IP Office is a UC and collaboration software platform developed and produced by Avaya, the global IP telephony and comms software company. Now on its fifth stable release, the latest R10 update is intended to consolidate the move from SME to midmarket Avaya made with the previous version, IP Office R9.1.
With no major overhauls compared to previous releases, IP Office R10 is more of an upgrade than a full blown relaunch. Avaya flagged up its main improvements as being added collaboration features, new oversight controls and better scalability. We will be testing all of these out in this review.
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How Does It Look?
Compared to the austere grey of previous versions of the main IP Office interface, the latest One X Portal screen contains more colour and is more pleasing to the eye overall. The screen is still divided into boxes which act as windows and logs of functions like calls, messages, directory and conference scheduling. With box top banners in Avaya brand red, and icons and buttons arranged into different colours, everything feels easier to scan and better organised than previous versions.
What Can It Do?
First off, the basics. IP Office was originally developed as a piece of IP PBX software, and has had UC and collaboration functions built into it since. At its core, it still operates as an IP telephony management console, with contact centre functions, call recording and directory services. But to that it also adds a full suite of UC capabilities, including video, conferencing, IM, presence and text, plus web-based collaboration features like desktop, application and file sharing.
In short, IP Office is an integrated platform where users can carry out most of the functions associated with communicating and collaborating with colleagues from one place. If you need to speak to a colleague to answer a query, you can check they are available on the One X screen, contact them at the click of a button via the Avaya Communicator app, and then share your screen to show the nature of the query. All very simple, intuitive and effective.
A particular strength is its support for audio and video conferencing. From within the One X portal, users can schedule meetings via a calendar system very similar to Microsoft Outlook (the two also sync easily). Conference calls support the full range of application and file sharing options, and users can be added quickly simply by dragging and dropping from the Communicator app.
The suite comes in the same Basic, Essential, Preferred, Server and Server Select editions as offered in R9.1. The Server Select edition, intended for larger mid-market organisations, can now support an expanded maximum number of 3000 users across 150 sites.
Avaya has taken steps to make diagnostics and upgrades easier, including improved support for cloud migration. Incidents where you have to restart after changing lines or running tests have been reduced, and Avaya is committed to zero restarts on future editions. The web client has also been improved so you don’t have to uninstall older versions to upgrade, if running the Server editions on premises.
New collaboration features include remote desktop control and full integration with Avaya’s H175 HD video station, a new all in one multimedia desktop device which also includes a cordless telephone handset, speakerphone and touchscreen.
IP Office R10 also includes new features for contact centre management. Workforce Optimisation Select is a new solution which offers new monitoring and coaching options to line managers and supervisors. There is a PCI compliant voice and screen recording feature, which means a users screen can be viewed as a recorded call is played back. It also includes speech analytics, helpful amongst other things for coaching use of scripts and keywords.
What do we like?
IP Office R10 now supports conferencing and collaboration over WebRTC, meaning you can get onto the system from a web browser. This means you don’t have to load the One X client onto a device to be able to get onto the system, making it much easier for users to access from home.
Who is Avaya IP Office R10 best suited for?
With the range of editions and support for up to 3000 unique endpoints with Server Select, IP Office 10 is a very flexible product suitable for businesses of all sizes right up into the mid-market. It is a great option for SMEs looking to add straightforward, all in one UC and collaboration capabilities to VOIP systems, and equally it is great for bigger organisations looking for a contact centre solution which something extra to offer.
What is it compatible with?
IP Office R10 is compatible with Windows, Mac and supports deployment on Android and iOS also. It offers a range of plug in options from other software platforms, such as Microsoft Outlook.
Summary
If you are an existing IP Office user, you already know what you are going to get with R10. Improvements to administration and maintenance, as well as better streamlined support for cloud migration, are good reasons to upgrade, as well as keeping up to date with security and resiliency protocols. The support for WebRTC is also a strong addition for businesses looking to encourage remote working.
For new customers, IP Office R10 is another very solid, very reliable integrated communications and collaboration platform. If you want to be able to do everything in one place, its breadth of features bring it close to enterprise class equivalents. It compares well with rivals like ShoreTel Connect or Cisco Business Edition 6000, and its contact centre functions are a particular strength.
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