To continue this trend Siemens have announced the latest HiPath 8000 feature release, including over 40 new Unified Communications (UC) Foundation features, such as enhanced one-number service for UC, larger business-groups for Managed Service Providers (MSPs), new class-leading business continuity and disaster recovery options, expanded ENUM, and UC interworking with IBM and Microsoft systems.
During 2008, Siemens will deliver the HiPath 8000 platform to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the world’s largest broadcaster with 23,000 employees for whom real-time communications and media-rich collaboration are vital to its mission of gathering, producing and delivering content to UK license fee payers.
Also using the HiPath 8000 to cost-effectively deliver unified communications as a Managed Service is Global Crossing, providing services for the UK Government.
Both companies consider the HiPath 8000’s carrier-grade architecture, open standards, SIP-based capabilities and extreme resiliency to be instrumental in the reliable, cost-effective delivery of competitive and high-quality managed services.
Anthony Christie, managing director EMEA, Global Crossing said, “By combining the HiPath 8000 platform with end-user access to one of the largest managed IP network services in Europe, we are able to create a rich set of capabilities that will transform how UK government departments and our commercial customers work in the future. Their workers will gain new efficiencies through a full suite of advanced IP services supported by a completely secure and flexible working environment.”
“The migration to IP-based enterprise communications is in turn leading to the integration of real-time communications with business applications. The worlds of IT and communications are, therefore, rapidly coming together, and platforms such as the HiPath 8000 are facilitating that shift,” said Jerry Carron, Vice President, Research, Current Analysis.
According to Thomas Zimmermann, Chief Operating Officer, Siemens Enterprise Communications, large enterprises today do not need to replicate the old-world PBX feature set.
“Today’s large enterprises, institutions and managed service providers don’t need ways to deliver yesterday’s communications capabilities,” Zimmermann said. “Instead what they need is a strategic IT technology like the HiPath 8000 to integrate real-time communications and presence into their day-to-day business processes. That way they can optimise the performance and potential of their employees or managed service customers.”