By Johanne Torres
IP PBX company ShoreTel rolled out a new suite of applications that
address sales force automation and supplemental E911 notification in the VoIP
environment.
"We are creating applications that link our customers' core communications capabilities with the information that matters most to them," said ShoreTel's vice president of global support services Walt Weisner in a statement. "In addition to applications such as ShoreTel SalesForce.com Integration and our E911 Call Notification Application, we are providing custom application development through our professional services team."
The ShoreTel Salesforce.com Integration is an add-on module that enables the phone system and business application to share data seamlessly. SalesForce.com users can field calls more effectively and contact customers directly from their Web-based browsers with a click of a mouse.
ShoreTel's new E911 Notification Application supplements the native E911 support in the ShoreTel platform, helping companies to coordinate their internal response to emergencies. The basic E911 feature provides caller ID information to the local Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) so that emergency personnel are dispatched to the right location within the company.
The E911 Notification Application is comprised of server and client components. The server component monitors all system trunks for outbound 911 calls continuously. When one is detected, the server can respond by selecting users equipped with the E911 client application and notifying them via a screen pop and audible alarm. Notification calls are automatically placed to designated internal and external parties.
A call log records all the E911-related events, including the calling party's name and extension and the time of connection and disconnection. A built-in messaging system also enables users with the E911 client software to communicate with one another in real time. These users can then broadcast text messages directly from their client windows, and have another channel for instantaneous communication during emergency situations.
The ShoreTel Salesforce Integration and E911 Notification Application are currently available. The ShoreTel Salesforce.com Integration list price is $100 per client seat. E911 Notification list price is $2000 for up to five clients and $5000 for six or more clients. Implementation Support is included in the price for both.
Today's news comes on the heels of ShoreTel's May release of version 6.1 of its IP telephony for systems aimed at branch offices and small businesses demanding key system functionality.
With version 6.1, ShoreTel now offers an emulation that is part of a single hardware and software platform which spans all levels of key system and PBX functionality, for those organizations with 10 to 10,000 employees.
ShoreTel 6.1 introduced the ShorePhone IP 212k, an ergonomic IP key system telephone with 12 programmable buttons, exceptional audio quality, and a big LCD display.
