BT is preparing to launch a premise-based fixed-mobile convergence service for large organizations.
BT Corporate Fusion is a fixed-mobile convergence service that leverages enterprise IP telephony and WiFi coverage to potentially deliver greater productivity, the possibility of reduced GSM call costs and to result in improved quality of service..
The first customer to trial the service in the UK is Leeds City Council (LCC), the second largest local authority in the UK. The Council, which has the largest in-house ICT provision of any local authority, is piloting BT Corporate Fusion across two of its premises, in order to assess its capability to improve productivity and improve communications..
LCC employees involved in the trial will use a dual-mode mobile phone that incorporates both regular GSM and additional WiFi connectivity. Within LCC's premises, calls made from these mobile phones are connected via WiFi access points and are routed over existing fixed-line infrastructure. Deploying WiFi access points across LCC's premises ensures optimal in-building coverage. .
BT estimates that over 50% of employees' mobile phone calls are made within offices (despite the fact that cheaper fixed-line phones are readily available). The use of BT Corporate Fusion will allow LCC employees to continue using a mobile device, while at the same time allowing the Council to migrate these calls onto WiFi and potentially bring the cost down..
Outside the office the device works like a regular GSM phone..
BT will announce details of mobile handset strategic suppliers in the coming weeks. The service will initially be launched in the UK and Italy in early 2007, followed by a phased international roll out in Germany, Benelux, Spain and France, with confirmation of these and other countries following..
BT Corporate Fusion is the brand name for BT's suite of Enterprise FMC services).
http://www.btplc.com
- In May 2006, BT announced a relationship with Alcatel to develop a hosted variant of the BT Corporate Fusion service.
