Aspect Software Snaps Up BlueNote

In a Boston-area merger, Aspect Software is acquiring "substantially all" of the assets of BlueNote Networks. Aspect adds SOA and more of an enterprise UC spin with the acquisition of BlueNote.

Terms of the deal weren't disclosed. Aspect is spinning the acquisition as an extension of its "UC for the contact center" strategy with BlueNote bringing "IT ready" software products for enabling business process communications. Aspect Software says its customers will be able to extend SIP-based services to enterprise users as an integral part of a service oriented architecture (SOA) and will get such goodies as interactive multichannel communications, globally-reachable communications services and integrated workflow applications.

Aspect has invested considerable energy into building a unified communications contact center solution around Digium's Asterisk open source software. BlueNote, started in 2005 as a spin-off out of Fidelity Investment IP communications development efforts, has pounded the table from day one with SOA and being able to integrate into enterprise network architectures.

SIP is the point where the two companies touch, but it will be interesting to see if the BlueNote SOA philosophy is carried forward into enterprise and contact center applications. BlueNote only uses a small portion of Asterisk to support voicemail recording and delivery. Aspect and BlueNote have already demonstrated interoperability of their products through SIP, specifically putting BlueNote's "click to call" and presence engine into a proof of concept for Aspect customers.

An Aspect spokesperson said the company has a "particular focus" on BlueNote's firewall/NAT traversal and audio quality monitoring capabilities for SIP communication for remote agent support, as well looking at BlueNote's "excellent" web service enablement for tighter integration between CRN systems and the contact center.

For more:
- Aspect announces purchase of BlueNote

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