Business VoIP

Allworx (News - Alert) has released Allworx System Software version 6.7 and Call Assistant 2.1, bringing more advanced capabilities to its VoIP phone systems for small and medium sized businesses.

Allworx System Software 6.7 sports numerous new features, including “One Touch Day-Night Mode” which lets business owners set the auto-attendant’s greeting from a daytime mode to a night time mode with just the push of a button. This can be achieved either in the office or remotely from any phone. In addition an administrator or manager can see which greeting the system is set to, via the user interface on any Allworx phone. The Allworx system also lets you change your auto attendant’s greetings, messaging and call routing in real-time.

The new version of the software also features “3-Digit & 4-Digit Extension Setup” thus providing flexibility in the number of digits used for extensions - and also providing more extensions to be assigned as your business grows.

Allworx System Software 6.7 also offers “Enhanced Call Detail Reports,” which allows for real-time access to third party call detail records via streaming data. This feature, which is ideal for offices with high volume phone traffic or perhaps even a call center, tracks call transfers and other activity and stores the information in a database to provide complete transparency into the phone system. These call detail records can be quickly formatted and sent to external devices for storage and review.

Other new features include voicemail and presence management; call queue reporting; remote access support; and more. The software is what powers the Allworx 6x, 10x, and 24x voice and network systems.

Meanwhile, Call Assistant 2.1, a Windows PC-based “IP switchboard” designed for operators, receptionists or individual users, now offers two new features: “Call Recording,” which enables calls to be recorded and saved on a PC as a standard WAV file, and “Call History Tab,” a new tab on the switchboard interface which shows completed calls, missed inbound calls, and unanswered outbound calls. Allworx also reports that the double-click redial functionality on Call Assistant 2.1 has been enhanced. This software lets operators and receptionists monitor the state of every line and effectively dispatch calls by answering, transferring, parking or sending to voicemail via their PC.

"The evolution of the Allworx product family continues at a record pace, driven in large part by the wants and needs of our increasingly sophisticated customer base," said Sandra Gault, EVP Marketing of Allworx, in a press release. "Today's announcement reflects the management team's strong commitment to meeting the needs of our customers and to maintaining our position as the industry's leading provider of award-winning VoIP communications systems to the SMB marketplace."

Allworx has also introduced a new loyalty incentive program designed to encourage and reward top performing reseller partners, the company reported today. The Allworx' Reseller Loyalty Program is available to all authorized resellers who have achieved the required minimum sales volume in the previous quarter. For meeting this goal, a reseller will receive Allworx Loyalty Dollars based on a percentage of the total purchases. These Loyalty Dollars can be used to purchase free Allworx products, including systems, phones, software options, extended warranties, and technical training. Loyalty Dollars earned in 2007 by an authorized Allworx reseller can be redeemed by the reseller through February 29, 2008.

"Today's announcement reflects our company's continued commitment to the channel, and our belief that the communication needs of small businesses are best served by putting Allworx solutions in the hands of our highly qualified channel partners," said Tom Grinde, executive vice president, sales, for Allworx in a press release. "Our resellers bring valuable customer relationships to the table, and we want to reward those who are loyal and committed to the Allworx brand over the long run. In the end, it's all about relationships and loyalty."

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Patrick Barnard is Associate Editor for Customer Interaction Solutions magazine and Assignment Editor for TMCnet. To see more of his articles, please visit Patrick Barnard’s columnist page.