It's a Wrap: EtherSpeak, ShoreTel, IBM Lotus Finish Testing

Businesses – especially SMBs – tend to prize one element as highly as great functionality at a low price: ease of use. No matter how good a service offering or platform is, SMBs will not use it if the deployment and management are difficult.

EtherSpeak, which is located in Stafford, Va., announced today that it has completed Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) testing with two heavyweights, IBM and ShoreTel. The goal, according to EtherSpeak President Neil Darling, is to provide multi-location customers with an easy way to sign up and use the combined product, which is comprised of IBM's Lotus Foundations Reach – the SMB version of Lotus Sametime UC – and ShoreTel UC.

EtherSpeak is contributing its SureTrunk service to the platform. This, Darling said, will enable companies with broadband connections to connect to the dual-box platform as easily as signing up for new phone lines.

“Where we come in is to turn on the server to allow access to any phone number in the U.S. or Canada,” Darling said. He added that the service also is available in the UK. Representatives from elsewhere in the world may be found when the product is demonstrated at Lotusphere 2010, which begins on Jan. 17 in Orlando.