Telvida, the specialist unified communication and collaboration company, today launched its hosted unified communications (UC) service designed specifically for small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Called Telvico, the service combines telephony, email, instant messaging and more into a single service delivered over the Internet. The service is based on standard SIP technology, and combines technology and services built specifically for small businesses to create a cost effective, easy-to-manage communications offering that mirrors UC offerings available for large companies.

Unified communications required complex integration of hardware, software and service from multiple vendors; putting the approach out of reach for most SMBs. “These businesses need the same capabilities as larger businesses, but delivered as a service that is simple to set-up, easy to administrate and backed by 24×7 support. Telvida’s offering achieves this, leveling the competitive playing field.

Sage Research found that unified communications gives employees about an extra hour of time per day. Information is shared and decisions are made more efficiently, particularly across offices and with remote workers. Total communication costs are significantly reduced versus the cost of maintaining individual systems.

Telvico integrates email, telephony, chat, presence, contacts, calendar and more into a single service. The service also supports mobile synchronization of email, contacts and calendar. Telvida manages Telvico service delivery from start to finish, including the provision of phone numbers and voice service. The service is backed by Telvida’s 24×7 support, migration tools and a state-of-the-art infrastructure built around Polycom, Cisco and Radvision equipment.

Complex implementations and high costs have shut SMEs out of unified communications, says Sam Oredoyin, Technical Director, Telvida; “Yet they need these benefits to level the playing field with big business and preserve funds for growth. Telvico makes unified communications’ benefits accessible. It’s the next step in our continued mission to provide SMBs with powerful communications services that are incredibly reliable and simple to manage.”

Telvico’s development began in 2011, and is designed specifically to support multi-tenant hosting and the high reliability that comes with that approach. The company has continued to beta test Telvico for close to a year prior to launch.

Workshifting – making the worker and their work environment mobile and relocatable – is the next big thing in business. It is projected that most organisations will allow some degree of workshifting by the end of next year.

From a technical point of view, this is a complex concept and a lot goes into this from the under-the-bonnet.

BYOD (Bring Your Own Device), or consumerisation, is something that sounds appealing and if you believe the hype then everybody is doing it. Ask people who are actually involved in setting up the unified communications frameworks and you get a different story, though; large numbers of people still get issued with a work BlackBerry or iPhone simply because they’re on the ‘approved list’; if they want to use their own devices then in some cases they’re told that’s fine but they won’t get support on enterprise apps unless they use the enterprise’s supported technology.

This sounds reasonable enough, but the security risks exist, there is no doubt, and nobody will do themselves any favours by insisting otherwise.

Mobility and enhancements to workforce continuity are high on that list. People whose workplace becomes unworkable because of fire or flood can keep an enterprise running. It improves productivity as long as it’s managed properly, mergers and acquisitions become easier if there is less premises and plant to assimilate and it’s a good tool for employee recruitment and retention.

Case study: Telvida was engaged as technical consultant on UC for Virgin Atlantic Airways, and we designed a solution to meet their requirement. Engineers in the hangers can easily work with design teams halfway across the world, sharing realtime video footage of the underbelly of an airplane…. just as a check-in staff at the counter can have a video link with luggage handlers loading the airplane… all using ubiquitous mobile or installed UC components….

Why not talk to telvida and see what we can do for your business….

Digium®, Inc., the Asterisk® Company, has appointed Telvida as an International Authorized Affiliate Partner.
In an agreement signed by Digium’s Steve Harvey, VP of International Sales; and Sam Oredoyin, Technical Director, Telvida will resell Digium’s products and services.

It is not something that surprises us, but may surprise you – VOIP is now starting to impact on Mobile Network behaviour and revenues. Continue reading →

Having launched a successful Unified Communications business, Redyx Systems, in late 2009, as the business has grown and developed. Continue reading →

Here are our top five trends we see maturing in 2012 bringing change to the marketplace.

1. SMEs Will ‘Get’ Unified Communications

From being the preserve of the larger business, with deep pockets and resources, smaller businesses will start to see the dual ‘power’ of Unified Communications – greater efficiencies and cost-savings, and also greater convergence of Continue reading →