Deliver

This article originally appeared in the March 2013 issue of CUSTOMER Magazine.

AudioCodes (News - Alert) has launched the One Voice for Lync program, bringing a bundled offering to businesses looking to integrate Lync into their communications infrastructure.

The AudioCodes One Voice for Lync puts all of the company’s voice-based UC hardware, as well as professional services and support, under one umbrella, explains Alan Percy (News - Alert), director of market development.

He notes that AudioCodes started with gateways, moved to E-SBCs, then added survivable branch appliances, and recently expanded to its IP phone line. (AudioCodes last year introduced its 420HD IP Phone (News - Alert). It is the first phone AudioCodes developed that is designed around Microsoft Lync. The phone was built from the ground up for unified communications applications, which means, for example, that it displays presence and manages presence from the phone screen as opposed to requiring the user to get that information from a PC.)

So, now that the company has all the hardware pieces in place to deliver voice-based UC, it wanted to create a branded suite.

Percy says the creation of this suite of products and services is particularly relevant for AudioCodes partners coming from the IT space. These folks are not as experienced in the voice realm, so can use a hand with integration, he says. One Voice for Lync gives IT-centric partners one place to go for all the voice pieces.

As of late February, nearly 70 AudioCodes channel partners had voiced their interest in participating in the One Voice for Lync program, Percy says, adding the company is working to bring partners onboard.

Meanwhile, the major contact center vendors have been lining up to demonstrate their integrations and support for Microsoft Lync. During ITEXPO Miami 2013, Genesys (News - Alert), Interactive Intelligence, Altigen, Acqueon, Zeacom and others showed their ability to offer contact center features for Microsoft Lync.

“With this focus on Lync and the extensive experience and certifications that AudioCodes already has with the major contact center platforms, the choice of where to go for voice-enablement technology, services and support should be clear,” said Percy.