Desk phone access for BlackBerry

Research In Motion yesterday announced that BlackBerry Mobile Voice System (MVS) 5.1 now supports OpenScape Voice V6 from Siemens Enterprise Communications, which enables customers to access desk phone functionality on their BlackBerry smartphone.

BlackBerry MVS, together with OpenScape Voice, can be used to provide a comprehensive Fixed-Mobile Convergence (FMC) solution for BlackBerry smartphone users. Siemens Enterprise Communications customers will now be able to place and receive desk phone calls on their BlackBerry smartphones and enjoy the convenience of single number reach, extension dialing and phone features such as hold, transfer and ad-hoc conferencing.

For connection with OpenScape Voice, customers can use AudioCodes Mediant Gateway, which will allow BlackBerry MVS to be used with mobile as well as Wi-Fi networks, such as the Enterasys Wireless solution from Enterasys Networks, a Siemens Enterprise Communications company. With BlackBerry MVS, calls are routed through the company’s phone system, and administrators can set IT policies and controls to take advantage of least-cost routing and save on long-distance and international roaming charges. Call routing through the corporate phone system can also help with adherence to company policies and regulatory compliance requirements.

Alan Panezic, VP, Enterprise Product Management & Marketing at RIM, said, ‚Mobile and flexible working is now commonplace around the world and BlackBerry MVS gives companies the means to further leverage their corporate phone system and better support employees while they are away from their desks. Giving users a wireless extension of the corporate phone system via their BlackBerry smartphones can improve workforce productivity, save costs on long-distance and international roaming charges and reduce employee cell minute usage by allowing Wi-Fi-based phone calls from work, public hotspots and at home.‚

Rick Puskar, Senior Vice President, Global Portfolio Management at Siemens Enterprise Communications, said, ‚Siemens Enterprise Communications is pleased to add BlackBerry MVS support to our rich OpenScape UC portfolio. Mobility continues to be an area of innovation for us, and BlackBerry MVS will help our joint customers increase their mobile productivity and simultaneously drive overall cost-efficiencies. This solution provides a simplified communications experience which ultimately benefits both IT departments and their end-users.‚

In addition to support for Siemens Enterprise Communications, BlackBerry MVS supports corporate phone systems from Mitel, Avaya, Nortel and Cisco. For more information about BlackBerry MVS, please visit www.blackberry.com/mvs.

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