IBM, ShoreTel provide UC soln for SMBs

ORLANDO, FL: ShoreTel, a provider in IP phone systems with fully integrated Unified Communications (UC), and IBM recently announced the general availability of ShoreTel for IBM Lotus Foundations is planned for the second quarter of calendar year 2010.

ShoreTel for IBM Lotus Foundations is a unique unified communications and collaboration (UCC) offering for small and midsize businesses .

This, "UCC-in-a-box" solution is designed for the SMB budget and combines comprehensive enterprise-class UCC features, including mobility, security, email, instant messaging and advanced IP telephony, in an appliance-based solution, said a press release.

John W. Combs, CEO and president, ShoreTel said, "Small businesses don't have the same financial resources as larger enterprises, but they do expect the same reliability, flexibility, and powerful features from their communications system,"

He added that with the release of ShoreTel for IBM Lotus Foundations, they are offering the industry's first full-featured unified communications and collaboration solution at an affordable price point and without the overhead of other, more complex solutions.

"The solution from ShoreTel, Sametime and Foundations is a great fit for small and mid-sized businesses who want to deploy a unified communications and collaboration solution into their business quickly and securely," said Bruce Morse, IBM vice president of unified communications software.

With survival dial tone and built-in redundancy, the solution contains integrated intelligent data backup for enterprise-level reliability.

The solution is quick and easy to deploy in just a few clicks, and does not require on-site expertise, so SMBs can focus on running their business, not IT, the release added.