The world of business communications and collaboration is changing at lightning speed. And almost every organization can benefit from Integrated Collaboration. These new tools are changing how work gets done and how customers or clients are served. The results are significant savings and efficiencies, as well as the potential for increased business growth.

IC brings a new set of tools to communications. Here are four top technologies:

§  Presence: Software can now show you who is logged into the network, where that person is, whether they are busy (e.g. on the phone, in a meeting, away from their desk, etc.), and if they are available for questions, assignments or collaboration. Presence also helps your employees avoid wasting time on phone calls or landing in voice mail.

§  Instant Messaging (IM): It is now possible to communicate quickly, without the disruption of a phone call, using instant messaging (the office version of texting). Quick IM chats can replace up to 30 percent of internal phone calls. Instant messaging is more flexible too: you can simultaneously IM with more than one person even if they are on the phone (e.g. checking facts while talking to a customer).

§  Virtual Meetings: These meetings are like being at the same table in the same room. These can be one‐on‐one meetings, where you and another person are looking at the same document while you are talking about it. You can even turn on video to be “in the same room.” These can be scheduled group conference calls, just as before, but now you can share presentations or documents, essentially from anywhere on the network.

§  Mobility: You can take these new tools on the road. Just as cell phones took voice calls on the road and smartphones took email on the road, you can now take IC on the road, having presence, IM, and virtual meetings from essentially anywhere.

Check out the white paper for additional information on integrated collaboration.

With the release of ShoreTel 11 come several changes to the ShoreTel system, including a name change of ShoreTel Call Manager to ShoreTel Communicator. The release simplifies integration with existing IT infrastructure and legacy PBX systems.

• View, listen and call back from ShoreTel voicemail box
• Access to and call back from call history
• Presence and preferred call handling settings
• Allows you to assign your ShoreTel extension to your iPhone
• Dialing to iPhone contacts
• Allows you to hide your iPhone number when calling out

A recent article from CRN listed the movers and shakers of 2010 and ShoreTel was one of companies recognized.

Review the points noted below and click on this link if you would like to see the other notables from 2010: CRN website

ShoreTel And Agito, October 2010

It was a big year for scrappy UC player ShoreTel, which, among several major events, gained a new CEO, and made a game-changing acquisition of Agito Networks, dramatically upping its stake in the mobility space.

Agito, founded in 2006, focuses on UC products that can integrate with an enterprise's existing PBX infrastructure to enable voice calls over VoIP connections, reduce calling costs and make international mobile communications less cumbersome. What's especially interesting -- and potentially huge for ShoreTel channel partners looking for flexible mobile UC solutions -- is that ShoreTel is going to keep the Agito technology vendor-agnostic, including PBX and UC support for both ShoreTel systems and those of its many competitors.

Recently ShoreTel announced that it has achieved VMware Ready™ status. This designation indicates that the latest ShoreTel software release has passed a detailed evaluation and testing process managed by VMware and is now listed on the VMware Partner Product Catalog.

Passing the extensive VMware-specified testing helps ensure that ShoreTel makes best use of VMware technology and is ready for deployment in customer environments.

“We are pleased that ShoreTel qualifies for the VMware Ready™ logo, signifying to customers that it has passed specific VMware testing and interoperability criteria and is ready to run in production environments,” said Bernie Mills, senior director, alliance programs, VMware.

“By deploying ShoreTel in a virtualized environment with VMWare® VSphere 4.0, enterprises can further lower their total cost of ownership by reducing server requirements, and saving energy and space. ShoreTel’s commitment to cutting the cost of complexity with brilliantly simple solutions aligns perfectly with the virtualization benefits offered by VMware,” said Kevin Gavin, vice president of marketing, ShoreTel.

The VMware Ready program is a VMware co-branding program for qualified partner products and is a benefit of the VMware Technology Alliance Partner (TAP) program. With more than 1,300 members worldwide, the VMware TAP program works with best-of-breed technology partners to provide them a comprehensive set of VMware technical and marketing services, support, tools and expertise to deliver enhanced value to joint customers.
 
ShoreTel can be found within the online VMware Partner Product Catalog at http://wwwa.vmware.com/partnercatalog/catalog/. Hardware products can be found within the online VMware Hardware Compatibility List at http://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility/search.

Apple's latest consumer tech innovation is the iPad and just like it's predecessors the iPod and iPhone, people are clamoring to find a use case scenario for the iPad in the business world. The device is without a doubt popular, with an estimated 3 million units sold in just 3 months it's difficult to argue the iPad's appeal.  However, the question remains, can Apple's primarily consumer based device effectively transition into the business world?  I'm here to say yes it can and give you my reasons why.

Mobility

The first and most obvious case for the iPad is the mobile user.  The 9.5 inch, 1.5 lb. form factor makes the iPad an excellent tool for the user on the go.  Lighter and easier to transport than a laptop and much more functional than a PDA, the iPad offers a pleasant and user friendly interface with a fully interactive touch screen keyboard for data entry.  E-mail, web browsing, calendar, meeting notes, everything the on-the-go pro needs to conduct business on a daily basis.  Offering options which include Wi-Fi only or a Wi-Fi/3G combo allows a user to pick which version fits his individual needs.  Users with limited access to Wi-Fi and high demand for connectivity can opt for the Wi-Fi/3G combo version, providing connectivity wherever AT&T offers coverage.  

Don't misunderstand me, the iPad is not a complete PC replacement.  If you're not creating in-depth presentations or complex spreadsheets while traveling between meetings, the iPad can function as a perfect replacement to the laptop or netbook.  I’ve been using my iPad since May and have effectively replaced 90% of my need for a mobile laptop. 

Apps

Apple's developer community and app store are rich with content ripe for the business user.  If you need something accomplished, odds are "there's an app for that".  From news publications like the Wall Street Journal to remote desktop applications allowing direct access to your office PC, the app store offers a little bit of everything for the business user.  Need to create a document or review a spreadsheet?  Documents To Go and Quick Office are nice complements to the iPad’s existing functionality.

With most apps at a price point of between $10 and $20, finding an affordable way to get things done is often quick and easy.  Don't see the app you need?  Wan to tie in to your businesses customer database? Have the app developed for you.  The app development community can even be contracted to develop custom apps to fit your unique business needs.

Cloud Computing

The proliferation of cloud computing complements the iPad’s functionality and was no doubt a factor Apple took into consideration when developing the product.  The idea of pushing and storing data in “the cloud” allows devices such as the iPad to access stored information from anywhere the device has Internet access.  This technology allows the iPad to have minimum storage capacity and a smaller form factor as the result.  Organizations which leverage cloud computing for applications and storage can access those services via the iPad.  Coupled with custom built apps, the combination is perfect for businesses looking to be quick and versatile.

Sleek and Smart

Appearances can carry a lot of weight in society, especially the business world.  If you’re company wants to appear as a sleek, smart, and cutting edge organization (let’s face it, most do), than the iPad is a perfect fit for your organization.  Sit in a meeting with an iPad and you immediately grab the attention of other attendees.  Attention, more often than nought can help your business stand out and get noticed.  Even popular television shows such as ESPN’s Sportscenter and CNBC’s Fast Money incorporate the iPad into on-air programming. 

Professional services, medical services, call center managers, manufacturing floors, sales professionals, educational institutions and many others have and are still finding new business applications for the iPad.  If your organization is interested in learning how to incorporate the iPad and other mobile devices into your business, Accent is the place to start.  Our business consultants can help your organization extend itself beyond the walls of the office and into the 21st century.        

While much has been written about Miller’s Magical Number Seven, ShoreTel’s seventh year in a row as Best Overall Telephony Provider in the Nemertes PilotHouse Award annual benchmark is only just making news.

But it’s big news.

For seven consecutive years, ShoreTel has gone up against industry giants, such as Cisco, Avaya and Mitel, and won.

And we’ve won because our customers say so, not because of our size, or our “influence,” or our spread across the industry. Nemertes is an independent research firm that surveys IT professionals and determines the results exclusively on their views and experience.

This year, our customers put us ahead by a massive majority. ShoreTel’s overall score was 4.22, while Cisco trailed behind with the next highest score of 3.90.

And in each of the areas rated—technology, customer service and value—we beat out the competitors and gained in standing.

For a helpful overview of the IP telephony market today and the ratings of all major vendors, download this year’s Nemertes report.

In an attempt to battle unnecessary and costly complexity, ShoreTel has begun an anti-complexity movement for the IP Telephony industry.

ShoreTel has denounced the way vendors commonly piece together solutions from several different proprietary technologies, creating higher long-run costs. Although it protects the vendors’ positions and creates a continuous revenue stream, it's a practice far more complex and costly to consumers.

Instead, ShoreTel has worked towards removing complexity from its system, engineering a solution for optimized IP-based communication and collaboration. It includes simple management and end-user features integrating voice, video, data, and mobile communication, and by reducing complexity, costs go down, as well as total cost of ownership

"ShoreTel’s 'Brilliantly Simple' campaign is resonating with both customers and channel partners," says UCStrategies co-founder and UC Expert Blair Pleasant. "The ShoreTel channel partners I’ve spoken with are very favorable toward the ShoreTel solution and lack of complexity, noting that the product is easy to purchase, implement, and use, but is full featured and well designed."

ShoreTel's campaign has developed some videos that attack Cisco brand, even camouflaging their logo, www.shoretel.com/simplify.html,  bold.

There is more to come.

ShoreTel customers rate its technology, customer service, and value highest in the industry

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Sept. 15, 2010 –ShoreTel® (NASDAQ: SHOR), the leading provider of brilliantly simple IP phone systems with fully integrated unified communications (UC), today announced that for the seventh consecutive year, it has received the highest ratings for IP telephony products from IT decision makers in Nemertes Research annual benchmark. The high ratings earned ShoreTel the Nemertes PilotHouse Award for Best IP Telephony Provider–Market Challengers. Nemertes, an independent research firm based in Illinois, received ratings for 37 IP telephony vendors and determined the award solely on the views and experiences of more than 2,000 actual users of IP telephony systems.

ShoreTel continues to win by a significant margin in all areas evaluated, beating all providers, including Cisco, Avaya, and Mitel, in all categories. “ShoreTel has maintained its first-place standing, with more authority than ever,” the report states. “This year, ShoreTel is the winner with an impressive 4.22 overall score.” The next highest overall score from a competing vendor was 3.90.

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

• Customers rated their providers on a scale of 1 to 5 in the following categories: Technology, Customer Service, and Value. ShoreTel was the only vendor to score above a 4 rating in all categories. Nemertes analysts also conducted in-depth conversations with a subset of IP telephony decision-makers to understand the reasons behind the results.
• Technology: This year, ShoreTel received its highest rating yet for technology, 4.33, surpassing last year’s 4.08. “From a technology perspective, participants rating ShoreTel also say the system is easy to understand and not overly complex like some of its competitors,” the report states.
• Customer Service: ShoreTel received a 4.10 rating for customer service, another jump over the previous year. One research participant, a CIO of a $100 million K-12 school districts is quoted in the report as saying of ShoreTel, “They are sterling relative to their peers.” ShoreTel was the only vendor to score above 4 in this category.
• Value: The value rating measures what customers think about what they get for their money. With the top value rating of 4.24, ShoreTel far surpassed the competition, beating out vendors such as Cisco, Avaya, Mitel and Microsoft.

QUOTES

“We are honored to earn this highly prestigious award for the seventh year running. Clearly, ShoreTel customers value our commitment to product and service excellence. ShoreTel’s all-in-one UC system was designed to eliminate complexity by offering a brilliantly simple solution to help our customers align business communications with business goals, improving efficiency, reducing costs and increasing productivity.  Our partners and employees understand how important it is to our customers that the decision to bring ShoreTel into the business is the right decision. Our consistently high marks in the Nemertes PilotHouse Awards indicate that we continue to deliver on these promises”

-          John W. Combs, CEO  ShoreTel

“ShoreTel is the only vendor in any technology category to have received the highest scores since Nemertes started tracking IT decision-maker ratings seven years ago. ShoreTel's customers continually rate its customer service, technology and value ahead of all of its competitors."

-          Robin Gareiss, Nemertes’ executive vice president and senior founding partner