Aastra MX-One Compact Brings UC to SMBs

At the ITExpo East 2010 show, Aastra is demonstrating its new MX-One Compact offering, which brings unified communications technology-including integrated mobility and productivity enhancing tools-to SMBs. The Aastra product is for deployments of up to 300 extensions, and is designed to offer enterprise-grade communications capabilities to smaller businesses.

Aastra is looking to give SMBs the same communications capabilities as larger enterprises.

At the ITExpo East 2010 show in Miami Jan. 20, Aastra unveiled the MX-One Compact, a UC (unified communications) call control manager that offers such capabilities as the integration of mobile phones into the call manager and advanced messaging.

The goal is to give SMBs an affordable option that lets them reap the benefits of a UC environment, including greater collaboration capabilities to increase worker productivity and improve customer service.

"Now, small and medium businesses can receive the benefits of a full-featured and scalable enterprise-grade solution for deployments of up to 300 extensions in a cost-effective way," Tim Whittington, senior vice president and general manager of Aastra USA, said in a statement.

The UC bundle-an SMB-targeted version of Aastra's MX-One offering-integrates mobile phones into the call center via fixed mobile convergence, which enables workers to get on their handheld devices all the features that they'd see on their office desk phones.

The advanced messaging feature-for voice mail, fax mail and unified messaging-is one of several productivity features that include call screening.

It also makes it possible for all workers-including those who are on the road or working from home-to be reached on the same number as their office phones.

The MX-One Compact bundle supports such communications protocols as SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) on both extension and trunk lines.

The UC market is becoming increasingly competitive, with Cisco Systems and Avaya-with its recent acquisition of Nortel Networks' enterprise business-leading the field, according to a report from research firm Dell'Oro Group released in December.