Network Equipment Technologies has announced that Avanade is deploying NET's VX Series as the organization's strategic VoIP solution. NET's VX Series gives Avanade a core switching point for all its voice related services, enabling migration to a unified communications environment. As a result, Avanade is already realizing new levels of efficiency, productivity and cost-savings.

NET's VX Series is delivering integration between Avanade's existing PBX and its Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 (OCS) environment. The VX Series is a fully integrated multi-service voice switch that provides high-performance VoIP communications for enterprise OCS deployments. It interoperates with all leading PBX and IP-PBX vendor protocols, offering rapid deployment and easy installation, with minimal maintenance.

Avanade is implementing the VX Series internally to more than 6,000 datacenter users with an estimated 3-4 million instant messages per month and more than 500,000 peer-to-peer calls, which can now be conducted free of charge. Avanade expects to roll out this platform to dedicated professionals in 22 countries or approximately 11,000 users.

"There were several key reasons that NET was the best choice for our VoIP solution," said Jeff Cagle, Service Manager, ITS Communications. "First is the seamless integration with our existing infrastructure that the VX Series provided. Because the VX sits in front of our existing PBX, migration was exceptionally simple with limited disruption. And, because we have the ability to upgrade our infrastructure to future releases, our investment is protected. Finally, the SIP trunk functionality transforms how messages are delivered to corporate users. We began to see the benefits of the implementation almost immediately."

"Our intent is to gain internal expertise on NET's unified communications solutions by testing them in our own dynamic, real world environment, and then roll out a comprehensive business process solution to our own expanded network of consultants and customers," added Cagle.

"As a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, NET continues to focus on innovation that enables and extends interoperability and survivability for our customers deploying Microsoft unified communications solutions," said Matthew Kruger, Vice President of Marketing for NET. "We are assembling a comprehensive set of solutions to help drive the adoption of unified communications and offer maximum business process flexibility. The ability to offer global instant messaging, conferencing and voice provides an enterprise with significant leverage in determining the most efficient and cost-effective way to communicate."