•Skype connectivity for business users directly from their phones
(Milan, 14 November 2007) Stonevoice, the leading Unified Communications Application Developer and Cisco Technology Developer Partner, announced today a new version of Skystone, its revolutionary new business communications software. The Skystone Software IP Skype Gateway provides interoperability between both traditional and IP-based PBXs and the Skype® world, enabling company employees to use Skype directly from their desk phones, without the need for a PC.
Skystone centralises corporate Skype accounts, with a seamless Skype integration available to any employee without the need to manage a double telephony infrastructure (PC phone plus desk phone) or having to install Skype on their PC. By simply adding a prefix to the called number, employees can now reach international numbers at low SkypeOUT rates. Businesses benefit from both reducing the telephone costs and freeing-up PSTN lines. The new version of SkyStone also provides additional features, including a Skype speed-dial import/export tool, multivendor support and advanced load balancing and ACD features.
“Today, the market is becoming more and more globalised” says Christian Bongiovanni, CEO of Stonevoice, “and small and medium businesses require tools that can make VoIP communications more efficient, reliable and cost-effective. Skype, the leader in Internet Telephony and the VoIP market for consumers, with hundreds of millions of registered users, is widely used for providing those tools. Skype was born for the consumer world, but a large percentage of its users deploy it for business purposes. SMBs want to have convergence and integration between the new Skype World and their existing telephony infrastructures and to benefit from all the possible features and advantages.”
Skystone provides all the advantages of access to the Skype community (which can include customers, partners, suppliers and remote employees) through a simple speed-dial, eliminating any possible security gaps, as all the Skype communications only pass through the central Skystone server, not the corporate network. By using Skystone, companies can now also benefit from other advantages of convergence via their web-sites. Communications with online companies or e-commerce businesses can be greatly enhanced by receiving phone calls directly from a web-site (via the skype-me button) that is directly integrated with the existing telephony infrastructure (for example via IVR, Call Centers, Unified Messaging, etc.)
Skystone is a software-only product and thus has all the advantages of software-only solutions: no stock handling, no shipment delays and plug & play. It also offers an embedded try & buy evaluation, free of charge. Licensing is based upon the number of simultaneous calls (today up to 12 channels on the same box) however several servers can be used for horizontal scalability. Skystone has been tested with all the major PBX platforms including the Cisco Unified Communications Solution and is now available for download.
