Vodavi Announces New Release of Telecommunications System Software - Product Announcement

Cambridge Telcom Report, Oct 11, 1999

Vodavi Technology Inc. Wednesday announced the introduction of Feature Package 2.0, the latest version of the company's STARPLUS and infinite digital phone system software.

This Feature Package 2.0 release provides customers with key enhancements that improve business and call center efficiency via Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) upgrades, and reduce hardware and maintenance costs with a new digitally integrated recorded announcer (RAN) and system management features. Feature Package 2.0 will be commercially available in October 1999.

"Our continuing goal is to consistently provide our customers with solutions that increase their business efficiency and reduce costs," said Stephen Borcich, Vodavi's vice president of sales and marketing.

"We are pleased with the progress of our system software, specifically this software release which incorporates a blend of end user productivity features for business and call centers, and system administration features that allow for easier management and maintenance."

Highlights of the New System Software -- Provides additional E911 security alert. To accommodate the immediate processing of emergency service requests or 911 calls, the system will now alert the internal attendant station set in addition to routing the call to the local 911 service center.

This enhancement identifies at the attendant station which specific extension number placed the urgent request assuring emergency personnel can quickly locate the individual once on-site. In addition, if all trunk lines are in use at the time an E911 call is placed, a non-911 call will be dropped and the trunk seized to place the E911 call.

-- Increases call center coverage and call handling. This release allows larger call center applications to reap the benefits of Vodavi's ACD product by easily accommodating an increased number of agents allowed per ACD group. Now each ACD system can support a total of 16 ACD groups x 252 agents per group. Additionally, this release provides the capability for any ACD agent to logon to a primary and secondary ACD group. Prior to this release, agents could only be assigned to one logon group. Finally, Vodavi has included a Zap Tone that allows agents in an ACD group to be automatically connected to the next call in queue without the phone ringing or having to push a new call button.

-- Reduces hardware equipment costs with Digital RAN Announcers. Under this release, Vodavi reduces customers' capital outlay for hardware equipment with the incorporation of Digital Recorded Announcement capability via its digital voice mail products. Customers can now use their voice mail automated attendant as their RAN announcer, eliminating equipment costs. In addition, callers will now be given prompts informing them of their Place in Queue and Hold Time.

-- Provides improved system maintenance and user administration features. This release adds features such as the ability for system administrators to conduct system programming from any telephone station, and the capability to assign call forwarding per station in system administration, thereby eliminating the need for users to program the call forward feature at the station set. The latter being especially useful in voice mail applications. Pricing and Availability Feature Package 2.0, will be commercially available October 1999 through authorized STARPLUS Triad and infinite dealers. The software upgrade is available at no cost for Vodavi's current installed base of customers.

Vodavi Technology Inc., is headquartered in Scottsdale. The company designs, develops, markets and supports a broad range of business telecommunications solutions.

Vodavi products include digital telecommunications systems, computer telephony products, and voice-processing systems including voice mail, fax mail, Internet messaging, and IVR (interactive voice response) for a wide variety of commercial applications. For more information on Vodavi, visit www.vodavi.com.