Answering the call for a fixed mobile convergence solution, CounterPath and NEC Unified Solutions have put together an offering that enables companies to extend their NEC communications platform beyond the corporate infrastructure.
The NEC Smart Mobile Client works with most enterprise smartphones, including the Blackberry 9700, the Nokia E72/N97 and the Apple iPhone, to give users the full functionality of the NEC communications platform wherever they go, including voice mail, corporate directory services, presence, instant messaging and conferencing capabilities – all delivered over cellular or Wi-Fi networks. The client currently works with NEC’s iS3000 and SIP@Net communication servers, and an updated version slated for later this year will support NEC’s UNIVERGE SV8300 and SV8500 platforms.
CounterPath, which builds desktop and mobile VoIP software products and solutions as well as fixed mobile convergence technologies, supplied the functionality to enable connection between the NEC communications servers and the wireless devices, and bridge the gap between the on-premise network and the cellular or Wi-Fi network.
“This enables the ecosystem participants (NEC and CounterPath channel partners) to extend the value of NEC’s PBX platform iS3000 into the mobile application space," said Todd Carothers, vice president of Product Management at CounterPath. “So, this means the iS3000 is now mobile-enabled, extending the feature set into the mobile domain. Also, the newfound value of [CounterPath’s Enterprise Mobile Gateway] and the is3000 entrenches the solution into new and existing accounts by providing a strong mobile competitive advantage."
Carothers noted that the partnership and resulting technology came about as a result of customer demand. “What has emerged from a mobile point of view is that users want two lines on their mobiles: their mobile number and their work/PBX number. Mobility support is key to support a blended personal/work balance to everyday communications," he said.
