Citel's Mod-EXTender allows a remote site to be tied in to the Norstar phone system at the main site. For campus and localized office environments, now two sites can operate on a single phone system. Cost saving are realized by not needing to have circuits, and a whole phone system at the remote site.

The Mod-EXTender uses multi mode fiber between the 2 sites, and can work up to several miles, depending on the splices of the fiber. At the remote site, a 0 X 16 shelf, (for digital phones) or a 0 X 8 shelf (capable of EXTending analog phones) can be installed. These phones will work exactly as if they are connected to the Norstar directly( Hold, Conference, Transfer, Caller ID, Music all operate seamlessly).

For remote sites that are further away, or NOT in a campus environment, the Citel / MCK PBXgateway / EXTenders are a cost effective alternative. A standard digital phone will work at the remote site, just as it would at the switch site. The remote site is completely integrated into the main Phone system.

For more, go to www.citel.com

Citel's main office for UK & Europe has moved across the Loughborough University campus into the prestigious Holywell Park development. As well as an improved office environment Holywell Park offers top quality business & conference facilities.

The site is a good fit for Citel, having a cluster of green technology companies, and being a combined heat & power campus, as Citel's Portico TVA range offers a green route for migration to VoIP . The combination of a low power IP PBX, Portico TVA, and retained digital phones and wiring gives reduced power usage & avoids an unnecessary 'rip and replace' of existing phones and wiring, with further embedded energy costs. 

Only the postal address has changed. Contact details are:
    Citel UK & Europe
    Loughborough Innovation Center
    Holywell Park
    Loughborough
    LE11 3AQ. UK 
                                    Phone: +44 (0)1509 808550
                                    Email: europesales@citel.com 
     

Over the years many of MCK / Citel customers have utilized the E-1000U series of analog PBXgateway / EXTenders enabling teleworkers and other single users seamless remote access to the corporate voice and data networks. Teleworkers and other remote employees have been able to access PBX/KTS dial tone, receive office-bound calls, and invoke business calling features such as internal dialing, transfer, hold, and conference. Corporations have been able to reduce telecommunication costs by up to 30 % just by administering all PBX users from a single location and platform. And with access to internal (four-digit) dialing, there are no toll charges when calling any office within the enterprise, regardless of physical location. Further, placing regular long-distance and international calls through the corporate voice system keeps all employees on a unified dialing plan. Despite the benefits of using the E-1000U series of product (and the subsequent E-1100A series) the solution ties up a phone line the whole time the remote location is connected to the host PBX incurring line costs and frequently the need to install a second line.

With the wide acceptance and deployment of the Internet at home, either via DSL or cable there are now new cost savings available by converting your remote workers to the E-4100 series of PBXgateway / EXTenders. This change reduces analog connectivity cost, and further reduces cost by utilizing an internet connection that now exists at both locations. Management of the units by IP is easier, and can be accessed remotely. QOS may be an issue depending on data traffic but can be handled quite easily. Savings by moving to the IP PBXgateway / EXTenders can be as much as $100 per month ensuring a decent ROI to the company.

Should you wish more information on this option, please call your closest Citel Technologies, Inc. channel partner or contact us directly at sales@citel.com.

We regularly hear from customers asking about SIP enabling more phones to work with Citel's VoIP migration device, the Portico TVA. We have now updated the list to add some additional phones that had not previously been listed. Go to www.citel.com/Products/Portico/Spec_Sheets/Citel_Portico_Compatible_Handset.pdf for the most up to date listing. We are working on some Alcatel handsets currently and will keep you updated on our progress,

Extend the reach of your Norstar® system to different floors or different buildings. The Mod-EXTender extends features and functionality of a central Norstar PBX to a remote site, over Multi Mode fiber.

Leverage existing Norstar® PBX infrastructure investments, centralize voice network administration, and enjoy dramatic monthly telecom savings with Citel's affordable, Mod-EXTender.

A Smart way to integrate a remote site. Ideal for Campus environments.

Key Benefits

Increased Productivity
Users up to 1.9 miles from the KTS get fully featured digital sets and all corporate KTS features and applications.

Network Efficiency
Unified system approach provides a more efficient use of network resources. Simplifies troubleshooting and maintenance by providing a common network access point.

Cost Effectiveness
No costly specialized devices for loop protection required. Cost savings from reduced wiring requirements.

Flexible Configurations
Single remote locations, or up to 10 remote locations in a star configuration.

Want to know more....  www.citel.com/Products/Mod_EXTender.asp

This update to the release 4 functionality level of Portico TVA has now moved from Beta to general release.

Contact Citel support if you want to upgrade, or you can download now if you have access to the Software Image downloads in the Citel Partner area. See the Product Information Bulletin at:
www.citel.com/Products/Resources/PIBs.asp

New feature include:

· Control of acceptance of a second call.
· Support for Call Diversion.
· “Reject Call” button
· Enhancements to speed-dial functionality

Also watch out for updates on TVA major release 5.00.0 which is currently in Beta. General Release should be in the new year.

Seasons Greetings from Citel.

Citel in North America will be closing for Christmas on Thursday, December 23, 2010 at 3pm with Sales and Support reopening on Monday December 27, 2010 while Shipping will not open until Tuesday December 28, 2010. We will close again on Thursday December 30, 2010 at 3pm and will reopen for the New Year on Monday Morning, January 3, 2011.

In Europe, Citel will be closed for the week of December 27 - 31 for their holiday celebrations.

We wish everyone the best of the holiday season and will endeavor to meet all of your needs over this special season.

The award winners were announced on October 14th at a ceremony attended by over 600 people at the London Hilton, Park Lane. The event recognised excellence in resellers and their ability to provide solutions to customers, and the best products and highest levels of support provided by vendors to channel partners.

Now in their ninth year, the Comms National Awards are widely regarded as the ‘Oscars' for companies in the UK voice and data industry. With entry numbers at record levels this year, we were really pleased to win in this category against strong competition from some of the UK's leading vendors. I felt privileged to represent the team and accept the award for Citel from high profile comedian Stephen K Amos & Spitfire's Tom Fellowes.

Citel’s Portico TVA enables organisations to migrate to VoIP while continuing to use their existing phone handsets. This means they can get all the benefits of IP telephony, such as cheaper calls, while avoiding the cost or disruption of replacing their entire phone system.
See www.citel.com/News_Events/Press_Releases/Citel_CN_awards_extended_Oct_2010.pdf

We had several questions posed that were quite similar, one during the webinar and then a follow up question from someone else after the webinar so we thought we would combine the answer

Q1. Don't IP PBX systems support analog handsets? Many I've looked at do and I don't understand the difference between that and your product. 

Q2 I listened to a webcast today about the use of your system with analog phones. If we put in a new IPPBX from Avaya we have the option of buying analog cards with it. I'm confused on why we would need your solution when the IP Office has analog port options. Could you please explain?

A. The Analog TVA does indeed offer the functionality of an Analog ATA, available from various suppliers in gateway form, as well as in the form of analog line cards for IP PBXs, like IP Office or Asterisk.

If an Avaya IP Office user wants to connect simple analog phones, assuming the pricing works out, they would likely buy Avaya analog cards, making the overall system easier to manage. However if they want to connect Centrex phones, or legacy digital phones, then the TVA is the only show in town. Having said that we have had several customers tell us that as they were already migrating digital / Centrex phones using our TVA’s they wanted to keep everything consistent and standardized on the Portico™ TVA™. Also in another case, a customer stated that they found our Analog TVA worked out more cost effectively that the specific analog cards they were looking at.

Citel's Portico TVA has been named Peripheral Product of the Year at the 2010 Comms National Awards ceremony at the London Hilton on Park Lane in London, England on October 14, 2010. We are very proud of this award.

The Comms National Awards are regarded as the ‘Oscars' of the Voice & Data Channel in the UK and are  much coveted. Each year competition is fierce as the UK's leading vendors and voice & data solution providers seek to gain the accolades of their peer group and become winners at the Comms National Awards. We were pleased to be selected as a finalist and even more pleased when the award was announced this evening. The award is for providers of peripheral products that give customers more effective and efficient communications across the ICT spectrum and include headsets, GSM gateways, operator modules, faxes, conference units, UPS solutions, door entry systems, anti-nuisance devices etc. The support provided to resellers in selling these added value solutions is an important elements of the submission.

 

ON ON PARK LANE - THURSDAY OCTOBER 14th 2010