20 January 2009, Cardiff
Aastra unveils its first business telephone system to support Welsh language
Latest version of Aastra’s award-winning IntelliGate IP telephony systems for small to medium businesses supports the welsh language for the first time and includes advanced technology to promote business efficinency.
Aastra, a leading company at the forefront of the communications market, recognises that organisations doing business through the medium of Welsh have a crucial role in keeping the country thriving, both economically and culturally. IntelliGate 7.7 is the first Aastra product to incorporate the Welsh language into its capabilities. Users can now select Welsh prompts on the displays of a wide range of IntelliGate system telephones which are designed for all budgets and applications, including digital, IP, cordless and computer-based options.
Mike Ballantine, Business Development Manager at Aastra UK said: “We believe that Aastra is the first company to offer such advanced solutions in Welsh. We felt it is important to give tools to help and encourage the use of Welsh in the workplace and the office phone is one of the most prevalent tools in day-to-day business to do so.”
“We also recognise that small and medium sized businesses need solutions that can improve productivity and customer service. This latest version of IntelliGate offers a hassle-free way to achieving this goal, by providing advanced applications for mobility and presence management.” added Mike Ballantine.
The IntelliGate 7.7 software is now available on all IntelliGate systems. This range of scalable communication systems can support anywhere between just a few users up to 600 extensions on any mix of IP and traditional lines, in one or multiple locations – including remote workers. All IntelliGate systems include an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) feature making it possible to have a welcome message asking callers if their preference is to be answered in Welsh or English. IntelliGate can also integrate with Microsoft® Exchange so Outlook® directories can be accessed for name dial and directory search from the handsets, or the call triggered from the user’s computer screen.
Andrew Green, Librarian of The National Library of Wales which is already using the new IntelliGate 7.7 solution said, “With over 300 staff, the National Library of Wales is a big employer in the mid Wales area as well as being an important institution. Some 70% of our staff are Welsh-speaking, including people from South Africa, Ireland, England and Wales who've learnt the language. We are very glad to have cooperated with Aastra to offer the Welsh facility to our staff and to see the Welsh language take its place with the other European languages. This is a positive step for the language and a welcome facility to our staff in the language of their choice.”
Aastra’s award-winning IntelliGate telephone system range is also designed to make the integration of mobile phones into corporate networks as seamless and user-friendly as possible. A growing mobile work force is driving demand for such integration, so that employees are easily contactable in order to provide top-class customer service and enhanced collaboration. Aastra’s IntelliGate solution provides ‘One Number’ functionality ensuring members of staff can be reached effortlessly , no matter which devices they are using or whatever their location.
“Connectivity is vital in this ‘always on’ business world and people often have two or three different numbers, sometimes even more. There are important benefits to be gained from having one number, routed to your choice of device and location,” continued Mike Ballantine. “To maintain and grow our leadership position in the European SMB market, Aastra is committed to offering highly functional, quality products at competitive prices as well as investing in R&D with a focus on integrated mobility and open standards.”
For more information about Aastra’s IntelliGate and details of resellers to buy or upgrade your business communications tools from, please visit www.aastra.co.uk.
About Aastra UK
Aastra UK is the UK business unit of Aastra Technologies Limited, (TSX:“AAH”), a leading company at the forefront of the enterprise communication market. Headquartered in Concord, Ontario, Canada, Aastra develops and delivers innovative communications products and applications for businesses. Aastra’s operations are truly global with more than 50 million installed lines around the world and a direct and indirect presence in more than 100 countries. Aastra is entirely dedicated to enterprise communications and offers one of the most complete portfolios of unified communications solutions individually tailored to satisfy its customers’ requirements. These range from feature-rich call managers for small and medium businesses and highly scalable ones for large enterprises, integrated mobility, and call centers solutions to a wide selection of terminals. With a strong focus on open standards, Aastra enables enterprises to communicate and collaborate more efficiently. For additional information on Aastra, visit our website at http://www.aastra.com
Media contacts:
Client contact:
Lisa Richardson
Aastra Telecom UK
Tel: 01252 532100, Fax: 01252 532101
E-mail: lrichardson@aastra.com
Media contacts:
Geraldine Grewal, Susannah Wyeth and Matthew Watson
Rainier PR
Tel : 020 7494 6570
E-mail : aastrapr@rainierpr.co.uk
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