Voice over IP (VOIP) telephony systems are becoming more and more mainstream as broadband options increase for businesses and home, and as technology provides ways for companies to make use of powerful internet connections and new products. Software based VOIP systems make it easy for any size business to set up its own PBX and gain some flexibility and independence.

Avaya is now marketing its IP Office telephony system to small businesses that want to take advantage of IP technology. IP Office is configurable as a traditional PBX system, or as an IP telephony server. Either way, Avaya comes with a complete set of administrator tools that allow your staff to monitor the system status, log calls, and diagnose problems easily.

Some of the features of Avaya, according to information at its Web site, include:

• Turns a home phone into an IP Office telephone with the Phone Manager Pro intelligent desktop application using Telecommuter capabilities.
• Enables a mobile device to simultaneously ring when calls arrive at an IP Office telephone.
• Empowers the mobile user with complete call control—place a caller on hold, transfer, toggle between calls, or create a conference call.
• Downloads software using mobile devices (Windows Mobile 5 & 6 and Symbian Single-Mode Version 4). This enables the mobile user to make and receive calls through the IP Office system, saving on toll charges, retaining customer records, and maintaining mobile number privacy.
• Provides remote workers with software to turn the remote IP hard phone into an extension of the system without the need for remote VPN (Virtual Private Network) gateways.

If you think Avaya IP Office might be a good fit for your business, AIO can answer your questions and help you find out if Avaya telephony would benefit your workplace.