Aastra, a global player in the Enterprise Communications market, launches its portfolio of Telephone sets and Virtual Presence videoconferencing solution based on the open standard Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) for the first time in the Middle East during Gitex GULFCOMMS.
"Aastra is challenging the traditional market for enterprise telephony by launching open systems, which can be combined with other vendor's solutions and even open source-based systems. This offers today's IT managers and CIOs a wider choice to pursue their multivendor sourcing strategy" says Dr. Roger Hage, Vice President Business Development and Marketing, Aastra Telecom Middle East
"Aastra is participating for the fist time at Gitex and is using the opportunity to launch its brand in the region" Roger adds, "Aastra as a name might be unknown in this part of the world, but Ericsson enterprise products and solutions, which Aastra acquired on May 1st this year, are well known and highly appreciated. Aastra will continue to support and develop further the former Ericsson enterprise products and will widen its portfolio with innovative new solutions based on Open Standards"
Aastra SIP terminals can be used on platforms ranging from Microsoft® ResponsePoint™ to Open Source Asterisk® and operator hosted IP Centrex soft switches like Broadsoft®. Aastra's SIP terminals include XML browser-based desktop phones, cordless handsets (DECT) and SIP base stations, and SIP-based wireless phones (WiFi.)
"Virtual Presence is more than just Video Conferencing" concludes Dr. Hage. "Presence and Collaboration will clearly enhance the experience and increase the efficiency. Today you have low-end video telephony and conferencing systems and high-end tele-presence systems. Aastra is offering its Virtual Presence solution (ViPr™) somewhere in the middle, positioning it as Affordable and Easy-to-use. While other solutions use a remote control to setup conferences - something which needs in most cases a technical staff because of the complexity of use - Aastra's ViPr™ needs just a touch on the screen"
ViPr is the world's first SIP-based videoconferencing solution. Its support for open standards means that it can be integrated with other SIP based telephone systems and applications - one of the cornerstones of Aastra's strategy.
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About Aastra
Aastra Technologies Limited (TSX: "AAH"), is a leading company at the forefront of the enterprise communication market. Headquartered in Concord, Ontario, Canada, Aastra develops and delivers innovative communications products and applications for businesses. Aastra's operations are truly global with more than 50 million installed lines around the world and a direct and indirect presence in more than 100 countries. Aastra is entirely dedicated to enterprise communications and offers one of the most complete portfolios of unified communications solutions individually tailored to satisfy its customers' requirements. These range from feature-rich call managers for small and medium businesses and highly scalable ones for large enterprises, integrated mobility, call centers solutions to a wide selection of terminals. With a strong focus on open standards, Aastra enables enterprises to communicate and collaborate more efficiently.
Aastra is one of the fastest growing global enterprise telephony companies in the world and was awarded the Growth Strategy Leadership Award 2008. by research analyst group Frost & Sullivan. With the acquisition of several major European PABX vendors such as German DeTeWe and enterprise telephony divisions of French EADS, Swiss ASCOM and most recently Swedish ERICSSON, Aastra became a leading player in the EMEA region comprising Europe, Middle East and Africa (according to a recent report from Canalys)
Aastra has 8 R&D centers of excellence worldwide (3 in North America and 5 in Europe) and spends a large part of its revenues in research and development of enterprise communications. Our global presence, focus on open standards and our solid financial performance of 41 consecutive positive results, will leave you assured in getting innovative, best-in-class solutions and support wherever your business goes and long into the future.
Founded in 1983, Aastra has since been responsible for many key milestones in the industry, including the first commercial IP-PBX for Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), later sold to a larger technology company. This type of vision is still very much alive at Aastra today.
Aastra's regional office for MENA is based in Dubai / U.A.E, hosting the regional support for our business partners (distributors and value-added resellers) as well as the marketing and business development activities for the region. Our office in Istanbul / Turkey is dedicated to the Turkish market.
For further information on the subject kindly contact:
Dr. Roger Hage
Vice President Marketing
Aastra Telecom Middle East & North Africa
tel: +971 50 458 7264 mobile
email: roger.hage@aastra.com
© Press Release 2008
