Product Brief Nortel Software Communication System 500 In today’s global economy, many companies face the challenge of work- forces that are increasingly distributed and yet must collaborate more effec- tively than ever before to make things happen — not sometime tomorrow, but right now. But how can you create this type of environment when your employees are using multiple devices, communicating in different ways and potentially even in different locations? Fortunately, Nortel can help with an advanced yet simple-to-use solution — Nortel Software Communication System (SCS) 500. Based on open stan- dards using Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), Software Communication System 500 has the power to accelerate commu- nications and collaboration between your employees, partners and customers. A long-time leader in providing communications solutions to companies around the world, Nortel recognizes the value that SIP can bring to Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs) and branch offices. Working closely with other industry leaders like Microsoft, IBM, Dell, HP and LG, Nortel has been a driving force in developing and imple- menting the SIP-based solutions that change how businesses communicate. SIP: A foundation for unified communications An internationally accepted open-standards-based protocol for interactive communications (e.g., multimedia elements such as voice, video, instant messaging and presence), SIP provides the founda- tion for unified communications. Unified communications simplifies how people connect with each other, and with applications, eliminating the challenge of disparate workforces and numerous devices and systems. Presence, real-time and near-real-time communications are unified into a single environment that enables more effective collaboration, faster decision-making, and ultimately, accelerated business processes. The SIP-based Nortel Software Communication System 500 empowers users within your organization to control unified communications for stellar results, including greater effi- ciency, higher productivity, increased revenue and many other benefits. Designed to meet the needs of SMBs who are ready to transform their business through unified communications • Ideal for 30 to 500+ users (but scalable up to 1,000 stations) • Converges all business communications at the desktop — Voice, Video, Presence, IM, Conferencing, Unified Messaging — Integrates with Microsoft and IBM applications • Operates on industry-standard server platforms • Future-proof, software-based solution • Simplifies installation, administration and user experience • Offers a variety of clients and gateways
Transcript
Product BriefNortel Software Communication System 500
In today’s global economy, many companies face the challenge of work-forces that are increasingly distributed and yet must collaborate more effec-tively than ever before to make things happen — not sometime tomorrow, but right now.
But how can you create this type of environment when your employees are using multiple devices, communicating in different ways and potentially even in different locations?
Fortunately, Nortel can help with an advanced yet simple-to-use solution — Nortel Software Communication System (SCS) 500. Based on open stan-dards using Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), Software Communication System 500 has the power to accelerate commu-nications and collaboration between your employees, partners and customers.
A long-time leader in providing communications solutions to companies around the world, Nortel recognizes the value that SIP can bring to Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs) and branch offices. Working closely with other industry leaders like Microsoft, IBM, Dell, HP and LG, Nortel has been a driving force in developing and imple-menting the SIP-based solutions that change how businesses communicate.
SIP: A foundation for unified communications
An internationally accepted open-standards-based protocol for interactive communications (e.g., multimedia elements such as voice, video, instant messaging and presence), SIP provides the founda- tion for unified communications.
Unified communications simplifies how people connect with each other, and with applications, eliminating the challenge of disparate workforces and numerous devices and systems. Presence, real-time and near-real-time communications are unified into a single environment that enables more effective collaboration, faster decision-making, and ultimately, accelerated business processes.
The SIP-based Nortel Software Communication System 500 empowers users within your organization to control unified communications for stellar results, including greater effi-ciency, higher productivity, increased revenue and many other benefits.
Designed to meet the needs of SMBs who are ready to transform
their business through unified communications
• Ideal for 30 to 500+ users (but scalable up to 1,000 stations)
• Converges all business communications at the desktop
• Simplifies installation, administration and user experience
• Offers a variety of clients and gateways
Nortel Software Communication System 500: Unified Communications for SMBs
Nortel Software Communication System 500 is an economical, easy-to-manage and user-friendly unified communications solu-tion designed specifically for SMBs. An enterprise-grade, highly robust, scalable and fully-featured unified communications solu-tion, Software Communication System 500 enables SMBs to accelerate their business.
This “business velocity” is fueled by unified communications capabilities such as inte-grated voice/unified messaging, Find Me/Follow Me (call forwarding), advanced Conferencing (Meet Me, Scheduled and Instant), Auto Attendant and Personal Auto Attendant, Automatic Call Distribution (ACD), and a powerful ‘plug-and-play’ web-based configuration and manage-ment system. Rounding out the Software Communication System 500 solution is a full suite of hard clients, softphones and application plug-ins.
A closer look at what makes up the solution
The Software Communication System 500 is pre-loaded on a standard server hardware platform that connects to the local area network via an Ethernet Switch (e.g., Nortel Business Ethernet Switch 50, 100, 200 or 1000). This switch is then used to connect all the other solution components, including:
•PSTNGateways — These come in three flavors: FXS Gateways (or Foreign Exchange Station Gateways), which connect to analog devices like fax machines and cordless phones; FXO Gateways (or Foreign Exchange Office Gateways), which connect analog trunking interfaces; and Digital Gateways to provide digital trunking, including E1, T1 and Fractional T1, BRI and PRI.
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Figure 1: Nortel Software Communication System 500
Figure 2: Components of the Nortel Software Communication System 500
The amazing attributes of SIP
• Works independently of communication devices, and has the power to change dynamically during communication
• Delivers cost-effective multimedia communications, such as secure instant messaging and video
• Offers presence to quickly locate an individual and/or understand their status, then communicate using the most efficient methods
• Provides a single address for multiple communications vehicles (e.g., call, email, IM) for each user
• Connects across multi-supplier networks and devices and
establishes a strong foundation for unified communications
•Routers (e.g., Nortel Business Secure Router 222 or 252) for Internet connectivity and/or to connect to another site within a Wide Area Network, or to provide remote workers with VPN connectivity to the office network.
•ASessionBoarderController or SBC, of which there are two options: one that supports up to 40 simul-taneous calls and one with support for up to 150. The SBC provides a method of connecting phones, softphones and email with plug-ins if your remote workers simply want basic SIP phone or client access over the public Internet (i.e., without accessing the office VPN). The SBC can also be used to support more cost-effective SIP trunking services from an Internet Telephony Service Provider.
•Twodifferentsoftphones (i.e., 3455 and 3456) and two integrated appli-cation-centric plug-ins (Microsoft Outlook and IBM Lotus Sametime and Lotus Notes).
•AvarietyofSIP-basedtelephones, including the LG-Nortel IP Phone 6800 Series, the Nortel IP Phone 1535 Video Phone, and the Polycom® SoundPoint® IP Phones and Polycom® SoundStation® IP Audio Conferencing Units.
Applications that accelerate business
As a SIP-based product, Software Communication System 500 offers a wide range of capabilities that can help your business respond faster to marketplace changes, deliver elevated levels of service to your customers, and tap into opportunities for market differentiation and growth.
Find Me/Follow Me
(Advanced Call Forwarding)
Through advanced forwarding capa-bilities, users can define individual call
forwarding rules, including simulta-neous forwarding (i.e., both devices will
ring at the same time) and sequential forwarding, which points to a different device if users don’t answer the primary one. Users can even set up time-of-day and day-of-week parameters — an ideal feature for mobile employees, shift workers or employees that may be out of the office but need to be “on call” in case of emergency.
Integrated conferencing capabilities
for every requirement
The Software Communication System 500 offers flexible and sophisticated advanced conferencing capabilities that
are controlled through an easy-to-use, web-based portal.
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Unified communications defined…
• Presence-enabled communications that integrate telephony and desktop applications over a unified user experience, for any device that can be extended to business applications
• Offers SMBs a better way to communicate and do business by enabling them to integrate and optimize their communications environment within their business processes
• Accelerates business through improved customer interaction, faster decision-making and response times, and the general creation of opportunities for market differentiation and growth
• Can lead to extremely positive business impacts1:— 29% improvement in customer satisfaction— 27% increase in employee satisfaction— 18% increase in sales— 30% reduction in conferencing expenses
1 Sage Research 2006
Find Me/Follow Me: In Action
Picture a sales professional who has customer visits throughout the day
and knows he’s going to be in and out of the office. In the morning, when
he arrives at work, he goes into the Software Communication System 500
portal and in less than 30 seconds sets things up so that his desk and
cell phone ring at the same time. If there’s no response after 15 seconds
(which he also has programmed), the call will go to his colleague. If there
is still no response, the call is transferred to voicemail.
With Find Me/Follow Me, employees can be much more mobile while
remaining accessible and missing fewer calls, driving substantial
improvement in communications efficiency and overall business
•MeetMeconferencing,whichis“always on”, doesn’t require a sched-uled start and end time, and is often used for informal meetings. Organizers can even have their own passwords to start the conference and issue a password for participants, who simply call into a dedicated Meet Me conference bridge.
•Scheduledconferencingisverysimilarto Meet Me, but typically used for more formal calls as it enables the organizer to reserve capacity on the system for a pre-determined period of time.
•Instantconferencesstartassoonasthe first participant calls and dials the Conference Start PIN. The system then calls all other conference partici-pants, who can join immediately or at a later time, when they are available.
Advanced Auto Attendant: 100
better ways to take care of business
Advanced Auto Attendant is an enterprise-grade telephony feature that comes complete with more than 100 customizable Auto Attendants that you can develop using the Configuration Manager. You can fine-tune attendant features to suit your business based on day, night or holiday schedules, and
even enable customers to dial by exten-sion and name.
Personal Auto Attendants that
are always on call
Personal Auto Attendant is similar to Auto Attendant but really focused at the end-user level by providing employees with advanced yet simple-to-use menu options in their personal mailbox. For example, they can allow incoming callers to press 1 for the individual’s assistant, 2 for their cell phone, 3 for their home office, and so on, making it easy for employees to remain accessible and for customers to obtain the infor-mation they’re looking for.
Automatic Call Distribution
(ACD) — A basic contact center
already built in
The Automatic Call Distribution creates a simple yet effective entry-level solution that is highly configurable and easy to set up. It’s ideal for businesses that don’t need advanced call center features and simply want the basics, including:
•Supportforupto50agents(upto 30 active at one time)
•Upto50queuesperserver(andanagent can serve one or several queues)
•Severallines(i.e.,extensionnumbers)per queue that can accommodate mul- tiple callers simultaneously if needed
•Supportforoverflowqueuesduringpeak business periods
Voice and Unified Messaging so you
always get the point
Software Communication System 500 offers a voicemail system that’s integrated with the user’s desktop, offering a simple, seamless way to access and control voice messages from a variety of user touch-points. It supports up to 1,000 voicemail boxes, up to 2,000 hours of storage, user-configurable distribution lists and messages can even be accessed through telephone set, soft-client or a personal browser-based user portal. Messages can even be forwarded to a user’s email account, creating a singular (or unified) place for both email and voicemail for easy filing or forwarding.
The result is very simple and effec-tive unified messaging that can lead to substantial time-savings for employees.
Call Detail Recording (CDR)
to understand and optimize
communications
The system can collect Call Detail Records (CDRs) for all calls and store them in a database on the server. From there, CDRs can be accessed directly by a billing application. Business owners don’t have to print a report to see the information; they can view CDRs right from the administration Web interface. It’s also possible to export CDRs to popular reporting software applications like Crystal Reports, as well as Microsoft Excel. The end result is a complete set of records that are easy to access, browse and even export and customize.
“Plug-and-play” makes configuration
and administration simple
Software Communication System 500 was designed with simplicity in mind, not only from an end-user perspective but also for IT managers concerned about administration and support. Through plug-and-play management, phones and gateways are ready for use the moment they’re installed. Software Communication System 500 automati-cally generates all required configura-tion profiles for phones and gateways, offering simplified provisioning of new devices with just a few clicks. Plug-
and-play management even extends to managing firmware upgrades, localiza-tion, phone directory and speed-dial information. This all boils down to an easy-to-manage solution that you don’t need a PHD to support.
Figure 3. Solution components — Applications – Personal Auto Attendant
A B
No answer Personal Auto Attendant
1
2 Home phone
3 Home office
Cell phone
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Support for hard clients, softphones and application plug-ins — to keep employees connected
Hard Clients
The Software Communication System 500 supports a variety of SIP-based telephones, including the LG-Nortel IP Phone 6800 Series, the Nortel IP Phone 1535 video phone, and the Polycom SoundPoint IP Phone Series and SoundStation audio conferencing series.
LG-NortelIPPhone6800Series:Portfolio of three (6804, 6812 and 6830) fully-featured, business-class SIP phones that balance advanced functionality in a cost-effective package. These desk sets have been purpose built for economy-minded SMBs and come with a full range of big-business features available at a small-business price. The portfolio includes the 6804, an entry-level set for common areas; the 6812, an interme-diate-level phone for most employees;
User “Low-use” common areas: lobbies, conference rooms
Knowledge workers, most employees
Attendants and office managers
LCD Display N/A
Soft Keys N/A
Line Appearance
Up to 4 11 24
Headset N/A 2.5mm jack
Expanded AutoDial
N/A
Phone Book N/A
Locally Stored Call Logs
N/A
Common Attributes
3 line x 24 character LCD
3 soft keys, 2 direction keys
2.5mm jack
Using the LG Nortel Direct Station Select (DSS) 6848 for speed dialing only (i.e., no line appearance display)
100 number
Power over Ethernet (PoE), integrated speaker with volume control, speaker capability, volume bar providing fingertip control of audio and ringer volume settings, line LEDs indicating call status, multiple line appearances, multiple ring-tones and programmable flexible keys.
Received, missed and outgoing calls
Table 2. Solution components — Hard Clients: LG-Nortel IP Phone 6800 SeriesLG-Nortel
IP Phone 6804LG-Nortel
IP Phone 6812LG-NortelDSS 6848
LG-Nortel IP Phone 6830
LG-NortelDSS 6848
Polycom SoundPoint IP Polycom SoundPoint IP Polycom SoundPoint IP
and finally the 6830, a more profes-sional-level offering for power users and administrative personnel. In addition, both the 6812 and 6830 models offer an optional add-on attendant for expanded auto-dialing (LG-Nortel Direct Station Select 6848).
NortelIPPhone1535: An innovative video phone that uses SIP to establish both voice and video calls, and can even be used to check your email or browse the Web. The IP Phone 1535 provides extensive telephony services, multimedia tools, full video conversa-tion functionality, an array of ring melodies and a personalized display. It uses SIP to establish both voice and video calls, connecting to the LAN via an Ethernet connection or even by 802.11b/g wireless (Wi-Fi) connection.
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Table 3.
Solution components —
Hard Clients: Polycom
SoundPoint IP Phone
Portfolio
Feature SoundPoint IP 330
SoundPoint IP 430
SoundPoint IP 550/560*
SoundPoint IP 650
SoundPoint IP 670
Lines 2 2 4 6 6
Display 102 x 33 132 x 46 320 x 160 320 x 160 320 x 160
Hard Keys 15 16 26 26 26
Soft Keys 3 4 4 4 4
Speakerphone Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Integrated PoE Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Micro Browser XHTML XHTML XHTML XHTML XHTML
LAN Interface 330 (2 ports) 2 550 (2 ports)560 (GigE)*
2 GigE
Expansion Modules No No No Yes Yes
Asia Character Support No No Yes Yes Yes
Polycom HD Voice Not available Not available Yes Yes Yes
USB Port Support No No No Yes Yes
* Only difference is GigE support on SoundPoint IP 560
ThePolycomSoundPointIPPhoneSeries is a portfolio of six (330, 430, 550, 560, 650 and 670) fully-featured, business-class SIP phones to accommo-date all types of users.
SoundPoint IP 330 is a basic cost-effec-tive desktop IP phone for lobbies, lunch rooms and other common areas, as well as entry-level users.
SoundPoint IP 430 is often frequently used in common areas, but also targets intermediate-level users with low to medium volume of calls.
SoundPoint IP 550 and 560 are similar in that they both target intermediate-level users with a medium to high volume of calls, but the 560 is GigE enabled.
SoundPoint IP 650 targets more professional-level users like managers and office administrators, and supports up to three expansion modules.
SoundPoint IP 670 is a GigE-enabled color phone that targets both execu-tive and office administrative users with medium to high volume of calls while supporting up to three expansion modules.
Polycom SoundStation IP 6000 Polycom SoundStation IP 7000
PolycomSoundStationIPSolutions — Two audio conferencing units with superior sound quality, high-resolution displays and an integrated two-port 10/100 Ethernet switch. The SoundStation IP 6000 is a standard conferencing phone designed for small and midsize rooms, while the SoundStation IP 7000 is more advanced and typi-cally used in larger rooms. The IP 7000 also has a large high-resolution display with XHTML microbrowser capa bility, flexible configuration options that allow you to do multi-unit connectivity, and even expansion microphones to meet the needs of many different types of rooms.
The Software Communi cation System 500 offers two softphones for making phone calls directly from a PC — a contact-centric and traditional keypad-centric version, both of which offer presence, secure instant messaging and video conferencing.
NortelSoftphone34552: This
business-grade phone features a dial-pad-centric interface that allows users to manage their voice, video, Instant Messaging (IM) and presence appli-cations on their desktop, for an easy transition from a traditional hard phone to unified communications. Other highlights include:
•EnhancedQualityofService(QoS)for voice and video calls
•Acomprehensivepersonaladdressbook, including detailed call lists and history
•InstantMessaging(IM)and presence management
•Voiceandvideocallrecording
•SIP-basedsignalingforallinter- active media sessions
•Low-touchconfigurationofyouraudio and video devices
NortelSoftphone34562: This busi-ness-grade phone is similar to the 3455, but features a contact-centric interface that lets individuals use their address book to provide a unified communica-tions experience for voice, video, Instant Messaging (IM) and presence applica-tions. The 3456 offers all the great features of the 3455 plus:
• CallManagementthatletsusers see a picture-in-picture video layout anduseQuickTransferforcalls
• ContactManagementthatallowsusers to view their combined history for calls and IM attached to contact details, along with avatars for indi-vidual contacts
• IMManagementthatenablesthem to send instant messages to groups and use IM tabs for multiple IM conversations in one window
Nortel Plug-In 3458 for Microsoft® Office Outlook®
Summary Keypad centric with IM, presence and video
conferencing capabilities
Contact-list centric with IM, presence and video
conferencing capabilities
Application integration within the IBM® Lotus
Notes®/Sametime®
application
Application integration within the Microsoft®
Office Outlook® application
Address Book Click to call from Sametime/Notes contacts
+ call lists/history
Click to call from MS Outlook contacts +
call lists/history
Presence
Instant Messaging
Enhanced Quality of Service (QoS)
Audio/Video Configuration
Voice Conferencing
Video Call /Conferencing
Yes, with detailed call lists/history and can import MS Outlook contacts
Yes, with optional privacy rules and notification alerts
Not available*
Yes, both individual and group Not available*
Voice and video Voice only
Low-touch (audio/video) Low-touch (audio only)
Ad hoc and multi-party and recording available Ad hoc and multi-party
Ad hoc and multi-party (up to 4 participants) and recording available
Not available
* IBM® Lotus Notes®/Sametime® application supports IM/Presence with exception of SIP phone status.
Table 4. Solution components — Softphones and Application Plug-Ins overview
2 Supported on Microsoft Windows Vista, XP, 2000. 3 Supported on Lotus Notes 8.0 and Sametime 7.5.1.4 Supported on Microsoft Windows Vista, XP, 2000.
• Theabilitytosendemailtoacontactor group using your default email application
• Offerspresencemanagementthatallows for unique privacy rules for each contact
NortelPlug-In3457forIBM®LotusNotes®/Sametime®3: This client brings IP phone functionality to a user’s IBM® Lotus Notes®/Sametime® environment, allowing them to make, receive and transfer phone calls without having to
Nortel Softphone 3455
Nortel Softphone 3456
Table 5. Solution components —
Nortel Softphone 3455 and 3456
Nortel is a recognized leader in delivering communications capabilities that make the promise of Business Made Simple a reality for our customers. Our next-generation technologies, for both service provider and enterprise networks, support multimedia and business-critical applications. Nortel’s technologies are designed to help eliminate today’s barriers to efficiency, speed and performance by simplifying networks and connecting people to the information they need, when they need it. Nortel does business in more than 150 countries around the world. For more information, visit Nortel on the Web at www.nortel.com. For the latest Nortel news, visit www.nortel.com/news.
For more information, contact your Nortel representative, or call 1-800-4 NORTEL or 1-800-466-7835 from anywhere in North America.
Nortel, the Nortel logo, Nortel Business Made Simple and the Globemark are trademarks of Nortel Networks. All other trademarks are the property of their owners.
In the United States:Nortel 35 Davis DriveResearch Triangle Park, NC 27709 USA
In Canada:Nortel 195 The West MallToronto, Ontario M9C 5K1 Canada
In Caribbean and Latin America:Nortel 1500 Concorde TerraceSunrise, FL 33323 USA
In Europe:Nortel Maidenhead Office Park, Westacott Way Maidenhead Berkshire SL6 3QH, UKEmail: [email protected]
In Asia:Nortel United Square101 Thomson RoadSingapore 307591Phone: (65) 6287 2877
leave the Lotus application. In addition to full call-handling capabilities, the Lotus Client also provides users with easy access to their voicemail inbox.
NortelPlug-In3458forforMicrosoft®OfficeOutlook®4: This client offers communication integra-tion within a user’s Microsoft Outlook environment, allowing them to easily import their address book into or from their contact list and dial directly from the application. They can even establish a call from manual entry, redial, drag and drop, contacts, inbox, profile or directly from an email message.
Nortel SMB Data — Rounding out the Software Communication System 500 solution
When you combine Software Commu ni- cation System 500 with the Nortel SMB Data portfolio — including the Business Access Point 120, the Business Secure Routers 222/252, and the Business Ethernet Switches 50/100/200/1000 — you get a comprehensive, end-to-end solution for SMBs. All of these products are standards-based offerings that comple-ment Software Communication System
500withQualityofService(QoS)and Power over Ethernet (PoE) capa-bilities, and have been designed from the ground up with SMBs in mind, including growth considerations, form-factor, security and pricing.
The better alternative: 30%/2X/$0
Compared with the leading data competitor, Nortel’s SMB Data portfolio is 30 percent more cost- effective with twice the wireless reach and free VPN support. In fact, Nortel has been working closely with the Tolly Group, an objective third-party product performance testing organization, and our SMB Data portfolio has always come through with flying colors. This all boils down to better price/perfor-mance, better technology and features, better reliability and simply put, a better alternative.
Interoperability with third-party solutions
The open-source philosophy of Nortel’s SIP-based Software Communication System 500 enables third-party compa-nies to pursue interoperability and compatibility designations with this innovative Nortel platform, thereby expanding the portfolio of complemen-tary solutions even further.
Exclusively through membership within the Nortel Developer Program, compa-nies are provided with access to infor-mation, resources and services designed to enable the delivery and deployment of world-class, next-generation customer solutions which align and interoperate with Nortel’s Software Communication System 500.
For a complete listing of third-party products currently registered as interop-erable or designated as compatible with Software Communication System 500, please visit: http://www.nortel.com/prd/dpp/product/scs_500.html.
Business made simple.
When it comes to affordable, unified communications solutions that reduce costs, enhance productivity and increase revenue for SMBs, look no further than Nortel — a company that has been delivering voice and data systems to companies large and small for decades — and which continues to lead the market in small and medium business communications today.
To find out more about Nortel Software Communication System 500, visit www.nortel.com/scs500.
