ShoreTel shouts more UC, new switches

ShoreTel [1] has announced release 8.0 of its unified communications system and two new voice switches. The release was mailed to reporters in a round tube rigged with a ringing and speaking gizmo on one end just to make sure we didn't miss it.

Release 8.0 offers more intuitive access to integrated voice, IM, email and video and takes advantage of scalable video coding (SVC) to provide high quality video to every desktop. A new user interface offers tabbed windows to access voicemail, call history, directories, and the speed dial list while the new ShoreWare Professional Call Manager supports 640x480 by 30 frames per second video as well as the usual suspects (presence, consolidated IM, built-in soft phone). The new UC system now also includes built-in support for SIP endpoints, devices, and applications that comply with RFC 3261.

ShoreTel's new ShoreGear 30 voice switch can support up to 30 IP phones or to support SIP trunks or devices.  The ShoreGear 24A is designed for the legacy world and provides 24 analog ports and can be configured to support multi-party conference calls. Both switches use less power, require less cooling, and take up less space.

For more:
- Read the (un-noisy) ShoreTel UC [2] release

Related articles:
Shortel hits Release 7 [3]
Lift-maker swaps PBXes for VoIP [4]