CAPE TOWN: Vodacom South Africa has launched One Net Business, a cloud-based unified communications service that converges fixed and mobile telephony services, reports ITNewsafrica. Customers can switch a call between their mobile and landline phones at the push of a button. They can make or receive a call in the office on a fixed phone and continue it via mobile, without a break in transmission.
One Net Business has already deployed by Vodafone in thirteen markets worldwide. The service integrates company landlines, mobiles, desktop and tablet connectivity in a single platform. More advanced features include instant messaging, voice, video and web conferencing as well as immediate document sharing, even on the go. This is done in the cloud, so there is no need for on-premise equipment, and employees can work effectively, whether in the office or out and about. There is no need to download client software, which means One Net Business is compatible with any device, negating the need for field workers to have specialised devices.
One Net Business customers have greater communications cost control via a flexible, scalable service that can expand with the workforce. This enables businesses to minimise their capital expenditure and consumable services in a predictable way, for example, by purchasing 100 licences for a staff of 100. The ability to link fixed and mobile phones means unlimited free Closed User Group minutes for each end user subscribed to the service. One Net Business offers one hosted service, one number for fixed and mobile calls, one voicemail for all messages and one contract. It is suitable for businesses of all sizes and types.
The ability to have a single geographic number means larger businesses can remove landlines and employ more staff who can work from anywhere, negating the need for more office space, while small and medium businesses can still look professional even when using mobile devices. The single number enables parallel and simultaneous ringing on all nominated devices.
Alternatively, intelligent call routing ensures customer calls are directed to the correct person the first time, while employees can set some calls to be pushed to their mobile while all other calls will only be directed to their landline. Switchboard operators can see where an employee is with a presence feature, allowing them to direct the call to the most appropriate device or save on roaming costs by directing calls to a PC if the user is abroad.
