The Agito solution expands ShoreTel’s vision of setting the user free to communicate on any device (desk phone, mobile phone, computer), at any location (office, home, remote) by allowing individuals to use any network (cellular or Wi-Fi), simply and cost effectively.
With this acquisition, ShoreTel says it has redefined the meaning of the “mobile worker” and changed the rules in giving mobile device users the freedom to work anywhere, even beyond the wireless network. “The Agito technology puts the full power of the desk phone in the user’s pocket, arming them with some of the most sophisticated voice and UC features available today, including enterprise call-control capabilities, voice over WLAN with superior voice quality, as well as presence and location. The solution provides productivity gains for the end user and the IT staff with its heterogeneous PBX and UC support for other vendors, including Cisco, Avaya and Microsoft, as well as legacy TDM PBXs.”
The company says the transaction further strengthens ShoreTel’s cost-saving proposition by reducing mobile and long distance costs and allowing business to use smartphones as PBX extensions. Enterprises of all sizes are seeing a growing segment of their workforce elect smartphones as their primary communications device of choice. With the Agito solution, ShoreTel will offer native support for leading smartphones and tablets including BlackBerry, iPhone, iPad, Nokia, and Windows-Mobile smartphones, reducing integration complexities for enterprise IT — a first in the area of enterprise mobility.
“This is a key strategic investment that creates a significant differentiator for ShoreTel in enterprise mobility,” said Don Girskis, interim CEO of ShoreTel. “Dependence on smartphones continues to skyrocket, but many workers still struggle with poor coverage areas, inferior call quality, expensive international roaming fees and limited feature sets. By integrating the Agito technology with ShoreTel’s brilliantly simple UC system, we free users to use any network (Wi-Fi or cellular), leveraging the power of the desk phone, and taking advantage of industry-leading call quality and call controls from their smartphone. This not only has a positive impact on productivity, but it also positively affects the bottom line with significant savings on mobile and international usage fees.”