Ruckus Completes Interop with ShoreTel VoIP System

Depending on whom you ask, you’re likely to get a variety of different suggestions as to the definition of Unified Communications. Most of them will include some version of unified messaging, but the one thing they all have in common is a level of added convenience and productivity.

Yes, the unification of fixed and mobile telephony solutions certainly makes for a more efficient business communications environment, but the fact is that often, it is more important to be able to move about a single facility while staying connected. Yet, many WiFi solutions are not robust enough to capably provide voice services without disrupting other applications or affecting sound quality.

Ruckus Wireless is looking to change that. More specifically, Ruckus has completed interoperability testing between its WiFi technology and the ShoreTel 7.5 Unified Communications system, in the process becoming a member of ShoreTel’s Technology Partner Program (TPP).

The truth is that with the growing complexity of communications applications, along with the growing use of wireless technologies, interoperability testing is becoming a requirement to ensure network stability and application performance, including voice quality.

The testing process between Ruckus and ShoreTel ensures that businesses can deploy ShoreTel’s Unified Communications solution in conjunction with Ruckus’ ZoneFlex Smart WLAN system and MediaFlex routers. The combination of the two now ensures customers can better predict and assess network performance, including the effective range of the WLAN APs, allowing them to design and implement a solution that will meet all of their communications needs.

In fact, but deploying a combined Ruckus/ShoreTel solution, businesses will improve their communications infrastructure, including:

Doubling or even tripling the WiFi coverage area;
Achieving better voice quality in the presence of other forms of traffic;
Providing support for high density environments and a larger number of voice clients per AP;
Ensuring consistent high data throughput is available for other applications;
Simple installation and maintenance;
Lower power consumption VoFi-enabled dual mode phones;
Seamless operation of certified VoIP over WiFi phones.

“The combination of VoIP and WiFi is profoundly compelling to enterprises of all sizes,” said Steve Timmerman, vice president of marketing for ShoreTel. “One of the key issues in the implementation of these technologies is reliability. Ruckus Wireless helps solve this problem, giving our partners and customers the opportunity to expand the benefits of mobility in the enterprise.”

The advanced “Smart WiFi” system — the underlying technology in the Ruckus WLAN architecture, allow users to enjoy high quality voice over the wireless network as a result of automated control over the path WLAN traffic takes to deliver maximum network efficiency.

Indeed, Ruckus’ patented BeamFlex and SmartCast technologies create an increase in WiFi coverage that is up to four times that of traditional wireless networks, along with greater consistency in throughput. By navigating traffic around congestion and interference, the system is able to increase the data flow rate, while minimizing packet loss by using the best path for each communication.

By combining ShoreTel’s Unified Communications solution, businesses are now able to not only enjoy the latest features, but can do so with added flexibility inherent in a wireless network.
Source: tmcnet.com