New Products and Services: Avaya Cloud Office, Aruba 5G, Remote Workforce Tools
Vendors pulled out all the stops to enable remote work for their customers.
Avaya made its unified communications platform available to the channel, and Talkdesk announced a package for remote contact center agents. But the underlying theme of March was around remote workforce tools, which became critical for many businesses.
March was an unprecedented month for business technology, as employees migrated en masse to home offices. For that reason, we saw several new technologies geared toward supporting them — SD-WAN, remote contact center and VPN enhancing solutions, to name a few.
Other product announcements had already been in the works before COVID-19 hit. Avaya, for example, had been priming partners for the release of Avaya Cloud Office for months in advance. Aruba Networks’ new solution targets 5G cellular users working in the office.
We assembled 12 interesting examples of new products and services that channel partners can sell to end users.
Did you miss our February new services roundup? You’ll find it here.
Avaya
The much-anticipated product of the Avaya-RingCentral partnership is here.
March 31 heralded the availability of Avaya Cloud Office by RingCentral. Partners affiliated with a master agent – such as Jenne – can sell the solution.
"Partners will see financial incentives and [the] customer will benefit from various promotions and a strongly supported platform to migrate to," Avaya's senior vice president of business transformation said.
Edward Gately has the scoop.
The much-anticipated product of the Avaya-RingCentral partnership is here.
March 31 heralded the availability of Avaya Cloud Office by RingCentral. Partners affiliated with a master agent – such as Jenne – can sell the solution.
"Partners will see financial incentives and [the] customer will benefit from various promotions and a strongly supported platform to migrate to," Avaya's senior vice president of business transformation said.
Edward Gately has the scoop.
Vonage
The cloud communications provider offered a new promotion for health care providers and nonprofits.
Vonage announced three months of free access to its Vonage Business Cloud communications suite for health care professionals and other public servants. They'll be able to use a stand-alone video conferencing solution as well.
“We know how important it is to avoid disruptions in communications for those working to support public services through this crisis,” Vonage CEO Alan Masarek said.
Get details on Vonage's product initiatives.
The cloud communications provider offered a new promotion for health care providers and nonprofits.
Vonage announced three months of free access to its Vonage Business Cloud communications suite for health care professionals and other public servants. They'll be able to use a stand-alone video conferencing solution as well.
“We know how important it is to avoid disruptions in communications for those working to support public services through this crisis,” Vonage CEO Alan Masarek said.
Get details on Vonage's product initiatives.
Wildix
The UCaaS provider released a new bundle of services to make remote working more accessible.
Wildix launched its Smart Working package, which lets employees use collaboration features from home without any software installation. And most importantly, users can get six months of chat and video for free.
Read about Wildix, which Gately covered as part of his UC roundup.
The UCaaS provider released a new bundle of services to make remote working more accessible.
Wildix launched its Smart Working package, which lets employees use collaboration features from home without any software installation. And most importantly, users can get six months of chat and video for free.
Read about Wildix, which Gately covered as part of his UC roundup.
Extreme
Extreme Networks blew up the news wires with coronavirus-related announcements.
The company introduced a HIPAA-compliant Wi-Fi 6 mesh network solution that will help health care professionals open up temporary facilities. Extreme also launched the Portable Branch Kit, which helps give remote office locations connectivity.
Extreme further announced an option for customers to delay certain payments until July 1. We covered Extreme in the same "work-from-home" column that included Aryaka and Intermedia.
Extreme Networks blew up the news wires with coronavirus-related announcements.
The company introduced a HIPAA-compliant Wi-Fi 6 mesh network solution that will help health care professionals open up temporary facilities. Extreme also launched the Portable Branch Kit, which helps give remote office locations connectivity.
Extreme further announced an option for customers to delay certain payments until July 1. We covered Extreme in the same "work-from-home" column that included Aryaka and Intermedia.
Cato
Cato Networks launched a new offering to help scale the number of remote workers a company can handle.
Cato updated its software-defined perimeter (SDP) solution to include clientless access. This aids companies whose VPN usage has skyrocketed in the wake of stay-at-home orders.
Learn more about the solution in our SD-WAN roundup.
Cato Networks launched a new offering to help scale the number of remote workers a company can handle.
Cato updated its software-defined perimeter (SDP) solution to include clientless access. This aids companies whose VPN usage has skyrocketed in the wake of stay-at-home orders.
Learn more about the solution in our SD-WAN roundup.
Ribbon
Ribbon Communications followed a busy February with an even busier March.
The company, which just a month prior revealed a new CEO, made several product-related announcements. A key item is Ribbon's Work@Home solution, which supports a remote workforce. The company also launched a new analog telephone adapter (ATA) device for SMBs and got some of its multiservice business gateways certified with Microsoft Teams.
We wrote stories about the Work@Home offering and other initiatives related to COVID-19.
Ribbon Communications followed a busy February with an even busier March.
The company, which just a month prior revealed a new CEO, made several product-related announcements. A key item is Ribbon's Work@Home solution, which supports a remote workforce. The company also launched a new analog telephone adapter (ATA) device for SMBs and got some of its multiservice business gateways certified with Microsoft Teams.
We wrote stories about the Work@Home offering and other initiatives related to COVID-19.
Talkdesk
The contact center provider has three specific offers in its new Business Continuity program.
One is Talkdesk Now, which enables call center agents to move their operations into their homes inside of 24 hours. Talkdesk Boost quickens cloud contact center migration to 15 days. Lastly Talkdesk Mobile Agent turns mobile device into customer support tool.
Learn about these products, which are available for a free three-month period.
The contact center provider has three specific offers in its new Business Continuity program.
One is Talkdesk Now, which enables call center agents to move their operations into their homes inside of 24 hours. Talkdesk Boost quickens cloud contact center migration to 15 days. Lastly Talkdesk Mobile Agent turns mobile device into customer support tool.
Learn about these products, which are available for a free three-month period.
Aryaka
The SD-WAN provider released a new offering that's supposed to mitigate the growing VPN pileup caused by remote workers.
The company calls the new Secure Remote Access (SRA) solution an "on-ramp" onto VPN concentrators. Aryaka's vice president of product and solutions marketing said that while many businesses already have a remote access solution, those offerings weren't built for such an all-encompassing influx of remote workers.
"These concentrators are becoming overburdened," he said. "They can’t bring up the capacity that quickly."
Read about the new Aryaka solution.
The SD-WAN provider released a new offering that's supposed to mitigate the growing VPN pileup caused by remote workers.
The company calls the new Secure Remote Access (SRA) solution an "on-ramp" onto VPN concentrators. Aryaka's vice president of product and solutions marketing said that while many businesses already have a remote access solution, those offerings weren't built for such an all-encompassing influx of remote workers.
"These concentrators are becoming overburdened," he said. "They can’t bring up the capacity that quickly."
Read about the new Aryaka solution.
TCG
Telecom Consulting Group (TCG) bolstered its SD-WAN portfolio with a new supplier partner.
The Florida-based master agent signed an agreement with Adaptiv Networks, which provides SD-WAN as a service. Adaptiv, which serves SMBs, will give subagents training and marketing.
Check out the story.
Telecom Consulting Group (TCG) bolstered its SD-WAN portfolio with a new supplier partner.
The Florida-based master agent signed an agreement with Adaptiv Networks, which provides SD-WAN as a service. Adaptiv, which serves SMBs, will give subagents training and marketing.
Check out the story.
Aruba
Aruba Networks unveiled an offering designed to combine the best of 5G and Wi-FI 6.
The Aruba Air Pass roaming service creates an automatic handoff for cell phone users that enter the office Wi-Fi network. Automatic authentication ensures that calls don't drop.
Aruba executives said harnessing Wi-Fi 6 as a "5G on-ramp" saved a great deal of money compared to other methods of making 5G accessible indoors. 5G is known for its difficulty penetrating into buildings.
Read more about Aruba's new solutions.
Aruba Networks unveiled an offering designed to combine the best of 5G and Wi-FI 6.
The Aruba Air Pass roaming service creates an automatic handoff for cell phone users that enter the office Wi-Fi network. Automatic authentication ensures that calls don't drop.
Aruba executives said harnessing Wi-Fi 6 as a "5G on-ramp" saved a great deal of money compared to other methods of making 5G accessible indoors. 5G is known for its difficulty penetrating into buildings.
Read more about Aruba's new solutions.
HPE
In the same story we covered HPE, which has a new 5G portfolio.
The portfolio features the company's newly announced 5G Core Stack. Another platform allows for virtual radio access networks.
The key advantage, one executive said, is how it emphasizes openness to keep companies from "being locked-in to a single vendor approach." See more about HPE on the second page of our Aruba write-up.
In the same story we covered HPE, which has a new 5G portfolio.
The portfolio features the company's newly announced 5G Core Stack. Another platform allows for virtual radio access networks.
The key advantage, one executive said, is how it emphasizes openness to keep companies from "being locked-in to a single vendor approach." See more about HPE on the second page of our Aruba write-up.
Telia Carrier
The Sweden-based company enlisted Cisco Viptela to power its new SD-WAN offering.
The solution uses Telia's backbone as its underlay and supports the use of MPLS as a form of connectivity. A Telia executive called it "easy to deploy" and good at securing remote worker access.
Get details on Telia Carrier's SD-WAN product.
The Sweden-based company enlisted Cisco Viptela to power its new SD-WAN offering.
The solution uses Telia's backbone as its underlay and supports the use of MPLS as a form of connectivity. A Telia executive called it "easy to deploy" and good at securing remote worker access.
Get details on Telia Carrier's SD-WAN product.
