Although Avays and Cisco are direct competitors, that does not mean they can’t share a few customers!
Avaya is acknowledging that a company’s Unified Communication needs may not always be met by a single product or manufacturer, it’s can also be a joint effort. In addition to working well with Cisco products, Avaya’s unified communications products can also complement Microsoft’s Lync Server.
In a Network World interview, Avaya’s CEO, Kevin Kennedy revealed a vision of the future that has some of the heaviest hitters in technology working together through their products. Although equipment and programs by Cisco and Microsoft offer some of the same capabilities as Avaya, there may be aspects of those products that fall short and those shortcomings could be met by an Avaya device.
For example, Lync Server offers a voice calling feature that directly competes with a feature of Avaya products, but Avaya’s version consumes 50% less network bandwidth. Users will find themselves faced with many choices when it comes to equipment and they can select which options they wish to utilize based on performance.
Kennedy was quoted as saying, “…customers and employees will decide what tools they want to use, and it won’t be just one tool…I actually think in many cases with many customers, we will end up being a complement to Microsoft and Lync.”
One of the reasons for needing different products from several companies is the BYOD trend, which is gaining traction in many offices. Having employees use their own devices at work means companies need to have the flexibility to support a wide range of equipment. Avaya has fully embraced BYOD with several products it has developed to assist with this effort which include Flare, one-X mobile and Identity Engines.
For more information on how Avaya products can integrate with other devices in your office, call Teltek today!
Teltek is a Certified Avaya Business Partner, NEC Dealer, and Microsoft Partner with three locations in the Baltimore and DC Metropolitan areas. We specialize in providing one call technology support for small to mid-sized businesses and nonprofits in Maryland, Washington, DC, Virginia and Pennsylvania.