SINGAPORE Telecommunications (SingTel) has teamed up with business communications applications provider Avaya Inc to provide enterprise customers with Singapore's first managed end-to-end hybrid IP (Internet Protocol) and PBX (private branch exchange) solution.

Branded as SingTel Managed IP PBX, the solution enables enterprises to use IP-based unified communications applications without incurring high upfront and maintenance costs.

Chan Yim Leng, SingTel's vice-president for Business Products, told BizIT: 'This is a one-stop fully integrated communications solution that is easily customised and caters to our customers' communications needs, including telephony, IP telephony, unified messaging and call centre (services).'

Customers will get a dedicated communications solution where voice, data and video traffic are routed over a single converged network.

A PBX system, usually located on the customer's premises, switches telephone calls within a building or campus and also to an outside telephone network.

The new service integrates this kind of internal system with a IP telephony network.

IT research firm IDC expects managed converged networks (similar to the one SingTel is rolling out) to be the fastest growing segment of the managed services market this year.

In Singapore, by the end of 2007 this segment of the market will be worth US$45 million and will grow at a compound annual rate of 16 per cent to 2012.

Across the Asia-Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), the market this year is expected to reach US$530 million, growing 26 per cent annually.

According to Adrian Ho, IDC's Asia-Pacific research manager for managed services and enterprise networks, the migration to IP networks is accelerating, and enterprises are also increasingly integrating applications onto their IP platform.

'This dramatically increases the complexity of the networks which makes a managed IP PBX solution a viable option for enterprises,' Mr Ho noted.

SingTel's Ms Chan said the managed IP PBX system is fully operated by SingTel. 'It supports a mix of analogue, digital and IP phones and offers advanced communications features. Integration to disparate application and databases is possible. Regional deployment is also supported.'

Unified communications

Avaya's Tom Cheong said that under this collaboration, Avaya is providing its leading unified communications capabilities to the solution. 'These include IP telephony software, voice messaging, mobility applications, modular messaging, audio, Web and video conferencing,' Mr Cheong, Avaya Asean's regional managing director, said.

Unified communications is the convergence of various business communication applications. These include telephony, conferencing, email, voice mail, instant messaging, video, and collaboration across a variety of interfaces, from PCs and Web-based clients to telephones and mobile devices.

From a business strategy point of view, this collaboration is highly strategic for Avaya.

'One of our go-to-market strategies is to work with service providers who have the reach in the marketplace as well as the ability to be a one-stop shop for enterprises who are looking to streamline their communications needs,' Mr Cheong said. 'Customers have the benefit of working with a network provider that can provide a managed and seamless communications infrastructure, delivered over regional or global networks.'

SingTel's Ms Chan said the new service is superior to other such services as it's an end-to-end managed solution.

'Customers have a single point of contact for all their voice, data and communications services. They only have to work with one partner, establish one contract and enjoy one consolidated bill for all business communications requirements,' she pointed out.

The SingTel official added that customers can also take advantage of the attractive utility and rental options available.

Avaya's Mr Cheong said that his company has 'deep experience and expertise' working with similar service providers in this area. 'Amongst others, we have collaborations with AT&T and Verizon.'

Mr Cheong revealed that staff from both Avaya and SingTel have been working closely to ensure this collaboration continue to progress smoothly.

'There will be continued collaboration from SingTel's and our sales, services and marketing teams which mirror the collaboration work we are doing with other service providers and Fortune 500 enterprises,' he said.

Ms Chan added: 'This managed IP PBX solution is part of SingTel's strategy to enhance our suite of infocomm technology or ICT service offerings delivered on SingTel's IP-VPN (virtual private network) services to meet enterprises' end-to-end communications needs.'

According to her, other ICT managed services that SingTel has launched include e-Surveillance, Remote LAN monitoring and traffic optimisation.

This article first appeared in BT on June 04, 2007