File Access

Days after helping deliver a new unified communications service, a Gaithersburg, Maryland-based VoIP application software provider is bolstering its platform to make hosted business solutions easier to deploy.

 

Officials at BroadSoft say they’ve made it easier to deploy their so-called “BroadWorks“ VoIP application platform, in part, by introducing a new phone-based login for IP phones from a Pleasanton, California-based provider of telepresence, video and voice communications.

 

Specifically, the platform now offers quick setup with phones from Polycom, Inc., which developed a “Quick Setup” key that is activated when the phone is powered up. The key enables users to retrieve their phone’s configuration files directly from the BroadWorks platform via a one-time secure phone login, so it’s longer necessary to individually match physical Polycom phones to users.

 

According to Jim Kruger (News - Alert), vice president of marketing for Polycom voice communications solutions, the companies have a long history of bringing high quality, user-friendly VoIP solutions to market.

 

“Our goal is to make it as easy as possible to do business with Polycom, and BroadSoft’s (News - Alert) approach to BroadWorks Device Management does just that,” Kruger said. “We’re delighted to deliver intuitive products to market that our joint customers can leverage in their UC environment.”

 

BroadSoft also enhanced BroadWorks with new device management functionality that enables service providers to pre-configure end-user access devices more easily.

 

In the past, providers need to either pre-provision devices before shipment, rely on standalone FTP servers to store files or provision each phone at the customer site. Now, they can provision analog terminal adapters, IP phones, integrated access devices and IP PBX (News - Alert) equipment – any access device that uses XML/HTTP for profile management – at the customer site.

 

According to Scott Hoffpauir, co-founder and chief technical officer of BroadSoft, the company has eliminated the complex staging and configuration process for service providers.

 

“Plug-and-play activation over a secure interface was important to our customers, so we took action,” Hoffpauir said. “We are committed to not only helping our customers scale their business by simplifying service deployment, but also expediting the delivery of critical business communications solutions to end-users.”