Partner Feature

November 12, 2007 - With a recently inked global OEM deal in hand, Mitel Networks and Sun Microsystems will be bringing to market the Sun server-based Multi-Instance Call Server (MICS). This innovative solution will give service providers and enterprise premise-equipment owners, who serve multiple tenants, plenty of reason to consider the advantages of converged voice and data. Mitel and Sun have also joined forces to create a unified solution that features Mitel's contact center software running on Sun Ray ultra-thin client hardware.

Handcuffed by Today's PBXs and Softswitches

IT managers are increasingly finding their business plans shackled to their PBX and softswitch infrastructures. Because traditional and current-generation switches force enterprises to use the same software version, managers must think carefully, and plan rigorously, to make certain a mass upgrade does not adversely affect any of their various user populations.

MICS to the Rescue

With MICS, on the other hand, enterprise and hosted environments can upgrade selectively - as it suits individual departments or customer populations. What's more, with MICS, all of the various instances can be controlled using a single management interface. "Customers are looking for applications that enable people to work smarter, faster, better and more collaboratively to drive business performance improvements," says Stephen Beamish, vice president, Business Development and Strategic Alliances at Mitel. "By working with Sun, we have been able to introduce unique, new solutions that allow businesses to upgrade at their own pace to protect their existing infrastructure investments...not because the multi-tenant softswitch is being upgraded."

"With this announcement, Sun and Mitel are easing the management burden for service providers," according to Sheila McGee-Smith, president and principal analyst, McGee-Smith Analytics, L.L.C., "enabling them to more easily support hundreds of customers."

"Hot-Desking" for Cost-Effectiveness and Convenience

Mitel and Sun also announced the upcoming Sun Ray IP Phone Bundle. Link? This solution features a single hot desk sign-on for both the Sun Ray ultra-thin client terminal and the associated Mitel IP phone. The Mitel phone set stand includes a Java Card slot to facilitate Sun Ray and Mitel IP phone hot desking. The Sun Ray IP Phone Bundle is ideally suited for cost and security-sensitive markets including contact centers, health care, education, financial services and service providers.

Competitive Advantage

By using Sun's Customer Ready Systems (CRS) integration group, Mitel will be able to source the entire Multi-Instance Call Server solution (Sun Fire servers, Sun software, Mitel 3300 software and the operating system) and deliver the entire package to the end customer. "We are excited about working with Mitel, a market-leading solution partner that serves the enterprise and hosted IP communications markets," says Peter Ewens, vice president, OEM Group, Sun Microsystems. "By utilizing our innovations, like Solaris virtualization and thin-client technologies, Sun is providing Mitel with a competitive advantage that is highly aligned with our 'Network is the Computer' vision."

Learn More

To learn more about the MICS from Mitel and Sun, please visit www.mitel.com and view the press release.