Press Release
June 20, 2007
Ascendent Systems Enables Verizon Business to Deliver New Fixed Mobile Convergence Offering
PBX Mobile Extension Expands Advanced Voice Communications Beyond the Physical Office to Create a Virtual Mobile Workplace
CHICAGO, IL - NXTcomm - Ascendent Systems, a leading provider of enterprise voice mobility solutions, is enabling Verizon to deliver an innovative fixed mobile convergence capability for its large business customers. The new service, PBX Mobile Extension, uses the award-winning Ascendent Voice Mobility Suite to help Verizon enterprise customers turn any phone or mobile device into a mobile extension of their desk phone regardless of their private branch exchange (PBX) infrastructure.
"Working with Ascendent, we are able to offer a solution that works with any PBX to enable business-grade voice communications across a customer's wired and wireless enterprise," said Mike Marcellin, vice president of Product Marketing for Verizon Business. "With this new offering, we aim to help customers increase business responsiveness and productivity with capabilities such as single number reach and consolidated voice mail on any device. This sort of flexibility and innovation are trademarks of the Verizon Business customer experience."
PBX Mobile Extension offers a standards-based software solution that provides single number reach, real-time notification, conferencing, and voice continuity. The solution allows mobile workers to automatically extend the identity and functionality of their business desk phone to any other device (BlackBerry® smartphones, other cell phones, laptops, home phones, etc.). Users are provided with a single phone number that will simultaneously ring them on multiple devices so they can answer on the device most convenient to them. Once connected, they have access to desk phone features like extension dialing, transfer, park, conference and more.
The offering is ideal for businesses with users that are mobile -- such as executives, telecommuters, healthcare professionals or field service technicians -- and who need to be productive while away from their desks, allowing them to easily transition a call from one device to another (i.e. a desk phone to a cell phone) without having to disconnect and re-establish the call. PBX Mobile Extension augments existing, new or heterogeneous PBX (Private Branch Exchange) and IP-PBX (Internet Protocol PBX) environments and works with an enterprise's existing voice mail systems.
"We are very pleased to be working with Verizon Business to enable enterprise-grade voice mobility," said Theron Dodson, Director of Sales and Marketing, Ascendent Systems. "By leveraging both companies' expertise in the voice application industry, we are providing a heterogeneous solution that allows enterprises to manage mobile communications more effectively."
About Ascendent Systems
Ascendent Systems, a subsidiary of Research In Motion (NasdaqGS:RIMM - News) (Toronto:RIM.TO - News), is the premier provider of enterprise voice mobility solutions that allow companies to be more responsive to customers and crisis by giving them the power to reach anyone, anywhere, immediately. Partnered with major mobile carrier and infrastructure providers, Ascendent has solutions deployed in Fortune 500 corporations across many industry verticals including manufacturing, finance, healthcare, government, hospitality, and education. For more information: http://www.ascendentsystems.com
About Verizon Business
Verizon Business, a unit of Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ - News), is a leading provider of advanced communications and information technology (IT) solutions to large business and government customers worldwide. Combining unsurpassed global network reach with advanced technology and professional service capabilities, Verizon Business delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world. For more information, visit www.verizonbusiness.com.
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