NEC's Mobile Client Extends Unified Communications to Mobile Devices

NEC Unified Solutions, recently announced the release of the UNIVERGE Mobile Client, an enhanced applications that extends desktop telephony and messaging functionality to mobile devices and incorporates wireless LAN and cellular into a customized, user-friendly mobile format.

As an addition to NEC's Assured Mobility and Unified Communications portfolios, the Mobile Client grants businesses the ability to achieve increased productivity by broadening the office reach to any location - remote or mobile.

Assured Mobility is a first of its kind to provide the mobile user with a secure, feature-rich and reliable communications experience anywhere on or off campus. It is a new approach to mobility because NEC takes the user experience into account along with managing the solution.

By embedding the Mobile Client, a SIP-based VoIP softphone, on mobile devices, NEC makes the desktop phone mobile and extends the functionality of NEC's UNIVERGE IP telephony platforms to mobile phones. The Mobile Client delivers access to the enterprise network as well as enhanced unified messaging capabilities such as instant messaging, presence, buddy lists, voice mail, corporate directory, click-to-call, call screening, caller ID with enterprise name, and one-button conferencing.

With the ability to facilitate the integration of Wi-Fi and cellular technologies onto a single device, users gain seamless roaming capabilities while on and off the campus, from the WLAN to the cellular network. This dual-mode functionality provides a flexible platform and a single phone number for both the mobile and desktop phone, ensuring the delivery of enterprise applications and business critical information with optimal quality of service.

The Mobile Client consists of both a Mobility Gateway and client application. The Mobility Gateway integrates with NEC's UNIVERGE Media Gateway Controllers and extends security, voice mail, conferencing and other productivity applications to mobile devices. The client application runs on a variety of mobility devices including both single and dual-mode devices. NEC provides an add-on application for popular cellular devices such as Blackberry, Nokia E60/61, Win Mobile smartphones and PDAs that provide access to enterprise NEC VoIP application services. The Mobile Client also includes an application for dual-mode WiFi/Cellular devices that provides a single user experience in either network mode.