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IP communications has come a long way from simple VoIP. It seems strange labeling it “simple,” given the technology involved with running voice calls over IP networks, but given the complexity of today’s unified communications solutions, it is relatively simple. The fact is, in order to place and receive VoIP calls today, users need nothing more than an Internet connection, a headset, and a small piece of free software, like Skype (News - Alert).

 

But in the business world, VoIP, while still growing in terms of adoption, has taken a back seat to more complex communications solutions — fixed-line IP telephony isn’t enough anymore. The growth of mobile workforces, work-at-home call center agents, remote workers, and the general desire for ubiquitous connectivity and increased collaboration has generated a demand for Unified Communications (News - Alert) solutions, which go well beyond traditional VoIP.

 

Unified messaging, mobile VoIP, desktop conferencing, single number and device availability, and presence, have created an entirely new communications landscape. This progression is benefiting end users, of course, but customer demand for new solutions creates a tremendous business opportunity for hardware and software developers as well.

 

Equally importantly, the Unified Communications movement has created a need for vendors and service providers to focus heavily on interoperability and partnerships, as there are only a select few vendors that are able to provide a complete end-to-end UC solution on their own, and even they need to work in tandem with service providers to ensure network reliability and performance. As such, the communications industry is now ripe with interoperability programs, ecosystems, and developer channels, all designed to create optimal solutions for businesses of all sizes and types.

 

Joining that mass of partnerships, Objectworld Communications and Grandstream Networks have teamed in an effort to capitalize on each other’s strengths and bring an end-to-end unified communications solution to their customers.

 

Grandstream, with its line of affordable IP PBXs and other voice and video communications products, has joined the Objectworld (News - Alert) Connect Interoperability Program, and likewise, Objectworld, which offers UC and CEBP (Communications Enabled Business Process) solutions, has become a Grandstream Interoperability Partner. Together, the two will look to further penetrate the SMB market with a tested unified communications solution that will allow SMBs to enjoy enhanced communications, at an affordable price.

 

Objectworld’s software solutions remove traditional barriers to effective communication, letting colleagues, customers, and partners exchange ideas and information quickly and easily, using the medium of their choosing. Importantly, Objectworld has taken the UC products that have traditionally been developed for Linux environments, and made them available to businesses running Windows platforms, meaning they don’t need the added expense and complexity of deploying new servers. Instead, they are able to leverage their existing investments in Microsoft (News - Alert) to drive new communications capabilities into their daily business activities.

 

While Objectworld provides the software that powers the UC deployments, to fully leverage that software, customers need proven hardware to bring UC features to the desktop, which is where Grandstream come in.

 

Grandstream’s line of SIP endpoints, its GXE series hardware IP PBXs with SIP Trunking capabilities, and VoIP gateways, provide all the necessary customer premises hardware to enable next generation voice and video communications. They provide high quality voice and support for a range of codecs, and are designed to be easily managed by SMBs without large IT departments. 

 

“Grandstream offers a compelling product portfolio of SIP-based products at a highly affordable price, while Objectworld makes VoIP and unified communications usable and accessible to small and medium-sized companies with Microsoft IT infrastructures,” said David Levy, president and chief executive officer of Objectworld. “Together Objectworld and Grandstream deliver the benefits of VoIP, unified communications, and communications-enabled business processes at an affordable price.”

 

Grandstream CEO David Li (News - Alert) further specified that the combined Objectworld and Grandstream solution can cost businesses as little as $250 per user — less than a single IP phone from many other vendors. For SIP connectivity, the cost increases only slightly, but is still under $300 per seat, with Objectworld’s UC Server SIP edition and Grandstream’s GXP1200 IP phone.

 

“This kind of breakthrough pricing for Unified Communications continues our pursuit to offer high value innovative solutions to the SME market,” said Li.

 

The combinations, however, are many, with the companies having announced that Grandstream’s entire line of IP endpoints is interoperable with Objectworld’s UC Server, available in three flavors: Standard Edition, CEBP Edition, and SIP Edition. With these various combinations, any SMB can find a solution that offers low TCO and increased ROI — two factors that weigh greatly on the minds of SMB decision makers looking to invest in a new communications platform.