Avaya IP-based teleworker solution expands with open network support

Avaya VPNremote® for IP Phones 2.0 is a software solution that lets businesses easily embed virtual private network (VPN) capabilities into Avaya IP phones, providing employees working at home or in temporary locations with the same enterprise-class IP communications experienced in a corporate office. With this new version, Avaya VPNremote phones now support VPN environments of Juniper Networks and Cisco Systems.

"This release makes it simple for remote employees to install a VPNremote IP phone in their home office without any assistance, just like they connect their laptop to the company network," commented Nidal Abou-Ltaif, managing director, Avaya MENA. "Middle Eastern businesses now have a simplified, more cost-effective way to boost the productivity of teleworkers (remote employees), and drive greater business continuity in an emergency."

Expanding the solution to now interoperate with third-party VPN environments reinforces Avaya's commitment to delivering open standards-based solutions that can be easily deployed on multi-vendor networks. The number of telecommuters and home-based workers are expected to continue rising over the next few years, according to IDC Research. In Western Europe, 9 million workers are expected to telecommute, whereas in the USA the number will grow to 10m workers by 2009 .

Improving IT Administration of Teleworkers With New QoS Capabilities

The first version of the Avaya VPN Remote phone debuted in December 2005, with features identical to phones found in a corporate headquarters or contact center. This includes capabilities such as a speakerphone, superior voice quality, enterprise telephony functions such as transfer and conferencing, and Web-based access to information.

In addition to expanded interoperability, the new version of the Avaya VPNremote phone adds advanced Quality of Service (QoS) monitoring capabilities that enable an off-site IT administrator to remotely monitor the connectivity and voice quality of a remote user's communications. The user can get QoS measurement information directly from the phone, which he can then relay on to the IT administrator. This capability helps administrators provide teleworkers with the same level of VoIP management provided to in-headquarters employees.

"As the teleworker population grows, more businesses will have to provide communications solutions that not only address the needs of remote employees, but also enhance their overall user experience,"

concluded Abou-Ltaif. "Avaya VPNremote makes working from home or a remote location easier than ever, and does so in a way that is consistent with headquarters-quality communications."