IP Office 4.2 Released
Well I had to come off the excitement of serving on jury duty to write about what is likely some of the best news to hit Avaya IP Office users this year. Firmware version 4.2(4) was just released on Monday, Aug 11th. Now, in the past the knee jerk reaction was if the release was less than (10) it was not worth messing with. I have to say that with the new Avaya System Verification and all the testing that went into this new code train, the 4.2 release looks very stable. Combine that with the above par feature set, and IP Office is the best option for any small or medium business. Read more to look at some of the new features and links to downloads…
More detail about the features discussed below can be found in the knowledgebase or in the Tech Bulletin 97.
The first set of features new to 4.2 are centered around mobility. Two new features can work in conjunction to provide internal access to features from a remote device such as a cell phone. The first is the One-X mobility client. This client software was adapted from the feature released for the ACM/ECG lines. The client installs on one of the supported phones, and allows access via the phone just like the user was sitting on a phone inside the office. Transfer, park, outbound calls, all happen just as though the user was inside the network using the client, not as though they were miles away on a cellular phone.
The second mobility feature FNE and/or DISA (or both in combination). This feature pairs up DID numbers to features on the PBX. When an external number dials the DID, the CLID is compared to the user table in the PBX for authorization. If the caller is acceptable, the the feature is acted upon based on the settings of the user profile to which the call matched. A full list of these features are available on the Technical Bulletin. DISA works similar in that it gives the approved line access to dial tone much like an analog phone, allowing flash hooks and * codes for features.
Another great change in 4.2 is the date and time display. This is now standard. No longer is there a need for special programming in order to have the date and time displayed on the phone. A small tweak, but a major jump for some users.
Phone Manager Pro as well as the audio enabled version iPro / Softphone have been totally re-written with a new, more stable base engine. The enhancements should allow for more consistent audio quality, log in, and agent mode across all supported OS, including Vista. New features have also been included for changing a users password, setting outcalling lists, and forwarding of voice messages.
Lots of new enhancements in IP Office Manager and System Status Application will make management of the switch easier. There are too many to explain here, see the tech bulletin for details. Here is an overview of some options:
- Allowing Supervisors to change fallback destinations
- allowing reboots of IP Phones through SSA
- viewing license status via SSA
- View all users on an SCN via SSA
The new UMS should start phasing out IMS. The UMS option allows a client-less install and access via a web browser or IMAP folders in a email client. The web version can be SSL encrypted or standard http and installed on Server 2003 or 2008. The web interface is smooth, and easy to use. Playback can be through either a desk phone or the PC audio. The IMAP client breaks the old Outlook only requirement IMS had, and allows any client that supports standard IMAP, including Linux and MAC clients. The only requirement is IMAP support.
New phones are announced to be released later this year. The new 1700 series phones will resemble the 1600 series on the ACM/ECG platform, and offer a stylish value edition for IP Office. For many users this can offer a more up to date, IP enabled option for the users of the old Magix style 4400 sets. Paper labels, and the red and green lights are back. Button Modules should support over 100 buttons total on a single phone (32 buttons x 3 modules + 16 buttons on the base). All the specs are not confirmed, but should be out by end of year, we hope.
Embedded Voicemail, Music on Hold, SMDR, Trunk restrictions, and Visual Voice have all seen enhancements as well. Check out Technical Bulletin 97 for all the details.
For downloads of 4.2:https://support.avaya.com/
Tags: features, firmware, IP Office Release Versions, IP Office Versions, IP500, release