Alcatel IP telephony goes mobile

Alcatel has added voice over wireless LAN features to its OmniPCX IP telephony systems, along with a new softphone, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) links and cellular extension tools.

Version 5.0 of OmniPCX Office adds support for two new Wi-Fi mobile handsets – the Mobile IP Touch 300 and 600 – which give staff the ability to make IP calls from different locations within the office providing they are in range of a Wi-Fi access point.

The vendor is working with Nokia and Motorola to find ways of integrating support for dual-mode Wi-Fi/GSM handsets into its telephony systems, but said Wi-Fi-only handsets represent a simpler, proven route to fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) in the meantime.

"We have Dect [Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications] options for voice-only; and we have Wi-Fi phones that will work with any access point using SRP [SpectraLink Radio Protocol] for staff that want wireless voice and data," said Alcatel's Trevor Evans.

In some cases, the cellular extension service may remove the need for dual-mode handsets able to make calls over both Wi-Fi and GSM mobile networks. The OmniPCX Office nomadic cellular extension uses a single telephone number to forward all calls onto either a mobile phone or the softphone installed on a desktop, laptop or handheld PC.

The system's PIMphony attendant also supports multi-site configurations and centralised monitoring so that operators can see the status of an extension before they transfer a call to it. "Employees can send a text message from their mobile to say they are out of the office, which will show up on the operator's screen," said Evans.