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Digium announces Switchvox 4.0 at TMC show in Miami

We just arrived to Miami for the ITEXPO and while heading to the convention center we were immediately invited by Digium to attend a demo about their new release of Switchvox 4.0. In a friendly and informal setting surrounded by Digium colleagues, Tristan Degenhardt explained about all of the awesome features included in the upgrade but leaving on understood that we still get the same amazing features the system had before…!!!
We learned that Switchvox SMB 4.0 will have video calling support with H.263 and H.264. For now, the only phones mentioned were the Polycom videophone soon to be released and the Grandstream video unit. Users should be also aware that Switchvox will not support transcoding due to the processing requirements, so video calls should be made with the same codecs on both ends.
The new version includes fax integration, through a third-party partner, and it is the only part of Switchvox 4.0 that has a licensing cost associated with it. The new release will ship with two channels bundled T.38 license, with a fee added for each additional concurrent fax call supported. The fax support includes full auto-detection, so the same number can be used for voice and faxes with support for both SIP and analog calls. Switchvox’s new fax integration includes a printer driver that enables users to send faxes to other fax machines or fax mailboxes. Inbound faxes use the same DID as the phone, but the system automatically detects T.38 transmissions and sends the fax to the right mailbox.
Switchvox now also supports instant messaging, adding the ability to chat utilizing XMPP. It includes an integrated private chat server, so that companies can have a closed IM system and chat traffic can be kept on the local network. There is a chat client added into the switchboard feature, and since the chat server uses XMPP, third-party clients such as Jabber, Trillian and Google Talk can also be used.
It was mentioned a new XML-based API, Switchvox Extend which lets administrators create new extensions and access call logs, reports and extension lists, so VARs and integrators can create special applications. Third-party developers will ultimately be able to easily reach in and build their own applications for different vertical markets. The system also enables administrators or VARs to assign extensions in a batch file instead of typing them in one by one, and, there are now prepackaged reports that can be scheduled and e-mailed in addition to the existing on-demand reports.
Other features include 12 new Web-aware IVR (interactive voice response) tools such as exchanging sound files with Web applications, setting system-wide variables for building custom applications; Switchvox Extend, an XML-based API and Switchvox Notifier, a Windows desktop client that provides interaction with MS Office applications.
Other riches supported in the new release include IMAP integration for unified messaging so that when users listen to their voice mail in Outlook, the message indicators on the phone turn off. Also, users can customize multiple greetings and e-mail notifications optimized for display on a wide range of devices. Through the amazing Switchboard user can access organized phone books so employees can have their contacts into groups and keep multiple phone numbers for each contact. Also, a company directory panel uses type-to-find to help users find extensions quickly for any of their coworkers. Moreover with version 4.0, presence and status details for chat and calling activity are visible across multiple peered Switchvox PBXs.
There are some Call queue improvements, so small businesses and call centers alike will benefit from the ability to log into, log out of and pause a member’s status on each queue with a single click, and even add comments that are displayed to supervisors or other queue members.
Additionally Switchvox 4.0 supports BRI, an important step toward expanded international sales, auto-provisioning for snom and Polycom phones and HD Voice-high-quality wideband audio delivered via the G.722 protocol. This is high-quality wideband audio delivered with the same bandwidth required as a G.711 call.
General availability of Switchvox 4.0 will be March 3, 2009 and it will be available free of charge to customers with a current Switchvox SMB software subscription. For new customers, pricing for Switchvox SMB remains unchanged.

The ABP Team
Feb 06, 2009

Posted on Sunday, February 8th, 2009 at 2:05 pm under ABP BLOG, Asterisk Focus, VAR Partners. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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