Affordable Telecommunications

A BYO (bring your own) phone strategy is a win-win for companies and their employees. By letting people use their personal smartphones at work instead of corporate-owned devices, companies save thousands of dollars on overhead (device purchases) while letting individuals enjoy their mobile handset of choice.

The reason why this works is simple: Because we all use mobile phones so heavily in our every day lives, handsets (iPhone, Blackberry, Android, Nokia, Samsung, etc.) have become a very personal choice – more personal than any other business device in history. As a result, “prosumer” mobile phone users have gained an unusually strong voice in certain hardware choices. And they have been overwhelmingly voting with their dollars – for example, last quarter Apple sold its highest volume of iPhone sales.

Combined with web-based apps such as DiVitas Mobile Unified Communications (Mobile UC), a BYO strategy makes for an affordable and secure approach to arming the workforce with devices that are business by day and personal by night. Enterprise Social Networking capabilities that keep them in contact with business colleagues are available from a single phone to become part of the mobile workforce.

“Over time, an increasing number of companies have shifted desktop applications targeting HR, sales, governance, and data entry back to Web-based centralized services that don't require a client…” according to analyst Rob Enderle in his article, Bring-Your-Own-PC an Option for Cash-Strapped Enterprises.

Adding to that, Enderle writes, “Employees, particularly executives and younger employees, when they needed a new PC simply bought one (generally a laptop). They used existing polices that provided for system access from a home PC to enable them for work. For those working from home, many have used their own PCs for years.

In addition, with the massive number of layoffs people have increasingly had to buy their own PCs while looking for a job — and when rehired, appear willing to go on using it for business.  Web applications make this possible because IT does not have to load client applications on the individual’s laptop.  

The cost savings is about $300 per employee per month that flows right to the bottom line at a time when profits are elusive for many companies. You can understand why neither the IT organization nor the line organizations that would have to fund a replacement program are eager to fix this.”

There are nothing but parallels between the BYO phone and PC stories. Companies save money by relying on employee-owned devices, and they maintain security and continuity by providing access to web-based clients (i.e. secure collaboration software). Employees get to use their device of choice – most often smartphones such as iPhone – which allows continuity in their communication and ensures they are connected to their colleagues when they are mobile. They reduce miss calls, which increases productivity and further improves the company's bottom line.

DiVitas’ Mobile Unified Communications (Mobile UC) solution is now available as a nimble web-client that can run on any browser-enabled smartphone, such as iPhone, Blackberry and Android. This move by DiVitas enables companies to implement a BYO phone (bring your own phone) policy in which an employee’s personal smartphone doubles as their business phone.

What does this mean to organizations that are looking for an affordable way to mobilize more of their workforce without over-taxing their busy IT staff? A BYO policy means the as-yet un-mobilized workforce (such as corridor warriors) can use their personal smartphones – such as iPhone, Blackberry or Android – to double as a mobile work phone. And this enterprise mobility magic happens with little-to-no overhead because companies need not purchase a phone for every mobile worker (they are using their own devices). Also, there is no additional burden on the IT department to support individual devices (everything is managed as software at the server level).

This BYO strategy simply takes advantage of a major mobile-communications trend already under way. As much as 90 percent of mobile devices used in the workforce today are already personally owned, with only monthly cell bills expensed to the company. Furthermore, as browser-enabled devices such as iPhone, Blackberry and Android continue to gain in popularity, these mini/mobile-computers are predicted to become the de facto phone for business users.

With DiVitas’ secure Web client running on a personal iPhones, Blackberrys and Androids:

• Personal devices become a mobilized business deskphone – the smartphone carries the business number, eliminating the confusion caused when colleagues are reachable by two numbers (deskphone and cellular).
   
• There is nothing to download, upgrade or delete (the DiVitas app is accessed strictly via smartphone’s web browser) – there is no additional tax on the device or IT department because the application resides on the DiVitas Server.

• The web client can be accessed by a desktop browser.
   
• Companies still subsidize individual cellular costs, but they eliminate hardware overhead (additional device-purchase costs) in mobilizing the entire workforce, including traditionally un-mobilized corridor warriors.
   
• Even though devices are personally owned, they are as secure as deskphones and corporate-liable phones because the Mobile UC server is web-based and under IT control – should a phone become lost or an individual change employers, IT staff simply updates the server to disallow server access by that client.
   
• Individuals have access to smartphone-friendly Enterprise Social Networking capabilities (Mobile Presence and Status) to make them aware of one another's reachability. The ability to scroll through an interface-based directory to see who is available and where they are located is a powerful tool for ensuring colleagues connect on the first try.

A BYO enterprise mobility strategy saves money on overhead (no need to buy additional smartphone hardware for non-mobilized workers.) It also makes your employees happy – and hence more productive – to be using their favorite phone by day (work) and night (pleasure) rather than juggle two sets of phone instructions.

Want to know how to affordably mobilize your workforce? Implement a BYO phone (bring your own phone) policy in which an employee’s personal smartphone doubles as their business phone. This works for iPhone, Blackberry, Android or any other web-enabled mobile devices.

Let's face it. Popular devices such as iPhone are quickly making their way into the workplace. And a BYO enterprise mobility strategy saves money on overhead (no need to buy additional smartphone hardware for non-mobilized workers.) It also makes your employees happy – and hence more productive – to be using their favorite phone by day (work) and night (pleasure) rather than juggle two sets of phone instructions.

In keeping with this strategy, I read an interesting FierceWireless blog posted by IDC analyst Stephen Drake about what companies can do to best take advantage of this “individual-liable” trend in enterprise mobility.
 
[Note: Drake defines "Individual-Liable" devices as either: 1) Purchased by the user and expensed back, but not reimbursed formally by a company-established policy, or 2) Purchased outright by the individual user, brought into the workplace, and used for either corporate or standalone business applications.]

Says Drake in his article How businesses can embrace individual-liable smartphones, “With the smartphone market expected to outshine the overall mobile phone market for the foreseeable future, the growing influence of new devices and platforms, including Apple, RIM [Blackberry], Android, Palm, etc. … the critical nature of the individual-liable business device is evident.”

In fact, IDC’s Drake predicts the individual-liable business-use mobile phone will experience more growth than corporate-liable devices. Also, the researcher says it’s seeing a trend in which large companies begin to move towards the individual-liable business use device model.

The benefit, he says, is “a slowdown on costs and provides better choice, user control and delivers an image that IT is being progressive in enabling such choice to its worker base.”

“Add that to the growing number of smartphones coming on the market. Certainly the strong popularity of the iPhone, continued consumer push from RIM and  the large Windows Mobile OEM base drives much of the individual-liable business use in the U.S. In addition, devices such as the Palm Pre, Nokia's E Series (in particular the E71) and the new Android tide rolling in all speak to the importance of this individual-liable business use case.”

In his blog, Drake lays out a list of advice-points to be heeded by any company following the BYO phone strategy for enterprise mobility.

As for DiVitas, we recommend pairing the BYO phone strategy with Mobile Unified Communications Mobile UC) web client, which is under IT control and which enables the smartphone to carry the deskphone number. At the same time the device and business number tie in with voice, IM and social networking (Mobile Presence and Status) to help employees connect on the first try – and eliminate missed calls to further reduce cellular costs.

With DiVitas’ secure Web client running on an individual-liable iPhones, Blackberrys and Androids:

• There is nothing to download, upgrade or delete (app is accessed strictly via smartphone’s web browser.)
   
• The web client can be accessed by any device (handsets or desktops.)
   
• Companies still subsidize individual cellular costs, but they eliminate hardware overhead (additional device-purchase costs) in mobilizing the entire workforce, including traditionally unmobilized corridor warriors.
   
• Individual-liable devices are as secure as deskphones and corporate-liable phones because the Mobile UC is web-based and under IT control.
   
• Individuals have access to Enterprise Social Networking capabilities to make individuals aware of one another's reachability.

DiVitas President and CEO, Vivek Khuller has been honored with an Asia America Multi Technology Association (AAMA) award at this year’s 30th Anniversary Gala reception that was held at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View on Thursday, Oct. 1st, 2009.

Vivek was chosen on behalf of the AAMA board and management team as one of the ten AAMA up-and-coming leaders of tomorrow.  He was also featured in the AAMA 30th Anniversary celebration video which took a look back over the past 30 years and showcased Asian American business leaders of the past and future --those who have made significant contributions to the development of the high-tech industry and Silicon Valley.

“We were looking to honor young business leaders of the Asian descent who will most likely make an impact in Silicon Valley in the next 10-20 years,” said Anna Mok, AAMA's President and Partner at Deloitte and Touche. “Vivek Khuller was honored by the AAMA this year because he stands out as a leader of tomorrow.”

“Leading a high-tech company that has the real potential to improve people’s lives is as exhilarating as it is challenging,” said Vivek Khuller, President and CEO, DiVitas Networks. "It is an honor and a pleasure to be selected and standing alongside the impressive list of highly successful individuals who have come before me. I look forward to following in their footsteps and inspiring others to take the risks required to make the world a better place to live via technology.”

To read the full release visit our website.


Vivek Khuller, CEO of DiVitas Networks based in Mountain View, Calif. The DiVitas Mobile Unified Communications (Mobile UC) solution unifies the deskhone number with voice, IM and  Social Networking (Mobile Presence and Status) on a mobile phone to make it easier for individuals to connect with one another on the first try. With its enterprise mobility solution, DiVitas is using enterprise social networking to help companies affordably create a more mobile workforce.

Delivering Mobile UC (deskphone number, social networking, voice and IM) onto smartphones as a Web-based application lets organizations inexpensively transform themselves into a secure collaborative, mobile community.

The business market is currently underserved on both the mobility and social networking fronts –frequently leaving billions of employees out of touch and unproductive. Without mobile phones, colleagues can’t collaborate with one another when they are away from their desk, which makes it difficult to do their jobs. And all too often employees close the mobility gap by using their personal phones for business communication.

The fact is, only 30% of the people using their mobile phone for work get compensated. On the other hand almost everyone is provided a desk phone for use at work.

Given that total mobile market penetration in the US has almost reached 90%, there is a massive benefit to mobilizing existing work deskphones on to smartphones. This will give people single number reach, letting them use the same device to make and receive business and/or personal calls.

By using a Web-based Mobile Unified Communications (Mobile UC) app to deliver deskphone number, social networking (Mobile Presence and Status), voice and IM (mobile Instant Messaging) onto personal smartphones, companies reduce cellular costs while gaining productivity. This is because these businesses gain mobile VoIP while avoid having to buy additional smartphones for non-mobilized employees.

At the same time they have the assurance of enterprise security because the Mobile UC solution is delivered to personal mobile devices as a Web app that is under IT control. Just as with phones on the PBX system, only authorized users with a PBX managed extension or DID can be part of the community.

In addition to mobilizing their deskphone numbers, users have access to social messaging tools that create a collaborative community that is equally secure.

• Mobile Presence is displayed on the phone’s interface (icon similar to Yahoo IM showing a happy face to say if you are available, not available, etc.), which communicates a person’s location, availability, activity and network connectivity. Various Presence components allow people to obtain information about others and use that information to engage in the most efficient and economical way. For example, if I can see via your Presence that you are in London and on cellular, I would much rather IM you than talk (to save on international dialing costs). However, if your Mobile Presence information said that you were on WiFi, I could choose to talk because the call is free and I might prefer a voice conversation.
   
• Status – a Status message is coupled with the Mobile Presence icon to give an additional level of detail to availability about where you are and what you are doing (i.e. at the airport waiting for a 5pm flight).
   
• Secure Social Networking - Similar to corporate email, this is a closed, enterprise 2.0 solution so access is limited to authorized group of people (colleagues within your organization).

Mobile devices by their very nature (first-and-foremost a communications device) are the perfect delivery platform for integrating voice, IM and the deskphone number with secure social networking. Using a Web-based solution, companies can securely mobilize more of their workforce – and realize the benefits of mobile enterprise mobility and collaboration – without purchasing additional phones for every individual.

DiVitas CEO Vivek Khuller recently sat down with editors from the San Jose Business Journal to talk about our company.

Explaining how DiVitas enables Enterprise 2.0 social networking capabilities on a mobile phone running Mobile Unified Communications (Mobile UC) to affordably create a more mobile workforce.

“… DiVitas sells software that enables businesses to mobilize employees’ deskphones onto their smartphones. DiVitas is differentiated in two ways: First, the product combines voice with familiar social networking tools such as instant messaging, status updates and presence on either device. Second, DiVitas allows users to roam freely between cellular networks and WiFi hotspots without dropping calls.”

He also highlighted a few of our mobile VoIP customers who have benefitted from reduced missed calls and reduced cellular costs, as well as improved enterprise mobility.

“…the U.S., the rail giant CSX Corp. uses DiVitas to keep its rail operations personnel accessible on mobile phones in areas without cellular coverage. VoIP carriers Sawtel Inc. and Clearfly Communications Inc. use DiVitas to mobilize their existing VoIP fixed lines and offer new services. In Finland, midsize company SGN Group uses DiVitas to make all its employees accessible via company desk-phone numbers and instant messaging using mobile”

To read the complete article visit the San Jose Business Journal.

Enterprise Social Networking is beginning to rival voice as a must-have app for mobile communications.

Web 2.0 tools such as Twitter and Facebook first gained popularity among consumers as stationary applications. Users share personal information and interact with one another from their computers to stay apprised of where their buddies are and what they are doing.

But along with the recent smartphone craze – a phenomenon that has gripped the mobile phone market since the iPhone was released two years ago – has come demand for mobile phone-access to user-centered, collaborative apps. And Enterprise Social Networking -- Mobile Presence and voice capabilities, which wrap around a business number and mobile  Instant Messaging (IM) and run as an integrated package on a smartphone -- falls squarely in that trend.

In fact, Enterprise Social Networking and voice complement one another to create a perfect mobile-communications application match. Particularly when they integrate tightly with the mobile phone they are running on, and when they tie directly with the business number associated with the end user for single number reach.

DiVitas addresses this business demand head-on with our Enterprise Social Networking solution.

DiVitas uses Mobile Unified Communications (Mobile UC) to mobilize an existing deskphone number and tie it with Enterprise Social Networking, which includes Mobile Presence and Status, on a mobile device, making it easier for individuals to reach one another. With DiVitas, mobile Enterprise 2.0 and business voice capabilities reside side-by-side on a single mobile device. This makes text-based and voice-based communication equally accessible to the mobile user.

DiVitas moves an existing business number to a smartphone by integrating with legacy PBXs, which creates a mobile deskphone. In addition, DiVitas provides directory access to all contacts directly from the smartphone interface. This means all applications within the DiVitas solution – voice, business number, IM and Social Networking capabilities – leverage this integrated directory of contacts.

Consumer Social Networking tools have already laid a Presence-aware foundation that is educating the business community about the value-add of having collaborative apps (i.e. Mobile Presence) in the workplace. Now combining these capabilities with a mobilized business number, to run as an integrated solution on a smartphone – as DiVitas has done – will help employees work more efficiently, and it will affordably improve enterprise mobility.

I have been meaning to write this column for quite some time, given my passion for coffee. There is an underground movement that’s taking the coffee business to the next level – the emergence of “microroasters.”

These coffeehouses are led by passionate coffee aficionados who travel the world to pick the best beans. They roast the beans in small batches, almost daily, to offer the best possible coffee. Four of my five top microroasters are located in the Bay Area: Ritual, Barefoot, Four Barrel and Blue Bottle. The fifth, Intelligentsia, is in L.A and Chicago.

Those of you who are planning to descend on San Francisco for this week's VoiceCon 2009 or Enterprise 2.0 conferences, or any other reason, must stop by one of my favorite microroasters to experience the Bay Area’s other innovation – coffee.






Vivek Khuller, CEO of DiVitas Networks based in Mountain View, Calif. The DiVitas Mobile Unified Communications (Mobile UC) solution unifies the deskhone number with voice, IM and  Social Networking (Mobile Presence and Status) on a mobile phone to make it easier for individuals to connect with one another on the first try. With its enterprise mobility solution, DiVitas is using enterprise social networking to help companies affordably create a more mobile workforce.

Facebook Mobile has gone from 20 million to 65 million users – a more than threefold gain – in just eight short months, according to ZDnet. But the reason why that’s interesting for purposes of the DiVitas blog is not because Facebook is a meaningful tool for enterprises.

It’s because a 200% increase is a valuable statistic demonstrating how important it has become to have access to Social Networking apps while on-the-go. And this is true because Mobile Presence and Status info becomes even more significant when users are wanting to, or needing to, let contacts know where they are and what they are doing – despite the fact that they aren’t hunkered down in front of a computer. Mobile Presence and Status are two key components of Enterprise Social Networking and help improve enterprise mobility while reducing mobile costs.

If you’re wondering why your Facebook friend, Fred, hasn’t answered your email, or why he’s not online to chat, just check his Mobile Presence (a.k.a. “What’s on your mind” in Facebook lingo). If his status is posted using a mobile device (evident by the associated mobile phone icon) and reads, “taking my kid to the zoo,” then Fred’s lack of response quickly makes sense. He’s otherwise occupied.

Translating that to a business scenario, workers have become highly mobile, and thus have a greater chance of missing a communication, whether it’s a phone call, email or IM. Being able to first check a colleague’s Mobile Presence from a smartphone, before initiating any communication, is the best way to increase the probability of connecting on the first try.

Individuals within companies that use DiVitas Mobile Unified Communications (deskphone number, social networking, voice and IM) have come to rely on the practice of checking Presence before placing a call, or sending email or IM. You never know where your colleagues are at a given moment, or if they are available for communication at all. Checking Presence first avoids wasting time calling and getting voicemail, or waiting indefinitely for an email or IM response.

For example, let’s say Fred (who is also a co-worker) is using DiVitas Mobile UC and his Presence icon shows he is “available by text only” and his Status message reads “in a meeting until 2pm.” Instead of having my call go directly to visual voicemail and waiting until 2pm for a voice response, I would send a brief IM (using mobile Instant Messaging) that he can discreetly read, and respond to, from his DiVitas smartphone without interrupting the meeting. It doesn’t matter where either of you is located, because the communication is entirely by smartphone.

When you stop to consider that Mobile Facebook users (consumers) are the same people who use Mobile UC (business users), a 3-fold increase in usage demonstrates a clear need for Mobile Presence and improved enterprise mobility. People in your inner circle, whether it’s business contacts or personal friends, have a need to know your availability and the best way to contact you.  And Enterprise Social Networking's Mobile Presence capability provides this benefit toward affordably creating a highly mobile workforce.

I love it when new research about enterprise mobility and an affordably mobile workforce comes out that helps validate my point of view on an important topic related to business productivity. So imagine how good it felt to read all the research pouring in that shows the benefits of Social Networking for business – and how enterprises  are making use of these tools. We have been blogging about mobile Enterprise 2.0 for a year now, so it’s nice to see the research catching up – and helping to illustrate this enterprise need.

In this week’s news, Wainhouse Research says it has expanded its Rich Media Metrics survey coverage to include the Enterprise Social Networking (a.k.a. Enterprise 2.0) space. In a survey series, the company found that while fewer than 25% of the respondents had Enterprise Social Networking capabilities in place today, more than 90% said they would deploy Enterprise Social Networking eventually.

Also, according to Wainhouse, business-community oriented sites such as LinkedIn are predictably popular among enterprise users. But consumer-oriented, “outward facing” sites such as Facebook are making inroads. So not surprisingly:

• LinkedIn was the public social networking site most used by those surveyed for personal use (67.3%)
• Facebook was a close second (58.9%)
• YouTube not far behind the leaders (50.9%)

But to me, the survey’s most interesting findings is the fact that 32% of respondents considered inward-facing Enterprise 2.0 (what Wainhouse considers to be tools used by a known population, such as employees) “to be extremely or very important for the value it delivers to the enterprise.”

According to Wainhouse, Enterprise Social Networking benefits include “improvements in collaboration, teamwork, productivity and time to market.”

This finding is significant because it shows that while apps such as Twitter and Facebook are ideal for consumer use, Enterprise Social Networking, which is integrated into DiVitas Mobile Unified Communications (deskphone number, social networking, voice and IM integrated onto a mobile phone), is more appropriate for the workplace - and for affordably improving enterprise mobility.

By limiting access to a specific, and secure, group of people (colleagues within your organization), Mobile UC lets organizations take advantage of the real-time communication benefits provided by secure social networking, without the risk of accidentally leaking sensitive information to the masses.

I’m looking forward to coming weeks and months to see what other new research will back DiVitas’ theory about the business advantages of Enterprise Social Networking and mobile Enterprise 2.0. Bring it on!
 

Mesa Grill – Bobby Flay’s Southwestern restaurant – was on the eating itinerary when the DiVitas team attended Interop Las Vegas a few weeks ago (our tradeshow coordinator loves the guy).

In true Vegas form, everything about Mesa Grill is grandiose but cool – take the 20-foot tall rotisserie, 28-seat bar, three-tiered dining room and 8,800-square-foot layout for example. Food-wise, the menu pairs bold Southwestern flavor with Bobby’s flair for grilling and presentation. Unfortunately chef-owner (and Food Network darling) Bobby Flay was not in residence that night, but it was still a fun and tasty experience.












Vivek Khuller, CEO of DiVitas Networks based in Mountain View, Calif. The DiVitas Mobile Unified Communications (Mobile UC) solution unifies the deskhone number with voice, IM and  Social Networking (Mobile Presence and Status) on a mobile phone to make it easier for individuals to connect with one another on the first try. With its enterprise mobility solution, DiVitas is using enterprise social networking to help companies affordably create a more mobile workforce.

I recently took a friend to my new favorite restaurant – Spork, a KFC-turned-hip-little-diner located in San Francisco’s Mission District.

Their dining motto: a fast food-ish but healthy menu, fresh ingredients and eco-friendly restaurant management. They claim to compost about 70% of their waste, and all of the cooking fuel is recycled into biodiesel. It’s nice to know that I’m saving my arteries and the environment at the same time!

I’m a real foodie – I’ll search far and wide for that new great dining experience – and I love Spork’s atmosphere as much as the food they serve. Conversation often revolves around the surrounding decor. Everything about the place is quirky and delicious. I would name some of my favorites, but of course the menu changes frequently and I don't want to set up false expectations.

The owners have managed to reinvent the “spork” (KFC’s famous fork/spoon combo) as a cool eating utensil, while the 1950s-60s Americana décor is true to its hip-little-diner mood.

For the record, yes we ate with sporks. The next time you’re in the city, check it out and tell them Vivek sent you.



Vivek Khuller, CEO of DiVitas Networks based in Mountain View, Calif. The DiVitas Mobile Unified Communications (Mobile UC) solution unifies the deskhone number with voice, IM and  Social Networking (Mobile Presence and Status) on a mobile phone to make it easier for individuals to connect with one another on the first try. With its enterprise mobility solution, DiVitas is using enterprise social networking to help companies affordably create a more mobile workforce.

You know something is big news when so many analysts are blogging on it that No Jitter is forced to create a separate category around the topic, and Avaya’s $475 million “stalking horse” bid for Nortel is no exception.

One angle, however, analysts have yet to focus on in scrutinizing this business deal so closely is: Can the industry’s existing unified communications solutions transparently absorb a merged Norvaya (Nortel-Avaya) customer base?

While I can’t speak for other solutions, I can say definitively that DiVitas Mobile Unified Communications (Mobile UC) will be a unifying force among Avaya and Nortel customers.

Our solution currently runs seamlessly in both environments -- and with both TDM and IP PBXs, and will continue to do so when Avaya and Nortel equipment is running side-by-side under the Avaya umbrella.

DiVitas and Avaya already have a strong history, having worked closely together throughout the past few years to guarantee our Mobile UC solution works seamlessly with Avaya Communication Manager to affordably improve enterprise mobility. So much so that DiVitas has earned its place within Avaya’s DevConnect program at the prestigious platinum level by invitation. DiVitas is also the First Fixed Mobile Convergence (seamless roaming)/Mobile UC Partner to be Certified on Avaya's Aura Platform.

In fact, just recently our two companies announced that together, we have solved the time-consuming problem of managing multiple voicemail systems. DiVitas has tightly integrated our Mobile UC solution with Avaya Modular Messaging, which also runs on selected Nortel PBXs. Available today, DiVitas users can now retrieve, listen to and manage their Modular Messaging using visual voicemail on their DiVitas client handset. And because Modular Messaging is able to integrate with other vendor’s IP PBX solutions, this good news is very relevant to a broader audience beyond current Avaya customers.

From a DiVitas Mobile UC perspective, Nortel customers will never need to know that their PBX manufacturer is under new ownership and they will reap the rewards of mobile VoIP.

Service Provider Clearfly Communications is now offering DiVitas Mobile Unified Communications (Mobile UC) as a managed mobile VoIP service to SMBs.

With DiVitas, Clearfly’s users are able to use WiFi to reduce cellular costs (free WiFi calls) and improve mobile voice quality. In enabling this mobile workforce, these users are also leveraging their PBX investments because DiVitas transforms a smartphone into a mobile deskphone – a DiVitas phone carries the corporate phone number (and caller ID) and mobilizes deskphone features (extension dialing, call transfer, hold, etc.).

Read more about how Clearfly and DiVitas are making enterprise mobility affordable and pervasive here.

I have to give a shout out to my friend Dori Meade at CSX. At her recommendation, a sizable group of us (DiVitas and some of our partners) recently chanced a meal at the The Venetian Room located in the Caribe Royale Hotel in Orlando, FL.

This restaurant was a great find because Orlando has very few options for fine dining outside of the major theme parks. The Venetian Room is a great alternative for people on the conference track, who visit Orlando frequently and are looking to escape the usual.

My must-try: The Grand Mariner Souffle with crème anglaise (on the side) for dessert.







Vivek Khuller, CEO of DiVitas Networks based in Mountain View, Calif. The DiVitas Mobile Unified Communications (Mobile UC) solution unifies the deskhone number with voice, IM and  Social Networking (Mobile Presence and Status) on a mobile phone to make it easier for individuals to connect with one another on the first try. With its enterprise mobility solution, DiVitas is using enterprise social networking to help companies affordably create a more mobile workforce.

By Jenni Adair

Being able to check my phone to see another person’s Mobile Presence and Status message (part of Enterprise Social Networking) has become such a habit that I get kind of annoyed when I can’t.

See, my work phone, a Nokia E71 running DiVitas Mobile Unified Communications (Mobile UC), displays Mobile Presence and Status information, which means I can tell what my colleagues are doing at any given moment. And when you stop to consider that a large percentage of your waking hours are spent doing your job, you can see how habit-forming checking Presence can be.

Here’s what happens. I periodically scroll through the contact list on my DiVitas phone to see who’s doing what – even if I don’t necessarily need to talk to that person (and even if it’s the weekend and I’m not technically working. That’s the definition of a habit, right?). At the moment, for example, it’s 2:13 p.m. on a Tuesday and I can see that Amanda is busy writing (according to her microblog Status message) and not available to take my call (according to her Mobile Presence icon). Nancy is in a meeting – also not taking calls, but she’s available to chat by IM (mobile Instant Messaging). And Vivek is grabbing a coffee and free to talk or chat via IM. This information translates to:  

• Don’t waste my time or cell minutes calling Amanda right now because she won’t answer.
   
• Don’t waste my time or cell minutes calling Nancy either, but send her a brief IM letting her know she can take her time in her meeting because our 2pm has cancelled.
   
• I can call Vivek or send him an IM – or even walk down the street and join him – because it’s one of those rare moments when he’s not busy.

From a business perspective, I save myself the time and effort of roaming the building looking for people. I am part of a highly mobile workforce and this on-the-go status defines my day. If I’m offsite, I save my company the expense of wasted cell minutes because I reduce missed calls and hence reduce cellular costs. I am more productive and the cost of supporting my business communications needs has become minimal. By using these Enterprise 2.0 capabilities I have contributed to more affordable telecommunications.

From a personal perspective, I can’t wait for the day when my cell company offers a service like this on my personal phone. I have grown so accustomed to Presence and Status Messages that I want it in my everyday life. 

Starting this month, $199 – the previous low for a much coveted iPhone – has become downright expensive for a smartphone. AT&T is now offering the Nokia E71x for one cent through Amazon, redefining the phrase, “world’s most affordable smartphone” and making it a hard-to-resist purchase for consumers and business users alike.

This news in turn makes DiVitas – the only Mobile Unified Communications vendor certified by AT&T to support the Nokia E71x – the world’s most affordable Mobile UC solution. DiVitas was recently named as an AT&T Fast Pitch award winner, and has also earned an elite placement in AT&T’s catalogue of certified partners.

News of the mind-blowing, one-penny price tag comes just weeks after the E71x wowed reviewers with its affordable $99.99 price tag. Even at around 100 bucks, the E71x was a lot of phone for the price.

Reviewers at CNET (where users gave the E71x four out of five stars) highlighted the phone’s slim design, full QWERTY keyboard, voice-guided GPS, digital camera and Web browser, saying, “AT&T made an attractive device even more attractive by giving the Nokia E71x a $99.99 (with two-year contract) price tag. It's a great value, especially compared to AT&T's other QWERTY smartphones, such as the Samsung Epix and RIM BlackBerry Bold, considering what you get and the quality of the phone's design.”

Knocking the price-of-E71x-ownership down further, users aren’t required to pay for a monthly data plan, which is unusual for a smartphone purchase. Eliminating the $40ish per/user monthly data plan is a key benefit for organizations such as universities where many employees only require a mobile phone during the business day. Administrative staffers, for example, have access to the campus WLAN while they are at work, allowing them to use the E71x in WiFi-mode to place calls, send email or IM, or update their Presence Status Message. They don’t need to be available after business hours, and with the E71x they now have an affordable single-mode option.

According to Amazon:

• List Price:$399.99
• Your Price:$0.01 (with new service plan)
  
• You Save:$399.98 (100%)
  
• More Options: Buy without a service plan

My ongoing search for exceptional dining recently took me to one of California’s noted wine country destinations, Napa Valley.

While there we stopped for dinner at Ubuntu Restaurant & Yoga Studio – probably the best all-vegetarian restaurant in the country. The word “Ubuntu” means “humanity toward others”, a philosophy described in a short video by Nelson Mandela, which is posted to the restaurant’s website.

But Ubuntu is not only the restaurant’s name. The word illustrates this community-focused restaurant, and its organic menu that is made with food harvested daily from its own “biodynamic” garden.






Vivek Khuller, CEO of DiVitas Networks based in Mountain View, Calif. The DiVitas Mobile Unified Communications (Mobile UC) solution unifies the deskhone number with voice, IM and  Social Networking (Mobile Presence and Status) on a mobile phone to make it easier for individuals to connect with one another on the first try. With its enterprise mobility solution, DiVitas is using enterprise social networking to help companies affordably create a more mobile workforce.

Earlier this month Avaya made a major announcement, naming DiVitas as its preferred dual-mode solution. This is exciting news for the Mobile Unified Communications space given Avaya’s size (number one in North America’s PBX market) – and given the fact that DiVitas is a startup company in an hot market.

And if that news wasn’t exciting enough, we already have a joint customer to talk about – a leading railroad company based in Jacksonville, Fla. – to demonstrate how the integrated Avaya-DiVitas solution can save companies $10,000+ dollars per month in cellular costs. Free WiFi phone calls go a long way toward reduced cellular costs and creating affordable telecommunications.

Freightrail-giant CSX has turned to Avaya and DiVitas to help reduce cellular calling costs and eliminate multiple handsets used by train operations personnel who roam the workplace and communicate frequently on urgent events.

For more than five years, Dori Meade, senior telecom architect for voice systems at CSX, sought a wireless dual-mode solution to reduce communications costs and eliminate the need for users to carry multiple mobile devices.  One long-standing business need has been to enable rail operations employees at the Jacksonville train dispatch center to be instantly reachable to help resolve urgent problems that might slow on-time arrival or reduce safety margins.  Routine duties in the dispatch center often cause key personnel to be away from their desks.

CSX supported these workers with both desk phone and cell phone, but cell coverage was spotty in the hardened facility.  In the late 1990’s, CSX deployed a carrier-based in-building cellular antenna system to solve the problem. Then five years ago when the in-building cellular system was no longer supported, CSX began to explore the possibility of dual-mode capabilities. At the time, a stable dual-mode solution was not yet available and CSX adopted a 900-Mhz in-building only voice solution instead. Handling multiple devices and contact numbers remained a nuisance for the users.  

From a cost-control perspective, users did not always use the lower-cost 900-Mhz handset and expensive cell minutes were still consumed in-building. Besides adding cost, the multiple systems did not provide a seamless mobile communications experience or the unified communications (UC) functionality that CSX was looking to adopt.  

Last year, a solution meeting Meade’s goals became possible.  As CSX standardized and began to deploy a popular wireless LAN offering, she also learned about the dual-mode telephony capability of DiVitas Networks’ Mobile Unified Communications (Mobile UC) solution. At the same time, upgrades to Avaya Communication Manager were underway, which will eventually support more than 5,000 Jacksonville employees.  

They linked to the DiVitas Mobile UC solution via Avaya’s SIP Enablement Services and the result is that Avaya user extensions are transparently supported on a dual-mode mobile phone.  The Mobile Unified Communications solution gives mobile users the ability to access corporate enterprise voice communications via WiFi on CSX premises with a single device via a single number.  The solution further enables WiFi access from home or potentially from any WiFi hotspot and takes advantage of seamless roaming between WiFi and cellullar to avoid call interruption.

Today users at the dispatch center connect to the system through Nokia dual-mode E-51 and E-71 handsets loaded with the DiVitas Client.  When dispatch managers are on the move, DiVitas automatically makes roaming decisions between WiFi and cellular networks to sustain the call, using the best voice quality and least-cost connection available. Meade identifies a potential rollout to hundreds of campus employees over the next two years as the Avaya Communication Manager upgrades are completed.  

Savings from reduced cellular minutes:  With dual-mode communications, cell plan minutes can be substantially reduced for on-campus mobile workers and even more so for field-workers. CSX calculates it has the potential to reduce cellular calling costs by ten to thirty percent, and foresees that a single user community within the company could alone generate savings of up to $10,000 per month.

Mobilized deskphone, Presence and Instant Messaging:  The DiVitas Mobile UC solution gives access to Avaya Communication Manager features including call transfer and conferencing, as well as access to CSX’s low-cost long distance and international calling plan.  The DiVitas solution also includes Unified Communications capabilities such as mobile Presence and mobile Instant Messaging (IM) to provide yet more options for improving reachability and productivity among mobile workers. Visual Voicemail is another feature users can take advantage of in their quest for affordable mobile telecommunications and a fast Fixed Mobile Convergence ROI.

One number for all your calls (single number reach): CSX professionals can manage their availability when away from the office and can receive their calls via their corporate number on their DiVitas dual-mode handset. Callers don’t need to know CSX workers’ cell numbers or home numbers, enhancing privacy, security and work-life balance. When calls are unanswered, the call is delivered to the corporate Avaya voicemail system, not the cell phone voicemail. This eliminates the wasteful (time and money) practice of missed calls and having to check multiple locations for business messages.

CSX is an innovator when it comes to being a green transportation company, and it makes it a priority to reduce its footprint on our planet. Now CSX is following this same green strategy with it's cost-reducing mobile-communications strategy.

This blog has been updated to reflect DiVitas' expanded smartphone support, which now includes Blackberry, iPhone and Android phones running DiVitas' enterprise social networking solution.

When we originally wrote this blog back in January, we had allowed analyst Michael Stanford to test drive the DiVitas Mobile Unified Communications (Mobile UC) solution using a Nokia ESeries smartphone.  However, his personal mobile device of choice is an Apple iPhone and he – like many of our customers – wanted to take advantage of DiVitas' mobile social networking capabilities on his favorite toy.

We came through on Michael's wish today with our enterprise mobility announcement that DiVitas Mobile UC now runs on all major platforms.

Building on the Nokia Eseries' established strength (one of the few handsets that support seamless roaming for free WiFi calls), DiVitas is now also providing an affordable, nimble and easy way for organizations to increase their mobile workforce.

Organizations can use DiVitas's web client to employ a BYO phone (bring your own phone) strategy, leveraging the increasingly popular use of iPhone, Blackberry and Android in the workplace.

Today mobile workers' personal phones frequently double as a business phone, but there are two phone numbers to juggle and there is no synergy with the PBX (business number and features such as extension dialing and call forward).

Now, with DiVitas' web client, a mobile worker's personal phone can become a mobilized deskphone that is under IT control - without having to download any software. An iPhone, Blackberry or Android user, for example, will have their deskphone (business number) moved onto their smartphone and those individuals will be able to place/receive calls from that business number or use IM and Social Networking (Mobile Presence and Status) from that single device.

For the individual, there is no longer a need to juggle two devices and phone numbers. For organizations, there is no need to purchase phones for every mobile worker. Meanwhile, Mobile Presence and Status are tied to the directory of contacts, which is accessible from the smartphone's interface, ensuring that individuals connect on the first try.

It's a new era for enterprise mobility and affordably creating a mobile workforce.