Speech Design Receives the European Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC) Technology Award
Frost & Sullivan Product Innovation Award 2008
Speech Design's business FMC platform has received the Frost & Sullivan Product Innovation Award 2008. The prizewinning product is a scalable Fixed-Mobile-Convergence (FMC) solution for companies that integrates any desired mobile or fixed network phone into the corporate network as a "mobile" extension and enables seamless and cross-network communication.
All office calls can be made or received on either the mobile, fixed-line or IP phone. Mobile employees can be reached at a single business number (fixed-line office number) and have all the tools they need at their disposal. All convenience functions of the extension, such as call forwarding, are also available on the mobile phone. A single voice mailbox notifies the user of all voice messages, making checking two or more mailboxes a thing of the past.
- Frost & Sullivan Innovation Award (.PDF)
- Logo - Innovation Award (.TIF)
Fixed-Mobile Convergence (FMC)
Fixed-Mobile-Convergence, or FMC for short, is the telecommunications industry term for the convergence of the mobile and fixed-line networks and unites the flow of communications between office and mobile phones. FMC is one of the most important current trends in the telecommunications market.
What are the benefits to the customer? The communication process becomes more efficient and more professional. The mobile phone or any desired fixed-line or IP phone becomes the "mobile" extension of the PBX. Classic functions of the office phone, such as call forwarding, are then also available on the mobile phone. This gives mobile employees access to not only their e-mail, calendar, etc., but also to their office phone. The employees use only their office number for all incoming and outgoing calls. One voice mailbox for all voice messages and uninterrupted takeover of calls between the various terminal devices make communication more pleasant and convenient. The communication adapts to the requirements of each individual, not the other way around. Companies can lower communications costs by using Fixed-Mobile Convergence solutions.
How the technology works
Seeing the strong growth potential, network operators, mobile phone manufacturers and PBX manufacturers and their suppliers want to play in this market. They are constantly developing new technologies and products intended to make seamless communication between the various networks possible. Currently, a number of different technological approaches exist, but to date, none has been entirely successful in catching on. This is, no doubt, due to the differing interests of the individual market players and also presents the greatest obstacle for the successful launch of a profitable high-volume business.
The Germering, Germany-based company has succeeded in developing a technology that meets the needs of all market players. Teleserver Mobile Pro is a technological platform that unites mobile, fixed-line and IP telephony for the business users. The outstanding feature is that it is built on the existing infrastructure in the company, and no additional expansion of the network infrastructure is necessary.
The system is simply connected between the ISDN trunk interface and the PBX and is ready to use in just a few minutes. The corporate infrastructure can continue to be used and no modifications of the existing PBX are required.
This innovative technology enables international service providers, for example, to offer new services. As the first supplier in the world to do so, T-Systems is marketing corresponding FMC services to its German customers under the Octopus Mobility Services name.
However, IT system integrators and telecommunications dealers also benefit, as they can offer this solution independently of the PBX and the associated long investment cycles, which average 5 to 7 years.
Speech Design developed the "One Number, Any Device" concept and, unlike many other FMC solutions, supports any desired mobile or fixed network phone.
The company has also developed optional software for common BlackBerry, Nokia und Windows Mobile smartphones that enables particularly convenient operation and makes the most important features available via a graphic user interface.
Partnerships
In addition to T-Systems, other large partners have already come on board who are equally convinced of the success of this technology. For example, PBX manufacturer Avaya sells the Mobility Manager, an OEM version of the Teleserver Mobile Pro.
For HiPath 3000 PBX systems, Siemens offers its customers the Xpressions Compact Mobility, an integrated FMC solution developed in cooperation with SPEECH DESIGN.