Features Improve Productivity, Efficiency The new Cuttyhunk release breaks new grounds in offering SMBs a powerful mix of new calling features designed specifically for their needs. SMBs accustomed to KSU features may be hesitant to upgrade to hosted IP / IP Centrex telephony solutions because of the many features that are usually not available. Highlights of the new features available with the Cuttyhunk release include: Call Diversion enables more personalized call treatments. This is programmable per extension and it overrides voicemail treatment and diverts calls to alternate destinations after a programmable time delay. Call Screening on inbound calls allows employees to receive a name announcement of external callers to ensure they don't miss important calls. Handsfree Answer Back allows a called phone to automatically answer and activate the intercom without a user having to pick up the handset or hit a button. Multilevel Automated Attendant allows a customer to specify a list of destination transfers (internal or external numbers) for each of the 12 keypad values, and also specify a timeout behavior for any custom menu. Inbound calls can be automatically routed according to rules defined by the user or the organization. Multiple Operators allow a user to program both a system operator and a personal operator, i.e. "Thank you for calling, press 0 to reach the system operator or press 9 to reach my assistant." Personal Automated Attendant provides personalized customizable inbound call routing rules for each user or department, offering callers a submenu An additional list of options within a single menu selection. There can be many levels of submenus. A submenu can have a submenu, which can have its submenu and so on. However, there is a practical limit as the more levels that have to be reached, the more confusing the interface. with multiple routing options to reach a desk phone, cell phone, departmental co-workers, or a receptionist, or else leave a voicemail message. Page All allows a user to go off hook and broadcast a message through the telephone speakerphones to up to 100 extensions simultaneously. Page Zones allows a user to go off hook and broadcast a message to a select group of extensions through the telephone speakerphones. This feature supports up to 10 zones with up to 100 extensions per site. 411 Directory Assistance Routing to Local Provider reroutes 411 directory assistance calls to local information providers. Pricing and Availability Existing customers will be automatically upgraded to the Cuttyhunk system software release at no extra charge. Whaleback manages and monitors all deployments, and will upgrade all SMB 1500s without any need for user intervention. Both the Cuttyhunk system software release and OrcaFax are immediately available. About Whaleback Systems Whaleback Systems is a Managed Service Provider (MSP (1) (Management Service Provider or Managed Service Provider) An organization that manages a customer's computer systems and networks which are either located on the customer's premises or at a third-party datacenter. ) and the pioneering developer of the first business phone solution built from the ground up for broadband. Unlike traditional systems, the Whaleback CrystalBlue Voice Service is 100 percent premises-based and software-driven. It includes the only IP PBX with Key System Unit features and Road Warrior A person who frequently travels with laptop and cellphone. Functionality. Whaleback's all-inclusive, unlimited domestic calling package makes the most advanced technology immediately affordable for companies that need between 5 and 1,500 phone stations. The Whaleback service is available through partnerships with channel partners and VARs. For more information, visit www.WhalebackSystems.com. |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion